#rowan pack lore

[bone-wolves]

I CAN'T STAND HIM HE"S SO STINKING CUTE!!!!

[legacyshenanigans]

@dreambender96 💜

I kept saying I'd do it, so here you go 🐺💚

If you ever catch me doing NSFW stuff with other characters outside of my own lore and HC, MC is single and so is he. 😌

NSFW below. Not proofread.

Rowan x MC

She sat nearby, watching him fight another poor soul in the ring at The Den, the only people that took him on were those who had a death wish, or cocky folk who THOUGHT they were good enough, it all ended the same way in the end, Rowan beat the living shit out of them. MC would admire his body as he fought, she couldn't help but bite her lip at times, his muscles, glistening with sweat, it was enough to send her over the edge everytime. He'd got done with the fool in the ring, and glanced over towards her, she smiled and gave him a little clap, he shot her a wink, baring a fang with a wide smirk before he climbed out of the ring heading towards the showers. MC started doing some things she'd needed to finish before she walked past the shower area as he was coming out in his towel.

Rowan: Hey *narrows his eyes with a grin*

MC: You did good out there today *smiles*

Rowan: Heh..Course I did..

His cheeky smile made her blush as he looked down at her, moving forward, forcing her back into a wall in the corridor they stood in, trapping her between him and bricks, his arm also leaning on the wall above her head. She found herself blushing even more with how close he was to her, her eyes traveled up his chest to meet his eyes, he bared his fangs again with a smile, knowing exactly what he was doing. This wouldn't of been the first time the two had hooked up, it had happened a number of times, nothing emotional, just sex, he was the kinda guy who knew what he wanted and got it, and she just so happend to be one of his regular picks, part of the pack. He leaned his head down, licking up the side of her neck with chuckle, MC letting out a small mewl as she then felt his teeth give her skin a little bite, he whispered in her ear, as his other hand trailed down her body, gripping at her hip.

Rowan: Get in the bathroom..

MC: *giggles* Rowan, I've got some things I need to finish.

Rowan: Yeah? Well ya can finish after I fuckin fill you up, just a quick little fuck, c'mon *deep playful chuckle*

He gave her behind a little slap, urging her towards the bathroom door, she let out another giggle as she stepped inside, no sooner had she turned to face Rowan, he grabbed her with a growl and lifted her up like she weighed nothing, she yelped from the sudden contact which made him smirk, wrapping her arm and legs around him, Rowan let his towel drop as he walked over to a wall in the bathroom, pushing her body up against it, his lips smashing onto hers in a messy aggressive makeout as one of his hands reached under her skirt, moving her underwear to the side, he smirked against he lips, then grabbing hold of his now throbbing cock, positioning it at her slit, slightly pushing his tip into her, she took in a small sharp breath her grip around him tightening.

Rowan: Are ya ready to take it? *licks his lips, grinning*

MC: Y-Yes, p-please..Hurry.

With that, Rowan grunted as he pushed himself inside of her harshly, MC cried out feeling his thick member stretching her out, the sting not lasting long before her slickness eased it.

MC: Ohh god! Mmph~

Rowan let out a low breathy chuckle, his hands gripping at her arse, sharply bumping his hips up into her. MC became a quick mess, taking his cock, with each hard stroke and groan he let out, his bucking only got faster, that wild look in his eye's that he had everytime they fucked, piercing into hers through furrowed brows.

His only goal and thought in that moment was to give her his cum. He continued to pound into her, the sound of skin slapping skin echoing in the bathroom, MC's moans became louder, as her fingers dug into the top of his back making him growl out, he brought his head forward licking at her neck again as he felt himself rising.

Rowan: *gritted teeth against her ear* Rrrgh, fffffuck..

MC clung tighter to him, knowing what was coming, Rowan gave her a few more hard bucks before biting down on neck, letting out a deep drawn-out moan into her skin, MC gasped loudly feeling his cock pumping that potent load deep inside her, the pressure of how much he cums forcing it's way down, and spluttering out of the sides, while his cock was still pushed as far as he could get inside of her.

MC: O-Oh~ mmmph~ R-Rowan~

He pulled his head back and smirked at her, his lips coming forward to give her a quick kiss before he set her down, catching his breath. He leaned against her again, his chest heaving looking down at her as she looked up at him once more, with a dirty little smile on her face, his cum trickling down her legs.

Rowan: *toothy smile* Ya definitely my favourite bitch to fuck, ya know that?

~

[yael-art-den]

Oc Masterlist: Rowan

Name: Rowan

Gender: Male (He/him only. Wether he is trans or cis is up to whatever im feeling at the moment)

Race: Tiefling (Pit Fiend heritage)

Class / Job: Bloodrager (Pathfinder)

Physical description: 2,1m tall, BIG beefy tiefling guy. Bull-like tattooed horns, and a bunch of scars on his body (especially the horns) due to his rough life. Later on, once he awaken his Bloodrager abilities, his eyes go from chestnut brown to glowing bright yellow.

He is usually shirtless or with a poncho, finding hard to find good clothes due to his size

Personality: A huge guy who always acts like a Gentle GiantTM, both because he knows he's stronger than a regular human and could tear them in half if he's not careful; and because if he's already being treated badly for being a Tiefling, he doesn't want to give up more reasons to be seen as “aggressive”. Rowan is a good man but a bit of a pushover, he tends to shut up and accept what is thrown at him.

After Kat's disappearance, he abandons this gentle giant persona and completely embraces a barbarian mindset, tapping into his infernal heritage and turning to vengeance.

Lore Briefing: Born and raised an orphan in a small town called Carrion Hill: a human settlement between orc tribes, vampire castles and werewolf packs in Ustalav. As a Tiefling, and a huge one at that, he never had an easy upbringing, living ostracized on the city's shanties. Despite the town's perception of him, he never once turned to violence or revenge, even though he could easily kill anybody barehanded.

He met Katria after she defended him from a couple of weirdos, a half-orc townsguard living within the city. Both quickly became friends, hanging out and eventually dating after a few months. Rowan finally got some friends, met other members of the townsguard, bought a house, and married Kat years later. Those were the peak years of his life, working as a househusband and whatever construction gigs he could get.

Before the campaign started, Kat had been investigating the rumors of a cult in the town, a case for which she started receiving weird letters and straight-up murder attempts. After her... Disappearance, and getting blamed for it, Rowan finally enacted the "find out" part of the fucking around the town had been doing to him all his life

(That's how he looked at the start of the campaign)

He will eventually get better and go back to his old good personality, but not before we find his wife tho, who is ABSOLUTELY ALIVE and will not accept otherwise.

HIS FUMKINGBM!!!! WIFE!!!! HER

[murfpersonalblog]

My Ranking of Anne Rice's Books

Full disclosure: My ranking is totally not based on the quality of AR's writing (which I absolutely love); it's just reflecting my own personal preferences for certain characters, plots, and themes. Some of her books I deliberately chose not to read; while some I only read once and didn't care for them, hence their low rank on my list. (I saw the Feast of All Saints movie but never read the book.)

S Tier: The Witching Hour, The Vampire Armand, Taltos, The Wolf Gift, The Wolves of Midwinter, Blood Communion

A Tier: Cry to Heaven, Servant of the Bones, Blackwood Farm, Prince Lestat, Queen of the Damned, Memnoch the Devil

B Tier: Realms of Atlantis, The Vampire Lestat, Lasher

C Tier: Blood & Gold, Interview with the Vampire, The Mummy

D Tier: Blood Canticle, Tale of the Body Thief, Merrick, Angel Time, Of Love and Evil, Pandora, Vittorio, Violin

(I used the tier template here as my base.)

MY THOUGHTS (I tried not to spoil anything):

S Tier: Spectacular!

13/10 The Witching Hour

My favorite Anne Rice book. The plot was utterly insane. The buildup surrounding the mystery of The 13, and the Door, and what exactly Lasher was and what he wanted was SO good. I thought Rowan was a effing idiot, but I LOVED seeing Michael slowly realize what his purpose was, in the face of this loooong tragic history about the "eunuch" Mayfair husbands. Julien Mayfair is really the GOAT! I was on the edge of my seat; it's a legitimately scary ghost story! IMO Lasher is AR's best villain, cuz he's so awful. (I'm waiting for Season 1 of AMC's Mayfair Witches to finish before I watch it--I'm already bummed from the changes I heard about. [EDIT] I watched it, and it's trash. 🤦)

10/10 The Vampire Armand

I am HELLA biased. TVA was one of the very first AR books I read in full, and I was hooked. Marius/Armand are my favorite vampire ship, leave me alone--the Renaissance was a different time; read a book. Armand and Lestat are my fave vamps, cuz they're both fabulous and crazy. But I empathized with Armand more, because he was so YOUNG. I saw the IWTV movie before I read TVA, and was so shocked that he was just a kid! (Antonio Banderas was fiiiiine AF though!) I was fascinated by Marius since TVL, and getting to see him in his natural habitat was such a treat, as he tried to deal with his feelings for his beloved black-winged angel/demon Amadeo. Plus we got to learn A LOT about the Children of Satan/Darkness, and it was SO effed up what happened with M/A & Santino.

10/10 Taltos

This is the payoff I was waiting for after The Witching Hour. I could care less about Lasher--ASHLAR was precisely the type of Taltos I wanted to know more about. I loved getting his perspective on all the Celtic lore about the Picts and Stonehenge, and the dwarves, etc--it was so mythological; I love it. And the whole icky background about the Talamasca, and the lengths they went through to get the Taltos together...dang. SUCH a good story. 10/10.

10/10 The Wolf Gift & The Wolves of Midwinter

These two are tied--the WoMW sequel flows perfectly from TWG, and I never read one without reading the other immediately after. AR is famous for her vampires, but IMO her werewolves are her very best immortals. They're just really well-adjusted to immortality, and are a big happy wholesome family, the way the rest of her immortal species are NOT. Like, there are very few setbacks to being an AR werewolf, compared to other types of supernatural--especially if you have Margon and the Goldings looking after you (Stuart, you lucky bum!). I want to live at Nideck Point, throwing holiday festivals and carousing with the woodland creatures. I guess kinda like WoMW slightly more, because it continues following the pack as they settle in together, but TWG sets up AR's werewolf universe so perfectly that it gives it that slight edge.

10/10 Blood Communion

I hate that AR was so nasty to fanfic authors and scared a lot of the fandom away, cuz all I want is 500k+ on The Chateau Era, as the vampires live together being fancy and lavish and finally getting their ish together. Blood Communion only gave me a taste of that, cuz it was so dang short (the illustrations were such a cute touch!). But my favorite part was definitely when Armand flipped the eff out over Marius--I was like YES! FINALLY!!!! ^0^ I was so tired of this will they/won't they thing that had stretched out between M/A ever since QoTD, and I just wanted them to come clean about how they REALLY felt. Plus, I was glad/relieved that Louis & Lestat finally ironed everything out; I felt really bad for them, for once! I just wanted more, but I kinda felt Blood Communion was likely where AR was gonna end everything, and TBF it was a really good stopping point.

A Tier: Awesome!

9.5/10 Cry to Heaven

Who knew reading about castrati could be HOT!? This book made me cry--the title was apt! Guido is one of my favorite AR characters; I felt so bad for him!!! Tonio reminds me a lot of Armand, but...I felt worse for Armand? Like, yeah, being castrated sucks, but Tonio got to have this amazing career, and the book ends on a high note--LOL! But Armand was literally psychologically tortured for 300+ years and never really recovers--he gets Trinity Gate & Night Island & his coven, but he's clearly unhinged and maladjusted. I just felt that Tonio was lucky to have a support system in Guido & his patrons, and Armand was decidedly more unlucky, and hence more tragic? Whatever--this was a really good book, even without any supernatural elements.

9.5 Servant of the Bones

I looooooove this book~! I'm a sucker for mythology and world religions and immortality and all of it--this was SO GOOD. If supernatural creatures were real, I legit think AR might be on to something--you can't tell me SOMEONE didn't do human sacrifices like that, trying to make their own "genie" or whatever. VERY Solomon's Ring. And I love how AR threw in all these historical events & characters--making deals with the "devil." It was so creepy; yet thoroughly tragic, as usual with this woman. I just wish we got a bit more clarification on what exactly Azriel was--cuz there's NO WAY he's an angel/djinn/demon, if everything that happened in Memnoch & Angel Time was legit. Is he just an incredibly powerful GHOST, like Lasher??? 🤷 (Azriel would beat the dog snot out of Lasher in a fight, IMO. He's just way more experienced.)

9.5 Blackwood Farm

I LOVE AR's ghost stories. Between Amel, Lasher, Azriel, and Goblin, I pitied Goblin the most. He's VERY similar to Amel, but because of the way he was created, and how he had to exist, I just really felt for him and just wanted to give him a HUG--my poor baby! :( I enjoyed seeing Lestat in a domestic sphere, with the grandma tryna adopt this whole vampire living under her roof, cuz the Blackwoods are like: meh, what's another spook; we're used to weird shenanigans in this family. XD And Mona Mayfair--she won me over here, cuz I did NOT like her around Michael & Rowan; get friends your own age, brat. I'm mad at what AR did with Merrick Mayfair though, like really???

9.5 Prince Lestat

AMEL. O_O I was already fascinated by whatever Amel was when Maharet gave her backstory in QoTD, but once AR started fleshing (LOL!) him out in the Prince Lestat trilogy I was like yaaaaaaaas~! I need DETAILS! As much as I like the other VC books, I really enjoy reading QoTD and PL back to back, cuz it's just a natural continuation of what happened to ALL the vampires afterwards. And it's effed up. Lestat's one bold soul, cuz I would NEVER.

9/10 Queen of the Damned

The hype was real! Maharet's lovely, but Mekare's the GOAT. I was TOTALLY on board with Akasha's plan though, NGL. But you could tell that she was crazy, too. However, getting Amel's perspective in the later books, and seeing what happened with Rhoshamandes, I sympathize with Akasha even more, cuz how much of that was REALLY her???? But yeah, she had to go. (I cannot wait to see who AMC casts--no one can beat Aaliyah's performance, but I want to see them at least try to prove me wrong.) However, the build up to the concert and facing Akasha was a bit too drawn out for my liking (I could care less about Tough Cookie and Killer and all the random AF auxiliary vampires that showed up at Armand's, or the compound. And I DO NOT like Devil's Minion--I love Armand to pieces, but Daniel was INSANE, and vampirism ALMOST turned him into another Nicky, which I was NOT feeling).

8.5/10 Memnoch the Devil

Dante's Inferno meets Dracula. I like this book. But it was confusing, because I was like what was the point? I would've tried WAY harder to keep Lestat in Hell, if I was serious about making THE Devil's Minion. I felt like MtD was an elaborate excuse for AR to bench Lestat, so she could focus on Armand & Marius & Louis for a few books. Like, we know Lestat's trash, but dang--just leaving him on the floor like that? XD And Memnoch's even more mysterious than Azriel in SotB, cuz what is he really? He was able to psychologically torture Lestat in that church from...another dimension?? WHERE was Lestat's eyeball REALLY? Were they LEGIT demons? Like...? Cuz I had the same questions about Louis in Merrick, like, was what he was seeing REAL? We know powerful vampires like Armand can use the Mind Gift to create whole worlds in people's heads. So who knows what actually happened to Lestat.

B Tier: Bravo!

8/10 Realms of Atlantis

I like the alien plot--SUE ME. It's weird AF, and I don't really like what happened to Amel (I'm undecided about trusting that he's redeemable and if he can be excused for being a literal MENACE), but I enjoyed getting those final answers. In TVA Armand said he saw a city of glass when he turned, and I nearly jumped out of my seat when I read RoA, cuz it tracks! And the alien parasites made sense. Look at what happens when regular HUMAN ghosts gained autonomy in AR's books. Look at GOBLIN in BwF. Look at Memnoch even--whatever he is [EDIT: I'm not buying AR's weak AF retcon that he's a ghost Replimoid, cuz then what was Angel Time for?]. Of course a whole extraterrestrial species would have drastic consequences on humans.

8/10 The Vampire Lestat

A must-read for context and mining information, but TVL's never been a book I ever go back to just cuz I want to reread it for funsies. But I enjoyed it WAY more than IWTV, mostly cuz the tone was drastically different.

8/10 Lasher

Anne Boleyn. Really? XD And folks wanna complain about aliens? XD I was not here for Lasher--let the devil speak and tell his story blah blah blah. I was with Michael the whole time, just counting down to when Lasher would stfu already so we could get back to business. There was NOTHING Lasher could say to make me care. Regardless of what he was when he was alive, in death he was thoroughly EVIL. Lasher's a very interesting parallel with Lestat, who was also very religious and wanted to be a priest and was physically & prematurely ripped from his home and from his life. And yes, vampires are mass murderers, and Lestat likely killed way more people than Lasher. And they're both totally selfish; parasites feeding off the living. But it's the METHOD that bothers me with Lasher. Vampires killing just to drink blood is one thing. But Lasher RUINED that family--it was SICK, the things he did to the Mayfairs--both in the past, and present. He DELIBERATELY drove people crazy and abused people for sport and strategically hunted the "eunuch" husbands and turned women into his sex toys, and god knows what he was up to with Julien--and for WHAT??? Lasher was NOTHING like St. Ashlar, and it shows. Bye, Felicia.

C Tier: Can't Love It

7/10 Blood & Gold

I was so hyped for Blood and Gold, cuz Santino was just a PLAGUE upon these poor vampires! I got a lot of answers that I really wanted after TVA, but I understand why some people hate Marius, cuz really my guy?????? It really is his way or the highway. I still love Marius, but my opinion of him definitely dropped quite a few notches--I was PISSED at him just like Armand was, all the way up to Blood Communion.

7/10 Interview with the Vampire

Groundbreaking, iconic, never done before, etc etc. But IWTV is one of my least favorite AR books. I honestly think she just got better as she kept writing. But also the tone of IWTV, and especially Louis as a character just never appealed to me. Louis never had a personality other than bitterness, like…. I just couldn't relate to him at all, like what are you complaining about???? If you hate being a vampire so dang much, END IT. Lestat honestly impressed me (Armand's patience was impressive too!), cuz I'd've been GONE, and left Louis to his own devices; eff how pretty he is. The movie--as fun and awesome as it is--definitely didn't improve my opinion of Louis; he was even more mopey, wtf! (AMC's IWTV handled Louis BRILLIANTLY, and went a LONG way endearing me to Louis, where I absolutely LOVE him now--protect Louis at all costs!)

6/10 The Mummy

This was REALLY good, until it wasn't. I got similar vibes with SotB, as ancient civilizations grappled with magic and immortality and the divine and the dead/undead--my bread and butter. But Ramses just reads as way more naive and clumsy than Azriel. It got tiresome, seeing Ramses scramble to fix all the mistakes he kept making, like omg dude--LEARN. And what was the purpose of that girl? Whatever her name was. Like...yawn. And then Cleopatra.... 🤦 Why is she so evil? Is it just the brain damage? What a walking disaster--and Ramses was AGAIN at fault! I couldn't take anymore, it got frustrating.

D Tier: Didn't Care

4/10 Blood Canticle

This book was DEPRESSING. First of all, I honestly don't understand why Lestat was even there? Just let Quinn & Mona & Rowan & Michael deal with it--a drug/gun cartel? REALLY? Morrigan! Ashlar was one thing, but come on, REALLY?? I was so bummed! Then Rowan had the NERVE--! I was disgusted. I never liked her, but even the scraps of empathy I felt for her EVAPORATED. Poor Michael! :(

4/10 Tale of the Body Thief

I was squicked out. There was nothing appealing about this situation. If he was in his OWN body, like if Dr. Fareed could "cure" vampirism, that would be one thing, but this was just...no. And poor David! I liked Mojo though?

4/10 Merrick

God, spare me. I never liked Louis in the books, so this was just one long psychological torture experience I wasn't feeling. Especially since I couldn't really be sure if the ghost was legit when I first read it. But having read so much more of AR's ghost stories, I'm more convinced now that it was the genuine ghost that had it out for Louis, which is awful, cuz that really puts into perspective what was going on in NOLA vs Europe/Paris. So, I feel bad for him--but the most interesting part was getting Lestat's reaction.

3/10 Angel Time

I barely remember what this book was about. It was a murder mystery in a hotel near a church in Cali somewhere and an angel selects some assassin because....? IIRC he went back in time and infiltrated a pogrom or something disguised as a monk? And.... I...don't remember.

-/10 Of Love and Evil

I own it, but literally don't even remember what this was about.

3/10 Pandora

I could care less about Pandora/Lydia/whatever her name was. I do not like this woman. I get that she's bitter about Marius ditching her, but omg. Stop. You don't see Bianca complaining; get over it already. There was something about bees and the Talamasca and Pandora being worshipped and....something.

-/10 Vittorio

I own it, but I literally don't even remember what this was about.

-/10 Violin

This was an impulse buy. I was so hyped at first, cuz I thought this was gonna be about Nicky and Lestat. Then I actually read the summary, and was immediately like wtf. But I gave it a go cuz there's wibbly wobbly timey wimey ghost stuff going on, but.... Nah.

Thanks for reading!

[ejunkiet]

ah ej i love this ask set!! ✨💝💥

*squishes!!* it's a good one!! ;u; <33

✨ What's a fic you've posted you wish you could breathe life into again and have people talking about it?

Perfect timing for this, as this was part of the reason I updated 'lets fuck up the friendship' (david/asher/babe) - I love this set up, with early days David pre-angel, and of Asher wanting to shake him out of his routine, while also exploring the start of his kinky shenanigans with babe.

there is a whole lot of heart here, and I love this whole arc, so much. it's an older fic (literally, last update was a year ago), but I legitimately love every aspect of it. the asher/david confirmation made me love it even more hehehe >:3

(then I decided that I really wanted to see Ash in the middle of that sandwich, and here we are with the new update xD)

💝 what is a fic that got a different response than you were expecting?

hoboy. the angst ones were more popular than I was expecting! to build a home (asher/babe), where Ash and the pack come to the rescue after a home invasion. this was a vent piece, and away from my usual soft & smutty agenda, but hurt/comfort is a fave genre of mine, although I don't write it as much as I used to!

💥 find your least kudos'd fic - say something wonderful about it.

BLESS YOU ROWAN ;u; OKAY. I'm gonna take:

the truth is a cave (morgan/seer), where two seers meet up at a cafe and discuss exactly what it means to be obscura.

I still like this fic!! I got to play around with what seeing might look like, and explore the background of obscura in general (my thoughts are that the Department have extensive records on them, and they tend to meet unhappy endings. morgan and the seer discuss this.)

it's a slow burn, domestic sort of fic, exploring the lore, and I like it <3

[v-e-l-v-e-t-g-o-l-d-m-i-n-e]

I kept forgetting to make a post about it, but I finished the novel Taltos - and therefore The Lives of the Mayfair Witches series - last week.

I’ve been meaning to post it, so, full comment under the cut for spoilers for this book and for the whole series.

In some ways, Taltos was easier to read than the others, and in other ways it was harder. The themes are not so dense on this one. It’s less dark and disturbing, although these elements are still very much present in the narrative.

You know, the first time I read Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis it seemed to me that Anne was shoving two very different stories together in the same book (and later on she confirmed that she did, in fact, very much did this); Taltos sort of feelis like that, too.

And to be fair, yeah, Lasher was a taltos and therefore the Taltos lore is present through this book series since the beginning but. While I do think the lore about this species is interesting, I still think they’re an odd fit with the witches, and this doesn’t always work together.

Mona and her pregnancy... damn, all her family ok with this thirteen year old getting pregnant from her 50-year old cousin’s husbands and ‘blaming’ her for it made me so, so mad but I was not surprised since it’s the Mayfairs were speaking about so, very typical for them.

I was a bit disappointed that the whole Talamasca thing ended up being like three rogue dudes. But I have to say that Marklin and Tommy’s executions were terrifying. They commited crimes and yes, they should have payed for these crimes, but what the Talamasca members decided to do with them... the humans in this series really can be so much worse than any of the supernatural creatures.

Ash’s story was interesting, the whole Taltos canon too, but at this time I was already a bit weary of it all lmao so maybe I didn’t appreciate it as much as a I could have.

I have said before that is hard to root for Michael these days and I still stand by it but I think it’s interesting how packed with sadness both his and Rowan’s narration are. I couldn’t find the quotation I was looking for from Michael, but Rowan is all but suicidal at the end of the book:

I liked that this book deals with the things that bothered me in the Lasher novel - that it didn’t feel fair that their whole species was wiped out and considered unworthy of existence. And of course after seeing Ash with her own eyes and therefore realizing that she killed her own daughter, her innocent daughter who came back to save her only to be shot to death, of course it would shatter Rowan. The book actually doesn’t really gives closure to her grief and depression, and I don’t remember enough of her arc in Blood Canticle to judge if this gets dealt it at some time.

I do like how, as soon as Mona realized she was pregnant with a Taltos, she started to see Rowan and Michael as enemies because she would not allow her daughter to be killed, the way Rowan killed her own child.

Morrigan is interesting too, and her escaping with Ash feels inevitable as an ending. It feels hopeful, despite everything else.

I missed the witches lore in this book. Hardly anything about the ancestors, hardly anything even about the current ones except for Mona/Mary Jane/Rowan, and it was sorely missed.

Overall I’m glad to have read these books. I’m even glad it took this long since these are such heavy books, so it’s better I didn’t read them as a teen. The first book remains the best of all the bunch, but the whole series is better than what people have told me over the years lol

[welcometothevale]

🍧 SHAVED ICE - do they still have any objects from their childhood? what significance does it have to them? what would their reaction be if they lost it? (rose & rowan)

Rose:

Of course. Is it even a question that Áine's best little hoarder would keep the first toy she'd ever been made? One would really have to look to spot it amongst her various trinkets all in organized chaos around her house. It is a small, wood carved doe. The detail was uncanny, thanks to fae workmanship, and it was made from the white wood of a cottonwood tree—a common tree in their area.

If it ever disappeared or got lost, she would be a complete mess. Small mementos such as that held a lot of meaning for her as they were pieces of her memories. Every item was a tangible memory. Rose would probably never stop looking for it, and she would never try and manifest a replica.

Rowan:

Yes, and it's not what you would think. First guess might be some kind of book due to them being a huge literature nerd. However, her most precious childhood object, well collection of objects, is a magic kit. Which is a bit of 'funny haha' thrown into their lore. Rowan, the descendent of the goddess of magic and healing, grew up obsessed with slight of hand magic. They can still do every trick in the kit and numerous card tricks.

That kit was the one thing they could hyper focus into that removed them from the reality they were stuck in with Paul. Rowan had actually stolen it when the pair had been on a run for supplies for the camper. Rowan and Paul, living in the tiny camper. No where to really hide, though they certainly managed to find spots being so small as a child. The magic kit was their lifeline for a while; they loved learning new tricks or making up tricks of their own.

If they lost the kit, they would immediately scry for it. If it cannot be found, they would most likely be really down for a while but ultimately go buy another pack of cards to continue the secret hobby.

[whumpycries]

6 and 17 for the “Weird Questions for Writers”

Thank you :D

6. What is your darkest fear about writing?

Probably that perhaps I'm not creative or innovative at all and all my writing is just a rip off of everything I've read/all my writing is subconsciously plagiarized and that I'm actually shit at creative world building and plotting and ghat I'm just good at execution and nothing else and not a real writer at all. Hooo boi... just a classic, good ol' case of imposter syndrome.

17. Talk to me about the minutiae of your current WIP. Tell me about the lore, the history, the detail, the things that won’t make it in the text.

I don't actually have a current WIP? (To reference another tumblr post, I've got WILTS. Works in long term storage.) Other than the academic paper I've been writing on Blake lmao (crying on the inside) BUT I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT ONE. My Bad Blood series has SUCH vast lore regarding humans within the vampire territory. I'm gonna try to describe as much as possible but most of it isnt concretised. (just for the record, I'm only talking about the country that Rowan is the king of. The place where August comes from doesnt really have that many vampires).

While humans and vampires arent exactly equal here, things are still better for humans than they could have been. Humans are generally divided into two categories, as blood providers and non blood providers. They're paid for their blood, and the non ones are just. Regular people chilling about.

The blood providers are then also categorized on the basis of the taste of their blood/nutritional value/something I haven't written down for sure yet. There are the ones with the barely edible blood which is (the blood, not the person) sold for cheap and usually for the poorer vampires. The better the blood the more it costs, and also the more the human is paid.

Then there are the ones with the most wanted blood. They're usually kept in royal employee, given concessions and amenities. Their blood is usually drank from directly, rather than sold in packs. They live in the castle (and sometimes in the mansions of higher up nobles) and some of them are also outfitted with silver weapons and bracelets and necklaces in order to protect themselves. they can say no to any vampire, other than the king, if they ask to drink their blood. I have one such character coming up soon! August will meet her.

Of course, there's also the dark underbelly of the world where some vampires sometimes kidnap humans and keep them for themselves. this is illegal and if they're found out they'll be prosecuted. Humans generally do have constitutional rights protected by the law, so if someone's blood is being taken from them without their permission/without pay then that's a punishable offence.

I also have some lore regarding a vampires bite and venom too but since that forms a major part of August's story I'll let it play out on it's own.

Thank you so much for letting me vent about this world I'd been bursting at the seams with all the world building I'd done.

[rockislandadultreads]

Trees! Read All About Them!: Books to Check Out

The Tree Forager: 40 Extraordinary Trees & What to Do with Them by Adele Nozedar

Foraging is one of the fastest-growing nature-related pastimes in the UK and US. There are many books about foraging but this is the only one that focuses on what is arguably everyone’s favourite plant – trees! It profiles 40 incredible trees from the UK and US – from apple, ash and bay to walnut, willow and yew, gorgeously illustrated with watercolour, pen and ink botanical illustrations. In her humorous, inspiring and warm text, Adele explains how we can forage from our trees, not only for food, but also for home remedies, for ingredients to use in cocktails and ferments, and for materials to make toys, musical instruments and other useful things. Did you know that you can grind acorns into flour to make pancakes, for example, or use oak galls for ink? Or that Willow can be used for weaving; ash, hazel and oak are all good for making charcoal. Packed full of recipes and things to do, there is also a sprinkling of folklore and superstition, as well as helpful recognition tips. Overall it traces the fascinating story of the intimate relationship between humankind and our trees.

The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring by Richard Preston

From the #1 bestselling author of The Hot Zone comes an amazing account of scientific and spiritual passion for the tallest trees in the world, the startling biosystem of Rthe canopy, S and those who are committed to the preservation of this astonishing and largely unknown world.

The Heartbeat of Trees: Embracing Our Ancient Bond with Forests and Nature by Peter Wohlleben, Jane Billinghurst (Translator)

A powerful return to the forest, where trees have heartbeats and roots are like brains that extend underground. Where the color green calms us, and the forest sharpens our senses. In The Heartbeat of Trees, renowned forester Peter Wohlleben draws on new scientific discoveries to show how humans are deeply connected to the natural world.In an era of cell phone addiction, climate change, and urban life, many of us fear we've lost our connection to nature--but Peter Wohlleben is convinced that age-old ties linking humans to the forest remain alive and intact. Drawing on science and cutting-edge research, The Heartbeat of Trees reveals the profound interactions humans can have with nature, exploring: the language of the forest the consciousness of plants and the eroding boundary between flora and fauna. A perfect book to take with you into the woods, The Heartbeat of Trees shares how to see, feel, smell, hear, and even taste the forest. Peter Wohlleben, renowned for his ability to write about trees in an engaging and moving way, reveals a wondrous cosmos where humans are a part of nature, and where conservation and environmental activism is not just about saving trees--it's about saving ourselves, too.

Lives of the Trees: An Uncommon History by Diana Wells

Diana Wells, author of 100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names now turns her attention to something bigger—our deep-rooted relationship with trees. As she investigates the names and meanings of trees, telling their legends and lore, she reminds us of just how innately bound we are to these protectors of our planet. Since the human race began, we have depended on them for food, shade, shelter and fuel, not to mention furniture, musical instruments, medicine utensils and more. Wells has a remarkable ability to dig up the curious and the captivating: At one time, a worm found in a hazelnut prognosticated ill fortune. Rowan trees were planted in churchyards to prevent the dead from rising from their graves. Greek arrows were soaked in deadly yew, and Shakespeare’s witches in Macbeth used “Gall of goat and slips of Yew” to make their lethal brew. One bristlecone pine, at about 4,700 years old, is thought to be the oldest living plant on earth. All this and more can be found in the beautifully illustrated pages (themselves born of birch bark!) of 100 Trees.

[bone-wolves]

Rowan's Shade Pack Traditions

NAMING

Pups are named when their eyes open. Newest generations choose names that have a root word in nature, although occasionally with an ending that harks back to the galactic origin of Enit: -xus, -us, -ani, -eo, -ix

THE FAREWELL

The Rowan’s Shade Pack doesn’t believe that death is the end of life, and that when a pack member dies their spirit travels beyond the stars to meet Enit where she dwells now with her consort, Pietro, and their ancestors in the Darkness Beyond the Stars, and that they can return to the pack with Enit’s help whenever they want. 

It is still a period of mourning, for the loss of a friend/family member, and the wolves take a day to mourn, howling at the end of the day when they give the body to the Rowan tree. 

This period involves a call and response by the Lead Wolf and the Pack:

Lead: 

    The body slows and dies,      As plants wither, as seasons change,     But the spirit lives on and runs     On the paths between the stars

Pack: 

    The body returns to the soil,     And nourishes the Great Rowan with itself     The spirit rushes to meet Enit and Pietro     In the Pack That Howls Beyond The Stars

THE EYES OF THE ELDER SPIRITS

Belief in Elder Spirits, Spirits that reside in a place beyond the mortal world, who can occasionally reach out to this plane, is strong and alive in the pack. The pack acknowledges that Elder Spirits have no concept of mortal morality, so they are judged on the actions they take in regards to mortal wolves.

The Eyes are a group of wolves that are chosen at the beginning of the Pack's year (Fall Equinox) to dedicate their time to contemplation and discussion of the Elder Spirits, Enit, and understanding of the greater cosmos outside their world. They lead rituals, they leave offerings for spirits and ancestors, they contact Enit and other Elder Spirits, and they are tasked with passing on the stories of their pack. They are conduits for the Spirits.

THE SUMMER SOLSTICE

A group of adult wolves travel to the desert, arriving at the place of the battle between The Rowan’s Shade Pack and The Pack of Golden light on the solstice. They eat nothing on the journey, in memory of the wolves that were forced to undergo that journey by Aurelius. At the location, during the day they stage a mock battle under the heat of the sun. As the sun sets, they howl to the sky, celebrating the defeat of the Golden Wolf and the rebirth of the Rowan’s Shade pack. They feast as they return to their home pack, and hunt along the way so that when they return the whole pack can feast and celebrate the rebirth of the pack.

[belle-keys]

Now that you've read cc1... Thoughts, if you don't mind?

Alright, let's go. Just want to point out that I still don't support SJM as a person, and I'm still a critic of her writing regardless of my feelings about any of these new characters. Also note that this is just a tangle of thoughts and not a proper review.

- I would give a kidney or any selection of organs for Ruhn Danaan, like I love that man so much. Definitely my favorite character in the book. Danika is my second favorite character. I really like Bryce and Hunt as individuals (despite the overwhelming Main Character Syndrome they display). That being said, I don't ship them. Their romance is pretty generic, kinda boring and cringey in this book. I'm not saying I wish it didn't exist, but I could not care less about the ship itself. Doesn’t matter to me personally if they sail or sink.

- Side characters: I absolutely adore Lehebah, Syrinx, Jesiba, Tharion, and Isaiah to death! I have a major crush on Micah, given that I figured out he was the Big Bad early on in the book and got to appreciate him in a Sexy Villain Dictator light. Hypaxia and Fury are on my radar as favorite side characters too, once I get to know more about them in the future book.

- I like the City. It's messy as hell, and not nearly as good as other recents fantasy worlds written by women (*cough* RF Kuang's Nikan), but it's really gritty and fun! I like the mix of modern and ancient in Crescent City. It feels kinda like Gotham, if it were more supernatural. The actual lore and the different creatures in Midgard is too... messy, as I said, for me to praise, but I like how it all comes together withing the city confines to create an ambiance, even if it's not coherent. I think the messenger otters and the intense bureaucracy in literally *everything* are my favorite aspects of the world.

- I feel like someone who’s more versed in high fantasy than me can articulate why the mixing all these different mythogies, belief systems, and folklores in a single book is a bad idea. We got the Fall of Lucifer and Judeo-Christian elements, ancient Rome, celtic and norse mythology, and a few more things packed into one setting. Like, the world is called Midgard… but it’s run by these demigods formed born from stars… who command batallions of Judeo-Christian angels. Oh, and then the citizens worship these other five gods who aren’t actually linked to the demigods and who feel vaguely roman. Sometimes it was interesting, but it really bugged me because the worldbuilding just didn’t mesh. It felt, even though this may not be true, like Janet was making stuff up as she went along and the editor just sighed and decided to roll with it.

- Sarah J. Maas still absolutely sucks at writing believable trauma. I got so fed up the torture porn -> hurt/comfort pipeline, like please write something else Janet. This isn't AO3, and they still do it better anyway. Sarah also sucks at writing warfare and believable civilian casualty, but I digress.

- You see what went down in Jesibah's library with Micah and Lele and Syrinx and the whole revelation about the Horn??? Favorite scene!!! I was super emotional reading that, like it really reminded me of Dobby. I really enjoyed that scene even though it was heart-breaking as hell. Another scene I adored was the Summit scene cus it really reminded me of bullshit like UN Assemblies and the G7 Summit where leaders meet up to brag about how fancy they are and then fail at productivity.

- There is room for me to like both Bryce and Hunt more, once they hopefully stop with their Mary Sue Pick Me behavior in Book 2. They were just far too generic for me sometimes. I like Bryce just an ounce more than Aelin and Feyre, and I like Hunt more than Rhys and Rowan. No one in this book is on the same tier as Dorian and Lucien except for (maybe) Ruhn (because I need to see how the second book goes before I decide). Bryce self-victimizes too much and Hunt is plain stupid most of the time, and I’ve seen this a thousand times before. I rolled my eyes so hard when it was revealed Bryce was special and royal all this time like bruh, that shit was cliché asf.

- I lost a year to my lifespan everytime someone “snarled”, “growled”, or “purred”. I also got back pain everytime there was a sentence that was actually just a clause with a fullstop, because *dramatic effect* amirite.

Okay, that’s all for now. I’m sure I’ll have a lot more thoughts on this 800 page behemoth, but I finished it like 5 seconds ago, so I’ll stop here.

[neverafterss]

♡ ORIGINAL CHARACTER PLOTTING CALL ♡  I want to write my original characters more, but I know that it’s hard for people to start interactions with them so this is sort of an interest tracker for them. reply with an emoji if you think your muse/s would vibe with one of my muses, and i’ll slide into your dms with a plot idea! multis please specify !!

👻 ASTRA WHITAKER / fandomless / emily alyn lind / ghost that doesn’t know she’s dead / can fit into any verse where there are supernaturals. she can haunt your character’s house or anywhere else

🐻BEAR NAVARRO / tvd + fear street / froy gutierrez / vampire that was turned in the nineties (tvd verse) or shadyside counselor at camp nightwing (fear street) but i can throw him into any supernatural verse

🚨CAMPBELL RILEY / tvd + fandomless / abigail cowen / in her tvd verse she was tom avery’s emt partner who is drawn to mystic falls. but she’s compatible with any modern/medical verse tbh

😈 KIERAN NIGHT / fandomless / maxence danet-fauvel / based on my own lore / child of chernabog / literal demon that dream walks and induces nightmares because he feeds on peoples’ fears

🔥KINGSTON ELLIS / tvd / gavin leatherwood / hellhound / seeing him in canine form can be considered an omen of death / can be found lurking around mystic falls cemetery at night

🌙LUNA CASTILLO / legacies + twilight / sofia carson / black cat familiar based on my own lore / attends salvatore school where everyone thinks she’s a witch OR ends up in forks befriending the wolves

🐺ROWAN BLACK / twilight / kawennáhere devery jacobs / jacob’s cousin / one of the quileute wolves / joined jacob’s pack / doesn’t like the vampires or bella / based on becks’ incredible lore

🔮SALEM OLEANDER / the secret circle / adeline rudolph / no that’s not her real name / no she won’t tell you her real name / one of the balcoin witches / clairvoyant and saw her siblings in chance harbor

⭐THEA MOIROI / legacies / inde navarrette / reincarnation of one of the three fates from greek mythology / based on my own lore / was drawn to the salvatore school when the tribrid was reborn 

[bluefox-den]

My random “hey wouldn’t it be crazy if this happened” idea has since snowballed into a much larger plot point in my lore, and some of you seem so invested in it that I figured I would make a timeline of events and share some facts about the case. Also, as of writing this, I still haven’t decided for sure whether there really is a murderer, and if so, who it is. Feel free to share your ideas about it.

Timeline

Starting way back with Marion joining the pack. Note that Year 1 starts at the beginning of spring just after the pack was first formed.

Y1

Mid Spring: Marion Stormheart joins the pack as a hunter (specifically a stalker).

Late Summer or Early Autumn: Rowan Northwind joins the pack as a hunter (specifically a chaser).

Y2

Mid Summer: Rowan and Marion become mates. Rowan takes Marion’s last name, Stormheart.

Early Autumn: The Stormhearts have their first litter, with five pups.

Late Autumn: Marion catches the influenza. She is quarantined, but her pups must remain with her. Rowan stays with her as well.

Early Winter: Rowan and one pup catch the influenza. Marion recovers, that pup dies. Marion and the remaining pups return to their regular den.

Over the course of the winter, three more pups die. None were protected by pupsitters or ever examined by the herbalist, so their cause of death is unknown.

Late Winter: Rowan dies of the influenza.

Y3

Early Spring: Marion’s surviving pup reaches adolescence and has her Half-Year ceremony. She is given the name North to honor her deceased father’s original last name, Northwind. Marion insists that she be trained as a chaser to replace her father’s spot in the hunting party.

Mid Spring: North and Marion, after arguing extensively about North’s role in the pack, get into a (non-physical) fight. North runs off, and is later found by one of the scouts, Alma, who agrees to train her as a scout instead of a hunter.

Late Spring: Marion stops talking to North.

Mid Summer: Night joins the pack as a chaser (different hunting party) and becomes Marion’s mate soon after.

Early Autumn: North reaches adulthood. Only her mentor Alma attends her Yearling ceremony. Marion and Night continue to exclude her from the family.

Mid Winter: Alma dies of old age, and North takes her place as a scout. Marion and Night announce that they are expecting a litter of pups.

Y4

Early Spring: Marion gives birth to a litter of three pups. She does not allow North to visit them. North spends as much time as possible scouting to be away from the den.

Late Spring: Marion’s Pup A is found dead far from the den. He appears to have been trampled by an elk. Pup B is bitten by a snake, though it was not venomous.

Days later, Pup B is found dead. The cause of death was identified as a bite wound from something much larger than the snake, but the exact species could not be identified.

Today: Marion accuses North of murder. North suggests that Marion could easily have been the murderer. The pack has not yet sided with either, as there is not enough evidence to support either claim and because Marion and North fight often enough that random accusations of murder aren’t all that shocking, nor are they very believable.

I will likely add onto this (or make another post) later with more details. Feel free to ask questions or share your theories or observations!

[a-duck-with-a-book]

REVIEW // Traitors of the Black Crown by Cate Pearce

★★★★★

🌟 HIDDEN GEM 🌟

** I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

"Your body is a vessel. You flood the man inside it with pain. Let go of your pain, weep it to the world, and the rivers resume their course."

This is the kind of book that you simply cannot put down. Once the plot gets going, there are so many twists and turns that made me keep telling myself "just one more chapter".

The world building is intricate and fascinating. I kind of wish I had a map to track where the characters were, since they move around a considerable amount, and hopefully the published edition will have one. I never felt like the information being provided about the history and lore of the world was dragging down the plot, and Pearce was able to paint a detailed backdrop for the story without taking away from the forward movement of the story.

// image: official cover art //

I ended up really enjoying the romance between (SPOILER) Raenna and Aven (SPOILER END), even though I typically disliked insta-attraction and wasn't on board with their sudden desire for each other. Despite this, I think Pearce wrote their relationship beautifully, and I while they were separated I was desperate to see them reunited.

One of my favorite elements of this novel was the presence of dire consequences. We were shown again and again that characters could very much be killed or maimed, and this made moments like (SPOILER) Aven and Bell racing into the underground passages of the keep to rescue a sick man after everyone had escaped the invading Boens (SPOILER END) even more exciting. The constant threat of a largely inescapable underground force followed the characters throughout their journey to safety, and the previously established risks and consequences made it an edge of your seat read.

I also liked how the plot kept me guessing. I was never sure was going on with Zarana, and kept on modifying my predictions for the inevitable bit twist (which I still got wrong, but I was sort of close). My main criticism is that it does take a bit for the plot to get going, although I think plenty still happens in the first half to keep readers entertained. The competition at the beginning is a great set up to the tone of the novel, and a little after half way through the book the story becomes incredibly action-packed. I wouldn't criticize the intervening period however, as it is still interesting and crucial to setting up the later section.

Now, as is always the case whenever I read an ARC I love, I have to go through the torturous period of waiting for the second book to come when the first one hasn't even been released yet :(

Characters:

Raena/Rowan - knight of Hawk's Keep, masquerading as a man to hide her identity, exiled from Candor and forced into Duchess Avenna's service Finnley (Finn) - knight of Hawk's Keep, forced into Prince Zander's service Avenna - widowed Duchess of House Colby Prince Zander - corrupt, de facto ruler of Candor Queen Zarana - bedridden queen of Candor, her power is usurped by her son Lord Sylas - Lord of Hawk's Keep, raised Raenna, Finn's uncle Guon - knight for House Colby Lord Henry Schinen - Raena's father, (SPOILER) killed by orders of Queen Zarena (SPOILER END) Lady Islabell (Bell) - close friend of Raena, Lord Sylas' daughter

[brambles-wolvden]

Wolvden Lore Dump (basically a brief overview of everything that happened within the first year + lore)

|| End of Winter / Early Spring ||

Thrones leaves his father and mother’s pack due to difference in morals and ideologies (his father was a cruel and cold wolf who would kill weak pups or wolves that he deemed were not “useful” to the pack).

Thrones stumbles upon Blackbird who has been captured by humans (they were just going to relocate her but the wolves didn’t know that) and sets her free after this exchange :

Blackbird : “Are you rabid? The humans are right there! Leave!”

Thrones : “They aren’t paying attention, and I know I can unlatch these cages. I’ve done it before.” (He’s lying)

As Thrones struggles to lift the metal bar that keeps the cage door closed, Blackbird eyes him suspiciously.

Blackbird : “I’m not going to have your pups just because you are helping me.”

Thrones looks up, his jaw hanging open in surprise but he quickly recovers.

Thrones : “I wasn’t–“

Blackbird : “Yes you were.”

Thrones : “Okay maybe I was being presumptuous but I’m still going to help you.”

Thrones gets Blackbird out of the human cage and they exchange names once they have travelled far enough away from the humans together. Blackbird decides to stay with Thrones after hunting with him. Together they continue to search for appropriate territory.

They eventually settle in the deciduous forest.

The two become close friends as the month continues which leads to Blackbird opening up to Thrones. She was born to a pack-less female who split up and abandoned Blackbird and her siblings once they were weaned. Blackbird survived through savaging and taught herself to hunt critters.

Shortly after, the two form Copper and Bone Pack.

Nomadic or lone wolves are permitted to stay within the Pack’s territory as long as they provide their share of the prey. Several wolves came and go, Thrones having the tendency to fall for pretty females but they usually don’t stay long and Thrones doesn’t stop them from leaving.

Near the middle of spring, Thrones meets and falls for a female named Horizon. 

Horizon was part of a group of travelling wolves but after warming up to pack life decided to stay and she becomes Thrones’ mate.

|| Late Spring / Early Summer ||

Blackbird confides in Thrones that she is pregnant, he promises to care for them as his family since he considers her to be his sister.

Horizon has her litter of 3. Thrones and her name the pups Antler, Rowan, and Foxes.

Two days after Blackbird has her litter of 4 and names them Howl, Storm, Magpie, and Rook.

More wolves come and go from the pack, and a few weeks after a interesting wolf catches Thrones attention. The female is named Daisy and she explains how she can heal and diagnose injured or sick wolves.

Daisy attempts to teach the other wolves of the pack (including Thrones) but they can’t grasp the concept. The Herbalist agrees to stay in the pack to be their healer as long as she does not have to hunt, Thrones and Blackbird decide it is a fair agreement.

|| End of Summer / Early Fall ||

An aggressive female wolf is found within the territory and after a short physical altercation with Thrones, joins the pack.

She tells the pack her name is Talon but Thrones has a suspicion that it isn’t her real name. Talon is not a pack wolf but she is a skilled hunter and does enjoy hunting with the Pack.

Talon reveals to Horizon that she’s just joined the pack so that they would hopefully take her pups once she has them. Horizon reassures Talon that Thrones will not allow her pups to be abandoned if she leaves them with the Pack.

Blackbird’s youngest and smallest son Howl befriends Daisy and learns basic herbalism from her. Daisy had gotten pregnant with the pups of a male who was staying temporarily in the pack and Howl begins helping her full time as her pregnancy progresses.

Talon begins training Antler, Rowan, Foxes, Magpie, and Storm the basics of hunting. Blackbird takes her daughter Rook on short scouting patrols to teach her the proper way to scout.

|| Late Fall / Early Winter ||

Talon has her pups but asks Horizon to name them for her. Horizon names them Hawk, Moth, and Tadpole. Much to the pack’s sorrow, Tadpole does not survive past the first month of being born (the pup was just born weak and did not wake up). Thrones honours the pup with a burial and the pack howls in the pup’s memory.

A month and a half later; just before winter, Daisy has her pup. A single female pup who she’s named Whisper.

As winter takes hold, many of the temporary pack members leave in search of warmer weather and easier hunting.

Talon leaves shortly after her pups are weaned, only saying goodbye to Horizon. 

Talon’s pups Hawk and Moth are watched and patented by Thrones and Horizon.

Winter is pretty much uneventful for the Copper and Bone Pack.

Thrones does become more hostile towards other predators and gets into more fights with lone wolves as his protective streak for his family grows.

Blackbird does not go out scouting the far biomes very often as the weather turns bad, instead she often explores with Thrones.

Horizon grows fonder of her mate Thrones as he proves that he will do anything to protect her and their pack.

|| End of Winter / Early Spring ||

Near the end of winter, Daisy feels unsatisfied as a pack wolf and informs Thrones that she is going to leave. Thrones respects her decision and thanks her for her service and for training Howl to become the pack’s Herbalist.

Daisy’s pup Whisper has become very attached to Hawk and Moth and does not want to leave them so Daisy allows her daughter to stay in the Pack under Horizon’s care.

Antler, Rowan, Foxes, Storm, and Magpie become a hunting party.

As the Pack has grown considerably, Thrones and Blackbird agree that they will no longer let wolves stay in the pack territory as they have to work to sustain themselves.

~~~

Aaaand that’s it for now. I’m sure there's probably a few spelling mistakes and grammar errors but Im happy to have it all down now :3

[astralishq]

– ♡ good afternoon, lovelies! the admin team is just popping in to make a quick announcement regarding accepting character applications moving forward.

after giving it a lot of thought, the admins have decided we would like to try and even out some of the ratios for some of the fae courts / alliances in astralis: particularly, we would love to see more characters included in the summer court, the day court, and the wild hunt. as such, we will be currently placing a temporary ban on characters who do not exist within these courts. out of fairness, this ban does not count for the three fc reservations we currently have for the 24 hour period!

furthermore, incoming characters during this ban must live within these courts and must be appropriately casted. what does this mean? we’ll ask you to refer to the group’s lore, but what we’re really looking for is some of the following:

» as the summer court is east-asian inspired, the admin team are looking for more asian fcs / characters for this court. there are several leadership roles and occupations available for the summer court, so be sure to slide in and snatch one up while you can!

» the day court is inspired by northern africa’s climate, so we are currently looking for characters who are ethnically appropriate to the racial ethnicities of this clime. currently led by rowan hartwell, the day court is full of political intrigue, powerful fae, and a coveted position among allies at the moment!

» the wild hunt does not categorize itself as a fae court, but more like a pack: they do not believe in a lot of what the solar and seasonal courts are structured around and take their alliance with the garden quite seriously. the wild hunt is the only fae-based group that has shapeshifters--in this case, wolves--and is a strictly poc group. for this group in particular, we are looking for increased visibility for non-white passing poc who exist fully within the wild hunt and are not hybrid fae who live in outside courts.

if you need help coming up with character ideas or fcs for any of these courts, the admins are always more than happy to help assist in any way we can! we have so many wonderful events, plot drops, and other shenanigans planned for astralis, but in order to fully thrive, we need to increase our ranks in some of these courts. summer, day, and the wild hunt are among the most important groups in this entire rpg for plot progression and we want to honor that to the best of our abilities!

we appreciate all of our members endlessly and can’t wait to see what comes next for all of us in astralis!  ♡