vickylavey

[vickylavey]

👻🥀

Finished bust for @sanbantaikarin!

[vickylavey]

Introducing my Tremere character for a vtm campaign I'm joining soon! The story is set in Budapest, my boy is called Lazar Ilić and he's an unfortunate immigrant former phd student who didn't even get to graduate before he got the embrace 💔

[vickylavey]

✦ commission ✦ for sanbantaikarin

[vickylavey]

my tremere Shirley that has been lingering on my mind for a while now

[vickylavey]

finally! after 3 years of playing him, he has a ref!

[vickylavey]

Pesach Sameach leculam! Remember the one time I memed about writing Judaism into DnD lore? It's about time I make due on that promise.

On the first year of Dalereckoning, when the age of humanity was still at large, a mysterious bright light emerged in the middle of Mulhorand, and thousands of refugees from another world called Earth appeared from out of nowhere. While the empire at the time was known to transport people from different worlds to build their cities, this time it was completely different from the norms.

The refugees were under the guide and protection of Ao, the creator god of Faerun.

The people of the light, as they were called back then thanks to their entrance, were Jews in actuality. After the horrible destruction of their home by a tyrannical empire, their chosen one at the time begged of their god of some sort of escape, resulting in a nation of people forced into a new world where no one speaks their languages or understands their traditions. While it means no one wishes death about them this time around, it also means they have to start their lives over from scratch.

Terrified that the people will forget where they had come from, the chosen of Ao decided to erase their identity of the people, renaming themselves Judea and and ensuring that whenever someone tries to remember them, they'll remember the home they lost instead.

Another reason why they kept their identity hidden was to ensure equality between the species so that no one can claim to be "holier" than another because they came from the same tribe as the first chosen of Faerun. They adopted a child of each species they came across (A half high elf, a half wood elf, a half drow, a half orc, a halfling, a gnome, a dwarf, a tiefling, a human, a dragonborn, a duegar, and a deep gnome) and with them revived the twelve tribes of Israel.

As a result of their chosen's sacrifice, the Jews started calling themselves Judeans instead, to honor their chosen and to hide their true identity in case other empire attempt to enter the world they came from and force more of their people out of their home. So far, not one kingdom was able to locate where the "Judeans" have come from, meaning their home didn't survive and its name has been erased. The day of that realization became a holiday of mourning of the Judeans.

The more the word spread of a new religion that permits doubt, questioning and (on paper) inclusion, the more people attempted to convert to join in. The most that joined were half elves, half orcs and tierflings, children that were rejected by their families and needed a new home to feel welcomed in. While not all of them complete their conversion, many leave with new lessons learned and moral codes and instead use what they learned to find a new meaning in their lives outside of what was expected of them.

That took the attention of full elves, who didn't see the point of this new wave of beliefs when they were fully comfortable with their own deities. The Drows didn't care of them since they were never dumb enough to delve deep enough to get into their cities and the wood elves were overjoyed that there was another religion that respected nature. Their relation was one of the few good things Judeans got their travels.

The real troubles came with the high elves. When many of their half elven children joined a mysterious new religion that allowed doubt, rebellion and questioning, along with how all of its traditions and ceremonies were done in private closed temples, the high elves assumed their spawns were secretly trying to overthrow their parents. Lands that elves ruled over became hostile to Judeans and would regularly add new laws against them that made their lives hell. Those rumors of how they're secretly trying to take over the world spread to other continents, and and age of hatred against Judaism was reborn in Faerun.

For many years, the situation seemed helpless. Judean practices became illegal in most known empires, their temples and graveyard were regularly vandalized or destroyed and it wasn't recognized as a true worship in every by-law. Judeans were only allowed to do specific jobs and would be ruthlessly punished if they were caught spreading their faith.

Until a small miracle happened that saved them but ruined the rest of the world: The Times of Trouble.

While almost every cleric and paladin across Toril lost their powers, Judean doctors and rabbis were given the power to heal the sick and the wounded. If someone wanted a resurrection or a miracle, they had to go to Judean hospitals for help. When the Times of Troubles were over and the gods took their place back in the world, several grateful and terrified dukes and lords legitimized Judaism and made it a protected faith. This allowed Judeans to help rebuild the cities after the spellplague and put in their own districts in every major city from Skuld to Neverwinter.

As of 1495 DR, Judaism is a recognized in most metropolises. Even though things are going better, there is still a large fight at hand. Judean villages are still under the mercy of their goyish neighbors since Judean protection laws are only in action in major capitals. Add the Absolute cult that's been taking over the sword coast and Judeans have got a big storm on their hands.

Some facts about DnD Judaism:

While Judaism is supposed to be accepting to all, there is an obvious dissonance between what is should be and what it is. Tieflings are barely accepted outside of their own circles because other Judeans are terrified that they would attracted devils into their lives. Duegards, deep Gnomes and any associate with Drows are also usually rejected to avoid the ire and cruelty of the Underdark.

Judaism also has a patriarchy problem. Despite Faerun's attempted at influencing them otherwise, Judaism here still has a strict gender view on how things should be. It's been somewhat lessened thanks to Ao choosing as much Neviot as Neviim but many women are still pressured to drop their studies so they could start a family.

There is a story where a selunite acolyte asked a rabbi that was healing them if he was happy that their God was finally granting them powers. The rabbi laughed and said "God, no! If our lord helps us, it's its way of saying the person that can help us is He! I pray for the day I lose these gifts and go back to my books."

Judean villages were the first destroyed by the cult of the Absolute. They would ravage their homes, kidnap all the useful men, kill the rest and steal their holy scriptures. Surviving Judeans send out warnings towards other cities, but they were ignored by all.

Other than the usual prejudice, Judeans were known for their cleanness and lack of diseases within their families. Half the reason Waterdeep is as clean as it is was thanks to help from Judean architects. Unfortunately, the workers were only given acknowledgement several centuries after they helped.

Balduran was one of the few accepting leaders in recent history and was the first to allow Judeans to build their own districts in his city. This districts became a safe haven during the Netherbrain attack.

Judean chosen ones are impossible to be categorized in the usual applications of Faerun. They are given some gifts from god so they are not sorcerers, but some of their power is their own so they are not paladins, clerics or warlocks. They can cast spells and miracles that aren't found in wizardry textbooks and often are allowed to argue with their deity. Most scholars have given up on trying to understand what the fuck is up with that.

Judaism is the only religion in Faerun that not only allows not to believe in its god but encourages it. Because of that, Judeans never end up at the wall of the faithless, however in exchange, they cannot perform any spells that are usually given by gods.

When that became public, people attempted to convert to Judaism so they could be faithless without suffering damnation for it. The percentage of successful converts was surprisingly high as they would feel more at home the longer they study the ancient texts, but there is always the schmuck that tries to get it for the "aesthetic" of it all.

Judeans are known to hide in druid grooves whenever another progrom happens. Some angry mobs attempt to raid the groove to get to them. They always come back home with splinters in unseen places.

When vampires started going after the people around their lair, they would throw off their scent by blaming Judeans for the misfortune. That got so out of hand so quick that now even when a prideful vampire comes out and proclaims loudly that they've done it all, goys will still find a way to blame Judeans for the tragedies.

Because so many Judeans prayers are spoken like a song, many rabbis become bards of all things. The most famous one was Rabbi Cha'im of Luskan, a lore bard and traveled all of the Sword Coast and beyond to collect every Judean text he could find. It's been said he and his wife slept in different rooms because he spoke his favorite songs of prayer in his sleep.

Once in every century, a rabbi opens a mortal to see the state of the world they came and if it's safe to come back. So far, it has only gotten worse.

Judeans have their own houses of healing because they were rejected by every other house or hospital. Judean children would also often "passed away" in other houses of healing, which is to say they were taken by priests to convert houses to "save" their souls. Since opening their own hospitals, the kidnapping of Judean children has significantly lessened.

On a lighter note, not more than six Judeans are allowed into a bar to avoid bar fights over Tanach discussions. Last time ten Judeans got drunk together, only one bar stool survived the battle.

[vickylavey]

Sketches for the upcoming VTM game Olga is my char, 25 years old, paleontological student.

and this is my co-players char, Georgina, mechanics and mathematics  student ( 21 years old) By the concept of the game, we do not know who and how will embrace us, so for now their clans are mystery! We also have a young pretty art student and one mysterious char (yet to be created lol) I CAN'T WAIT I like my Olga already

[vickylavey]

Werkin' on the collab pic to keep myself awake! I pulled an all-nighter this evening and it's about another hour until my baby goes to school, so I'm drawin'! Salazar and Carmichael are excited to celebrate Valentine's with everyone. <3

[vickylavey]

Managed to get out a little sketch of Noa for @beach-episode-by-night!! Necromancer vampires on the beach! Thank you for putting it together! ❤️⛱️

[vickylavey]

Lily, the mighty ventrue. A little gift I couldn't resist to draw!

[vickylavey]

Jordan, the York Primogen of the Harbingers.

Something Machiavellian about this beast...

Sure it's fine!

[vickylavey]

Khalida and Fuego for @verflixture! What a super cool prompt - Fuego holding the Ventrue scepter unsuspecting of an armed Khalida behind her.... love it!!! Thank you so much for commissioning me, you always have such cool concepts in mind!

[vickylavey]

roughly colored sketch of seb! i need to make him into a full body drawing but im lazy rn

[vickylavey]

Decided to draw my Partners on time VTM character again, this is a redraw sketch you can see the original here

[vickylavey]

[vickylavey]

Commission for @kermitted-cause Malkavian Marchion with stunning design! It was a pleasure working with her.

[vickylavey]

Pearl the Malkavian and Zach the Nosferatu for @graysonwildemere !!! Thank you again for commissioning me, I love them....!!!!