#oc background

[amatsuchan-eiliniel]

I think it is time for me to finish this short "comic" I had to do for months (since last year lmao)!

Hopper's backstory, and it's not the worst yet (don't mention the SA he witnessed)

I'm not good at comics at all, and it looks better on paper tbh...but at least you have a part of Hopper's backstory!

(I think it looks better in b&w too...)

˚₊ · »-♡→ Tag list (let me know if you want to be added!) : @offorestsongs @nemisisnemi @random-twst-and-oc-stuff @sungfairytales @skriblee-ksk @marinahavik @oya-oya-okay @crystallizsch

[nebulaspectry]

After a rude Battle, she's pushed away by an explosion. She's falling on Earth.

But someone try his best to save her ❤️

[deedah]

hey pookies :3

I may have made a ‘The Wild Robot’ oc

her name is Chrys, the daughter of Brightbill! (Short story coming up on her later)

((Am I the first one to make an oc in this universe??? Idk))

And here’s the background base for anyone else who would like to make their own oc’s!

(Pls credit me if you use it)

((if you don’t credit me, there is a little text in the corner saying I made it, pls try to not cover that up))

srry it’s kinda basic

And here’s the speedpaint if you want to see me create this!

[cruising-cats]

Adamlytic’s Info

This post is just dedicating more time to fleshing out who Adam is in more detail.

First off, his official reference sheet:

Adamlytics, like I said in his introduction, is a Cyber World Darkner who personifies the search engine the computer runs on. For this reason, he is tasked with keeping search history and saved research organized as well as advise the Queen when decision’s need to be made.

This would be Adamlytic’s personal office inside Queen’s mansion. Adam doesn’t live inside the mansion, he mostly treats it like his workplace. This is the same office room seen in one of my previous posts, the second image being from it.

In 1982, Adamlytics was officially created as a directory to other domains. In the Cyber World, this made him a librarian. By the time Spamton was making it big, so was Adam! He transitioned into a data entry specialist, frequently helping the Queen with certain tasks. Adam and Spamton became a lot closer, see each other was well acquainted. This is around the time Adam earned a place in Queen’s mansion; Spamton frequently visited Adam’s office, much to his annoyance. And as Spamton fell into obscurity, Adam became the man he is today.

Welp, that’s all I have concerning Adamlytics. Thank you if you actually read all this.

[burning-spyce]

Some deets on Aji Pepper's background + factoids !

cw; This writing depicts implications of child abduction and abuse.

— He came from a dying population of titans, sought after by poachers who looked to drain them of their resources, magical abilities, or even sell them for coin to those in high power.

• The poacher's methods sealed tight away from the ears of many. They would use chains, shackles, spears, and flintlocks, though not of usual caliber. — These supplies and weapons were made of a mineral called Salt Water's Oracle. A stone that could shrivel up a being's energy, leaving their arcane shell and physical strength damaged. Either temporarily or permanently depending on its mineral percentage or usage.

— Aji Pepper was separated by their mother and caught by an infamous poacher named Spiced Chai Cookie. Who specialized in trading

"dangerous" beasts. (Dangerous in quotes because most were sentient cookies just like them but with more beast-like traits. )

• Spiced Chai had manipulated the young cookie into staying beside him; bringing him in to his client and arriving to a misunderstanding.

- Aji Pepper Cookie was initially going to be traded over to a tyrant to take role as a war chariot. However, the king had asked for an adult, being the impatient cookie that he was.

• Within discussion, Spiced Chai and the head guard simply had a miscommunication. Leading them to give Aji off to the mage, Cainito Juice Cookie, who had instantly took interest after seeing that they had no need for the baby titan after all.

So, they allowed Cainito to take Aji. Who figured he could experiment on him in attempt to master ways to drain his abilities so that the king's plans to conquer and start a war with another kingdom wouldn't stall any longer.

And in turn, realized he could make the coliseum's events a lot more exciting, So he tested Aji as they grew big enough to be thrown into the ring...

// Cainito would come to discover the poacher's secret. Forcefully depleting his source of the Salt Water's Oracle and gathering more than enough.- The power drawn from Aji Pepper Cookie was infused into the royal guard's weaponry. And with insatiable excitement, the titan wouldn't be the only beast to submit to the coliseum in due time.

- Cainito Juice Cookie had raised Aji with a protective, supportive facade. He showered him with love and care whilst teaching him the thrill of the coliseum, and covering up the shackles and such as training to become a chariot to the king in war. Whilst in return, Aji was very enthusiastic about his adoptive father's studies and supported him through and through.

• And at one point the two had a conversation that struck at Aji's heartstrings and encouraged him to keep going with the so-called career his father promised him.

During their conversation his father said he'd be alongside him "always and forever" to which Aji replied with "my forever?", feeling contented with the Cainito's words

Aji refers to the people he clings to his "forever".

[tieflingalysanne]

Alysanne was sold to Raphael in a contract after the events of bg3. Alysanne’s father, Mason Baratheon, signed a contract with Raphael to sell her off to be his wife in exchange for riches that would be used beyond his years. Alysanne was afraid of Raphael at first, especially since he acquired the crown of Karsus and was the new arch devil supreme of the hells. The catch was that if alysanne fell in love with him, mason’s soul would become Raphael’s. Sadly, Mason didn’t live longer than a few weeks to enjoy his riches.

As she spent time with him she grew to love him dearly, despite his less than great morals, and grew into her role as the archdevil supreme’s queen consort. Raphael didn’t think he was capable of love, but for her he was capable of anything. Alysanne was a stern yet merciful consort to the creatures of the hells than her husband ever was. Raphael sired two children of her, their eldest son Leonidas and youngest child Serafina. I’ll draw them at a later date.

TY @brm-bootleg for helping me with the dialogue.

[2-dsimp]

Here's my thought process from that pyrok walnut crusher post:

Bird feed -> it'll be covered in saliva -> does he have saliva? -> where does the food go? -> does he have digestive tract?

So anyway my question is does pyrok have digestive tract and or saliva?

He can produce something akin to saliva. However Pyrok’s species don’t have a digestive track per se, it’s nonexistent. Just imagine a black void within their bodies which drives them to devour anything and everything in their path.

His kind are actually oftentimes lured by brave custodian workers to desolate planets in need of eradication. To make way for new innovations.

They’re the bonifide honorary garbage disposals of the universe’s darkside of history/civilizations/wastelands/ect. However, Pyrok got led astray and ended up in devildom which caused pure havoc.

[moonhowler]

Got inspired and drew a bunch of doodles of my Hazbin oc Maya!

Some stuff about her:

Maya is the oldest of 5 siblings and took care of them since she was very young. She loves them dearly and often regresses because she misses them.

Maya died at 23. Her little headspace is between 0 and 5. When she started regressing it was completely involuntary and she absolutely hated it. Vaggie and Charlie helped her see regressing was ok. After a while she accepted regression as a part of herself. Then she became an absolute menace! Maya can be a very hyper kid when she is comfortable enough.

Maya was a good person in life, but her soul tells her otherwise. Her ocd makes her believe she is a horrible person. She will only be able to go to heaven once she learns to love herself.

Her design is inspired in the wolf in sheep's clothing trope. Her new body comes with the insticts of these 2 animals. When she is in her normal headspace she suppreses them, but if she regresses young enough she may start acting like a pup or a lamb.

Maya absolutely hates her demon appearance. Charlie gifted her a necklace with a human disguise to make her feel better, but she can only use it for short periods of time or else she can get seriously sick.

When she was new in the hotel she was shy, quiet and calm, but once she got comfortable another side of her personality started to show. She is actually a very energetic girl who loves to have fun and joke around, even if she is a bit akward at times and doesn't understand certain social cues.

When she is in her normal headspace, she likes helping around the hotel. Organizing activities, cooking, welcoming new sinners...she can do about anything if needed!

[dynamyte16]

𝐃𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐲𝐭𝐞’𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐞...

i think its been long enough for me to finally tell you all about Dynamyte's lore, so gather around my children for i have a story to tell...

the story of

𝐃𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐲𝐭𝐞...

She was born on a cold night on October 31 inside the castle walls of the Demon Realm. The daughter of the queen of demons Gelda and king of demons Zeldris was born. She looked more like her father but with her mother's eyes and fangs. They named her Octavia. The king and queen were really happy to have her but that happiness would banish. She was kidnapped by a mage and brought to a queen in another kingdom.

The queen's name was Scarlet, and the reason she wanted a baby was because her husband had died of an odd food poisoning in his dinner and her 7th son had died in a carriage accident. He was a baby and was traveling with his nanny back to the kingdom. Poor boy with wing like green hair. The body was never found.

The mage cursed Octavia with a skin that whenever she touched something it would burn ablaze. The mage also gave 2 earrings for the baby, one for being able to eat food and the other for wearing clothes.

Scarlet was thrilled with excitement. A new toy to play with. She renamed the child Peril because of her ability.

Years passed and Peril grew smarter and stronger. Once she came of age at 7 she put her to fight as a gladiator, and she became scarlet's champion. She was fed the people she killed in the arena and lived in the dungeon. She was happy that the queen needed her. But one day everything changed...

His name was Benjamin and he was her first friend ever. He was a wizard apprentice and was very talented. He created an arm band and enchanted it so that she would be able to be normal, and it worked. Whenever she was with him she wore it. For the first time in her life….she was happy.

but that didn’t last long…

When the queen found out about their little relationship she was furious. She banned Peril from seeing Benjamin ever again but in a last moment resort Peril exploded in anger. That she started screaming, to the point that she got so mad that her demon power released (think of what meliodas did for Danafor). Half the kingdom exploded into flames. The queen’s face was burnt in her left side completely and a tower fell on her. Peril also got burned, leaving many scars in her body from the flames.

Before she could leave she found Benjamin’s body impaled. Before he died he gifted her his goggles and said “ keep living, even if times are dark remember to always smile.” Then he passed. She grabbed his body and with her recent injuries she ran as fast as she could it took her days but she arrived to another kingdom.

The kingdom was called Liones. She arrived at the capital and she was surrounded by guards. Still carrying her dead friend she asked for help, and that’s when the king came and helped her.

Meliodas and Elizabeth took her in and helped her heal while giving a proper burial to her best friend. Once she was ready he asked where did she come from, and she replied with “a kingdom not known by anyone but known enough for rumors to travel by”

Hs was taken in and given a home. She met prince Tristan and started a small friendship with him.

“So peril, do you want to stay with us?” Meliodas asked

“Yes, I want to but I need a favor” Peril replied

“And what is that?” He said curiously

“Call me Dynamyte from now on, I don’t like my previous name” she said looking at him.

“Dynamyte? I like it! Fits your personality” he laughed.

From that day onwards she became a close member of the royal family, a member of the holy knights in liones and a well sophisticated mage. And that’s her story..

but don’t think it’s done just yet, for now she has more of a story to tell in the future….

[mandiematcha]

Have some fuckass drawings , I'm bored and tired.

Becky and Prissy do not get along well. Mandie , is just there.

Okay maybe I should explain the lore .

My main oc C, that's what we'll call her, used to work at a university. At some point along the line, she got married. However her marriage fell out, and she went back to working there to get her mind off things. Unfortunately for her, before she worked there - as well as after.. she was a model, for the sex industry. Her ex-husband influenced her , and pushed her into a route of unhealthy habits and most of all feedism. Unfortunately, her ex-husband also used to work at the university - it's kinda how they met.

But due to then divorce, she dropped most of her weight- but unbeknown to her, a group of students would go snooping around in her history.

Said students are, Mandie, Prissy, Becky, Millie, Kris, and two more I haven't exactly designed.

Two of them, Becky, and Mandie- work for the exact same industry- and the sheer knowledge that their own TEACHER used to work there intrigues them both.

Instead of being rational, they begin harassing her and attempting to dig into her personal life even more. Leaving little messages , hints and clues to who they are.

The situation escalates to the point of stalking, harassment and genuinely illegal activity being held. The students , are also not that it's important - apart of a little clique. Hence why Becky and Prissy have the same tattoo.

I sadly, cannot tell you WHO her ex husband was, because that fuckass character belongs to someone I've cut ties with. However, if the story becomes important enough- I'll probably substitute that character for my own- just someone with similar enough attributes y'know. I don't wish to be a bother to the fucker who owns him, and I don't feel like asking for permission either. So he'll just, not be in the story as much till I can figure it out. Okay yap over, just enjoy the art!!

[halactic]

I do in fact have another ‘light sided’ Sith character. He’s actually a Jedi… and the way he got there was lucky happenstance. (Art by the talented @yarpell 💜)

To summarize his backstory, as a preteen his family was on the run from the emperor himself. His father Ozymandias and mother Rehemma never stayed in one place once the emperor was hunting them. Afraid that their youngest was at risk of not surviving such an ordeal, they left their one year old son, Zekiel on the doorstep of a renowned Sith couple. That baby is soon raised and cared for by Darth Raeviss and his wife Roseanna, naming their adopted child ‘Stolace Sinclair.’

(Art by MoonlitAlien)

As a preteen, Provintus is soon given over to one of Ozymandias’s closest friends to watch and raise- in case he was never to return. During the years Provintus stayed on a freighter, the unfortunate ‘smugglers’ he was in company with were stopped by a group of Jedi. They find a young Sith stowaway, one who is calm, collected and gifted in the force, and believe it to be a sign. They take Provintus to the Jedi temple to become a padawan.

Working his way to becoming a master Jedi, Provintus is still searching for his father and soon learns the fate of his baby brother.

He currently has his own padawan to protect and secretly takes time away from Jedi missions and orders to locate his missing family…

[welldonekhushi]

Origin of Arjun's name

Arjun's name and respective codename itself came from the etymology of Mahabharata, the ancient epic of India.

Arjuna was the son of Kunti whose spiritual father was Indra Dev (the God of Lightning), but became the adopted son of King Pandu among his four sons (Yudhishthir, Bhima, Nakul and Sahadev). Arjun was depicted as a skilled archer from an early age, and played an important role throughout the campaign of the Mahabharata War.

Arjun's name means to be "crystal clear, shiny and lustrous". In relation, it's about always being stuck to your aim and knowing what has to be done to hit the bullseye. Once the Captain finds a target, he'll do anything to fulfill it, even if it risks everything he had before. His aim towards it is "clear". He'd pick the gun, and fight. He'll not hesitate nor back off. He will hit the target.

His patch symbol is denoted as a "bow and arrow", which targets its desired aim. The Captain won't leave a single target behind, he'll eliminate it, destroy it, no matter what the cost.

[tsukimeodayooo]

"Parents" Solarity is the goddess of multi-universes, she uses a fake personality-Tsuki (the black and white cat girl) to live in a random universe. She uses Tsuki cuz she knows Tsuki got a very flexible body and an interesting back story, so Solarity decided to live her life as Tsuki to reach to Tsuki "true ending" like an RPG game. Solarity can see all the possible ending for Tsuki, but she can't see how to achieve that ending, so she has to try again and again for thousands of times until she is satisfied with the ending. Tsuki calls 2 random men her "adoptive parents". (her "parents" aren't my ocs so I might a but forgetful about their lores and makes their story sounds a bit weird cuz my memory is pretty bad).

Joseph (left) is an unknown creature that can shape-shift. At first, Tsuki called him "mama" as joke. But after a while, Joseph got used to it and just adapt to his new role as Tsuki's "mama". Joseph owns a small restaurant where he is the only chef. When he has free time, he usually sleeps or teaches Tsuki how to cook (Tsuki/Solarity is really bad at cooking). Joseph doesn't have a real form and his human form is actually copied from someone else, he also eats human to build his body.

Niko (right) used to be god of destruction, but he's retired now. He's also committed war crime but he did it for good reason (idk I forgot A LOT about this part of his lore). Tsuki calls him "papa" cuz he always pamper Tsuki like his own child. Niko was her first "adoptive parent" even tho when they first met, she was physically 18-old enough to be on her own. She used to see him as an older friend but then she just acepted him caring for her like that cuz Solarity found it funny and wholesome at the same time (I will explain this later in Tsuki's lore). Niko sees her as an emotional supportive kitten cuz he still suffers from his past trauma. He teaches Tsuki cooking and other skills as a way to healing from those trauma. But as I said before, Tsuki is too bad at cooking she basically burn the kitchen in every lessons. She doesn't burn Joseph kitchen cuz he is strict when teaching and he will roast Tsuki if she makes the slightest mistake, while Niko is chill and calm and wants Tsuki to learn from her own mistakes.

Tsuki is a cat girl and a cannibal. In her past life, she was a stray cat that got abused by cruel people to death when she was 20. In her final moment, Solarity asked her if she wanted to take revenge on those assholes, she just need to acept Solarity's request and allow Solarity to use her new body as a vessel. Tsuki acepted and now her body and personality is a mix between her and Solarity. Solarity chose Tsuki not only for her new body, but also cuz she felt sorry for Tsuki's painful past life so she decided to bring the happiness to both. Solarity can enjoy her new thrilling life like a normal person, and Tsuki can take revenge on her abusers and live a happier life.

(sry for my broken English, I'm not a native English speaker)

[cruising-cats]

Adamlytic’s Relationship Chart!

these are all the connections to the major characters he has in Deltarune. Anyone else is a stranger or he doesn’t quite know very well to take a stance on.

In this post I’ll explain each and every relationship he has and why they are like that. If you just wanna look at the chart, that’s fine, I totally understand. But if you wanna listen to my insane ramblings, stick around.

Susie: Adamlytics got to understand both Susie and Ralsei like on their side adventure in Cyber City. Normally, Adam would be completely terrified of a troubled Lightner like Susie, but he was fortunate enough to see her nice side. He just hopes she’ll stay out of trouble, whether she’s in the Dark World or not.

Berdly: Adamlytics finds Berdly very annoying. He finds Berdly’s smug attitudes unbearable because he doesn’t have the smarts to actually back it up. In reality, Berdly reminds him of his younger self. Adam’s the type of smartass that can’t stand looking at his own reflection. Berdly’s just a kid, so this intolerance isn’t too deep. Adam would still be open to helping Berdly if he was in need of it.

Tasque Manager: He’s always respected his coworker for the dedication to her job. They’ll have the occasional chit-chat during their break. Otherwise, they don’t interact too much.

Sweet Cap’n Cakes: This trio has always been too loud for him to handle. He appreciates their business but their high energy is just too much for him.

Queen: As his boss, of course he’s going to be well-acquainted with her! While she may be hard to deal with sometimes, Adam knows that the Queen is capable of being a caring leader. Though after Spamton’s eviction, things had gotten a bit more complicated between them. Part of him is angry with her while the other understands it was merely business and nothing personal. Outside of their professional relationship, Adam keeps his distance.

The Addisons: Adamlytics blames the other Addisons’ selfishness for not stepping in whenever Spamton was clearly on a downward spiral. It sickens him to think that jealousy alone caused them to cut out one of their own. For this reason, refuses to conduct business with them entirely.

Swatch: Adam and Swatch have both been good friends since he gained an office in the mansion. The two have very logical minds and a drive to serve, making them pretty compatible for each other. They will occasionally talk after work hours, though they both have problems taking time to be outside of the workplace at all.

Spamton: Over the years, Spamton and Adam have had a very touch and go relationship. It wasn’t until Spamton made it as a big shot that Adamlytics started to notice him. Spamton spent countless nights writing up notes pertaining to whatever his friend on the phone was telling him but sometimes he had no idea what they were trying to tell him. Spamton frequently asked for Adam’s help in decrypting the confusing language his phone friend spoke in, knowing he’d probably be the most equipped to do so. Soon, they began to have these long conversations or just sit with each other in perfect silence. As Spamton’s fame and sanity deteriorated, only Adam was there for him. It’s been difficult but Adamlytics has embraced Spamton’s changes instead of rejecting them like everyone else. Spamton can be a little overbearing sometimes but Adamlytics believes he’s still the same man he met all those years ago.

Jevil: He’s listened to Spamton rant about him enough to write a book about the guy. He doesn’t seem pleasant, even if they’re just rumors.

Noelle: Similar to Spamton, the two have an unlikely connection. As the computer’s main search engine, Adamlytics frequently found her searching for information on Dess Holiday, someone he wasn’t quite familiar with. Though, he did his best to find Noelle any data on her that he could. Mostly it was just the same missing report page every time. He hoped that someday he’d be able to give her more answers to the question that plagued her mind: where did Dess go? Outside of that, he often found her questions the most interesting and gave them much more thoughtful responses. He hopes the best for Noelle, even if she doesn’t know he’s rooting for her.

Kris: Adamlytics doesn’t quite understand why Spamton’s so quick to take this Lightner under his wing. What makes the pair so bonded compared to any other person? Why does Spamton seem to trust this random kid more than him…? Adam doesn’t want to acknowledge the fact that he doesn’t know Spamton as well as he think he does.

Ralsei: Ralsei always came off as the reason amongst the chaos to him, so the two got along most of the time. And after the fountain was sealed and Adam moved into Castle Town, Ralsei been providing him with the most support out of anyone. He’s encouraged Adam to find purpose with this new opportunity. Adam has appreciated that more than Ralsei could ever know.

Alright, I spent way too much time working on this. I’ll go back to drawing like I usually do.

[hhapik]

13 yo Robert looks adorable but was definitely on demon time 24/7

[alstromeri-a]

The Price Of Mistake

Bhindra reclined irritably in her carved chair, long nails tapping rhythmically against the armrests. The sound would occasionally cease as her slender, ash-gray fingers smoothed the dark fabric of her robe, adjusting its flawless folds before reaching for the spider-shaped brooch that fastened the cloth at her shoulder. The jade was smooth, cool to the touch. Outside, the crimson glow of Narbondel—the eternal timekeeper of Menzoberranzan—was intensifying. Usually, this sight brought her solace. But not tonight. The priestess's thoughts flitted between past and present, her attempts to pinpoint the moment of her mistake proving futile. Perhaps it was the day she first saw him? In one of the dark burrows—hardly deserving the name 'dwelling'—hidden within the labyrinthine alleys, far from Qu'ellarz'orl, the affluent quarter she rightfully called home. The task had been assigned to her elder sister. Dilys and her squad were dispatched to Eastmyr—a den of beggars, exiles, and other refuse—to hunt down and eliminate rebels. The order came directly from Mez'Barris, and thus, from Lolth herself. Bhindra, who had just left the walls of Arach-Tinilith, was eager to test her abilities, thanks to which she had often heard praise even from High Priestesses. The ability to dominate. To break another's will. To sense the trembling of those who dared not meet the gaze of a priestess from the great House Barrison Del'Armgo. Young Bhindra had often volunteered to accompany her sister, and her enthusiasm was rarely met with resistance. This time was no different. …She had killed his parents too quickly. Recklessly. A single touch had sufficed to send their bodies into death throes before silence claimed them. Bhindra picked up the dagger that had slipped from the man's hand. A masterful piece. Perhaps she should have interrogated him first…

Lost in thought, she glided silently along the dimly lit walls, attuned to the muffled screams of victims and the satisfied laughter of hunters.

Until she found him in the farthest corridor.

His name was Bar'lin. A ridiculous name, much like the drow himself. Pale, with a thin scar on his cheek. And his eyes… Clear, ruby-red, naively innocent. Even drow children don't look like that. All children of the Underdark are born with an understanding of fear, cruelty, betrayal. They learn this faster than they take their first steps.But in this boy's gaze, there was no fear. No comprehension of his role. So foolish. So…unnatural. Bhindra smiled and extended her hand. A sweet tingling enveloped her wrist as magic danced at her fingertips. This time, she wouldn't rush. And he…collapsed before her, pressing his cheek to her palm. Reverently. Smiling.

Great Mother, he thought she had come to save him.

Bhindra took him with her. Not out of pity, of course. Out of curiosity. Out of a desire to test something more subtle, more intricate, requiring time. But instead, the priestess of Lolth…grew accustomed to her captive. Too quickly.

And over the next sixty years, she never harmed him. At least, in her understanding, it was so.

"I hope it was worth it."

The sardonic voice pulled her from her thoughts. Dilys had settled on the windowsill, stretching out her long legs unceremoniously. Unlike Bhindra, she was tall, sinewy, with sharp facial features. Platinum hair tied in a bun at the nape. Scars covered her arms—a testament to battles where she relied on steel rather than spells. Dilys's fingers casually gripped the hilt of a dagger, its blade broken.

"Look here, an engraving," she offered, thoughtfully running a nail over the darkened steel. The dagger was the very one that had once belonged to the drow from the slums. Dilys squinted, examining the faded runes.

"A few syllables are missing, but I think the meaning is clear."

A tense silence hung in the room.

"I've always wondered…what price did Lolth demand for this…whim?"

Receiving no answer from the priestess, her sister reached for a platter where, among thin slices of dried meat and sweet mushrooms, lay a wheel of black truffle cheese. Carefully, with slight pressure, she drove the broken but still sharp blade into the hard cheese rind, chipping off a piece.

"You can deceive anyone, but not me. It was you, wasn't it? Every time."

The drow chewed the cheese lazily, savoring not just the taste but her own words.

"He stayed. They disappeared."

Bhindra pressed her lips together.

Dilys was right.

A wayward mage. A blacksmith's apprentice. Several young drow from Melee-Magthere. And many others whose traces vanished in the dark waters of Donigarten. Including two of her brothers. Such was the price Lolth set for the life of the son of apostates. Either him, or all who dared come too close to him.

And Bhindra paid that price willingly, sometimes deciding that "too close" meant when the name of a future victim lingered in Bar'lin's memory for more than a couple of days.

Year after year, Bar'lin Armgo remained by her side—as a shadow, as a servant, as a lover. Her magic didn't touch him. Almost. Just one spell. Small, subtle, like the finest thread of a web. It erased names and faces from his memory. Wiped them from his mind so he would remain Hers. Always. Her fingers once again slid to the elegant brooch on her shoulder. At the touch of the smooth jade, a faint shimmer ignited deep within the stone.

His creation. His gift.

In this, Bar'lin strove for perfection. Weaving metal, magic, and stone with a patience rare for their house, he surpassed himself time and again. Magic, the darkness of tunnels, the search for places of power…to create the best.

For her. Perhaps it was a mistake to let him go so far? So far that one day he disappeared.

She remembered how her trackers discovered that the trail ended at a collapse in the Eastern Path tunnels. Remembered how, for the first time in many years, she lost her peace. How he returned, two weeks later. In the company of two surface elves.

What were they doing in the Underdark? She didn't listen as he spoke about it, as he told how they saved his life, how they survived together in the monster-infested labyrinth. None of it mattered. They would die anyway. He would forget anyway. And the sooner — the better.

She wasn’t listening. She just watched. The way his eyes lit up at the sight of her. The way he held out the brooch. How completely, blindly he belonged to her.

“And then your little lover ran away,” drawled Dilys, her voice thick with amusement. She smirked, twirling the remnants of a dagger in her fingers. “Ran off with those two. Broke this while freeing them from your precious ritual chains…”

The priestess’s fingers paused again, brushing over the jade ornament.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have rushed into another murder,” Dilys went on. “Or turned the ritual hall into a trophy room? Or were you just that eager to drag him into your bed after being apart so long?” She leaned in slightly. “How could you let him end up in such a wrong place at such a wrong time? Did you really think he’d never figure it out? Never remember?”

The air between them seemed to thicken.

Bhindra locked eyes with her sister.

“Unless someone helped him,” she hissed. ***

The quiet night was broken only by the steady crackling of camp fire. Such peace in their camp was rare — considering how mixed their company was. Aren wasn’t sleeping.

The drow was doing his best not to think, focusing instead on the flames slowly consuming the pitchy branches.

He heard Karlach’s steps from afar.

She wasn’t trying to be quiet. On the contrary — even her calm stride seemed to declare to the world: “I’m here, and I don’t care if that bothers you.”

“You’re up again?” she asked, and he realized — he liked the sound of her voice. Deep. Warm.

Aren hesitated a moment before answering.

“Are you always this open?” he asked with a sudden smirk, turning toward her. “You told me about Gortash. About Zariel… just like that.”

The tiefling snorted.

“What’s there to hide?” she shrugged. “Sometimes it helps — telling things to someone you trust.”

“Trust? A drow?” Aren raised an eyebrow slightly.

Karlach didn’t flinch. She crossed her arms and grinned.

“You know, I spent part of my life in the Hells. A long part,” she shook her head. “After that, trusting a bloodsucker, a chatty wizard, or a grumpy gith doesn’t seem so bad. Why not add you to the list?”

Aren looked away, but a shadow of a smile touched the corner of his lips.

“Have you never trusted anyone?” she asked.

He didn’t answer right away. His gaze returned to the fire.

“I have,” he said quietly.

He could’ve told her about Bhindra. About how Dilys had said — for some reason — that the priestess wanted to see him in the ritual hall, where males were rarely allowed, and that it was “very important.” About finding the ones who’d saved his life — chained, drugged. About seeing their belongings displayed on the altar. The sudden burst of pain. The flood of memory. Faces… feelings tied to them. About how he led the prisoners out, planning only to escort them to the surface — and then return to her, to… to what? It didn’t matter anymore. As soon as they reached the surface, he ended up on a nautiloid.

Karlach didn’t press. She simply stayed beside him. No secrets. No hidden motives or traps.

Aren stirred the embers a little, and a small burst of sparks rose into the air. Karlach noticed what he used — a thin shard of steel, clearly missing a hilt.

“Interesting piece,” the tiefling said. “Memory?”

“More like a reminder,” the drow replied.

At the base of the broken blade, part of an engraving remained. Just two syllables, clearly from different lines.

“A — ren.”