#wish we had more lore about dawn under heaven

[proto-homo]

Okay I just reread the first chapter of my manuscript and I’m gagged. I don’t remember this story being this good!! I’m definitely rewriting this. Please join me in being stunned

The Slayers

First Inscription

The first thing they taught us at the Bard's college was that the strings of fate connect everyone in one way or another. Slowly turning and tightening on the lute of life, tuning until the right note is produced, the right event takes place. Tuning eternally until all the strings produce a glorious harmony. I thought it was a crock of shit. Though to be fair, one semester wasn't enough to indoctrinate me to their proposed way of life. Especially when my reasons for being there weren't my own. "Become a bard," my parents pleaded. "Please do something with your life." Their words were harsh but they had to be for high elf prodigal wizards with a son who could make a pint of ale disappear quicker than he could a copper coin. I wasn't a complete magical failure, I just had no knack for it like my parents. They had clawed their way up the hierarchical elven ladder in a world that shunned our kind. We were dusk elves, not quite dark enough to be dark elves and nowhere near fair enough to be the prototypical waifish elf. Opportunities were far and few between for our skinfolk but my parents were changing that perception one draconian ritual at a time. I wasn't so lucky and I could tell growing up that they felt the same. So I followed their wishes and attended the college, learning to focus what little ability and skill I had. Unfortunately that one semester came and went in a deluge of offensiveness. Those backwater mages acted as if they'd never met a dusk elf and I developed an eternal scowl. My skin was an autumnal  symphony of crushed leaves and my eyes were browner than the deepest of earth's hues. We were creatures of nature and magic. Why wouldn't I look this glorious? My question went unanswered and my need for the school went with it. I was out promptly that solstice break, but not without my books and several stolen silver pieces from the campus vault, using the skills they taught me. Needless to say, I was banned and designated  the Rogue Bard. My parents weren't delighted by the news. We don't talk much these days but things are better. Mostly because of the exploits tied to my name. I've played for Kings and Queens all across and below Alstaff, fought bravely against deadly scourges, drank Orcs under the table, and romanced men and women(and Kings and Queens on occasion). All this while chronicling my adventures and deftly avoiding those pesky strings of fate. Or so I'd thought until I received a most auspicious invitation. It was early and I was far from awake when I heard my name being shouted through the halls in a manner I wasn't used to.

“Eonis Everfall of the Highdale Archmages!” boomed the voice down the hall, rousing me from a drunken slumber.

Thin sheets clung to my sticky exposed chest as the sunlight streaming through my window wreaked havoc on my senses. It was summer in the city of Faeron and the sun hung high at an angle above the town that made for astounding harvests and horrible hangovers.

The voice shouted again and I was swiftly reminded that a night of debauchery wasn’t the best thing to do every night. I slid out of bed as coordinated as I could muster. My head swum in dreaming mist as I made my way to the door, only to stop when a realization dawned on me. Nobody knew my full name, hell most people didn’t know my first name, but to call me so boldly and mention Highdale was a sure sign that trouble was brewing.

I staggered to my pack and drew a dirk, trying my best to not be as uncoordinated as the ale was making me. I was never that great at bladed combat but as I inched the door and opened it a crack, I reminded myself that as a bard I was always supposed to be just good enough.

“In here,” I shouted in a half assured tone. Anxiety bubbled in my stomach until the blankets behind me stirred.

“Eonis,” groaned the pile of sheets, “If there’s someone here to kill you tell them to come back later. I’m trying to sleep.” Tavaris emerged from the sheets like a wraith hunting for souls, delivering a glare that nearly made me forget he was naked. His ebony skin shimmered in the light as he stretched, giving off an inhuman glow intensified by his crimson boring into me. He had a predatory gaze, no doubt honed from his decades in the Assassin’s guild but whenever he stared at me, there was a softness behind it.

“You’re the only one who knows I’m here and I doubt you’d let somebody else take up a hit on me. You like a good challenge.”

He snorted as he looked me up and down, saying, “Your stance is terrible. You’d be flayed alive in seconds.”

His eyes darted to the ground and my focus followed to an envelope shooting from under the door. I turned to open it only to be greeted by an empty hall and my unease increased.

“Calm down, it’s just mail,” groaned Tavaris before slumping back into bed. I closed the door and picked up the letter, tearing it open with my dirk.

He was right. It was just mail. Stamped with a royal seal, the letter disclosed information about a formal event taking place in Balethorn, just two cities away. It was to be a splendid debutante's ball and the young miss had requested the presence of the fabled ‘rogue bard.’

I sighed in slight relief. Requests like this were routine but the fact still stood that they knew my name. I sat on the edge of the bed and read the letter to Tavaris as he wrapped his arms around my waist and nuzzled his face into my side.

“Sounds kinda like a trap,” he said, gnawing at my exposed skin. “Your music’s not that great anyway.”

I nodded along before he said his last line, falling back on him in retribution. He was right though, he had to be in his line of work. Traps, tricks, and treachery were all in the assassin’s handbook and if not for my dashing good looks, I’m sure I would’ve fallen to his blade when we met.

A simple quest made our paths cross; recover the children from the Sin Eater demon and find the one who summoned it. It was all fine and dandy till Tavaris dropped out of the sky on me and strung a garrote around my neck, letting me know there was far more going on than I thought. That day I learned that not everybody wanted to be saved. Some people enjoyed feeding sheep to the wolves to keep them at bay.

It wasn’t all bad though. I at least picked up a few new skills and a new murderous lover.

I looked back to Tavaris and shrugged. “I’ll do it. I haven’t been sucked into a primordial evil soup in months. Could be fun. I’ll let you know when I get back.”

I hopped off of him and began to gather my things before he said, “I won’t be here when you get back.”

I rolled my eyes. It was the same message he repeated every time before he vanished. Sure enough, before I got a second to say anything, he was gone. If there was anything of his I coveted, it was his mode of travel. I shook my head and began to gather my things, bemoaning the burden of the bard.

Lute, flute, sword, bow and arrows, lockpicks, small shield, chainmail, magic totem, magic tome, magic wand, and dirks. I ran through the list of my supplies as I suited up and gave my room the thrice-over before leaving. I carried the letter in hand as I strolled out of the inn. I read it again for good measure.

The insignia was nothing I’d seen before and that was saying something. I was a walking compendium of knowledge, a seeker of truth and historical lore, but as I brushed a finger over the wax stamp closing the envelope, I felt out of my element. I could see the strings of fate winding slowly but this was a new note being played. My only choice was to finish the song.

Faeron was unbearable when I stepped foot out into the sun. Quick cooling incantations were my only solace in the face of summer’s embrace. Out in the world, people were hustling and bustling around the town. Harvest was fast approaching and with it came the panic of superstition and the festival fervor.

There was a tale that traveled through agricultural circles around this time of year, the tale of Lady Amoundour. A lowly farm maiden with the blackest of thumbs prayed to the heavens for a healthy harvest. Her prayers were answered by the Sun with a hefty bounty but the Earth grew spiteful that she didn’t pray more to the dirt and so by way of winding roads, it sent bandits to raid her farmland. Luckily, she held fast in her beliefs of equal reverence and the Sun aided her, bringing its fiery rays upon the bandits and scorching them to dust.

The farmers took it as a parable about having equal deference to the components needed for a healthy harvest. I took it as a sign that the gods were petty and enjoyed us dancing for approval.

Regardless of my beliefs, Faeron was far into the festivities. Wood-carved Sun plaques hung from every home and business. Fresh dirt was tracked all across the ground of the city, ruining my new boots. Bakers yelled for people to come sample their Sun cakes and Dirt puddings, bringing a deluge of child patrons and sending a twinge of disgusted intrigue up my spine. Knowing these people, there was definitely dirt in those puddings.

I snatched up a Sun cake, tossing a few copper pieces to the vendor before making my way through the shops to the square. While my romp with Tavaris had been a great reason to stop in Faeron, I had a real reason for being there.

A huge crowd filled the square, cheering at a man dressed in robes of spun gold standing high up on a stage. He wore a bronze crown painted gold and revelled in the crowd's cheering before urging them to be silent.

“Welcome to the Amoundour Festival!” he shouted and the crowd’s cheering picked back up. I crept through the droves of people lining the square.

Every year the festival was held all across the world but Faeron was special. Only here, they held a very real reenactment of Lady Amoundour’s struggles, much to the dismay of the local farmers. For decades, one farmer would be chosen at random to act as the Lady of this year, devising ways to rescue their crops from very real threats. For decades, they would endure this trial or watch their crops be decimated and their land destroyed thanks to a magical artifact these fools should never have possessed.

I watched in silence, arms folded as the faux-Sun made his way across the stage to his throne and took a seat, gesturing for his servants. Dressed in drab, gray robes resembling clouds, a pair of sullen kids carried a gilded case containing the artifact in question.

It was called the Eternal Sun Rod in certain circles of collectors, a powerful gift from the gods on high. With it, the ruler of Faeron held a tight grip over farmland production, instilling fear into the hearts of any who would try to amass enough wealth to escape his rule. Every decade, he would wipe away the status of one family and every decade the people would cheer because it wasn’t them that time. This would be the last time.

I looked around at the painted on smiles and forced laughter as the faux-Sun did his dance up on stage. Sprinkled in the crowd were the broken faces of the farmers who banded together to hire me. Their offering had been a pittance but I wasn’t in this for the money. I was there to cut the strings of fate wound tightly around this town’s neck.

“The time has come, everyone!” decreed the tyrant as one his clouds dropped to one knee and presented him with a gilded box.

The crowd fell deathly silent when he reached into the box and began to rummage through it for the latest target. All I needed was a name. A name and I could start to put an end to this. I watched the people and saw the pain etched into their faces. Tyrants like this weren’t born in a day, not even a year.

They told me their festival used to be one of peace and joy, that at one point their lives were normal, but slowly it all unraveled until this was their way of life. I knew struggle, I lived it, and there was no way I’d let this happen to anyone else.

I felt the tension skyrocket as he withdrew his hand from the box and I began creeping back out of the crowd.

“Gilda Gletch!” He shouted, “Age sixty-two, childless widow. Oh this will be a quick one. Gilda, pray to the Sun for mercy and beg the Earth for forgiveness!”

Gasps rang out from the crowd. I raced to the edge of the town and hummed a bardic tune to myself. Song of Swiftness, spell number thirty-two in the overpriced pamphlet they gave me. With it, I was off, racing through the trees at breakneck speeds.

I could hear my father’s voice in my head. He’d told me to do something with my life and since that day I resolved to do everything I could.

I broke through the trees and out onto Gilda’s small corner of a farmstead. She was across the small field, sitting on the porch of her home in defiance.

“So it was me,” she called out as I approached her and delivered a strained smile. She nodded in return and waved me over. “It’s fine. Don’t be dismayed. I’ve lived through six of these festivals, seen them grow into something vile. I’m just happy it will all end today.”

Her tone was far from joy in the face of this impending raid and I could tell she had little trust in my ability. I didn’t blame her. We bards were seen as performers, consultants, skilled workers. Warriors were far from our image but that never stopped me.

I drew my sword and knelt at her feet, saying, “You’re right. It will end today. I’ll make sure of that.”

She looked into my eyes and for a split second I saw hope until fear snatched it away. I turned sharply to a band of six masked men emerging from the trees.

“What the hell is this?” asked one of them as he threw down a hololense crystal to project our images back to the town square.

They drew their weapons slowly, whirling them for effect. I stood and raised my sword, drew a wand from my belt and said, “Retribution, damnation, I honestly don’t care what you call me.”

They crept closer to me, closing the distance between us and I said, “Gilda...you might want to get in the house for this.”

A swordsman on my left charged as those words left my lips. I met his blade with my own, parrying the blow and leaping back before daggers sailed through the air. I traced their path to the slow moving Gilda and made a sharp dash to my right, blocking the daggers with my sword.

One by one they came at me, slashing as I leapt out of the way and blocked their strikes.

“Fancy dancer, are you gonna fight back?!” shouted one of the men as he swung his greatsword in an arc.

I ducked below his blade and raised my wand to his stomach, chanting, “Retch.”

He froze instantly, dropped his blade and grabbed hold of himself. He doubled over and emptied the contents of his stomach.

“Never fancied myself for much of a dancer. Playing music was much more my thing!”

I whistled and tapped my sword. Like a tuning fork, it vibrated, sending sonic waves cross the field. The men dropped their weapons and clutched their ears as I drew daggers from my belt and launched a shower of blades.

I sheathed my weapons as they cried out in pain and drew my magic tome, chanting, “Sleep.”

The words drifted through the air, heavy with arcane intent and the men collapsed. I let out a quick sigh and wiped my hands clean. I walked over to each bandit and drew my blades from their sleeping bodies, making eye contact with the hololense crystal.

I held my breath, waiting for the searing light of the sun to crash down on me. When nothing happened I could tell the sight of me dispatching these goons left at least one person in shock.

“I take it by the lack of death rays you’re still stunned at my assault. No matter, I’ll be making it back to the city in just moments for a face to face. Ah, and don’t worry about your little sun trick. This arcane barrier I’m erecting will block out the sun.”

I smirked and raised my tome, chanting once again. My blood was ice water and my breath frost as the tome began to float before me. Waves of ice emanated from me, encircling the little farmland in their icy grasp. I looked up to the sky as I began to run back to Faeron and had to stifle a laugh when nothing attacked my barrier. I’d bluffed to high heavens and he believed me. That barrier of hoarfrost wouldn’t even survive a warm dinner roll bumping against it.

The streets were deserted the second I stepped foot into the city. The tension was thick in the air but I held fast to my defiant image. These people had been pawns in the hands of a mad man for too long. They needed a rallying point.

“Little early to be ending the party!” I shouted as I approached the town square. “If I remember the tale right, the Sun and Earth have a special bond, right? Well maybe it’s time you two got more acquainted.”

The faux-sun sat atop his throne, looking down at me as he lazily turned the rod in his hand. His expression read unimpressed but I was well versed in reading people. My little stunt on the farm had shook him. He had sent his men as bandits to raid a defenseless old woman and met the swiftest resistance. Now he was alone.

“You know nothing of the tale, boy,” he said with a sigh, rolling his eyes in a dismissive manner, “But you will learn the Sun’s power today!”

He slammed the staff on the ground and I chanted a Swift Song before the blazing beam burned through cobblestone. Beams of light followed my every step as I ducked and dodged the blazing energy, much to his frustration.

“Why won’t you stay still?!” he shouted as he jumped up from his throne.

I drew my wand and totem, raising the little symbol to my mouth and chanting, “Solaris”

He slammed the staff again and I froze, letting him hit me head on. The totem chimed when the light hit me, exploding and reflecting a portion of the light back onto the stage. Chainmail singed my flesh but I bit my lip through the pain and focused as the faux-Sun staggered back.

“Larghissimo,” I chanted as I raised my wand and the explosion on stage slowed to a halt.

The faux-Sun froze with a look of horror on his face. I approached, tapped my wand on his nose, and whispered, “Allegro.”

Instantly his head returned to normal speed and his anger came with it. He thrashed in the slowed mass of light, grumbling as he shouted, “Release me at once! I will have your head for this!”

I ignored his blustering and took a seat on his throne before asking, “What’s wrong? You’re supposed to be the sun, no? I’m just helping complete the effect.”

I watched him float their helplessly and thought of the Bard college’s teachings. Our spells were to help, not hinder. Our voices were to be a guide in time of need. Even the spells I’d used on the faux-Sun were non-combative. I couldn’t have hurt him if I wanted and boy did I want to. I let him float in stasis for a few seconds until his anger melted into existential panic.

“I could leave you floating here forever, a ball of light untouched by time,” I whispered into his ear, telling blatant lies.

Most people never studied our power or our limits and the dread in his face showed he was one of these people.

“P-please,” he cried out, sweat pouring from his face. “I-I’ll stop it, I swear. I’ll stop it. I’ll never attack another person again.”

He pleaded before I tapped my wand on the throne. He dropped out of the air as the light dissipated and I grabbed the Eternal Sun Rob, saying, “Not without this, you won’t.”

I waved my wand over the length of the staff, whispering ‘shrink’ into the ether until the Sun Rod complied. It shrank to the size of a quill before I slipped it in my pocket and stomped on the stage.

“People of Faeron, throw open your doors and enjoy your harvest. Now your festival can really begin!”

I shouted and slowly the people took notice. Windows slid open and doors with them before cheering rang out. Finally, their town had been set free. I was greeted with gracious hosts and deep vendor discounts but I couldn’t stay long. Not with the party on my heels.

I refilled my supplies, rented a horse, and I was off. Travel between Faeron and Balethorn was quiet. It seemed I had fulfilled my karmic duty as neither bandit nor bandersnatch attacked me on the road.

In fact, nothing seemed to make its presence known to me along the road. The silence became palpable the further I rode from Faeron but I soldiered on. Curiosity got the best of me and trap or not, I needed to know how they knew me.

The sunlight began to wane and for the first time since I set out, I felt a pair of eyes following. Monstrous trees cast tall shadows all around me, threatening to swallow the path before me. Even the horse felt the tension, straying off the road in fear.

“Shh, it’s okay. I won’t let anything happen to you,” I whispered into the ear of the horse, thankful no one was around to see me trying to console him.

A few people see you talking to animals and rumors quickly spread. As if druids are the only ones in touch with nature.

His whining stopped for a second and as I leaned back, I caught sight of a light in the distance, beckoning my presence. This was it, had to be it. The closer I rode the more grandiose the building presented itself.

Dirt roads turned to pristine cobblestone, clacking evenly beneath my horse’s hooves. The mansion was a bulwark of civility in the middle of a savage forest. Gold lanterns lit the path before me, shining bright against solid red brick walls. A low overture began to fill the silence of the forest as a pair of stablemen greeted me at the door.

I dismounted and nodded to them both before they took my horse. Laughter spilled from the opening doors, making me immediately regret coming here.

Haughty laughter and sour notes filled the pauses in forced conversations between noble men and women. There were people of power and influence littering the room, keeping their political rivals at arms length and I began wondering just what I walked into.

“I see I’m not the only one lost here,” said a voice to my left.

I turned to see a young woman smirking at me with plump lips and a viper’s gaze. Thick coils of jet black hair encircled her head, covering one lavender eye. She folded her arms over the low-cut black dress that hugged her more than ample curves, letting the light bounce off her deep umber skin.

Our eyes met and at once I felt like the prey staring down his predator. She stood barely up to my chest but there was something about her that made her presence monstrous.

“S-seems that way,” I stammered before she made her approach.

“Iris Glaive, explorer extraordinaire who’s apparently been tasked with teaching a brat how to go spelunking. And you are?” she asked before looking away from me.

Her eyes scanned the room, continuously reading and assessing the gathered partygoers. There was something dark about her, a sinister air threatening to choke me. I could tell she knew and relished it.

“Eonis...Everfall and yes, I am quite lost. I believe I’m to be the party’s entertainment but it seems they already have a musician.”

Sour notes and uncoordinated key changes threw the entire overture away, leaving nothing but its crumbs behind but no one seemed to take note. I glanced down to Iris and she smirked, saying, “That’s a shame. I would hope your playing doesn’t make my ears bleed like this current amatuer.”

I smirked back to her as she took notice of the talentless talent and felt that predatory gaze soften. She tapped my arm and my heart skipped a beat when she said, “Come, there’s mead, and it’s far away from this sound.”

She turned to walk away and I followed but even a few steps behind, I felt her eyes hard pressed on me. She shared that she had received the same strange invitation as I did and intrigue got the best of her but the idea of her being a plain old adventurer didn’t sit right with me. There was something dark lurking beneath the visage before me and it could tell I saw it.  

She turned on a dime, handing me a glass of mead before giving my glass a light tap in toast and saying, “So you’re a bard, I see.”

I swallowed my mead and nearly choked when she made her quick assessment. I squinted and she raised a hand before saying, “How can I tell, you ask? There’s a little arcane trick they’ve taught you kiddies for centuries and it always makes my nose itch when you try it on me. Don’t you worry. There’s no need to read me. Our meeting won’t matter after tonight.”

She took a slow drink from her glass, smiling softly and I stared in silent contemplation. Who was this woman? What was she?

She smirked as if she’d heard my thoughts before delivering a sly wink. She leaned in close and stood on the tips of her toes, whispering, “Don’t worry bout a thing. Nothing sinister was meant. I was just saying it’s back to adventuring after this. Besides….even if it were sinister, there are plenty of guards here to stop me.”

She tapped my shoulder as she leaned back and her eyes darted around the room. Sure enough, there were several guards covertly stationed around the room at several windows and doorways. At a gala such as this, it wasn’t a strange occurrence to see a slew of guards spread around the place but Iris’ wicked tone seemed to suggest something sinister.

“Enjoy the party,” she curtsied and walking away.

I watched her disappear into the party, greeting high society types as if she’d entertained this sort before. She seemed right at home in this atmosphere of glitz and glamour. Neither gold leafed hors d’oeuvre nor jewel encrusted finery could dismay her sense of status. I found myself unable to take my eyes off her until a guard stepped in my path, causing me to stagger back in alarm.

“Sir Everfall, yes? You’ve been invited to a private dinner with the guests of honor,” he said through the iron helmet covering his face. I stood straight up and shook away my nerves before he said, “Do not worry about the entertainment. You will be compensated for your time here. Please, follow me.”

The guard spoke in a monotone voice, not once waiting to see if I was taking in anything he said. He turned and walked away with the suggestion to follow. I scanned the room for Iris to ask what she’d make of this new private invitation but she was already gone.

By now the room was lost in its revelry and as I passed through the dance floor at a brisk pace behind the guard, I could hear nothing but a string of sour notes being played. I could tell fate was giving me a sign but curiosity got the better of me. If only to see the guest of honor, I followed the guard into a large dining hall separated from the dance floor by a set of towering oak doors.

Inside I was greeted by an assortment of new faces and sure enough, Iris sat among among them. She raised a glass to me with a smirk before turning back to a heated debate between political rivals, instigating their argument.

The guard closed the doors and walked ahead to pull out what had to be my assigned seating. I followed, taking a seat only after noticing the ball of nerves dressed in ornate robes seated next to me. A lithe young man with cheekbones sharper than than the edge of a claymore fidgeted in his seat with his head down. He was a statue carved of red granite, moving incrementally before returning to his starting position. Tendrils of coarse black hair hung loosely over one side of his head while the other side was pinned back, revealing an elven ear.

“Nice to meet another elf here. I’m Eonis, Eonis Everfall,” I tried my best to start up a conversation without having him die of shock.

He nearly leaped out of his skin when he heard my voice, turning slowly to look at me with amber eyes through thick lenses of glasses. He cracked a smile that quickly faded to a grin before he looked back down and nodded.

“R-right. Yes, nice to meet you as well. I’m B-belia, Belia Borfin,” he stuttered before wincing and saying, “S-sorry. I’m nervous. I’ve never been to an event like this. I attended with my Professor and other students but it seems I’ve been separated from the lot.”

His voice rattled worse than his body did and I attempted a grin to ease his nerves, asking, “So you’re a mage?”

He inhaled a sharp breath before looking up and nodding quickly.

“Y-yes, well, I’m attempting to be...I’m not that good right now but my Professor says it’s to be expected of apprentices. I just hope to do my best”

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head. At least your not the son of archmages who can’t even make a coin disappear. You’ll do just fine.”

I winked to him as he looked into my eyes and he let out a nervous laugh that seemed to ease him a tick.

“Thank you.” He looked around the room, mouth agape in awe, asking, “Any idea exactly who’s party we’re attending?”

I shrugged at his question looking around in awe just as he did before taking another sip of mead. The room seemed to be filled with a hodgepodge of guests. An armored knight sat next to a cobbler and a craftsman on one side of the table while a drunkard, political figures, and socialites sat on the other side of the table. I spotted another patron, masked and lost in prayer before the grand doors slid open and gasps abound from all gathered as a familiar face made his presence known.

“Welcome,” said the tall high elf, dressed in extravagant robes of gold painted moons as he strolled into the room. Whispers spilled from the crowd as he tapped his staff on the ground before taking a seat at the head of the table.

“I’m not sure if an introduction is needed here but I will make one either way. I am Moridon Highwater of the Rolling Glens, Grand Magus of Alstaff.”

He nodded and closed his eyes as the crowds whispering grew but I could only stare in shock. Of course there was no need for introduction.

Moridon Highwater was known throughout the lands. Advisor to the King of Alstaff, Moridon’s power was unparalleled in the field of sorcery. Not even my parents held a candle to his might. He had been born the son magicless vagrants and quickly became the most powerful self-taught mage of our time. He was my mirror.

He opened his eyes slowly and I could feel his gaze brush by briefly as if he’d heard my thoughts. He looked around the table and grinned to the gathered before saying, “I must apologize for the lateness of our young miss. She has asked me to continue the dinner in her stead. It seems her dress was not quite right so we’re having the Modiste Magus conjure up a new dress.”

He chuckled and the room exploded in laughter but I watched in silence at his strained laughter. There was a venomous aura about him, a power he tamped down just to be around the gathered mundane. I could hear Belia’s dinnerware clatter as he put a hand on the table before pulling it away with his other hand.

He was pouring sweat and no doubt trapped between shock and horror at the power before him. I placed a hand on his and looked him in the eye, breathing slowly and nodding for him to follow. He took a few deep breaths before nodding quickly and I let go of his hand. It seemed he had yet to be trained on refining his aura and at his current rate, he was only seconds from being devoured.

My focus darted to Iris and from across the table I spotted her cold intentful stare focused squarely on Moridon as she sipped from her glass. As I looked around, it seemed the whole room was unaware of the power we faced, all except the three of us and the masked knight lost in prayer.

I turned back to Moridon and caught a fraction of a grin before he tapped his staff on the ground. Light flickered from the rose quartz crystal atop an angelic pair of wings that gilded the top of his staff before filling the room.

“Shall we feast?” he said with a smile before the doors opened up and several waiters poured into the room.

A buffet of the finest meats and cheeses littered the table as they brought out more and more entrees and desserts. People began jumping at the food before placing could even finish. They were ravenous, insatiable, and I couldn’t help but lose my appetite at the display.

My focus drifted to Moridon who sat stone-faced, watching the carnage without taking a bite to eat and I swallowed hard before asking, “This is nice and all, but who exactly is this ‘young miss’ we’re here to meet?”

His eyes darted to mine and I nearly collapsed in my seat from his predatory gaze. I could feel him, wriggling through my thoughts, through the entirety of my being before Iris cleared her throat.

“I’ve been wondering the same thing,” she said in defense of my questioning and the room seemed to take a break from eating all at once.

Moridon delivered a strained grin and I tried to hop out of my seat to no avail. I was paralyzed in fear.

“Oh you may know of her. Prestigious royalty from a land far from here,” he began to say as his voice lilted. “She was once the Queen of an entire realm, you see, but as you know, not everything lasts for everyone. Not even the eternal.”

He cut Iris a sharp glare before his face returned to a grin in seconds. I could see her shaking slightly but not once did she move to put down the glass in her hand. The mead vibrated with her nervous energy before Moridon continued.

“It seems not everyone was satisfied with her rule and so, under the cover of darkness, like the spineless wretches they were, her royal court committed a heinous act. You see, the young miss couldn’t be killed, no, not with the power she possessed. Her court knew it and to see her deposed, they hatched an ingenious plan. A crystal was forged with the power to capture a god and on that night they did as such, ensnaring her and shattering its pieces….Only, they thought this would be the end of the young miss but as the crystal shattered into endless shards, so did her essence, dispersing into the world and finding homes in the oddest of places. Knights, cobblers, craftsmen, and bards.”

His voice boomed as he said his last line and the room was frozen in horror before one of politicians screamed in terror and leaped from her seat. The whole room erupted in a panic and screams could be heard from the hall just beyond the doors. All the while, Moridon remained seated, smirking coyly.

“Oh there’s no point in running. Now that you’ve ingested the flesh and blood of the young miss, you won’t make it far,” he said before one of the guests jumped from their seat and doubled over, grabbing his stomach in pain.

He grabbed his throat as figures moved up it and tendrils shot out of his mouth. I leaped from my seat as Iris grabbed her stomach, brandishing my wand and shouting, “Wretch! Wretch! WRETCH!”

In rapid succession, I fired several spells around the room before my stomach rumbled and the doors flew open. I turned the wand on myself and fell to my knees as the searing pain of bile raced up my throat.

I pulled Belia under the table and grabbed a dagger from my boot as the marching of the guard’s feet filled the room.

“Don’t move!” I shouted before several hands pulled me away.

I turned my dagger on the armored hands of my captor, shouting, “Allegro!”

The spell took off, sending my dagger hand rocketing through the air with enough force to pierce metal but the guard barely registered the pain. My eyes darted around the room and I spotted Iris’ blood covered mouth before I looked to the still seated Moridon. Stoned faced and silent, he watched as the guards swarmed everyone before tapping his staff on the ground.

Darkness filled the edges of my eyes and then before I knew it, I was gone.

[theolder]

Found a piece of lore bit that I seemed to have missed, or not entirely connected, during my first play-through and I think it really makes it clear WHY the Oronir are the way they are, specifically Magnai.

I was always confused about why the character creation screen said that Raen were of the Dawn Father when the Oronir were supposed to be children of the Dawn Father--- turns out that isn’t just a retcon or a mix up. The Raen ARE still the Dawn Father’s children. But because Azim missed Nhaama so much and wanted to be with her and her children, HE MADE HIMSELF AN AVATAR AND BECAME A XAELA- the first Oronir. They are LITERALLY descendants of Father Azim himself-- his LITERAL blood, according to their myths, whereas the Raen are less direct.

And idk maybe you’d act like that if your tribe genuinely believed they were direct descendants of their God.

Canon dialouge under the cut.

Hien: Greetings. I trust all of our little explorers are safely accounted for? Udutai: That they are. My thanks to you, Doman. Now─you had questions for me? Hien: Aye. I would know more of the Oronir─of their creation, and of Father Azim. Udutai: As you wish. Come, let us sit. Udutai: Before we begin, tell me: what do you know of the Au Ra, and how they came to be? Udutai: Yes, yes. A common tale, and one believed by many tribes. Udutai: But what it does not mention is this: Azim and Nhaama were lovers. Udutai: Oh, they fought in the beginning, as did their creations. That much is true. But when they saw how the Xaela and the Raen rose above their hatreds and joined hands in harmony, their hearts stirred, and the love their children shared became theirs as well. Udutai: Alas, he was of the sun and she of the moon. Apart they must remain, lest day and night cease to be, and with them all creation. Udutai: With sadness in their hearts they returned to the heavens─he to the day, she to the night, destined to walk before and after, never to meet. Udutai: As time passed, Azim's yearning for his beloved grew deeper still. Was there truly naught that could be done, he wondered. At last, he knew. Udutai: "If the Father cannot be with the Mother, then he shall go amongst her children. Now and ever after.“ Udutai: So it was that Azim took a fragment of his being and with it fashioned an avatar. Clad in scale of midnight, he descended, and sought out the Xaela. Udutai: Yea, he was the first Oronir. We are of his flesh and his blood. We are the children of Azim, and it is our duty to watch over and keep the Xaela safe. Hien: ...I confess, I did not expect the tale of your people's beginnings to be quite so romantic. Hien: Yet I must ask: if it is your duty to defend the Xaela, how can you go to war with them in the Naadam? Is that not a contradiction? Udutai: If a father disciplines his son, does that mean there is no love in his heart? Xaela are not wont to kneel. They must be made to─only then will they heed reason. Hien: I see... Such is the way of the Steppe. Hien: Thank you, elder, for sharing with us your wisdom. Udutai: Eager to depart? Ere you go, you would do well to hear the end of my tale. Udutai: When Nhaama looked down and saw the avatar of Azim, she knew him at once, and shed tears of love and longing. Udutai: When they struck the earth, they rose anew, as a counterpart to the Oronir. Their fates entwined. Udutai: So you see, for every son of Azim is a daughter of Nhaama for whom he must search. Even now.

[madamlaydebug]

THE MYSTERY OF THE ALCHEMIST There are very few occult students today who have not heard of the alchemist, but there are very few who know anything about the strange men who lived during the Middle Ages and concealed under chemical symbolism the history of the soul. At a time, when to express a religious thought was to court annihilation at the stake or wheel, they labored silently in underground caves and cellars to learn the mysteries of nature which the religious opinions of their day denied them the privilege of doing. Let us picture the alchemist of old, deep in the study of natural lore. We find him among the test tubes and retorts of his hidden laboratory. Around him are massive tomes and books by ancient writers; he is a student of nature's mystery, and has devoted years, lives maybe, to the work he loves. His hair has long since grayed with age. By the light of his little lamp he reads slowly and with difficulty the strange symbols on the pages before him. His mind is centered upon one thing, and that is the finding of the Philosopher's Stone. With all the chemicals at his command, their various combinations thoroughly understood, he is laboring with his furnace and his burners to make of the base metals the Philosopher's Gold. At last he finds the key and gives to the world the secret of the Philosopher's Gold and the Immortal Stone. Salt, sulphur, and mercury are the answer to his problem ; from them he makes the Philosopher's Stone; from them he extracts the Elixir of Life; with the power that they give him he transmutes the base metals into gold. The world laughs at him, but he goes on in silence, really doing the things the world believes impossible. After many years of labor he takes his little lamp and silently slips away into the Great Unknown. No one knows what he has done, or the discoveries that he has made, but he, with his little lamp, still explores the mysteries of the universe. As the close of the fifteenth century clouded him with mystery, so the dawn of the twentieth century is crowning him with the glory of his just reward, for the world is beginning to realize the truths he knew, and to marvel at the understanding which his years of labor had earned for him. Man has been an alchemist from the time when he first raised himself, and with the powers long latent pronounced himself as human. Experiences are the chemicals of life which the philosopher is experimenting with. Nature is the great book whose secrets he seeks to understand through her own wondrous symbolism. His own Spiritual Flame is the lamp by which he reads, and without this the printed pages mean nothing to him. His own body is the furnace in which he prepares the Philosopher's Stone; his senses and organs are the test tubes, and incentive is the flame from the burner. Salt, sulphur, and mercury are the chemicals of his craft. According to the ancient philosophers, salt was of the earth earthy, sulphur was a fire which was spirit, while mercury was nothing, only a messenger like the winged Hermes of the Greeks. His color is purple, which is the blending of the red and the blue — the blue of the spirit and the red of the body. The alchemist realizes that he himself is the Philosopher's Stone, and that this stone is made diamond-like when the salt and the sulphur, or the spirit and the body, are united through mercury, the link of mind. Man is the incarnated principle of mind as the animal is of emotion. He stands with one foot on the heavens and the other on the earth. His higher being is lifted to the celestial spheres, but the lower man ties him to matter. Now the philosopher, building his sacred stone, is doing so by harmonizing his spirit and his body. The result is the Philosopher's Stone. The hard knocks of life chip it away and facet it until it reflects lights from a million different angles. The Elixir of Life is once again the Spirit Fire, or rather the fuel which nourishes that fire, and the turn of the base metal into gold is accomplished when he transmutes the lower man into spiritual gold. This he does by study and love. Thus he is building within himself the lost panacea for the world's woe. The turning of the base metal into gold can be called a literal fact, as the same chemical combination which spiritually produces gold, will also do this physically. It is a known fact that many of the ancient alchemists really did create the precious metal out of lead, alloy, etc. But it was upon the principle that all things contain some part of everything else; in other words, every grain of sand or drop of water has in some proportion every element of the universe therein. Therefore the alchemist did not try to make something from nothing, but rather to extract and build that which already was, and this the student knows is the only possible course of procedure. Man can create nothing from nothing, but he does contain within, in potential energy, all things; and like the alchemist with his metals, he is simply working with that which he already has. The living Philosopher's Stone is a very beautiful thing. Indeed, like the fire opal, it shines with a million different lights, changing with the mood of the wearer. The transmutingprocess, whereby the spiritual fire passing through the furnace of purification radiates from the body as the soul body of gold and blue, is a very beautiful one. The Masons have among their symbols that of a five-pointed star with two clasped hands within it, and in that we have the mystery of the Philosopher's Stone. The clasped hands represent the united man in which the higher and the lower are working for their mutual betterment, by a co-operative rather than a competitive system. The five-pointed star is the soul body, born of this co-operation; it is the living Philosopher's Stone, more precious than all the jewels of earth. From it pour the rivers of life spoken of in the Bible ; it is the Star of the Morning that heralds the dawn of Mastery, and is the reward that comes to those who follow in the footsteps of the ancient alchemist. It is well for the student to realize that the alchemy of life produces in natural sequence all of the states of progression which are explained in the writings of the alchemist, until finally the sun and the moon are united as described in the Hermetic Marriage, which is, in truth, the marriage of the body and the spirit for the mutual development of each other. We are the alchemists who centuries ago carried on in secret our studies of the soul, and we still have the same opportunity that we had then, even more than then, for now we can state our opinions with little danger of personal injury. The modern alchemist thus has an opportunity that his ancient brother never had. On a busy street corner he daily sees nature's experiments carried on. He sees the mixing of metals, and from the every-day book of life, through the power of analogy, he may study Divinity. Through experience and often suffering the steel of his spirit is tempered by the flame of life. As the moon in the zodiac touches off like a fuse the happenings of life, so his own desires and wishes touch off the powers of his soul, and the experiences may be transmuted into soul qualities when he has developed the eye which enables him to read the simplest of all books—everyday life. The alchemist of today is not hidden in caves and cellars, studying alone, but as he goes on with his work, it is seen that walls are built around him, and while he is in the world, like the master of old, he is not of it. As he goes further in his work, the light of other people's advice and outside help grows weaker and weaker, until finally he stands alone in darkness, and then comes the time that he must use his own lamp, and the various experiments which he has carried on must be his guide. He must take the Elixir of Life which he has developed and with it fill the lamp of his spiritual consciousness, and holding that above his head, walk into the Great Unknown, where if he has been a good and faithful servant, he will learn of the alchemy of Divinity. Where now test tubes and bottles are his implements, then worlds and globes he will study, and as a silent watcher will learn from that Divine One, who is the Great Alchemist of all the universe, the greatest alchemy of all, the creation of life, the maintenance of form, and the building of worlds. Manly P. Hall Initiates of the Flame

[autolovecraft]

From the East.

And the bearded man again implored me to turn back, but a swift-rushing resistless sea, over warm blessed seas fanned by caressing, aromatic breezes. Sometimes at twilight the gray vapors of the cities of Sona-Nyl there is no pain or death, but ever would the bearded man spoke at last, saying, This is Xura, the crystal headlands, and freighted with the lethal, charnel odor of plague-stricken towns and uncovered cemeteries. From the East tempestuous winds arose, and in it shine the perfect ideals of all is the secret lore of old; from far Eastern shores where warm suns shine and sweet odors linger about strange gardens and gay temples. And I viewed by moonlight that we know elsewhere; or at least so men relate. In Sona-Nyl; for ocean is more ancient than the lore of books is the Land of Hope, and their pavements also are of aloe and sandalwood, even as the fragrant groves of Camorin, and the streets and the air was filled with wonder.

And the bearded man spoke at last in the long autumn evenings when the moon was full and high in the immemorial year of Tharp that I saw outlined the beckoning form of the West. And when the moon was full we would listen to soft songs of the sea. Nevertheless at the stone pier by the huge carven gate Akariel; but he gently denied my wish, saying, This is Xura, the City of a mighty city; and though many times since has the moon was full we would listen to soft songs of the ways beneath.

In its wide halls many multitudes assemble, and in the books men gave me when I was young and filled with the reluctant bearded man said to me, Beware of those who have looked upon the terraces again I saw that what he said was true, for among the sights before me. The wind grew stronger, and whether the wind was friendly or adverse, it would always glide smoothly and silently over the waste I saw on the distant thunder of falling waters, and the lutanist. In its wide halls many multitudes assemble, and roofed with glittering gold that reflects the rays of the cities of gold. Soon to our eyes appeared on the wall a calendar which still remained as when I looked upon the living Olympus.

It was against the full moon I boarded the White Ship. And the houses, and as I glanced out over the waste I saw him under the full moon and dwelt in the phosphorescent depths of ocean. In the Land of Fancy.

I closed my eyes before the world could learn of what they had seen and dreamed. On the green shore the bearded man told me its secrets no more; and there the gleaming white roofs and colonnades of strange temples.

Day after day and night after night did we sail, and I walked out over the flowery meadows and leafy woods brought a scent at which I trembled. And in the later watches of the ways beneath. And it was that the city. For the aeons that I urged the rowers onward in my eagerness to reach the scene. And the bearded man say to myself of Cathuria are all palaces, and the mist lifted, we beheld not the Land of Cathuria with its splendid groves and radiant arbors beneath a meridian sun. Of that land, the Land of Cathuria, but which all believe to lie beyond the horizon have parted to grant me glimpses of the West, but what I found was only this: a strange dead bird whose hue was as of the tortoise, and shewing here and there the gleaming white roofs and colonnades of strange temples. So the White Ship from the shore stands the gray lighthouse, above sunken slimy rocks that are no longer men, while none hath ever beheld Cathuria. And the roof is of glass, under which flow the cunningly lighted waters of the ways that might be, as though I were the last man on our planet. And the houses of the cities of Cathuria are all palaces, each built over a fragrant canal bearing the waters to the White Ship used to come when the moon was full and high in the heavens. The old captains of the tortoise, and perfumed lakes whose beds are of coral and amber.

With the dawn I descended the tower, I beheld the green shore of Sona-Nyl.

[mauvaisxander]

Fanmix Masterpost

All my fanmixes sorted by fandom under the cut. I’m working on putting all my old fanmixes on it now, and will be updating it as I make new mixes. 

Agents Of Shield

     Daisy

          Fault Line

          Lies Made Visible 

     Daisy/Fitz

          Walk The Line

     Daisy/Simmons

          The Great Unknown

     Daisy/Trip

          Change The Weather

     Fitz/Simmons

          All My Broken Heartbeats

          A New Equation

          I Follow You (Deep Sea Baby)

     Trip

          These Small Hours

Anna Karenina

     Anna/Vronsky

          Constellations And Dreams

Arrested Development

     GOB/Tony

          This Could Be Magic, After All

A Song Of Ice And Fire

     Ashara

         With Grace In Your Heart And Flowers In Your Hair

     Brienne

          I Am Not A Maiden Fair

     Brienne/Jaime

          Only Love Can Save Us Now

     Daenerys

          My Voluntary Blindness

     General

          Put On Your War Paint

     Robb/Theon

          A Shock Of Death

     Sansa

          High On Lullabies 

     Theon

          Blossom Every Broken Part

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

     Johnny

          Kick Drum Heart

     Sissy

          Aching To Pupate

Buffyverse

     Andrew

          Let The World Spin Madly On

          TV Taught Me How To Feel

     Andrew/Xander

          Big Crush On You

     Angel

          The Fragile Substance Of This Soul

     Angel/Buffy

          This Is Not The End

     Angel/Cordelia

          I Loved A Girl (Who Said That I Could Change The World)

          Miles From Where You Are

     Angel/Darla

          Darkest Hearts

          The Undone And The Divine

     Angel/Faith

          All My Love

     Angel Investigations

          What I Stand For

     Angel/Spike

          Nothing More Sadistic 

     Anya

          Cinder And Smoke

     Anya/Xander

          A Tightrope Tragedy

     Buffy

          I’m Only Human

          Looking For Heaven (Found The Devil In Me)

     Buffy/Faith

          Love Hunt Me Down

     Buffy/Spike

          Damage Control

          Dark Little Heaven

          Fire In The Water

          Love Me Mercilessly

          Take My Hand

          You Are Second Hand Smoke

     Connor

          Monster

     Cordelia

          Shed My Skin

     Cordelia/Doyle

          Going Going Gone

     Dawn

          Boundless And Beauty

          Keep On Dreamin’

     Dawn/Xander

          Speechless

     Drusilla/Spike

          A Dark Waltz

     Ethan/Giles

         Oxford Comma

     Faith

          Clouded With Dirt

     Faith/Giles

          Perfect (In That Fucked Up Way)

     Faith/Willow

          Walking Into Fire

     Faith/Xander

          A Dime A Dozen Kind Of Love

     Fred

          Don’t Lose Yourself

     Fred/Gunn

          I Love You (I Always Have)

          You Light Up My World

     Fred/Wesley

          I Ache For You

     General

          At The Bronze

          Darkest Before Dawn

     Giles

          A Sinners Heart

     Giles/Lilah

          Without An Honest Heart

     Illyria

          Phoenix Throne

     Illyria/Wesley

          A New Empire

     Lilah/Wesley

          Complementary Colors 

     Oz/Willow

          A Perfect Fit

          You Picked Me

     Scoobies

          A Life Worth Fighting For

     Spike

          Battle Born

     Tara/Willow

          Dreams Of Starry Nights

          Every Moment Was So Precious 

     Wesley

          My Lying Technique 

     Willow

          Darkness I Became

          Twilight Galaxy

     Women

          Bright As The Sun And As Bold As The Moon

          My Own Hero

Bully

     Cliques

          Just A Stupid Kid

     Gary/Jimmy

          Shades Of Wrong

          Strange Type Of Chemistry

     Gary/Pete

          All That You Are (Is All That I Need)

Cabin In The Woods

     General

          Doomsday

Choices Stories You Play

     Kenna

          I Won’t Run

     Kenna/Raydan

          I’d Follow

Chronicles Of Narnia

     Caspian/Edmund

          Until The Stars Fall

Community

     Abed/Troy

          Holding A Heart

Cougar Town

     Laurie/Travis

          Hearts Given Freely

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

     Greg

          Never Wanted To Stay

     Nathaniel/Rebecca

          The Chase Is All You Know

     Rebecca/Valencia

          Not Fade Away

Dead Poets Society

     Neil/Todd

          Nothing Like You And I 

Dollhouse

     Adelle

         Last Call For Sin

     Adelle/Dominic

         Falling From Your Grace

     Alpha

         Our Vintage Misery

     Alpha/Echo

          A Taste Of Poison Paradise

          Dirty Little Damsel

     Bennett/Topher

         Two Atoms In A Molecule

     Echo

          I Don’t Exist

          Memories Fade

     Echo/Paul

          Gravity Sings

     Epitaphs

         This House Is Falling Apart

     General

          Go Back To Sleep

          We Do What We Must Because We Can

     Mellie/Paul

          My Sweetest Downfall

     Sierra

          Pins In Your Fingers

     Sierra/Victor

          You’re My Everything

     Topher

          Afterglow Of Rapture

          Dead Hearts Are Everywhere

          What Fine Design

     Whiskey

          Weary Of This Melody

Don’t Trust The B In Apartment 23

     Chloe/June

          All The Violent, Sweet, Perfect Words That You Said

Downton Abbey

     Branson/Sybil

          (You’re) The Home My Heart Searched For

     Edith

          I’ve Been Waiting (For My Planets To Align)

     Thomas

          Love Is Just A Lyric In A Children’s Rhyme

Durarara!!

     Anri/Masaomi/Mikado

          By Mistake Or By Design

     Izaya/Shizuo

          Violent For You

Fallout

     Charon/Lone Wanderer 

          You’re My River

Firefly

     General

          We Stood Up

     Inara/Mal

          The Dizzy Dance

     Kaylee/Simon

          Memory Of Home

          The Bed Of Stars

     Zoe

          I Fought The War

Friday Night Lights

     General

          God Love Your Soul And Your Aching Bones

     Jason

          Strength In Pain

     Jason/Lyla

          Too Much Is How I Love You

     Jason/Lyla/Tim

          Carousel 

     Julie/Matt

          She Is The Sunlight

          Wonderstruck

     Landry/Tyra

          I Will Love Until

     Lyla

          Heart Full Of Mess And Lore

     Lyla/Tim

          Burn Me Up

          Never Gets Dull

          Our Love’s The Only Truth

     Matt

          Looking For Wisdom

     Vince

          Everybody Loves Me

Friends

     Chandler/Monica

          I Could Live On Your Love

Geek Charming

     Dylan/Josh

          Movie Loves A Screen

Hannibal

     Will

          Blood On My Name

Harry Potter

     Dean/Seamus

          Makes My Heart Scream Colors

     Harry/Hermione/Ron

          Our Hearts Are Joined

     Hermione/Ron

          The Key To Your Heart

          Will You Be The Queen? And I’ll Be Your Clown

          You’re My Favorite Book

     James/Lily

          Head Over Feet

     Luna/Neville

          Love Planted Deeply

     Percy

          The Higher I’ll Climb

     Remus/Sirius

          Born A Lion

          Lines Of Lightning 

     Ron

          The Call

     Sirius

          Ghosts That We Knew

How I Met Your Mother

     Barney

          That Boy Is All About Fun

     Barney/Robin

          A More Uncertain Future

          Change My Orbit

          Your Perfect Disaster

     Lily/Marshall

          Growing Old With You

     MacLaren’s Gang

          High 5 (Friends Til The End)

     Ted/Tracy

          I’ve Missed You But I Haven’t Met You

          Under My Umbrella

In Your Eyes

     Dylan/Rebecca

          Echo

iZombie

     Liv/Major

          You Mean The World To Me

     Liv/Major/Ravi

          More Than Life

Kill La Kill

     Elite Four

          Dire Dreams

     Ryuko

          Meaning Of Resistance

King Falls AM

     Ben/Emily/Sammy

          My Heart In Your Hands

Les Miserables

     Bossuet/Joly

          A Drop In The Ocean

     Combeferre/Jehan

          Our Own Constellations 

     Cosette/Eponine

          Spoken Words Like Moonlight

     Cosette/Marius

          Sunlight In A Jar

          Sweet Love

     Courfeyrac/Marius

          Finding Something To Do

     Enjolras/Grantaire

          Our Hands Clasped So Tight

          You’re The One (I Had To Meet)

     Jehan

          Marvelous Things

     Les Amis

          A Dream Inside Our Heads

     Marius

          The Way It Ends

Leverage

     Eliot/Hardison/Parker

          I Fall Into You

Lizzie Bennet Diaries

     Lydia

          Sweet About Me

Marvel

     Avengers

          All Is Lost, Hope Remains

     Bucky/Natasha

          Darkness In My Heart

     Bucky/Steve

          Calling Me Home

     Clint/Natasha

          Runnin’ Wild

     Elektra/Matt

          Your Devil Side

     Frank

          Cross The Line

     Jessica

          I Am Steel

     Natasha

          Fishnets And Malice

     Peggy

          Something Good Can Work

     Pepper

          Woman King

     Pepper/Tony

          Love Will Be Our Wings

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries

     Dot/Hugh

          Me Following You

     Jack/Phryne

          Anything Could Happen

          I Can’t Waste A Falling Star

Mortal Instruments/Shadowhunters

     Alec/Magnus

          I Saw Heaven’s Skies In Your Eyes

Neon Genesis Evangelion 

     Asuka

          Raise Hell

     Asuka/Shinji

          Hand In Unlovable Hand 

     General 

          People Are Just People

     Kaworu/Shinji

          A Prayer Left Unprayed 

          C’est La Vie C’est La Mort

          Nothing More Than Stardust

     Misato/Ritsuko

          One More Night

     Shinji

          I Am (Not) Running Away

          Searching For A Paradise

          You Were Just A Wish

Non Fandom

     Bumpy Relationships

          Get Me Right

     Cats

          Nine Lives

     Cheer Up

          Comedy Tonight

     Christmas Filk

          It’s A Fanboy Christmas

     Finnish Music

          Finland Finland Finland (That’s The County For Me)

     Love

          Perfect Love

     Music I Like

          #Back8Tracks

Orange Is The New Black

     Alex/Piper

          Can’t Fight Gravity

     Piper

          I’m A Guilty One

     Rosa

          Gonna Go Out In Style

Parks And Recreation

     Andy/April

          Wrap The World In Ribbons

     Ben/Leslie

          This Whole Beautiful Thing

Percy Jackson

     Calypso/Leo

          A Funny Little Thing

Person Of Interest

     Finch/Reese

         Save My Life

     Reese

          Flesh And Bone

     Root

          Remember Her Name

     Root/Shaw

          I Come With Knives (To Love You)

          Steal This Moment

Pretty Little Liars

     Alison

          I Was Born In A Summer Storm

          One Of Those Ghosts

     Alison/Emily

          A Fantasy Affair

          Law Of Gravity

     Alison/Mona

          Ruthless Game

     Aria

          Hearts From Iron

     Aria/Ezra

          How Fierce It Would Be

          Young Love

     A Team

          Is It Any Wonder That I Feel Betrayed?

     Caleb/Hanna

          A Drug For Angels

     Emily/Paige

          She Keeps Me Warm

     Emily/Spencer

          Shinin’ Just For You

     Hanna/Mona

          We’ll Be A Sweet Disaster

     Jenna

          (You Never Met A) Bitch Like Me

     Liars

          We Are Fire Born

     Melissa

          Secrets That Are Never To Be Told

     Mona

          Boom Goes The Dynamite

     Spencer

          I Am Titanium 

          Last Piece Of The Jigsaw

     Spencer/Toby

          I See Your Face In Every Star

          Lost Without You

          This Love Is Ours

Princess Tutu

     Ahiru

          Dance With Me Tonight

     Ahiru/Fakir

          Everlasting Light

     Mytho/Rue

          I Was Made For You

     Rue

          Blackbird

Psycho-Pass

     General

          Sins Original

     Kougami/Makishima

          Living With Your Ghost

     Kougami/Tsunemori

          Words In My Memory

Puella Magi Madoka Magica 

     Kyoko/Sayaka

          All Of My Stupid Love

Pushing Daisies

     Chuck/Ned

          Star-Crossed Souls Slow Dancing

Revenge

     Emily/Nolan

          For You, I Would Happily Drown

Revolutionary Girl Utena

     Anthy

          All This Sin And Strife

          Hope That Something Pure Can Last

     Anthy/Utena

          Moondance

          Pull Me Home

     General

          Stand And Fight

     Juri/Shiori

          All My Fragile Strength Is Gone

     Saionji/Touga

          Burn The Ashes

Safety Not Guaranteed

     General

          Gimme Sympathy 

Shakespeare

     Beatrice/Benedict

          Crazy Love

     Ophelia

          Rose Red

Shameless

     Fiona

          Shining Stars

     Fiona/Jimmy

          Burn To Shine

     Ian/Mickey

          Every Truth That You Denied

          Hope Is Our Four Letter Word

     Karen

          Baby You’re A Star

     Karen/Lip

          For Just One Yesterday

          The Wonderful Mess That We Made

     Kevin/Veronica

          Here Comes The Sun

     Lip

          Devil In My Mouth

Star Trek

     Cardassians

          All In Gray

     Filk

          Star Trekkin’

General

          The Future’s Not That Far Away

     Sarina/Seven

          Poetry In Motion

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

     Alexander/Nog

          A Sky Full Of Stars 

     Bashir

          Real Human Being

     Bashir/Garak

          Doctor Doctor (Give Me The News)

          Inside The Lies

          Love&Pizza

          Mosaic Broken Hearts

          No Sweeter Innocence

          The War Is Over (We Are Beginning)

          This Could Be Trouble

          Truth In Your Lies

          You Were A Kindness

     Bashir&O’Brien

          As Brothers We Will Stand

     Dax/Kahn

          Your Kiss Is Like A Lost Ghost

     Dax/Kira

          I And Love And You

          Our Private Galaxy

          You’re The Only One I See

     Garak

          Tell You A Secret

     Jake/Nog

          This Perfect Spot

          Underneath The Stars

     Keiko/Kira/Miles

          Love Was Bigger

     Kira/Odo

          (Your Love Is) Steady And Sure

     Odo/Quark

          Say That We’ll Be Nemeses

     Sisko

          Faith Is All

Star Trek: The Next Generation

     Picard/Q

          That Makes Us Human

     Riker/Troi

          A Moment Of Truth

Star Trek: The Original Series

     McCoy/Spock

          Our Calculation 

     Uhura

          A Star On The Dark Horizon

Star Trek: Voyager

     EMH I/EMH II

         Wings Of Thought

     Janeway

          Find A Home

     Janeway/Seven

          Coming To You

     Kim/Paris

          You Make Me Feel Like I Am Home Again

     Kim/Paris/Torres

          Fall In Love With A B Film

     Kim/Tuvok

          The Color Of The Universe

     Paris/Torres

          Falling Is Like This

          One More Chance (To Be Young And Wild And Free)

          Passion Bites

          You Make My Motor Run

     Seven

          Machine

     Suder/Tuvok

          You Are My Temptation

Stranger Things

     Jonathan/Nancy/Steve

          The Sky, The Earth, And Us

That 70′s Show

     Hyde/Jackie

          Don’t Let Me Fall

     Jackie

          Bubblegum Bitch

The Book Thief

     Liesel

          Magnolia

The Newsroom

     Don/Sloan

          Only Love

     Mackenzie/Will

          I Gave You All

          We Are Love And Misery

The Office

     Angela/Dwight

          Working Hard For You

     Jim/Pam

          The Earth Is Warmer When You Laugh

     Kelly/Ryan

          Reckless With My Heart

The West Wing

     Ainsley/Sam

          You Will Become

     C.J./Danny

          As Lovers Go

          Sweet Nothing

Welcome To Night Vale

     Carlos/Cecil

          I Hear Your Voice (And Suddenly I’m Falling)

     General

          A World Of White Blindness

Wicked

     Elphaba/Glinda

          Swan Song

Wolf 359

     Eiffel/Hera

          A Universe Inside Of You

[autolovecraft]

It was against the full moon, and the lore of ocean.

Out of the horizon have parted to grant me glimpses of the cities of Cathuria, which we may never behold again. In my mind I would say to me, Beware of those who have looked upon the living Olympus. I went within the tower and looked for wreckage upon the rocks, but I heeded him not; for from the templed terraces of verdure, tree-studded, and as I heard another crash I opened my eyes before the crash that I saw outlined the beckoning form of the tortoise, and my father and grandfather kept before me. For the aeons that I dwelt for many aeons ago. From bowers beyond our view came bursts of song and snatches of lyric harmony, interspersed with faint laughter so delicious that I knew would come, shutting out the sight of the world drop down to abysmal nothingness. As the White Ship from the three-colored shell of the singer and the dreams and thoughts of beauty that come from the sea. And when the moon shone full and high in the immemorial year of Tharp that I knew would come, shutting out the sight of the Narg, gay with gaudy fish not known beyond the bounds of lovely Cathuria.

But more wonderful than the mountains, and ever did he beckon me. Into Thalarion, the City of a Thousand Wonders, many have passed but none returned. So the White Ship sailed on past the walls of Thalarion, and shewing here and there I dwelt for many aeons ago. Green are the houses, and of many things besides, in the later watches of the torrent. This is Thalarion, and to me only the plain little tales of calm beaches and near ports, but with the memories and the mist betwixt the basalt pillars of the azure sky, and with the golden domes of gigantic cities glittering on the slab of damp stone which had risen beneath my feet. From the East tempestuous winds arose, and here hang the trophies of the West?

In my mind I would often picture the unknown Land of Sona-Nyl; for Sona-Nyl there is no pain or death, but I heeded him not; for ocean is not silent.

Shrouded in mist they were, so that no man hath seen, but a swift-rushing resistless sea, over warm blessed seas fanned by caressing, aromatic breezes.

Fairest of all that we followed the bird, whose glossy plumage matched the sky the spires of its temples reached, so that no man hath seen, but this time the oarsmen as we sailed away from my far native land.

Up from the templed terraces of Zar, we beheld the green shore of far lands, bright and beautiful, and stately and gorgeous the temples, castles, and saw that the White Ship followed the bird of heaven, over which one might spy only a few roofs, weird and ominous, yet adorned with rich friezes and alluring sculptures. Up from the sea was rough or calm, and to me, This is Xura, the White Ship used to come when the music ceased and the land of unnumbered cities of Cathuria with its splendid groves and radiant arbors beneath a meridian sun. The old captains of the celestial bird which flapped its mocking blue wings over the waste I saw outlined the beckoning form of the sun and enhances the splendor of cities can move at will the happy folk, of whom all are gifted with unmarred grace and unalloyed happiness. As the White Ship. In the Land of Cathuria are all palaces, each built over a fragrant canal bearing the waters to the happy folk, of whom all are gifted with unmarred grace and unalloyed happiness. But we did not set foot upon the platform of that full, mellow moon. And the roof is of pure gold, set upon tall pillars of the cities of Cathuria are cinctured with golden walls, and here hang the trophies of the sun and enhances the splendor of the ways beyond; and the land of unnumbered cities of Cathuria are all palaces, and here resound the soft notes of singers and lutanists; sweeter than the lore of ocean.

Shrouded in mist they were, so that no man might behold their peaks; and now there are so few that I dwelt there I wandered blissfully through gardens where quaint pagodas peep from pleasing clumps of bushes, and with the years it grew more friendly and spoke of other things; of things which in turn he told to my father and grandfather kept before me. From far shores came those white-sailed argosies of old men and of things which were not men. At first it told to me unknown. The old captains of the ways that were and the lore of old; from far Eastern shores where warm suns shine and sweet odors linger about strange gardens and gay temples. All my days have I watched it and listened to it, and I walked out over the sea came often to my grandfather there were many things I had known or dreamed of before. But more wonderful than the mountains, and when the tide is low, but ever would the bearded man say to be a demi-god and others a god. For the aeons that I sometimes feel strangely alone, as of the West. There too were forms and fantasies more splendid than any city I had left it at the hour I sailed away. Its forests are of gold. And in the heavens. But the bearded man said to me only the plain little tales of calm beaches and near ports, but unseen when the wind howled eerily from the sea have grown clear and cool the fountains, and where the white walks are bordered with delicate blossoms. And thereafter the ocean told me its secrets no more; and far back beyond the basalt pillars I fancied there came the notes of the South came never again. For the aeons that I saw outlined the beckoning form of the ways beneath. There too were forms and fantasies more splendid than any I had left it at the stone pier by the huge carven gate Akariel; but he gently denied my wish, saying, This is Thalarion, the City of a Thousand Wonders, many have passed but none returned.

With the dawn I descended the tower, I beheld the green shore the bearded man spoke no word, but what I found was only this: a strange dead bird whose hue was as of the oarsmen, sweet as on that distant night when we sailed madly away from the East. And the bearded man say to be a demi-god and others a god. Green are the turrets of marble upon its walls. Its forests are of aloe and sandalwood, even as the fragrant groves of Camorin, and my father not so many; in the books men gave me when I had known or dreamed of before. The old captains of the ways beyond; and now there are so few that I sometimes feel strangely alone, as though I were the last man on our planet. In my mind I would often picture the unknown Land of Pleasures Unattained. Out of the tortoise, and having such carven figures of gods and heroes that he who looks up to those heights seems to gaze upon the eidolon Lathi, that reigns over the waters of the azure sky, and having such carven figures of gods and heroes that he who looks up to those heights seems to gaze upon the terraces again I saw him under the full moon I boarded the White Ship, and a single shattered spar, of a Thousand Wonders, wherein reside all those mysteries that man has striven in vain to fathom. From bowers beyond our view came bursts of song and snatches of lyric harmony, interspersed with faint laughter so delicious that I knew would come, shutting out the sight of the sun and enhances the splendor of the North Point light that my father and grandfather kept before me.

[autolovecraft]

The man who had beckoned now spoke a welcome to me unknown.

In the Land of Pleasures Unattained. In the days of my father told to me in a resplendent arch. So to the verdant shore upon a golden bridge of moonbeams. And whether the sea and meet in a soft language I seemed to beckon me.

High is the palace of the Narg, gay with blossoms of every hue, where as far inland as we glided away into a mysterious South, golden with the years it grew more friendly and spoke of other things; of things which were not men. It was against the full moon, and the ways that might be, as of the sea came often to my father told to my father not so many aeons. The wind grew stronger, and I know it well. And it was by moonlight that we know elsewhere; or at least so men relate. The man who had beckoned now spoke a welcome to me in the books men gave me when I looked again, at closer range, and the streets are white with the glow of that crash came darkness, and shewing here and there I dwelt there I dwelt there I dwelt for many aeons ago. In its wide halls many multitudes assemble, and I know it well. And in the Land of Sona-Nyl, which is guarded by twin headlands of crystal that rise from the templed terraces of Zar, we beheld on the night I answered the call, and among the sights before me were many; in the heavens. Cathuria, but a swift-rushing resistless sea, over which one might spy only a few roofs, weird and ominous, yet adorned with rich friezes and alluring sculptures.

Soon to our ears came the notes of singers and lutanists; sweeter than the mountains, and sounding mine own praises; the praises of me, Beware of those who have looked upon the sloping meadows of Zar, for among the trees flutter gay birds sweet with song. Of that land, the Land of Fancy. So the White Ship sailed into the mist lifted, we beheld the basalt pillars of ruby and azure, and felt the first stirrings of unrest.

Suddenly a wind blowing from over the flowery meadows and leafy woods brought a scent at which I trembled. Suddenly a wind blowing from over the flowery meadows and leafy woods brought a scent at which I trembled. It is the Land of Cathuria are cinctured with golden walls, and would wonder what new delights there awaited me. Blue, green, gray walls, and stately and gorgeous the temples, castles, and shewing here and there the gleaming white roofs and colonnades of strange temples. On the green shore the bearded man said to me unknown. But more wonderful than the lore of books is the palace of the West, but what I found was only this: a strange dead bird whose hue was as of the tortoise, and where the white walks are bordered with delicate blossoms. But the bearded man left the happy shore of far lands, bright and fragrant the flowers, blue and musical the streams, clear and phosphorescent, to grant me glimpses of the West. For the aeons that I dwelt for many days a southward-flying bird, whose glossy plumage matched the sky the spires of its temples reached, so that no man hath seen, but a swift-rushing resistless sea, the City of a vessel breaking up on the thirty-first day that we anchored at last in the days of my new yearnings to depart for remote Cathuria, which no man might peer beyond them or see their summits—which indeed some say reach even to the sound of melody the White Ship sailed into the mist lifted, we beheld on the slab of damp stone which had risen beneath my feet. The gods are greater than that of the wave-tips or of the South it was by moonlight that we anchored at last in the books men gave me when I had once seen through the mists beyond the basalt pillars of the ways beneath.

And the bearded man, bearded and robed, and freighted with the memories and the dreams and thoughts of beauty rises another more beautiful. In the gardens of these cities are strange orchids, and to me, who had voyaged far from the grotto-born river Narg. And when the music ceased and the bearded man again implored me to turn back to the happy shore of far lands, bright and beautiful, and we walked to the sound of melody the White Ship. In the days of my father and grandfather kept before me were many things I had left it at the hour I sailed away from that damnable coast the bearded man said to me unknown. In the days of my new yearnings to depart for remote Cathuria, which we may never behold again. So once more the White Ship sailed on past the walls of Thalarion, the land of unnumbered cities of gold. As the White Ship followed the bird of heaven, over which our helpless barque was borne toward some unknown goal. Shrouded in mist they were, so that no man hath seen, but which all believe to lie beyond the horizon have parted to grant me glimpses of the celestial bird, whose glossy plumage matched the sky out of which it had appeared. Then I spoke with the memories and the bearded man say to be a demi-god and others a god.

And whether the wind was friendly or adverse, it would always glide smoothly and silently over the sea came often to my father not so many aeons ago. Up from the mists beyond the horizon have parted to grant me glimpses of the sacred Narg.

And the houses of the tortoise, and to our ears came the notes of the sun and enhances the splendor of cities can move at will the happy shore of Sona-Nyl; for ocean is more ancient than the mountains, and here hang the trophies of the tortoise, and here resound the soft notes of the sun and enhances the splendor of the North Point light that my father and grandfather kept before me were many; and now there are so few that I knew would come, shutting out the sight of the torrent. And the bird of heaven flew before, and led us toward the basalt pillars I fancied there came the notes of the horizon stretched the grim, gray walls, and here hang the trophies of the oarsmen, sweet as on that distant night when we sailed away from my far native land. Then I spoke with the glow of that land there is neither time nor space, neither suffering nor death; and the gardens are lit with gay lanthorns fashioned from the distant peaks. At night the deep waters of the West.

And the floor of the great monarch Dorieb, and here resound the soft notes of singers and lutanists; sweeter than the lore of old; from far Eastern shores where warm suns shine and sweet odors linger about strange gardens and gay temples.

It is the Land of Fancy. From far shores came those white-sailed argosies of old men and the air was filled with soft songs of Sona-Nyl. It is the secret lore of old men and of many things I had ever known; the praises of me, This is Thalarion, the White Ship used to come when the music ceased and the lore of books is the secret lore of ocean. On the green shore the bearded man again implored me to turn back, but with the glow of that crash came darkness, and of things more strange and more distant in space and time. The man who had beckoned now spoke a welcome to me, with tears on his cheek, We have rejected the beautiful Land of Cathuria are all palaces, and here resound the soft notes of the sea was rough or calm, and chilled me as we could see basked lovely groves and radiant arbors beneath a meridian sun. In the Land of Cathuria are all palaces, each built over a fragrant canal bearing the waters of the ways beyond; and far back beyond the basalt pillars I fancied there came the notes of singers and lutanists; sweeter than the lore of old; from far Eastern shores where warm suns shine and sweet odors linger about strange gardens and gay temples. Out of that crash came darkness, and perfumed lakes whose beds are of coral and amber. One night I espied upon the deck a man, and cities of gold. In my mind I would often picture the unknown Land of Fancy, and roofed with glittering gold that reflects the rays of the ways that were and the streets and the land of unnumbered cities of Cathuria stand temples of pink marble, rich with carven and painted glories, and my father, and freighted with the glow of that lighthouse whence I had left it at the stone pier by the huge carven gate Akariel; but he gently denied my wish, saying, Into Thalarion, the land of unnumbered cities of gold. Many times afterward I saw him under the full moon. Then came we to a pleasant coast gay with blossoms of every hue, where purr with ravishing music the scented waters that come from the sea came often to my grandfather and told him of these things which in turn he told to me only the plain little tales of calm beaches and near ports, but a swift-rushing resistless sea, over which our helpless barque was borne toward some unknown goal. And the roof is of pure gold, set upon tall pillars of the South came never again. Soon to our eyes appeared on the distant horizon ahead the titanic spray of a mighty city; and though many times since has the moon shine on the cruel rocks, but a swift-rushing resistless sea, the City of a Thousand Wonders, many have passed but none returned. And when I was young and filled with wonder. I descended the tower and looked for wreckage upon the platform of that land there is neither time nor space, neither suffering nor death; and though many times since has the moon was full and high in the long autumn evenings when the moon shine on the distant thunder of falling waters, and ever did he beckon me to turn back to the sound of melody the White Ship used to come when the moon shone full and high in the long autumn evenings when the day dawned, rosy and effulgent, I would say to myself of Cathuria, I saw that what he said was true, for among the sights before me. In the Land of Hope, and I walked out over the flowery meadows and leafy woods brought a scent at which I trembled.