#macabre changeling

[sarcophagid]

@macabre-changeling idv in brief (in long)

disclaimer: i haven't played the game itself (no storage + i dont love multiplayer) but i have read the lore for the 'main story'. despite this i'm not done going through all the lore yet 😭 so take with a grain of salt

gameplay wise 🧂:

identity v is about 4 survivors playing tag in the woods with a hunter, until they either escape by decoding ciphers or die to the hunter via bleeding or rocket chair (i've heard this is very similar to dead before daylight).

there are 'story mode' cutscenes which play out the 'canon' events of the game

the game also has 'essences', which are a collection of skins and accessories with a common theme or storyline separate from the 'canon' events.

lore wise:

it's about an old mansion somewhere in england (?) where they hold death games in order to study 'something' about the participants (they havent explained why yet 💀).

the main/player character is orpheus, an author-turned-detective with amnesia who has a past in the manor. someone hires him to find their daughter, so he goes back to the manor for both the job and to figure out what he was previously doing there.

the story has a lot of reality-bending elements as well as dipping into supernatural areas with certain characters/games

manor games:

games keep private records of the contestants, and players also keep personal diaries of their events.

there are always 5 players, and usually a running theme between them. players are invited by letter from the baron of the manor

when all 5 players show up, they begin the game itself, which is where they start dying

sometimes- if not always, the games will drug the players involved. it's also the 1900s and they're probably inhaling microparticles of lead from the wall paint with every breath, so they like to emphasize unreliable narrators a lot. imo this... has it's ups and downs in terms of writing quality.

the cast:

i think? one of the biggest appeals of the game is the characters. like the majority of people (guilty myself) just focus on putting their favorites in weird situations. not saying the worldbuilding and overall lore is terrible, but it updates much slower than character releases. i've seen some fanart etc. disregard 'canon games' altogether and just post their characters in a certain 'essence' or use the non-story gamemode as their setting

each playable character has a simple backstory upon release, with more lore dropped every year on their 'character day' (i do not love this system lol but who am i to speak)

some characters are both survivors and hunters, called an 'identity switch system'.

BONUS who is ithaqua and/or nathaniel

Mister Ithaqua Identity V is a playable hunter

he was raised by a woman who was persecuted as a witch and he grew up isolated until the Incident, where she got kidnapped by a mob. then, he had to go bust her out and kill the main guy* who did it. but by the time that happened she was severely traumatized and he didn't know what he could do to treat her so he started pretending to be a monster with magic powers and killing people who went in the woods in an attempt to protect her.

i'm a big fan of his sigma mindset and creepy mannerisms.

*Nathaniel Norwell is a random npc. he's the 'only son' of the magistrate and also ithaqua's twin brother separated at birth.

he highkey sucks + gun to my head i couldn't tell you what i see in him 😔 but the seeing gaze itself is very strong i tell you. it's like a death ray and i'm killing him

OVERALL! it's a very mixed bag. there are more issues i didn't go into here 😭, and i think the story is a bit tricky to follow since it's very scattered and not chronological. regardless i still enjoy the lore and characters a lot 👍. idk if i can recommend since i don't play but it is free to play so there's nothing to lose but time

[sarielsnowings]

The necromancer and the anatomist ✨🔮💀

Hello friends! I’m finally back from hiatus to show off a collab piece @/sacrxm and I made together for @queeroc-zine back at the beginning of the year!

Our two changeling OCs Oz (he/him - on the left) and Lux (they/them - on the right) were the perfect subjects for this project.

Enjoy!

P.S: the weird texture is due to the image being glazed.

[warmer-gaze]

danse macabre

clara/changeling for #5 of draw everything june! (pose from @adorkastock) :)

[morrigan-sims]

🎭Rune Lovelace🎭

she/they/he/it | changeling | bard | college of dance | charlatan | former acrobat she is beauty, he is grace, they will punch you in the face!

[some extra info under the cut]

Rune is going to be my character for the new campaign my Monday group is starting!!! (RIP Kiran, who I never got to show off on this blog because he was a Tabaxi, a Dragonborn, and a Thri-Kreen. I'll miss it. Bugs and kisses.) We're playing Heckna! which is a Domain of Dread-adjacent horror-comedy campaign. The entire party is very macabre, and we should fit right in! (But hopefully not too much...)

Anyways, more about Rune. She's a changeling college of dance bard (a new subclass with the 2024 rules, kind of like a combo between a monk and a bard), and they used to be an acrobat at a circus. Since whatever world this party came from is clearly some kind of grimdark dark fantasy setting, the circus itself certainly had its eerie moments. (And of course, it was a magic circus.) When he wasn't up on the high wire, Rune also dabbled in doing tarot card readings for the circus guests, lying through her teeth about their pasts and futures. (While they used their true changeling form while performing in the big top, she used a specific guise when she did the readings, an older woman who used a different name.)

Rune carries with them a porcelain mask, largely featureless, but gilded with gold. When among people who do not know his changeling identity, she pretends that the mask is the source of her ability to change shape, putting it on every time they shift forms.

[a-whispering-echo]

Nightmare - Crown Prince of Durmous

Durmous - aka, the place the story is set in! - is the largest and most prosperous kingdom, famous for its robust economy, advanced infrastructure, and diplomacy. It’s a central hub for trade and intellectual pursuits, known for its universities and libraries, which attract scholars and diplomats from far and wide.

Customs & Culture: Durmous values peace and stability, with a strong emphasis on unity and legacy. Marriages are often arranged between nobles to keep alliances strong, but the kingdom is known for its tolerance and open-mindedness, particularly regarding individual freedoms. Durmous celebrates an annual festival in the spring, honouring life and renewal, which often includes public feasts, games, and the sharing of traditional songs and stories.

Religion: While the people of Durmous are free to practice any faith, the kingdom generally honours the Celestials, a pantheon representing wisdom, justice, and compassion. They believe the stars guide the fate of royalty, and it’s common to consult astrologers on major decisions.

Royalty: Nym, Nightmare’s mother and the ruling King, is wise and forward-thinking, renowned for her strength and diplomacy. She has a strategic mind and encourages intellectual and cultural growth. Nightmare, the eldest prince, has one sibling, Dream, who has a more emotional and idealistic temperament.

Architecture: Durmous boasts dark stone castles with high, spired turrets and elaborate gothic designs. The structures have pointed arches, intricate stained glass windows, and iron detailing. Buildings are arranged in an open, sweeping formation around the palace, giving a sense of controlled elegance rather than claustrophobic defence. Courtyards and gardens feature twisted, elegant iron benches and statues of mythical beasts.

Clothing: Durmous fashions lean toward heavy, rich fabrics like velvet, silk, and brocade in dark jewel tones—deep purples, emeralds, and midnight blues. The wealthy favour sweeping cloaks and high-collared coats with elaborate embroidery and gems. They love long sleeves, tall boots, and rings with dark stones, reflecting a sense of mystery. Even in common clothing, Durmous citizens prefer dark tones, which plays well with darker dyes like indigo and crimson from locally grown grapes and fruits. This makes Dream, with his preference for bright yellows and blues, unusual.

Climate: The climate is temperate but misty, with frequent fog rolling in from the mountains, making mornings and evenings cool. The temperate climate makes it perfect for growing rich fruits like apples, blackberries, and grapes, which are the kingdom’s main exports. Wines from Durmous are prized for their dark, full-bodied flavours, often enriched with spices traded from distant lands.

Diet: Durmous’s diet focuses on fruits, cheeses, pastries, dark bread, and preserved meats, with a special fondness for wine and cider. They’re known for their vineyards and orchards, with wines and ciders aged to a rich, complex depth. Meals tend to be hearty but reserved—Durmous citizens are sophisticated in their preferences, enjoying quality over variety.

Fauna & Flora: The plants and herbs native to Durmous include hemlock, belladonna, elderberries, and sage. The landscape around the castle is dotted with thorny rose bushes, ivy, and climbing blackberries, which reflect the dark and enigmatic culture. Animals in the kingdom include ravens, foxes, and large black hounds. The people of Durmous also dye their fabrics in hues taken from these plants, giving their clothing an earthy, moody tone.

-

Nightmare is seen as a cruel man. he is cold, dark, and drawn to all things macabre. More than one person has called him ‘evil’ before, a creature borne of complete darkness and negativity. it was widely believed that as a child, he was swapped out for a changeling. Nightmare doesn’t know why people see him the way they do; he doesn’t realise anything’s wrong? he’s just quiet, and prefers time to himself.

he enjoys reading a great deal, and spends most of his days in the library, reading books, playing the grand piano, writing, or tending to needle work. he is naturally very smart and book savvy, but less understanding of social circumstances.

He also seem to just KNOW things that people don’t, he KNOWS secrets you’ve never told people, and he can and WILL hold them over your head if needs be. there’s no doubt he will be a GREAT leader.

Nightmare used to escape the castle grounds as a child to take a book and climb a tree, to read alone, undisturbed by his hand staff or his brother who wants to play.

Both Dream and Nightmare dislike their Mother, the King, but constantly vie for her attention.

[silusvesuius]

my part of art trades w/ sum people 🌷

@littledov / @macabre-changeling / @choilacanth / @heliosynchronisity / @wirethroat

[gingerdusk]

I know Larian said they're not doing any DLC or major game changes, so this is purely a "what if" thought exercise:

Imagine if they added a Durge-adjacent origin run for Orin.

Bard as starting class. Maybe with a Murderous Cut dagger instead of a rapier

Background: Bloodthirsty, gives you Survival and Performance proficiencies

You start off memory-lapsed, but for different reasons. Durge was going to kill you as an offering to Bhaal after your failed attempt on their life, but Gortash convinced them you were more useful under control, and could murder so many more in Bhaal's name

Whatever you design your guardian to be, that's the appearance Durge takes. The first time you meet your guardian, the narrator tells you that something about the face you see fills you with longing, anger, and envy. You have options almost every time you meet said guardian to attack them

If you try to kill the guardian in the Crèche, it turns into violent stabbing and you burst out laughing, only for the guardian to scold you and reveal that they're alive

You get an imp butler instead of Sceleritas, and he shows up after either the Goblin camp or Grove massacre; if you did neither, you get him on entering either Act 2 or the Mountain Pass. Same shoving towards violence and praise for it, but he chastises you for doing anything artfully instead of efficiently. Including your vocal mannerisms. You can punt him shockingly often to end conversations with him

No urges, but you ARE a Bhaalspawn, so you get a lot of dialogue that lends itself over to the macabre and get fascinated by the sight of blood. You might even have the same violent impulses, but they're framed as active choices rather than accidents: For example, you see Gale's hand reaching out of the portal, but instead of "fantasize about hacking off the hand" leading to accidentally getting a severed hand, "fantasize about hacking off the hand" gives you a vivid internal description, then a choice to follow through with it

Minthara has completely different dialogue about her experience in the illithid colony, because Orin wasn't there to mess with her. In fact, Origin Orin might fill in the missing gaps present in the evil playthrough

The scenes with Ketheric, Gortash, and Durge are remarkably different with the swapping of Orin out. Durge and Gortash work together instead of against each other, and nobody's getting changeling-abducted, so there's whole new plotlines in the city

Bloodthirst and Stillmaker are swapped. Durge has the green dagger, the murder weapon is the red one

You get to the Temple of Bhaal, and the people there voice their loathing for you

Similar Chosen confrontation Origin Durge has, where it's a final duel. The consequence for losing is different, though; you're still shamed by your butler and disowned by Bhaal, erased at the pier, but the epilogue has the Slayer stalking the party

Winning, on the other hand, you get the choice to accept your role as Chosen, then if you reject it, the entire temple that abstained from your duel descends on you at once, along with the Tribunal echoes (minus Sarevok). At the end, you have a big scene where you break down, bloodsoaked, and fall to your knees to sob, before Withers sets a hand on your shoulder

You get a really violent confrontation between you and Sarevok if you do some exploring, find your room, and confront your mother about your heritage and why she tried to kill you. Like, Astarion-stabbing-Cazador violent. It's cathartic and tragic

[laodhan]

Bonjour Rotomblr~! 🦋 ✨

My name is Valeria, though I prefer Valerie. I'm one of the Gym Leaders in Kalos, operating Laverre Gym in my beautiful home of Laverre City.

I'm a freelance Fashion Designer as my primary occupation, and I suppose my often-called ethereal works are quite popular worldwide. My portfolio and résumé speak for themselves! I occasionally turn my gym into a venue to host my fashion shows, and promote new designs as well. I'm always searching for my next source of inspiration.

If you wish to talk business with me, I do readily accept new clients! Fair warning, I do value my time and energy, so my general rate tends to run a little...high. I'm willing to make exceptions, on a case-by-case basis.

Otherwise, I welcome interaction with you all, if even just for the sake of fun. Let us all find something worth smiling about today~.

(OOC below - please read! Last updated March 2nd 2025.)

// Mod's name is Nebula (or Neb)! Adult aged, they/she pronouns. I also run @electroshots, though unlike that one - this acc is a primary! So I'll be doing direct follow backs n' whatnot from here.

I don't accept DMs from minors! If we're going to talk, it'll only be out in the open.

This is a Rotomblr / Pokemon IRL / RP / Ask blog for Valerie!

(info banners at the bottom!)

⭐She has her own backstory that's 95% personal headcanons. Other users are welcome to ask her questions and see if she actually gives an answer that's not a half-truth or cryptic! Also, I have her being about 30 years old, though she still looks (and will perpetually look) like an early adult.

⭐Valerie isn't actually a human! She's a changeling, which in this blog's canon is a fae that's able to physically shapeshift. They're a very complex subject, but just know that fae are basically anomalous, magical entities that are neither humans nor pokemon. They do have an innate spiritual connection to Fairy Pokemon, and they don't physically age after reaching adult maturity. NO OTHER USERS should know Valerie is a changeling, unless she tells them personally!

⭐Valerie is really good at drawing and designing and the like, but I'm not tbh, so don't expect me to literally draw up stuff at the drop of a hat. I'll likely be using fair-use images as a crutch, but you're welcome to draw things yourselves for your character if it's intended to be from Valerie!

⭐I guess I'll squeeze this in here: I'm open to shipping Valerie! Idk how Pkmn IRL collectively handles it, but FOR NOW, I'll run a multiship path (where all relationships are AU & disconnected from each other). Valerie's on the aroace spectrum, so... good luck! Seriously though, don't be afraid to have your (of age) character pursue her if they're interested. You never know what may end up developing!

⭐This place will be predominantly SFW! The pkmn franchise as a whole is a E10+ rating at max, and Valerie has no interest in actively pursuing sexual matters. Anything that does arise, including content listed below, will be tagged appropriately.

C/Ws: unreality, macabre themes, references to the afterlife, sparse references to child neglect, abuse, and kidnapping.

Not sure if I need to say this, but: I'm open to my Valerie interacting with other Valeries since the franchise has a canon multiverse!

TAGS:

#pkmn irl = the general tag for ic posts

#pokeblogging = ic posts to index + ic reblogging of a post

#ic related = ooc posts relating to valerie

#mod.___ = ooc posts relating to whatever the ___ portion is

#aes ; for all that is beautiful = posts relating to valerie's interests. can be considered ic reblogging.

IC talking in tags has no formatting. OOC talk is in parenthesis.

**Note, Laverre Gym's address is fully public information, so Pelipper Mail / Malice will be directed there and NOT to Valerie's home address!

Threads : OPEN

[boimlerkisser]

Not me making a s/i for a game that I'm probably not even gonna play myself 😭🙏 here it is folks some simple ref of my bg3 tav!

She's a half-elf Paladin and a follower of Oghma, the God of Knowledge, with a sage background ♡ she's got an insatiable and somewhat macabre curiosity that leads her to explore things that are sometimes considered a bit disturbing but she finds fascinating! She has a bit of a manic edge that can make her seem a bit inconsiderate at times because she talks faster than she can think, but she means well and is very sweet! And of course she's catching feelings for a certain someone 😊

♡taglist♡: @me-myself-and-my-fos @tiny-cloud-of-flowers @sunstar-of-the-north @dearly-beeloved @changeling-selfship @crushes-georg @squips-ship @drjohndisco @adoredbyalatus

[sarcophagid]

YOU ALSO LIKE TCM 2💥💥yayy

yesssssss it's one of my favorite movies <333

[amphibiananarchy]

hark! ive been tagged in a lil tumblr game by the dear @galar-abortion-clinic my wonderful friend and amazing artist!!

Last song: vampire reference in a minor key

Favorite color: green and yellow

Last book: Fungi of Aotearoa: A Curious Forager's Field Guide

Last movie: i saw the tv glow

Last TV show: arcane

Last thing in search history: hard boiled egg transparent background

Sweet/Savory/Spicy: savory my beloved,, but also,, a sweet treat,,

Current obsession: jjba,,, for half a year now,,

Looking forward to: finally moving!!

ough ok i have to tag people now,, i summon unto this post!! @meowtallicats @sagedearest @punkeropercyjackson @mercyluvsyouuu @m0scorner @macabre-changeling @8bitandbey0nd aaaand @corvidthedragon my beloved mutuals <3 ofc no pressure to play but ily all!!

[meowmacpasta]

“My son needs constant aesthetic lighting LMFAO” -Me, talking about Josie in red lighting

“NO‼️ natural lightning will KILL the patient!!!!!!!!!!!! he needs aesthetic lightning to live.”

- @macabre-changeling

[rainysflowers]

Pics of Ken from WK

You know who you are /lh

Im a Yoji & Omi man myself, but heres all the pics of Ken i have stolen from various archived fanshrines and other locations. Maybe a magazine or two, i dont recall. I have more of him with the other boys, but this is all the ones of just him. The only I grabbed myself r the ref pic, those r off the Media Works' DVDs. if u wanna scan yourself, i reccomend working through AniTurnpike's section. lots of sites. Fair warning, some fics and such MIGHT include untagged "problematic" content (IE non-con, self harm, ect) given the landscape of the time, but I find that most older WK fans tag better than other old anime fandom fans (Coming from a Slayers fan good lord). Lots of pics tho, plenty of shrines. Ik for a fact there is at least one Ken specific one. @macabre-changeling sorry for the @/ also sorry that im insane

Side note: there's such few promo images for WKG which is fine with me cuz i hate that season but its odd that there are only about two of them i commonly see used in magazines

[truly-a-snitch]

May i request fukuzawa and ranpo headcanons (or whatever you want to do) with a like young teen reader (platonic) who will randomly be like “wanna know a fun fact” and then say the most un fun horrendous flabbergasting fact like about old torture techniques or will ask things like “what would you guys do if a zombie attacked us right now?” Or “what would you do if i turned into a zombie?” 😭

-🧛

hi again vamp anon :333 this writer is so middle school me pilled tbh i think i have a book about like supernatural stuff and one on medieval torture techniques somewhere in my room still LMAOO

WARNINGS:

---

(platonic) fukuzawa and ranpo w young teen!reader with an affinity for the macabre

fukuzawa

lets be honest. this is nothing new for him

he went through this when he met ranpo- if with a slightly different subject- so he sorta has it down pat

and he is all for it. he lets you ramble about whatever (not so) fun facts you like !! hes engaged, he asks questions, even if he doesnt really understand what youre saying he tries his best to keep up

sometimes you just talk too fast for him to keep up with how excited you get its ok

he mostly tries to laugh off the questions because he doesnt seem like the type that would want to think about that too much

if this is after the events of s5 though then hes definitely thinking about it and it is probably not optimistic thoughts i will say that much

you remind him SO much of a younger ranpo sometimes its genuinely uncanny

deffo views u as his child. (will never admit it)

he loves listening to you ramble !! even if the content is concerning hes definitely heard worse (some ppl seem to forget hes killed like a lot of people) and he cares a lot about you so ofc hes gonna take note of the stuff u talk about

fukuzawa also brings up stuff you mention later and definitely tries to look into stuff he doesnt know/doesnt know much about so he can have more productive conversations with you about them :3

ranpo

big brother mode ACTIVATED

he loves you so much if only for how much he loves picking apart your brain (trust me he loves u for more than just that)

also he is SO about your interests. you guys swap 'fun' historical facts and discuss paranormal hypotheticals ad nauseam

ranpo isnt super knowledgeable in this area but he will go on an absolute deepdive to give you proper answers to your questions

(in event of a zombie attack, he has like four plans depending on the form of zombies hes working with, as well as a plan if he doesnt know) (and if you were bitten by a zombie he would Find A Way to fix it. hes edogawa ranpo he can figure it out)

as for the other macabre interests he strikes me as the kind of kid that was really into stories of the fae and changelings growing up + deffo did a whole lot of research into yokai and other types of spirits globally

so when i say he knows a little bit of the supernatural stuff you mention i mean it

but real human history never really caught his eye that much

(now that youre talking about it, though, hes 100% listening and looking for other cool twisted historical events to talk about !!)

he makes whole days of it !! yall go out for food or something and he just listens to you ramble about your interests !

[tales-from-the-aether-ttrpg]

Tales from the Aether: Heritage

There are 4 types of Heritage available to the players in the vanilla game and they are Mundane, Macabre, Mythical, and Monstrous.

Mundane Heritages are creatures that were born naturally of the world through evolution. Elves, humans, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, dragonkin, and orcs fall into this category.

Macabre Heritages are incredibly rare and often killed out of fear before given a chance. There are quite a few Macabre creatures that roam the lands. The vast majority of Macabre beings to be found are mindless monsters who seek only to destroy the living but that is not all there is. Unfortunately, such presidents make surviving as Macabre nearly impossible unless you are able to pass as a living. Additionally, most Macabre beings have no memory before dying and often have a harsh realization early on that they are different and considered monsters in most other’s eyes. However, even unlife is worth living and many Macabre beings manage to find their own way.

Beings of myth and fairy tales. Mythical creatures are beings inherently linked to the Aether such as Elementals, Allaxe, and Shades. They are incredibly rare and often observe mortal society from afar as they interact with the world in fundamentally different patterns. Those that do walk amongst mortals are approached with awe and wonder.

Creatures of nightmare, Monstrous Heritages often exist at the expense of others. Monstrosities are beings formed from non-existence and the corruption of the mundane. They are the offspring of mortals' attempts at playing god or the Creators’ own mistakes and thus the Creators reject them.

Mundane Heritages: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling, Gnome, Orc, Dragonkin, and Talking Animal.

Macabre Heritages: Skeleton, ghost, Haunted Zombie

Mythical Heritages: Mermaid, Sylvan, Shade

Monstrous Heritages: Changeling, Satyr, Sentient Construct

[mythrae]

An Appalling Ally

Summary: Orin the Red reveals to Lord Enver Gortash how she got rid of her competition as Bhaal's Chosen.

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: 18+ (minors do not interact), discussion of graphic depictions of violence, non-consensual, incest, also some light smut

Author's Notes:

Not beta'd so please be kind

Thank you to everyone who read the first part! 🫶🏻🥹✨ love u

Please pay attention to warnings I listed, I know these topics can be very triggering!

Click to read Part One here!

Click to read on AO3 here!

“WHAT IN THE NINE HELLS DID YOU DO TO HER?”

Lord Enver Gortash stood and banged his fists on his wooden desk, knocking over his wine-filled chalice. The deep red liquid bled on the table and spilled to the floor, dripping on the feet of Orin the Red. She stood patiently, a grotesque smile stretched across her face.

She had summoned herself to his study, upsetting his guards as she broke into Wyrm's Crossing late in the evening under the guise of a fan-girl, seeking the soon-to-be Archduke's affections. When he had invited her in, hoping for a little amusement from the halfling, she had transformed in front of him, showing her true self — and her true intentions for gaining an audience with him.

“I told you, Little Tyrant. I simply got rid of her.” She replied with a smirk. “And so I am here to fulfill my duties as Bhaal’s newest chosen, including helping you and Ketheric enslave the Elder Brain with the Crown of Karsus.”

He reached over his desk and grabbed the changeling’s shoulders. “Mythrae has been missing for days, Orin. Where is she?” He shouted at the woman in front of him, his fingernails digging into her pale, marbled skin.

“Now now, no need to get so hasty!” She laughed, shrugging his hands off and flashing her ring of teleportation to him. “If things get too out of hand, I have my grandfather's gift, hm? So let’s try and be more… civil, shall we?”

His face turned to stone as he sat back in his seat. He knew he had to take control of his temper, or the little minx would be out of his grasp. He already detested her, from what Mythrae has spoken of her sister, but actually working with her sounded abhorrent to the Chosen of Bane.

But how else was he going to find his betrothed?

"Speak, Orin. Tell me where she is."

“Oh, but that would be no fun, wouldn’t it?” She asked, placing her hands on the table. “It would be more thrilling for me to show you instead.”

The stench of death and blood filled Gortash’s nostrils as she leaned in close to him, her blackened lips dangerously close to his own. Her eyes, fully white, looked at him like a piece of meat, asking to be devoured by her alone.

Gods, what a truly vile creature.

He waved his hand at her, reclining back in his chair and opening the space between them. “Fine, have it your way. Show me what happened.”

“With pleasure.” She sneered. “I’ll put on quite a show for you, Enver.”

“Don’t call me that.” He nearly spat. “It’s Lord Gortash to you.”

“Whatever you say, Little Lordling.”

Orin's body started to transform, the sound of her bones cracking and skin shifting making Gortash feel uneasy. She was truly a lover of the macabre and grotesque, and loved putting on quite a disgusting show whenever she morphed herself. Before long, he saw she had become a reflection of himself.

"Remember that letter you wrote to her? After the two of you stole the Crown of Karsus?" She asked, his own voice filling his study.

Gortash nodded. Yes, he remembered. It was the last correspondence he had with Mythrae.

"Well, what you had written was very lovely, but I had to make some... changes, you see. Put my own spin on it." His reflection, controlled by Orin herself, paced around his desk as he spoke.

"What did you tell her?"

"There was no way I could get her alone up here," she gestured out to the window behind Gortash, the city still alive so late in the night, "so I told her to meet me — or I guess, you — in the Temple of Bhaal. Oh, and she looked rather ravishing. Of course, she would if she was planning on seeing her betrothed..."

So she knows, he thought to himself, and that's why she's acting this way.

"My dearest kin looked too exquisite, you see," Orin continued, "I just couldn't keep my hands to myself."

The tyrant's stone face quickly changed to one of worry. “What… what did you do to her?”

“Patience, patience, patience, boy!” Orin growled at him, “Now, where was I…”

Enver’s composure with the changeling was wearing thin, his fingers anxiously tapping on his desk while straightening out his back.

“Ah, yes! When I had Mythrae all to myself at the Temple of Bhaal. If only her guard was higher, hm? She wouldn't have been such an easy whore for me."

“You did not…” He started, struggling to find the words he wanted to say.

“Oh, yes I did!” She cut him off before he found his voice. "And you should have heard her cries for help, they were quite lovely!”

He watched as his reflection reached for their head, the sick sound of cracking neck bones pounding against his eardrums, and now his lover stood before him.

“Gortash, no! Please, stop! It hurts!” He heard Mythrae’s voice leaving the changeling's lips.

He could feel his anger boiling through his entire body as the sound of her voice filled his thoughts.

“Enough of this!" He yelled, his tapping fingers now balling into a fist. "Tell me where she is!”

“What, you don’t want to hear more about how you deflowered her?” Orin teased, taking her arms and pushing everything off of Gortash's desk. She laid her body — Mythrae's body — on top of it, lying back like she was relaxing in a field of flowers.

“How I plucked all her petals using your body, like a child to a daisy," she reached up and pulled at the air with her fingers, "pluck, pluck, pluck, until I made a mess of her? The audience truly loved the show!"

"I wish to hear of no such horrendous things. I only want to know where Mythrae is." He repeated his request, doing all that he could to hold back his rage for the Bhaalspawn.

"Oh, if only you could have seen her face, Gortash." She drabbled on, ignoring him. "The look of betrayal she gave me when I had her trapped on Bhaal's altar, how her face contorted in pain when I first ent-"

"What happened to her? Out with it!"

“And when I could use her no more, after she was spent," Orin pulled out a short sword, tainted dark red, "I took my very favorite blade, and sliced her head right open!”

Gortash froze in his seat, processing the words she spoke.

Did Orin... kill her?

"Oh, and her blood was so warm as I felt it spill out of her skull. Delicious indeed. A moment I will cherish with my very favorite blood-kin!"

He still was at a complete loss for words, staring at Mythrae's form lying in front of him.

"... though it is a shame, really." She tutted while toying with her blade. "She was no true Chosen if she was able to let you in and distract herself from her real purpose. I will not be as easily swayed, Lord Gortash." Her skin began to shift once more, the changeling back in her original form as she sat up on his desk, spreading her legs wide open for him.

In some grotesque form of seduction, she placed the blade of her short sword in between her legs and rubbed it against her armored mound. Gortash watched as her fingers tightened around the hilt as she moaned dramatically, getting off from the pressure on her arousal, as well as the eyes of the dark haired man watching her.

Vile, wretched woman.

"As if I would ever bed with someone like you." He uttered as he looked away, disgusted at the slightest thought of touching her skin in any sort intimate way.

"I have my ways, Little Tyrant." She hissed in disapproval, turning away from him and sliding her body off his desk. "If I could take your pretty little wife all to myself, I can take you, too."

In that moment, Lord Enver Gortash lost all control.

“Fuck you, Orin." His words were filled with poison, "You are no true Chosen of Bhaal. You’re an imposter!”

“Angry, are we?" Orin laughed, licking the essence of her arousal off her blade. "Be careful now, for we need to work together. Unless you think that I should become the Archduchess? You and I would have so much fun together."

In a fit of rage, Gortash reached for chalice on the floor and threw it at the dastardly changeling. Before the glass left his hands, Orin already had her fingers wrapped around her ring, and he heard the glass shattering into pieces against the wall.

With a displeased sigh, he fell back in his chair, still in shock of it all. Being forced to work with Orin the Red. His future as the Archduke potentially at risk. His woman, his love, his equal stolen from him.

He didn’t even know if she was alive, though he assumed if Orin got her hands on her, she was as good as gone.

He filled his head with thoughts of her, in much happier times. The first time he saw her, when he had completely bewitched him by her looks alone. When they kissed for the first time, right in his office. When he first told her that he loved her, the way her eyes sparkled — one red and one grey — as she repeated his words back to him. That night when they looked over Baldur's Gate as he slid the ring on her finger, when she had promised herself to him.

They were supposed to rule together. They were supposed to have a family together. But now, it was as good as gone.

Gortash was not a crying man. Being a politician, he kept most of his emotions locked away. And even then, he never liked to shed tears, for he felt it was a sign of weakness in a man.

Tonight, he cried. Oh, hells, he cried.

Tomorrow, it would be back to business as usual. He had a plan, after all, and although he needed the help of Orin the Red, he intended to follow through. He would not become a failure like so many others before him.

But for now, he wept in his chair as the new moon rose above the city, mourning the loss of his one true love.