#prized by the crafty and fleet of foot

[izar-tarazed]

15 lines of dialogue

Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture the character/personality/vibe of the OC. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you're free to include those as well!

Tagged by @miseryscrowned (thank you!)

So here's some lines from Izar.

‟I’m not your enemy.”

‟If I wanted you dead, you would already be, and I wouldn’t have bothered to waste my fine ropes on you.”

‟I understand you might find it hard to believe, but I’ve fought enough battles out there to recognize a lethal stance when I see one.”

“I ’d rather travel alone. And I had other plans anyway.”

“I could really use your wits and advice right now.”

‟It’s just a mask, right?”

“Excuse me? This is all? I mean, is that a habit of yours? Going around and killing people, but it’s nothing personal?”

“Why should I have killed you? You’re not some monster in the wilderness.”

“Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

‟Now let me have a look at that bolt, will you?”

‟Be… considerate, will you? I only have this one bottle.”

‟We have a mission? You’ve wasted my ink to tell me that?”

‟Dead kings tend to make things messy.”

‟I don’t even know if I want that throne.”

‟So … we go after the rune. Well then. Shall we?”

No tags, feel free to steal this if you want (and tag me so I'll see it!)

[izar-tarazed]

Which symbolic fruit are you?

Izar: 🍎Apple

The apple is most commonly known for being associated with the forbidden fruit that Eve eats in Catholicism which casts her and Adam out of heaven: original sin. However, apples are also symbolic to Pagan fertility goddesses, the seeds of which are five and showcase a pentagram when cut horizontally. The apple in any case, represents wisdom and knowledge, independent desire and curiosity. You are someone who seeks to understand the world better. You believe in independent thought and asking questions which to some may be hard to answer. There's been times where you may have persecuted for being different from how others expect you to act, but have never let that stop you from speaking your mind and taking what you want. However, be wary of leaping into things you don't understand. Knowledge is a wonderful, illuminating thing, but knowing too much can be a burden to some. "Someone who seeks to understand the world better", "independent desire and curiosity", "be wary of leaping into things you don't understand" ... that's all very Izar! Absolutely a perfect fit.

Ensha: 🍊 Clementine

In Chinese culture, clementines, known for their bright orange, waxy exterior, were symbolic of gold, and by extension, wealth, good fortune and abundance. Trees that bear clementines (or mandarins, as they're also known as) are often used to decorate the thresholds of Chinese households as a sign of good luck and prosperity. As lucky as Clementines may be, so are you and those around you. With a sunny disposition, and a knack for seeing the best in everyone, and the good in the world around you, you're someone who believes that the glass is always half full. Things can always be worse, and they will always get better, one way or another! Like the vibrant clementines you're known for bringing light to those who need it, and always bringing laughter to your friend group. However, such a bright exterior can sometimes hide a deep and lingering sadness. Remember: even the light sometimes has to dim, and even the sun has to set. Don't worry; it'll always come back.

... Excuse me, I'll be down here, rolling on the floor laughing. "Sunny disposition"? "Always bringing laughter"? "Bright exterior"? ... BUT I retook the quiz for Ensha three times and always got the clementine, even with slightly changed answers. Well, I guess some things still track if we consider the whole ancient king/lord of the lost and desperate stuff from his armor. Gold, wealth and abundance, check. "Known for bringing light to those who need it"... of course. He has the little candle. (And I already have a whole headcanon around lost lore regarding that.) ... I still can't stop laughing at "sunny disposition".

[Tagged by @miserycorde - thanks! Tagging: anyone who'd like to do it!]

[izar-tarazed]

🥃🥃 have at thee

Izar glances down at the small glasses placed before her, filled with a shimmering liquid: transparent but ever so faintly sparkling with silver as if there was fine stardust whirling within. Well, whatever this is, it’s just the right thing to lure an astrologer into drinking it. She downs the first glass—because apparently that’s how it’s done—, coughs, waves her hand and then inhales deeply.

‟So. Something personal... I don’t recall ever drinking something like this before but I love tea or whatever you call the concoctions you can make with a handful of herbs and boiling water and just the right amount of patience. The nomadic merchants sell some that I’ve come to love. I’ve also tried my hand at throwing together something myself but while the results are drinkable, they taste nowhere near as good as what the merchants come up with. They do have a blend that’s both very spicy and sweet, I like that a lot. But I also like the ones that taste a little bitter or tart at first, with all the other tastes hidden in between, and you have to study them sip by sip, taking your time, figuring them out. They’re easy to dismiss as unpalatable but they actually are if you take your time.

It’s the same with coffee. I don’t think anyone but Kalé sells that? I found it a little tricky to prepare at first—I only make it when at the Roundtable Hold, not when travelling—, but if done right, the smell is divine and then it’s like drinking pure darkness, all bitter and burning but eventually revealing a richness in flavors that is unparalleled. Kalé says you can sweeten it, but I don’t do that.”

She gently puts the empty glass aside, then goes for the second one, eyes sparkling as she empties it. Thinking, she spins it between her fingers.

‟I said for a long time I wasn’t good with blades and it was true, but I also didn’t do anything to improve? I had the rapier Rogier had given me. In hindsight, it was a parting gift. I carried that with me for ages, but I never really used it. And when I did, it felt just… wrong—in part because I wasn’t good with it. But I didn’t want to put it away, either, because it had been a gift. I felt like swapping it for any other blade would have been like disrespecting the gesture. Even with Rogier gone… or maybe because he was gone, I couldn’t bring myself to do anything with his rapier other than carrying it with me.

Then Ensha insisted I should get better in melee and started teaching me how to actually use the rapier, and while I still wasn’t good with it… I got a little better. He insisted I try out different things, and I was like the most stubborn child claiming that he was wasting his time because I’m obviously just not good with blades of any kind.”

She chuckles—maybe about the memory, or maybe because she’s already a little light-headed after these two shots.

‟I ended up trying anyway, because clearly Ensha is even more stubborn than I am, and eventually I understood that I wasn’t irrevocably bad with melee weapons—and that it wasn’t merely about practice, either. I always struggled with the rapier, but I felt more comfortable when I tried different katanas. And I finally went through my collection of ashes of war that I had been carrying around for a while. I asked Master Hewg for help and explanations. And as he glanced at my collection, he looked like I had opened up a treasure chest. Then we all discussed which ones might be of actual use for me, he got to work, and well… Suddenly I had weapons that felt like mine. I wasn’t holding onto them out of nostalgia but I actually used them.

I’ll always be a magic user first and foremost, but by now I can decently defend myself in melee when the need arises. I no longer carry the rapier; I keep it in my chamber at the Hold… I don’t think Rogier would mind that I don’t use it. He’d probably be happy to see I found something that works for me.”

[izar-tarazed]

𝟐-𝟓 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐁𝐄 𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘

COLORS

#1 … Blue, deep and rich—a variety of blues, really, that are Izar’s guiding colors. The blue of the night sky; the intense Carian blue; the darker one that she calls the Sellian blue, color of night sorceries. The blue of Liurnia, softened through the mist, but lit up by sunshine. The eternal gloam of Raya Lucaria’s great library.

#2 … Purple. The color of Izar’s eyes and the mark she bears on her brow. She doesn’t know how either of those came to be.

#3 … Brass, both polished and weathered. This is the color of treasure and precision, for most of her tools are made of this: the telescope she bought from Kalé before purchasing anything else, the small armillary sphere she retrieved from Raya Lucaria, the compass and the sextant. Her most prized possessions—apart from that small bottle of ink—because they are the tools of her profession: the keys to her identity.

SCENTS

#1 … The scent of old books: leather and yellowed paper.

#2 … The memory of wild grass and crisp mountain winds—the scent of a place fit for stargazing.

#3 … A hint of pepper and minty herba; not out of nowhere, but from the sweet spiced tea beloved among the nomadic merchants that Izar now loves as well.

FASHION

#1 … The Carian Knight Armor. Blue, silver and gold; fabric and metal. This is the armor she feels most comfortable in—as if belonging to it in a way she could never explain. She was reluctant to put it on when she first found it, but now donning it feels oddly like coming home.

#2 … The Astrologer’s Robe. Brown and creme-white; simple and durable fabrics, yet more comfortable than one would imagine. This is the garb she woke up in; the beginning of her journey. Lightweight, with pockets she quickly went filling with herbs and rainbow stones, feathers and crystal buds. Sometimes, at the Roundtable Hold, she’ll still put the robe on—to be comfortable and without worries, nothing but an astrologer, allowed to indulge in her curiosity.

#3 … The Blue Cloth Vest … Its color reminds her of Liurnia, and Izar likes it a lot. Its chestpiece of hardened leather offers better protection than her Astrologer’s Robe while still being lighter than her Carian Knight Armor. It’s another attire she feels extremely comfortable in.

#4 … The Navy Hood. She still carries it with her wherever she goes; she doesn’t even remember where she found it, but the blue, of course, called to her immediately. With the hood pulled up, she feels strangely protected. She’ll bring the cloak out on chill nights and snuggle up underneath when she rests.

OBJECTS

#1 … A bottle of ink, and a quill made of a stormhawk’s feather, but with a brass tip.

Technically two objects, yes, but they go together: ink and quill, essential to Izar’s map-making. She uses them for the most precise lines, for notes and calculations that mustn’t smudge like those made with charcoal possibly could.

She also draws her maps’ ornaments with them: small crests and compass dials, and tiny illustrations of what she concludes certain constellations might represent. A jewel-eyed dragon; a fox chasing its own tail; the hand holding a candle in its palm: with simple lines, she calls forth the forgotten stories.

#2 … The telescope. Always on her belt, to be grabbed with one swift motion—not that watching the night sky would require hurry. But Izar likes to keep it close.

#3 … The Carian Regal Scepter … Once again, silver and blue, the night sky and its stars. Izar’s favorite staff and her most frequent weapon of choice. A reminder of what she’s already accomplished, and a promise of what still may come.

BODY LANGUAGE

#1 … the occasional glance skywards—even in daylight—, fingers brushing her telescope

#2 … a series of springy steps when she’s both in good spirits and absent minded; almost as if dancing to a tune in her mind

#3 … slightly lifting her hand as if she’s about to reach out, or point at something (not necessarily something tangible, it can also be a thought, maybe… or a memory)

#4 ... straightening her shoulders, tightening her fingers around her staff–bracing herself for confrontation

AESTHETICS

#1 … the scholarly ones: hand-drawn maps, the inky lines still dark or already fading; dark wood and stacks of tomes, cartography tools; the twilight of a vast library, and its silence.

#2 … the astrologer’s ones: the infinity of the night sky, the certainty of one’s own smallness; shadows and a hint of golden light against the immensity of the darkest shades of blue and the silver of the stars; a landscape lost in darkness.

#3 … the stars in all their aspects—sketched, drawn, real; unmoving and far away; pure fury when wielded in combat—deadly comets, a meteor shower, a whirl of darkness and sparkling light.

SONGS

#1 … Láska neumiera (Jana Kirschner)

#2 Les choristes / Vois sur ton chemin (Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc/Bruno Coulais)

(une lumière dorée brille sans fin tout au bout du chemin |

a golden light forever shines at the end of the road )

#3 … Le vent nous portera (Scala & Kolacny Brothers)*

(je n’ai pas peur de la route … Tout disparaîtra, mais le vent nous portera |

I’m not afraid of the road ... Everything will disappear, but the wind will carry us)

#4 … Běžela jsem lesem (Vesna)

(bojím se lesem sama jít | mužeš mě prosím ochránit? |

I’m afraid to walk through the woods alone | can you please protect me?)

#5 ... Korzenie (Echo Rodu)

___

*A cover version, but more fitting for Izar than the original by Noir Désir.

Tagged by @hexenjagd–thank you so much, going through these has been a great exercise and so much fun.

Tagging ... well, if you've made your way all through this long post, you deserve a treat! consider yourself tagged if you'd like to!

[izar-tarazed]

What tarot card are you?

The Moon

(for Izar) You avoid corners and doorways - do you know why? Have you looked inwards recently? Do you understand what is happening there? Your mind is muddled and dusty, a mirror you haven’t been able to clean properly. Smudging the nervousness just leaves streaks on the glass, which makes your face harder to see, which makes you nervous. What are you nervous of, darling? What keeps you up at night? Why haven’t you confronted it? Do you know what it is? Can you answer my questions? Are they making you nervous? Am I frightening you?

The Hermit

(for Ensha)

It’s a skill, to look inside yourself, one you have mastered. The endless corridors and shifting thoughts are mapped to very carefully. This all takes time, of course. And those twisting hallways are so very difficult to map. It would be so easy to get lost. You know this space so well. Wouldn’t it be a lovely place to stay? So well-known and comforting. Why go back? How nice, how easy, to dissolve, to hide from the rest of the world and all the people in it. Why bother, when you are so good at looking inside yourself. Like enlightenment, the self. Retreating this far inwards is like retreating just as far out, into the vast ether. So comforting. The thing that was you looks at the thing that was the old woman. There is no you anymore. Goodbye.

Tagged by @rotten-pest (thank you!) Tagging whoever wants to do this!

[izar-tarazed]

On repeat tag game!

I was tagged by: @auspex-author (thank you!)

Rules: shuffle your on repeat playlist 10 times and post the results ... Here we go:

Wild ride, but waaaaay more balanced than it might have been at some other points in time? I'm bad at tagging and have no idea who already went, maybe @lolthslover wants to give it a go? And whoever else wishes to, feel free to share your lists (and to tag me so I see them! I love finding new music).

[izar-tarazed]

💬... "Now. I'm no expert, Ensha, but I'm sure you realize that the road Izar is walking is going to end up taking her from you in one way or another. The Guidance of Grace could very well lead to one's grave, after all ... or perhaps one day you will look upon her and see that you no longer recognize the person she has become. A shame, isn't it? That people like you and me are discarded by the hand of fate, in the end..."

Ensha has a certain way of dealing with uncomfortable questions and remarks: He chooses to ignore them. To pretend he didn’t hear them… or maybe pretend that they haven’t been voiced at all.

Still, a skilled observer could point out the tells in the silent guard’s seemingly impassive demeanor: gritted teeth, lending the slightest hint of strain to the otherwise ever unchanging grin. Fingers, loosely curled just before, now clenching into a fist. A barely noticeable tilt of the head so the dark eye sockets now stare into a different nothingness than usually.

Sometimes, his silence is enough to chase away any unwanted attention. Ensha has spent enough time in the shadows. Unseen, unnoticed, unbothered. He knows that most people lack the patience to engage with someone—something—like him. Something he knows to use to his advantage.

However… Sometimes, the whispers do linger, and the curious gaze is not averted. Sometimes, like he does now, Ensha gives in eventually.

Angrily so. It is apparent in the way he signs—not quite with the usual swift ease, but a little more acute gestures, as if to cut apart the invisible syllables the very moment he traces them into the air.

I’m not a fool. I know quite well how this might go. Don’t think you are telling me anything new.

A brief pause to flex the gauntleted fingers. Curl them, briefly, into a fist once more.

She will not die. I will see to that. As for the other outcome…

He stops again. Shrugs. It looks clumsy. Hollow. Not like a real shrug; it lacks all the indifference it would need.

I have considered it. So?

His fingers twitch for a moment. As if there was a lot more to say on that matter. Protest, maybe; claim that Izar could never become a stranger; that she would never discard him. He doesn’t sign any of it.

As long as she’s happy in the end.

For a moment, he considers another shrug, hoping to convey that he is absolutely unbothered both by the rumor and his own thoughts. Instead, he leans back against the wall in his usual stance, and stares into space.

[izar-tarazed]

Fic titles for you:

Among the stars

A whisper upon the winds

Where death holds little meaning

Starfall

[send me a made-up fic title and i'll tell you what i would write to go with it!]

✨ Among the stars

With the Elden Beast slain and a new Order established, Izar finds herself about to embark on a journey alongside Ranni the Witch: leaving behind the Lands Between and venturing out to the stars. But even though Izar has always loved the stars above anything else, she now has to decide whether she really wants to leave the Lands Between behind …

✨ A whisper upon the winds

In all her travels through the Lands Between, Izar has never found a single clue regarding her past—until now. When a fragment of a forgotten song promises to shed light on the story of the Tarazed family, Izar must decide how far she’s willing to go to uncover a history that will come without true memories… and whether she is prepared to face them.

✨Where death holds little meaning

When exploring an uncharted cave, Izar and Ensha discover an extensive complex of ruins from ancient times. As they venture deeper, Ensha’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic and strange. Izar realizes that the place might hold some connection to the ancient soulless king himself. But while Ensha seems eager to move forward and reclaim his own lost memories of a past long gone, Izar hesitates. Uncovering the truth may come at a price. Will Ensha still be the same when it is paid? And is it truly him who wants to keep going? While Izar is determined to support whatever her friend wishes, she finds exactly this harder and harder to figure out...

✨Starfall

The Starscourge is defeated, the stars are set back in motion: the greatest feat for an astrologer. But Izar soon has to grapple with the consequences of her actions: Not only does the renewed movement of the stars spread doubt and worries in the Lands Between, but meteorites become a very real threat again. When the visit to a fresh impact site reveals the meteorite to actually be a young wounded Fallingstar Beast, Izar faces another choice that will have inevitable consequences either way.

[izar-tarazed]

𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗠𝗦 𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗗𝗘.

-- Bold all that applies || Italicize what applies on occasion

Izar

001.ㅤ 𝗘𝗬𝗘𝗦. avoids eye contact when nervous, maintains eye contact when nervous. avoids eye contact due to being neurodivergent, enjoys eye contact as a means to read and convey emotion. looks down when emotional, looks up when emotional. cries openly, wipes tears quickly, suppresses tears. wandering gaze when lost in thought, holds gaze while thinking. seeks out eye contact for reassurance, seeks out eye contact to gauge enthusiasm during conversations, eyes move constantly during conversation. expressive eyes, emotions only evident through eyes, uses eye contact to intimidate. looks up while thinking, looks down while thinking. 002.ㅤ 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦. clasps behind back, rests in lap, fidgets with clothes. twiddles thumbs, chews at nails/skin, pushes back cuticles, draws patterns on table/counter surfaces. animated gestures while speaking, only gestures to emphasize, utilizes sign language, speaks only through sign. callouses, scars, smooth, wrinkled, worn, soft, delicate, boney, slender, thick, veiny. touches others while speaking, reaches out while laughing, reaches out to comfort others, reaches out to seek comfort. places face in hands when exasperated, places face in hands when exhausted, places palms over eyes to hide when overwhelmed, rests chin in hands. taps fingers when impatient, taps fingers when nervous, taps fingers while thinking. scratches scalp, strokes chin, rubs back of head, toys with objects around them, runs fingers over surfaces while walking by. 003.ㅤ 𝗠𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛. chews lip, chews at inside of cheek, licks lips, bites tongue, chews on straws. resting frown, resting smile, neutral resting expression, resting pout. grinds teeth, flexes jaw. covers mouth when laughing, covers mouth when shocked, covers mouth when concerned, hands to lips while thinking, covers mouth when chewing, chews with mouth closed, chews with mouth open. smirks, grins, subtle smile, wide smiles, sad smiles, intimidating smiles, menacing grins. openly smiles, tries to suppress smiles, bares teeth when angry, lips quiver when emotional. stutters, speaks quickly, speaks slowly, good pronunciation, poor pronunciation, moderate pronunciation. purses lips, sucks in lips, holds mouth open when shocked or confused. 004.ㅤ 𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗦. bounces leg when nervous. draws knees to chest when sitting, draws knees to chest as a means of comfort, sits on knees, sits with legs crisscrossed, sits with legs spread open in chairs, crosses legs when sitting in chairs, sits with one leg folded under the other. places feet on furniture, never places feet on furniture, sits on counters, sits on desks, sits on tables, sits on edge of seat, sits hunched over with forearms on knees, arches one knee up, sits on the arm of chairs/couches, feet on dashboard, swings legs back and forth when sitting somewhere elevated. wiggles toes when nervous, wiggles toes as a general tick. shuffles feet, kicks foot into ground, stomps feet. loud footsteps, quiet footsteps, silent footsteps. 005.ㅤ 𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗥. runs fingers through hair, tugs at hair, picks at scalp, chews on hair, twists locks of hair while thinking or nervous, smooths out locks of hair while thinking or nervous. prefers hair out of face, prefers long hair, prefers short hair. wears hair back, keeps hair down, smooths back hair. plays with other’s hair while talking, plays with own hair while talking, strokes hair to comfort others, likes having hair stroked for their own comfort, braids others’ hair while talking, braids own hair while talking. flips hair out of face, pushes hair out of face, leaves hair alone even when falling into face.

[sits hunched over with forearms on knees]

Ensha

001.ㅤ 𝗘𝗬𝗘𝗦. avoids eye contact when nervous, maintains eye contact when nervous. avoids eye contact due to being neurodivergent, enjoys eye contact as a means to read and convey emotion. looks down when emotional, looks up when emotional. cries openly, wipes tears quickly, suppresses tears. wandering gaze when lost in thought, holds gaze while thinking. seeks out eye contact for reassurance, seeks out eye contact to gauge enthusiasm during conversations, eyes move constantly during conversation. expressive eyes, emotions only evident through eyes, uses eye contact to intimidate. looks up while thinking, looks down while thinking. 002.ㅤ 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦. clasps behind back, rests in lap, fidgets with clothes. twiddles thumbs, chews at nails/skin, pushes back cuticles, draws patterns on table/counter surfaces. animated gestures while speaking, only gestures to emphasize, utilizes sign language, speaks only through sign. callouses, scars, smooth, wrinkled, worn, soft, delicate, boney, slender, thick, veiny. touches others while speaking, reaches out while laughing, reaches out to comfort others, reaches out to seek comfort. places face in hands when exasperated, places face in hands when exhausted, places palms over eyes to hide when overwhelmed, rests chin in hands. taps fingers when impatient, taps fingers when nervous, taps fingers while thinking. scratches scalp, strokes chin, rubs back of head, toys with objects around them, runs fingers over surfaces while walking by. 003.ㅤ 𝗠𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛. chews lip, chews at inside of cheek, licks lips, bites tongue, chews on straws. resting frown, resting smile [I guess??], neutral resting expression, resting pout. grinds teeth, flexes jaw. covers mouth when laughing, covers mouth when shocked, covers mouth when concerned, hands to lips while thinking, covers mouth when chewing, chews with mouth closed, chews with mouth open. smirks, grins [always. because. well.], subtle smile, wide smiles, sad smiles, intimidating smiles, menacing grins. openly smiles, tries to suppress smiles, bares teeth when angry [and at all other times], lips quiver when emotional. stutters, speaks quickly, speaks slowly, good pronunciation, poor pronunciation, moderate pronunciation. purses lips, sucks in lips, holds mouth open when shocked or confused.

004.ㅤ 𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗦. bounces leg when nervous. draws knees to chest when sitting, draws knees to chest as a means of comfort, sits on knees, sits with legs crisscrossed, sits with legs spread open in chairs, crosses legs when sitting in chairs, sits with one leg folded under the other. places feet on furniture, never places feet on furniture, sits on counters, sits on desks, sits on tables, sits on edge of seat, sits hunched over with forearms on knees, arches one knee up, sits on the arm of chairs/couches, feet on dashboard, swings legs back and forth when sitting somewhere elevated. wiggles toes when nervous, wiggles toes as a general tick. shuffles feet, kicks foot into ground, stomps feet. loud footsteps, quiet footsteps, silent footsteps. 005.ㅤ 𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗥. runs fingers through hair, tugs at hair, picks at scalp, chews on hair, twists locks of hair while thinking or nervous, smooths out locks of hair while thinking or nervous. prefers hair out of face, prefers long hair, prefers short hair. wears hair back, keeps hair down, smooths back hair. plays with other’s hair while talking, plays with own hair while talking, strokes hair to comfort others, likes having hair stroked for their own comfort [... don't tell anybody], braids others’ hair while talking, braids own hair while talking. flips hair out of face, pushes hair out of face, leaves hair alone even when falling into face.

[Ensha is rather indifferent about hair. It's ... just there. Sort of.]

[runs fingers over surfaces while walking by]

Tagged by @hexenjagd (thanks!) Tagging: YOU! if you want to do this

[izar-tarazed]

In a fight my muse...

Bold the applicable, italicize if more situational or nuanced for what fits your muse tries in battle.

Izar

-closes distance / makes distance -uses overwhelming force / whittles down an opponent -can endure a long fight / cannot -is quick to start a fight / is rarely the instigator -tries to dodge / tries to block -uses psychological tactics / focuses on martial approach -is a graceless fighter / elegant fighter -values honor / uses dirty tactics -accepts defeat / begs for mercy / cuts and runs

Izar will usually rely on her sorceries and try to stay out of melee range whenever she can.

She has some powerful sorceries at her disposal (hence "overwhelming force" applies sometimes), but will only resort to them if she can afford the casting time (and otherwise rely on swifter sorceries such as her beloved comets).

If she is forced to engage in melee, she can handle herself for a while, but it’s still not her strong suit.

She has a shield. She always wields the shield. Every once in a while she will remember it's there.

She might accept defeat depending on the opponent, but will usually rather opt for a tactical retreat. This might include dying and waking up at the next site of grace (unpleasant and painful).

Ensha

-closes distance / makes distance -uses overwhelming force / whittles down an opponent -can endure a long fight / cannot -is quick to start a fight / is rarely the instigator -tries to dodge / tries to block -uses psychological tactics / focuses on martial approach -is a graceless fighter / elegant fighter -values honor / uses dirty tactics -accepts defeat / begs for mercy / cuts and runs

If fighting alongside Izar, Ensha will try to draw attention while in melee so Izar can cast her sorceries unbothered.

He’ll occasionally use his gravity sorceries. Collapsing Stars is frequently his solution to yank an enemy away from Izar.

He has absolutely no qualms to start a fight, especially if it grants him the element of surprise.

Fights are about survival, not honor.

Even with the focus on survival, Ensha is unlikely to retreat (and even less to accept defeat). He might run eventually, but first will usually opt for an even more reckless approach.

Tagged by @rotten-pest (thanks! This was fun!) Tagging: whoever wants to do this!

[izar-tarazed]

Izar, has it occurred to you that you may not have been as good a person in your previous life? Does it frighten you? Ensha, why defend a man who'd leave you for dead? Gideon wouldn't spit on you if you were on fire. - rotten-pest

There is a pause, then a deep breath as Izar ponders the question. Her fingers curl around the hem of her cloak, twisting it absentmindedly.

‟… It is something I have considered, yes.”

She presses her lips together, pulling deep blue cloth tighter around her fingers.

‟Very often, actually. Whenever I try to remember… I get to that point eventually. That maybe it’s better not to know. Maybe it’s a blessing to have forgotten past failures.

I don’t know what I may have done back then. Maybe I was trying to be a good person, and simply not succeeded? Much in the same way I do now? Sometimes I think that might actually be the worst. Because that way, if I ever were to remember my past, I would have cared about the people I failed… or hurt in some other way. I’d imagine not being a good person comes with the benefit of not caring too much, so whatever memories I’d recover from that—they might be uncomfortable, but probably less painful. If back then I hurt people who didn’t matter to me, I wouldn’t be remembering too fondly, now would I?

But maybe it would still be horrible. Maybe who I am today couldn’t bear who I was before. And maybe cruelties I can’t even imagine would return to haunt me?

Whatever the case… it all comes down to one thing: I’m terrified of remembering. Yet I wish so much that I could.” ========

The question is, of course, met with silence. But being who he is, Ensha has all sorts of silence at his disposal, and this one is different.

He lowers his gaze, something he hardly ever does; he’ll normally stare down whoever dares to address him. The slightest twitching of his fingers, not yet ready to sign an answer. The rest of him has gone completely still. It isn’t shock, though. It’s not the reaction one has when confronted with an uncomfortable truth for the first time, but when encountering one all too well known.

This is the silence Ensha reserves for this very truth, the silence he keeps it wrapped up in: deep enough to hide it from his own thoughts. Mostly, that is.

He keeps his gaze on his fingers as he signs,

‟It’s not a secret that everyone is expendable to Sir Gideon. I’m perfectly aware that I am no exception. So if this was meant to shock me…”

He shrugs. Another pause before he looks up. The eye sockets of his skull are always dark, but maybe now even more so; no glint whatsoever in them.

‟This is about loyalty, and complicated. There are many ways to ensure loyalty, and even more reasons to uphold it. It is not always a gift freely offered. That is all I will say on this matter.”

Gauntleted fingers curl into a fist, if only briefly: maybe just to signal the end of his answer.

[izar-tarazed]

🥃🥃! One for Izar and one for Ensha (provided he can drink. If not, Izar gets two c:)

Another round! Izar reaches for the first glass—the two shots before have left a pleasant warmth within. Sitting close to a site of grace feels a little similar. She moves the glass a little so the stardust-like glittering within whirls, smiles at that and then drinks. She thinks for a moment, considering what she could share.

‟I was so happy when I got my own little chamber at the Roundtable Hold. You’re not given one right away, of course—not while Gideon Ofnir considers you merely a house guest.”

She grimaces briefly, glowering at her empty glass as if it was to blame for Sir Gideon’s behavior.

‟He seemed extremely reluctant when I returned from Stormveil, having claimed a Great Rune. Still, he handed me the key to my very own room. Nowhere near as spacious as the one Fia occupied, for example, but good enough for me. After all… Maybe I had a room all to myself before, but I don’t remember that. Ever since I woke up in the Lands Between, it was ruins and caves, abandoned shacks and places like that. I didn’t mind it; I still don’t when I travel. I like to rest under the open sky. And when I first arrived at the Hold, merely having access to a bed was an unexpected luxury.

But having a little space all to myself… I can’t quite put into words what that means. It’s like a small island amidst a rolling sea. I’ve made that place mine. I keep all the things there that I don’t want to carry around all the time. I have a desk, although I mostly head over to the Table of Lost Grace because the golden light is just the best illumination. I have a small shelf where I keep the books and scrolls that I own. I’ve put maps and sketches on the walls, and a runebear skin on my bed… no, I didn’t kill that beast myself, I merely bought its pelt.

I don’t really know what home is supposed to feel like; but I guess this is the closest thing that I have to one.”

She sighs and reaches for the second glass. Ensha steps closer and snatches it before her fingers even graze the glass. It’s impressive how he manages a disapproving glance without the slightest change in his skull’s features. ‟What do you mean?” she protests. ‟I’m fine. This is basically water. It might have magic.”

He doesn’t roll his eyes, of course, but tilts his head a little as if he did. Then he empties the glass in Izar’s stead, fingers drumming on wood before signing,

‟I hate it when she dies. It goes without saying that I do my best to prevent it from happening in the first place. Yet sometimes, it can’t be helped. I see her fall and turn to dust.

It is… unpleasant. I will then make my way back to the last site of grace that we rested at. They are lightless to me, but I make sure to remember their exact location. And then I wait. Wherever it is. Whatever happens. However long it takes.

To return from beyond takes an awful lot of time. And for all that she claims to see the grace shining brightly, an infallible guidance… We both know that return is never fully certain.

Sometimes I will doubt it as I wait. Or I wonder whether my memory has failed me and this is not the right spot. Sometimes it takes longer than usual… Rain might fall. Mist might rise. If foes approach, I make sure to kill them, so the area is safe. I never go far, though.

Until now, she has always come back, every single time. And I've always been in the right spot. Still… I hate it when she dies.”

[izar-tarazed]

Which DnD class suits your personality?

Izar: Wizard

You love to learn, whether in a traditional academic setting or on your own. You definitely look before you leap and you may spend so much time coming up with a plan (or five) that you never actually get around to leaping at all. You work best when you’ve had time to prepare. You love getting to the heart of something and really understanding it on a deeper level.

You may not be the strongest physically, but few can match your sharp mind.

Subclass: Order of Scribes

Among wizards, the Order of Scribes is the most bookish. It takes many forms in different worlds, but its primary mission is the same everywhere: recording magical discoveries so that wizardry can flourish. And while all wizards value spellbooks, a wizard in the Order of Scribes magically awakens their book, turning it into a trusted companion. You’re a curious person who highly values the preservation of knowledge.

You probably have really strong feelings about the Library of Alexandria Raya Lucaria. You’re pretty resourceful and you’re good at using whatever tools are available to you to help you learn what you want to know or to accomplish a goal. You can happily spend a whole day absorbed by research or studying and you pour so much time and care into your work that you might start to see it as an extension of yourself.

Ensha: Fighter

You’re a practical and determined person who goes after what you want. You’re very competitive and may be a bit of a perfectionist, always challenging yourself to do better. You’re not an especially flashy person and you don’t care about status or luxury unless it’s something you’ve earned. You’re grounded and focused on the real world, more concerned with what is than with what could be.

Subclass: Champion

The archetypal Champion focuses on the development of raw physical power honed to deadly perfection. Those who model themselves on this archetype combine rigorous training with physical excellence to deal devastating blows. You’re a strong and determined person who cares a lot about self-improvement. You want to be the best version of yourself and you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get there. You’re very resilient and it takes a lot to keep you down for long. At times you might be a little impulsive, planning is not necessarily your strong suit. You’re very straightforward, sometimes to the point of bluntness, and you feel that the most direct path is usually the best path.

___

Tagged by @fishermcn (thanks! I was actually looking for something like this!)

Tagging: @miseryscrowned (for whatever OC you see fit!) and anyone who'd like to do it!

[izar-tarazed]

NAME: Zari (technically Září)

PRONOUNS: she/her

MOST ACTIVE MUSE(S)? My Tarnished, Izar. (Although I guess at this point it’s only fair to include Ensha as well, although he’ll rarely show up on his own.)

RP PET PEEVES?

Can’t really think of one, to be honest. I mean, there are obvious no-gos (powerplaying/godmodding), but I’ve yet to come across someone who does that. Other than that…?

EXPERIENCE / HOW MANY YEARS?

Regarding tumblr RP specifically, I’ve only picked that up this year. (Not completely new to tumblr—I had a Skyrim themed blog some years ago but somehow never came across RP there.)

However, I roleplayed privately with a friend in a forum for about ten years, going through an array of characters (both fandomless OCs and OCs/NPCs from different games). Besides, I’m a writer, so storytelling and crafting character arcs has been a part of my life for the longest time, which helps.

FLUFF, ANGST, OR SMUT?

The balance does it, I guess? I don’t write smut but both fluff and angst can be fun to write and great for character development (be it individual or regarding the dynamics between characters).

In storytelling, I tend to allow characters moments of fluff in order to recover from particularly intense angst (or lull them into a false sense of security before hitting them with angsty stuff). Likewise, I have fun with both in RP. (I think I'm leaning a little more towards angst with Izar, given the setting.)

PLOTS OR MEMES?

Yes!

To elaborate, I enjoy both. Memes are often great for exploring a character or character dynamics in a very specific situation, allow for some bite-sized, lighthearted interaction, or even serve as starting point for a larger thread.

Plots mean more commitment but cooking them up together is just fun and I love it. They’re really about cooperative storytelling (memes are more like improv, I guess).

Like with fluff and angst, balancing them a little works best for me because the details I might learn about my characters thanks to a meme will often come in handy in plot contexts, and help to provide more depth.

LONG OR SHORT REPLIES?

I’ll usually try to match my RP partner’s length, so I won’t write an entire novel as a reply to one paragraph. Generally, though, I lean towards longer replies.

TIME TO WRITE?

YES!

I write on a daily basis, and while that also means non-RP stuff (both original and fanfiction), I’ve come to include my tumblr threads in that routine. After all, it’s storytelling! I don’t have a real schedule, though. I’ll sometimes try to get my writing done first thing in the morning—when I settle down at my desk with my coffee—, but busy days might find me desperately squeezing out my daily wordcount waaaaay beyond bedtime.

But there definitely is time to write everyday. I make that time. I’ve worked hard to make it so and have writing become an essential part of my routine, so my day simply isn’t complete without some writing.

ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE(S)?

…yes, I totally just stand leaning against walls and stare at people in silence at all times. And then I try to kill them.

Okay, seriously, I guess Izar might have inherited some traits I have and some struggles I can relate to. Constantly questioning whether you’re doing the right thing? Check. Getting enthusiastic about rather specific niche knowledge in my fields of interest and expertise? Check. [*inhales deeply* ...like. do you ever think about how 16th century and later Spanish chronicles basically manufactured indigenous discourse by, for example, quoting indigenous people of Peru as supposedly describing the Spaniards’ horses—foreign to them—as ‟strange llamas,” only that llamas in turn were foreign to Spaniards so they phrased the allegedly indigenous comparation as ‟some kind of sheep,” despite sheep being as foreign to Peru as horses, so they were trying to mimick what they supposed would be the indigenous worldview yet ended up being very European about it?] …yes. I can slip a llama into every conversation, but that’s not something Izar does. However, now that I think about it, with her enthusiasm to learn more about the specific cosmovisions of the different cultures and species in the Lands Between, I realize I may have accidentally made her a cultural anthropologist—like me—at heart. ____

Tagged by @necrophcge (sorry it took so long)

Tagging: ... I have the feeling that most people already got tagged and did this, so... whoever wants to?

[izar-tarazed]

Which character type are you? Tagged by @hexenjagd (thank you!)

📚 The Scholar 📚

Someone who'd give away most things, perhaps everything, for knowledge, for understanding, for meaning. A person living in the world like it's an experiment; a person oddly generous when others least expect it.

... of course Izar would be the scholar. I love that I got this result for her. (Not tagging anyone for now, feel free to take this little quiz and tag me if you like so I can see your result!)

[izar-tarazed]

5 songs, 4 outfits: Celasha Xalanthyrr

I was tagged by @lolthslover (thanks again!), so here's my Tav-to-be who's also my character from my very first DnD campaign. Meet Celasha, who has gone all the way from level 1 to 20 (and recently feebleminded Tiamat herself)! (I don't know who to tag, but anyone who sees this and wishes to do this for an OC, be my guest!)

Celasha is a noble drow, hailing from the [homebrew] city of Alaundryn that she might or not have partially flooded at one point. (It was totally an accident! Long story!) She's a bard (College of Glamour).

Exiled from her home, she is initially deeply suspicious of everything on the surface, slow to trust and terrified of betrayal and wild water. Over the course of her adventures, she slowly heals and overcomes her fears. She masters fey magic and learns to control water, and realizes the surface has amazing sweets to offer. Celasha has accompanied me for almost four years in our campaign (and will do so a little longer as my next Tav) and helped me through rough times of writer's block, so I might talk a little more about her in some of the games I've been tagged in, because I need to come to term with the fact that we're about to wrap up the campaign. (I'll miss her!) 💜

Songs

1. I Let The Music Speak (ABBA) I'm hearing images, I'm seeing songs No poet has ever painted Voices call out to me, straight to my heart So strange yet we're so well acquainted I let the music speak, with no restraints 2. Contra Todo (iLe) Con el coraje de frente | Voy a ganar la batalla Hecha de viento y de playa | Soy la ola que va a romper 3. Surface Pressure (Jessica Darrow/Encanto) I'm pretty sure I'm worthless if I can't be of service 4. Mi Libertad (Monsieur Periné) Yo soy una aventurera Una madrugada en soledad Soy una guitarra que canta al viento Una cordillera que llega al mar 5. Resistiré (Boikot) Resistiré, para seguir viviendo Soportaré los golpes y jamás me rendiré Y aunque los sueños se me rompan en pedazos Resistiré, resistiré

Outfits

Now that part was harder! As a noble drow, Celasha values fine and elegant clothing, but will settle for something more simple when adventuring. (However, she's fond of keeping her attire always clean by excessive use of Prestidigitation, and she does the same for her companions ... travelling with surfacers is bad enough, no need to be seen with dirty surfacers!)

Bonus: This was one of her early looks I made in Hero Forge: a simple leather armor (purple, of course, the amethyst is her family's insignia stone), her beloved lute, her list of favors and faerie fire.