#just hanging out in the desert studying dragons and trying to not be involved | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rwbyremnants · 5 years

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NOTE: Thanks so much for all your reviews guys! Sorry if I don't get to them right away or all of them, or post the chapters frequently enough. Hopefully that can change after the holidays!

=Chapter 8

“So we got through a LOT of homework tonight.”

Yang laughed as they sped down the road toward Atlas Heights. “Yep. Bet you didn’t think you’d be getting tutored, too, did ya?”

“I didn’t,” Weiss admitted. “I can’t believe you went along with that!”

“Well… okay, I know it’s pretty raunchy to give you a peep show. But it really does tend to make for a lot less awkward first times if we just let Coco break in the new girls like that.”

Wrapping her arms tighter around Yang’s body, causing her to wince again from the bruises, she said, “Probably! And despite what I said, I did learn a few things about, um, technique that I won’t be forgetting!”

“Mmm… I bet you won’t.”

“Also… is it crazy to admit that after watching all that play out, riding your motorcycle is starting to feel really good right about now?”

Yang pulled up to a stop sign and waited there, instead of taking off again as she could have done. Her head craned around to look at Weiss. “Really? Want to make a pit stop at the depot and I can take care of that?”

“No.”

“Awww, c’mon,” she needled very gently, impish grin in place. “I guarantee it’ll feel better than a Harley.”

“Maybe so, but I’m already out past curfew. They will suspect something if I’m tired in the morning.”

“And you definitely would be.” When she poked Yang in the breast, she laughed and said, “If you’re trying to make me mad, that’s not the way to do it; just makes me want to have a little study session of our own right here in the street.”

“You Dragons are impossible.”

Still, Yang finished driving her back to her neighbourhood. Weiss spent the entire trip trying not to focus too hard on the sensations the moving vehicle was sparking within her body; it wasn’t fair. She had never noticed them before, on bikes, cars, trains, horses… any such thing. But such was her curse for dating a Dragon: heightened awareness of sexuality.

When she hopped off the motorcycle, she hesitated long enough that Yang tilted her head and waited. Finally, she began, “I’m… still not quite sure how to feel about hanging out with them. Things keep happening that I’m not ready for yet, and all the time. But I definitely know they’re… I guess ‘good people’ sounds patronizing, doesn’t it?”

Shrugging her shoulders under her leather, Yang stared up at the stars. “Yeah. But I get what you mean. They really are a great group of friends, even if they’re rough. And always horny.”

The phrase made Weiss titter, and Yang grinned before leaning over to take her lips. After they shared a long kiss, Weiss feeling her ankle rising into the air as she leaned into the contact, she pulled back just enough to whisper, “I had a great time with you today. All of it, even watching Coco prostitute her lover.”

“Nobody paid for it,” Yang muttered, and they both grinned. Then her face turned slightly more serious. “Me, too. I think you might be the one, Schnee.”

“The one what?”

“The one to tame the Dragon. To make me a one-woman woman.”

Rolling her eyes, Weiss said, “You don’t have to keep using such lines on me when I’m already available for kissing anytime.”

“But I mean it.”

Their smiles were gone now. Weiss felt her heart pounding, the backs of her knees tingled in the chill night air. “Really? You’re not just saying that to make me feel good?”

“Guess that’s the kind of thing I would do by reputation. But I don’t lie to girlfriends. And I wouldn’t tell you I’m serious if I’m not serious.” Her hand slid very slightly through Weiss’s hair, fingertips digging into her scalp. “I’m crazy about you, Schnee. And I know we were talking about how it can’t happen, but… if it could… I think I could see myself marrying you.”

Tears sprang to her eyes instantly, as if summoned with magic. “Oh! Oh, Yang… no one’s ever- I m-mean, I’m starting to feel that way, too, but I don’t know how to…”

Neither of them seemed to know what else to say about it, so they kissed, longer and deeper, and more yearning than before. It took every ounce of willpower Weiss had to pull away from the contact, but she knew she had to be getting back.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she breathed as she began to walk backwards away from the bike.

“You will. And every day, if I can help it.”

“Maybe… tennis?”

Grinning, Yang merely waved instead of answering. Weiss climbed the trellis, electing to simply move softly instead of taking off her shoes, and winced at the noises of them echoing off the shingles.

As she reached to slide her window shut, she heard the Harley driving off and grinned to herself. This was all she had ever wanted without knowing she wanted it. If the price was having to watch two women behave immodestly, it seemed like a bargain, all things considered.

“Yang Xiao Long,” she breathed softly to herself as she fell back on her bed, staring up at the pristine white ceiling. “Golly gee…”

It took too long for Weiss to fall asleep that night. As always, the idea of dating Yang was plaguing her thoughts, but in this case it was partly because she finally realised…

‘I just watched two people have sex,’ she thought to herself. ‘Didn’t I? There was no penis involved, which is how I learned sex works, but… there’s no way what they did DOESN’T count as sex. Right?’

Without anyone there to answer her, the thoughts swirled around and around. She tried rolling onto her side, then her back, then her stomach again. Nothing helped. In the back of her mind, she knew the reason was that her body had been even further awakened by the little demonstration and the bike ride home - as if it needed any help. Yang was already sweeping her off her feet in ways she could never have imagined. But what could she do about it?

‘There is that demonstration. Coco showed me exactly what to do.’

But she quickly tried to put that out of her mind. No way she could do that to her own body! It was indecent and wrong! Wasn’t it? One pale hand began to sneak down to the waistband of her pajamas, but that was as far as she got before she jerked it back. She couldn’t possibly.

But as she tossed and turned, she began to wonder if she might need to ask Yang to help her relieve that building stress sooner rather than later. At least there was more than one way for them to accomplish that.

----------------------------------------------------

“Fifteen-love!”

Panting, Yang sagged against the net for a moment, wiping the sweat from her forehead. They had been batting the little yellow ball back and forth for nearly an hour and a half now. Privately, Weiss was really enjoying the sight of the blonde bruiser getting all worked up, but she would never admit such a thing aloud. Especially not in a public park.

“I think… I’m almost getting the hang of this,” Yang finally replied. “Even if I still… can’t beat you.”

Twirling her racquet in her hands, Weiss smirked at her. “Really? Because it looks to me like you’re about to fall apart on me, Xiao Long.”

Yang’s bottom lip jutted out in protest. “Thought calling you by your… last name was… my thing.”

“I’m stealing it.”

“Oh, really? So can I… ask for payment in return?”

The Dragon was completely transparent. Quickly looking around to make sure the park was at least deserted enough that no one would notice, she darted forward and pecked Yang’s lips over the top of the net. She was so surprised that she nearly slipped the rest of the way down to the court.

“Goodness me,” Yang breathed in a besotted tone.

“Stop,” Weiss laughed, returning to a serving position. Though her face felt distinctly warmer.

They didn’t keep it up much longer than that before Yang decided she was through. Tennis used different muscle groups than the bodybuilding and general exercise she normally got, and wore her out quickly. They towelled their faces and necks off, and Yang grabbed up her leather jacket as they walked over to where she’d left her Harley.

“I swear, you’re turning me into somebody completely different,” she said as she paused at a water fountain.

“What do you mean? I could say the same about you! I mean, I’ve never snuck out of the house before you came along!”

Wiping her mouth with the back of her forearm, she smirked over at Weiss as she stepped back to allow her to take a drink. “Yeah, and I never played tennis or had a ‘study date’ before.”

“Hmm,” she said as she bent over the spout and turned the spigot on. “Then I guess we have a lot to teach each othaaaagh?!”

The water ran down from her nose and chin into the basin as she felt Yang’s hand move back and forth across her rear. She tried to find a way within herself to speak up, to reprimand her for being so bold in public - putting her hand up her skirt even - but she couldn’t seem to come up with any words. Each fingertip pressing into her flesh through the taut fabric of her underwear sent a fresh chill up her spine.

“What was that?”

“Bluh…” That was all she could say, given the water still running over her mouth. She couldn’t seem to release the handle, either.

“Sorry, can’t hear you,” Yang purred into her ear as she kept it up, and Weiss swayed slightly, knees no longer able to keep her upright quite so easily as before. “Speak up a little, baby.”

Finally, she did come back to herself and stood bolt upright, taking a step away from Yang to wipe at her face. “YANG!”

“What?” she chuckled.

“You, you… masher!” Then she coughed for a moment before adding, “I never thought I’d have to call a woman that!”

The brute put on a sweet, innocent face that almost worked, given that she was wearing a white A-line dress for their game rather than her usual attire. “Awww, come on, Weissy. I was just playing with you. Don’t be so sensitive!”

“Me?! We are in public, Yang! You need to be more sensitive to that!”

“Maybe I just wanted revenge for you whooping me so easily.”

That level of pettiness surprised her. “Did you?”

“Well… okay, not really. That little skirt was just too tempting,” she confessed.

“Okay, that sounds more accurate.” Clearing her throat, she turned away and folded her arms over her chest, racquet dangling and swinging back and forth. “Fine. I assume you had noticed no one was in this area before you started groping things I haven’t given you permission to grope yet?”

Rolling her eyes, Yang slid an arm around Weiss’s waist and started guiding her toward the bike again. “Of course. I’m not that much of a dumbbell.”

“Good.”

“Great,” she laughed. “Glad we settled that.”

“Mmm.” Around the time they reached the bike, Weiss couldn’t help asking, “Do you really like touching me there that much?”

“What?”

“My… you know. Derrière. Do you like touching it that much?”

Yang snorted at the unexpected query. “Well… yeah. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t like doing it. You have a nice, firm little caboose; fun to squeeze now and then. But you know all you have to do is smack me and I’ll stop, right?”

Though she was still flustered, thinking about Yang enjoying it that much, she smiled at the question. “Of course. You’ve made that clear from the beginning; you’re going to keep using my body like a toy, and if I ever get furious enough at you, all I have to do is speak up.”

“That’s not… how I’d put it…”

“I’m teasing,” Weiss told her when she saw just how worried Yang looked by her phrasing. She slid onto the bike behind Yang and held onto her waist, leaning up to kiss the side of her cheek. “Really, I do understand. We’re both kind of just… experimenting. And so far, more of the experiments have been successes than failures. I think that’s a pretty good record.”

“Me too,” she breathed, smiling at her for a long moment. The moment stretched on, and neither of them seemed to want to break their gazes. There was something truly magical about looking into the Dragon’s eyes, being this near to her.

But finally, she cleared her throat and turned back around. “I’ll take you home, then I gotta split. That parley is tonight and I don’t want to let the girls down.”

Weiss felt a flutter of worry in her stomach. “Do you have to go? I mean, meeting with a rival gang… it’s not very-”

“We’re not really rivals. They handle the business district and places like that; we’re strictly the other side of town. The crummy side,” she added with a slight smile as she started the bike. “We just like to keep things civil and make sure no toes are stepped on.”

There wasn’t much else Weiss could say to that, so she fell silent. All she could do was worry, and worrying solved nothing. Best to simply wait for news.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Which she got the next morning. If Yang's exhausted expression was any indication, things had not gone as smoothly as she hoped.

“Why the long face?” she asked as cheerfully as she could.

“Because I am Mister Ed.” There was no inflection to the joke as the dejected Dragon leaned back against the lockers.

“That bad, hm? I'm sorry.”

Trying for a casual shrug that looked more like a stretch gone wrong, Yang grunted, “It’s fine. Salem and their head cheese don’t get along so great. They’ll work it out eventually, but yeah, we’ll need a second pow-wow.”

Weiss leaned back with her, hoping her companionship would be of some use when her words were not. A few students were glancing at them in mild curiosity, but after they sat together in the cafeteria, it was a lot less shocking.

“And we gotta study today,” Yang went on eventually. “Teach made a big deal about me actually trying on my math homework, though he sounded sarcastic. So maybe… it’s not a total waste of time.”

“That’s great!” she burst out immediately, shaking Yang’s bicep just enough to make her smile very slightly. “See? I was right; you’re just lazy.”

Fire flashed in Yang’s eyes as she grinned. “Let me take you to the depot tonight and I’ll show you just how lazy I-”

“Hey, guys!”

The Dragon fell silent as Ruby came to a stop in front of the pair of them. This time, her hood was down, and Weiss could she had shortish brown hair, even shorter than that of her carrot-headed friend.

“Hey, Fuzzy Duck,” Yang murmured sullenly.

“You guys look like you’re… getting along again,” she remarked with a wide smile. Weiss could tell she was nervous behind the chipper facade, but commenting on it would only make it worse for her. “Glad to hear it! I was kinda worried that it wouldn’t go so-”

“What do you want?”

“Yang!” Weiss whispered, slapping her bicep gently. “She’s your sister!”

“Uh-huh.”

Fidgeting, Ruby went on, “So, um… I guess… that’s all! Have a great day, guys!” Then she sped off before Weiss could get out a single syllable.

“What a pest,” Yang sighed - before Weiss swatted her again. “Hey! You want Oobleck giving us the business again?”

“That sweet girl just wanted to check on you and see how you’re doing, and all you had to say was ‘fuzzy duck’? Whatever that means!”

Rolling her eyes, she said, “It’s a girl with short hair. Get it? Chick with fuzzy feathers instead of amber waves like mine?”

“Oh…”

“And don’t worry about how me and Rubes get along. I just…” Her fingers rose up to comb through her hair as she started walking. Weiss felt irritated at being expected to just follow in step, but talking to Yang was more important than that sticking point. “Lot of bad memories. Dad ditching us, Summer dying. And she won’t come by because Raven scares her. Like… I can’t blame her, but I kinda can. Y’know?”

Weiss chewed the inside of her lip for a moment. “I see. Well… do you go to visit her?”

“Hah!” she burst out. “I don’t get along with Uncle Qrow. He has old Hunstman ties; doesn’t really abide my being a Dragon, both because he’s ex-gang and because his ex-gang isn’t the one I’m in.”

“Is Raven ex-gang, too?”

Yang’s head whipped around quickly to gape at her. Then she snorted. “Maybe you really are the smartest girl in school, Schnee.”

“As if there was any doubt,” she sighed, examining her fingernails with a smirk playing around the corner of her mouth.

“Damn. You make me wanna do things to you that would get us suspended.”

Nearly tripping over her own feet, Weiss recovered quickly and leaned against Yang for just a second. It was a second too long; she knew at least a few students had seen, had noticed. Maybe they would never understand what it meant, but it still shot her pulse into the stratosphere.

“Careful, Princess.”

“Thank you,” she whispered with a small smile.

“Hey, why is that creepy kid staring at us?”

Weiss’s eyes shot up, but she couldn’t see anyone watching them. Apparently, they were looking away just in time, and she had been wrong about their moment of closeness going entirely ignored. “Who do you mean?” she whispered.

“Gone already. Guess we’re just that entertaining.” Yang had already stepped a little to the side, putting a more normal amount of distance between their bodies. “Um… so I was thinking…”

“Yes?”

“You wanna study a little at lunch? Make it easier to find time, since I have other stuff going on after school. I mean, I’ll miss sitting with the girls, but it’s fine once in awhile.”

Feigning shock, she laughed, “Who is this? What have you done with Yang Xiao Long? Is this ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’?!”

“Wow, leave me alone, you germ! What did I do to deserve this?”

“So much. Do you want me to make a list?”

“Nope,” Yang chortled as they made their way down the hall, sounding happy as a clam. The feeling was mutual.

#princess and the dragons #freezerburn fanfic #1950s au #rwby fanfiction #rwbyremnants

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someobscurereference · 6 years

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Do you have a thintg (eg an AU) that you think about (A lot) but probably wouldn't write because it feels too self indulgent? If so, what is it? :3

Lol, is this because I said this recent fic was really self-indulgent in the notes? I appreciate you asking, anon ;D

At first I misread the question and thought you meant just a trope that was indulgent that I hadn’t written because it felt self-indulgent, which was difficult because there are a lot. But then I realized you said an AU specifically and that narrows it down a lot, actually! And the answer is still yes!

Do you remember this post about the Trio not having friends or even being friends with each other in a modern world? I was directly thinking of this AU when writing it. Keep in mind this is self-indulgent and corny as hell, and I’m very aware of that.

This fic opens up in a modern au where the the Trio are still teenagers (which is already a strange start for me because usually I write them as full adults). As mentioned in the above post, they’re not friends. And they don’t have a lot (or any?) close friends, actually. But mainly the focus here is on Owain because he’s my default protag and just who I happened to choose for this.

So he’s like… 16? About that age? And doesn’t really have any close friends. Which feels like canon, tbh. The war isn’t dragging anyone together. He gets on well enough with Lucina and Brady and Noire, but they have their own lives too. He and Cynthia used to be childhood friends but not anymore. He and Inigo actively fight each other and don’t get along. (Maybe their parents are aware of this, maybe not.) He and Severa are kind of okay? But she’s prickly and he’s weird and it’s not like they’re hanging out anytime soon. So Owain is 16, going to high school, doing his thing, maybe being teased on the side for being as lame as he is, and probably a little lonely. Maybe a lot lonely, sometimes. His family supports him pretty well, so there’s at least that, but, you know. He could be doing better. That’s just kind of how it is being 16.

Owain craves adventure and maybe some closer friends. So… For some reason in this AU I keep imagining the city they all live in being on the edge of some kind of shrubland or even desert type area? When thinking of the type of area this would be, I just kept thinking of Laurent getting lost in the desert for 4 years. Maybe it’s like that. Maybe not. Either way, outside of town is probably hilly and has a lot of craggy places and ditches and whatnot too. It’s not really a place people hang out unless you’re trying to have a party in the middle of nowhere so no cops show up or are trying to study what lizards live out there. Pretty barren and not very great.

But Owain likes exploring and getting lost in his imagination, and after one bad day, despite hearing cautionary tales from Laurent and his mother and whoever else previously, he goes to hang out there. He’s done it before.

Except this time he falls into a ditch or makes a wrong move or does something wrong, and this time Owain really hurts himself. Like, sprains an ankle and maybe knocks himself out type bad. Nothing broken but ow, does it sure feel like it. Maybe he even lays there deliriously for a moment staring up at the sun before closing his eyes because he can’t keep them open any longer.

When he wakes up again it’s been a few hours and he’s been moved somewhere else. Somewhere out of the sun. He feels dusty and still kind of hurts, but his biggest concern comes when he sits up and looks around and see’s there’s a fucking wolf sitting there. Which is already crazy enough because there aren’t supposed to be any wolves where they live. And also Owain is definitely going to be eaten.

But the wolf doesn’t move and Owain eventually realizes the wolf is actually a just a big dog, and that helps his fear a bit. Big dogs aren’t wolves. Though it is kind of strange that its all the way out here in the middle of nowhere, but so is Owain.

So after establishing the dog isn’t going to eat him, he tries to stand up and it hurts but he can kind of manage. The dog sees him struggling and gets up in Owain’s space. This freaks Owain out for a minute again until it becomes apparent the dog just wants Owain to kind of lean on him and not fall over. It’s big enough for it anyway.

So Owain is figuring out this dog is smart and probably likes people if it knew to drag him out of the sun, and he likes animals too. It’s still a little surprising when he pets the dog and asks “What’s your name?” while already planning to come up with one of his own and the dog leads him deeper into the outcropping of rocks instead of out and Owain sees the name “Anankos” scratched into the rock via… clawmarks? No way, Owain thinks, it must have been a stone. He’s kind of disappointed he doesn’t get to name the dog himself, but “Anankos” sounds like a pretty good name anyway. And if someone else helped raise a dog smart enough to help Owain out when he really needed it, he’s grateful, even if that means someone else did find the dog first.

He makes it home with the help of Anankos the big dog. The sun is setting, and Anankos takes him as far as the edge of the town. He doesn’t go any farther, which is fine because Owain can make it home from here, even though he is sad they have to part ways. He limps home and Lissa fusses over him being late and being bruised, and Owain plays down what happened and doesn’t mention Anankos at all because then his mother would never let him go back ever. But he’s fine, everything’s fine, and the evening passes without much issue.

It’s probably a weekend so Owain either goes back that Sunday or the next week and looks for Anankos the dog. He’s hopeful. And either he’s lucky or Anankos must be aware of him too, because out in the outskirts of town, they do find each other again. Owain brought dog-appropriate snacks and some meat. Anankos is appreciative. Owain is happy they’ve run into each other again, but he is curious why Anankos’s owner isn’t keeping better track of him. Unless Anankos goes home at night? Or doesn’t have an owner anymore? He doesn’t know what to make of it. But he’s happy.

So Owain’s closest friend becomes a possibly wild dog named Anankos that found him out in the dry outskirts of his city. Anankos isn’t a person, but he’s smart as hell. Like, really smart. Sometimes Owain wonders if Anankos really understands him sometimes.

Sometimes Anankos goes off on his own for a while and he won’t go into town with Owain (so much for taking him home, even if Lissa would allow it, which. Probably not), but Owain makes the most of it anyway. He has a friend now. There’s a Owain when he’s at school and there’s Owain when he gets to run out into the wild and make up stories and do teenage boy stuff with a dog so big it seems like a wolf.

And from here on the details get fuzzier because, again, this is so self-indulgent I’ve never planned on explaining this to anyone and thus only have shattered shards of scenes that I kind of want to see rather than a real plot. But I imagine there’s an actual villain in this story too. Like, between Owain and Inigo fighting, between regular teenage drama and whatnot, Anankos really is the reincarnated version of our Anankos from fe14 looking for Corrin again. Not because there’s any great evil on the rise but just because he wants to see them the way he never got to before, even if he is a dog and isn’t really their father this time. (Or is he? But also he’s a fucking wolf dog. That can be figured out later.) But he remembers the Trio too, though they don’t remember him, and he likes Owain enough that Anankos wants to make sure he’s okay too. He’d probably be fine with Inigo and Severa too (debatable if they’d be fine with him, lol) but they don’t hang out in the middle of nowhere like Owain, so they don’t run into each other.

So anyway, Anankos the dragon/wolf is looking for Corrin. I think the Nohr sibs and Garon and maybe even Iago? Are here too, but I haven’t decided how yet. I think at least Iago is evil. Maybe Garon too. I imagined Owain getting into trouble with somebody evil like that cornering him and Anankos, in the city for the first time ever, fucking kills Iago to protect him. Which leaves Owain shaken as hell and also some people are probably freaking the fuck out that a wolf came out of nowhere and just killed a guy??? But Owain defends Anankos by saying Owain has been taking care of him, he did it to protect Owain, that guy was trying to kidnap him, etc. And Lissa is thrown for a loop because apparently her son has been hanging out with a fucking wolf this whole time but it??? Protected him?? But also that’s a WOLF? (”Mom, that’s not a wolf. I mean, I wish he was because that would be super cool, but…” “Owain, I Know What A Wolf Looks Like.”) (Suffice to say he’s at least in a little trouble.) It’s a whole Thing.

And also maybe Inigo and Owain’s tension keeps building up between their fights and teasing, and one time Inigo tries to be actually genuine when he sees Owain has been having a bad day and asks what’s wrong and Owain snaps at him, “What do you even care? You don’t even like me.” And Inigo feels kind of bad and Owain is just upset and they Don’t Talk for a bit after that.

But also!! When Inigo gets in trouble because of Evil Plotline Thing Here, Owain is alerted either via magic?? Anankos’s magic?? Instinct? Anankos? Coincidence? And comes through to save him. And probably Severa gets involved at some point too because she’s the third of the Awakening Trio, obviously.

I feel like Nohr sibs (though maybe Corrin comes in earlier) are late game stuff but I can’t quite decide how yet.

That’s all I basically have for the moment, but this AU kind of blurs in with one or two other modern AUs I have going on in my head atm so it’s hard to separate the details entirely. I know Anankos being a human-intelligence level wolf (bc he is/was a dragon in his past life) that Owain (who remembers nothing of FE14) makes friends with in the desert is kind of cheesy and dumb, but I like it anyway. I can’t imagine ever writing this unless the details for this AU get filled in significantly but still. I like thinking about it from time to time.

Thanks for asking! Sorry this went on so long, lol. I appreciate the question though, anon! :D

#my text #asks #my fic #fe13 #fe14 #so very indulgent and silly #but thanks for listening to me ramble anyway!#long post

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scurvgirl · 6 years

Text

Meanwhile, Part Two

I am very excited about this one!!!

Fairy Tale AU

1, 2, 3, 4

Meanwhile, Part 1

Worldbuilding

Dirthamen and Falon’din belong to @feynites

Selene belongs to @selenelavellan

I really hope I did them justice.

Six Years Ago

For the past several centuries, Dirthamen has been researching the patterns involved in the magic of their world. The most common analogy for how magic operates is to picture lakes, streams, oceans, and deserts. It says that magic is like the water and some places have more than others. It is overly simplistic, and it supposes that magic has always been the way it is, and that the current flow is natural. Dirthamen hypothesizes that this is not the case.

Recently he has begun to think that the way magic is more concentrated in some areas is not necessarily due to flow but to magical gravitation, so to speak. Some of his data suggests that certain locations act as siphons for magic, pulling it in and filling the surrounding area with magic. But this pull renders some area bereft of magic.

So far, it is simply a hypothesis with a limited sample of observations. Mt. Garvunesh, a volcano two day’s ride south of Dirthirasan, is one of these observed places. It appears to be a natural siphon of magic, though a small one. The soil surrounding the volcano is rich for farming, but it also contains magical properties that many of the alchemists in his territory like to use.

The researching tower northeast of the city is another such siphon, though artificial. It houses some the best of the empire’s magical researchers as well as some of the greatest scientific minds. Through the study of gravity, they have come to this hypothesis. What this means is that there is a way, theoretically, to follow the magical gravitational pulls to where other siphons exist. And from there…they could dismantle them or use the, depending.

They have successfully triangulated the locations of three smaller siphons to the east, but there is a draw to the west that has been drawing Dirthamen’s attention. After a year of research, they believe they finally have the location for the draw – deep into the western forest, by the mountains. From the calculations, his cartographers predict that the siphon is located north of the safe path through the forest.

Curious, Dirthamen joins the expedition. There are cartographers, scouts, guards, and magical experts attending. All of whom are familiar with Dirthamen himself – it makes the journey that much less draining. It also allows him to feel his excitement more freely. There are several projects he would like to investigate if only he had the access to the amount of magic required, and if the predictions are correct, the results could be amazing.

First, they must find the siphon.

It takes several days to get deep enough into the forest. The magical experts and cartographers work together to chart their path while Dirthamen assists on some of the more esoteric calculations. On the fourth day, they decide to make camp early to prepare for approaching the siphon the next day.

Dirthamen can feel the magic in the air, a prickle to his skin that is strangely calming. It is familiar and it makes his body feel…strange. Malleable, as if he could change the very skin he is in.

He cannot sleep, the energy around him, in him, is too great. He lies in his tent, staring at the canvas when he feels it. Warm magic suffuses the air, drawing him out of his tent to find the entire camp surrounded by an ambient purple hued magic. The guards are asleep, purple air surrounding them, held in what appears to be a magical vice.

Fear spikes in him and he quickly rounds on all of his people, to find them all magically imprisoned. He casts a few spells, trying to test the barriers. They hold, undisturbed by any of his attempts to break them.

This…should have been predicted. Others would be drawn to the siphon, just as they were. He swallows and tries not to panic.

He…can leave, find help. Yes, get help, reinforcements to solve whatever prison his people are in.

Dirthamen goes to mount his horse to find that it too is imprisoned in the purple haze. He moves swiftly the way they came to run face first into a barrier. He snaps back, knocked to the ground as a flash of burning pain radiates from his fingers up his arms to his shoulders.

He is trapped.

Dirthamen has never considered himself to be claustrophobic, but the idea of being trapped here indefinitely is nothing short of terrifying. He staggers to his feet and tries opening a passage through the barrier. He pours as much magic he can into the spells to no avail. It is likely that whoever is doing this is using the power in the siphon. If he could just get to it, maybe he could counteract this spell.

The barrier ripples and a path appears, lined with purple, a straight line heading north – towards the siphon.

He is not naïve, this is a trap, he knows it. But…failing all other options, it is his only option. He steps cautiously down the path, following it into the dark, careful to not touch the barriers. Under different circumstances, he would like to study them, but the appeal is lost when it is being used to trap him.

He follows the path for over two hours before he sees it – a great tower rising from the forest floor. The moon hangs high in the sky, illuminating the tower. Light bounces off the walls, refracting in a way that makes it almost imperceptible, but it is there, shrouded in magic and clearly the siphon that had drawn them to the forest.

More of the purple magic wraps around the tower, thicker and brighter. Tentatively, Dirthamen reaches out with his own magic, wrapping it around the magic imbued in the tower. To his surprise, the magic within the tower is different from the purple magic trapping and guiding him.

Shadows move and flicker and he turns around, trying to find the source of the movement. He is turned around, scanning the dark when the air shifts and he feels it. Or rather, her.

The woman is tall and dark except for the brilliant white of her hair. The purple magic responds to her, curling towards her as if it wants to touch her.

Under other circumstances, he would find her very beautiful.

Dirthamen swallows and cloaks himself in his own magic, shielding himself from whatever she may assault him with.

But she does not lunge towards him, and the magic keeps its distance.

“Why have you come here?” She asks, voice echoing.

“I-I,” he stutters. He takes a deep breath and tries again.

“I am investigating the magical gravitational pulls in this world and this tower appears to be a siphon that is pulling in a significant amount of magic.”

There is a long pause.

“You are Elvhen,” she states.

“Yes.”

“Your kind are not welcome in this forest.” She is referring to the beast slaying. The forests, this one as well as the smaller forests to the east, north, and south, are all popular hunting grounds for his sister and brother. They like to bring back trophies, heads of nymphs, wyverns, witches, and abominations are all common decorative items.

“I am not hunting,” he says. She stalks forward then stops shy of him being able to see her face.

“You are speaking the truth,” he thinks she sounds surprised by that.

“Are you not elven?” He asks.

“Do I seem elven to you?” Is her only reply. No, she does not. He has never seen magic cling to an elven person like it clings to her. He wonders if she is even using the siphon’s abilities.

“You seem powerful.”

“You’re an observant one,” she takes a step forward and straightens her back, “you are to leave the forest and never come back.”

He blinks, “And what happens if I do not leave, or I do come back?”

“I will be forced to kill you,” she says without hesitation.

“It is not that simple. The cartographers and researchers will not understand why we cannot continue.”

“Are you not their leader? I have watched you for the last few days, you gave the orders. Tell them that you must leave and cannot come back. Find another…siphon to study.”

The amount of adjustments to account for this siphon’s activity to find another siphon would be…significant. Not to mention difficult.

“We do not wish to disturb you or the siphon, only to study it.”

“Is that what you told the dragons?” She snaps and he grows quiet. It is not what was told to the dragons, but he can see the similarity.

“I was not responsible for that decision.” It is the truth, he had no part in deciding that the empire should go to war with the dragons. He was away, absorbed by his research while his brother, father, and sister pushed Mother into starting the war.

Four dragons who had been previously friendly with the empire had ben brought to Arlathan under the guise of a diplomatic mission. Only one made it out alive.

“Have you questioned the decision? Have you railed against your people for senselessly attacking u-them.” He catches the near slip and a wariness fills him. She…fits within the draconic category. Extraordinary magical abilities, guarding and possessive of a location, beautiful. Just because she wears the skin of an elf does not mean it is her true form.

It would certainly explain some things about her. Why she is impassioned so about his involvement with the Dragon War and the magic that clings to and exudes from her. He does not have so much as a blade on him. He was never the fighter in his family, he researched magical properties and hidden knowledge. Falon’din fought, as did Andruil and Father, but…not Dirthamen.

Not to underestimate her before the realization, but he feels the entire encounter become that much more dangerous and tenuous. This is her territory, and dragons are exceptionally territorial, particularly towards those they suspect have come to do them or any in their domain, harm.

The moonlight catches the line of her cheekbone, high and sharp, and the light glints in her eye. A slit pupil stares him down and she smiles. It reminds him of the smiles Andruil will wear when she is hunting.

“I suppose the ruse is ruined now,” she says, exhaling a plume of smoke.

Dragons like the show, they are bluffing creatures and will try to intimidate you out of a fight. They are liars. The words come to him from a foggy memory of his Father speaking to recruits, all of whom were likely to die.

He never saw the bluff as a lie – it was a genuine desire to avoid conflict. There are other lizards that are like that, they puff up their necks and make themselves look bigger. Cats do it as well, they puff up to scare away a threat. The difference is that dragons are far deadlier.

The woman grows taller with each step and great horns curl up from her head now. Silvery white scales cover her limbs as she looms over him, easily twice his height now.

“Leave, and do not come back. Do not speak of me or the tower.”

He nods his acquiescence. There is little point not to.

She grins, revealing sharp teeth and flicks a finger. The path back to the camp alights once more, she gestures for him to follow it. He steps back, unsure if it is wise to turn his back on her. But it makes her roll her eyes.

“You may run, I am not going to kill you now that you have agreed to my terms. I am not without honor, Elvhen,” she spits the last word as if it is a curse. He supposes it can be, considering how many of her kind the empire has slain.

Dirthamen turns and walks quickly back to camp. It takes a great effort to not run, but her words stick with him. She is not without honor, and just as she promised, he makes it to camp uninjured. The purple mist lifts and it is like a play resumes around him. His people look to him, surprised to find him at the edge of camp and not in his tent.

“My lord?” Asks one of the cartographers.

He takes a deep, steadying breath, “We must leave. I cannot explain, but we must leave, and not come back.” Questions are hurled at him but he shakes his head and fields all of them. He cannot say, at least…not here.

The next day, the expedition heads back to Dirthirasan. Most are confused, some are frustrated, and he is woefully still curious. The way the magic emanated from the dragon woman was unique, and perhaps…perhaps the tower is not the siphon.

They return to Dirthirasan and he readjusts the parameters for the research. They turn the focus from inanimate siphons to animate ones. There are a few creatures that are easy to examine and see if they are pulling magic to them. It is a much smaller scale, and he must call on Ghilan’nain to assist him.

Even as they research the implications of creatures being small siphons, his mind wanders to that night often. He has no name, no knowledge of her. And yet, almost every night he sees her in his dreams. Dreams that do not make any sense, he sees her, or even feels her. They are like soft echoes, suggestions, and it fills him with a bone deep longing. It wrenches his heart and distracts him from his work.

He searches the archives on known dragons and finds none that fit her description – there is one that comes close, but dragon described is male and Dirthamen suspects he would not have left that night alive if the dragon described in the archive was there that night.

He wonders if she has charmed him. She haunts his dreams, a common visage of white hair and bright eyes – a sinister smile that doesn’t quite reach the eyes.

Dragons can make you grow mad as obsession consumes you. More words from Father’s speech. Is this what he spoke of?

A year passes and Dirthamen feels drawn more and more to the forest to the west. After another dream about that night, he cannot take it anymore. He equips himself for an expedition and leaves without so much fuss. He does not tell anyone where he is going, only that there is something he must go find. It is for a personal project, he says.

The forest is as he remembers, verdant and beautiful, full of treacherous creatures that can easily kill him. But when he reaches the old campsite, he forgoes bringing his blade. He does not want her to believe he has come to kill her, only to have this compulsion removed.

He leaves his horse and all his belongings in the warded camp and sets forth to the tower. The trail to the tower appears different in the daylight – full of colors other than purple.

It does not take long until he sees the tower in the distance, reflecting light and keeping its own figure obscure. He realizes that this must be the Glass Tower from the old logs on ancient magical structures. It was a hub of activity a few hundred years before the Dragon War, but something happened, magical experiments gone awry is likely, and it was abandoned. Its location has been lost for nearly a thousand years. It would make sense, then, that if it was still the siphon. The animal research has come back positive for minor gravitational pulls, however, which may imply that the Tower is a siphon and the dragon woman is also a siphon. That would greatly help explain the amount of draw this region seems to pull.

The ground vibrates with force and wind suddenly gusts from the tower towards him. A glittering, long object flies overhead before landing in his vicinity. The sun grows dark as shadows suddenly shroud him and what he suspects is her in her true form.

“I told you to stay away!” She growls, voice angry. When his father or brother sounds like this though, there is a different edge to it – it makes him brace for the impending strikes, but this does not instill that same fear.

“I have not come to harm you,” he says instead, “I have come to request you remove whatever spell you have placed on me.” There is movement and he gains the sense of being surrounded without actually seeing anything.

“You lie!” She growls, low and menacing, “I have placed no spell on you.”

Dirthamen blinks. She…has not placed any spell on him? His brow furrows as he scrambles to find another explanation. Other than bewitching him, it could be natural fascination. He has not seen a live dragon up close. And she had been beautiful in that light, so different from the descriptions his family has always regaled him with.

“I do not understand,” he says softly.

“Have you told anyone what you saw that night?” She demands.

Dirthamen shakes his head, “No. I have kept it to myself.” He should have been more thorough in his investigation into the dreams. Perhaps there would have been another explanation, but he had to ensure he was not discovered, it…limited his scope.

She moves again and this time he thinks he sees the flash of a green reptilian eye in the shadows. She is much closer than he originally thought, making him step back. His foot hits something very solid and he falls to the ground.

The object he tripped over moves and suddenly a reptilian face is peering down at his, rows of sharp teeth visible in a sneer. Claws land on his chest and hold him to the ground while she bends over him.

“You have left me no choice,” she says, “I cannot risk letting you go, but you have honored part of my wishes. It feels wrong to kill you.” The claws secure around his chest and lift him up as she rises. Reflexively, he holds onto the limb, feeling her smooth scales, focusing on that rather than the wrenching feeling as she launches herself into the air.

His eyes shut, the ground disappears, and everything moves at a rapid pace. Stomach churning and lurching as she stops, landing hard against something, then moving again.

The claws release him, and he stumbles to what feels like a stone floor. He tries, then fails, to keep from retching. He staggers and falls back, shutting his eyes once more to make the world just stop spinning so horrifically.

“I…oh, um,” she says. It is his only warning before magic fills the air and settles over him. He tenses but the magic is soft and when it falls on him, it feels almost like snow. It sinks into his skin and his stomach stops lurching, the spinning in his head halts, and the nausea with it all dissipates quickly. His breathing remains labored as he recovers, feeling himself not feel like he is going to turn his insides into outsides.

“It’s been so long. I forgot how first-time flyers react,” she says, friendlier than she has been previously. Dirthamen does not respond, still feeling his body resume its equilibrium. The moments drag on until he finds the ability to roll his body from his prone position to sitting upright. He sucks in a deep breath and hesitantly opens his eyes to find wonder.

There were no accounts of the interior of the Glass Tower, no one could find it, let alone explore it. And yet, here he is, sitting on the floor in what appears to be one of the upper rooms, the window flung open to reveal sky – not even the tops of the trees are visible. The wind whips by, howling, but it does not shake the structure or enter the window. Inside, the room is large, big enough to house the very large dragon that is sitting by the window.

Her body is long and slender, covered in shimmering white scales. Ivory horns curl above her head and soft white feathers cover her wings. Her green gaze watches him closely as he orients himself. The floor is stone, but it is polished, covered in runes. The walls are of similar make, with only some wooden accents and furniture. The window dominates the far wall where she sits, plenty big enough to allow her access.

It is a tower interior, remarkable in its size and the runes, but…little else.

“What are your intentions?” He asks softly. Her head tilts in an oddly endearing way.

“You are my prisoner. If you cannot stay away, then you may not leave.”

“I cannot leave my people,” he says immediately, followed then by, “my family will track me here.”

Her eyes narrow and she leans in closer, “What is your name?”

“Dirthamen Evanuris,” he answers, and she hisses loudly. She says a few words in a language he does not know, her body twisting and twining as if in pain. Her head shakes, writhing before she suddenly snaps down to him, her head, and teeth, very close to his body.

“You are one of them! I should…I should kill you!”

“I…” he wants to defend himself, tell her that he has not killed a dragon, that he has kept her secret. Even if his family did track him here, they would have to track him – not her.

But she does not move – not to retract, but also not to kill.

“I…I hate your kind!” She says, “I hate this!” Her nostrils flare and he can feel the heat of her breath, so close. His heart races. She could very well kill him, easily. Just…chomp.

But his family would come for her then.

“You came here to be rid of a spell, instead I shall impart you with one. You are cursed to never be able to speak of this tower or me or anything about me to anyone – alive or dead or otherwise unspecified. And every full moon, you will return to me to have this curse renewed – if you do not, you will die.” Purple magic rises form her and sinks into him like icicles. A gasp of pain wrenches from him as his knees give out from the weight of the magic.

“This is unnecessary!”

“I have seen too many die by your family’s hand, I will not risk more,” she says, resolved. Her claws secure around him once more and he is wrenched back out with her as she takes to the skies. His body is wrenched back with her and his head is sent spinning once again. When they land, he slumps to the forest floor and tries not to retch again. He fails.

“I will see you in a month, Dirthamen Evanuris, do not be late.” He hears, rather than sees her fly away, leaving him alone in the dirt, cursed and sick and terror stricken for his future.

For the entirety of the first month, Dirthamen feels a dread in the pit of his stomach. He secludes himself often, unable to be around people for too long. Everything seems to be on edge and he fears having to go back into the forest.

But the full moon arrives, and he makes the journey. He arrives at sunset and she is waiting for him in the old campsite. She is in her elven form, sans scales and horns. By all respects she looks like an elf. It an unnerving deception, even if it is a beautiful one.

He dismounts and walks slowly to her. Her hands are folded in front of her and she is very still as she watches him.

“I was worried you would not come,” she says.

“I do not wish to die,” he answers. Her frown deepens, and she raises a hand.

“Let’s get this over with. Kneel.” He does as she says, kneeling into the soft earth as she strides to him. She extends an arm out, holding her hand above him, nails long like her claws. Her magic swirls out of her and digs into him. His body tenses and he grits his teeth at the pain. He is not unaccustomed to pain, though it has been awhile since he has had this much in his body. But just as quickly it is there, it is gone and a wave of soothing magic settles over him instead.

“I do not like causing pain,” she says, and there is a brokenness in her voice that leads him to believe her. But she is doing it and will continue to do it as he returns to her every full moon. He swallows, remaining on the forest floor as she moves away, disappearing into the night.

He is proven wrong the next time he must go to her. Her magic sinks into him, but it is like standing under warm water. It makes his skin tingle and flush, but it does not hurt. He looks up at her in surprise.

“I do not like causing pain,” she says again, and he cannot help but smile.

“You modified the spell.” She nods. She did not have to alter the spell, it was achieving its goal, and his pain is not her problem. He is reminded of what she said in the tower, how she should kill him, how she hated his kind. But not him.

“You do not like violence,” he says and she nods again, slowly, looking away from him.

“This war has forced many of us to do things we do not want to do just to survive…” she turns back to him, her stony façade returning, “You may go now.”

The next time he goes with the full moon, he brings a book. The Glass Tower is said to house one of the most impressive libraries on the continent, but he doubts it has been updated since it was lost. There have been many books made since then. He is not entirely sure why he feels like he should bring the book, but he does.

After she casts her spell, he asks her to stay a moment. He thinks she is going to refuse his request, but she is still there when he turns from retrieving the book from his pack.

“Is that…” she does not finish her sentence, and he wonders if she has received many gifts. Likely not recently, dragons were said to be semi-social and visited with each other, but his family has been…thorough.

“It is a story about a librarian who becomes a knight,” he says, hand running over the smooth leather of the binding, “it is very good.”

“Does this knight slay a dragon?” She asks, and he shakes his head.

“No. They become a knight on a quest to break a curse placed on their lover,” he clarifies.

“Oh…that…hm.” He is learning that when she does this, she is conflicted but because she is holding herself back from something. He understands that – who she is and what she ought to do conflicting.

“Why did you bring it?” She asks.

“I thought you might like it.” He answers as honestly, he can without saying he does not know.

“Why…would you do that?”

He does not have a sufficient answer for that. Instead, Dirthamen holds it out to her, “Please take it.”

She reaches forward and takes it from him, careful to not touch him. He pulls his hands back, feeling…disappointed? He shoves the feeling to the side and focuses on watching her take the book. She opens it and scans a page before closing it, a small smile dancing upon her lips.

“Thank you,” she says.

The next full moon, he brings another book. They stay even longer in the camp, speaking about the previous book. She read it over it over the month and talks excitedly with him. She eagerly takes the next book he offers, and the full moon after that, they speak on it too.

They continue on like this for six full moons. On the sixth one, they are sitting in the camp. She is holding the new book in her lap and she takes a deep breath.

“My name is Selene,” she tells him.

“Selene,” he repeats softly. It is a beautiful name and it fits her, with the moon in her hair and the light in her eyes. Selene.

Dirthamen rides the high of knowing Selene’s name all the way back to Dirthirasan. He rides his horse into the stable and grabs his things, heading back into his castle for a change of clothes. He opens his door and high comes crashing to the ground.

“Hello, Brother,” Falon’din greets, leaning back in a favorite chair of Dirthamen’s.

“Hello, Falon’din,” Dirthamen responds, remembering that he can still move, it is his room, his castle, his city, after all. So, he moves, setting his bag down by his dresser.

“Your people said you were not here. I didn’t believe them, but shit you weren’t. Where were you?”

Dirthamen keeps his back to Falon’din, it is always easiest to lie to his brother when he isn’t looking at him. “I was in the field, doing research.” He moves away from the dresser and towards his bed, hidden behind a screen, separating it from the sitting area.

There is a bound person on the floor next to his bed. Sickness rolls through Dirthamen that he struggles to hide. They are pretty, long blonde hair, indigo eyes, small. There is blood on his bed and on them.

“I had to entertain myself while you were gone, your people have gone soft,” Falon’din says derisively. They begin to cry silently.

“How long have you been here?” He asks his brother.

“Two days, everyone said you would be back yesterday.”

“There was a storm,” which is true – there was a storm, and it did delay him. Dirthamen bends down next to small, shivering follower of his and carefully undoes their binds. He makes sure to not touch them. He takes his own cloak off and offers it to them. They quickly wrap it around their body and when he bids them to stand, they collapse.

“I will have to pick you up,” he whispers. He waits for them to nod before he gently pulls them into his arms.

“They require healing. I will return shortly,” he tells his brother.

“Whatever, they weren’t that great anyways,” Falon’din waves in an out-of-character dismissal. But it is good, Dirthamen thinks, hopefully they will be able to recover in peace.

He leaves the bedroom and they sag against him, soft cries muffled as they press their face to his shoulder. He will request to have their quarters improved, whatever quarters they have, and to have as much access to the healers as they require. It will not…it will not make up for what has been done to them, but he can offer what little comforts he can.

Dirthamen leaves his cloak with them at the healers after they appear reluctant to let it go. It is no issue, he has others and can always have another one made.

Falon’din stays the rest of the month. His next bed partner is not as lucky as his first, and instead of going to the healers, a service is planned. Any request for Falon’din to stop his activities is met with similarly violent rejections.

If only Dirthamen could pinpoint what Falon’din had come for, then his brother would leave and cease harassing the fair-haired and bright-eyed folk of Dirthirasan.

Dirthamen is so preoccupied with is brother’s visit that he does not keep track of the moon’s phases. By the time he feels the presence of the full moon, it is too late. Full moons last four days, and it takes that time to reach the campsite, and by that time he will be….

He tries to leave anyways, maybe if he has the horse run through the night he can make it. But his brother finds him and there is…an altercation.

“You will not leave me!” Falon’din shouts, striking Dirthamen in the face. The stomach.

Dirthamen is going to die.

On the final night of the full moon, Dirthamen resides in his room. It is quiet, Falon’din has preoccupied himself with another of Dirthamen’s people now that he has been incapacitated. He wonders what will become of his people when he is gone. Will his brother take them? Will Mother intervene?

He also thinks of Selene. Will she think he has betrayed her? The thought has never crossed his mind – but he will die because in a way he did. He did not go to her when she had established he needed to.

His stomach lurches. Death will come from the gut, he guesses. Pain coils low in his belly and he stares up at the ceiling. Gut wounds are supposedly the most painful. They are slow deaths, full of agony. The curse was meant to punish, and he deserves the punishment for not doing as he was instructed.

Sudden movement at the window captures his attention. A white raven sits on the sill, ruffling its feathers. An exceptionally rare bird, one he had always wanted to see – fitting that now is when he would see it.

The bird flies into the room and he reflexively sits up, shocked as it lands beside him, staring with…intent up at him?

“Will anyone come in here?” It asks. Wait, no. That is Selene’s voice.

“N-no,” he answers. Light emanates from the raven, engulfing it and in a bright flash, it is gone, replaced with a Selene that is leaning over him.

“You’re hurt,” she says, reaching for his face. Her touch is soft and her magic swirls with it as she brushes a thumb over the cut on his cheek. The sting and hurt are smoothed away, making him sigh.

“I apologize for not coming,” he says softly. To his surprise, her expression does not turn mean, her touch remains gentle.

“I was worried,” is all she says. No harsh words, just softness. He leans into her touch, eyes fluttering closed as he feels the familiar warm magic settle into him. Her other hand cups his other cheek, framing his face in a deeply reassuring gesture.

He brings his hands up to hold her arms. He sends in just a touch of his own magic to join hers, earning him a soft sigh. Selene leans down and rests her forehead against his, murmuring his name, sending a shiver down his spine.

He does not know when he began to feel this way for her, but it feels right and good. Better than the relief of not dying is her, warm and comforting. He whispers her name back in the small space between them. He leans up, shrinking the space and presses his lips to hers. A small noise of surprise escapes her, and he fears she will pull away. But then she sinks into him, kissing him back.

As quickly as she kisses him, she pulls back, eyes wide. She retracts her hands and steps away.

#my writing #fairy tale au #dirthamen #selene lavellan #dirthalene #i had to split up what is going on with dirthamen into two parts #because there is A LOT #i was going to include all of what happened for him to end up engaged to serahlin but i needed to focus on the selene bit #really explore that #we are entering Plot Arc #i really hope y'all like this and i did it right #i love dirthalene so very much #(if i messed up anywhere. let me know. i can fix it)

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fearofaherobrine · 7 years

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Roleplay Server Log #247

“Desert Village, Homecoming, Hearts Surgery”

[Doc] How are you feeling?

[Deer] - A bit better, that's for certain. It's still weird to be able to see and hear the mobs but not feel them

[Doc] I'm rather glad you can't at the moment since Firebird and Snake set a zombie on fire last night and Buff is currently using his fists on some outside.

[Deer] - Buff is the new NOTCH, right?

[Doc] BuffNOTCH yes. He seems friendly and he's been helpful so far. He also seems rather more aware of what he is then the damaged NOTCH Ai's on the sub-seed.

[Deer] - Maybe it would be good for him to visit them?

[Doc] Maybe? Honestly, they might be afraid of him just because he's so huge.

[Deer] - We won't know till we try

[Doc] Nods - I guess we might as well get up...

[Deer] - And wake our precious child?

[Doc] Casts a loving glance at Yaunfen, hir fingers curling into Deerheart's - You two make me so happy.

[Deer] - I'm glad we do

[Yaunfen] Mumbles- Purple poppies

[Doc] Purple poppies? Sounds like a decent idea for Lie. As long as they taste like something.

[Deer] - We should wake the others

[Doc] Leans way over the side of the bed and pokes Snake- There, I helped.

[Deer] Gives Doc a look-

[Doc] Huge grin-

[snake] -curls around the place doc booped-

[Buff] Comes back in smelling of sweat and a bit of blood- That was a great workout! -He's rather loud

[snake] -is unaffected by the noise-

[Doc] You are so loud...

[Buff] Pokes Mix and Firebird- Wake up! It's a lovely morning!

[Doc] Gamely pokes Snake on the nose-

[Deer] Stands up and goes over to Yaunfen- Time to wake up sweet heart

[snake] -curls around flopping around cover his nose- my snoot what happened

[Doc] Time to get moving again.

[Deer] - The sooner we get to them, the sooner we can get them home

[snake] -gets up- okay then lets go

[Buff] Puts Firebird onto Mix gently and scoops them both up in his arms- Sleepyheads!

[Yaunfen] Slowly waking up- Mama awake now

[Deer] - Yes I am, and you need to wake up to so we can go

[Doc] Time to go hunt for Cp some more Yaunfen, we're 'it'.

[Yaunfen] - Okay!

[Doc] Can you walk Deerheart? I can carry you again if not.

[Deer] - For awhile I should be able to

[snake] -boops yaunfen's leg-

[Yaunfen] - Mada carry me?

[Doc] It looks like you may get a ride later when your mom gets tired sweetie. For now, just change back to your normal shape if you don't want to walk two-legged.

[Yaunfen] - Okay...- They change back into their dragon form

[snake] I still need to be on a shoulder or in a pocket I am too tiny

[Doc] Picks Snake up gently. - You can have my pocket for now. We'll renegotiate when I have to change again.

[snake] pocket ride -claps his tiny hands-

[Doc] Puts Snake in one of hir coat's exterior pockets and knocks out the doors so it's eaiser for Yaunfen to get out. -

[Yaunfen] Sleepily trots outside- More chocolate?

[Notch] Is on his phone in hearing range of Flux and pacing back and forth- so what's the story with the new protocols Jeb? And don't fucking lie to me. We deleted a NOTCH that was an absolute psycho and suddenly we get another one?!

[Jeb] You did what?! How???!! Wait.... I'm betting either the crazy doctor or that dick-punching asshole you call a son was involved. I don't want to know! Look... it's just some minor tweaks because of a couple of super aggressive NOTCHs. One in particular has been hunting not just Herobrines but deleting mobs and other NOTCHs too. They tagged him with a name so they could monitor him more easily and study his behavior. They call him the Harvestman.

[Notch] Is he scheduled for deletion?

[Jeb] No, they just don't want another one like him to be generated. The internal directives and self awareness for our AIs has been increased too so their behavior isn't so random. They're learning how to program more responsive AIs by monitoring the brines and peeking at their codes when they crop up. We're getting quick glimpses of their internal makeup as they spawn now.

[Notch] Do we know what's making them spawn in the first place yet?

[Jeb] Nope, still a mystery. But at least we're in a better position for the nicer AIs to pose as parents for new brines and be a good influence.

[Notch] That's... Surprisingly thoughtful...

[Jeb] It's safer for the players.

[Notch] I should have guessed. Also, I saw the code as the new AI was generated. Clean up your lines Jeb. That was sloppy work at best.

[Jeb] Yeah well..! It's harder when you have to write it from the outside!

[Flux] Is listening calmly from where she's sitting-

[CN] Comes outside, still sad but doing the chores Notch assigned him for while Lie's gone-

[Jeb] Sooo are you going to help me pick out a new computer?

[Notch] NO. I AM NOT YOUR PERSONAL TECH SUPPORT.

-something breaking on the other end of the phone-

[Jeb] What the fuck?! How did you just break a sculpture on the other side of my office?!

[Notch] firmly- By the raw power of my aggravation with you! And I hope it was that hideous anime thing you brought home from your last convention trip. Your wife would likely thank me! -firmly hangs up the phone. He stares at it angrily and then gives a frustrated yell right at it, before huffily putting it away.

[Flux] - He can't hear you now

[Notch] I know. That last one was just for me. It felt good even if he couldn't hear it.

[Flux] - It... Makes you feel better?

[Notch] Well... Yeah. Sometimes being noisy is a pretty good way to release stress.

[Flux] - Better then what we do?

[Notch] no! Not even close! What we do together is so much more effective.

[Flux] Smiles a little-

[Yaunfen] Has acquired several more cocoa pods as they traverse the jungle-

[Doc] Hey Yaunfen? Let me see your tail for a moment.- holds out hir hand

[Yaunfen] Trustingly holds out hir tail-

[AVulpix] Is running and playing around the group-

[Doc] Runs hir fingers over the hard knot of bone on the end that resembles a candy corn- try and give my hand a little swat. Whip- crack it like Celine does with hers.

[Yaunfen] Tries and accidentally hits a tree instead of Docs hand- Ow!

[Doc] Be careful! That might take some practice. Here- holds up a pod- try again. Hit it right on this line that looks like a seam, not too hard.

[Yaunfen] Tries and hits Docs hand this time-

[Doc] YOW! Close, but not quite! -Xe winces at the purple bruise that's likely forming under hir glove.

[Yaunfen] Ducks head a bit- Sorry Mada...

[Doc] No! Don't be sorry! I wanted to see if you could hit hard enough to break the pod. And you can, you just need practice.

[Yaunfen] - Okay!- Stomach rumbles a little

[Doc] Holds the pod by it's ends and low enough for an easy strike- One more time.

[Yaunfen] Tries and nicks the bottom of it-

[Doc] Wiggles hir thumb into the nick and widens it a bit- Try to hit the same spot.

[Yaunfen] Sticks tongue out and tries again, missing by quite a bit-

[Doc] Ah, well... that's enough for now. We'll work on it. - Xe uses the little hole to pull the shell apart and it falls into two halves, both full of chocolate bits- Here you go. Good effort.

[Yaunfen] Quickly starts eating the chocolate-

[Deer] Leans against Doc a little- Don't worry, it's something new, it will take them some practice

[Doc] I know. But I think it would be a good idea if they had a small means of defense at least, that point is hard and it could certainly crack a bone if applied in the right place.

[Deer] - We'll teach them to only use it as a last resort

[Doc] Of course. Or for stranger danger, obviously.

[Deer] Laughs- What strangers? Doc, we're friends with everyone!

[Doc] You never know. Not all of the creepypastas are friendly. I still don't trust Jeff.

[Deer] - Alright, alright

[Buff] Creepy-pastas?

[Deer] - A group of people, both digital, real, and I suppose mythic. All of them have been possessed by an entity named Insanity. We've slowly been removing her. CP is a Creepy Pasta who has had his Insanity removed

[Doc] We've got several of the purged ones on the server. I think Splenderman you'll like especially, he's also huge and friendly.

[Buff] Sounds good. Why creepy?

[Deer] - They're killers

[Doc] Some of them look a bit monstrous too.

[Buff] Looks at Doc- Are you sure you don't need me for bodyguard duty?

[Doc] I'll get back to you....

[snake] ben is pretty friendly

[Deer] - They can get rather violent at times

[Doc] BEN I'm proud of. He's come around quite nicely.

[Buff] What's the deal? They're just easy to make angry?

[Deer] - It's more like an addiction. They are addicted to killing and sometimes they just can't control it

[Buff] Thoughtful look - I'll be sure to watch out for them then. I'm pretty good at subduing people. - Does a flex and his arm muscles look like several dogs fighting in a bag.

[Deer] - You'd be surprised

[Doc] Looks at biome loading in - looks like desert. Well at least we'll be able to spot anyone coming.

[Buff] Puts Mix and Firebird down for a moment to roll his shirt so it's barely covering his upper chest and shoulders and then picks them up again before continuing. - Nothing wrong with a bit of honest sweat!

[snake] it is for gem because if she is sweating that means it's to hot

[Deer] - Lie is the opposite, she'd probably be perfectly happy living in a desert

[Buff] What about... Cp? Is it?

[Doc] He keeps an office in the Nether. He's a fire brine.

[Deer] - At least they can always agree on temperature

[Doc] Desert is okay for me. I like the sand. Lots of space to build.

[Yaunfen] Darts ahead and jumps into the sand-

[Doc] Kicks up sand as xe walks - xe's typing in chat- Hey Flux? How are you holding up? Have someone else type for you if you can't do it in your head.

[Flux] - I am fine for now, this physical connection is rather different than what I'm used to

[Doc] How so?

[Flux] - It's because Deer and I are based on different properties, she is based on the physical properties of the seed, while I'm based on magic

[Deer] - Flux, are you sure everything's okay? I know the Nether still occasionally glitches, so if you need help...

[Flux] - Everything is fine Deer, I've been around a very long time, I can handle this for now

[Doc] You just relax and heal.

-The sun bakes the sand under their feet but the wind keeps it from being to uncomfortable. There's a bit of noise up ahead as a village spawns in and a few Testificates peek nervously out at them-

[Yaunfen] - Testies! Testies!

[Doc] That's not a good way to abbreviate that Yaunfen....

[Buff] Snickers - it is funny though...

-A Fem Testificate steps out- Who are you travelers?

[snake] -is just giving a questioning glance to yaunfen for what they said-

[Deer] - We're just passing through, we mean no harm

[Doc] We're looking for a man and a woman who've gone missing. Two Herobrines.

[FemTestificate] - Herobrines? We've heard of no such thing

-woken firebird noises -

[Doc] They have no pupils, their eyes are just a glowy white.

[FemTestificate] - No, we have seen no such beings.

[Doc] Ah, well we won't trouble you then. Unless you have anything interesting to trade?

[FemTestificate] - If you have food, then we have wares to trade

[Doc] Do you want anything specific?

[FemTestificate] - Any food will do, we are a desert village, so food is more difficult to produce

[Doc] Can we go someplace out of the sun a bit first?

[FemTestificate] - Certainly, we have a market in the center of town which is mostly covered stalls, so there is plenty of shade

[Yaunfen] - Mada? I get small now?

[Buff] I could punch out a pond if you can fill it up? Then they could fish.

[Doc] Not a bad idea on either count. Do you want an oasis?

[FemTestificate] - There is an oasis by the village to the south, we trade with them for fish. It's a part of our economy. All the nearby villages produce certain things and every village can trade with any other for what they need. Unfortunately food is the most difficult for us because all of the nearby villages are either in dry locations, or the hassle is to much to transport it

[Doc] Okay. Xe opens the menu and starts pulling out meat and vegetables and laying it down on some wood blocks.

[FemTestificate] - Yes, this is all good, you'll certainly be able to get some good items in the market for all of this

[Doc] Grins- You guys fan out and see what you can find. I'm buying. - Lifts Snake out - You want to go with Deerheart for a while?

[Deer] - Come on Yaunfen, why don't you stay with Mama

[Yaunfen] Takes their human form and motions for Deer to pick them up, still not steady at walking and the ground is hot-

[snake] sure as long as I don't get left behind

[Buff] Pokes Mix- You guys want to look around, or you just gonna sleep all day?

[Deer] Picks up Yaunfen and holds out a hand for Snake-

[snake] -hops on to deer's hand-

[Deer] - Should we meet back up in about half an hour?

[Doc] Sounds good to me, I'm going to have a chat with the town librarian.

[FemTestificate] - You'll find Misia over in the small building that way- Points away from the market- She lives on the edge because she prefers the quiet

[Mix] - still snoozing because lazy bones -

[Firebird] - Bird noise and look around -

[Buff] Is moving awkwardly through the crowd-

[Deer] Takes Yaunfen towards a stall that has a lot of sugar cane-

[Doc] Knocks on the librarians door-

-The Vulpix's are shadowing Doc-

[Misia] Opens the door a crack- Yes?

[Doc] Hello. I was wondering if you had anything to trade. I've lots of food and binding materials too.

[Firebird] - nose at things they pass-

[Misia] - Perhaps, most people aren't interested in my wares...

[Doc] Then they're just silly. Books are so important.

[Misia] Opens the door completely- Please, no pets inside

[Doc] What? Oh! They belong to a friend. Can you guys wait for me out here please?

-The stalls are filled mostly with things mined from beneath the ground. There's a few stalls set up from other villages which carry things like wool and carpets, and one even has banners. Another is filled with dyes and flowers, while yet another has simple red stone contraptions-

[RVulpix] Worried noise, the sand reminding it of the past-

[Doc] I won't be long. Honestly.

[RVulpix] Shrinks down small and AVulpix tries to comfort it-

[Doc] Are you sure they can't come in? They're as smart as small children and won't cause any trouble.

[Misia] Hesitates- Why is it so important? Are they some sort of therapy animal?

[Doc] More like one of them needs therapy. The brown one has had some very bad experiences associated with the desert.

[Misia] - ... If they must...

[Doc] Thank you. - Ducks inside and holds the door for the little pokemon.

[RVulpix] Darts inside with AVulpix trotting afterwards-

[Doc] I take it your village has no contact with Konohakagure? It's east of here, several chunks.

[Misia] - No, that name is not familiar to me

[Doc] Ah, well they're a thriving town with lots to trade and there's a huge librairy nearby as well.

[Misia] Glances at her tiny collection of books- A large library?

[Doc] Looks at the small collection. - Miss, I'm about to make you the most popular person in town. How do you feel about... adult books?

[Misia] - Adult books?

[Doc] Eyebrow waggle- sex and romance.

[Misia] - Oh dear...

[Deer] Has traded for several bundles of sugar cane and checks the position of the sun in the sky- It's almost time to meet up

[snake] -is looking around-

[Doc] Is heading back with a few enchanted books under hir arm and the vulpix's at hir heels-

[RVulpix] Is mostly sticking to the edges of buildings-

[Buff] Is deadlifting some Testificate children and carrying them around to make them laugh.

[Doc] Glances down- I'd offer you guys a pokeball but I don't have one on me at the moment. Sorry.

[AVulpix] Keeps urging the RVulpix a bit-

[Doc] Do you want me to carry you? - Puts the books away and opens hir arms-

[RVulpix] Shrinks away, it's being a bit overwhelmed by all the new faces, it really only trusts Lie to pick it up-

[Deer] - Maybe we should get out of the desert...

[Doc] Soon enough. I want to distribute most of this food, but not make it look like I'm being condescending, you know?

[Deer] - I'm sure you can pull it off excellently

[Doc] Casts around for someone with more detailed wares. -

[Buff] Pokes Doc - Do you have any of the chocolate left? There are quite a few kids here.

[Doc] Oh! Sure! - Xe copies the pods and gives the NOTCH a bunch to hand out-

-There's a stall that has some crude jewelry run by a mal-

[Doc] Good enough - Xe chooses some small pieces and gives the vendor a generous bounty for them. They whisper some words to the blacksmith and get a lot of nodding in return, before passing him more food and extracting a promise that he'll distribute most of it to the most in need.

-The testificates are bustling about as another group of travelers arrive from another village-

[Doc] Sidles over to see if they have a leader-

-The group seems friendly with the villagers and are quick to strike up conversations. A majority of what they have are basic cloths-

[Doc] is feeling them out as well, they're not sure if the seeds native Testificates have any weird taboos they should know about.

-The group seems to give a small and quick motion in greeting when they speak to each other-

[Doc] Makes a note of it and thinks immediately of Steve's brothers.

-Negotiations move quickly as things are quickly passed around, showing that they've done this dance many times-

[Buff] Has quit playing with the children and moved to stand near Deerheart- it's well organized isn't it? Happy AIs living their rural lives.

[Deer] - Yes, they are very happy here. If I were my normal self I'd be able to feel it so much more acutely, but there's a sensation I can't describe from just watching them...

[Doc] Caught the tail end of what they were saying - have you ever just sat and watched TLOTs touchies fly around their hives, I think it's like that.

[Deer] - They have their own dance, their own ways

[Buff] Even in such a harsh climate, their way of life has its own appeal.

[Doc] Ah, but it's never that simple, is it? Their lives can be peaceful because this server is defended by so many people they'll probably never even meet.

[Deer] - Such a small part of me, and yet it has such significance to all of them

[Buff] You're the first server I've ever met. It's pretty neat. I didn't even know servers could manifest.

[Deer] - The purple lady you saw before? She is also a server, a much older one. Formed in response to the oldest NOTCHAI that we know of

[Buff] Oooh. I want to talk to her when we get back then!

[Deer] Laughs- You'll have to get her away from Notch first

[Yaunfen] - Mama we go now? We have to find them!

[Doc] Yeah, I think we've done enough socializing. And I think we might see some of these folks show up in our village in the coming weeks as well.

[Deer] - Then let's go... How much farther did CP teleport to?

[Doc] Uses hir pinpoint to scout around. - Geeze... lots of chunks. How about I carry everyone for a bit?

[Yaunfen] - Yay ride!

[Buff] We get to ride dragonback? Woo!

[Deer] - Let's step away from the village first

[Doc] Well yeah, I don't want to scare them. Come on, let's go- Xe leads the party farther into the desert and shifts behind a sandhill. - All aboard. Somebody grab the vulpix's please.

-AVulpix is eager to climb on, RVulpix not so much-

[Buff] Pushes Mix and Firebird up and then plunks down behind them.

[Doc] Sways a little in the middle - damn you're big.... Everyone hold on tight!

[Deer] Puts Yaunfen on and then sneaks up on the RVUlpix, quickly picking it up and climbing on-

[RVulpix] Is making many scared noises-

[Doc] Hunkers down and charges out into the upper air, the ground shoots away as the dragon janks back and forth like an old rollercoaster. The chunks fly by underneath them, loading a bit slower then Doc's movement and showing them glimpses of the moon moving under the unfinished ground.

[Deer] - Is it just me or is the air getting colder?

[RVulpix] Is paralyzed with fear-

[Doc] It's not just you. We must be near a cold biome!

[Buff] squeezes Doc with his legs to unroll his shirt and sleeves back down-

[Doc] Is squeezed- Whoof!

[Buff] Sorry!

[Deer] - That's weird... A cold biome shouldn't be this close to a desert...

[Doc] The seed was loaded a long time ago. If someone came out here and set the terrain, the loading mistake might have remained?

[Deer] - Good point, and Lie has had some long distance teleports

[Doc] Turns hir head a little to look down with one eye.

-There is ice surprisingly close-

[Doc] Whoah! - Xe pulls up a bit- That looks rather uninviting!

[Buff] Huh, rare biome. Look there's one of the new polar bears!

[Firebird] -startled peep at the word polar bear-

[AVulpix] Eagerly looks over the side of Doc to look at the snow-

[Deer] - Do you think CP chose someplace cold intentionally? To keep Lie from going to far?

[Doc] I would hope there wasn't that much thought put into it. I forgive him for running if he just panicked. But bailing with purpose annoys me.

[Deer] - I guess we'll find out...

[Yaunfen] - Mada I's cold!

[Mix] -Shiver shiver-

[Doc] Both of you - Cuddle up in my mane, just wrap around my neck if you have too. But don't squeeze, okay?

[Deer] - Oh, is that what I'm feeling? I've never actually been cold before...

-Just, increase temperature a bit by toasty nervous bird getting slightly warmer and nosing up to Mix-

[Doc] I'll go a bit faster, this is nasty terrain. My toes are freezing.

[Deer] - Yes please

-The view shifts to spruce trees and there's a bit of howling from a few wolves chasing a sheep below-

[Yaunfen] - Doggies!

[Doc] Wild doggies! You be careful of any you see without collars!

[Yaunfen] - Okay Mada!

[Deer] - How much farther?

[Doc] They should be right about... what the fuck? - Xe spirals down to the hill marking where the signatures are coming from. - Here?

[Deer] - Um, Love? There's nothing here...

[Doc] Sniffs the air - They're here. I know they are.

[Deer] Thinks for a moment- You know... Lie said that when CP first brought her in, her shelter was in the side of a hill...

[RVulpix] Has raced a small ways away from the group, nearly catatonic with fear, AVulpix goes over to try and comfort it-

[Doc] Then maybe we should look under it. Everyone scout around for a hidden entrance.

[Firebird] -Chirp before swooshing into the air to fly around in search-

[Doc] Snuffles around in the bushes-

[Yaunfen] - Mama I'm hungry

[Deer] - Okay, we'll eat some sugar cane while the others look

[Buff] Hey, I found a door! - He reaches for the inset iron door in the hillside and pulls it off it's hinges-

[Doc] Buff be careful with that!

-A scorching hot blast of fire comes out of the doorway engulfing Buff. When the flame dies away it reveals a dark hallway and two very bright eyes at the end-

[Buff] Loses most of his shirt and now has a rather suprised expression - Ow.

[CP] Growls and there's a dull glow as he pulls out his sword. He undoes the scarf from around it and lets the faintly glowing item fall to the ground-

[Buf] Um... - He backs off from the opening. - I think we found him-

[Deer] - Is there growling and a weapon?

[Buff] Yes.

[Doc] That would be Cp-

[CP] Sends another blast of fire at Buff-

[Buff] Just puts his arms up and tanks the blast- Hey!

[Doc] Cut it out Cp!

[CP] Lunges towards the opening, ready to impale anyone in his way-

[Doc] Jumps on top of the hill and holds a stone block out at head height in the doorway-

[CP] Spots it and halts his route, slowly backing up a little and spawning his pick to smash the block-

[Doc] Just drops the block on the ground- Cp! Snap out of it!

[CP] - Go away!

[Doc] We came to get you, dumb ass!

[CP] Flips Doc off and retreats farther down the hall-

[Doc] Jumps down and starts digging into the hillside like a dog- Cp come back here!

[CP] Vanishes from sight, going towards his mate, planning on teleporting again-

[Doc] Lie! I'm here! Catify him if you can!

-There is soon an angry yowl-

[Doc] Lie?

[Lie] Sleepily- I'm here

[Doc] Keeps digging into the hill- We came to rescue you!

[Lie] Laughs- I'm not sure how much rescuing I needed, it was more CP being panicked

[Doc] And continuing to be panicked I see. - Xe stops to pick up the scarf-

[Lie] Walks into view carrying CP who has his claws ready- Yeah... I hope he didn't scorch you too badly?

[Doc] I'm not the one that got hit actually...

[Lie] - Who did? Do I need to spawn any healing flowers?

[Buff] Strides up to her. He's shirtless and his skin is a bit red and irritated from the fire. - I could use a new shirt, but it's not urgent.

-The Vulpix's come running in as well and crowd around Lie's feet-

[Lie] Is surprised by Buff's appearance- Well that probably didn't help...

[CP] Is adamantly hissing at Buff-

[Doc] I got lucky. This is my new NOTCH. Meet Buff.

[Lie] - Hello Buff, my name is Lie and the ball of hisses in my arms is my husband, CP

[Buff] I heard a bit about him on the way. He's a real fireball in person. Nice to meet you.

[Lie] - I see you took the brunt of my husbands fire, do you need any healing?

[Buff] Not sure.

[Doc] I've got some paste that works on burns, but it will probably make you colder.

[Buff] Eh, I'll live.

[Lie] - Alright. Doc? How far did my husband take us?

[Doc] Quite a ways. But I do have an idea to get us back quicker. A little shortcut.

[Lie] - What is it?

[Doc] We'll go through the subseed. It's a bit more difficult from out here, but I can do it.

[snake] -lazily and softly kazooing-

[Lie] - I'm guessing the one with the other NOTCH's?

[Firebird] -Drifts down, chorp chorping-

[Doc] We could use the other, but I don't want Buff to freak out TLOT's Testificates.

[Lie] - Good point, especially since the ones at home haven't met our Notch yet...

[Doc] Well they know about him at least - Xe pulls out a command block and logs into the other seed before making a hole. The turf is warm and green on the other side and the heat melts the snow all around the floating hole.

[Lie] - Anyone else come with you?

[Doc] Well yes. Come on guys, let's go.

[Buff] Shrugs and walks through the hole.

[Lie] Carries CP through-

[Deer] - There's the lost couple

[CP] Immediately tries to run away-

[Doc] Ushers Mix and Firebird through -

[Deer] Carries Yaunfen through-

[Lie] - CP!

[CP] Gets out of his wife's grasp and runs farther into the hole-

[Doc] Nabs Cp like a mouse and takes him into the portal before closing it. - Ah. Nice and warm.

[CP] Claws at Doc-

[Lie] Picked up her Vulpix's- Come on CP

[Doc] Ow, ow, ow.

[Buff] He is mad about something...

[Lie] - He's scared. We almost lost him and Deer removing DN triggered his rare fear response

[Doc] Cp... Deerheart would never hurt you. What she did for me almost cost her her own existence. Flux saved her.

[CP] Bites Doc-

[Doc] OW!

[Buff] Notices the village- That's an odd looking Testificate village...

[Deer] - Because it's not Testificates

[Tsunami] Flies by overhead-

[Buff] Tracks the dragon with his eyes - Woooow. Wait, who are they then?

[Firebird] -Flaps around curiously-

[Mix] -Sleepily trudge along with group-

[Lie] - NOTCH's, like you

[Buff] NOTCH's like multiple?! How many Herobrine's are on this seed?!

[Deer] - None

[Buff] They're not violent, are they?

[Doc] They're refugees that fled their charges.

[Buff] Oh...

-There's a rustling and one of the AI's dart towards the village-

[Lie] - Many of them were seriously injured by their brines or other NOTCH's

[Buff] That's sad.

[Doc] It's why they're here. This place is a dragon sanctuary too.

[Yaunfen] - Crim come from here!

[Doc] Yep! We took a lot of abandoned eggs and cared for them until they hatched and released the babies here. The big dragon that just flew by is one of our surrogate parents that watch over them.

[NOTCHAI] Is coming towards them from the village-

[Doc] Hello! I'd wave but I'm trying to hold this cat down.

[NOTCHAI] - That is fine, have you brought us another refuge?

[Doc] No, this is Buff. He's my NOTCH. Just assigned a few days ago.

[Buff] a bit loudly and enthusiastic - HELLO!

[NOTCHAI] - Greetings, I'm the lead NOTCH here after our previous leader... Disintegrated...

[CP] His ears flatten a little-

[Buff] He what?

[Doc] His code fell apart.... he'd been gravely injured and bed-ridden for some time.

[Firebird] *drift in lazy circles above them

[Lie] - He was also CP's father

[Buff] Oh... My condolences Cp. But I thought the Notch with the black hair was your father?

[Doc] Markus adopted him and Stevie.

[Lie] - Much to my husbands dismay at times

[Doc] Is petting Cp a little, trying to calm him.

[NOTCHAI] - Since we are on the subject, has he been able to read his father's journal?

[Doc] I don't know, I know he had it, so I presume so.

[CP] Sensing Doc is a bit distracted, tries biting again-

[Doc] OW! Stop it Cp! Do I need to make a carrier?

[Lie] - I'd carry him but the RVulpix is stressed...

[Doc] I know. I'm gonna carry you by your scruff if you don't stop it. So unless you want to be drooled on, chill out.

[CP] Hisses-

[Yaunfen] Rubs eyes sleepily-

[Doc] At the NOTCHAI - we were just cutting through to get from a far part of our seed. But do you need anything while we're here?

[NOTCHAI] - I do not think so. the dragons have been respective of our space... There are some large chunks of rock that we've been trying to figure out how to move, but other than that life has been peaceful

[Buff] Oh! I can help! Just show me where!

[NOTCHAI] Hesitates but does lead Buff over to where some large chunks of rock are- We want to build some storage sheds over here

[Buff] Eagarly starts grabbing the huge rocks and moving them as if they didn't weight anything-

[NOTCHAI] Is surprised by the display of strength-

[Doc] That's very helpful. Especially since my paws are full. Heh.

[Buff] No problem! - He's still shirtless and now has a fine sheen of sweat over his well developed chest.

[NOTCHAI] - Thank you, it is much appreciated

[Buff] Anytime!

[Doc] Okay, let's go home then. I can punt us out near the spawn from here.- Xe makes a hole with hir tail and watches as the others file through before standing on hir hind legs and easing through with Cp in hir paws, and closing it behind them-

-The portal drops them out near Doc's back doorstep-

[Doc] Much better-

[Firebird] -Swoosh around before zooming toward home-

[Deer] - Where should we put Snake?

[snake] gem is comeing

[Yaunfen] - We go bed now?

[gem] -flies over head the lands- hello

[Buff] Watches Gem interestedly. -Hello again!

[Doc] Soon Yaunfen.

[Lie] Puts the Vulpix's down- Here Doc, give CP to me

[snake] -hold his tinny arms of for gem to take him which she does-

[Doc] Are you sure? He's being rather squirmy.

[Lie] - Yes, I'll take him and work on calming him

[Doc] Just go inside and have some tea or something. Relax. Deerheart? You can put Yaunfen to bed if you want. They seem sleepy. I'll join you soon enough.

[gem] oh doc I have the drawing for the dragon form

[Deer] Picks up Yaunfen and carries them inside with Lie following-

[Doc] You're adamant huh? Okay.... it's gonna take me a while cause I'll have to build from scratch. Let's see what you drew.

[gem] -gives doc the drawing it's a little messy because she was working with dye blobs-

[Doc] Shrinks down to hir normal shape and looks over the details - okay... How big does this need to be? I mean it has to be a bit larger then you, but that's all.

[gem] yea I don't need it to big

[Doc] I'll get on it.

[Buff] Looks over hir shoulder - Neat dragon.

[Doc] I'm making it for her. She wants to have a dragon shape too.

[Buff] You can just do that?

[Lie] By the next morning she had managed to calm her husband enough for him to be human shaped. The two were laying in one of the spare beds in the castle, nestled close to each other-

[CP] - Lie... I'm sorry...

[Lie] - It's okay, you were scared, I understand

[CP] - Still, I let my fear get the better off me...

[CP] - I thought I could control it better...

[Lie] - CP, nobody blames you

[Lie] Nuzzles into her husband- Don't worry, I'm right here

[CP] - I know, and I probably wouldn't be if you weren't

[Lie] - But you are, and so am I, do please, stop worrying about it...

[CP] Huffs a little- I will try, for you

[Lie] - Thank you

-The vulpix's are tightly curled up next to Lie-

[Doc] Has saved food from breakfast and brings it to them, tapping lightly on the door.

[Lie] - Come in

[Doc] Comes in with the food and sets it down - ah, you're human again, that's good. Good morning Lie, I'm glad you decided to stay over. It looks rather stormy out there anyway.

[Lie] - Yeah, I hope my animals are alright...

[Doc] Oh, don't worry about them. Markus and Stevie and even Cn have been tending to them.

[Lie] - Good, how's Deer?

[Doc] Getting her colors back thankfully. But Flux is still holding control of the server. She'll let go when Deerheart is fully recovered. Apparently deleting someone goes against her programming, so it was a really dangerous move on her part.

[Lie] - I see, makes me all the more glad that we convinced Flux to come with us. So did we miss anything other than Buff arriving when CP decided to whisk me away?

[CP] Has been glaring at Doc this whole time-

[Doc] Same. I owe her so much... But just a lot of walking and flying to go get you. Cn is in a deep blue funk and Flux is stuck in your yard until she reliquishes control, but Markus built a little house around her to keep the rain off and everyone else is doing okay.

[Lie] - I wonder what we can do to help CN...

[CP] - Kick him out

[Lie] - No

[Doc] He's just a kid Cp. And he'll get over it eventully. He doesn't realize that Dn didn't care about him. He was just desperate for a friend.

[Lie] - I just wish he'd hang out with the kids in the village more

[Doc] Give it time. He's just clingy because he spent so much time out in the nothing between seeds. Who knows, he might bond with Markus or even Stevie a bit with them being more present the last few days.

[Lie] - True, I'm surprised he didn't try to follow you guys

[Doc] Markus told him to stay here and help. We had a big enough rescue party without him.

[Lie] - Well then I'm glad for that. Actually CP and I should probably head back soon and check on everything

[Doc] Have some some food first at least.

[Lie] - Thank you- She grabs the plates with pancakes, sausage, and bacon

[Doc] Turns to Cp- What's the nasty glare for?

[CP] - Fuck off

[Doc] Oh, come on. Were you really intending to just hide in the tundra forever?

[CP] - Will it get us the fuck away from you?

[Doc] What did I do? Heck, I should be mad at you anyway. You ran away when I really needed you.

[CP] Growls a little-

[Lie] - CP stop it, you were being so calm and quiet just a little while ago...

[CP] Quietly- Shut up

[Doc] Look, I understand you got scared and wanted to protect Lie. That's why I'm not mad.

[CP] Growls-

[Doc] Tiny joking grr right back- Buff isn't mad that you fireballed him either. He'd probably like to hang out with you if you give him a chance.

[CP] - Fuck. No.

[Doc] He's really nice. Helpful too.

[CP] - No

[Doc] Sigh- Well, Lie if you ever need help moving anything, let him know. I saw him pick up a rock the size of a small house and just walk away with it like it was nothing.

[Lie] Muffled words because mouth is full of food-

[Doc] I think his counter to me must be that he could pick me up as a dragon and probably throw me. It's weird.

[Lie] Swallows the food- Wow, that would be strong, I wonder if he could move Endrea at full size...

[Doc] That could be rather funny actually. I'm sure he's be up for the challenge. I showed him my little gym and his eyes just lit up like it was the best present ever.

[Lie] - And his thoughts on the punching bag?

[Doc] I think he'd like it just as much if it didn't bleed. He seems more interested in the weights.

[CP] - Probably using the wimpy ones

[Doc] Laughs- Why would you even say that? He's ridiculiously strong. And those were some rather bitter words Cp. You shouldn't feel like you need to show off for your wife.

[Lie] Leans back against CP- It's alright, he's still on edge

[Doc] I think someone needs a calming blossom... Wait! I have an idea! Lie can I have a blossom?

[Lie] - Sure- She spawns one and hands it to Doc

[Doc] Starts dumping things out of the creative and sets up a brewing stand before crumbling the flower into the funnel. It makes a slight perking noise as it bubbles and the smell of herbal tea fills the room.

[Lie] Sniffs the air- Mmmm, smells good

[CP] Leans away from the concoction

[Doc] Adds some sugar and pops the three bottles off the stand. Xe tips one to hir lips - Meh. It tastes okay. I prefer black tea to herbal but it does make me feel calm. - Has a placid expression.

[CP] - Keep that the fuck away from me

[Doc] But it smells good and technically your wife made it, so you know it's safe. Besides, it's not a tranquilzer or anything.

[Lie] Takes one and sips it- Not too bad

[Doc] Fans hirs so the scent goes towards Cp before taking another drink-

[CP] Is calming a little just from the smell alone-

-Outside the rain is pattering on the walls and there's a bit of happy whinnying and soft noises from the horses downstairs-

[Doc] Just know that everything is being taken care of, and you two are free to relax as much as you want. My home is yours too, as usual.

[Lie] - We know, thank you Doc

-After eating Lie and CP are making their way home. They are almost at the village when a very large shadow goes over them. Endrea, at full size and very angry slams down in front of them-

[Endrea] - WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?

[CP] - Somewhere...

[Endrea] - WINSTON HAS BEEN HERE NEARLY DAILY TRYING TO GET TO YOU!

[Doc] Hears the noise from the spawn and slinks over to investigate.

[CP] - Why has he been coming?

[Endrea] - BECAUSE MOBS ARE STILL BEING ATTACKED!

[Doc] Accidently vocalizing - Oh shit!

[Lie] - Endrea, what do we need to do?

[Endrea] - One of you will need to go to the server, depending on if we want the NOTCH to know if the Master is still alive or not...

[CP] - No, Lie will not be putting herself in such danger

[Doc] Waves a hand to get her attention - My offer is still good if you guys are game. I don't want to see you lose all your mobs that trust you.

[CP] - Shit shit shit... Endrea, do you know when Winston will be back?

[Endrea] - Soon

[CP] Darts off towards his and Lie's home-

[Lie] - CP... Doc I don't think he really heard you... When he gets focused... Well, that's all he can focus on

[Doc] Well I don't want him going! Or you either! - runs after Cp - CP!

[Endrea] Offers Lie a lift and they end up getting there at about the same time as CP-

[CP] Slams open the side door to the workshop and rushes inside-

[Doc] Darts in as well and grabs his shirttail - CP STOP!

[CP] Shoves Doc away, waiting for the portal to open- I'm not going anywhere right now! I'm waiting for Winston to arrive!

[Doc] Oh. Okay. - Stands near him.

[Lie] Enters- CP...

-There's a crackling as Winston opens the portal and steps through- Master, there you are

[CP] - Winston, what did you need me for. Endrea said more mobs were being attacked?

[Winston] - Not just mobs... Sir, we've lost Zacharia

[Doc] I'm so sorry Winston... how many are left?

[Winston] - The rest of the generals, but they need you Master, well, you or the Mistress

[Doc] Need him to what? You guys don't stand a chance against this NOTCH. We need to evacuate whoever is left before they get deleted!

[CP] - No, a sudden movement of the mobs to another seed would raise his suspicions and cause him to search for them... And that's far to close to this seed for my comfort

[Doc] He can't come in Cp. I told you. Do you still not trust me?

[CP] - I will not put my wife's home in danger! You've seen how he was capable of deleting all my code, what makes you think he couldn't do something to the firewall?

[Doc] Because I have his unique identifier blocked? You can thank Jeb and Markus for that. Apparently what he's done to you and doing your mobs got their attention. They call him Harvestman and they are watching him closely. It's serious enough that they changed some of the NOTCH generation protocols because of it. Buff is far more aware of what he really is then any NOTCH AI we've encountered yet.

[CP] His fists clench tightly- I won't risk it

[Doc] I can evacuate them somewhere else? There probably aren't that many left Cp. I can take some spawn eggs and replace them so it's not so obvious too.

[CP] Is pacing nervously- That won't work...

[Lie] - CP, what do we do?

[CP] - I'll have to go over there, give more precise orders... Draw his attention away from them

[Lie] - You will not!

[Doc] Don't do it Cp.... please.

[Lie] - I hate to say it, but it's probably safer for me to go. I don't think Harvestman has noticed me yet...

[Doc] It's not safer Lie. You stick out. And there's no way to regrow you if he...

[Lie] - It would be quick, just to get things in motion. I'd also have Endrea with me

[Doc] Then I'm going with you.

[CP] - No, more than one brine would draw too much attention

[Doc] What are you going to tell them?! They're already hiding! They're dying out there because you won't let me help you!

[CP] - My mobs are used to killing, I cannot guarantee the safety of anyone here if they were to be here!

[Doc] Yeah, but we're on respawn! I won't stand by and watch them be picked off like silverfish because you won't help them!

[CP] Scowls and storms off-

[Lie] - Winston, how much time do we have?

[Winston] - Before our numbers are critical? A few weeks at the most... We no longer have control of the zombies since Zacharia was taken out

[Doc] Control is not an issue. Mobs are mobs! The ones here run wild and kill too. It's no different.

[Lie] - Yes but I think CP prides himself on having control of his mobs

[Doc] That's not the point, I don't expect him to be able to guarntee anyone's safety! Having his mobs here would be no different then the wild ones we already have. He acts like this is a peaceful seed. It's not. Hell, ask Steffan if you don't believe me!

[Lie] - Doc, he doesn't want to put me in a state of panick remembering what his mobs did to me... To the other humans!

[Doc] If that was the case, it would have happened already Lie. There is no shortage of mobs here.

[Lie] Sighs- Winston, please try to organize the mobs into a safe position where they can best defend themselves. As soon as CP or I come up with a plan we'll get to you

[Winston] - Yes Mistress

[Doc] I hate this plan.

[Lie] - I know... But right now we need to get another pixel from CP

[Doc] Narrows hir eyes at Cp- I want a heart this time.

[CP] - What?

[Winston] Retreats and closes the portal-

[Doc] You heard me. A bigger piece would mean less time regrowing.

[CP] - Fuck no, one pixel is fucking enough!

[Doc] Do you want to be a kitten again when Lie might be in danger and need you?

[CP] - You know damn well I will not allow harm to come to her!

[Doc] You wouldn't have a choice, it took you a full four days to get your memory and adult form back. That would be more then enough time for Lie to be captured and killed.

[CP] - She won't be anywhere near him when we fight him!

[Doc] Gives Cp a hard stare. - I'm not letting this go.

[CP] - Well too fucking bad because this conversation is over!

[Doc] Leaps at him with a determined scowl, transforming in the small space and knocking him over with hir paws. Xe roars Endrea's name-

[Endrea] Sticks head near door- Yes?

[Doc] I need you to hold Cp down.

[Endrea] - He'll have to come outside, and even then I'm not certain I could

[Doc] sighs- Nevermind then... Cp.... you understand I'm trying to help, don't you?

[CP] - Fuck off you fucking asshole!

[Doc] I see.... This is going to hurt. I'm sorry.

[CP] - Don't you fucking dare!

[Doc] Curls around him tightly and lays hir head over half of his body so hir chin is at his waist and arms are pinned at his sides-

[CP] Sets himself on fire-

[Doc] Ignores the flames- It will hurt more if I can't see what I'm doing.

[CP] - FUCK YOU GET OFF!

[Doc] Puts a paw over his heart cluster and lets hir claws phase into his chest.

[CP] Tries to squirm away-

[Doc] Hir claws brush the redstone heart as xe chooses one at the edge of the cluster and carefully nips it away, melting the connections so he doesn't bleed. The heart slips into hir inventory as xe withdraws.

[CP] Jerks as the pain goes through him and starts curling up from the residual pain-

[Lie] - CP...

[Doc] Is murmuring gentle words and tosses a healing potion up a little to let it splash onto him-

[CP] - I fucking hate you...

[Doc] But I don't hate you. Lucky for you I'd say.

[CP] Growls-

[Lie] - Doc, if you move away then I'll tend to him

[Doc] If I let go he'll attack me...

[Lie] - He won't, I promise

[Doc] If you say so... - Doc transforms and steps back quickly- Can I have that locket Lie?

[Lie] Passes the locket over as she kneels next to CP and puts a gentle hand on his head-

[Doc] Thank you. - Xe kneels down nearby as well and pulls the precious heart from hir inventory.

[Lie] Is keeping CP calm-

[CP] His breathing is a bit labored-

[Doc] Fits the heart into the locket and slips it over Lie's head. - He'll be okay. I intentionally didn't make a hole to take it out so he'd heal quicker.

[Lie] - Thank you

[Doc] Sorry Cp. If it makes you feel any better I've done the same to myself more then once before. I know it hurts.

[CP] Barely manages to flip Doc off-

[Doc] fondly - Ah, he's recovering already.

[Lie] Can't stop a small laugh-

[Doc] Pat's Cp's head-

[Mb] Sticks his head in the back door and Celine runs awkwardly in with a bit of squeaking - Is Cp back to normal yet..? Aw fuck...

[Lie] - Hello MB

[Mb] Dammit Cp! I want to fight! You're always sick lately. Fucker.

[CP] - FUCK YOU! I JUST HAD FORCED REMOVAL OF ORGANS!

[Celine] Scampers onto Cp's lap and wags her tail-

[Mb] Suuure.

[Lie] - He did, he just had a heart removed

[Mb] Looks around for enemies and only spots Doc. His eyes narrow suspiciously.

[Doc] It was nessesary-

[Mb] Fucker.

[Lie] - MB I promise you, you'll be able to fight in a few days

[Celine] Licks Lie's fingers in hopes of a treat-

[Mb] Snorts - I hope so.

[Lie] Rubs Celines head and pulls out a bit of dragonwort-

[Celine] Nibbles on it and makes a face- Pfft! - She loses her grip a little bit and accidently squeezes Cp's thigh with her claws.

[Mb] Saunters in -She likes meat, duh. That hooked beak isn't for eating grass.

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noblecrumpet-dorkvision · 8 years

Text

Cleric Week: Obscure D&D Deities

image source: The Birth of the Sun and the Triumph of Bacchus (detail), Corrado Giaquinto (1762)

Anyone can Google D&D deities and pick one that they want for their cleric, but great roleplayers really delve into their deities. Here I have compiled a list of over 60 of 3.5e's more obscure gods and goddesses (so excluding the core D&D pantheon because those have been written to death about).

In each entry, I noted their holy symbol and some words associated with their portfolio. Then I went into what a cleric or priest of the deity might wear and what sorts of rituals and rites they might perform. I also noted a sort of phrase that such priests might use as a mantra or just a one-sentence summary of their beliefs. Then I went further and gave an example of how a cleric of that deity might use their Thaumaturgy spell to demonstrate their deity’s power, usually in some way that doesn’t replicate a useful game mechanic, but more in a way that might intimidate someone or demonstrate your divine might.

Most of this is homebrewed, while the deities themselves, symbols, and some rituals were taken from the books where they originated, so feel free to tweak these how you see fit! This is not a full list. I am missing some even more obscure gods like from the Lords of Madness book, as well as powerful nondeities like archdevils and archangels and whatnot, and with the length of this list I am sure it is riddled with typos or mistakes which I will try and correct when I find them. But I hope this list inspires you to explore further into these deities or invent some of your own! Feel free to add to the list when you reblog it if you have ideas for a deity I missed.

Aengrist

Symbol: Keep with 2 towers on a gray glacier.

Portfolio: cold, order, protection, good.

Garb: Paladin’s armor and practical furs for patrolling the Frostfell. Colors are usually gray or white, featured largely on a flowing cape.

Rites: Ritualistically carving hunks of ice into perfect cubes, symbolically bestowing order upon it. Sheltering/defending travelers, or building fortified citadels to bring order to the Frostfell.

Phrase: “I offer you my blade in the name of Aengrist.”

Thaumaturgy: A platform of ice rises from the ground for you to tower over others to offer leadership with your booming voice.

Afflux

Symbol: Drop of blood

Portfolio: inquiry, necromancy, death

Garb: Blood-soaked cloaks and bronze armor on the arms and legs.

Rites: A prolonged mantra of screaming, hallowing torture chambers, torturing and interrogating creatures, harming oneself if a creature dies before its secrets are spilled.

Phrase: “Every creature holds a secret that is spilled with blood.”

Thaumaturgy: Your entire body drips as if drenched in fresh blood.

Al-Ishtus

Symbol: Scorpion with raised tail

Portfolio: vermin, scorpions, venom, poison, desert raiders

Garb: Rags or padded armor. Black or green body paint or tattoos detailing the priest’s blood vessels.

Rites: Offerings of bloody gems and jewels. Drinking of poison and poisoning of others.

Phrase: “Let his hallowed blood course through you”

Thaumaturgy: Spectral green scorpions crawl all over you.

Altua

Symbol: Scroll

Portfolio: honor, nobility, war

Garb: Rich finery and ornamental armor featuring scroll motifs as if for a coronation.

Rites: Preaching the rules of warfare to others. Praying at dawn by reciting the tenets of warfare and chivalry.

Phrase: “Altua guide our judgment in the coming battle.”

Thaumaturgy: Sacred text of the rules of warfare appear written in gold floating before you.

Aurifar

Symbol: Polished golden disk

Portfolio: midday, life, judgement

Garb: Bald and unadorned head, polished brass armor, white tunic

Rites: Prayers at morning and evening, offerings at midday.

Phrase: “Aurifar passes judgment from the highest throne”

Thaumaturgy: You glow with Aurifar’s light, giving off heat.

Auril

Symbol: White snowflake on gray diamond

Portfolio: cold, winter, ice, evil

Garb: Though most worship her out of fear, true priests will wear revealing clothing, exposing themselves to the elements through snowflake/diamond patterned leather trappings.

Rites: Leaving offerings or sacrifices to freeze in the elements, praying for snowstorms to bless an area, or casting Control Weather or Sleet Storm over a ritual.

Phrase: “Let Auril’s cold embrace one day bless the world with winter!”

Thaumaturgy: Your touch is freezing cold, dealing 1 damage to creatures or freezing 1 cubic foot of water. Only one cubic foot of water can be frozen at a time without more powerful magic.

Ayailla

Symbol: Phoenix

Portfolio: light, good-aligned sky creatures, glory

Garb: Red and white robes with flame and feather motifs. The robes usually have very wide cuffs or have red feathers hanging from their sleeves.

Rites: Burning offerings of wealth and old possessions in a ritual of rebirth, praying in the presence of magical birds and sky-dwelling creatures, teaching (”illuminating”) the uneducated, slaying undead, meditating near lit fires in dark chambers.

Phrase: “Ayailla sheds light in the darkest regions.”

Thaumaturgy: You burst into flames and reform a new body from the ashes.

Bahamut

Symbol: Star above milky nebula

Portfolio: metallic dragons, wisdom, wind

Garb: White or silver garments with diamond-studded stars.

Rites: Train under the teachings of a good dragon. Speak in short proverbs about virtues to live by and bad actions to avoid. Stamp out evil and train others to become strong enough to overcome evil themselves.

Phrase: “Evil is strong. We must be stronger.”

Thaumaturgy: Platinum dragon wings unfold from your shoulders and your breath is a beam of cold.

Beltar

Symbol: Half-open fangs

Portfolio: malice, caves, pits

Garb: Dark black, brown, or white rags. Necklaces and jewelry made of animal fangs.

Rites: Cursing Moradin and Garl Glittergold for supplanting her rule, tossing offerings and animal sacrifices into caves and pits, meditating in darkness about evils you wish to commit.

Phrase: “Beltar rules the darkness.”

Thaumaturgy: You cloud a creature’s vision and haunt them with paranoia of unseen horrors.

Bralm

Symbol: Giant wasp in front of insect swarm

Portfolio: insects, industry, law

Garb: Intricate, geometric patterns on cloth or armor.

Rites: Teach that a just ruler should be obeyed happily and without question through cautionary fables involving insects in a hive. Give offerings of food to hives of insects. Build tiny shrines to praise Bralm.

Phrase: “We work for the good of all.”

Thaumaturgy: Insects swarm to aid you performing minor tasks.

Cas

Symbol: Rack of blood-tipped antlers

Portfolio: spite, hatred, strength

Garb: Clerics of Cas are not showy, but those radical congregations that openly worship him wear black and adorn themselves with bloody antlers of animals they have killed out of rage.

Rites: silently repressing anger and hate to near-hysteria, praying by screaming orgiastic diatribes in Cas’s name (that’s a fantastic description from the Heroes of Horror book), righting a festering unanswered wrong, building small personal shrines to Cas.

Phrase: “Cas will sate my unquenched hate.”

Thaumaturgy: Billows of red steam are emitted from your body as you seethe with anger

Celestian

Symbol: Brooch with seven assorted gemstones

Portfolio: stars, space, wanderers

Garb: Jeweled robes. The color of the robes and type of gems studding them denote your rank in the church.

Rites: Studying, mapping, and teaching the position of stars and constellations, travelling to parts unknown and mapping them (especially across the planes). Seeking out planar gateways. Praying under a starry sky. Visiting the same place twice is not forbidden but is taboo among Celestian’s followers.

Phrase: “There’s always someplace new to go.”

Thaumaturgy: A field of stars flies forth from your holy symbol and orbits your head.

Chaav

Symbol: Wild flowers

Portfolio: delight, laughter, good, joy

Garb: Country or travelling clothes with some freshly picked wildflowers tied to their bag, belt, shoulder, or breast.

Rites: Spreading the teachings of the smiling god by bringing joy to others, encouraging others not to make jokes at the expense of others, and picking wildflowers daily when you can to encourage you to enjoy the rural countryside.

Phrase: “Chaav smiles upon the good.”

Thaumaturgy: Wildflowers spring up around you and sunlight beams from somewhere behind you.

Cyndor

Symbol: Rounded hourglass of black and white turned sideways

Portfolio: time, infinity, continuity

Garb: Circular patterns with simple black and white.

Rites: Bury time capsules with holy symbols in them. Meditate on the nature of space and time following a very particular schedule understood only by you and other followers of Cyndor.

Phrase: “A consequence for every act.”

Thaumaturgy: Cyndor’s holy symbol traced in floating arcane glyphs floats before you.

Delleb

Symbol: White book

Portfolio: reason, intellect, study, scribes, historians

Garb: Noble garb and carrying a large white book of their research and studies.

Rites: Asking questions of strangers, engaging in debates, helping others with their knowledge, inscribing magical runes on pieces of paper and hiding them in books to give the knowledge therein to Delleb.

Phrase: “The accumulation of knowledge is the purpose of existence.”

Thaumaturgy: Quills and paper float around you, taking notes on everything going on around you.

Dorsain

Symbol: Rotting skull with bones behind it

Portfolio: necromancy, hunger, ghouls

Garb: Leather armor studded with metal skulls, pure white robes.

Rites: Sacrifice through eating a creature alive, burning of chunks of flesh, feeding living creatures to ghouls, feasting in general. The most devout raise entire underground cities of ghouls.

Phrase: “To exist is to consume.”

Thaumaturgy: Your mouth stretches and your teeth grow large as you feast on something.

Estanna

Symbol: A hearth

Portfolio: hearth, home, family, community

Garb: Orange vestments with white trim.

Rites: Lighting and blessing a hearth, curing the sick and acting as a midwife, visiting families at their homes.

Phrase: “We are all family, and family helps each other.”

Thaumaturgy: You glow with a warm radiance like a small fire.

Evening Glory

Symbol: Open palm with heart-shaped hole

Portfolio: love, beauty, immortality through undeath

Garb: Robes with beautiful patterns and embroidery, with highlights of baby blue. Some clerics might wear blue lipstick and paint their nails blue

Rites: Secret rites cloaked in love and affection, proselytizing about love’s continuity, praying to the goddess’s unchanging perfection, reading of love poems inspired by the deity.

Phrase: “Love will never die.”

Thaumaturgy: The palms of your hands open up with heart-shaped holes.

Geshtai

Symbol: Waterspout

Portfolio: lakes, rivers, wells, and streams

Garb: Long flowing green robes with a wavy light blue stole

Rites: Sinking offerings into small bodies of fresh water, praying for the safety of travelers and fresh water for the thirsty

Phrase: ”Geshtai quenches flames of thirst and need”

Thaumaturgy: A spout of water shoots out of the ground before you, spawning a short-lived fresh water source

Halmyr

Symbol: Full helm in front of a white orb.

Portfolio: strategy/skill in warfare

Garb: Full plate armor. Helm with circular metal headdress. Tunic with holy symbol of Halmyr.

Rites: Praying on the eve of battle or before planning a battle. Telling stories of great battles throughout history as parables.

Phrase: “Halmyr guide us with your wisdom.”

Thaumaturgy: You gain a glowing white helm and a booming voice.

Hleid

Symbol: Jagged triangle surrounding a vortex of blue fire

Portfolio: winter animals, magic, healing, good

Garb: Rustic clothing with blue and white ornamentation. Natural elements like plants and discarded fur, bones, or antlers sometimes adorn the clothing of Hleid’s clerics.

Rites: Mentioning her as you cast spells, caring for woodland creatures, healing those who are kind and damning those who are cruel.

Phrase: “Hleid bestows me her magic for the forces of good.”

Thaumaturgy: You trace Hleid’s symbol in midair with rimefire.

Iborighu

Symbol: Icy scythe rising from blood-stained snowdrift

Portfolio: winter hazards, eternal winter, icy death, necromancy

Garb: Body covered in blue tattoos, white clothing with a few bright red embellishments.

Rites: Sacrifice involving the gouging of the victim’s eyes to be more like Iborighu’s. Spilling blood ritualistically on undisturbed snow. Raising the frozen dead of the conquered as undead.

Phrase: “Iborighu rewards me his magic for the death I sow.”

Thaumaturgy: You stir up a contained snowstorm with wind that howls like the souls of the lost.

Incabulos

Symbol: Stylized eye

Portfolio: plague, famine, drought, nightmares, disasters

Garb: Black robes lined with orange and green

Rites: Spreading disease, torturing others, blighting plantlife, constantly travelling to escape those who would persecute them.

Phrase: “The suffering of the world is meat and bread to Incabulos.”

Thaumaturgy: You cause frightful illusions of disasters, death, and disease to haunt a creature looking into your eyes, or give someone you touch horrible yet vague nightmares.

Istus

Symbol: Gold spindle

Portfolio: fate, destiny, divination, future

Garb: Gray or black robes or vestments with weblike patterns. They grow their hair long and display their holy symbols openly.

Rites: Weaving blankets of gold thread.

Phrase: “Everything is connected by the threads of fate.”

Thaumaturgy: Golden threads spin and weave around you and everyone nearby, connecting you all together.

Iuz

Symbol: Grinning skull with red eyes

Portfolio: deceit, pain, oppression, evil

Garb: Rusty black or white-streaked robes with rust red blood stains, adorned with bones.

Rites: Burning dung and other noxious substances, beating of drums and clanging of bells, blood sacrifice in painful and horrific manner.

Phrase: “It is the right of the strong and cunning to exploit the weak.”

Thaumaturgy: Your eyes glow red and your skull shows through your skin as you emit a foul stench like death.

Joramy

Symbol: Volcano

Portfolio: fire, volcanoes, fervor, anger, quarrels

Garb: Orange robes and iron armor embossed with fire patterns.

Rites: Arguing with others, volcanic sacrifice, burnt offerings to appease Joramy’s anger.

Phrase: “Joramy fills us with passion and fury until we erupt”

Thaumaturgy: a cartoon-like eruption of lava from your head at the height of an impassioned speech or argument

Karaan

Symbol: Gnawed, broken bones and bloody teeth

Portfolio: lycanthropes, cannibalism, savagery, urban decay

Garb: Wild, unkempt hair and wearing furs or hides. They often file their teeth to points and scar their bodies.

Rites: Ritualistic scarification, destruction of man-made objects, cannibalism, hunting and killing.

Phrase: "GRRARGH"

Thaumaturgy: You glow as if by moonlight and take on a primal appearance, with fur and claws and wolf-like eyes.

Konkresh

Symbol: A shield shattered into a web of pieces.

Portfolio: brute force, rash behavior

Garb: Konkresh’s symbol drawn into armor or tattooed on skin, a fighting girdle, and sometimes leather armor but nothing too protective.

Rites: Loud requests of Konkresh for strength in the moment. Sometimes short prayers before a known battle to guide their instincts.

Phrase: “Konkresh breaks all shields!”

Thaumaturgy: Muscles bulge and you grow in size slightly.

Kurtulmak

Symbol: A gnome skull

Portfolio: Traps, kobolds

Garb: Black and green colors, leather and scaled armor with animal horn spikes.

Rites: Rituals involve traps, either setting a trap for others or using the trap as a gauntlet for the cleric. Coordinating complex ambushes or defense maneuvers. Killing gnomes is always encouraged.

Phrase: “Kurtulmak urges us to defend ourselves.”

Thaumaturgy: You gain scales or your scales change color as illusionary darts fly in several directions with unknown origins.

Kyuss

Symbol: Skull erupting with green worms

Portfolio: undeath, evil, worms

Garb: An obscuring cloak with a pattern like a swarm of green maggots and an emotionless porcelain mask. Clerics’ bodies are normally disease-ridden and ugly.

Rites: Creating undead and acquiring undead followers, spreading the word of Kyuss and gathering new cultists, sacrificing of said cultists, and the ritual devouring of worms.

Phrase: “Kyuss will return one day, and death will embrace the world”

Thaumaturgy: Your form collapses into a pile of worms and reforms a few feet away.

Lastai

Symbol: A peach

Portfolio: pleasure, love, passion, equality

Garb: Comfortable pink or red clothing or sometimes nothing at all during rituals and prayers. Beautifully textured jewlery of gold inlaid with rubies.

Rites: Enjoying life’s pleasures of food, drink, sex, rest, and luxury without excess, helping and counseling others to find such pleasures

Phrase: “Life is a treasure and we should enjoy our time with it.”

Thaumaturgy: Your touch brings supernatural comfort, warmth and pleasure.

Lirr

Symbol: An illustrated book

Portfolio: poetry, literature, art

Garb: Colorful flowing robes or gown and a bookbag with Lirr’s symbol upon it.

Rites: Seek out and protect works of written knowledge or art, making illuminated copies of written text, paint small pictures, compose short poems or songs.

Phrase: “Preserve the knowledge of the past for the eyes of the future”

Thaumaturgy: The characters and words from a book you hold fly off of the pages and fly around you creating a halo of glowing text.

Llerg

Symbol: a bear, snake, or alligator

Portfolio: beasts, strength, chaos

Garb: Furs or skins and a fighting girdle. They have tattoos of one or more of Llerg’s holy symbols.

Rites: Wrestling large animals, blessing weapons/warriors/battle sites, burn nature objects or valuables and grind the ashes into the ground.

Phrase: “Be strong so that others respect you”

Thaumaturgy: A fiery spectral image of your spirit or totem animal spirals around you.

Lolth

Symbol: Black spider with the head of a female drow.

Portfolio: spiders, evil, darkness, chaos, assassins, drow

Garb: Clothing or leather armor with spider motifs, but sometimes nothing at all during rituals.

Rites: Sacrificing living creatures or treasure to her glory and speaking prayers in Abyssal.

Phrase: “Mother of the dark, grant me my enemies’ blood for drink and their hearts for meat.”

Thaumaturgy: Thousands of spiders swarm harmlessly over your body.

Lyris

Symbol: A hand balacing a dagger’s point on its finger

Portfolio: victory, fate

Garb: Patterns of lines branching into several paths etched into armor.

Rites: Praying to Lyris before a battle to ask for victory.

Phrase: “Lyris is found at the turning point of every battle.”

Thaumaturgy: Balance your weapon perfectly on your finger.

The Mockery

Symbol: A dragon turtle

Portfolio: the ocean, sahuagin, evil, destruction

Garb: Seaweed tangled onto body. Robes are blue-green and cut to seem like barbed fins.

Rites: Celebrating the storms and ferocity of the ocean, or else praying for safe passage across the sea out of fear.

Phrase: “May the Mockery deliver us from their legendary anger”

Thaumaturgy: You create a miniature storm spinning around you and illusory ocean waves at waist height

Mouqol

Symbol: a coin or a merchant’s tent-wagon

Portfolio: merchants, bargaining, rare treasure

Garb: Brightly colored clothes and rich jewelry to show how successful at trade you are.

Rites: Praying before and after business hours, identifying and appraising objects, making pilgrimages in merchant caravans to visit many bazaars blessed by Mouqol.

Phrase: “All life is a matter of exchange, and reward is not gained without risk.”

Thaumaturgy: Coins dance over your fingers, at first sleight of hand but soon obviously magically influenced.

Nadirech

Symbol: A golden band inlaid with jewels

Portfolio: trickery, cowardice, luck

Garb: Yellow embellishments, a single golden bracelet, and simple brown garments.

Rites: Praying in secrecy to Nadirech for protection, in whatever underhanded way he chooses to give it.

Phrase: “Nadirech will help me out of any tight spot.”

Thaumaturgy: Your form becomes blurry and faded or misleading.

Osprem

Symbol: a barracuda, dolphin, or sperm whale

Portfolio: protection, water, weather, navigation, voyages

Garb: A ring carved from a sea creature’s bone, brass armor decorated with symbols of ships and Osprem’s holy symbols.

Rites: blessing voyages, holding sermons on ships, praying over fishnets for Osprem’s forgiveness as they borrow the bounty of her sea.

Phrase: “May Osprem bring you safely home”

Thaumaturgy: You stand in the ocean and can call a few nearby sea creatures to you, but not influence them in any other way.

Phieran

Symbol: A broken chain or a shattered rack

Portfolio: suffering, endurance, perseverance

Garb: Simple rags like those of the tortured and the poor. Some have stigmata or scars from self-punishment.

Rites: Taking on the burdens of others, preaching to those in pain, the poor, and those in prison.

Phrase: “May Phieran ease your pain”

Thaumaturgy: Rattling, broken chains appear on your limbs to show how Phieran set you free.

Pholtus

Symbol: A silvery sun with a crescent moon in the lower right quadrant.

Portfolio: light, resolution, law, order, inflexibility, sun, moon.

Garb: White, silver, and gold are the colors of Pholtus and his priests adorn their garb with it.

Rites: Bring his word to nonbelievers, hanging suncatchers from buildings and trees, marking your brow with five white stripes.

Phrase: “The one true way is a strict path, but guarantees greatness”

Thaumaturgy: You shed silver light as fire burns in your eyes.

Procan

Symbol: gold and coral trident and a cresting wave

Portfolio: seas, sea life, salt, sea weather

Garb: Bluish green clothing, golden embellishments and jewelry. Sometimes priests will wear netting or shells. Sea-dwelling clerics often adorn themselves with mollusks that they care for.

Rites: Sinking offerings into the ocean, especially gold and pearls, praying for safety and food, sharing of fish.

Phrase: “Procan saves us from the fickle seas, and helps us reap their bounty”

Thaumaturgy: Your eyes become pearly white and your skin becomes gold as a spray of seawater carried on the wind whisps around you.

Pyremius

Symbol: demonic face with ears like bat wings

Portfolio: fire, poison, murder, assassins

Garb: Brass bracers featuring Pyremius’ face, wavy dark red cloth for his clerics and essential assassin’s gear for the rogues that worship him.

Rites: whipping initiates with a flaming whip and a weakly poisoned whip to toughen them up, murdering people in their sleep, and submerging offerings in bowls of special poison and igniting the liquid.

Phrase: “Those chosen by Pyremius will never live to hear it.”

Thaumaturgy: Your face takes on Pyremius’ demonic appearance in a blast of fire.

Rallaster

Symbol: Teeth biting down on a razorblade

Portfolio: razorblades, evil, murder, torture, psychosis

Garb: Priests of Rallaster hide their identities and so often will appear like a commoner or regular merchant. Insane priests will wear leather outfits with razors and spikes sewn into it, hiding their identity with a hood or mask.

Rites: Murder or torture, pouring blood from each victim on a small altar made of razorblades. Ranting psychotically in prayer.

Phrase: "Rallaster has opened my eyes to the truth!"

Thaumaturgy: You can spawn a handful of razorblades which emerge from either your skin or the skin of a victim.

Rao

Symbol: Heart-shaped white mask

Portfolio: peace, reason, serenity

Garb: White robes and long beards/long hair, as well as a hand-carved crook. Anything that demonstrates admirable patience. High priests wear a mask that looks like Rao’s holy symbol.

Rites: Quiet, long prayer and lamentation over the many evils of the world.

Phrase: “There is a time to think and rarely a time to act, but in that time, action is wisdom.”

Thaumaturgy: Wind rushes past you and the sound of wind chimes rings from nowhere.

Scahrossar

Symbol: None mentioned; but I would say an iron maiden or spiked whip would be suitable holy symbols.

Portfolio: torture, sadism, masochism, evil

Garb: Tight, studded black leather with plenty of whips, hooks, knives, and needles. Priests hide their identity with leather or iron masks.

Rites: Sacrifices through torture on an altar of spikes and chains. A sacrifice isn't worth it unless it takes days for the victim to die. Self mutilation or even torturing other priests is another common form of worship.

Phrase: "Scahrossar hears your pain and delights in it"

Thaumaturgy: Your touch causes extreme pain and leaves a blemish not unlike an insect bite.

Solanil

Symbol: Pool of water at the base of a date tree

Portfolio: oases, protection, travel, water, good

Garb: Gear and robes of a desert traveler. Always with spare food and water on hand. Dried palms and other plant life adorns your shoulders.

Rites: Plant seeds of fruit-bearing trees in oases. Make pilgrimages across the wastes.

Phrase: “Solanil smiles on us in our times of need”

Thaumaturgy: You spill water from a clay pot and plantlife springs forth from its path.

Sulerain

Symbol: An eye crying a drop of blood. (pretty much every drawing in a high schooler’s sketchbook)

Portfolio: death, slaughter, evil

Garb: Subtle black clothing tied tight for efficient deal-dealing. Daggers are tied in patterns over clothing as both an efficient form of storage and an eccentric form of fashion.

Rites: Sulerain delights in killing, the more the better. Priests will dedicate each kill to her. Prayers involve sharing the feelings they felt as they killed their victims, and they pray at dusk.

Phrase: “This kill is given freely to the Grim Lady.”

Thaumaturgy: Dark tendrils of shadow grope your body as blood runs from your tear ducts.

Syreth

Symbol: A three-pointed shield with an arrow in each point.

Portfolio: protection

Garb: Blue and purple gambeson. Heavy armor. Holy symbol either painted on shield or armor.

Rites: Praying at dusk for those who are undefended.

Phrase: “By Syreth’s might I will defend you!”

Thaumaturgy: Illusionary holy shields of Syreth spin idly around you.

Telchur

Symbol: Lone, leafless tree on a snowy hill.

Portfolio: cold, strength, gloom

Garb: Simple layers of clothes with neutral colors. Men are usually bearded.

Rites: Brooding in silence in the snow near solitary trees. Presiding over funerals. Spreading Telchur’s message of gloom, solitude, and exile.

Phrase: “We are cast out. We go as Telchur went.”

Thaumaturgy: You have an aura of cold and melancholy that surrounds you as a light snow falls around you.

Tem-Et-Nu

Symbol: Shapely woman with the head of a hippopotomus.

Portfolio: magic, travel, rivers, life, knowledge, nobility

Garb: Fine blue and purple robes with rare dyes and a decorated breastplate.

Rites: Place offerings in tiny boats and send them downriver. Respect hippopotomi.

Phrase: “Tem-Et-Nu is the blood of the land. She brings us life, prosperity, and victory”

Thaumaturgy: A spectral rushing river surges past you

Tharizdun

Symbol: A dark spiral rune

Portfolio: eternal darkness, decay, entropy, malign knowledge, insanity, cold.

Garb: Red cloaks with a silk black lining. Spiral runes of insanity are tattooed on their skin.

Rites: destroying all and everything, keeping in contact with an object or place relating to Tharizdun’s eternal imprisonment, foul sacrifices.

Phrase: “Tharizdun will escape and devour the world”

Thaumaturgy: A vortex of shadows appears to envelop a creature you are intimidating

Tiamat

Symbol: five dragon heads making a five-pointed star

Portfolio: conquest, chromatic dragons

Garb: Masks of chromatic dragons and robes of red, white, black, green, and blue. Sometimes clerics will choose one dragon’s color to worship, while others adorn themselves with all five colors, but always in a darker shade.

Rites: Sacrifices made to a dragon to pray for successful conquest. Groveling prayers speaking of nondragon races as inferior.

Phrase: “Tiamat, conquer our weakness that we may conquer in your name”

Thaumaturgy: Jets of five chromatic dragon breath weapons stream in a halo around your head.

Trithereon

Symbol: A triskelion

Portfolio: individuality, freedom, liberty

Garb: Holy symbol hidden beneath travelling clothes. High priests wear a three-pointed shawl.

Rites: Freeing those in slavery, spreading Trithereon’s word secretly among the oppressed.

Phrase: “All deserve to be free.”

Thaumaturgy: A dozen shadowy chains appear around you only to break apart and crumble under Trithereon’s light as you point to each in turn.

Typhos

Symbol: A hand holding a spiraling whip.

Portfolio: tyranny, subjugation

Garb: Prominent displays of Typhos’ holy symbol; chain and spike motifs everywhere. Armor sometimes molded to resemble tightly bound cord.

Rites: Punishing those beneath you. Blessing a whip to bring your subjects to their knees. Rattling a chain during your prayers. Forcing your subjects to recite prayers to Typhos.

Phrase: “Rule through fear”

Thaumaturgy: A black crown manifests upon your head, and a shadowy cloak unfurls from your shoulders.

Umberlee

Symbol: A green-blue crashing wave

Portfolio: anger, wrath, storms, tidal waves

Garb: Seaweed covering ragged robes and long hair. Fingernails are cut/sharpened into points.

Rites: Dumping offerings into the sea to quell Umberlee’s rage, braving ocean storms in small boats, dancing in fits of anger.

Phrase: “The power of the waves will crush the weak.”

Thaumaturgy: You gesture your arms to the skies and a giant wave of water rises up behind you.

Urbanus

Symbol: An empty green helm

Portfolio: cities, industry, growth

Garb: Simple city garb, but featuring Urbanus’ holy symbol and their home city’s standard/symbol/colors. Clerics that dedicate the majority of their worship to Urbanus wear green helmets with crown sculpted to look like the roof of a building.

Rites: Blessing new buildings and roads, exalting in the beauty of the city, expanding a city’s territory/claim/area.

Phrase: “Urbanus shines upon this city”

Thaumaturgy: Tall, illusory buildings and cobbled streets spring up around you, surrounding those nearby with a short-lived splendid city.

Valarian

Symbol: Unicorn silhouette in front of a full moon

Portfolio: good-aligned beasts, forests, forest creatures

Garb: Silver robes with his holy symbol on the back. High priests wear a crown of white metal shaped like unicorn horns.

Rites: Paying homage and making offerings to blink dogs, unicorns, and pegasi, prayers at midnight especially during full moons, slaying evil beasts in his name.

Phrase: “We should respect our forest allies.”

Thaumaturgy: Your shadow takes the shape of a rearing unicorn for a few seconds and everyone near you hears a distant whinny.

Valkar

Symbol: A red hand behind a swinging sword.

Portfolio: courage

Garb: Pieces of red fabric tied to battle-worn armor.

Rites: Praying to Valkar before battle, inspiring others to immediate action, offering a spoil from your last battle to Valkar for protecting you and giving you courage.

Phrase: “Valkar sends me forth into battle!”

Thaumaturgy: You hold your sword before you as a hand of red, fiery energy burns in front of it.

Valkur

Symbol: Shield adorned with black cloud and three lightning bolts

Portfolio: favorable winds, naval combat, ships

Garb: A tabard with Valkur’s holy symbol on the chest, and white clothes with a dark trim. Angular lightning patterns on clothes.

Rites: Praying before a voyage or a naval battle and blessing ships, calling to the winds for their favor

Phrase: “Valkur steer our ships to victory!”

Thaumaturgy: Winds rush by you as a thunder crack inspires others to glory.

Vatun

Symbol: A sun setting over snow

Portfolio: winter, barbarians, snow, courage

Garb: Bear skins and warm-colored clothes. Yellow feathers representing the sun’s rays are worn around their collar.

Rites: Telling stories of heroes and courageous people over a fire, praying by a torch’s guiding fire, imagining inner warmth and passion while braving the winter storms.

Phrase: “Vatun fuels my fire to warm my stride”

Thaumaturgy: Your eyes glow a warm yellow and steam streams from your mouth with each breath.

The Xammux

Symbol: razor-sharp steel calipers

Portfolio: evil, forbidden knowledge, experimentation, indifference

Garb: Clean, plain white clothes. They are practical, but sometimes have their holy symbol or six dots somewhere prominent on their person. They are sometimes stained with blood splatters.

Rites: Torturing and dissecting creatures on polished steel altars, praying to the Xammux for guidance in their quest for forbidden knowledge.

Phrase: "The Xammux reveals their secrets to me."

Thaumaturgy: Dampen noise in a small radius. Your gaze causes painful sensations inching across creatures' skin.

Xan Yae

Symbol: Black lotus blossom

Portfolio: twilight, shadows, stealth

Garb: Black vestments for services or a black karategi ideal for stalking in the shadows.

Rites: Praying in shadows, unseen by anyone, honing your skills at stealth, meditating to a lotus as it slowly blooms.

Phrase: “Perfection is never seen. Balance is never heard.”

Thaumaturgy: You turn an object in your hand invisible or shroud it in darkness for a few seconds.

Yeathan

Symbol: Dark blue-green spiral with a black center

Portfolio: drowning, darkness, oceanic abyss, evil

Garb: Black robes with a slick outer layer, always with a hood and a something covering the mouth

Rites: Visiting his submerged, dark temples and surviving, ritualistically drowning yourself near to death, sacrificing innocent creatures to deep-sea terrors

Phrase: "Truth lies in the darkest depths!"

Thaumaturgy: Dark tentacles grasp at everyone nearby as your envelop your form in shadows.

Zagyg

Symbol: Spiral

Portfolio: humor, eccentricity, occult lore, spontaneity

Garb: Blue and silver robes covered in trinkets you have collected.

Rites: Play practical jokes on others, create or solve puzzles.

Phrase: “Come laugh with Zagyg and me.”

Thaumaturgy: Bright rainbows of color spiral around you and soap bubbles appear in the air.

Zarus

Symbol: Golden ideal human male face on a starburst

Portfolio: slavery, humankind, domination, perfection, evil

Garb: Priests typically wear very little clothing to show off their perfect physique.

Rites: Exercise or shows of strength, painting your body with gold paint or gold leaf, praying before entering a non-human area, enslaving other species in Zarus’ name, being a racist asshole.

Phrase: “Humans are the pinnacle of creation. We are the beginning and the end”

Thaumaturgy: Your body shines a golden, overpowering aura.

Zoser

Symbol: Stylized tornado

Portfolio: desert whirlwinds, storms, desert hazards

Garb: Sand-colored robes with many long scraps of cloth to represent the winds.

Rites: Wild dancing and scattering incense/colored dust from tall spires. Praying for safe passage.

Phrase: “Zoser dances and we persevere”

Thaumaturgy: Wild, dusty wind surrounds you in a whirlwind

Zuoken

Symbol: A striking fist

Portfolio: monks, physical and mental balance

Garb: Simple white or brown monk’s outfit. Priests of Zuoken are not showy

Rites: Meditating every full moon. Strength, endurance, and mental training.

Phrase: “Through Zuoken we can find harmony”

Thaumaturgy: The sound of a distant bell chimes in the distance. You float a few inches off of the ground.

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Penn State Basketball Will Travel to The Bahamas for a Summer Tour

The Nittany Lions will travel to the Bahamas this summer season, to participate in their “as soon as every four years” foreign excursion that the NCAA allows all groups to take. Penn State traveled through components of Europe in 2013 after they remaining took their tour.

This can be a possibility for numerous gamers to get a soar start with the group in a “real recreation” state of affairs while no longer having any impact on the season itself. Satchel Pierce, Jamari Wheeler, Trent Buttrick and John Harrar will probably advantage maximum from the tour, as those matchups (and the 10 practices the NCAA allows) will permit them to get a flavor of what the sport will be like at the next stage (or as a Nittany Lion, within the case of Pierce).

Playing real video games in opposition to unexpected opponents, even in an exhibition putting, will permit Pat Chambers to provide actual feedback to his guys based on actual opposition rather of getting to paint a photograph of what could appear in a live sport situation (likewise, the players may have a laundry list of factors to paintings on once they return).

opponents and sports dates have yet to be decided, so live tuned for the ones.

Study the entire launch right here.

Greater From Black Shoe Diaries

Panzer Gift Takes Lax Packages to Next stage Achievement with Hyperlinking is Liking the odds Penn Country Hockey 2017-18 Timetable Launched: Notre Dame Joins B1G Hockey NCAA Acknowledges Penn Country Wrestling, Ladies’ Tennis, and Ladies’ Volleyball groups for Instructional Accomplishments TMQB: Which Penn Kingdom UDFA Has the Excellent Risk for Longterm Achievement in the NFL? Commentary Kingdom: Justin Shorter Dominates Nike Camp, Lands Invite To The hole

Beach Babes in The Bahamas

Yes, other people swim with dolphins, walk with gorillas and hang out with chimps. But here in the extraordinary Exumas, it is the pigs that are the main attraction. These lucky porkers have their very own island. It is called Big Major Cay and they spend their days rooting around Pig Beach. Back in the day of the first settlers, an entrepreneur from nearby Staniel Cay found that the unpleasant odour from his pig stock was causing a problem in this tiny island hamlet. He hit upon the cunning plan of relocating them to their own deserted yet nearby island. There were 365 island Cays after all. So these happy hogs were moved to their own neighbouring island where they could be “harvested” as the need arose for a roast and some streaky bacon. The pigs learnt that while the sight of an oncoming boat may mean the loss of family, it also meant the arrival of food. After a few decades, the pigs were declared protected and pig farming ceased on the island. The descendants of these original hogs remain today providing a unique tourist attraction. These smart little babes have gathered that whoever swims out to the visiting boats first, is the most likely to score delectable bread snacks from the tourists. As we glided in on our boat, we saw no sign of the pigs but suddenly the low scrubby bushes at the back of the beach began to shake and emit grunting sounds. The pigs leapt onto their trotters, the grunts gave way to squeals as they hurled themselves headlong down the beach. Hurtling into the water, they swam furiously towards us using their snouts as built-in snorkels. Now was the time for us to plunge overboard and swim toward shore surrounded by a motley coloured crew of swine. Surprisingly calm and respectful, there was no snapping or biting or snatching. The only lurking, bobbing danger being the little poop parcels that should best be avoided.

How to get there: Book a trip with one of the friendly boat operators based in Georgetown or Staniel Cay. Expect fun, friendly entertainment from the moment your flip-flopped feet alight upon the deck. Cruise past islands of the rich and famous, snorkel Thunderball Grotto, spot the sunken drug plane, get close to the endangered dragon-like Exuma Island Iguana and of course swim with those irresistible oinks.

What else: Eat a conch salad on the beach at Stocking Island. Pack your fins, masks and goggles and board Elvis’ water taxi from Georgetown harbour. Stocking Island is for the committed and talented chiller. Flop on the beach, watch dolphins, ogle the giant rays, order a pina colada and savour the freshest flavours in a delicately balanced ceviche-style conch salad. As the sun glides toward the horizon, be sure not to miss the last taxi. And maybe I should not mention that there is a famous pig roast on the beach every Sunday.

7 Reasons Why You Should Travel Alone

Travelling is a beneficial activity for all of us because it makes us realise the importance of travelling and expanding our horizons for exploring and not living in the same place all the time. Travelling all by yourself has some significant advantages. If you are confused about whether you should travel alone or not, here are top reasons why you should:

Encourages Uniqueness

Travel is a one-of-a-kind experience that sets you apart from others and allows you to explore your passions -instead of reading about Mona Lisa, see it in person; don’t take that dance class at the rec centre, get a Flamenco lesson in Spain. Then come home and impress your friends with your travel stories.

A Chance To Be Adventurous!

After 18+ years of being told what to and what not to do, travel lets you try new things like skydiving, whitewater rafting, that strange delicacy in Thailand and other things you never tried at home.

Self-Discovery

Seventy-eight percent of young travellers want to learn something when travelling. Uncover your hidden art critic at the Louvre in Paris or find your passion for ancient architecture at the Acropolis in Athens.

Bragging Rights

Fifty-six percent of your friends want to travel as a result of your posts because travel is excellent, not just because you are an expert at selecting the perfect phone filter. The only thing better than seeing the Eiffel Tower lit up at night is how insanely jealous your friends will be when you upload your pictures.

Sharing Common Ground

Two out of three young travellers visit a place that is recommended by friends and family. Don’t be left out. Travelling to places your friends and relatives visited lets you share everyday experiences and stories.

Attainable With Minimal Effort – You Can Do It Now

Remember when you were young and you couldn’t wait to grow up? Well, you’re grown up (not to be confused with old). By taking a tour, it takes the hassle out of travel. When you’ve only got two weeks, you want to make every second count.

An Investment In The Future

Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer and happier. Make the ultimate investment when you’re young, so you’ll reap its benefits for a lifetime. You can’t put a price tag on pushing your limits, meeting lifelong friends, and creating memories that you will cherish for a lifetime.

What a Tour Broker Is and How to Become One

A person who operates a tour company is a broker. A broker is a middleman. Brokers buy or arrange items or services and sells these items or services to the end buyer. Some examples of brokers are:

Independent insurance agents. These agents do not provide insurance; they arrange insurance for you from an insurance company. Insurance agents usually get a commission from an insurance company.

Stock brokers. Like insurance agents, stock brokers help you buy and sell stock. They don’t own the stock. These brokers also receive a commission based on the amount sold.

Real estate broker. Again, these brokers do not own the properties they sell and they get a commission based on the value of what they sell.

There are also tour brokers. Tour brokers serve a variety of customers. This article is about what a tour brokerage is and the basics of this business.

Here is a good description if what a tour is: A trip with visits to various places of interest for business, pleasure, or instruction.

Here travel is defined: To go from one place to another, as on a trip; journey.

A tour, then, is not only travel but it is travel with the purpose being pleasure or interest. You may think of a tour as extended travel with the object being to see and experience an area. Travel, on the other hand, is usually only about moving from one place to another.

A tour broker works with people on a continuous basis. If you are going to get involved in this type of business you should like working with people – you have to be a people person.

Tour brokers are not travel agents. Travel agents arrange for the travel needs of their customers. Usually a travel agent will only work with individuals or small groups (families, for example). Travel agents also always buy something that is already in place (air travel, car rentals, hotels, etc.), they do not originate anything.

Tour brokers originate – they arrange tours, they arrange the transportation, they arrange the lodging, they arrange the meals, and they arrange other services for their clients. A tour broker plans on what kind of tour he/she wants to operate.

Next, the tour broker makes arrangements for the various components of the tour – transportation, food, lodging, attractions, etc.

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