#old man icewind

[tourettesdog]

Some Far Frozen art I've been too lazy to upload.

In order, the yeti OCs are Tundra, "Old Man" Icewind, Tumble, Yama, Cyan, and Yuki.

The little sketches Yeti with one arm is a baby Frostbite <3

The blue-maned creatures are a species in the Far Frozen called "korikirin", or "bluemanes" more simply.

As for the cat, I like to imagine that the spirits of stray cats that succumb to the elements in the living world find a new home in the Far Frozen, where the elements can no longer hurt them.

[kirkwallguy]

but. would this not be a case FOR rivalry. no matter how much your companions grow to hate you they'll still stand by you because of how great the threat is. why do they need to be our besties because the gods are trying to kill us. if they didn't include it because it would be double the work then just say that because it's a reasonable answer lol

[dayntee]

I have very strong opinions about disaster wizards, and especially THIS MOTHERFUCKER:

Listen, if you haven't played Pillars of Eternity, I understand. It's a bit niche unless you're like us olds who grew up on real-time-with-pause CRPGs in the 90's and early 00's (namely the original Baldur's Gate, BG2, Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment, and Neverwinter Nights). That type of gameplay appeals to a veeeeeery particular crowd of people, and if you weren't either super into the Forgotten Realms or D&D in general, it likely wasn't your bag.

THAT SAID - with Avowed coming out next week, I need to gush about one of my favorite fantasy worlds and its disaster wizard because I just love this stupid man so much.

Mild spoilers for Pillars of Eternity and Deadfire ahead:

Eora is a fantastically interesting world. It has some of the most unique fantasy races to play and explore, it leans into its darkness and philosophy hardcore, and it takes a look at gods and says "What's that, you pretentious fucks? Sit your asses down, you have no power over me."

The combat and mechanics system is intricate and complex, but vaguely familiar if you've played any form of tabletop RPG. It does its own thing while still being reminiscent of stats and mechanics with which you're likely familiar. If you're the kind of person that likes to theorycraft their character into a fine-tuned murder machine, you will like this system. If you aren't, that's fine too - there's an option to take all the thought out of the process and let the game level you up itself so you don't have to worry about it and can just roll around doing story stuff.

Pillars of Eternity had a friendship (but not romance) system, which sets you up to have the best found-family adventure with total nutjobs that also has more Matt Mercers than you can shake a stick at (seriously, if you pick a male PC and the right voice option, within the first 20 minutes, your party can be composed of exactly three Matts). It deals with your character, known as the Watcher, getting the world's worst split personality syndrome and having to hunt down the mystery behind why babies are suddenly being born with no souls.

Stick with me, this ride is WILD.

After you resolve this pretty inconvenient global cataclysm, you settle down in a keep you acquire during the course of the adventure, only for a god to wake up between game 1 and 2 in your basement and *checks notes* CRUSH YOU TO ALMOST-DEATH.

Oh, and he also takes a part of your soul. For funsies!

Berath, the god of death, offers to restore you to life to figure out what basement-god (Eothas) has planned so long as you agree to be their herald. While you can say no, that just ends the game, so your will to live means you're in on this whole thing and now you get to sail a boat to do it, for reasons, I guess.

Several of the companions from the first game reappear in this one, but to keep on topic, the most important one is Aloth. Why?

BECAUSE NOW YOU CAN WOO THIS ASSHOLE AND THE ANGRY SCOTTISH LADY THAT LIVES INSIDE HIS HEAD.

Aloth is one of my favorite disaster wizards because he has all my favorite tropes just... built right in:

Crippling self-confidence issues

A "split personality" (it's more complicated than that) that is both mortifying and also potentially one of the best characters in the game

A maker of Generally Bad Choices™

Canonically bisexual

Entirely non-committal (at least without a lot of work)

A PAIN IN THE ASS TO ROMANCE

I say these are my favorite, but they're really just all the qualities that every other disaster wizard I've ended up falling for tend to have in some way. Aloth just winds up having them all, wrapped up in a handsome elven package, and then voiced by Matt Mercer because fuck me in particular, I guess, god damnit.

Anyway, thank you for coming to my TED talk on why Aloth is amazing and more people need to romance this jerk. I say this with nothing but love—it's 100% worth it, even when he's breaking your heart (or his romance flag is bugged and you have to roll back three hours to fix it AHHAHAH GOD WHY).

Should you want to read along with the general flow of my head canon for my own playthrough, which is a helluva slow burn will they/won't they extravaganza, you can find the largely completed series here on AO3. There's even smut now!

Back to Solavellan Hell with me.

[sixpossumsinaclownsuit]

I'm seeing a lot of Drizzt x Cattie-Brie and I'd love to point out the bonkers age gap. Drizzt is like, 100+ years old right? And has the maturity of like, 30s-40s. And Cattie-Brie, at least in the Icewind Dale trilogy, is like. Early 20s. And wasn't it ALSO mentioned that Drizzt has known her since she was younger? I don't know if he got to Icewind Dale before or after Bruenor adopted Cattie-Brie, but he. Definitely knew her as a kid. Because by the time the events of the crystal shard roll around, Drizzt has been kicking it at Kelvin's Cairn for several years, Wulfgar was like, late teens and now he's early 20s, and that would mean Drizzt knew Cattie-Brie when she was like 15. And I know they get together when they're older but come on, she was a kid and he was a grown man when they met. And I'm not going to argue with RA Salvatore but can't we as a fandom accept that it's gross? Just collectively overlook it? Just thoughts that I've been having since starting the books as an adult.

[topbanana-art]

Finally making an OC info post- by no means is this all of them, just ones that are most active and/or live in my head rent free.

First up- Rhys (DnD 5e - Rime of the Frostmaiden)

20 years Old, Half Orc, Half Elf (sweet baby angel) , He/Him

Fighter- Echo Knight

Absolute Ray of Sunshine; Rhys is from Icewind Dale; more specifically the Nomadic Reghed Tribe of the Elk.

He's unfamiliar with the outside world and even includes settlements in his own country

He's a Himbo basically a big dog.

This campaign lead him to leaving his tribe for the first time after an unfortunate accident which turned him into a small 'painted child' and searching for his missing sister. (both these are sorted now!)

*Rhys found an old oil painting of this child, blacked out and next thing he knew he was that small elf child. Her skin and clothing having the texture of painted canvas, and bleeds paint.

For a good chunk of the campaign he was just a totally normal elf- whose shadow didn't match with the body

---

Dhalas (DnD 5e Annalor)

36 Years Old, They/Him, Triton

Drunken Master Monk

Chill surfer dude vibes

Part of a travelling circus, They're a balancing act

Extremely laid back, Dhalas talks like they fight- dancing around, seemingly without rhyme or reason and occasionally clumsy.

---

Foxglove (BG3)

138 Years old (tweaked her age a lil), She/They, Drow

Arcane Trickster Rogue

Guild Artisan Background- Locksmith & Apprentice Finesmith

Chill and sassy, that Tav who talks their way out of shit.

Skews Towards Chaotic Good

Presents Androgynous most of the time

Must lockpick everything- she's not actually super interested what's inside, she just wants to see the workmanship of the locks and trashtalk how bad they are.

Yeah she's smooching the vampire. (and Halsin)

Naturally cares for others, even at the cost of her own wellbeing.

Has a Phobia of anything touching/going near her eyes- so the start of the game is A Time for Fox.

---

Arslan Dhoro (FFXIV)

21 Years Old (as of ARR), He/Them

Xaela AuRa

Dragoon - White Mage Main (All healer classes tbh)

Stoic, Resting Angry Face Himbo

He struggles to show emotion but he's just pretty shy and cautious about opening up to others.

From the Azim Steppe, he left in his early teens with his father after the death of his mother, to explore the world beyond the Steppe.

His Father Died in his late teens, attacked in Coerthas thinking he and Arslan were Dravanians.

He's extremely soft and protective for the Scions/his friends

---

Shiv (DnD 5e Saltmarsh- campaign completed)

Awful, terrible lesbian

68 years old, She/Her, Halfling

Celestial Warlock - Unicorn Patron w/ a Baby Phoenix familiar, Toby

A piece of shit. Is an absolute asshole and wont let you know she cares.

Lowkey magical girl

Ex-smuggler, who's patron is literally 'I can fix her', 'she can be a better person'. Part of the 'Beyond Skeletons' Pirate crew, she's the medic of the crew.

---

Pymmyr Tathnel (DnD 5e)

Pym

85 Years Old, He/They, Drow

Gloomstalker Ranger

Emotional Support Blink Dog, Princess Liquorice

This boy is scared all the time

Doesn't talk much, but speaks in a soft voice

Has disordered 'Sleeping' and Eating :)

His plague mask has tinted lenses to help ease the strain with how bright the surface is

I wont tell too much about them as a lot of their info is spoilers to other players. But this sad Drow just rocks up in my head on the regular.

---

Erebus (Anima Beyond Fantasy)

AKA- My first TTRPG character! circa 2011-2 I think???

Real name Sho Yoshimitsu

22 Years Old, He/Him

Duk'Zarist Nephilim

Assassin

Textbook 'strong silent and intimidating hot man'

But basically a big soft boy if you break past the mile thick ice

Tragic backstory™ , used to using his body for the job

He really enjoys cooking!

Also hopelessly in love with a small soft summoner, Caelum (the one hugging him), They're RedxBlue gays

---

I think I'll leave it there for now!

I may add more later, I hope it was interesting?? and I'm still pretty shy with yelling this much about my characters haha.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far! 💜

[rinwellisathing]

OC Facts: Prince Radu Wintersnight

1. Chosen of Auril, The Frostmaiden. Radu is also known as The Winter Prince and lives in a grand palace of ice near Icewind Dale.

2. Radu is the childhood friend of my other OC Jaina Thalassia. Before Radu transitioned, he was a ward of Allandra Grey as a sort of allyship between Auril's temple in Luskan and Umberlee's in Baldur's Gate. The two spent three years growing up together in The Wave Mother's House.

3. Radu transitioned during his coming of age pilgrimage. He was sixteen years old and wandering the frozen tundra to commune with his goddess. She found him worthy and appeared to him, gifting him the form he had always wanted as long as he spread winter's chill wherever he went.

4. Radu is descended from a bastard daughter of Levistus and her white dragon paramore, making him a draconic bloodline sorcerer.

5. For a time, he traveled with a feywild carnival as a knife thrower and stage magician in order to more easily meet with frost aligned fey folk and treat with them in the name of his goddess.

6. Haughty, highly intelligent, and eerily beautiful, Radu can be a bit of an acquired taste as his ego is massive and difficult to break.

7. He has many lovers across the planes including powerful and well regarded people, but his two true soft spots are his daughter Aurelia and his childhood friend Jaina. They are the only two people he will put above himself.

8. The father of his daughter is a Winter Eladrin noble who is absolutely taken with Radu to the point of obsession, a fact the prince uses to his advantage.

9. Radu welcomes adventurers and lost travelers into his winter palace (or his simulacrum does when he isn't home), but if he suspects they are acting against Auril, they can expect their visit to turn into an extended stay in "Cold Storage" the dungeons and torture chambers beneath the castle, manned by winter druids in service to Auril under a Gelugon warden.

10. Radu's parents and siblings are still very much alive and in contact with him from back at their manor in Luskan. They fawn over him and take great pride in him as the chosen of their goddess.

[cerothenull]

Hm I have an obnoxiously long list of ttrpg characters I've played over the years.

Zaldur: undead Redemption Paladin, once a cruel mercenary in life, now incredibly guilty for his past life and current undeath. VERY complicated story since he's my only character I played all the way to lvl 20.

Isaac: Spore Druid in a Bloodborne 5E thing. Scientist infected by the Beast Blood mutated parasitic fungus that is killing him. Mad scientist who loved experimenting with seeing what kind of strange fungus would grow from the beastly corpses. Ended up reincarnated as the first mushroom-person after dying in the final boss.

Isaac Cuil: Monster of the Week character. A corporate Agent supernatural investigator that was once accidentally killed then revived by a "Goddess". Works for an evil corporation and became a mole against it, eventually forming a counter organization to research and protect supernatural creatures from his bosses unknowingly. Eventually a disciple of the Goddess who killed him.

Rustbeard: Rust (spore) Druid Junkion in a Transformers game. Reformatted old man. Sort of a healer but also a (retired) mad scientist

Vask: Aberrant Sorcerer that was the guinea pig of a mad mage, sole survivor of the experiments that made him into an aberration-blooded psion. An experienced adventurer of some renown.

Joggin: Fathomless Warlock Halfling, Frostmaiden game. Once a petty thief in Neverwinter that was captured in a heist gone wrong. Shipped off to a prison in Icewind Dale but managed to escape and nearly drown, meeting his surprisingly benevolent Patron. (backstory predated the D&D movie by a few years)

Tham Loto: Psi-Warrior Fighter, Shadar-Kai, agender. Only used in oneshots but backstory of exile from Shadowfell and a desire to explore due to not having a home to return to.

Chimeratron: Beast Barbarian Transformer from same setting as Rustbeard, an amalgam of multiple beastformers, very happy being a monster but still seeking revenge against the mad scientist that made them

Fisher of Men: OCT character, a crabman from a once lush ocean world that has been reduced to a Mad Max wasteland as the oceans were stolen, forced to become a bounty hunter. Tried to join a fighting tournament between fighters from many worlds for the hope of a God's Wish to bring back his worlds oceans

Slochini: Air Genasi Bard, former noble exiled after playing a haunted song in a performance that killed and traumatized many in attendance. Drawn to seek out the source of the song that came to them in dreams.

Kirim: Lizardfolk Ranger, celebrity chef. Raised by Dwarven monster hunters. Got a recipe/autobiography book deal thanks to a God of Stories he whipped in the face. Has a feathered velociraptor animal companion that he dotes on.

Slrrp: Plasmoid Artificer, Spelljammer. Merchant's child who decided they wanted to explore the many different worlds they heard about from traders coming to their slime-covered planet

Mezeve: Plantoid Necromancer Wizard. Once in a Stellaris setting they're now in a weird world filled with the extinct or near extinct. Doesnt bother them since their species has been reduced to a single seed or sapling before

Boulder: Warforged Ancients Paladin. Former warbot that was killed in an ancient battle but was dug up by druids revitalizing the area (source of his name, they thought he was a big rock) and learned to love and appreciate nature and decided to protect. DEFINITELY predates Bastion Overwatch

Charles: Minotaur in a Fabula Ultima game. A simple farmer who got lost, sent on a mission by a prophetic sphinx (who he ends up marrying in the post game)

Duck: New Fabula Ultima character. A goblin exiled from Fairy Land who is quite literally cursed with bad luck. A veteran of some Fairy Land wars.

Carnigore: Oh where to start. Originally a Beast Barbarian in a weird 5E "hack" where she was a biotech Mech. Then a Monster Hunter. Most recently the threat in my Monster of the Week campaign where she's an artificially created creature called a Homunculus that was the "sister" of the were-thylacine player

[tadbitfooled]

Gwenifar Headcanon: A Family Cursed

Gwenifar's grandfather was an Illuskan from the Icewind Dale. He was a tall man, standing at 6'4" with blond hair with a slight shimmer of red to it in his youth (which turned to white early) and piercing blue eyes. He was a slim build and academically minded from Gwen's memory. He passed away from an pre-existing health issue he had been attempting to manage when Gwen was ten years old.

But not much is known about how or why he ended up in a small village between Baldur's Gate and Candlekeep.

The truth unknown to his family is his family in the Icewind Dale was wiped out during a skirmish with another family from the Sword Coast North, with the van Hols working to try to protect the Dale. Gwenifar's grandfather, a sorcerer in the family, was the only survivor and cursed in a way which debilitated his health and cut off his ability to use his magic. Seeking answers, he traveled south to Candlekeep, trying to find a cure for it, but not able to. Finding the climate making his health more manageable, he settled in a small village as a teacher, where he married and had a son and a daughter, then grandchildren.

When he died, the curse ended up passing to his oldest grandchild, Gwenifar's sister. It surely would have killed her if Gwenifar hadn't offered to take the burden in a deal with Ilmater, her own innate healing magic enabling her to survive it. Gwenifar is still unaware of the truth of the condition from her youth, but she does at times wonder if it is merely sleeping and will come back or if the ailment is gone.

Note: This headcanon ignores the events of Rime of the Frostmaiden Adventure.

[maybeaweirdo]

Info card thingie for Hakkon, with some mild spoilers for Gale's romance route below!

Name: Hakkon son of Heldrin

Aliases: Bearmarked, the White Bear

Race: Half-elf

Age: 29

Height: 212cm / 6ft11

Class: barbarian/druid

Place of origin: Icewind Dale

He's born to a human mother Heldrin who's a well learned healer, and his father is a high-elf elf named Thrynn who recounts tales with a sharp mind and a quick tongue. He has three younger siblings, Thessia and Andorin who are both half-elven, and Helia who's adopted from a human pair who perished when she was a baby.

The scar is from when he was a kid, he was training to dual-wield axes and, doing so without instructions or supervision he ends up hitting himself in the face with one. He's partially blind in that eye. Anyone asks today and he'll say it's from a bear.

The tattoos he's got mark him as a Berserker, or barbarian to common folk, and a hunter. He doesn't know the exact meaning of them, just that with one look it tells people from other tribes what he is and from which tribe. His piercings are for decoration, the claws being from his coming-of-age ritual fight with a bear, who's spirit now allows him to sift into a bear.

He's physically strong, (can carry almost 500kg no problem) , drink most people under the table and dual-wields axes when he fights. He's surprisingly nimble for his size, and he knows how to be gentle. Not the smartest guy and he's bad at reading people, but he can be charismatic when he needs to. Has problems looking people in the eye and some people don't take it kindly, think he's being a disrespectful brute. Very kind actually, soft with kids and animals and he knows that a life like his, as a barbarian brute, isn't for everyone.

He's very much on ye olde 'tism spectrum and very much in love with Gale. Basically a huge soft teddy bear with him. He's the type to take Gale on a date to a bookshop just to watch him hyperfixate, info dump and be happy. As well as carry the mountain of books for his noodle arm bf.

Look at these clowns in love. Absolute tomfoolery.

He would also do anything for Gale if it made him happy. Or break anything that makes him sad. Mainly Mystra. Hakkon would absolutely throw hands with gods if he was asked to or he felt like he needed to. Mostly Mystra, for telling Gale to kill himself.

But he did refuse to help Gale in his chase of ascension to godhood, he wouldn't be able to stop Gale but he also wouldn't be able to bring himself to love a god, no matter who they are. There are too many gods that don't give a shit about mortals for him to take that chance, they argued but he didn't give Gale an ultimatum or anything. Just voiced his feelings and that he loves the man for who and what he is now.

They just... Fit, you know? It has been kind of unintentional cause Hakkon started out as a himbo who gives gods the middle finger and does his best to be a good person, and he kinda balances Gale? Like he's very supportive, a true hypeman if you will, but he's also not afraid to tell what's on his mind and I feel like Gale would need and appreciate that kind of support.

And Gale balances Hakkon out as well, he's a good moral compass, doesn't judge him for not being on the same intellectual level and helps him keep his mind as his own which comes into play in combat, I rarely rage on Hakkon because he doesn't like how lost he gets in it.

My fave moment with these two autistic dumbasses so far hasn't been any bit of dialogue, Gale has some really good lines but the one that hit me into the feels the hardest was this

This being right after they argued about Gale's feelings of never being enough and needing to prove himself and Hakkon desperately trying to put into words that he is enough as is and deserves to be loved?

The touch, the little smiles, the way they look at eachother, just everything about this moment

[milo-skyseekers-journal]

Journal 8 - Soup, a Spirit, and a Bar Fight

It had been a few hours since I got back to the Inn to wait on my friends. I tend to want to wander a bit so I put on my cloak and started to walk around town for a little bit, fresh air is always good to me. As I rounded the corner to the North Gate, I see my friends talking to the Dwarves from last night. It seems as if they all arrived back just fine and the Axe Beaks looked like they enjoyed the cold and snow. I didn't want them to see me how I was, so I left back to the inn to get ready to see them. They ended up taking a bit to stroll back to the inn, so I had enough time to clean up and investigate my new ring. Turns out it was an old dwarven marriage band, why did that man have it?

I decided to go back to the bar and sit while I waited on my friends to return, after all I think my efforts affords me an ale. Krevek and Faelen entered the inn at the same time. Apparently Illy and Urzha had something to do and would meet us in Lonelywood at some point. I wave the boys over and we have some drinks and catch up with what happened in the last day or so.

Faelen had traced us to the Old Lady's shop and gave him the half of a coin, telling him it would help him find the group. He suddenly teleported to the party and I was teleported back to the shop. While I was spending time conversing with the Old Lady at the Inn, they encountered some goblins. It sounded like there were two groups of goblins: the first group was slayed by the party and the second traded some of Urzha's new gold for the dwarves' iron. When they returned the cart, the dwarves gave them some things called Bloodgems and Krevek gave me one. It was a cool red and black stone that marked us friends of the Dwarves of Icewind Dale. I decided to turn it into a charm on my staff utilizing some leather cordage. We then decided to call it a night and head out in the morning.

In the morning, we went to a shop to sell Faelen's bloodgem and Krevek was short 1 copper for a new handaxe so I gave him a silver from my new pile of coins from the day before. Once we got our equipment sorted, we set out for Lonelywood. Our journey, moves along steadily for a couple hours as we pass Targos and make our way to Termalaine. About half way to Termalaine, Krevek spots something burrowing and jumping through the snow to the left of our sled. A little faint voice was singing in a language that I recognized. After Krevek pointed it out, we could tell that it was a little black spirit wearing a white mask. It seemed to be follow us and as we stopped, it threw a small snowball at us. The snowball thudded right into my head! I feel back into the sled, not that the snowball was hard but out of reflex. It then threw another at Krevek, hitting him in the back. Krevek says that these spirits are tricksters and throws a snowball back at the spirit. It impacted the tiny being. It came back out of the snow and blew a raspberry at Krevek. An image of a snowflake formed on his neck and the spirit disappeared after granting the charm. This spirit was very familiar to me, there were similar elemental spirits in the Kryptgarden called Chwinga that were little tricksters. This one looked different and likes the cold unlike the ones back home. As we ponder the encounter, we roll up on the city of Termalaine.

As we get closer, Krevek was uncertain on if he wanted to go into the city or not but an offer of a hot meal made him reconsider. Termalaine was a fishing town on one of the many lakes and was quite a bit more lively than Bryn Shander. We could hear music and saw way more people active than before. We decided to ask for directions and got pointed to The Blue Clam. It used to be popular for the clams but because of the winter, they are not as populous as they once were. We were a bit early for lunch but the Owner named Vernon, a half-orc, was glad to serve us some soup. We selected a table near to the fireplace and all got a soup. While we were waiting, a woman in non-winter clothes entered the eatery. She called for the owner and picked up a basket. As she left, she was singing a song that seemed to be about someone that was carried out to see by a sudden wind. Krevek was curious and asked her about it. She introduced herself as Marta Peskryk then told us about a story her parents had about a woman wearing a red coat that came to town before she was born. She stopped at her parents inn and was scared for her life. Marta's parents tried to help the woman but she swore they could not help. A howling wind beat at the door and the woman gave her parents a ring. It was a ring made out of wood and fur with the icon of two otters on the setting. As the ring left her hand the wind cracked down the doors and picked up the woman like a rag doll. It threw her around before carrying her away to the lake, never to be seen again. Marta showed us the ring as it was tied around her neck. She explained that she wore it as it made her warm and saved her a bunch of money on new winter clothes. We all agreed that a ring like that would be very useful in this area. Marta invited us to visit her inn some day and then took her leave. As we sat back at our table, Vernon arrived with our soup. This soup was much different from the others I had on my journey thus far. It contained something green and upon tasting, it seemed to be an edible lake weed. The soup also contained a tuber like vegetable that I just loved. It reminded me of a firm potato or a cattail tuber from back home. Faelen and I raved about how good the soup was and it seemed that Krevek was almost to proud to admit it as well.

As we finished our meal, Krevek asked about my life as a traveling druid, specifically what I ate since I didn't use their currency right before a few days ago. I told him about all the different vegetables and plants that you could find just off the Long Road in the forests and that I would do work for good like meat and means to travel. I also showed him my last ration from the Grove, a mix of nuts and wild fruit bound together with honey. Faelen and I mused about the creativity of the people of the Ten Towns and their food situations. Krevek then said that even know the people are resilient, it would not last forever if the winter keeps up like it was.

I then tell them about the chat I had with the Old Lady in the magic shop. She said that it would be a fools errand if we wanted to defeat the Frost Maiden. Vernon overheard us and suggested we mount dragons to fight her in the sky, you know kill a god… he said chuckling to himself. He then tells us about the big white dragon that resides around the lake here, but it targets boats and elks mostly. This sparked a memory, I half-choked on my soup and blurted out about the Great White Moose in the forest of Lonelywood. Krevek kind of nudges me and said that we would talk about it later and moved on the conversation. As we were wrapping up our meal, we hear a woman at the next table talking about how a city called Caer-Konig was being taken over by bandits and said that it might be even worse than Lonelywood. At that, Krevek stood up and approached the woman. He seemed to have kept his cool and asked about Caer-Konig. They said it was just general upheaval and unrest and to talk to the Dragonborn Speaker named Trovus if we make our way up there.

As we traveled out of the city, Krevek opened up about the Moose. I asked him to describe it as I had never seen one before. His description made it seem like a huge Elk that could take on a warrior. He described how it had been preventing the logging of the forest and asked for our assistance. I said that I could see what I could do as I am not guided to injure creatures protecting their forests as the Lady guides them to do. Krevek agreed that he was not fond of killing innocent creatures as well.

We arrived in Lonelywood, a city that is more integrated into a forest unlike the ultra structured cities that I am familiar with. This looked more like a massive grove with how it was structured. Krevek had some duties to attend to and I really wanted to get into the forest to see what I could find and to ground myself since it had been a good while since I've been inside one's embrace. We decided to split up and meet at the inn after we finished up.

I picked out a part of the forest not to far outside the city as I didn't want to encounter the Moose just yet. As I entered the forest, I reached out to My Lady to see if I could feel her presence, but nothing called back. The forest was quiet but I quickly spotted some druidic markings on several trees in the area. They were from Urzha's Druid friend Darthag and explained several events that happened in this area. Most of the notes were about animals fighting or explaining local flora but there were a few that stuck out. The first was him talking about repairing bonds with someone he once knew and regretting how the relationship turned out. The second was about the Moose. He wrote that a sect of druids resides in the forest that are defending the forest and killing all that harm it, maybe too much. I believe that the druids are on the verge of chaos and not balance. This forest is more dangerous than Krevek led on. After I found all that I could, I went to the inn and met up with the boys. We sat down at the bar and I caught them up on what I found in the forest. Krevek said that the Town Speaker had a place for us to stay for the night and we chatted about the Moose. As we were talking a weird man with white skin, no hair, and pointy ears was being loud and obnoxious. This autumnal looking elf tried to speak to him but he told her that her kind of trash should not be allowed in the bar. We ignored him and kept talking about the moose and what we could do to find it. He apparently overheard us and confronted us. He told us that we were not special and that he would kill the beast! I stood up and approached him, enamored by a race of humanoid I have not seen before, I blurted out "What race are you? I've never seen someone like you before!". He looked affronted and said "How would you like it if someone came up to you and asked what race you are?!". I said that I was a human male and he laughed. Shaking his head and grinning, he said "Sure you are, sure you are. Maybe you are special after all." Feeling proud, I agreed that I was indeed special. He then whirled around to Faelen and started laying into him for being an elf. Why was he being so hurtful, he looked just like a pale elf to me? So what is the deal?

Just then, the man threw a punch at Faelen but stopped short. I don't know if Faelen was offended or just on high alert because Faelen spun around kicking the man in the gut. The man floundered and pulled back to punch Faelen, but Faelen was too fast. A punch flew and socked the man right in the head and faster than I could blink, another blow flew. This connected to his head again and the man fell backwards into a heap. Neither Krevek or I intervened as we had full trust in our friend not to kill a random stranger, but I bent down to check to see if he needed stabilization anyway. The autumn looking elf cheered and bought a round of ale for the whole inn on her tab. I had Krevek take the man to a nearby rug by a fireplace and put him into recovery position to keep his airways clear. As I was positioning him, I touched his face and realized that the white was really just make up covering his pale yellow-greenish skin.

[linuxgamenews]

Unveiling Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy - A Must-Play cRPG for Fans of Baldur’s Gate

Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy fantasy cRPG game is due to release soon on Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. Hats off to the creative minds at AtomTeam. Coming to both Steam Early Access and GOG. Let me tell you about Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy, an upcoming fantasy cRPG from AtomTeam that’s releasing on Linux, December 12, 2024. If you’re a fan of old-school RPGs like Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale, look no further. AtomTeam is crafting the game with all the depth and charm of those classics, mixed with some modern twists to make it feel fresh. But here's the heads-up: while they’re aiming for a full release by the end of 2025, there’s a chance that development could stretch until Q3 2026.

Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy — Early Access

So, what's the deal with Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy? You play as a lone adventurer journeying through Nova Drakonia, a land shrouded in mystery and ready to be explored. On your way, a dying man hands you a strange artifact—one that pulls you straight into a whirlwind adventure and a massive conspiracy. Before you know it, you’re facing a plot that could destroy everything you know.

Features that make it stand out:

1. Flexible Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy Combat System

In game, you’re in control of how you want to tackle combat. If you love a strategic, tactical vibe, go for the turn-based option. Or, if you want to speed things up, you can switch to real-time with pause (RTwP) mode. Whether you’re a meticulous planner or a fast-paced action fan, there’s something for you here.

2. Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy Offers Classless Roleplaying

Forget locking yourself into one class! Due to let you build your character with a unique combination of stats, opening up endless possibilities. Each build unlocks distinct dialogue options, solutions to quests, and ways to interact with the world around you. No two playthroughs are alike.

3. Modern Yet Classic UI

The game’s user interface brings the best of both worlds: classic style with modern functionality. Plus, it’s super customizable, letting you set things up just how you like. Everything feels intuitive and easy to navigate, so you can dive right into the Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy action without getting bogged down by clunky menus.

4. A Huge, Nonlinear World

Nova Drakonia is no joke. This world is full of places to discover, NPCs to meet, and quests due to give you multiple ways to approach them. Exploration is rewarding, and every choice you make can impact the story, allowing you to really play to your character’s strengths.

5. Hours of Exploration

From sleepy village hamlets to creepy crypts, forgotten temples, and bizarre dungeons. Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy has tons of unique locations to uncover. There are dozens of hours of content here, since each area offers its own secrets and challenges. The more you dig, the more you’ll find. Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy is shaping up to be a massive, immersive RPG experience that blends the best of classic fantasy cRPG title with updated features and fresh ideas. So, if you’re looking for a journey filled with lore, strategy, and endless exploration, this is it. Mark your calendar, wishlist it on Steam Early Access and GOG, and get ready to jump into Nova Drakonia this December. Coming to Linux, Mac, and Windows PC.

[wiseoldmage]

"You wouldn't be the first to let appearances deceive, my friend," the elder said with a smile, "But you show wisdom in your questioning! Ah, to hold scholarly conversation once again... it's enough to warm the very lands of Icewind Dale." The old man had been pouring over book after book for who knew how long. Some seemed useful, labelled things like "Adventures in the Mythical", while some seemed... less connected, such as "A Proper Guide to Sous Vide: Volume 3". "Alas, if my powers before arriving here were as numerous as stars in the sky, I have been granted only a sun to my name... still, as you say, function supersedes form, and this form does prove to be rather full of function! A shield that emanates from my being- not impenetrable, but certainly a good barrier from harsher foes. But I do go on, young man! You've caught me talking about my own gifts while I have stifled yours by droning. How do you fair in a place such as this?"

@wiseoldmage

❛ I don't place much stock on appearances, ❜ Cecil begins, then stops. Perhaps the old mage assumed he was mocking him, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

❛ What I mean to say is, ❜ the marquis continued pleasantly, ❛ in areas of magic, function supersedes form. So? ❜

He leans over the library table, hands resting on its edges while his smiling face draws closer to the wizard who was studying books spread across its surface.

❛ Did they leave you with a useful spell, or something worthless? ❜

No need to refer to those inscrutable Stars by name.

[peypeycookie]

zaun tonight, icewind tomorrow. it seems only cassius gets a break

[veryace-ficrecs]

Xedgin Fic Recs Part 2

This list will include all ratings and tags, so read at your own discretion! :)

Click Here for general recs,

and Here for part one!

find my way back to you by Percyjacksonfan3 - Rated G

Of course they run into Xenk again. 

Mark of the Thay by BlankPersonality - Rated E

Edgin didn't escape the Beckoning Death untouched. He survived, yes, but it left him with a familiar mark. The visions of Zia that had haunted him since that day complicated things too. And now Xenk is at his door...? 

tys hard to be a seinte in the cytie by indigostohelit - Rated E

“The Material Planes are not realms of punishment,” said Xenk. “The gods no more deny us the warmth of physical pleasure than they would the warmth of the sun. They only warn us, through each, of the dangers that lie in excess.”

“…Huh,” said Ed again, and, lacking further retort, grabbed up the new tankard and swigged deeply. Then he spat it across the bar.

“This is water, though,” said Xenk peacefully. “You are going to have a hangover in the morning.”

Five Times Xenk Came into Edgin's Life by urisarang - Rated M

The third time Edgin ran into Xenk he had to wonder if he was cursed.  What were the odds he would run into the man not once, not twice, but three times?  It would have been different if they ran in the same circles but Edgin was no Harper, nor was he a hero.  He had done exactly one good deed, that hardly made up for all the wrong he had done—and it wasn’t like he was planning on doing any more good deeds thank you very much.

He was already a hero of Neverwinter, he had argued in favor of sending Forge to serve a life sentence in the very prison he himself had been sent to rather than be executed for his crimes.

What more could Xenk want from him?

“I have learned the whereabouts of the Thayans who killed your wife.”

So damn perfect by Have_a_great_day_please - Rated G

Doric gave a small smile. "Xenk!" She called, raising her hand to wave, and Ed's heart sank.

Exactly what he needed- for the perfect, flawless paladin to join them for a drink.

-

After their adventure is over, they run into Xenk again in a tavern.

Beckoning Death, Brushing Lips by Every_Raindrop7 - Rated T

Weeks after the events of the film, Xenk finds the group in a tavern. What he sees there is a shock to the system after he walked away from them on the shore. 

keystone by weatheredlaw - Rated E

or: edgin dies, but there's magic for that. holga and xenk make good on a thirty-five year old favor to bring him back from the other side.

key·stone

noun | a central stone at the summit of an arch, locking the pieces together.

To the Ends of the Earth by Moorishflower - Rated M

 "It is done," Xenk says. He holds up his own right hand to demonstrate, displaying the golden light that is already sinking into his gauntlet and disappearing beneath. "We are bound, you and I, until the magic is dispelled."

 "What the fuck," Edgin whispers. He scrabbles at his sleeve, yanking it up to examine the faintly-glowing runes that have encircled his wrist. "What the fuck? What do you mean, bound?"

Sent by the High Harpers to retrieve a criminal to aid in a desperate mission, and authorized to use binding magic to ensure his cooperation, Xenk comes to understand and long for the former Harper agent Edgin Darvis during the tenday they spend in Icewind Dale, surrounded on all sides by ice, and cold, and endless lonely nothingness.

aspect of faith by weatheredlaw - Rated E

“What’s our story, by the way?”

Xenk shrugged. “There is no story. You’re my husband, and we are asking after the relic.”

He saw Edgin fiddle with the silver band on his finger, the one they’d worn as a ruse on the island. Edgin smiled. “Alright. I can work with that.”

or: xenk once again finds himself running errands for the temple. sequel to "tenets of devotion".

A Bucketful of Feelings by setinstone - Rated T

*

 After Zia, the Harpers had left Edgin be.  

 After Forge and Neverwinter and the beckoning death, they’d tried to remind him of his oaths, but Edgin wasn’t interested.  

 After enough ignored messages, the author changed.

Or, Xenk convinces Edgin to come along on a Harper job before he gets in real trouble. Real trouble finds them anyway.

Sunlight is a Kind of Burning by letmetellyouaboutmyfeels - Rated E

Ed's excited to get his life back on track in the wake of saving Neverwinter. He's less excited at how a certain paladin keeps popping up everywhere he goes.

Except for how he's starting to miss the guy when he's not around.

Yeah, let's not think about that too hard.

lay on hands by Tidecaller - Rated G

Edgin was sure he’d never met a man quite as irritatingly virtuous and as touchy at the same time as Xenk Yendar was. 

The Question by min0uze - Rated G

Xenk tries his best to answer Edgin's question

(No word count, this is a comic)

Close Your Eyes (You'll be Alright) by veryace - Rated G

In the days after Neverwinter, Edgin doesn't sleep. The nightmares that plague him won't allow it. An unexpected visit from a familiar stranger may be the help he needs.

or: Xenk and Edgin cuddle, thats the fic.

[utilitycaster]

Welcome to what may or may not become an ongoing thing as I finish Streams of Silver, the penultimate book of the first two trilogies of the Legend of Drizzt, ie, the ones I bought as ebooks. Let us assess along the following scales.

Lord of the Rings Parallels: Dwarf sets off on a journey to reclaim his lost mountain homeland. They leave home, but are chased by someone specifically in pursuit of their halfling companion, due to an object said halfling possesses. They need to flee the first real city they stop in after, among other things, causing a scene in a tavern. Wizards are spying on them from afar. They stop in a relatively kindly learned place. At one point, a beautiful woman gives Drizzt healing herbs and generic brand lembas bread. When they find their mountain stronghold, it has a hidden door that requires some degree of knowledge of the dwarven culture to open. Said stronghold is full of mithril, and was overtaken by hostile foes because the dwarves delved too deep. Someone appears to fall in battle in the stronghold, but does not.

Regis was alive but taken by the enemy.

(the Evermoors bit is far more like The Hobbit Mirkwood crossing in vibes though, as is the outwitting of trolls)

Conclusion: LOTR as FUCK. [do not respond to this with more LOTR parallels. this post is about me having fun, not about how good a nerd you are.]

Reminders that this is D&D: speaking of trolls, the regeneration and fire are a plot point, which is well done. I don't know AD&D nor do I feel the need to so there's probably other stuff. Also, they sure do be going into dungeons and finding dragons in the Icewind Dale trilogy.

Women?: Catti-brie is capable in battle, gets some armor and weaponry, and more importantly gains some degree of personality and is even a viewpoint character for the villains scenes, which is great! I still find Wulfgar so boring (he is not a woman but he allegedly has feelings for Catti-brie, which we are repeatedly told about but there is no reason other than "she is the only human woman his age around"). Sydney was pretty great though. She sucked, but at least she like, did things. Also I enjoyed Dove Falconhand's brief appearance in the Dark Elf trilogy and would like to see her more so Lady "legally distinct from Galadriel" Alustriel mentioning her was nice. Also Guenhwyvar is a female extraplanar panther. Is Guenhwyvar a girlboss? discuss.

Villainy: Apparently we haven't seen the last of Artemis Enteri but personally I loved the evil wizard subplot. Hopefully we get more of that because Mr. Enteri is fine enough but there's only so many times you can mention his jeweled daggers and excellent sword hand and stealth but wizards can fuck you up in thousands of exciting and fun ways.

The naming of parts: Looks like Mr. Eoin Colfer was not the first person to name a somewhat amoral bastard man "Artemis".

We still do not have any excuse for someone being named "Catti-brie" though and it is kind of funny when other women are named shit like Catti-brie and Alustriel and Dove Falconhand and then there's just good old Sydney.

Lavender orbs: yeah they're mentioned multiple times. Not as lavender orbs, but "lavender" is said a lot in reference to Drizzt's eyes. I did not count how many times but I may do so for The Halfling's Gem.

Other things:

You can tell the Dark Elf trilogy was written later because it is notably better. Like, this is still readable but it's way rougher.

Ideal scenario is they trade Wulfgar for Regis and Guenhwyvar but they probably won't.

Speaking of LOTR, "Twinkle" is the stupidest weapon name of all time. Mr. Do'Urden please explain what the fuck you are thinking. I know you also at some point get a different scimitar named Icingdeath and all I can think of is that 30 Rock scene where the Donaghy siblings are naming their fists for punching reasons and one of them says "Say hello to Bono and Sandra Day O'Connor."

[laissez-faerie]

#13 Sea of Swords

Start date: April 1st, 2022

End date: November 11th 2022

Card: king of clubs ;; Frivolity, intelligence and insight ;; is to be seen a good omen

Tweet: 'On the matter of pirates, love, old friends, and wasted potential'

1/10 clearly not my favorite

Notes: lets get this over with ; remember when I said I was trying not to take 3 months again? kept my word ;;sweat;

Full honesty, this one feels like trudging your shoes in the dirt ;; there are important moments! Wulfie gets his hammer back and is married, Drizzt + Catti start the possibility of getting together, and my favorite part of dragonlance - the dilemma of the long lasting

Tbh between these 7 months I don’t remember much so let’s try our best to piece together what quotes I felt memorable enough to take a pic of

I thought the fake out on the first page was cool

Bob’s a real family man and I think you’re very much to notice in this book

Woman moment

Regis (and bruenor) are usually outshined by their co cast while they’re mostly functionally and also bumbling; Regis took down Crenshinibon, got captured by entreri (on more than one occasion), ‘talked’ his way out of encounters (GET PENDANT’ED) and with his most recent spear to the shoulder injury he just doesn’t feel like he can keep up and do his part amongst the companions but he truly feels his place is with them and they with him

Finally that “what are we?” question

We went through auckney again and saw Meralda + Feri again! There’s a couple of cute moments like when Catti-Brie feeds Drizzt soup or when she’s trying on dresses. Smth about Catti-Brie trying to get out of her comfort zone and be all fancy just warms my heart

Elifain, poor Elifain. Vengeance destroyed her. Did not feel good in this book, like im happy that Drizzt is alive but I didn’t think Lelorinel would be snuffed out as a character so quickly and it feels so meaningless, like the waste of a life. The book doesn’t go deeper than ‘I feel bad’ but im sure we’ll get an essay or two or maybe 6 about these events in upcoming books

Uhh Wulfgars going back home w his new family and Gandalugs overdue death (IM SORRY THATS SO MANY BUT IM JUST OVER IT I GET THAT THINGS HAVE TO HAPPEN UGHH) and now Bruneor’s king and everyone’s going back to Icewind Dale (more like Icewind Fail)

Ugh ending this w my favorite part