#pact creature design

[lakesbian]

it's the moment like 4 of you have been waiting for:

i finally rotated pact creature design in my brain enough to post about it. to all the people who sent me asks wanting to hear my thoughts explaining Why Pact Creatures Are So Good this ones for you.

the core of pact's monster design boils down to one very good fact about pact's worldbuilding: in the world of pact, the universe canonically loves a good story. magic literally runs on themes and ideas. subsequently, strong themes aren't the end result of pact's monster design so much as they are the most fundamental aspect of it--meaningful themes and narratives are such a textually important part of how pact monsters work that one bogeyman outright tries to start a conversation with blake by, upon noticing the birdhouse in his soul (tm), asking if birds are important to him.

what really seals the deal on this being fascinating is that pact monsters aren't invented wholesale--a lot of the book hinges on offering its own explanations for preexisting folklore or urban legend. pact takes a variety of common threads in the way cultural myths & monsters are presented, picks out the conceptions with compelling implications, and distills them into one design so thematically coherent and clarifying that it makes you go "ohhh, why aren't All ghosts/dragons/fae like this? this is Exactly What They're Supposed To Be."

like, we all know that ghosts are dead people, and oftentimes the appearance and/or behavior they're written as having is either implicitly or explicitly based on reenactments of their past life/how they died, and sometimes they're depicted as lucid but more often than not they're depicted more like broken or warped remnants of a person, and sometimes they make things colder/give off Bad Emotional Vibes/etc. those are generally true assertions about how ghosts are often culturally presented.

pact takes that and explicitly declares that ghosts are what happens when something so bad happens that an imprint of the resultant misery is left on the fabric of the universe. some ghosts appear horrifying because their appearance is warped and exaggerated beyond what's realistically possible to match how awful whatever happened to them felt. some ghosts are more lucid because their imprint is more recent, or has been strengthened and fed by human attention instead of left to decay. some ghosts are less lucid because they were forgotten. when ghosts make the atmosphere feel awful to be in, that's because the ghost isn't just the imprint of the person, it's an imprint of the awful thing itself. incredibly interesting! it feels so very much like the absolute heart of what ghost stories are about--about the grief and horror of being impacted by the ever-present echo of something terrible, about something so viscerally wretched happening that reality itself cannot forget it, about the emotionally powerful interactions between someone still-living and the memory of someone already long gone.

(pact also gives an aside that, in very rare scenarios, neutral or arguably even positive occasions which leave a sufficiently strong enough impression can also become ghosts. genuinely fascinating expansion.)

& the thing here is that pact does this for creatures like ghosts that are already richly thematic and iconic, but it Also does it for creatures with less obvious theming. how do dragons work? what's pact's underlying explanation for their position as immortal, powerful, regal, fire-breathing* fantasy monsters?

*&, depending on the media, sometimes ice-breathing or poisonous or whatever else

well, you see, dragons are recursive loops. "dragons are recursive loops" is perhaps one of the Top All Time sentences in the entire book, and the delightful thing is that, in addition to sounding excellent, it makes sense.

that's how they generate and spit out so much of whatever their element is. they're snarls. they're ouroboroses. they're something feeding into itself, self-sustaining for thousands of years, drowning anything which threatens it in torrents of whatever the self-feeding element is--fire, sometimes, but it could be poison, or ice, or whatever else, and that's why you've probably heard of ice dragons in addition to classic fire dragons. Dragons Are Recursive Loops. recursiveness is, after all, a form of immortality.

or, like, fae? we all know that faeries are incomprehensibly old/outright immortal Tricky Little Bitches who like to manipulate people while posing in an inhumanly/horrifically beautiful fashion and going "teehee." pact takes that to a fantastically surreal level of extreme artifice, one that's almost grotesque in its dreamlike nature--they have all lived for so very long that, to them, boredom is worse than death, and so they have complicated social games spanning centuries, and speak in the most practiced of misleading wordplay, and perfectly curate their forests so that even the smallest pebble is an intentionally-chosen setpiece for their play. they graduated from handjobs a couple dozens of millennia ago--now they're more into erotic-poetic descriptions of full-body degloving. you will not notice when a faerie steals and replaces your child, because you are very young and stupid compared to them, and playing-pretend at being your child is only the briefest of trifles in their unfathomably long lifespan.

the other good bit is that pact explicitly acknowledges that faeries run on what is colloquially deemed Bullshit--the universe likes a good story, and faeries have gotten very good at telling it a moving story. if a faerie tells a good enough story about having a sword that breaks the laws of physics, then that is what their sword will do. and so the way to combat faeries is not to out-bullshit them--because no one is out-bullshitting a being with thousands of years of bullshitting practice--but to say "no, that's fucking stupid and made up" until their implausibly long sword acts like a sword of that size actually should and shatters on the spot.

& all of these writing decisions feel so naturally truthful to what these creatures are Supposed to be--they're really not wholly new takes, they're a presentation of preexisting ideas in a way that gets why those ideas appeal to people and goes full-throttle on all the most thematically rich or otherwise narratively interesting parts. It's Good Writing. I Like It. you could spend an entire essay breaking down the presentation of literally any single one of pact's creatures, it's that compelling in its reflection and organization of Ideas About Creatures.

[inkeyjay]

👁️👁️Last hours sneak peeks👁️👁️

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/swcg/tome-of-pacts-zine

[millylotus]

Secret Son John Constantine

Inspired by @herbatahleb's funny little fanart

As the title says The Everlasting Trio have a child and his name is John “Hellblazer” Constantine

He’s making his parents proud

John was born of a kind of soul blood pact between the three, he got his blonde hair from Sam, his eyes from Tucker, and his overall appearance is a mix of the three of them

John grew up to follow in Tucker & Sam’s footsteps of magic, he’s a born sorcerer unlike them though

His relationship with his parents is generally good, but because of how he treats his soul his relationship with Danny has deteriorated

They argue about this alot, John’s soul is his own and what he does with it really isn’t any of Danny’s business, Danny has the concerned parent vibes of the parent of a sex worker, their fears are founded but they need to trust their kid to know how to take care of themselves

John hates visiting home because of it, Dani will sometimes drag him back home for holidays but he doesn’t stay long

Sam & Tucker try to get them to get along but it isn’t really working

Then one day Danny gets accidentally summoned by the Justice League

---

John doesn’t recognize the summoning circle as it buzzes to life, he doesn’t know what type of creature or being will pop out. If they’re good or bad, or even merciful but he knows they’re strong from the intricate design or the circle. So he recklessly jumps forward, pushing Hal out of the binding circle so the Lantern isn’t bound to the summoned being.

John takes the binding with a scream of pain, feeling electricity shoot up his spine.

He can hear the Leaguers shouting his name, he’s vaguely aware of Jordan supporting him. But what he hears clearest was the voice of a man he most despised in the world at the moment.

“Really John? You didn’t have to do that, he would have been fine.”

John closes his eyes tight and breaths deep, he looks up to the voice and looks into the toxic green eyes as they met his own brown ones.

“Good to see you too Father.”

The green eyed being rolls his eyes and crosses his arms, “Yes, hello Son. It’s great to see you again as well.”

The League had only heard a few things about John Constantine’s family. They knew he had three parents who’re polyamouros, that he has an older sister and an aunt. Besides that all they have are silent grumblings about “Father won’t like this” when he does something risky.

But to see a young filipino man probably no older than twenty, floating over John “Hellblazer” Constantine and looking down on him like a disappointed parent. It was jarring.

Wonder Woman was the first to say anything “John, could you perhaps explain what just happened?”

John and his father broke their intense eye contact to look at Diana, who barely flinched at the sudden attention, the others behind her weren’t so fearless.

Constantine sighed carefully stepping away from Hal, “This is my Father.”

Hal snorted, “Yeah we got that man.”

“Yes John, introduce me to your friends here.”

---

Danny is generally snarky when meeting the League, he makes some weird comments about John hanging out with superheroes, that could be construed as rude

The others are kinda pestering John about who his dad even is, while John is more focused on getting the fucking bind removed

He eventually has to ask Zatanna for help

Danny for the most part is hanging out with the League while John’s working

Someone calls him Mr.Constantine and Danny quickly corrects them saying that isn’t his last name

Which sparks a whole conversation of John’s last name, which Danny isn’t about to say cause real names have power and such

Danny sees John working closely with Zatanna and asks if he’s with her or not, John is beyond embarrassed and even worse is when Danny brings up King Shark, mentioning that Dani really liked him too

John snarks back that then King Shark should have just gone for her instead of him since Danny was so adamant about King Shark being such a great son-in-law

Things get awkward quick as the two snark back at each other while everyone else realizes where John gets it from

It almost becomes a screaming match before the League has to break it up before they go to far

John ends up just calling Sam & Tucker so they can just break the binding

It’s a tense few minutes before they get there, and the League just kinda has to sit there as father & son fume not looking at each other

When Tucker & Sam get there they see the two not wanting to talk to each other at all

Leaguers are not reeling at seeing John’s other parents who he also vaguely looks like but also not

As the two work on the binding John & Danny are being passive aggressive

The two decide that John & Danny need to spend some time together to get this shit figured out

---

Sam : Alright that’s it *Sam & Tucker stop working, Sam has her head in her hands and Tucker is leaning far back* Danny : What? John : I’m sorry? Tucker : You two have been fighting for far to long, you’ve probably forgotten why Danny : I know exactly why, it’s because John doesn’t know how to treat his soul right! John : By The Ancients! You’re still on about that Danny : Of course! Sam : Will you both just SHUT UP! *Silence* Sam : We’re not breaking the binding, you two are going to stay stuck together Danny : Sammy! John : Mama, Papa. Please don’t do this! Tucker : Nuh-uh, this happening, you two are getting a some father-son bonding time for the week! John *distressed*: Why! You can’t just– it’s not fair! *Sam & Tucker loosen up a bit, looking to John softly* Sam : Baby it’s alright, we’re not trying to punish you we just want you & your father to actually talk things through Danny : It feels like your punishing me Tucker : You are his father, you will be the civil one in this so don’t you fucking dare get any lip *Danny goes silent* Sam *sigh* : We’ll be leaving now Tucker : Good look you two The two leave, then silence Danny : Do you still have that demon house of yours? John *sigh* : Yeah I’ll show you a room for your stay

---

Most of the story is really just about John & Danny learning to get along again

Danny has to finally trust his kid to know what he’s doing with his own body

And John realising that his dad just wants to keep him safe & stuff

By the end of their basically grounding the two have begun to mend their relationship, Danny promises to come over and visit along with inviting John back home to the zone when he feels like

I've been meaning to post this for awhile now & it's just been sitting in my drafts until I finally remembered it.

Hope you liked is! :]

Main Story Index [It's kinda messy but it's got links to most everything]

[iisasarcasticlittleshite]

First Impressions (Lucifer, Mammon, Leviathan, Satan)

Lucifer took one look at the human, and frankly, thought nothing. A human, as average as unremarkable as they come, or so he thought.

That's when the menace came out, and he realised, this creature fears nothing. Within a week, they've racked up pacts with two of his brothers, and adds a third in the following few days.

(Y/N) is a whirlwind, their presence is unmistakeable in a room, and absolutely impossible to ignore when they spoke up. And yet, not a whisp of magic to them.

It takes all of two weeks for him to go from indifference to admiration, not that he'll ever be telling them that.

Mammon will never, ever admit to falling head over heels for that little human the second he saw them, he'll deny it 'till the end of time and regret nothing.

That doesn't make it any less true.

The second he saw them, dwarfed by Lucifer and Diavolo, tentative, eyes averted, darting all about the place like a rabbit in a lion's den, this unreasonably protective urge came over him. He argued purely out of spite.

Can't say he was too happy when it turned out (Y/N) had a bossy streak. (He was, in fact, delighted, they're hot as Devildom fire when they boss him around).

Leviathan looks down his nose at the measly thing. A slip of creature, his first reaction is to ignore them. He feels a little sorry for them honestly, Devildom knows he wouldn't do well in their place.

In a realm they don't know, with no way of defending themselves from beings ten times stronger than they are, and no way home? Yeah, he'd short circuit.

Not (Y/N), no, the determined little menace goes out of their way to make a solution to an impossible problem. A pact, with him? Why?!

Then, (Y/N) comes into their own, and he's got his best friend.

Satan sees a delicate thing, and an ignorant one at that. Lifespan too short to truly understand the way of the worlds, the weight of this exchange program.

The way he sees it, they'll either be a nuisance, or dead.

Until their first few grades come in, and they'd scored well above the expected platform.

He knows, because he helped design that course for someone who was utterly ignorant to magic and the Devildom. Someone starting from scratch.

Not only had they aced the tests, they'd gone on to more advanced courses in less than half the time it should have taken.

Next time he saw them, he asked how, and they'd merely said: "It's interesting stuff, makes it easy to learn."

Seeing them as a person becomes a little easier after that.

PART 2

[sharpedgedfool]

i fucking love your monster au design for shadow could we have some lore abt him? (if you want to :])

Apologies for the essay I'm about to drop for your ask jddfgsdkgf, but here's a sketch as a peace offering and I'll drop all the lore I have for you under the read more! Glad people are interested in it cause I'm currently obsessed with it lmao

OK so basically Eggman in this universe is still the mad doctor type, he’s just obsessed with the occult instead of robotics. He’s a mortal human but hunts monsters for experiments and he’s obsessed with gaining supernatural powers to rule the world, and Sonic and Amy with their usual group are his main enemies.

He has a big following of humans (who think he’s trying to save them from monsters) and a rather large army of other monsters who work for him - so he has a ton of resources despite being a 'regular dude', and he’s slowly collecting spellbooks and teaching himself magic.

He finds a rare grimoire, and it unlocks a treasure trove of dark magics. Now his big master plan is to summon a demon to serve him and gain ultimate power, to do this he needs the seven emeralds for the ritual.

Sonic and Amy are the main hero duo in the story, Sonic was cursed with lycanthropy as a child when a pack attacked his village, he was spared because he was young, and went to find a witch in hopes of a cure. The witch he found was Vanilla, her daughter Cream, and Amy who is her apprentice. Before Sonic could be cured he made friends with a few other cryptids who live in the same woods and in the end decided he’d rather stay cursed with them as he had nowhere else to go anyways. He’s not in a traditional pack (all were-creatures) instead they have a rag-tag group with all kinds of different monsters that live with the witches (Tails and Knux are in there somewhere I promise jkfgdhdf). He likes having the werehog strength so he can fight back and protect his new family.

Rouge is a born Vampire, not turned. Her parents were killed at some point and she took over their coven after she avenged them and proved herself worthy. She’s like the Queen of sorts and rules over a majority of the vampires across the world - she has eyes (and ears) everywhere, there's very little she doesn’t know about. So Sonic and Amy ask her for help when they realise Eggman’s planning something big. She has a huge hoard of gems locked up in a big spooky cliffside castle, she’s obsessed with treasure still. She agrees to aid them to overthrow Eggman in exchange for the seven emeralds for herself. She doesn’t want to use them for their power, so they agree.

Everyone teams up to find the emeralds first, but Eggman outsmarts them, and the ritual begins before they can stop him, and once it’s begun it’s irreversible. The only thing they can do at this point is change who the demon is bound to, so Sonic throws himself into the curse (he already has one after all).

Shadow is the demon that’s summoned. Typical demon pacts imply that he’ll do whatever the summoner asks, granting them ultimate power, but he’ll get their soul in return. The catch is if Sonic never asks him to do anything, he’s technically not indebted and Shadow won't get his soul. It’s a game of temptation, but since Sonic was technically an unwilling participant, Shadow's more intrigued than anything - he’s confident Sonic will eventually cave and ask him for something (they always do) so he doesn’t attempt to trick him, he sees no need.

Sonic now has a demon chained to him constantly, and he’s extremely on guard (demons are as powerful as creatures get in this universe) and he’s off put by how genuine Shadow comes across. Shadow asks a lot of questions, and Sonic assumes he’s doing it to learn how to manipulate him - Shadow finds it amusing. Eventually they get used to each other, Shadow and Rouge get along well (though they both tease Sonic mercilessly together so he tries to avoid her but Shadow will nag him to visit) Amy tries to work on a spell to break the bond between them but it's a notoriously hard spell to break (perhaps impossible as they destroyed the grimoire in the fight with Eggman), but eventually Sonic and Shadow are both unsure if they want it to be broken at all…

Sonic starts asking Shadow questions too, and finds out more about Shadow. Originally he was an angel - thousands of years ago he had a mortal friend (Maria) and the two of them were inseparable. Unlike demons, angels rarely interact with the world so her village mistook her good fortune as witchcraft and assumed Shadow to be a demon. They killed her over it, and Shadow was heartbroken - in a fit of rage he lashed out, wiped out their town and proved to them he could be the demon they thought he was. He became a fallen angel, scorned and bitter - not born of pure evil but clearly capable of carnage all the same.

Unlike hellborn demons, Shadow doesn’t enjoy mindlessly committing atrocities - he has to feel it’s a necessary evil or he’ll turn it on his summoner (this makes him dangerous to summon, he’s normally considered off-limits). He’s one of the more powerful demons but he’s hard to reason with to make it worth it. Eggman targeted him specifically because he thought Shadow would side with him as Maria was a distant ancestor of his.

Once the annoyance of being forcefully summoned wears off,  Shadow’s rather pleased Sonic isn’t trying to use him for anything - he’s secretly happy to have someone with decent morals to hang out with (he’s an outcast in hell for obvious reasons) but he’d refused to make mortal contact with anyone willingly after Maria for fear of resigning them to a bad fate all over again.

Again thank you for reading!! I'll have more art to share soon!! :)

[leidensygdom]

A sword forged in crystal, with the uncanny ability of fixing itself upon break and the ability to reform into a plethora of shapes. However, those who dare handle it will face the meddling of a watcher, a crystalline undead creature. Said being has seen the weapon pass countless of times as inheritance, and had never managed to get in proper touch with any of them. Most discarded their voice as hallucinations, or early signs of dementia. That was up until the last of the heirs got her hands on it: She saw the spirit trapped into the sword as it was, and made a pact with them, seeking their help in exchange for their eventual freedom. Neither of the two expected a deep friendship to come from such deal, though.

So, I’m going to be partaking in Swordtember! Kinda! I’ll probably just do a few as inspiration comes. For the first prompt, I decided it was time to polish the design for my partner’s roguelock sword, Ilthar'Anyeld. Cursed swords definitely benefit from curious adventurers, making Hexblades proliferate comfortably~

[posebean]

fantasys your crazy:B‼️ ‼️ ‼️ ‼️ ‼️ ‼️ ‼️ 

fantasy AU stuff... alkaloid later...world building + details stuff under read more maybe dont look if u dont wanna be spoiled for the 2 fics that i already wrote for this au

in general magic is kind of weird there’s multiple methods to cast the same spell those being spell components, incantations, somatic (gestures). each has their merits and flaws/ u can choose to use only one/ any most people stick with 1-2

there’s all kinds of spells and people are either born with an innate specialty in it or grow up developing it; power is how strong their magic can be, control is how much of a grasp they have on their magic, the lower control is compared to power the more easy it is for someone’s magic to go out of control (aira in this AU but i’ll talk about that when i have the alkaloid one made). if someone has more control than power they’re able to do very precise things with their magic with no focus at all while others would need some focus; general populace has both equal, usually people that dont hone their skills (common villagers) stay at 1 star for both

niki’s outfit is very simple and inspired by his fs2, very versatile and such because he’s always out and about chasing after exotic creatures to add to his checklist cloak HGFSDH he learned to sew from Aira’s mom when he was little and made most of his clothes himself, his satchels, and even helps the others when they need his skills whenever hes in town. even though he clearly puts spices etc. on one side compared to his components on the other, he still mixes them up because he is silly Aka is very fluffy and has kind of wild hair like. someone we know. i wonder who bright blue eyes (also like someone we know. ) but foxes are funner to draw with just closed eyes

RInne just has his normal village clothes with like longer and some changes to make it more. fantastical???? idk im soooo bad at designing clothes lmfao but before the “fox” is out of the bag he doesn’t really shift back much except to stretch and mess around with meru so he doesnt really. get different clothes. def after the reveal he stays in that form more around niki and they do get him different clothes. idk what they would be maybe niki would make them because he gets sick of seeing both hiiro and rinne in his house wearing the same things all the time. oh yeah i havent gone over this yet but yeah hiiro does refuse to leave because rinne refuses to leave so he just. lives with them on niki’s couch LMAO. who knows. maybe he becomes a denizen of the beehive rinne also still shifts because he finds moving around as a little guy more convenient and also niki still finds that form cute and cant say no if he does the puppy eyes so it usually goes like niki: rinne-kun, no rinne: boo-hooo.. niki~kyun.... (swishes his finger and ina  poof hes aka again with round blue eyes) niki: niki: i know what you’re doing, its not going to work this time aka (rinne): whimpers niki: niki: (throws his hands in the air) oh my god fine rinne: (quickly changes back and grabs niki and cheers)

i havent gotten to kohaku’s fic yet but he’s good at stealth magic. like really good. he can make himself vanish and no one will be able to find him when he’s right next to them. think about that as you will. when aira brought him to the beehive he only had a yukata and worn down sandals and since he and aira had similar builds he just ended up getting clothes from aira for most of the time; he does have shirts that are specifically his because they all have little pockets sewn on (by niki!) for rabu-han junior but with coats pants and outerwear he and aira just share except kohaku stays away from some of aira’s more. fancy clothes ?? lmao not to his taste rabu-han junior is a little hamster familiar that he met one day and made a familiar pact agreement with. rabu-han junior usually sits in his pocket, but if need be rabu-han junior can grow MASSIVE from 3 inches to 6 feet. Big mode. in big mode he can easily carry. 4 people. lmfao. rabu-han junior also shares magic with kohaku and technically is as strong as him and from that logic. rabu-han junior is better at magic than poor rabu-han (original)

merumeru’s clothes are all from kaname except the coat the coat is tatsumi’s. no idea why himeru hasn’t thrown it away though. maybe somewhere deep in his heart he does care for tatsunn his main reason for leaving was he didnt want tatsumi to always be in pain from seeing him, the very spitting image of kaname

all of him is just like kaname except: slightly older, longer hair, hair dark grayish at the ends and its not visible much and he does do illusion magic to change it but he has cat eyes pupils kittymeru is mainly dark gray (the same color as his human hair ends) with kaname-blue highlights and the long strand, the proof that kaname was the one that conjured him and essentially put part of himself in meru

[xxstraymoonchildxx]

This Couple is Unusual

Prev./Next

Chapter 5 This couple, coffin talk

cw: flashback lesson 16 OM

The first time you died was during your first school year in the Devildom. 

You have felt bad for him, being stuck in this stuffy attic all by himself. He had reached out to you early on, a whisper in the night, urging you up the stairs. That Lucifer tried to stop you only fueled your curiosity.

The big bad brother who locked the youngest up after an argument. Of course, you made pacts with the other five brothers to break the magical lock to the attic. 

He was so grateful, pulling you into a warm embrace.

He hugged you tightly.

“You humans really are foolish, idiotic, weak creatures, aren’t you?”

Tighter. 

You couldn’t move.

“Hehe. Does it hurt? Finding it hard to breathe? I’m sure it must be very unpleasant.”

Tighter. 

“You’re so stupid that I can’t help but laugh. Don’t blame me for tricking you, blame yourself for falling for it.”

Tighter. 

“I hate humans. I hate them more than anything in the three worlds-”

Your ribcage cracked, puncturing your insides.

“And I hate you!”

Why this particular scene flashed before your eyes, you didn’t know for you had already forgiven him. The time you sacrificed yourself for Lucifer or several other instances you had put yourself in immediate danger would have left a better taste in your mouth. 

Now, a scythe's polished, pointy tip was millimeters away from your face. It would have pierced through your left orbit if you didn’t bend backward the time and way you did thanks to Luke’s blessing no doubt. The sharp edge of the death dealer ominously glistened in the candlelight. 

“Didn’t you know that curiosity killed the cat, my dear?” a voice croaked to your right, amusement resonating within. From your peripheral vision, you could see his dark boots that had no business having this many belts (nor him having legs this long).

“But satisfaction brought it back,” you breathed out, voice shaky. A bead of sweat of fear trickled down your temple as the rapid beating of your heart continued.

Undertaker chuckled and pulled the scythe away from you, lovingly grazing the smooth side of the cutting blade. You stared at the tool that was not designed to cut grass or harvest grains. It had the shape of an elongated bone structure; the edge of the blade ended in a skull that was decorated with thorns around the forehead and the shaft went directly into the skeletal thorax with all its components. 

He held out his free hand for you to take, pulling you upward. His skin felt weird to the touch, neither warm nor cold. Just like Thirteen’s. Undertaker gently turned your hand, thumb striking over the seal on the back before letting go, making you wonder if he recognized the sigil that proved your affiliation with the Sorcerer’s Society or the ring of light around on your finger. He eventually took a step backward, giving you a moment to ogle him.

Actually, without being fully veiled by his black overcoat, revealing a matching dark robe, and without his crooked top hat Undertaker even kind of looked … attractive there and then. His choice of clothing and jewelry was interesting for his time, if not ahead of it.

Moreover, with the murder weapon at hand, he didn’t look like a demented oddball anymore but the personified harbinger of death. A grim reaper, a Shinigami.

Oh.

Oh.

Now you knew he recognized you as a sorcerer and some other things about him started to make sense.

Undertaker stored his scythe away, locking the closet with a satisfying click. His lips were curled upwards when he turned back around. Since his bangs covered the upper half of his face, you couldn’t read his true emotions. 

/I wonder if he has phosphorescent eyes, too./

“Heh, be more careful when snooping around, unless you’re dying to experience my coffins firsthand,” Undertaker said, snickering at his own little pun at the end.

“Err, it’s definitely not on my bucket list for 1888. Dying ain’t fun,” you quickly denied, mumbling the last part. You awkwardly rubbed your sweaty neck when you felt him staring from behind his long bangs. 

Wait, he couldn’t know what a bucket list is, couldn’t he? 

“A bucket list is a to-do list before ‘kicking the bucket’,” you quickly explained. 

The mortician hummed “Interesting choice of words. Although, even if it’s the basis of my work, I understand death is undesirable - but - maybe such topics should be discussed over a cuppa and biscuits, don’t you think? You’re still shaken.”

This is how you ended up sitting on one of his coffins across from him, a measuring beaker with black tea in hand. 

Undertaker, who sat cross-legged on another death box, held out a black urn toward you, silently instructing you to take whatever was inside. Having lived in the Devildom for so long nothing food-related should and could surprise you anymore. 

Still, you must have looked baffled when you fished a biscuit in the form of a dog bone from the alienated cookie jar because the silver-haired man let out a little cackle. “Go ahead, they’re delicious, I promise~”

He was right, they were! The sweet taste was welcomed after your near-death experience. 

“Gosh, you need to give me the recipe for these. I’ve got some baking-loving friends back home.”

“Hmm, I might, if you pay me with a good laugh, of course,” he answered cheekily, bouncing his crossed-over leg.

“Wait, for real? … Let me think about one…”

Undertaker waited patiently, munching on his treat. 

“Okay, you see, my favorite childhood memory is building sandcastles with my dear grandfather – well, that was until my mother took his ashes away.”

…

Turned out that simultaneously eating and laughing was not a good idea. 

The silver-haired choked on the cookie as the laugh got stuck in his throat, bending over, battering his chest with suppressed giggles (why) while you shot up in a panic, refilling his cup. “Oh my god, are you alright?”

He made a gesture of refusal with his hand, knocking the beverage back.

“That was a killer, young Miss,” he said once you two calmed down, acting like nothing happened.

“I have yet to ask what I owe the pleasure. I assume you're still busy with the murder case, hm?”

You lowered the recipe Undertaker gave you beforehand, regarding him with a mirthful grin. “Nope. I was gift hunting for the family and ended up in front of your store by chance. Maybe it was fate? For the article, well, I don't think the Queen's cute little watchdog would let us publish anything remotely true once he finds out who Jack the Ripper is.”

Undertaker’s lips curled into a grin as well “Oh, you figured it out?”

“Yep. Yesterday's event confirmed our suspicion. Not that you sound surprised at all, tho.” 

“I had a feeling you’ll succeed. I’m sure the young Earl won’t be far behind for he is the good lapdog of Her Majesty.”

You made a face “Never have I imagined a child being responsible for resolving the disruption of the general society. Seriously, putting himself in danger like that.” 

“And that collar will choke him someday,” Undertaker said, his voice dropping an octave. “If not for his self-imposed duty, his butler will certainly be his undoing.”

“Well, if the Earl can’t find a way to circumvent his contract, that is, even for a certain amount of time. Employers tend to find a way to go around their agreements, so it’s technically not impossible.”

The mortician tapped his lips with his index. A grimoire - he hadn’t considered this possibility for they are seldom found. It would require Sebastian Michaelis’ true name and free access to Hell. However, different matters solicited his attention; exempli gratia Karnstein, so he would keep your words in mind. An interesting human you were; just maybe …

A low vibrating sound broke his thoughts. 

“Shit, I hate to cut our talk short but…” you said, eyes fixating on the screen of the D.D.D. you halfway pulled out of your dress pocket “...look at the time. Sata- err, my husband is expecting me soon and I still have to make the way back.”

You pushed the phone back and walked up to him.

“Thank you for the tea and cookies. I don’t know how long we’ll stay in London but I hope we meet again before we leave.” 

You gave Undertaker your brightest smile, surprising the Shinigami but he gently held your outstretched hand. Hands he had taken souls with.

“Likewise, young lady. Be careful on your way back. You never know what lurks around the corner.”

“Noted!”

You took your bag from where you nearly met your untimely end and walked to the door. Grabbing the knob, you turned your head backward. 

Feeling bold, you let a slight gust of wind whip around his face, revealing his odd green eyes that widened slightly at your display of magic. Proud of yourself, you winked and waved goodbye, your smile branding itself into his mind.

Laugher filled his empty store.

“What an interesting sorcerer~”

Hello folks! Writing this chapter was really hard for some reason and I struggled with the decision of putting a scene in or not. As you can see, this chapter is rather short, meaning I cut a scene out. It involved the harassment of MC. (In Victorian London some men were pathetic and walked up to unaccompanied women, even from higher ranks, assuming they were streetwalkers. In this case, the reader would have been approached by Grell with the idea in mind to make the case more personal. I'm not sure I handled this well enough in my draft, so here we are)

[grendel-menz]

What's the lore/backstory behind the ocs you just posted? I love love love the designs they're so interesting 💛💛💛

Thank you for being interested in them ;_;<3

It’s a tragic set up just as a warning! Murder, catholicism, etc.

Father Vicente, who later goes by Father Cain, is a priest in a small town in rural Italy. He had a fairly large family, but young and naive he made a pact with Beelzebub in the disguise of an angel. Eventually, the pact resulted in his possession and the death of his family at his own hands. After regaining control of himself, he vowed to kill the devil that stole his life and began hunting demons. 

Dilynn is a child of Cerberus, and has poor control over the part of himself that is the hellhound. The mask he wears is enchanted by the demon lord he serves to prevent his uncontrollable transformations, though Dilynn can’t take it off himself. Dilynn’s main task is to kill men of the cloth in the mortal world and bring their souls to hell. He enjoyed his work for a long time, loathing mortals for being born with free will - something immortal creatures get none of. 

After Cain successfully killed/banished a few demons, Dilynn was sent after him. Dilynn, however, was fascinated by Cain because he seemed just as restrained by fate and purpose as he was. They both decided not to kill each other, and over the course of nearly a decade they both became reliant on the other. Though Dilynn fell pretty hard for Cain just a month after meeting him, Cain didn’t see the dynamic as romantic or potentially romantic until years and years later. It’s like a fifteen year slow burn before they kiss, etc. 

In general about the characters though;

It takes a lot to make Cain smile or talk much. He’s really sensitive about kids and protecting them. He has addiction issues and other self destructive habits. He’s tender-hearted. Dilynn is fiercely loyal to anyone he even vaguely likes, and especially to those he loves. He’s bad at thinking in the long term and prefers to just enjoy the brief moments of relief and joy that come to him. Though he poses as a rebel, he’s pretty meek and gets walked over often.

Sorry for writing so much, haha, I hope it's worth reading!

[nerdsleaze]

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood Coming in 2023 ✨

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is not a game that I'm mildly interested in playing, it is a game that I'm eager to play after watching a one-minute trailer. Thankfully, it is coming sometime this year 🙏

The Official Website: cosmicwheelsisterhood.com

Steam Game Profile: The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood

About The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is a thought-provoking narrative game starring Fortuna, a witch living in exile on an asteroid.

Seeking freedom, Fortuna (the main character) makes a dangerous pact with a forbidden creature—the mysterious and ancient Abramar—who grants her the ability to craft magic-infused tarot cards.

 

You can create a custom tarot deck that is completely unique to you, and the arcane elements you incorporate into your designs will give each card different characteristics and abilities to help you to determine the fate of the characters you encounter.

 

Using your deck you'll dive into a complex narrative that spans decades and explores themes of identity, community, and personal responsibility. Is your coven doomed or can you save it?

The Official Website: cosmicwheelsisterhood.com

Steam Game Profile: The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood Video Game Screenshots

[lakesbian]

also holy shiiiit do you remember that line that rose (?) said about "I wonder if the universe seems so empty because the Demons have already devoured everything that once filled it." that was so fucking cool

the way demons are written in pact is so haunting i absolutely need to get on the pact creature design analysis poasts grind and write abt the demons...need to do something with the draft for the bogeyman one i have saved first but i am forever thinking abt how the thesis statement for demons in pact is that instead of being 'generic monster design but edgy' they're existentially horrifying agents of not just death or destruction but, like, Expungement. and when i say haunting i mean Haunting, there is always the shadow of what was done to that now-forever-unknown thorburn hanging over the story, there's always the hole in the knights' lives where the rest of their group used to be, there's always the idea that maybe there used to be more to the universe than this and it was just simply devoured. and it's sooo good how this expungement is so utter and complete that it's never about the characters finding out what used to be there, it's about them only realizing that something was missing because they stumbled onto the hole where it was. pact generally leans more urban fantasy than horror but then you think about the demons for too long and it's like. yeah thats horror alright

[inkeyjay]

Your lord asks for blood, are thou willing to spill it? 🩸

This is my preview for Book of Devotion, a fanzine about deities and their devotees. And it is now LIVE on kickstarter!

If you like ttrpg's like dnd, religion based worldbuilding and sick character and creature design, this is your anthology. I had the honor to be a part of it alongside super talented writers and artists. You might remember Tome of Pacts, well this is its little sister. Let's make it a reality 🩸

(i beg you, really, i need it in my bookshelf)

Book of Devotion. Kickstarter

Cover by Cristigupa. Illustrations by Eliot Baum, Planets and Yazmati. Texts by Chewy905 and gothHoblin. Back cover text by ImNotAMarySue.

[cellphishthekaiju]

Crackpot Headcanon: Vlaakith's 'Grand Design' for Lae'zel (and the Githyanki)

Back again on my raving bullshit for Baldur's Gate 3 (D&D and Forgotten Realms by relation), this time we're looking at the Lich Queen Tyrant, Vlaakith CLVII... cause I have lunatic thoughts of this bitch that fuel the fanfiction I write.

As with all my lunatic fandom ravings, spoilers abound for Baldur's Gate 3, associated materials, and course, take this all with COPIOUS amounts of salt. I get most, if not all, of my 'canon' info from the Forgotten Realms wiki and try to doublecheck the sources but I don't always have the time or means to.

So what is known of Vlaakith is actually very little. The one in Baldur's Gate 3 is, presumably, the 157th githyanki to hold this title and has reigned for a thousand years (mostly as a lich). She has no known heirs and aspires to ascend to godhood (primarily through spam-casting Wish). D&D Lore is very sparse on the githyanki and even more so when it comes to nuances with the githyanki. They have existed since the days of AD&D (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons) but we didn't have much about them, canonically, for a long time.

So, lunatics like myself, let the brain worms fill in the blanks.

We know that Gith, for which the people get their namesake, was the figurehead and Leader of the rebellion that led to the toppling and near extinction of the Illithid Empire unknown millenia before. At her side, I believe both Vlaakith and Zerthimon assisted her (as advisors in different capacities... and to some unknown extent, her only 'confirmed' blood relative, her son Orpheus). As to their exact roles, it is unknown how Vlaakith advised Gith in the matters of her rebellion but given she is referred to as the first of a long series of Lich-Queens that rule the githyanki, her capacity likely involved her skill and knowledge in the arcane/Weave.

After the rebellion, it is believed Gith and Zerthimon fell to infighting, as Gith presumably was so consumed with righteous fury, she single-mindedly wanted to continue hunting down the remaining illithids while Zerthimon, seeing they had won, wished to carve a new life for the 'gith' now that they were free.

In my deranged mind, I suspect/believe that the Proclamation of Two Skies (how the gith refer to their civil war that led to the creation of the -yanki and the -zerai) was stoked and brought to fruition by Vlaakith I. She was always manipulative and concerned, primarily, with her own ambitions. Having witnessed how Gith roused and united the gith, how they called her 'mother' may have stoked jealousy in Vlaakith and so she conspired to take that power and reverence for herself, especially under the suspicion I have that Gith and Zerthimon were lovers/mates (I wrote a theory pointing at Orpheus may be their son).

Vlaakith conspired to turn Gith and Zerthimon upon each other but her plan had an unintended consequence; the division of the gith people into the Githyanki and the Githzerai (and with time, further fracturing in the form of Pirates of Gith, Sha'sal Khou and the Githvyrik (dunno how canon this is anymore because only occurs in one novel)). However, Vlaakith saw an opportunity in this fracture; Gith to be the sacrificial lamb on the altar of her ambitions.

It's believed Vlaakith I's first attempt at bargaining with Baator (The Nine Hells) was seeking a pact with Dispater. However, Vlaakith's attempt(s) failed for one reason or another... likely because Dispater is far more paranoid than Vlaakith is and saw no merit in a deal with such a conniving creature.

Having failed in bargaining with the Lord of Dis, Second Layer of Baator, Vlaakith found herself bargaining with Tiamat. It is, still, unknown the terms of their pact (or how she even got to bargaining with the Chromatic Dragon Queen to begin with) but the bargain was successful and Gith ended up being part of the price.

After the githyanki retreated into the Astral Plane, since the civil war left them weakened (and the githzerai went to Limbo), Vlaakith convinces Gith to travel to Avernus (First Layer of Baator), likely with promises that fed into Gith's violent ego and giving no indication that Gith was not going to make it back. With the bargain paid, Tiamat imprisoned Gith among her hoard (presumably) while Vlaakith returned to the githyanki on the back of Ephelomon, Tiamat's Chromatic Red consort. Together, the two convinced the githyanki that Gith had martyred herself in the bargain and commanded that Vlaakith guide and rule their people in her absence.

This is where the canon gets messy, as there appears to be a discrepancy in the order of events. In the 5e Monster Manual, it suggests Vlaakith sealed the bargain with Tiamat before the Proclamation of Two Skies happened. Texts like Mordenkaine's Tome of Foes suggests the bargain with Tiamat was struck after the split. I'm more inclined to agree it happened after, since the Githzerai and other non-yanki Gith do not benefit from the terms of the pact (mainly the access to Red Dragons)

So, what's this all got to do with the current Vlaakith?

Vlaakith CVII is more than I (want to) believe Larian has told/shown us.

Like her namesake, Vlaakith CVII is a lich that has, supposedly been in power for, roughly, a thousand years by the time the events of Baldur's Gate 3 happen. She upholds the teachings, protocols, and ambitions of her originator and predecessors yet has no known heirs (blood relative or otherwise).

My crazy idea is that Vlaakith CVII is actually Vlaakith I... and all other holders of the 'title' before her have just been Vlaakith. Vlaakith is too vain and ambitious to let something like death get in her way and likely sought every means possible to buy herself the time she needed to achieve her ultimate ambition; Godhood.

Vlaakith's insanity is well in line with the 'canon' behavior of liches, especially 'long-lived' ones. Now, she is just a creature driven by the all-consuming desire to ascend and achieve the ultimate power by any means necessary.

Ascending to divinity/godhood in D&D is... not very clear. The primary factor is faith, as a god needs followers to thrive and derive power from. By controlling the githyanki in all aspects of life, establishing castes like the Inquisitors to hunt down and silence dissenters, sealing Prince Orpheus within the Astral Prism (and infernal chains), using Gith's name and 'sacrifice' as a catylst to keep the people's devotion on herself... but this is a slow process so Vlaakith also encouraged and regulates the militaristic structure of githyanki society to produce powerful warriors that she can, later, consume and sacrifice in her spam-casting of the Wish spell and whatever other means she uses those poor souls for (aside from the husks she keeps)

So, how and why does Lae'zel factor into all of this?

Literally, this is all because of one dialogue line Vlaakith gives in Act 3 of Baldur's Gate 3: Promising to make Lae'zel Baht Vlaakith, the Commander of Dragons; her Chosen (despite having no true divine power). She offers Lae'zel's greatest ambition; to be Kith'rak, to ascend beyond even the standards of her people and serve at Vlaakith's feet.

Weird thing to say to someone you can just Thanos-snap from existence, which Vlaakith does if your party refuses to comply with her at Creche Y'llek. (Seriously, this woman will waste a Wish on you just to remove the entire party from existence for 'waving hello' at her)

Vlaakith has determined Lae'zel as her 'heir' and needs her to return so that she may possess/control her (either through the use of spells like Domination or something more sinister, like excising her soul and possessing her body; no clue if liches can do this). I believe some githyanki that held the title of 'Vlaakith' were simply thralls to Vlaakith I, enhancing her duplicity to make it seem like the title passes on between individuals (despite having NO information on how this is determined within githyanki society).

The only other 'brain worm' I have about why Vlaakith attempts to bargain with Lae'zel one more time about killing Orpheus instead of, I dunno, simply Wish-murder the party, is there is something important about Lae'zel that not even the githyanki herself is aware of. Not to the degree of a psionic null zone but perhaps something Vlaakith has been nurturing through controlled breeding to accelerate her consumption of power... or as an offering to Tiamat.

Hells, if you talk to Withers in the Epilogue about the fate of a Vlaakith aligned Lae'zel... he says she's just gone. Her soul no longer exists.

A fate worse than death and Lae'zel went to it, oblivious.

Yep, there it is... more cracked brainworm thoughts for Baldur's Gate 3.

I'm also not a fan of Vlaakith but hey, I feel like there needs to be way more depth and analyzing some of this stuff my brain just does on its own.. and it fuels my fan-fic writing (which you should totally check out)

I hope folks are enjoying my insane ramblings.

[pact-if]

PACT - IF

DEMO(TBA)

You're finally doing it. You're finally setting out on your Quest, as is tradition. Though it's been a few years since you technically came of age, this rite of passage will settle it into tradition. The trip has been postponed long enough, and you won't let anything distract you!

Until, of course, you come across a strange creature unlike anything you've seen before. And, somehow, bind your souls together.

A soul bond, a pact, can't just be undone. They can fade, sure, but they're never broken. A pact blends the magic, emotion, and even physical traits of its members. Along with adjusting to the webs that now grow between your fingers, there's a pull in your chest you know is from the creature. It wants you to follow it.

What else can you do?

PACT is a light fantasy IF Game focusing on found family and love of all kinds. Design your character (including name, gender/pronouns, and magic specialty) and explore the bonds that form between life, for the smallest of reasons. The only major warning right now is attempted violence against (fantastical) animals.

ROs:

THE RESEARCHER: Vyn (nb, they/them)

A scatterbrained researcher and magizooligist, who is fascinated to see a creature even they don't recognize. Excitable and incredibly driven by their unending curiosity, Vyn insists on tagging along on your journey. They're incredibly smart, and have been offered multiple positions at various prestigious institutes... that they've turned down in favor of spending their time staring at bugs.

(Vyn is aromantic. They can be "romanced," but not in a traditional sense. You can be friends, queerplatonic partners, or romantic partners. In a romantic route, Vyn is still aro! They're not going to engage with this relationship like an allo person would.)

THE ACADEMIC: Lyra (f, she/her)

Most don't know the powerful Augusti family has a daughter. This is deliberate. Lyra was born with little magical energy, a stark difference from her family, and has been sheltered and kept a secret since birth, both for her "protection" and protection of the Augusti legacy. Lyra is late starting her Quest like you, and believes it to be just what she needs to throw off her family name for good and be known as the scholar of magical theory she truly is. Lyra is gentle and warm, though when her field of study is involved she can be a bit overly persistent.

THE ARTIFICER: Aster (m, he/him)

An engineer specializing in integrating technology and magic. The only thing Aster loves more than machines is his Phoenix companion, but even then the race is tight. He's extroverted, easily bored, and prone to ignoring his own needs in favor of his latest project.

THE GUARDIAN: Eilivur (f, she/her)

Born with enough magical energy to make her glow in the dark, but preferring a greatsword, Eilivur found the life of a knight far too restricting for her. Instead, she protects the places that often fall through the cracks. Her very presence is intimidating enough to ward off crime, but the locals know she's the one to turn to when they need food, muscle, or just a soldier to cry on. Ei isn't the most open of people, but she's a steady presence for those who need her.

THE GUIDE: Jae (nb, xe/xem)

Parents tell their children stories of an old witch in the woods who will eat them if they get lost. This couldn't be further from the truth. The witch just lives in the woods, isn't even that old, and prefers to put children to sleep before begrudgingly depositing them back in familiar territory. Xir life may seem very solitary, but xe takes pride in their role, guiding unsure travelers home. If people find xem off-putting... well, that's not xir problem.

THE HUNTER: Luca (f/m, she/he. player selectable)

Bounty hunting is a lucrative occupation, and your new pactmate has quite the price on its head. Cold, quick, and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done... except when they appear to falter.

[kittyt-hexxed]

Love Bites

Abby x Ellie x Reader x Sevika x Vi

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: Vampire!Abby, Vampire!Ellie, Vampire!Sevika, Vampire!Vi, Established relationship, reader proposes, girlfriends to wives, Biting Kink, Dirty Talk, Degradation, Orgasm from being fed on, fingering, blindfold

Summary: Human-Vampire relationships are common in society. You decide to take the next step with your vampire girlfriends and propose to them. They thank you by giving you the one thing you desire the most - their fangs.

Vampirism had come out of nowhere in ancient times. Historians believed that it started from a curse that spread around to victims that the vampires killed. When a vampire was able to be studied, they discovered that those creatures have two sets of glands in their mouth. One filled with venom that’s used to change people into one of them, and another liquid that acts as a blood thinner. With the blood thinner, it flows through the body at a faster rate and allows vampires to get more blood from their victims. They were feared by humans for their unnatural abilities and war broke out between the two species.

Humans got tired of being slaughtered in the dark and the world leaders came together to make a pact. Vampires would be accommodated in human society as long as they did not needlessly murder. The vampire leaders agreed and a thousand years later, vampires have become a normal part of society. Human-Vampire relations are commonplace and even encouraged. A human named Jayce Talis had created hexrings which are specialized rings that allow a vampire to walk in the sunlight. The only condition was that it had to be gifted by a human for it to work. So, hexrings became a sign of commitment between a vampire and a human… and you were currently picking up four of them.

There was a decent crowd of people in the jewelry store this morning. You were tired from the surprise visit one of your girlfriends decided to spring on you. Sevika was always busy with her line of work, so you made the point to welcome her into your home even if you needed to be awake in the morning. The low energy you were feeling wasn’t from her feeding on you - something you were surprised she didn’t do - but from the intense sex she treated you to.

“Y/n?” You hear Sky call your name. You whirl around to see Sky smile at you and place a long, black box on the counter before opening it up. You gasp at the four rings, their blue gemstones glittering in the light. Each ring was in a different style, but the one thing they have in common is your initials inscribed in the band.

“Can I?” You glance up at Sky with excited eyes, making her laugh.

“Of course, you can, they’re yours!” Sky grins, “It’s better if you examine them now and make sure that you like how they turned out. I will say that you’re the first person to ask for four of them. Two is the more common amount.” You pick up Ellie’s ring and smile at the crescent moon they turned the gemstone into. You knew she was going to lose her mind since she was obsessed with space. Abby’s ring is a coin ring that speaks to her hobby of collecting coins. Vi’s was a simple band with a solid line of hex crystal going through it, so it wouldn’t bother her in a fight. Sevika’s was designed like a sovereign ring and meant to add to her intimidating demeanor. You were positively happy about the way they all turned out.

“I love them, Sky! They’re made the exact way I envisioned them!” You squeal.

“I’m glad you do! You gave us a challenge with making four different ones. Please stop in and tell me what they think of them.” Sky requests.

“I definitely will.” You nod, feeling unbelievably happy as you watch her wrap it up. You’re handed the bag and you tell her goodbye, excited for the night to fall. You head to the front of the store, clutching the bag in your hands as if it might disappear. As you open the door to the store, you squint your eyes as they adjust to the sunlight. ‘I’m going home and sleeping all day.’

You wake up a few hours before nightfall and make something to eat, indulging yourself in something sweet to calm your nerves. Besides, having sugar in your blood was always a treat for your girlfriends. You didn’t do it often, only when it was a special time like an anniversary or a birthday. It was a little confusing as to how it worked, but they could taste any dessert you ate in your blood. Scientists were still trying to figure out how but they assume it has something to do with the extra sugar in your blood that’s not used as energy. You didn’t care why, but you did care that it was the only thing from their human lives they could taste except for alcohol.

With a nervous breath, you place the box with the hexrings on the edge of the bed and straighten up the bow on it. ‘Okay. Okay. I just have to change.’ You grab your lingerie, slip into it, and put the matching robe on over it. As you tie it closed, you hear a knocking on your door that makes your heartbeat pick up. ‘They’re going to be concerned when they hear my heart beat so I won’t have long to lead up to it.’ You bite your lip and open your door to see all four of your girlfriends standing there.

“Hey, peaches.” Vi grins, “Why are you so nervous?” You exhale a laugh and step out of the way so they can come inside. You make sure to lock the door behind them. Although vampires couldn’t enter the house without being invited in, humans were still something to worry about. You turn around to see them getting comfortable, removing their shoes and jackets and sharing brief kisses with each other.

“Nervous? Ah, well… I’ll answer that question in a minute.” You give a wobbly smile, leading them to your bedroom as you try to calm down your racing heartbeat. ‘Why am I so nervous? I know they’ll accept it, and even if one of them doesn’t that’s okay. Just calm down, Y/n. Calm down.’ You purposefully stand in front of the box when you walk into the room and ask them to stand in front of you. With curious glances, they do so and you let out a long breath. ‘I feel like I’m going to throw up.’

“I know you can hear my heart freaking out which is for a reason” You chuckle nervously, reaching behind you to pick up the box, “Abby. Ellie. Sevika. Vi…” You reveal the box and shakily undo the bow, hearing the click of the magnet as you pull it open.

“Will you walk in the daylight with me?” You ask, smiling sweetly at the glitter of the rings.

“Holy shit!” Ellie exclaims.

“Are you serious?!” Abby gasps.

“Of course, she’s serious! Do you see these rings?” Sevika scoffs, but you can see the disbelief in her eyes.

“You’re sure about this?” Vi blinks, gazing at the box in your hands.

“I am serious.” You giggle, your girlfriends’ reactions helping you relax, “I want the four of you by my side for as long as I’m alive. One day you’ll take another, but my love will forever allow you to feel the sun on your face. Please… will you accept this token of my love?” When a human gives a vampire a hexring, that’s the deepest form of commitment possible. Humans only live for so long and to give this ring was a way of saying that you’ll be with them forever. Only the human that puts it on can remove it so in death, it will remain. If a vampire accepts, it means that their love for that human is worth remembering forever.

“Yes!” Ellie practically hops forward. You laugh softly, slipping the ring on her finger, before leaning down and kissing it. The ring glows and Ellie’s eyes go wide as she admires it.

“This means I can show you off in the daytime.” Sevika smirks as she steps forward, “I’m not passing this up.” You shake your head with an amused smile, putting the ring on her finger.

“If you think I’m saying no, I might just have to bite you.” Vi jokes, holding her hand out.

“You already bite me.” You tease her but repeat the action. Vi grins and kisses your cheek before you turn to Abby.

“Abby-”

“-Don’t.” Abby shakes her head and steps closer to you, “Owen is in the past. I know you’re only asking to make sure it’s what I want, and it is. I am more than happy to accept this ring from you.” She holds out her hand. Tears sting your eyes as you take the ring out of the box and put it on her. With a soft kiss, the ring glows and all of your girlfriends are officially yours. A warmth around your ring finger has you looking down and watching in awe as a crystalline ring appears. ‘Sky told me this would happen after the rings were accepted but it’s still amazing to see.’ You step back with a teasing smile, untying your robe and letting it drop to the ground.

“Well?” You raise an eyebrow at their lustful gazes, “Who’s first?”

“Who’s first?” Sevika chuckles.

“You do realize we’re your wives now?” Vi tilts her head. They all take slow steps toward you as their eyes turn red and your pulse quickens. You take a step back and squeak as you fall onto the bed.

“We’re not taking turns this time.” Ellie smirks.

“Oh.” You swallow, feeling your body heat up. ‘They’re not taking turns.’ You blink and then shriek as your body is dragged further up the bed. You look behind you to see Vi and Ellie grinning at you with their fangs on display. The bed dips near your feet and you turn back around to see Sevika and Abby. You’re speechless as they tear your lingerie off, the loud sound of ripping fabric sending a shiver down your spine. Sometimes you forget that your wives are dangerous creatures that can kill you with no effort. During sex was their favorite time to remind you. Sevika and Abby spread your legs open wide as your head is tilted back by a hand in your hair. Your heart is fluttering in your chest as you’re blindfolded and your body tenses in anticipation.

“Do you hear that?” Ellie chuckles darkly, “She’s scared.”

“I-I’m not scared. I’m-” Your breath hitches as you feel a pair of fangs skim the inside of your thigh.

“What if we drained you?” Sevika husks, “What if we killed you right here?”

“Awe but we’d lose our little blood bag.” Vi says teasingly. You whimper when you feel someone lick your neck, the heat in your cunt getting worse.

“After all, that’s all she is.” Abby rasps, “Our living blood bag.” Someone's fingers tease your slit, softly running up and down before they’re stuffed inside of you. You gasp, your body twitching from the sudden intrusion, and you knew those fingers are Sevika’s. You couldn’t mistake her thick fingers for anyone else. You moan as she wastes no time thrusting her fingers in and out of you. You can hear the snickers from your wives as you’re fucked in front of them. ‘What do they see? What are they thinking?’ You wonder.

You cry out when you suddenly feel fangs pierce the soft flesh of your thigh. Then it was your neck, your thigh, and then the other side of your neck. One after the other, but with enough space between them for you to feel the pain of the bite. It was as if your body didn’t know what to focus on. There was the pain you’re feeling from your wives feeding on you, and the waves of pleasure from being fingered. It all swirled together into this intoxicating mixture that made your head spin. Your orgasm rose quickly, the tension in your abdomen refusing to break until their fangs sunk in deeper. 

Your body shakes as you cum and that’s the cue for them to stop. Their fangs are immediately removed from your body, tongues delicately licking up the drops of your blood that escape. Sevika removes her fingers from you and the blindfold is slowly taken off so your eyes can adjust. The first thing you see is Sevika bringing her fingers to your mouth, and you suck your juices off of them. They’re replaced by your wife’s mouth and you kiss her before the others are demanding their kisses, too. You giggle to yourself and kiss them, feeling the sleepiness starting to creep up on you. Ellie disappears but comes back with some gauze, Neosporin, and bandages for your bite mark. You listen to their instructions and let them bandage you up, while Abby gets you some juice and a cookie.

“Don’t you dare get up.” Abby narrows her eyes at you when you shift around.

“I’m not.” You pout, getting a peck on your lips. You carefully drink your juice under their watchful eyes, enjoying listening to them talk about how much they love their rings.

“I love you guys.” You say softly, unwrapping your cookie.

“I love you too.” They chorus.

[cloaksandcapes]

Another homebrew Vestige of Divergence! Every Monday on our Twitch Channel I DM a homebrew campaign set in Exandria. Our last session saw a major plot resolution for our Paladin and our normal magic sword +1 was awakened as a new Vestige. Here is Radiant Sister, the Edge of Change. Art by @butturdapple

Radiant Sister, the Edge of Change

Weapon (longsword), artifact, vestige of divergence (requires attunement)

“This powerful weapon was once just a simple magical longsword in the hands of a warrior far away from home. Through countless hardships and trials, nigh insurmountable misery and strife, with love, compassion and faith she overcame them all. As the warrior grew stronger, so did the bond with her blade, an extension of herself.

This silvered longsword has a fine hilt made from wrapped leather, and a gilded crossguard.The blade’s edge wears a crimson tint and sheen. Just above the hilt, embedded into the middle of the blade are three orbs; two golden harnessing the blessing of Avandra and the third blood-red, signifying the binding ties of family.”

Dormant State

The wielder gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon. Additionally, a target that is hit with this weapon takes an additional 1d6 radiant damage.

The Changebringer's Trick. As a bonus action, you can trick an enemy into seeing you as an ally and its friends as foes. One creature of your choosing that you can see within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. The effect lasts for 1 minute or until someone it sees as an ally deals damage to it. If it succeeds on the saving throw, it is marked by you and must roll at disadvantage if it attacks any other creature. Once you use this property you must complete a long rest to use it again.

Awakened State

The wielder gains a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon. Additionally, a target that is hit with this weapon takes an additional 1d8 radiant damage.

You may change the additional damage type of this weapon to either radiant or necrotic whenever you finish a short or long rest.

Dark Reflection. As a bonus action the red orb on this artifact sends maddening whispers into the minds of enemies around you. For 1 minute, if you are adjacent to 2 or more enemies, they all suffer a -2 penalty to their attack rolls. Once you use this property you must complete a long rest to use it again.

Exalted State

The wielder gains a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon. Additionally, a target that is hit with this weapon takes an additional 2d6 radiant damage.

The Sisters Pact. After finishing a long rest you can designate one creature as your bonded target. If you and your bonded are adjacent to the same target, whenever one of you makes a melee attack against it, the other may use their reaction to perform a follow-up attack.