#skyrim styx

[quicksilverdrabbles]

Taliesin: I must say, you've a very good nose for finding injured people, Inigo.

Inigo: Thank you. They are just up this hill.

Kaidan: Peak's Shade?

Lucien: Oh dear, I hope S'vashni hasn't killed anybody again..

Xelzaz: No, this one is still alive.

Inigo: There they are!

Gore: *sitting on the ground with his leg caught in a bear trap*

Lucien: Oh gosh. I suppose asking if you're okay wouldn't be very helpful here.

Gore: N-Not really- *sees Morana standing near the front of the group* Uh.

Morana: *sighs, shaking her head. She pulls out her notebook and begins writing in it, showing the finished phrase to Gore* Hello, my name is Morana. No I am not here to kill you or lead you to your death. *she tilts her head, considering, before turning the notebook back towards her and adding more* Or enslave you.

Gore: You- What? I mean, the killing or leading me to my death I would have believed, but where did enslavement come from?

Morana: *points at Yaksha* That one.

Yaksha: Haha. She saved me from a slaver.

Gore: That.. makes more sense. But, if you're not here to kill me, then... *he stares at the group, confused. His gaze finds Taliesin, and his expression falls into a glare* You're here to imprison me. You're with the Thalmor.

Taliesin: What.

Morana: *waving her hands frantically* No, we're not. *turns to Taliesin* I told you to stop wearing those robes!

Taliesin: Well I don't have anything else to wear!

Morana: I just bought you new Vagrant robes!

Taliesin: When???

Morana: Like a week ago! I told you about them!

Gore: What is happening.

Lucien: Ah, Morana can't speak very well, so she uses sign language. Me, Taliesin and Yaksha can understand her, and the others are learning.

Kaidan: *speaking over Taliesin's arguing* Anyways, Taliesin won't imprison you or anything. If he were still a Thalmor Justiciar he wouldn't be alive right now. I'd have made sure of it.

Inigo: Yes, do not worry.

Gore: ... Right. I suppose I'll believe it for now.. Um. *he winces* Can you guys- just get me out of this thing?

Kaidan: Oh shit I forgot about that- Yeah, we'll get you out. Yaksha!

Yaksha: Right here. Please bite down on this while we get your leg free. *hands him a leather strip*

Gore: Thanks..

Morana: *looks over at Gore's muffled yelling* Oh, you got him free.

Xelzaz: *sigh* No thanks to you!

Taliesin: Don't you look away from me, I am still talking to you!

Morana: *shakes her head*

Taliesin: Don't roll your eyes at me!

Morana: I wasn't even looking at you!

Yaksha: *checking for broken bones and applying healing salve to Gore's wound* How does that feel? Better?

Gore: Very much so. Thank you, er..

Yaksha: Yaksha. And that's Kaidan, Lucien, Inigo, Xelzaz, Taliesin, Styx, and Morana.

Gore: Quite a crowd you all have. Cute nightmare dog.

Lucien: Isn't she?

Styx: *barks*

Taliesin: *still rambling* It's not as if it is my fault the Thalmor hunt anyone suspicious! Of course people like Kaidan are going to be targeted if they stand out enough!

Morana: You're really not helping your case here.

Gore: Er, my name's Gore.

Inigo: Gore? That is quite a strange name.

Gore: It's a long story. Any chance we could talk about it back in town?

Lucien: Oh yes- Yes of course! Is he well enough to stand yet, Yaksha?

Yaksha: I am unsure. If need be, I can carry him.

Gore: I don't think that'll be necessary, big guy.

Morana: *still arguing* For claiming to know so much about fashion, you're certainly attached to those ugly robes.

Taliesin: UGLY?! Why you-!

Morana: *perks up, hearing twigs snapping at the bottom of the hill* Wait shut up.

Taliesin: You dare tell me to-?!

Morana: I said shut up!

Inigo: You heard it too?

Morana: *nods* ...

Kaidan: Yaksha, watch the lad.

Gore: Who the hell are you calling a lad-?

Thalmor Soldier: Well the mutt couldn't have gone off far! Spread out and search for him! And be careful, there are hunting traps everywhere.

Inigo: *whispers, sword drawn* We go on your signal, my friend.

Morana: *nods, drawing her dagger and dousing it in poison* Go.

~

Morana: *taps Gore's shoulder*

Gore: *sitting by the fire, leg bandaged* Hm? What is it?

Morana: *showing him her notebook* How's your leg?

Gore: Fine. Your healer works wonders.

Morana: Yeah, he's the best we could ask for.

Yaksha: *competing with Inigo to see who can fit the most honey nut treats in their mouths*

Morana: ... Assuming he doesn't choke to death himself.

Gore: Haha! I can see there's no end of excitement with these ones.

Morana: Are you sure you're okay travelling with someone who used to be a Thalmor? I'll understand if you don't want to.

Gore: Hm, well.. It'll take some getting used to. I think I'll survive, though. As long as he doesn't try anything funny.

Morana: You sound like Kaidan.

Gore: Ha!

Taliesin: *walks out of the tent wearing his new Vagrant robes* ...

Morana: Well, how are they?

Taliesin: ... They are. Acceptable. I thought most Vagrant robes had conjuration enchantments though. Are these destruction?

Morana: I enchanted them myself.

Taliesin: ... I suppose I must thank you, then.

Morana: I suppose so.

Gore: I'm really gonna have to learn your sign language so I know what you're saying without that book.

Taliesin: It seems Lucien has taken up the mantle of resident sign language teacher, if you'd like to ask him.

Gore: I'll be sure to do that.

[mikahooni]

some art for the vicn trilogy

[thugnificent305]

Styx is a smol bean :3

[amazingmsme]

Just some ghost!polites headcanons because I’ve been Big Sad & I need a healthy dose of angst to cope. As always, gotta sprinkle in some fluff to balance out the angst

Polites wakes up in the ferry on the River Styx with the other soldiers that died in the cave & it’s literally just like Skyrim . They get dumped off & unlike the others, he tries to stick to the people he knows. But they’re dead, & they don’t really care about camaraderie like he does anymore. So he’s just kinda wondering through the underworld aimlessly, just trying to get himself acquainted & get used to things

Apparently at the time of the Odyssey, Hades (the place) was in shambles. It had no order to the souls or the layout itself. So needless to say, Polites is pretty miserable down there

Also, however you looked when you died is how you look in the afterlife so… yeah. Ok but despite all the heartbreak that comes with that… his broken glasses sit crooked on his face & it’s real cute if you can get past the fact he’s bleeding, broken & bruised

I feel like he died with unfinished business, whether that be just making it back home to Ithica or something else. Either way, he’s a restless spirit with earthly ties. At first when he sees Odysseus & what’s left of the army, he thinks they all died & he’s heartbroken, but then he notices how different they look from everyone else around him & he realizes. They’re alive. & he’s so drawn to them, because it’s the one comfort he’s had since arriving in Hades. So he just sneaks in behind them & tries to hide/blend in towards the back

Maybe to make things interesting, a soldier could find out his wife died while he was away, but the way he found out was literally by seeing her in the underworld. Polites recognizes him & approaches to ask what’s wrong because he can see they’re both upset & if there’s any way he could help. & the soldier wants to stay with his wife, & Polites sees his 1 chance to get out of here. So they kind of trade places, because with that few people you’d def notice an extra person in your crew after romping through the underworld, but if the numbers are the same, then it’s less noticeable. & if you wanna make things extra interesting, this could happen by Polites possessing the soldier’s body, but personally I like the straight up ghost route. But hey, possession is always fun!

But no one notices he’s there until they’re almost out, & they’re about to pass between the 2 monsters & he shyly speaks up like “uh Captain? I think I know a better way” & Odysseus whips around like “who said that?” Because what the hell do they mean they know a better way through the underworld? But even more importantly, that sounded just like-

& then he sees him & on reflex he screams & draws his sword & Polites looks so (emotionally) hurt by that & he’s like “Captain it’s me, Polites” & it takes a second for Odysseus recognize him through the blood & the bruising, but yeah, that’s the Polites they know & love. Except… not.

But he really does know a better way to escape, & they don’t have to sacrifice any men. They make it back to the ship relatively easily & needless to say everyone is keeping their distance from Polites

He can sense the underlying fear & guilt they all feel when he’s around, & it really hurts him because he doesn’t hold any ill will about it. They couldn’t help it. & he wants to get past that & show them it’s still him, but how can he do that when everyone’s afraid to even talk to him? They can’t even look him in the eye anymore, does he really look that bad?

He starts to feel isolated & the weight of being dead really hits him as he watches the rest of them from afar. He doesn’t always choose to appear for this reason. He doesn’t want to feel like a bother, or like he’s getting in the way

He tries to remind himself that it could be worse, & he doesn’t want to go back to the underworld. So he has to try & keep himself entertained & upbeat & his favorite way to do that is by pulling what he calls “ghost pranks.” He’ll steal shit & make it go missing only to have it show up in obvious places, move shit through the air, rattle around in the kitchen at night (or mess with the loud ass anchor chain, that’s almost worse) but his favorite way to fuck with his friends is to tickle them out of the blue & the worst part is he won’t even actually be there, he’ll just be invisible & messing with them on purpose

At first his antics are more common as he tries to make his presence known & accepted, but everyone is at least little creeped out & he starts goofing off less & less. & you’d think it would take more effort to appear to people, but it’s a conscious effort to stay invisible. So I like to think that one day Odysseus was wondering about the ship & he noticed Polites sitting at the railing looking glum as ever & it’s just such a sad sight it makes him realize they haven’t exactly been the nicest or most accepting of him now that he’s back. So he goes over & sits next to him & he apologizes for the way he’s been since he came back. They have a nice long chat & talk out some stuff that really didn’t need to remain unsaid

He’s not his happy go lucky self like he used to be, but he’s still pretty optimistic… regarding other people. In regards to himself, he gets all teary eyed & you can tell he’s trying so damn hard to frame things in a decent light. Because he’s always been a glass half full kinda guy, so he’s gotta always see it that way regardless. Right?

Odysseus can’t stand seeing him so upset & it’s literally eating him alive. He’s talking to Eurylochus about it & saying how he’s so much sadder now than he used to be & it’s “not as easy” to cheer him up. & Eurylochus, half joking, is like “yeah, too bad you can’t tickle him” & Odysseus is like … 😈

Eurylochus is like “you can’t be serious” & he’s like “hey it’s worth a shot! If any ghost is ticklish it’ll be him” Like ok he doesn’t even have a body but go off I guess

But he catches Polites when he’s feeling down, & when his normal cheer up methods don’t work, he barely bites back a smirk. Polites knows that damn look but thinks he’s safe since he’s a ghost & why would Odysseus even bother trying? It would be pointless. But he’s interacted with solid objects before, so just maybe solid objects can interact with him

But Polites just arches a brow & looks at him like “what?” & Odysseus legit just comes right out & says it “you look too sad. I think someone needs a visit from the tickle monster” & Polites gets this sad, wistful smile, but he’s also looking at Odysseus like he’s gone off the deep end & he just snorts like “yeah good luck with that” except he’s nothing but stubborn & determined, so on impulse he goes to squeeze his side. & Odysseus can feel that something’s there, but his hand can still kinda phase through. & Polites shrieks, mostly out of shock because he never thought a ghost would be ticklish, & he & Odysseus are equally surprised. & Odysseus is so mischievous because he’s really missed getting to make his best friend squeal with laughter, & now it’s paired with morbid curiosity because he’s so fascinated by the fact that ghosts are apparently ticklish. & he’s fake interrogating him asking how it feels & how different it is from when he was alive & I’m such a sucker for the trope where it tickles when you stick your hand through a ghost

It really is like the old Polites is back, & they start to get used to their new resident ghost

Even tho he’s already dead & he doesn’t technically have any stakes in the game, he carries out orders & when they’re faced with a challenge, he fights just as hard as the rest of them to make it out safe. & he is more than willing to sacrifice himself to save a fellow soldier. & even tho he’s dead, it’s still just as upsetting for Odysseus to watch as if he were still alive

If/when I write it, idk whether I’m gonna keep it where Odysseus is the only one who makes it back, because imagine how much it’ll hurt both of them to continue seeing everyone around them drop like flies. How in the end they only have each other. But it could also be such a game changer to have 1 more man on their crew, especially if he has some ghost powers. & even the power of moral can be a huge game changer

That’s all I got for now, let me know if y’all want more ghost!polites headcanons, or shoot me some of your own! wink wink nudge nudge

[little-engineer-who-cant]

20 questions for fic writers

I was tagged by @amethystunarmed and I am very late in responding, but what else is new? I finally get to do one of these now that I've started posting my writing!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

12 as of writing this.

2. What’s your total word count?

203,764 words which is so very many and 159,923 of those words are in one series that's not even halfway done yet.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

The fandoms I have published are Skyrim, Batman, Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Black Sails.

One day though, I will start posting my ASoIaF works, I swear.

4. Top 5 fics by kudos

Act 1: Into the Breach - Skyrim

The Water Under the Bridge to Elysium is Still the River Styx - Batman crossover with Percy Jackson

There's a Waystation in Gotham - Batman crossover with Percy Jackson

Act 2: Rising Until Our Souls Shatter in the Sky - Skyrim

Under the Red Hood Lies Jason Todd's Shattered Dreams - Batman crossover with Percy Jackson

5. Do you respond to comments?

I really love getting them and a lot of people who comment on my fics have hit very close to future plot points! I try to respond, but I also know I'm terrible at keeping secrets because I'm so excited about what comes next, so sometimes I do not respond because I don't want to accidentally spoil my own stuff.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

This one is a tie, honestly. If you want angst that gets a resolution in a different work? Then it has to be Screaming Past the Limit, Never to Slow Down Again which is another part of the Batman and PJO crossover series.

If you're looking for unresolved angst, then it is Are You Coming to the (Hanging) Tree? which is a Black Sails fic focused on Abigail Ashe. It is one of my favorite pieces I've ever written and I did it in like 20 minutes while I was at work.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

You're the Torch I'll Use to Burn this World Down, another Black Sails fic but this one focuses on Miranda because I love her and I think she deserves good things all the time.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not really, but I write in very niche sections of fandoms (crossovers, modded communities, etc) so most of the people that come across my works really want to be there and try not to run creators out. The closest I've gotten was someone nagging on a location in the Damnation Saga because I screwed around with character's perceptions on map locations a bit for worldbuilding flavor.

9. Do you write smut?

To be determined. The Damnation Saga might get some, who knows.

10. Do you write crossovers?

...

That is 98% of my drafts. Literally the only works I have that are not crossovers are the Damnation stories. I have over 20 WIPs that are all crossovers. I love interweaving different stories that have similar themes or lore backgrounds, exploring how they interact and how the myths of one is perceived by the other and vice versa. Butterfly effects and world premise shifts, my beloved.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I am aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Fic? No. Original work however, @amethystunarmed and I have never really stopped our nonsense over the last 10 or so years. We still have shared Google Docs that were last modified in 2012.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

What got me into fanfiction, and what I still go back to even after all this time, is Bagginshield. I reread Sansûkh all the time. You should read it too. Everyone should. I aspire to create something that incredible and moving. I cry every time.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

Sweet Talk Hides Dark Thoughts. It's a massive crossover and I just tried to do too much. The butterfly effect got so out of hand that the story would no longer be anywhere near where I wanted it to be. It is super unwieldy in terms of both size and plot and I can't figure out a way to reel it in or finish it in a way that I'm satisfied with. Instead, I've sectioned out chunks and reskinned the concepts. For example, the entire Sirens Scream series is based on a bit I had in Sweet Talk where Silena Beauregard lives and vanishes into the unknown. Sweet Talk also explored the ramifications of there being survivors from Kronos' army and how the Titan War affected all the CHILD SOLDIERS that were fighting in it, concepts that I brought into Sirens but looked at from a different angle.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Descriptions and interweaving plot beats. I love a good Chekhov's Gun and I will fire it multiple times. I also am good at pacing. If you feel the story moving at breakneck speed with no room for breathing, it's because I want you to feel that way.

I'm also good at inner monologues, especially about a character spiraling into corruption and despair.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Action sequences. Unless there's room for monologues in there, I suck at them and they are a slog to write.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

I do it, but I always make sure to add a note asking for correction if I've translated it wrong. I do my best, but I am not a linguist nor do I have time to be. I use a lot of Dovahzul in the Damnation Saga and I am using both Old Norse and High Valyrian in other WIPs right now.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The Hobbit. I wanted to make an OC in Laketown so very badly, but I never got anything I was happy with.

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

There's a Waystation in Gotham. Hands down. It's the fic that inspired the entire Sirens Scream series because I couldn't get that line out of my head. I wrote it in one swoop when I was in the middle of machine changes and it needed basically no edits. If asked to recommend my own work, this is the top of the list.

I am tagging @kiir-do-faal-rahhe, @vice-versa-vane, and @septemberskye

[bellonathesaxon]

Skyrim Dragonborn story and asks that @grimweaver tagged me that @lucien-lachance made for a long time ago. I’ll tag @styx-winterborn

      STORY:

   Bellona Jade Heartlily is the daughter of Lionent Nishra and Kristoph Heartlily. Lionent was a Bosmer mercenary back in the day and Kristoph is a member of the Heartlily clan also known as the Heroic Bloodline. Prior to the events of Skyrim she was a mage and professor for the College of Whispers in Cyrodiil. She traveled to Skyrim in 4E199 to teach Ayleidoon for the students at the College of Winterhold. Eventually in 4E200 she became the Archmage and when out in the Reach she was attacked by a mercenary who was hired to get the Staff of Magnus she was thrown off and into a waterfall. She was found by a Forsworn tribe and her memory was erased by potions and she was brainwashed into thinking she was a tribe member. In 4E 201 after regaining her memory she joined the Companions and eventually her partner Vilkas became the Harbinger. For a job she was hired by the Jarl to retrieve the Dragonstone and you know what happens next. DRAGON! She actually ran away and got the Wabbajack before she returned after seeing a family die due to a dragon. After all this she fights Miraak and then Vilkas and her get married.

      Due to her unique bloodline she’s essentially “blessed” and will always be destined for greatness. She’s also Bosmer/Nord and has the abilties both races have.

       ASKS:

1.) Favorite Tavern: Bee n’ Barb for the atmosphere or the Winking Skeever since it reminds her of Skingrad.

2.) Favorite Drink: Blackberry wine or any type of hot tea.

3.) Travel Companion: Breylna or Vilkas.

4.) Wealthy or Not: She is wealthy but doesn’t like it because of how people react to her. She belongs to the fourth wealthiest family in Cyrodiil.

5.) Worships the Daedra or Aedra: She worships Akatosh and Hircine. Nods her head to Meridia since she “blessed” her family.

6.) Biggest Fear: Being used again or losing loved ones.

7.) Racists who poke fun at her being mixed. Rich snobs. Pickpockets.

8.) Do they like being Dragonborn: NO! 

9.) Favorite Faction: Companions and College of Winterhold.

10.) Object of Sentimental Value: Her orange College of Whispers capelet. Her journal from her childhood. Her old hunting bow.

11.) Hobbies: Reading, swimming, going on walks, exploration.

12.) Favorite City: Solitude or Whiterun.

[piney-river]

Obviously every fandom isn't here and things might be added as I get on with life, these are just a general idea for people who are looking. If you don't see a thing, feel free to ask me about it.

Shows:

Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts

Supernatural (up to season 7)

House M.D

Psych

Gravity Falls

Dr. Who (New Who, up to season 7)

Villainous

Red vs.Blue

Sherlock

Rick and Morty

What We Do in the Shadows

Arcane

The Orville

Wander Over Yonder

Our Flag Means Death

The Sandman

Video games:

Fallout (New Vegas & 3)

Skyrim

Rage (1)

Half Life (2)

Portal (1&2)

Undertale

Far Cry (3&5)

Styx: Master of Shadows/Styx: Shards of Darkness

Red Dead Redemption (2)

Stardew Valley

Dead By Daylight (for the most part. I'm still

new to this fandom)

Anime:

One Punch Man

Assassination Classroom

My Hero Academia

Ouran Highschool Host Club

Death Note

Tokyo Ghoul

BNA (Brand New Animal)

Naruto

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K

Beastars

Etc:

Marvel Universe (cinematic & comic)

DC Universe (Nolan & comics)

SCP Foundation

Disney (pretty much all)

Studio Ghibli (most)

Half-Life VR but the Al are Self Aware

[oioend]

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ OIOEND. 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱.

independent, private and selective multimuse of various fandoms. heavy focus on the elder scrolls, dragon age and baldur’s gate 3. penned by orion. 25. he/them. look here for temp rules.

blog roll: endawn , endbite

muselist under cut.

argo willowdale. player character. wood elf with the soul of a dragon. he/them. trans man. 23. pansexual. skyrim. 

auric hisgrasir. tav origin player character. deep gnome. draconic ancestory sorcerer. they/them. 27. demisexual. bg3.

cirion. original character. snow elf. healer. blind. he/him. 1,000+. demisexual. oblivion - skyrim.

clockwork. cronos. removed from original canon. et’ada. hand of time. he/they/it. ageless. the elder scrolls.

emrys. player character. dwarf. inquisitor. he/him. 30. homosexual. inquisition.

larus bolddrop. tav origin player character. forest gnome. beast master ranger. 30. lesbian, married. bg3.

marion hawke. player character. human. champion of kirkwall. she/them. 24-34. pansexual. da2 - inquisition. ✩

mazoga. canon. orc. knight of the white stallion. she/her. 34. pansexual. oblivion.

nihlus kryik. canon. turian. spectre. he/him. 35. pansexual. mass effect.

odahviing "odie" marprax. tav origin player character. blue dragonborn. warrior bard. he/him. 31. pansexual. bg3. ✩

opal shepard. canon. human. spacer origin. n7/spectre. she/her. 31. pansexual. me1 - me3

pallas. player character. khajiit with the soul of a dragon. she/her. mid 20s. pansexual. skyrim. ✩

pigeon. original. dunmer. he/they. 27. pansexual. skyrim.

styx. the dark urge. black dragonborn. any pronouns. 28. pansexual. bg3.

talvikki. original. gold dwarf ( werewolf ). oath of the ancients paladin. she/her. 35. lesbian. bg3 & dragon age.

xizzak. original. xivilai. he/they. ageless. demisexual. oblivion - skyrim.

yuvon. original. griffon. he/him. 16. not open for shipping. skyrim & dragon age.

✩ denotes higher muse

testing muses: villentretenmerth. the witcher.

[electronicdelusionstarlight]

WHO’S A GOOD GIRL? WHO’S A GOOD GIRL? YES YOU ARE!

[funnygamememes]

Every damn time

[mikeehrmantrautshusband]

Ten Characters, Ten Fandoms, Ten Tags

Tagged by @faiyamon​ and @the-sunlit-earth​ to share some of my favorite characters let’s gooo

Doctor Strange (MCU)

Pompompurin (Sanrio)

Misato Katsuragi (Evangelion)

Sailor Pluto (Sailor Moon)

Teldryn Sero (Skyrim)

Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid)

Jotaro Kujo (JoJo's)

Celty Sturluson (Durarara)

Adonis (AC Odyssey)

Almalexia (Morrowind)

Tags (feel free to ignore if you don’t want to do this lol) @styx-winterborn @emers-art @nbtranslink @kiir-do-faal-rahhe @magsorc @cheeseandstrawberrytartlover @macabre-changeling @kagrenacs @smellsofcitrus @wildwood-elf

[quicksilverdrabbles]

Taliesin: I swear this 'Lady Stone' better have been worth the absolute humiliation of needing help to swim all the way over here.

Kaidan: I'll have you know I'm not too happy about this either.

Morana: You could have waited back on shore, you know.

Taliesin: Hmph.

Lucien: I'm excited! I was-

Xelzaz: Born under the Lady Stone, we know, Lucien.

Inigo: You have only said it about twenty times since Morana mentioned wanting to visit it.

Lucien: Aah, sorry.

Kaidan: What made you want to come here, anyways?

Morana: Sometimes the Standing Stones tell a person what day they were born on, if they do not know, as long as they were born within the month of the stone. I've started trying to visit them whenever we come across them.

Taliesin: You don't know your birthday?

Morana: I don't know a lot of things.

Lucien: Fair enough.

Styx: *yips, running out from under a bush and circling Morana excitedly*

Morana: ?!

Kaidan: A wolf?

Lucien: A puppy!

Inigo: A ghost!

Xelzaz: A familiar?

Morana: *tilts her head, kneeling down next to the pup*

Kaidan: Looks lost, poor thing.

Taliesin: Egh. I'll look around for.. anything other than a dog.

Morana: *lifting the puppy up and holding it close* Hello, little one..

Lucien: How cute! Such a sweet little spectral.. nightmare dog. Who's a good pup, huh? I bet it's you!

Taliesin: I found a journal.. Would you like to read it, Morana?

Morana: *reaches up and takes the book from Taliesin, flipping through the pages with one hand* ...

Lucien: What does it say?

Morana: ... Project.. Styx?

Inigo: Is that the dog's name?

Lucien: Gentle reminder that nobody else can hear Morana with her mask on, Indigo.

Inigo: Ah, right. She said the word Styx. I bet that is this little fellow's name.

Xelzaz: *reading over her shoulder* An.. experiment. Oh. How horrible.

Morana: ... *lifts Styx up, raising her mask so she could see her better* ... You're an experiment like me, hm?

Xelzaz: Seems like this scientist was rather cruel to the poor thing. Calls her an abomination.

Morana: ... *looks up at Taliesin with a pleading look*

Taliesin: ... Why are you looking at me like that.

Lucien: You're the only one that needs to be convinced to keep her.

Taliesin: KEEP IT?! Why would I want us to keep it!? Where did you even get the idea that we should??

Morana: She'll die on this island if we leave her here. The only other living thing was a rabbit and she's already eaten most of it.

Xelzaz: Oh come now, surely there's no harm.

Taliesin: We don't even know what it is! It is no regular wolf familiar! What if it turns on us just because we are not the masters who summoned it??

Styx: *whines, hiding away from the yelling High Elf*

Morana: Look at what you did.

Taliesin: What I- Wha- You-

Kaidan: You should feel lucky she's asking you at all. By all means, it's Morana's decision in the end.

Inigo: She just wants to make sure everyone is comfortable.

Taliesin: ...

Styx: *peeks out from behind Morana, staring at Taliesin curiously*

Taliesin: ... Ugh, fine. Don't expect me to take care of it, though. Or like it.

Morana: Are you sure?

Taliesin: I'm not so cruel as to let a pup so small starve to death in the middle of a body of water, little raven.

Morana: *giggling* You're the best, Tally.

Kaidan: Hmph.

Taliesin: *flustered* Yes, yes, I know. I am an endless fountain of generosity. Now, let's move on before I have time to regret this decision.

[emitheplushy]

Archived blog: I found Shikyou

(She’s right here roflmao)

No I haven't found the old Shikyou PV. No I haven't found out if it even exists. Yes that's Skyrim.

This isn't purely a shitpost I swear. I've been wrapping my head around something major in the Onibi story.

So somewhat recently, Yoot and Nate did a podcast together where they discussed random Masa stuff (a lot of lore). Nate (ahem, Decent Artist, sry) brought up an important lore tweet from Masa that has something to do with Shikyou's true identity. He was relying on memory and described the tweet as "something about how when we find out Shikyou's name, it would be the endgame of the Onibi series." I think he's referring to this tweet:

March 26, 2013

狐の世界では死凶天邪鬼というものがかなり鍵になっています。まぁ、神様のようなものです。首無演舞狂の出だしが全体の話の鍵になっています。

“In the world of the Kitsune, what is called Shikyou the Amanojaku is quite a key. Well, she’s like God. The beginning of Headless Dancing Frenzy is the key to the whole story.”

^^^From Shishikusa's compilation of Masa's lore-related tweets

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MbXoVDwgX26aFMhl3TtsBhig63pZRbdwYQFIWdGTVac/edit?pli=1

I believe she was just using google translate, as that's how she made the blog summary. Pretty much the same message- however! I have a different understanding of what exactly this is saying. But we'll get to that after I tell you who I'm pretty certain Shikyou is.

Akari's grandma explains how there were all these gods and goddesses in the old ancestry of the Oborodzukas in the third act of the blog. She says that Izanagi and Izanami created the world. These original gods had three children: Amaterasu, Mikoto, and The Terrible Tsukuyomi.

If anyone wants to delve into theories about this aspect of the lore, it's time to get yourself a copy of the Kojiki. These names are Shinto gods and goddesses in real life. We can learn a lot about the happenings in the Onibiverse by theorizing which pieces of the real legends apply to the story.

And by looking up the names of these gods granny named, there is a big revelation right off the bat! Ok so Akari's grandma says that Shikyou rules the land of the dead (known as Yomi in the Shinto religion) but that she was not always a god of death. Keep this next detail in mind for later: anyone who learns Shikyou's real name is killed by her "messenger".

Look up the rocky relationship between Izanagi and his wife. What does it say?!? Oh yes, that IZANAMI CAME TO RULE THE LAND OF THE DEAD! She died giving birth to a certain fire god named Kagutsuchi, which happens to be the name of the demon that was sealed by the Kitsune clan (act 2 chapter 4). As a result, she went to the underworld (Yomi) and ate the food there, an act which bound her there forever (I have an unrelated theory about this). When Izanagi comes to rescue her (and fails), she says she'll go persuade some unnamed lord(s) of the realm to let her go. She tells him not to come see her until she returns to the land of the living. He does it anyway, and sees her hideous, decayed form. Shit goes sideways, one thing led to another, and his wife now rules the land of the dead and promises to cause a thousand deaths every year. Shikyou has that power by the way; to cause "death and misfortune" (her namesake), in order to return borrowed lives to the gods (or so she says).

There's of course a lot more to explore about how the Shinto stories relate to the Onibiverse. It's not a 1:1 copy of the religion obviously; there are going to be elements borrowed but changed perhaps drastically, many others left out. Do you know how many gods there are? How many stories about them?

Here's one other interesting connection. In the podcast on Yootna Marketing's channel they also brought up another tweet about how Shikyou is actually 8 different gods or something. This one here:

June 17, 2014

【死凶天邪鬼】

八人居る死凶の神様の中の一人、朧の化け狐。大昔唯一現世に生まれてしまった神様。恐ろしい力を持っていたがそれは本来三途の川で魂を引き抜くための力だが現世では命を奪ってしまうものだったため人々は恐れた。死凶様にも現世では人の様な名前があった。それはたしか、ツクヨミ。

“(Shikyou, the Amanojaku)

One of eight gods of Shikyou, the ‘fake obscene fox’. Only one other god like this has been born in the past. She had a terrible power, that was the power to take souls from the River Styx, but people feared her because she robbed life from the world. There was only one other person with a name like Shikyou-sama in the world. That’s certainly Tsukuyomi.”

Here's a little something to contemplate: the birth of Kagutsuchi and the ensuing death of Izanami is said to be the beginning of death in the world. His father Izanagi cuts off Kagutsuchi's head out of anger for "killing" his wife. From the spewed blood of Kagutsuchi are born...

8 gods.

And this is the exact same event that began the cycle of death in the world. Maybe "one of eight gods of Shikyou" means "one of eight gods of death and misfortune". I'm confused about this though, as it's describing Shikyou the Amanojaku in the tweet. Is an Amanojaku her chosen new form? Does this have to do with what Shikyou said to Akari, that she's "not the Shikyou you're thinking of"? Lots to wrap your head around.

You might be wondering. "How is this 'the endgame' of the Onibi series roflmfao".

I think what's meant by Masa's tweet is that this all has to do with how the story of Onibi itself actually ends. GG I'm never gonna find the willpower to write that >30 page essay on Demon's March and Beautiful Shadow. For now, just look at this from act 2 chapter 4:

I came to the fox’s altar.

[...]

I touched a demon’s skin for the first time. It’s hard, and tinged with heat.

She said that everything on the way home from hell is different.

I saw Shikyou’s gates.

[...]

Through the fox’s wedding, I devote myself to the altar and stand before the gate for the first time.

I saw the gatekeeper.

[...]

This is Shikyou’s gate. The demon was talking. Everyone thinks differently.

I saw Shikyou.

They asked.

I could not answer.

So I returned the remains of my borrowed life here.

Remember how Shikyou returns life to the gods? Yep she does it by killing people! She killed that poor bastard! And why did she do that?

(Act 3 chapter 2) In the beginning Shikyou was not the god of death. Those who knew her true form then were killed by her messenger.

(Act 2 chapter 5) Three, ancient, the name of the evil spirit will only be shown if you continue to hell.

I think he found out who she was when he reached hell. I think the endgame of the Onibi series takes place there, at Shikyou's gate.

{Edit}

I was mistaken about Shishikusas using google translate. I thought I remembered her stating that but it turns out I just assumed. She appears to know a fair bit of Japanese, so she's probably more reliable than machine translators.

(I don’t even understand what katakana is but seems legit!)

{Edit}

I was mistaken again. Knowing katakana doesn't mean you know Japanese.

{Edit}

Decent artist actually wasn't referring to that tweet. It was a dm. But it said something pretty similar.

[stillwinterair]

The more I see of Andromeda’s facial animations, especially for humans, the worse they look (especially the side-by-side comparisons to ME1)

However

I’ve put about a thousand hours into Fallout: New Vegas and Skyrim each, so like. I don’t really give a fuck

[little-engineer-who-cant]

Ao3 Master List

Running master list of my Ao3 fics that are currently posted.

Never In My Wildest Dreams (Bridgerton) - Following the scandal of her aborted wedding to Anthony Bridgerton, Edwina Sharma wants to have a quiet Season. The world has different plans for her.

look into the eyes of damnation and bare your teeth (Skyrim) - The adventures of Alla Stoneshield in Skyrim, featuring custom followers.

Act I: Into the Breach

Act II: Rising Until Our Souls Shatter in the Sky

Act III: Call Your Rage Peace

Wolf's Den (Skyrim) - Farkas runs afoul of a Vigilant of Stendarr and stumbles upon a cottage in the woods. Gwendolyn is trying to scrape out a living in the Rift, then a dying werewolf collapses outside of her door.

sirens scream names forgotten by tomorrow, laid to rest in infinity (Batman / Percy Jackson and the Olympians) - Follows Jason Todd and Silena Beauregard in Gotham City.

Under the Red Hood Lies Jason Todd’s Shattered Dreams

Our First Date was a Walk in the Park

There’s a Waystation in Gotham

The Water Under the Bridge to Elysium is Still the River Styx

Orpheus, Don’t Turn Around (i know you will, you always do)

Screaming Past the Limit, Never to Slow Down Again

I Needed a Shovel to Love You (and now i’m digging up your grave)

Fallen Angels Holding onto Demon Collars

The Garden of Eden, Built in Sunwarm Sheets

Screaming to Delphi for Salvation

Robins' Nest

Fighting for the Light You Drowned Long Ago - Part 1 of Injustice

Are You Coming to the (Hanging) Tree? (Black Sails) - One shot Canon Divergence where Abigail Ashe  joins the pirates and Charles Vane teaches her how to survive them.

You’re the Torch I’ll Use to Burn this World Down (Black Sails) - Pre-canon Black Sails AU featuring a chance meeting between Charles Vane and Miranda Barlow. What if they talk? Written for the Built On Sand Creative Event.

Dead Doesn't Mean Gone (Resident Evil) - A short rumination on Leon Kennedy's infection post-Resident Evil 4.

Down Into the Sea and Back Out Again (Resident Evil) - Piers Nivans survives Lanshiang. An ongoing collections of vignettes about the consequences.

Duty-Bound for Hell, So We Make this World Our Heaven (Game of Thrones / House of the Dragon) - Dreamsharing AU featuring Myrcella Baratheon and Aemond Targaryen.

What If I Knew Of You? (Black Sails / Pirates of the Caribbean) - PoTC and Black Sails crossover where James Norrington ruminates on Captain Flint.

[startellers-wings-of-fire-corner]

Wings of Fire Music Inspiration

Hey everyone! Thought I’d pop back on for a quick little post. My process of writing head cannons and doing artwork are heavily inspired by music. I’m going to go ahead and list my playlists for each tribe and some others for plot-lines. Probably will reference them further on down the line. I’m sure many of you will not share my taste in music and that’s cool. But, in case any of you were curious or will be curious, here is all the music I use as inspiration for my works. And this is a quick post that I had a little time to do between my projects. I’m halfway done with two and soon will be able to get back to my regular artwork and writings. I will probably keep this up to date as more tracks are added.

I will link as many of these as I can to the actual songs on Youtube. If they are not linked, then there isn’t a video for it. You’ll have to find them on your own. :-(

If you are interested in my other projects (Steven Universe related, CGI and animation) follow me on my Stream of Distracted Thought blog.

Anyway, here is my playlists!

(Hope you like instrumental music!)

Wing of Fire Main Themes:

Wings of Fire by Dirk Elhert

Dragonland by Thomas Bergersen

Welcome to Your Fantasy by Future World Music

 First Arc Main Theme:

We Are by Epic Music VN

Other First Arc Music:

Escape from the Summer Palace: Battle for Skyrim by Boris Mihajlovic

Clay: A Hero Will Rise by Future World Music

Starflight: Brave (Cover) By Peter Hollens

Sunny: I Won’t Give Up (Cover) By Peter Hollens

Sunny Also: The Hero in Your Heart by Thomas Bergersen

Glory: Heart of Fire by Valentin Wiest

The SandWing Queens: Rex Imperium by Immediate Music

The Abandoned Battlefield: Tears of War by Sub Pub Music

Second Arc Main Theme:

Dangerous by Two Steps from Hell

Other Second Arc Music:

Moonwatcher: Remember me Forever by Claudie Mackula

Peril: See the World Burn by Goran Dragas

Kinkajou: Ants vs. Bugs by Sub Pub Music

 Due to their advanced nature in science and engineering, I wanted something that sounded big and sweeping for Ancient NightWings. I like a synthetic feel to the music to reflect this.

Ancient NightWings Theme:

Child of the Machine by Anitti Martkainen

Darkstalker and Clearsight:

Under Your Spell by The Birthday Massacre

Counterpane by The Birthday Massacre

Hear Me by Sons of Pythagoras

Tales of Moonlight by Valentin Wiest

Legend of the Night by Valentin Wiest

Buy the Stars by Marina and the Diamonds

I Remember by Les Friction

Prince Arctic and Foeslayer:

Rewrite the Stars by Zac Efron

Father the Lord by Max Music

Whiteout

Immanuel by Tony Anderson

 My current NighWing head cannon is that they take after Roman/Greek culture. However, due to their widely perceived intelligence in science and engineering, I choose music that has metal instruments in them or what sounds like that. Even Moonwatcher’s and Deathbringer’s themes possess these sorts of sounds.

NightWing Theme (Current):

Styx Theater by Valentin Wiest

NightWing Assorted Music:

Escape the Volcano: Temen Oblak (Dark Clouds) by Christopher Tin

I See Fire by Ed Sheeran (But I prefer the cover by Peter Hollens)

Queen Battlewinner’s Theme: The Frail by Two Steps from Hell

Deathbringer’s Theme: Emperor’s Assassin by Two Steps from Hell

 Due to their very rigid and inflexible culture, I associate IceWings with male chanting, giving the illusion of militaristic unity.

IceWing Theme:

Full Sail by Demented Sound Mafia

IceWing Assorted Music:

We are Lions by Chasing Mirrors

Land of Ice Creatures by Gothic Storm Music

 I head cannon that SeaWings take after Polynesian culture. However, most of their music has a single singer or has a fantasy feel. And A Tale of Sea Dragons just fits magnificently well.

SeaWing Theme:

A Tale of Sea Dragons by Marcus Warner

SeaWing Assorted music:

Dharma by Chasing Mirrors

Ocean Palace by Anitti Martkainen

We Bring the Tides by Mitchell Broom

Lullaby of the Siren by Audiomachine

 I head cannon that SandWings take after Aboriginal culture. Their music is both the hardest to find and the most interesting. Finding instrumental music with Digeridoos in it is rare.

SandWing Theme:

The Wild Tribe by Tartalo Music

SandWing Assorted Music:

Outback by Sub Pub Music

Tribal by Trevor Crookston

Middle East Rave by Freeplay Music

Tonestep by Adele & Zalem

 I picture RainWings taking after the jungle tribes and people of the Congo in Africa. Because of this I have chosen music distinctly African. And theirs by far is some of my favorites.

RainWing Theme:

Iza Ngomso (Come Tomorrow) by Christopher Tin

Assorted RainWing Music:

Waloyo Yamoni (We Overcome the Wind) by Christopher Tin

Inspirational Africa by Matthew L. Fisher

 As I’ve stated previously, I picture SkyWings taking after Celtic culture. So, the music I pick for them tends to be Celtic as well. I also associate them with a single, female voice. (Reflected in their mother goddess.)

SkyWing Theme:

A Warrior’s Fate by Anitti Martkainen

SkyWing Assorted Music:

Steel for Humans by Percival And Marcin Przybylowicz

Fierce Deity by Valentin Wiest

Rise of a Kingdom by BrunuhVille

Symphony of the Forest by Anitti Martkainen

Celtic Warrior by Damiano Baldoni

 I head cannon that MudWings take after Native American Culture. (Though which tribal nation I’m not sure of yet.) Wooden flutes are the unifying feature that I look for in their music.

MudWing Theme:

Vale of a Thousand Rivers by Anitti Martkainen

MudWing Assorted Music:

Dear You by David Chappell

Awakening the Forest by Anitti Martkainen

Colors by J.T. Peterson

  Arc Three:

Generalized Pantala Music:

Due to the wild nature of Pantala, I decided to go with unified chanting for all of the tribes.

General Arc Themes

Oracle by Kari Sigurdsson

One Million Voices by Thomas Bergersen

Pamtseo by Blakus (Breath of Evil’s Theme)

For the SilkWings, I wanted something that was sad, reflecting the enslavement of their tribe.

SilkWing Main Theme

Black Opium by Select Tracks (Likely to be the SilkWing main theme.)

The HiveWings are honestly the hardest tribe of the new arc to decide on music for. They are rather generic compared to the LeafWings and SilkWings when it comes to their tribe history and culture. So I chose a sweeping chanting song for their theme, reflecting their pride as the victorious tribe as well as keeping with the over all theme of the other tribes.

HiveWing Main Theme

Exile of the Mountain Queen by Matthijs Kieboom

LeafWing Main Theme

(Undecided)

Undone by Tommee Profitt (Sundew’s Theme)