#rise of the shadowmaster

[taleweaver-ramblings]

D&D Story: So it's been a Day

So, last time I posted about the D&D campaign I play in, Rise of the Shadowmaster, my party had just killed one of our long-time nemeses, Ralak Shas, a rakshasa who'd decided he had it out for our group after we messed with his plans one too many times.

That was a month ago, real time. In that time, we have managed to progress exactly one and one-half days, and storms has this been a wild two days for my character.

Obviously it started with a victory (Ralak Shas is dead!). Then, after a quick chat with my character's dad, we used our last teleport to shift to the magic college where my character's brother had asked her to meet him. There, we were met not by my character's brother but by one of her stepsisters, who was very clearly trying to separate me from the rest of my party and sending me off to a cafe in town.

(Cue concern.jpg)

Because it's my sister, we went along with it. I headed to the cafe, where I met with my character's brother (in disguise), who informed me that, yes, Ralak-Shas is dead . . . but he'd been lining up a hit on at least some of my family members, possibly all of them. (This is no small undertaking; my character has a HUGE blended family — four full siblings, three stepsiblings, and five half-siblings, plus two living parents.) The one hit he was certain of was targeting two of my stepsisters (twins) who were attending this college, and he'd called me and my party in for backup. After informing me of everything he knew and warning me of the need to be subtle (as an obvious counter-move in one location could set off attacks elsewhere), we went our separate ways. And in my party's defense, we did a reasonably good job of being subtle . . .

Until our rogue got caught sneaking into the probable assassins' apartments, stabbed a guy in defense, stuffed the guy in a bag of holding, and got seen leaving the premises in a hurry.

(Cue panic.jpg)

While my character's brother went to run damage control with the local law enforcement, our party jumped into action to find and guard my stepsisters (and also to warn the rest of my family, via Sending, that an attack might be imminent). We found one without a problem (thanks to the magic of sending stones), but finding the other was more difficult. Eventually, we (with the help of local law enforcement) realized she was probably at the theater — and, sure enough, when we arrived we found the assassins in place on the theater catwalks and lining up their shots. One swift and effective battle later, most of them were dead, except for the annoying pirate-adjacent tabaxi who once again managed to save on a death throw and run away while we weren't looking (after I pushed him off a catwalk). We cleaned up those that escaped in an ambush later when they tried to skip town, having found out that the tabaxi was in a soul-contract with Ralak-Shas to try to kill my stepsisters.

(For some reason, our sorcerer thought I was going to panic about this. I was not particularly panicked. I already knew he needed to die, and that if it came to it, I could kill him with a clean conscience, and that is, in fact, exactly what I did.)

So. That was one day. Next morning: I receive a message from my character's oldest brother that the pass that he and his wife are currently helping to guard was attacked by a dragon and a goblin army, and that there were casualties but he and his wife weren't among them. This is a relief; they're probably my character's favorite siblings. We're also reasonably certain that my character's dad and sister at the military outpost are ok — they've capable adventures, they've been warned there might still be a threat, and they're surrounded by warriors and paladins and clerics.

We only have one teleport at this point, but our cleric suggests we try a shortcut through the Shadowfell, the residence of his deity — with whom he has a much closer relationship than the average cleric does, seeing as he's technically dead and only came back to the material plane to help us out. (Long story.) One brief bit of negotiation and an offer to put in a good word for this deity with some of the others later and we found ourselves zapped across the Shadowfell to the location of a shadow-portal into my character's home.

(In the process, we also learned that this deity is, in fact, married to the goddess my character serves. This was of much interest to both me and my character, but also very disappointing to our ranger, who kiiiiiinda had a crush on him, not that she'd ever admit it. Out of character, I'm also absolutely DELIGHTED to have seen how a particular bit of lore I gave my DM actually worked out — background, when he was setting up the world, he gave me permission to make up the deity or deities my character served, so I knew my character's goddess was married before she ascended, but I didn't know what had happened after she ascended.)

Anyway, we found the main part of my family still safe and unattacked, and we actually had a pretty uneventful day of keeping an eye on them and checking on things in town . . . until dinnertime came, and my character's mom said "Let's not discuss any of what's been going on and just enjoy each other's company."

(Cue trouble.jpg)

There's a knock on the door. One of my character's sister's adventurer-friends (who's been helping watch out for my character's family) walks in with an official messenger. The messenger asks my character's stepmother to come receive an important, sensitive message. My character, her stepmother, and her sister, come with the messenger. At this point, in and out of character, I have a suspicion of what's coming, and I'm mentally rolling the dice; either this messenger is an assassin, or my character's dad is dead or captured, or my character's sister is dead or captured.

It's my character's dad.

He's dead.

And just as we get that news, we hear the door shatter downstairs, just like I feared, because Ralak Shas's final attack has come.

~~~~~

So, yeah. Next session is going to be wild. And I do not know how my character is going to take this once the battle is over. A lot of it will depend on whether or not any of her younger siblings get hurt. Losing any of her younger siblings — the youngest of which is barely out of toddler-hood — would wreck her. Losing multiple might actually break her.

Losing her dad . . .

On one hand, her relationship with her father has always been a little rocky. He had an idea of who he wanted her to be — an adventurer, a hero, just like he had been — that didn't match what she wanted. They'd fought about many a time. Even once they reached a compromise, she still harbored some bad feelings towards him.

But he's her father. And family is everything to my character. It doesn't matter if she likes them; she loves them just the same. She would die for any of them.

She didn't even have the chance to try.

So, yeah. I don't know if this is going to motivate her to keep adventuring even more — to carry out her father's wishes to a point where she feels he would have been undoubtedly happy with her — or if she'll stop because she no longer needs to please him or if she'll feel unmoored now that she no longer has the steadying tension of their relationship. I don't know if she'll feel she needs to stay home to care for her family, or if she'll feel that there's nothing she can do but keep on with her original mission (and at least saving the world means she doesn't have to deal with her grief for a while). I don't know if she'll be sad or relieved or both at once.

She might not even believe he's dead at first. Who can say if the messenger was telling the truth? With the timing of the message, it might have been a trick.

I do know that if her dad is the only one who dies, and if he is dead in truth, her first thought isn't going to be grief. Her first thought is going to be can I bring him back? She knows there are clerics who can Raise Dead, and she has the money and diamonds to afford it. She'll gladly pay it if it means her younger siblings don't have to grow up without a father.

If the answer is no, though . . . well. I guess we'll see what happens.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Thursday, November 9

Spike: Bloody hell, woman. You're cuttin' off my circulation. Buffy: You don't have any circulation. Spike : Well, it pinches.

~~Pangs~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

The letter (Willow, NR) by Pzyii

Jugadores de póquer (Spanish language, M) by irati

Puertas Cerradas (Spanish language, G) by irati

Blush (Buffy/Angel, T) by aboutafox

Blood Red Dahlias and Dirt Road Dust (Angel/Georgia O'Keefe, E) by miirica

I was in Heaven, Now I'm not (Buffy, G) by JAMrulz

they say don't open old wounds (but you're still brand new) (Buffy/Faith, T) by Lesbian_Valkyrie

Agujeros (Spanish language, crossover with The X-Files, G) by irati

[Chaptered Fiction]

Lover, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, T) by EllieRose101

Love is Forever, Chapter 15 (Crossover with Transformers, M) by Sass_is_my_power

Vampires in Vanier, Chapter 1 (Buffy, G) by ByeByeBobbie

The Butterfly Effect, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Angel, T) by melodys_muse

Amara Time, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Joan963z

Rise, Chapter 18 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by CheekyKitten

Better the Devil You Know, Chapter 27 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by SlayrGrl

Fates Intertwined: A Second Chance, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Spikelover4ever

56 Hours, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Soulburnt

To All We Guard, Chapter 11 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by simmony

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The Dawn That Shines Through To The Dusk, Chapter 7 (Multiple crossings, FR21) by ShadowMaster

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The Ring Talks, Chapter 35 (Buffy/Spike, 13+) by myrabeth

Bring Him Home, Chapter 33 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Acb6293

Encased in Sunshine, Chapter 29 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Acb6293

Spooky Dates, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Tessa

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[cravingsfromatwistedone]

[ MASTERLIST ]

With the huge undercity Gannon at the center connected to several nearby settlements, this military group formed a base to serve as the first line of defense against Eclipsite invasions. The military-first system was vigorously promoted, scientific research received heavy investment, education was made accessible for all, and a civil service system was established. At present, the Illumina Federation is committed to uniting factions to establish a unified and just governing body. With its continuous growth, the Illumina Federation is gradually branching away from Lumopolis...

GLORIOUS IRONJAW, BARTON

GENERAL CANONS [ FIC / SLIGHT NSFW ]

BITTERNESS [ DRABBLE / NSFW ]

STONEWALL, GRAM

CURRENTLY NONE!

THE ACHERON FERRYMAN, CHARON

CURRENTLY NONE!

Umbraton is a collection of towns beneath Azurite, and is also the most accessible location in Astra. It began as the slums of Lumopolis before evolving into a hub of commerce and trade. As its influence expanded and the population increased, Umbraton became autonomous. No longer under the authority of Lumopolis, Umbraton is now controlled by local guilds and major gangs

THE SHADOWMASTER OF SCARS, ISTVAN

HEAD'S DOWN [ DRABBLE / NSFW ]

TENTACLES IN TUXEDO, KLEKEN

CURRENTLY NONE!

DRAGONIC BLADE, TAKI

GENERAL CANONS [ FIC / SLIGHT NSFW ]

A SMALL PRICE TO PAY [ DRABBLE / SLIGHT NSFW ] PART 1

A SMALL PRICE TO PAY [ FIC / NSFW ] PART 2

ICY LANCET, CORAX

CURRENTLY NONE!

BANG OF SHADOW WOLF, HYDRAD

CURRENTLY NONE!

SPIRITWEAVER, LUKE

CURRENTLY NONE!

The city built on a floating island called Azurite is the center of Aurorian civilization. With a powerful protective barrier, it is also the safest stronghold in the world. There is a strict hierarchy here; the Governor, the Elder Council of the Nobles, and the Priests of the Temple, who together, govern a large number of civilians. Lumopolis sees itself as the protector of Astral civilization, accustomed to dictating what goes on in the outside world. However, with the rise of the Illumina Federation, Lumopolis' high officials have become increasingly alarmed

BOLT OF JUDGEMENT, PITTMAN

CURRENTLY NONE!

Engulfed in winter all year round and sparsely populated, the great snow-capped mountains to the north of the border were once the home of the entire Aurorian tribe, who eventually left this land in search of warmer climes. The remaining Aurorians there have thrived, calling themselves the people of Northland. Even though the Northland Aurorians are a formidable force, they rarely involve themselves in Astra's affairs, living an unsullied existence where all important matters are handled by their queen

HEALING FLAME, NOVIO

CURRENTLY NONE!

A secret society with a long history that has no fixed territory. Its fanatical and zealous members always lurked among Astral's cities, and wandered around indistinct gray zones, promoting their own ideas and philosophies. It is said that the True Order believes that the history and tomes made public by the Lumopolis Temple are false and that they are committed to unearthing the buried truth

TERRORS OF THE NIGHT, FAUST

DEADLY DESIRES [ DRABBLE / YANDERE ]

A disorderly and no-nonsense nomadic alliance made up of travelers, adventurers, and bounty hunters. Using righteousness as a criterion, those who are deemed worthy by the majority are elected as leaders. With a Lizard Colossus as their mobile base, they wander the dunes in their tattered vehicles, either pieced together or modified, living an unfettered, carefree life

SMOOTH MECHANIC, ROY

DADDY [ DRABBLE / NSFW ]

MY REGULAR INTAKE [ FIC / NSFW ]

WHIRLING TURBINE, BROCK

CURRENTLY NONE!

HOMME FATAL, FLEUR

TAMING THE PET [ DRABBLE / NSFW ]

[xasha777]

In the luminous heart of Neo-Eden, a sprawling megacity that pulsed with neon lights and cutting-edge technology, the echoes of an ancient dualistic battle stirred beneath the sleek surface of progress. It was here, amidst the towering skyscrapers and shadowed alleyways, that Aria found herself drawn into a conflict as old as time itself: the struggle between light and darkness, epitomized by the forgotten teachings of Manichaeism.

Aria, with her striking white hair and piercing blue eyes, was not merely a citizen of Neo-Eden but a chosen emissary of the Light. The luminous choker adorned with the symbol of the X, known among the few enlightened as the Seal of Synthesis, marked her as a key player in the metaphysical war that raged unseen. It was said that the Seal granted its wearer the ability to balance the opposing forces of good and evil, making her a target for both factions.

As the story unfolded, Aria discovered her origins were intertwined with a secret order, the Custodians of Light, who had safeguarded the knowledge of Manichaeism through the ages. This ancient doctrine taught of a cosmic struggle between the benevolent forces of Light, led by the mysterious entity known only as the Pure, and the malevolent Dark, commanded by the sinister Shadowmaster.

One night, under the cover of darkness, Aria was ambushed by agents of the Dark. They sought to capture her and extinguish the Seal’s power, tipping the balance in favor of chaos and ruin. But Aria, guided by the wisdom of her ancestors and her own latent powers, managed to escape, diving deeper into the underbelly of Neo-Eden.

Her journey led her to the Archive, a hidden library of forgotten lore, where she uncovered the Prophecy of the Binary Star. It foretold the emergence of a Dark emissary who would rise as her counterpart, possessing a Seal that embodied the inverse, a sigil of shadow. The prophecy spoke of a final confrontation between the two that would either restore balance or doom the world to an era of darkness.

Determined to thwart this grim fate, Aria sought out allies in the unlikeliest of places, from rogue androids to cybernetic seers. Together, they unraveled clues that led them across the city, from the soaring heights of the Aerium, a district floating among the clouds, to the depths of the Subterra, a network of tunnels shrouded in mystery.

As the celestial cycles neared their critical alignment, Aria faced the emissary of the Dark in a battle that transcended physical boundaries, venturing into the very essence of their beings. Light clashed with shadow in a dazzling spectacle, each blow echoing the ancient conflict of their beliefs.

In the end, as the city watched, suspended in a moment outside of time, Aria managed to harness the full power of the Seal of Synthesis. With a burst of blinding light, she enveloped both herself and her adversary, fusing the duality into unity. Neo-Eden awoke to a new dawn, one where light and darkness coexisted in a delicate balance, safeguarded by Aria, the keeper of the new order.

Thus, the ancient teachings of Manichaeism found a new expression in the future, a reminder that even in a world ruled by technology and progress, the oldest conflicts of the human spirit persist, demanding resolution not through conquest, but through synthesis.

[bloodycassian]

Az x reader. Part 3 of ‘tension’ fic where reader helps fight in the library. Azriel keeps trying to dig deeper on readers powers.

Rhysand moved pawns across the map on the table. Cassian watched, dread filling his gut with every new pawn his brother summoned. 

"Do you have any other insights?" Rhys muttered, not looking toward Azriel leaning on the wall. The lavender curtains billowed on the balcony of the war room, as if they sensed the turmoil in the room. There was a storm brewing, Az could feel it in his bones. The chill it brought to the wind. The way his shadows clung closer to his body like a protective layer. 

Az shook his head, wishing he had any clue what the new forces were doing. How they had even showed up on the northern border of the night court. His blood thrummed to protect, protect, protect his home.The shadows seemed irritated with him, whispering at him louder and louder. Growing restless. 

"If they take the Illyrian steppes they'll be in for quite the surprise. It may buy us time." Cassian said softly, dragging a finger down the edge of the map. Rhys blew out a long breath. 

"I know you're both doing your best. I need every piece of information possible. We need to know how they're taking the magic from those walls." He glanced to his shadowmaster. Azriel's heart sank. He was doing his cauldron's best to find out all he could. He didnt bother to put up the fight with Rhys. "Cassian we need the Illyrians to be ready. Have them stationed at the outposts as far north as they can go." His brother nodded. Rhys sighed deeply again. He looked tired. 

"The beast in the library turned to ash. Went north. Could be a coincidence... or not..." Azriel muttered, offering the only damned thing he knew. 

The rest of the night proceeded similarly, comparing information back and forth until they were tired.

+ "You look like shit." You said, part laughing but another half genuinely concerned. Azriel was slowly pulling his training sword from the rack. A small grin passed over his features. 

"A Valkyrie in training should know better than to insult a better opponent." He said, inspecting the nick marks on the edge of the sword. It was a hardwood, light enough to simulate a real blade but dull so it didnt cut. His eyes narrowed at the blade, then turned on you.

"I wanted to try it." You said guiltily. "Gwyn insisted!" You tried to defend from that prying stare. He shook his head menacingly. 

"This deserves a heavy punishment." His voice was low, almost a growl. It made your toes curl in your boots. Heat rise to your cheeks in the bright morning sun.  He struck your shield fast as lightning. And you set off into training. A dance of swords clashing and heavy breathing. Relentless, focused and  it would have been deadly if you used real blades. By the end you were exhausted, only able to weakly hold up your shield against his attacks.  + "Are you a habitual liar or is it just for fun?" Az asked, washing his sweaty face off in the drink station at the corner of the ring. Shame and anger panged in your stomach. "I told you I didnt lie."

"Sorry, omitted information - as you call it." He shook his hair out, sending droplets flying at you. You wiped your face and gave him a look. He shrugged and towled out his hair. His muscles shone in the afternoon light. He had been brutal the entire training session. Your hands stung with the new blisters forming from your sword and shield. 

You dunked your face and hair next, the cold water shocking you slightly. Waking you up from the slump you were feeling coming on. "Why would I tell a spy everything about me?" You sniped back at him, catching the towel he threw your way. It smelled like him, overwhelmingly. Your head spun. 

Azriel hid his amused smile when he saw Cassian's dark wings loomed above. He nodded at his brother when he landed in the center of the ring. "Ready for round two, Valkyrie?" Cassian picked up your sword from where you had abandoned it at the edge of the ring. 

You gave him a glare and he laughed. He flipped your sword in his hand like it was a toy. "Not a Valkyrie yet. I haven't cut the ribbon." You corrected him, trudging over and picking up your shield. It was definitely heavier than before. Your muscles begged you to put it down. 

"Who needs a ribbon when you have light powers?" Cassian laughed, swinging your sword in the ring. You felt your cheeks heat. You just couldnt get them off your back about it. Azriel crossed his arms over his chest, grinning smugly.  "I didnt ask for them. Give me my sword so I can go home." You growled, holding your hand out expectantly. 

Cassian's face was a mix of confusion and his usual amusement when he turned back to you, holding your sword out on both hands and lowering his head. Honorable. You wanted to hit him with it. 

Azriel seemed to appear from nowhere by the weapons rack. You didnt hear him approach. "Born with immense power, awful attitude...are you sure you're not Illyrian?" Cassian flicked your ear and you would have snatched it from him if you weren't so exhausted. Az held back a grin, knowing well that you were not in the mood. You leaned your weapon on the rack and held an arm out to Azriel. "Get me away from this war mongering beast please." You sighed, finally getting that full smile from him.

"Beast." Cassian laughed, "That's what Nes-" Azriel took off with you before you could hear the rest. You blocked what he was about to say from your memory. You groaned against the strain flying took. You arms felt like dead weight around Az's neck.

His scent was overpowering. Absolutely intoxicating. You tried to breath away from him, tried not to lean your head further on his shoulder to get to the core of that sweetness. His hair tickled your arm and you fought not to melt into him. It didnt help when he adjusted his grip to hold you closer. 

Azriel's thoughts were muddled. The training had been tough, even for him. He tried focusing on the information you'd revealed to Cassian, but your scent was overpowering to him. He noted the pointed effort you made to not look at him. How your arms shook slightly around his neck. He told himself it was from the effort of training. The exhaustion setting in. It did nothing to quell his adrenaline pumping at the thought of the reaction being from him. 

He landed with a grunt. His hands were stiff, but thankfully no cramping after the flight. The front door of your apartment had a bright red envelope on it. 

 "Guardian" scrawled out on the back of it made your mind spin. How had anyone beyond the library known? Did they actually know or was this just a new nickname? 

"Someone was here it seems." Azriel said, folding his hands behind his back. His shadows dispatched to the area came back with nothing of use. No footprints, no scent, nothing left behind from whoever left the note. Concern grew when he watched as you flipped the envelope over. The wax seal was a dark purple, stamped with what looked to be a lion's head. "What is it?" He asked, trying to sound unconcerned. 

You seemed to snap out of a trance. You quickly pulled yourself together. He couldnt know, he couldnt suspect anything of it. You had to be sure he didn't think a thing of the formal letter waiting in that envelope. You knew your homeland well enough to know this wasn't a simple greeting card. 

"It's nothing, probably my landlord bitching again." You shrugged, turning your key in the deadbolt. He nodded, but still waited. As if waiting for an invitation inside. You heart sang to do so. The letter felt like a weight in your hand. You made your way inside as normal as you could. Trying to hide your shaking hands.

"Late training tomorrow?" You said with a sheepish grin, leaning in the doorway. He stepped back, understanding the body language. Smirking, he only shook his head. "We'll see. I'll be at your window if you dont answer the door though."  And with that he was gone. 

You were left alone with the deafening silence of your apartment. The letter smacked onto the table like a lead weight. You swore the sound echoed. 

[paladin-andric]

Moments in History: The First King’s Passing

Fitting mood music here

Gira swooped down onto the garden grounds, everyone else already gathered. The grass waved in the cool Autumn breeze as the sun shone down on the crowd of royals.

The dragon quickly landed and moved to examine the situation. Mere moments ago, a castle servant barged into her room, panting with exhaustion. Someone had sent the man to fetch Gira immediately, the servant sprinting through the halls to make sure she could come in time.

“Godfrey,” The man said, gasping, “They think it’s the end. He’s in the garden.”

No sooner then the words left his mouth, Gira launched herself through the hole in the ceiling, rushing to her greatest friend’s side.

The prince looked up at the dragon, pain in his eyes. He was no longer the baby she once knew. Through the years, he had matured into a wise and experienced man. His young face and bushy goatee reminded Gira of Godfrey, so long ago...

“Gira...father is...”

“Leave it to me!” The dragon bellowed, “Step aside, all of you!”

“N-No, Gira, that’s not it.” The prince lowered his head. “He’s not sick. He’s not hurt. It’s just time.”

King Godfrey lay in an elaborate looking bed, the old man pale and deathly looking. The dark brown in his hair and beard was long gone, with nothing but white left. He was dressed in his finest garments and his crown lay beside him.

“He is unwell! Allow me to do my work!”

“Gira...” The prince swallowed nervously. “He’s ninety-three. You must understand that this is out of your power.”

“How dare you!” The dragon roared, “Move out of my way, NOW! He will be well as long as YOU stay out of this!”

Gira stepped forward as the crowd made room for her, the dragon leaning down and looking closely at King Godfrey. Gira felt sadness well up in her as she saw the pale shade of what was once the powerful and energetic king.

Taking a deep breath, the black dragon blew her healing breath, the wisps of magic pouring out of her maw and onto the king. She felt brief elation at her work, only to be dumbstruck as time passed.

Nothing happened. The king was still motionless, eyes closed and looking just as sickly.

“W-What?” Gira, for the first time in her life, felt true fear. “Why is...?”

“I told you,” The prince said, “He’s not sick. He’s old.”

“I do not understand...why is he not cured?”

“You cannot cure age, Gira.”

The dragon’s eyes widened as panic filled her. Quickly, she breathed again, pouring healing energy over Godfrey. Nothing. She did it again. Once more, nothing happened.

“Gira, please!” The prince cried, “Let him pass with dignity!”

“There is nothing dignified about this!” Gira shouted in horror, “Look at him! He needs help!”

“There’s no more helping, Gira. He’s reached his limit.”

“N-No! That is not true! He is just worse than when I cured his leprosy! I just need to keep using my magics! He will improve with enough effort!”

“G-Gira...“

The hoarse whisper made the dragon freeze. That voice...

“Godfrey...?”

The king was awake. Eyes open only a sliver, staring at the black dragon.

“You came...”

Gira leaned forward, frowning. “Of course I did.”

“Rufus is right...my time has come.”

“No!” Gira cried, “I can save you, just as I have before! This I swear with my life!”

“No,” Godfrey responded, “Please. You did revive me, but...I am so old...I am so tired...Gira...my body is shutting down. Forcing me to go on like this...it hurts so much.”

Gira’s tongue was tied as she fumbled to find an appropriate response. Godfrey started right into her eyes, his pain apparent.

“Let me go, Gira.”

The words hit the dragon like a mountain. Her claws dug into the earth as the shock and pain rendered the dragon speechless. Her face was twisted into a visage of horrified realization.

This was it. He couldn’t be saved.

“Oh, Gira,” Godfrey said, voice low, “I know it hurts. I felt the same when my parents before me went.“ The king took a long pause, the speech taxing on what little of him was left.

“But you have to accept that I’m leaving.”

Gira’s stomach was churning as she struggled to keep herself from collapsing. Her body felt weak and wobbly. Her vision was clouded.

“King Godfrey...I...I cannot...it cannot end like this.”

“This is the only way it could end,” the king responded, “We all go eventually.”

As the dragon stood, mouth agape, Godfrey turned to face the prince.

“Rufus...I know you will do great things. Already you’ve shown your potential. You’re a great man. I am so proud of you.”

“Father...” Prince Rufus let tears flow down his face as he wrapped his arms around the bedridden king, “I will make you proud. I promise.”

“I know you will. Goodbye...my son.” Godfrey lacked the strength to hug his son back, all he could offer were tears. The dying king turned his attention back to Gira. The dragon’s eyes were shut tight as she fought to fully grasp what was happening.

“Gira...you’ve done so much for me. For everyone. I could never truly repay you in full...but you have my eternal gratitude.”

Gira shook her head. “N-No. I could not heal you. You are going to die, and it is my fault.”

Godfrey took a deep, raspy breath. “Gira...in my youth...you cured me of leprosy. I was at death’s door. Thanks to you, I got to live my entire life, and to the very fullest. I owe you everything. It’s not your fault that time claims me. You’re a savior. This is just how it has to be.”

“Godfrey...I will not be able to go on...please...please do not die. I do not know what I will do without you.”

“You will live, Gira.” Godfrey’s face curled into a weak smile. “You are so young, compared to what you will be. You have your entire life ahead of you. Don’t throw it away. Live...for me. I want you to be happy.”

“I...I cannot...” Gira’s voice quivered. “G-Godfrey...please...”

The king sighed. His bones ached. His chest hurt. It was time.

“I’m sorry. If I could stay, I would. Thank you, Gira. For everything.”

Gira bowed her head. “Master Godfrey...”

Godfrey smiled, content. “I’ll miss you.”

Slowly, the king’s eyes closed. His chest stopped rising. Silence filled the air as the crowd wept.

Prince Rufus turned away, covering his mouth as his eyes squeezed shut.

Gira shook her head. This couldn’t be happening!

“No...NO!”

The dragon roared, the people covering their ears as her might made itself apparent to all.

“Come back! Come back, Godfrey! Do not leave me! I need you!”

The dragon breathed quick, shallow breaths as she gazed at the king.

“Please...”

Prince Rufus held his hands together as he watched the men lower his father into the grave. Thousands lined the field as King Godfrey’s funeral commenced. Loud wailing could be heard all around the fields as the king was placed into his grave.

Tears poured down Rufus’ face, but he didn’t dare wipe them away. He was the new king. He was expected to show strength and resolve, and he would conduct himself accordingly.

He had known his father wasn’t long for this world. The man was ancient. He had plenty of time to come to terms with that.

But that didn’t make it hurt any less.

Rufus stood in silence as the priests issued their prayers. His eyes were on the grave, watching as men shoveled dirt onto his father’s coffin. This was the final time he would ever see him.

The prince took a deep breath as he tried to compose himself. He was the king now. The people needed him to be strong, to lead them through this hardship. To show them that their hopes did not die with Godfrey.

Suddenly, a deafening roar made Rufus look up, eyes wide.

The roar had come from very far away, and yet it was so loud he could hear it clearly as it echoed through the skies. It was a long, drawn out roar. In it, Rufus could hear bitterness, anger, sadness and pain.

The sorrow behind it shook him to his very core.

Gira, the man thought to himself, He was my father, and yet...I don’t think even I understand how much this hurts her...

A few years had passed since the coronation. Rufus accepted the Crown of Geralthin, officially becoming king. He continued where Godfrey had left off, centralizing power and strengthening the kingdom. He was by all accounts, an excellent ruler. He gave the people hope, knowledge that this fledgling kingdom was destined to survive, something to believe in after the death of one the greatest rulers in history.

Even with all the work he had put in, he managed to reach Gira. The dragon had been holed up in her wing of the castle, inconsolable. She spoke to no one for the first few years, yet after much time, Rufus managed to speak to her, slowly getting her to open up. It hurt, he knew, but he made himself something of a shoulder to cry on. It felt good for Gira, getting to let everything out.

It was soon after her mention of the good old days, when she and Godfrey played together, that a decree was made. Absolute War had always been Gira’s favorite board game, and Rufus decided to officially decree a rule change to the game. Each faction would now have a Hero, a powerful unit that offered many bonuses to the army.

Geralthin’s Hero was clad in shining armor, wielding a large sword raised above his head in triumph. A crown adorned his helmet, and his presence made everyone on the field stronger. In the new rules book, players were given the information about this new unit.

Unit type: Hero

Name: The First King

Description: A legendary champion that inspires all around him. Men become greater than themselves in his presence.

Okay, I actually cried writing this one. This hurt.

Tag list: @thereisnothingwrongwithbeingmad, @candy-m-s, @lady-redshield-writes, @paper-shield-and-wooden-sword, @sheralynnramsey, @the-true-shadowmaster, @tawnywrites, @writer-on-time, @oceanwriter, @zwergis-spilledink, @fluffpiggy

Want to be tagged whenever I post about Blackheart? Just ask and I’ll add you to the list!

[fghgaming]

Immortals: Fenyx Rising [Shadowmaster & Gold Editions] Asia English Release | Pre-order Now! https://www.play-asia.com/blog/2020/10/02/immortals-fenyx-rising-shadowmaster-gold-editions-asia-english-release-pre-order-now/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=immortals-fenyx-rising-shadowmaster-gold-editions-asia-english-release-pre-order-now?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=immortals-fenyx-rising-shadowmaster-gold-editions-asia-english-release-pre-order-now

[custombonkles]

Ten Year Anniversary Contest

Has it really been ten years already? Come on and welcome to official page for Custom BIONICLE Wiki’s tenth anniversary contest!

Having weathered the end of two generations of BIONICLE, the rise and fall of Hero Factory, and three different administrations, the wiki has seen the comings and goings of hundreds of users with thousands of pages, ranging from characters and stories to weapons and battles. Boasting a proud legacy of consistency and perseverance in the face of tremendous obstacles, CBW continues to thrive as the vibrant and creatively rich platform that it always has been. This is your chance to celebrate the creations of the past decade in the form of CBW's primary export: a story.

Character List

You may write a story chronicling the adventures of any character in the following list:

The Oracle (The Oracle23)

Nightwatcher (TheSlicer)

Hydros (Toa Hydros)

Tollubo/Thode (BobTheDoctor27)

Mersery (Chicken Bond)

Ganon (Ids5621)

Rando (Rando07)

Shadowmaster (Shadowmaster)

Merall (Vorred)

Niha (Logan Woerner)

Whera (Echo 1)

Jareroden (Rogaine)

Kylord (KylerNuva)

Tayluu (Artek206)

Tapio (Toatapio Nuva)

Erevayx (FireDrag1091)

Phyrrus (Phyrrus362)

Rules

Once a story is submitted it cannot be significantly altered, though minor syntax fixes are allowed.

All entrants must be prepared to privately disclose a postal address to the administrative team. Since this contest offers a physical prize, this precaution is necessary to ensure the winner can receive his/her prize.

Entries must be submitted on the wiki for consideration. While we may advertise on other networks, there is no substitute for a good old wiki-coded story article.

All entries must be original stories. Pre-existing stories unfortunately cannot be entered. Similarly, it should go without saying that there will be consequences for plagiarism. If you use a headcanon or infringe upon another person's intellectual property, be sure to acknowledge the creative input of the original theorist.

A reasonable degree of canon-compliance is expected of all entrants. If a story deviates too far from established BIONICLE lore then it may be subject to penalty in the form of disqualification.

Comics and videos are permitted.

The story can be set in your own fictional universe.

Standard content guidelines apply. All entrants are expected to adhere to the requirements of the Manual of Style.

Voting for your own entry is not permitted.

While it is inadvisable for users to select their own characters from the list, it is permitted. All entrants should consider, however, that this will likely be seen as a contradiction of the contest's intended purpose once voting begins.

Users are permitted to write on more than one character from the above list, though it is advised that entries use no more than three of the assigned characters.

Since you will be writing for one or more of the wiki’s most iconic creations of the past decade, we would like them to be the core of the story, though you can supplement your stories with as many canon or fanon characters as you wish, including your own.

Prizes

First Place

A banner on your page saying that you won the contest.

A purple Olmak icon.

Your story will be the Featured Story of October 2017.

Factory-sealed Ekimu the Mask Maker and CBW branded t-shirt will be shipped to your address free of charge.

Second Place

You will get a banner on your page saying that you won second place.

We have truly been blessed to have existed this long and to still be active. Ten years is a long time and we are happy that you have been a part of it. Here’s to the ten years we’ve already had and to however many more we will have in the future!

The contest ends on October 30th!

[taleweaver-ramblings]

D&D Story: *excited internal panic* (Or: The Fourth Time the Lightbringers Met a God)

Hello, I have another Rise of the Shadowmaster story, and y'all are not going to believe what happened in today's session.

First, though, a follow-up from my last post:

We successfully defended my character's at-home family from the attack, and while a couple of Dea's siblings did very briefly go unconscious or die, we were able to revive them and everyone's ok now. You know, aside from the trauma.

Our sorcerer beat a young blue dragon in a one-on-one fight (well, one-on-one on our sorcerer's side; the dragon brought in orc reinforcements at one point because he was scared).

We learned that one of Dea's sisters had vanished the same night as her father died. Dea, another of her sisters, and our cleric went to find her . . . and discovered that she'd killed their father because he was . . . not a great dad, in that he was pushing them into adventuring careers and how much he showed love tended to be dependent on how much the child in question was doing what he wanted them to do.

Dea and the non-murderous sister realized that murder sister, while wrong in her actions, had a point and made a plan for how they could bring their dad back while also giving him no choice but to change (or else lose the rest of their family).

The party went to hell and killed Ralak-Shas a second time. He hadn't fully regenerated; pretty much all he could do was monologue. I gave him/the DM a few minutes and then stabbed him with my Holy Avenger.

(Because yes, I have a Holy Avenger. It's cursed, though, and gives me disadvantage on INT rolls. Or, rather, it was cursed . . .)

Ok. So that brings us to tonight. We knew we needed to un-curse my sword. We'd gathered some of the items we thought we'd need in order to lift the curse, and we'd learned about a particular location in the Feywild where we'd be able to find help with lifting it — a place made holy by the followers of some deity. So, we enlisted the aid of a hag shopkeeper friend and set off for the Feywild!

The trip to the Feywild and to the location, Laerius Faul, was surprisingly uneventful. Our rogue did decide to gamble with a satyr, but the satyr was surprisingly easily satisfied. And we did run into some displacer beasts (!!!!! my favorite D&D monster!!!!) and meenlocks, but we dispatched those pretty quickly.

At this point, our hag friend split off from our group, saying she wanted to see if she could find some old friends of hers who might have helped our rogue at one point. She was acting a little strangely, but we were all focused on our objective, so after she refused our offers of company, we parted ways and set off for our individual objectives.

We found Laerius Faul without any more trouble, and my Divine Sense showed that it was indeed a hallowed place. We were welcomed in, and one of the people said he'd set up the necessary meeting and would we wait in the courtyard while he did that?

("Do you know why we're here?" we asked him. "How do you know who we need to meet with?" Oh, if we'd only known!)

So, we waited. And then the door to the building at the other side of the courtyard opens and what looks like an ordinary human woman steps out . . . except, our group's been around deities, and Dea has divine sense anyway, and we can figure out quickly that this is a goddess, not a mortal (not a mortal anymore).

But she was mortal, once. A mortal from the same land as Dea. And on this plane, there can be no doubt as to who she is.

Dea falls to her knees in the presence of Lyf, Goddess of Renewal, the lady she's served all this time but never truly expected to meet.

Lyf tells those kneeling to rise. She knows why we're here. Dea's prayed about it multiple times. But she can also see that Dea is freaked out, and counseling and insight (and therapy) fall under the umbrella of renewal, so she invites us to come in for tea and a chat.

(Dea cannot quite believe that a goddess is serving her tea. But tea is familiar and a ritual from the temple where she trained, so it helps.)

They talk about the recent events. About the choices Dea had to make about her family and the way in which she made them, about Dea's hopes that her father can change and be renewed along with the rest of their family. About the calamities that have befallen the world, what they mean and how Dea feels about them and sees in them.

(Lyf also dropped a bombshell about our sorcerer's dragon deity, about how she and her siblings had been the ones to cause the Relentless to relent and side with humans and humanoids instead of other dragons. That's beside the point, but it will make for some interesting RP in later sessions.)

And then comes time for what we came here for — time to lift the curse on Dea's Holy Avenger. Dea got the weapon from the horde of an ancient aberrant dragon, one of the ancient dragons whom the gods fought before their ascension, who had merged with an aberrant being from the Far Realms. Exposure to the evil and chaotic magics of the aberrant dragon had corrupted the blade, and though it still blazed as hotly against evil as ever, it had a way of clouding the wielder's thoughts.

Lyf took the party back out to a holy pond behind her home and commanded Dea to lower the sword into the water. Then she asked two questions: What will you do with this sword? And why are you on this quest?

And Dea, after a moment, answered her, her words clumsy but her conviction sure. What would she do with the sword? She would end the war and the calamity. She would help our sorcerer make the dragon alliance into what it was meant to be — dragons and humanoids working and living together, not as enemies but as friends. She would try to help the drow change their society, too, change it so perhaps they would no longer be at odds with the surface and so people like the one drow girl she befriended could follow the paths they wished to follow. She would protect, and she would fight evil while seeking to preserve the good that came out of that evil.

And why her? Why not someone else? (Why not one of her siblings?)

Because the Lightbringers didn't need another warrior. They didn't need another adventurer or leader or ruler, not another schemer, not a dealer of vengeance. The world hadn't needed those things. They needed someone who fought to protect, who fought for her family. Who fought to make things better than they were. And they needed someone who had been in a not-great family situation, who saw the problems in that situation (even if she didn't want to acknowledge them as much as she should've, even if she didn't do as much as she should've) and who could sympathize with others in such situations. They needed a protector and a counselor. And so here one was.

With those answers, Lyf was pleased. The curse lifted, and the sword was remade, renamed, so it bore Lyf's symbol and Lyf's blessing and Dea's purpose.

And Dea looked at her goddess and knelt as a knight kneels before her beloved liege. She said then simply, "Thank you. I won't forget."

(She won't.)

~~~

We have one last thing to do in the Feywild before we leave, a mission given by Lyf but also kind of brought on us by ourselves. Remember our hag friend? Turns out she used to be much more powerful, much more deadly, before she left the Feywild and lost half her memories in the process. She's regaining those memories, remembering her power. If she returns to the material plane with all that intact, we'll have a supervillain as bad or worse than the Shadowmaster on the loose.

We're not going to let that happen. If we're lucky and successful, we'll mess with her return just enough that her memories stay in the Feywild where she left them the first time. If not?

Well, dealing with world-threatening magical threats is what we do. And we'll do it again, even if we'll mourn that we have to do it.

But that's a problem for next session . . .

~~~

(My remade sword is so cool, by the way. Obviously it's a storming Holy Avenger, which is awesome in and of itself, but having a literal deity break the curse means it got an upgrade, so now I have advantage on Insight checks and, most exciting, I get to heal any time I use a Divine smite — however much radiant damage I deal, I heal someone in my aura for that much. It's the coolest, and I'm super hyped.)

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, January 21st

ANGEL: Somebody should stay here and mind the store. LORNE: Me! Me me me. Sargeant Stay-At-Home, volunteering for duty, sir.

~~Habeas Corpses~~

The Sunnydale Herald is looking for at least one new editor. Contributing to the Herald is a great way to get your Buffy on! Find out more here.

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

The Last Time by acekoomboom (Buffy/Spike, PG)

Summers: Endgame by batzulger (Buffy, Avengers crossover, FR13)

The Question by myrabeth (Buffy/Spike, PG)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion, Chapter 371 by madimpossibledreamer (Ensemble, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure crossover, T)

The Last Slayer, Chapter 7 by listentorae (Buffy/Angel, T)

The Sun Also Rises, Chapter 82 by Grundy (Buffy, Dawn, Tolkien crossover, T)

Dawn the Power Ranger 1: The Power of Keys, Chapter 15 by BrennaLynn (Dawn/OC, Buffy/Riley, Power Rangers crossover, T)

Dawn of the Caribbean 3: Dawn of the Pack, Chapter 79 by BrennaLynn (Buffy & Dawn, Women of the Otherworld crossover, T)

Favor, Chapter 14 by EllieRose101 (Buffy/Spike, T)

Wonderland 1: Down the Rabbit Hole, Chapter 57 by BrennaLynn (Buffy/Angel, Dawn/Jacen Solo, Faith/Dawn, Star Wars crossover, T)

Fundamentalism in the Heat of the Moment, Chapter 7 by Banana_ana (Angel/Lindsey, Supernatural crossover, E)

Charming the Slayer, Chapter 40 by BrennaLynn (Buffy/Paige Matthews, Faith/Dawn, Charmed, T)

Universal Exchange Program, Chapter 4 by CreeperSpockSr (sweetbutnutty_RalphSpockSr), sweetbutnutty_RalphSpockSr (Buffy, Willow, Teen Wolf & Stargate crossover, not rated)

From the Hellmouth, Chapter 4 (complete!) by Rutkowski (Willow, Pathfinder & Wynonna Earp crossover, T)

Supporting The Incredible Hulk (And Bruce Banner), Chapter 6 by SomeMeaninglessName (Willow, Buffy, Marvel universe crossover, T)

Dawn the Power Ranger 2: Shift Into Turbo, Chapter 3 by BrennaLynn (Dawn/OC, Power Rangers crossover, T)

Finding The Path, Chapter 18 by acekoomboom (Buffy/Spike, R)

Beer Very Bad, Chapter 8 by acekoomboom (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Favor, Chapter 14 by EllieRose101 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Hold My Hand Even Though I’m a Sinner! Chapter 19 by CheekyKitten (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Piercings, Chapter 7 by MelG_2005 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

The Sky Opens Up, Things Doth Die, Chapter 7 by ShadowMaster (Ensemble, Utawarerumono/Rurouni Kenshin/Various demi-human sources crossover, FR21)

That Which Makes One Human, Chapter 6 by ShadowMaster (Ensemble, multiple crossovers, FR21)

The Broken That is Lost Amidst Stardust, Chapter 3 by ShadowMaster (Xander, Star Wars crossover, FR21)

Waiting On My Spaceship, Chapter 11 by Chelle (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Gifset: happy birthday, buffy summers (january 19th 1981) by buffy-summrs (worksafe)

Artwork: Buffy and Spike in bath by isevery0nehereverystoned (worksafe)

Artwork: This flapjack's not ready to be flipped by vampywillz (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Artwork: BTVS “Every Outfit” - BONUS “Glory” part 2 by whatshisfaceblogs (worksafe)

Lego video: Cordelia in Halloween by tmcarlee (0)

Video: Lego Buffy - Buffy Want Beer by Trevor Carlee

Fanvid: Buffy and Spike Wouldn't hurt so bad by Calisto Pendragon

Fanvid: AIMED TO KILL [Faith x Buffy AU] by Spiritus Meipsum

Fanvid: Buffy & Spike- Hot N Cold (Humour) by jlisa25

Fanvid: i want the fire back [fan made] *repost* by loveisntbrains (Buffy/Spike)

Fanvid: Buffy and Angel - To You I Belong by juliaroxs241

Fanvid: Buffy and Angel - Over And Over Again by juliaroxs241

Fanvid: Buffy The Vampire Slayer S1-S2 / Lewis Capaldi - Someone You Loved (Lyrics) by Driad (slideshow vid, Buffy/Angel)

Cosplay video: Buffy the vampire slayer spike by brandon60

Video: Buffy the Vampire Slayer 7x22 voiceover | Buffy "I'm cookies" by A Pixie's Whisper

[Reviews & Recaps]

La chasse sauvage (The wild hunt) by Taake

Video: #663 Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Panel to Panel 2007 by Oreo Brewer

Podcast: Bargaining Part 1 S6 E1 (Buffy and the Art of Story Podcast) by Lisa M. Lilly

[Fandom Discussions]

The buffy/riley relationship is consistently presented in direct opposition to american militarism by comradesummers

Two characters that get A LOT of hate in the fandom are Xander and Riley by Girl4Music

I still don’t understand why the First didn’t show up once as “Kendra” by oveliagirlhaditright

Spike and his security blanket by vampywillz

What if someone else had played Buffy? by Joan the Vapire Slayer

Question - BOOM! Willow: Hit or Miss? by Plasma

Did Faith Need A Relationship? continued by multiple posters

Jenny Calendar deserved better? continued by Angelkiss and AlphaFoxtrot

[Lorne] was a great addition to the team by pinksky1134

Where do you fall on the Angel/Angelus debate? by DarkstarX84

It just takes a little time... [Groosalugg] by AndrewHeard

fred and willow by spitemeep

Rewatching Season 2 [of Angel] and…yikes. by Mochahontas-

Groo in season 3 by gpat100

Did Buffy's dad ever know about the supernatural? by Mighty_joosh

Thoughts about Season 6? by buffyandwillowbtvs

Which version of the Buffy intro theme do you prefer? by Gullible_Somewhere_7

Why does Buffy always wear overalls whenever she’s depressed or having a crisis? by Myrtle1119

Least favorite episode by PsamantheSands

Who else ships Spandrew? by Bluekitty777

favorite buffyverse halloween episode? by velvet-violets

Processing trauma by Ajacentmagic

Favorite "Bizarro World" episode? by rednax2009

Pitch your idea for a Buffy continuation/reboot/spinoff series! by Tony_Stark_0

band candy by flossy_dikki

The number three by Emotional-Bat_

Empty Places. Buffy’s friends are dead to me by HellishMeow

Made some Buffy trivia :) by platy_moose

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

[diiscordare]

                               “I do wonder if you realize the severity of the mistake you’ve just made.” her deep voice rumbles, tinged with amusement. Standing before an imposing shadowmaster was a rather aggravated hatchling--no smaller than a horse, one should note. Its teeth barely flashed, sharp spines rising and lowering along the back as feathered wings beat gently at air. With shooting gaze focused on none other in the room, it is clear where its frustration lies (or who, to be specific.) 

          “Have you ever wrestled a dragon? Today may be your chance.” 

                             @shadowtongued 

[taleweaver-ramblings]

So my D&D group lost another party member today. Not to death, at least. Just retirement. So that's not terrible, but still.

(We've lost three party members so far. Two of them have been to retirement, and we still see the one now and then. The last one betrayed us and got eaten by an orca because of it.)

Our party's main nemesis, above and beyond the Big Bad (who's actually sort of an ally sometimes, but that's another story), is a rakshasa, Ralak Shas. We've been periodically making each other's lives difficult since Level 3, when we exposed him as a fiend in front of the town he'd been manipulating. Then he started a war and framed us all for murder (which we still haven't really dealt with; whatever; we have other problems).

Several months ago out of game and less than a month ago in-game, something happened. I don't even remember what it was. But for some reason, Ralak Shas decided that this was personal now on his side, not just ours. I'd argue that was a stupid choice, as we've already killed a weird ancient-dragon-aberration-diety thing, but maybe not. In any case, we started going after his plans, and he started going after the people close to us.

We attempted to chase down an agent of his who he'd liberated from prison and raided two of his safehouses. He nearly got my character's sister and one of our oldest friends killed. We destroyed another of his center of operations. He triggered an assault by giants on our sorcerer's hometown and killed the sorcerer's mentor. Then he went after our fighter's friend and ship's crew. Killed most of them, including the fighter's first mate.

That was the last straw for our fighter. He wanted to protect his people. He'd put the people he cared about in danger. He'd briefly died trying to save them. And now his best friend was dead. So, he told us, as far as anyone else was concerned, he was dead too. If we needed a ship, we could call him, but otherwise, he was done.

I can't really say I blame him. I would have tried to talk him out of it had all my memories (including my memories of how to, like, speak) hadn't been erased. But I still don't blame him. And it's probably for the best that he quit while he was ahead, and I'm looking forward to seeing this player's new character. Still, I'll miss him all the same.

[taleweaver-ramblings]

Ding-Dong, the dragon-kissed tiger devil is dead!

(This is a D&D story. You have been warned.)

So, I've posted a few times about Rise of the Shadowmaster, the D&D campaign I play in. Most of those posts have had to do with the party's nemesis, Ralak Shas, a rakshasa (think: shapeshifting, manipulative fiend whose natural form looks kinda like a humanoid tiger). We hate this guy more than the actual big bad — he was working with the big bad for a while, but they've split since. In the time we've known him, he's kidnapped wizards, framed us for murder, started a war, almost gotten my character's sister captured and probably killed, stirred up a tribe of giants to attack our sorcerer's homeland (leading to the death of our sorcerer's mentor, who's also the second father figure who's died on our sorcerer), killed our fighter's best friend and a lot of his crew, and probably a few more things too that I've forgotten about. For the last several months (out of game) or weeks (in game), we've been chasing each other, trying to bring this to an end.

AND TODAY!

In response to a message from my paladin's deity, we headed into the Underdark, thinking Ralak Shas was hanging out with the drow. We knew he'd been involved with them before, as they had (we thought on his prompting) tried to attack one of the above-ground cities. We managed to get into the city and made contact with the family least inclined to kill outsiders on sight. From her, we learned that Ralak Shas had indeed been down there and that he was acting as an advisor to the ruler of the drow. With some good persuasion checks and a rather tense duel to convince her we were good at what we do, we convinced her to help us. We make plans to teleport into the ruler's spire so we can ambush both Ralak Shas and the drow ruler (because she's been ruling far past her natural lifespan and the drow need a change of leadership and anyway, we might as well, since we're there anyway). So, the next morning, we scry on Ralak Shas so we know where to teleport. He fails his save, so we see him — not in the Underdark.

No.

He's above ground. In human guise, wearing the uniform of a military officer from my country. Talking in Infernal to three other people wearing similar uniforms. With the very distinctive woods just north of the area of the war behind them.

*cue panic mode*

The plan has abruptly changed, but not for the worse. We grab an associated object from the drow, promise to come back as soon as we can, and teleport out. Since we can still see the location in the scry, the teleportation goes off without a hitch. The DM agrees that we've gotten ourselves a surprise round; Ralak Shas certainly wasn't expecting us to teleport on top of him.

First move: our Ranger lets off a lightning arrow and a magical arrow. Both hit for some excellent damage.

Second move: I charge in with a Holy Avenger in one hand and a Dragon Slayer Longsword in the other. Three hits, three smites, two with extra damage because this is a fiend and I have a storming Holy Avenger.

Third move: our cleric tries to flame-strike Ralak Shas's accomplices. He gets counter-spelled. Oh well.

Fourth move: Our sorcerer cast Draconic Transformation before we teleported, and now he lets loose a roar and a 50-foot cone of force damage. Ralak Shas fails his save. Our sorcerer still has his action — but this is a rakshasa. They're immune to most spells under a certain level.

You know what isn't a spell?

A dragonborn's breath weapon.

Our sorcerer releases another cone of magical fury, this one frost.

And the fiend, at last, melts away into ichor.

(His allies fled pretty fast after that. Then we found out that this particular military outpost is command central and that my dad and another of my sisters are both here . . . and my brother sent me a Sending last night to tell me he has a problem he wants my help with. And at some point, sooner rather than later, we'll need to go to the Hells to kill Ralak Shas for good. But for now? We took him out — we got the drop on him, finally, after all the times he's gotten the drop on us. And that feels pretty storming good.)

[taleweaver-ramblings]

What is your dnd campaign about?

Ok, so, I have two D&D campaigns, one I play in and one I run. Both are homebrew.

Rise of the Shadowmaster is the one I'm a player in. It's been going on for . . . four years, I think? I've posted on here about it a few times, tagged with the campaign name. Essentially, there's this drow monk — the Shadowmaster — who wanted to change the world, but instead of doing it, like, a normal way, he decided that the best way to shake things up was to become a villain, turn the sky dark, and generally create an environment where the best and worst of people would come to the fore. Our party, the Lightbringers, is doing our best to reverse the sky thing, rally a force to fight him, and deal with all the other assorted dangers and troubles that have arisen as a result of his scheme. I play a paladin named Dea Norlya, who is a thinly disguised AU version of one of my novel characters. She's the only original party member left at this point; she started adventuring because her dad wanted her to, and she's still doing it because she's committed at this point. (Also, there's a war on and a non-zero chance that if she tries to retire, she'll just get dragged into the fighting.)

Defenders of Serys is the campaign I run. The players are members of a large organization of adventurers, wizards, warriors, and other assorted people with very specific skill sets who work for Lady Serys, the ruler of one of five territories in the nation of Croishaid. Their job: deal with magical or otherwise unusual threats to Serys and its people. Originally this focused a lot on strife between the territories of Croishaid, but that wrapped up, and the current arc has the characters worldhopping a bit due to helping a NPC fulfill her bargain with the fae and get home. At the moment, they've ended up in Middle Earth. It's great.

I'm happy to talk about either of these in more detail, if you or anyone else is interested!

[taleweaver-ramblings]

I mentioned a while back that I had commissioned character art, and it's finished, and I'm SO PLEASED. This is Dea Norlya, my D&D character; she's a paladin of Lyf (Goddess of Renewal) and mostly went adventuring to get her dad (a former adventurer) off her back, and now she's somehow wrapped up in trying to save the world, and they've met actual literal deities what the heck, and she is TiredTM. But she's in this for as long as it takes, and even if her new friends are kinda angsty/insane . . . they're her angsty/insane goofs, and that's the important thing.

The art is by the lovely @chloegraceartist on Instagram. She is a delight, and I highly recommend her when she opens her commissions back up.

[taleweaver-ramblings]

*internal panicked screaming*

So, there’s a war now. And my party probably will have to deal with that.

Let me back up. Today’s D&D session was mostly chill, but??? It ended with us contacting my paladin’s family because her dad had contacted her (via Sending) a few in-game days ago to tell her she was urgently needed home. And we were all worried that he was going to try to get us arrested for things that happened previously in the campaign. (He’s not a villain; he’s just concerned with image. And we were planning to go back and deal with the whole being-wanted-not-really-criminals thing eventually, but we had more pressing problems when it first came up, so we sort of . . . resisted arrest. Well, four out of the five us resisted arrest. I was a paladin; I explicitly Did Not Resist. I just kept my friends from dying while resisting. And then left with them because, you know, there’s no point in staying.)

Anyway. So I (speaking as my paladin) ask our wizard to cast Sending and ask my sister-in-law what’s up because she’s the one person who I trust to both (A) know what’s up and (B) tell me what’s up — because if my dad didn’t give me a straight answer when he told me come home, it’s urgent, be here within a week, he’s not going to give one now, and if he wants to arrest us, well, my sister and brother actually agree with him on most points, so they’ll probably back him up. Sister-in-law is a rogue and an in-law and thinks about as much of my dad’s philosophies on life as I do.

Sister-in-law answers the sending. Sister-in-law does not give a straight answer. Sister-in-law does not want to talk about it.

At this point, there’s full-blown panic. Not only does my dad want to arrest us, he’s already “arrested” my sister-in-law and siblings (who were also involved in the thing people want to arrest us for, which is a whole other story). The wizard suggests contacting my brother or my dad. I decide to contact my dad and tell our wizard to tell him that either he gives us a straight answer or I’m not coming home.

He answers the sending. He does not give a straight answer. He does assure us that whatever’s happened is “good news” and that he doesn’t care about “that business with the rakshasa” (aka the thing people want to arrest us for).

At this point, I decide that I don’t want to take up more of our wizard’s magic,so I thank him and leave. At which point the wizard calls his family because he does that on a regular basis anyway. He doesn’t bring up my family problems. He doesn’t need to, because his mum — a noble in the country my family’s from — informs him that our country is at war with this other country. Which happens to be the same country we’re wanted in.

Suddenly, my dad’s urgent need for me home makes sense. Not that I know this in character, but . . . he’s all about adventure and proving your worth as a hero. What better place to make heroes than a war?

Anyway. The session pretty much ended at that point because everyone was dying. I’m alternating between internal panic and excitement, and I know the next who-knows-how-many sessions are going to be crazy because our party has loyalties and alliances on both sides, and my paladin’s going to have all kinds of family drama, even though most of us want no part of a war. Plus there’s the whole business of dealing with our warlock’s patron (who’s apparently possessed him on at least one occasion) . . . but that’s also a whole other story.

One thing’s for sure. We aren’t going to go back and get arrested anytime soon.