#blackmir

[troubledpasta]

*Tie Your Mother Down blasting in the background*

#reuploading old work #my characters #cyrus blackmire #d&d #dungeons & dragons #elf #meme #art #illustration #artists on tumblr

[rollfordamage]

It Protec but It Also Attac

Melody, a peculiar Leshy from Blackmire. From its inception, Melody grappled with the limitations imposed by its plantlike form, struggling to articulate the complex symphony of emotions that stirred within. Yet, where natural charisma faltered, creativity bloomed.

In an endeavor to bridge the gap between its internal world and the external realm, Melody embraced a selection of masks and guises. These crude masks became the Leshy's canvas, a means to convey the various emotions and facets of its personality. Day by day, Melody adorned itself with a new visage.

#pathfinder2e #leshy #barbarian

[scrumpledorph-writes]

Koben’s Final Battle (Putting Her Past To Rest)

I

Just past third sundown, doubt anyone else can see much of anything by now. Fully integrated night vision doesn’t make up for everything The Empire’s done to me, but at least I can put it to good use now. My armour won’t stick out so much against the sand either. No way the regular Troopers ever got something this advanced.

Glad Jaxon brought a more suitable troop transport – My speeder caps out at four seats, and Vranki insisted on coming along to “watch the fun”. At least she brought a blaster. ‘Stop it here Jaxon. We need to go the rest of the way on foot.’ Can see the top of his ship just over this dune, no way we can let him see our vehicle coming, that would completely give us away. His ship’s not too big, couldn’t possibly fit more than a squad of Troopers comfortably. Real step down from what he used to field, bet he never let it go.

Two out front, guess they’re the girls’ problem. ‘Vranki, are you sure about this part? We’re pretty far out of town; if I were stationed somewhere this remote I’d be highly suspicious of visitors.’ Blasters are up. I should keep a sight trained on them, just in case things go wrong.

‘You wouldn’t be happy to see a pair of beautiful, flirty women saunter over to spice up your long, boring night shift? I guess that’s why you were an elite – just relax and keep watching.’ She’s right, they’ve stowed their blasters. These girls are good: I can’t hear what they’re saying, but I can already see the Troopers’ body language relaxing.

They’re deserting their posts, just like that, to wander off with these women they just met. Unbelievable. Looks like Blackmire still runs a pretty loose ship after all. ‘How long will your girls be able to keep them distracted?’ I can’t imagine even the sloppiest Trooper is going to ignore blaster fire.

‘Well, they’ll be injecting those boys with some of my strongest stock as soon as they’re out of sight, so at least the rest of the night. Forever if they choke on their own tongues.’ Certainly an effective use of resources. Should give them a few minutes to get that done, go over things with Jaxon.

‘While the girls finish their job, I just want to clarify our procedure one more time. Stormtroopers have a high pain threshold and their armour is designed to dissipate blaster fire. Try to keep this quiet as long as you can, knock them out with blunt impact or stab them in the gaps between plates – but if it turns into a firefight be sure to aim for center of mass and double tap.’

He’s lightly armoured. Double layered leather over the torso, and a solid pauldron over the dominant shoulder – but clearly an outfit that favours agility over protection. We’ll be in a tight environment, so that will be of limited help, and I have no intention of trading his life for Brayli’s. ‘Right, got it. Stick to what you taught me, save the flashy stuff for the holovids.’ At least he understands the situation.

The girls are coming back, signalling the all clear. They’d make good assassins. I suppose that means it’s time to go. Hold on just a little longer Brayli.

II

Can hear laughter coming from the front of the ship. Probably playing cards to pass the time. Should check the back first, that’s where brigs usually are – and it’s good to eliminate the obvious before starting to jump to the fringes. If we’re lucky we can get this done with minimal casualties. There’s only one person on this ship I want to kill.

His sense of style is awful. Brayli makes the clutter work because it’s all her own creations, but just lining the walls with a bunch of expensive pieces of art with no sense for how they compliment each other like this – just to surround yourself with wealth: it’s absolutely tacky. Even I can tell that.

Passing by personal rooms now. Jaxon’s followed my lead well so far, but need to give him a finger over the mouth just in case. For as much as we need to keep it quiet, we can’t linger either; a single Trooper coming out could completely blow our cover. Nine standard Imperial Steel doors and one gold plated, subtle as ever Blackmire. If we get lucky I can strangle him to death in his sleep on the way out.

Into the cargo hold. One Trooper doing inventory. Usually one of the safest jobs on a ship, but not tonight. Pooling blood would be an easy giveaway for anyone passing by, so a choke hold will have to do. A shame all my requests to put a padded neck lining on the standard Stormtrooper uniform were never taken seriously, the seam where the helmet connects is effectively unguarded.

This is one of the things it’s hard to practice alone, but I still remember it well enough. His training isn’t bad, he went for his blaster right away – but Jaxon’s got quick hands and good instinct. Trying for my eyes, crotch; all the usual desperate last resorts. Not getting through plate though.

This is more personal than I usually like my work to be. Quick and professional is one thing, but holding him like this, feeling the life drain out of him so agonizingly slowly as his struggling abates – I didn’t used to flinch at things like this, but now it makes me sick. I suppose that’s a good thing in the abstract, but right now I need to power through it, for Brayli. If he wakes up angry and confused before we’re gone then all this effort will be for nothing.

He’s limp. We don’t have the time for me to keep the hold up until he dies. Going to have to snap his neck. Even through two sets of plate, I can feel his life in my hands right now. Don’t look under the helmet: I’m wearing the armour, I can slip back into the mindset. This isn’t a person with hopes and dreams, who doesn’t even know who I am or why we’re fighting. It’s an enemy combatant.

I can’t do it. He’s unconscious, and there’s an empty crate and some ties. It’s not perfect, there’d be one less loose end if I killed him – but I can practically see straight through that helmet to the person underneath. His only crime has been following orders – and Blackmire gave them to him.

‘Hey Koben, you alright? Your hands were shaking, even through the suit. They never did that in any of your old footage.’ Stand up, step back; breathe. I left him in recovery position, he’ll live. He was in my way, and I got him out of my way using the least violence possible. He’ll wake up with a headache, confused and maybe embarrassed – and then he’ll go on living. Just like me. ‘I’m fine. Growing pains is all.’

III

Must be getting near the back of the ship now, feels like we’ve walked about that much distance. It could be a single person cell, which would leave room for a little more distance I suppose. A bathroom, slight surprise to see it this far from the lounging area. Can’t hear anything from it, best to just keep moving.

The brig! It’s big enough for several, but only has one guest. She’s conscious, sitting up, no visible lacerations – and smiling. I’m so glad she’s alright. More than I can say, more than I can think, I just have to feel it. ‘Hey sugar. Fancy meeting you here.’ Lower than her usual boisterousness, but just hearing it still makes my heart swell.

I know it’s not a productive use of time but I can’t stop myself from hugging her. All I can feel through the plates is pressure, but I know what it signifies off by heart already. She feels like lazy afternoon cuddling, and barely fitting into a cramped speeder together, and laughing at stupid jokes, and everything wonderful in my life. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I wish a Jedi were here: they could rip the bars off or cut them clean in half so I could get her out of here and focus on wringing Blackmire’s neck.

‘We’re here to spring you, where’s the jailor?’ I suppose Jaxon wouldn’t have as intense of a reaction to her as I do. Good to have someone bring things back on track. We’ll have time for this later. It is strange that she’s unguarded, even low risk prisoners usually had at least one person on active guard at all times.

‘I’m right here.’ Trooper in the doorway. Key card dangling from his belt. Can’t afford to shoot him, and can’t expect to get him in a proper grapple. Just need to go for a tackle and try to control his arm, keep him from setting off the alarm. The fall knocked his helmet off, now I can – Stillwater?

‘Stillwater, is that you?’ His eyes are like combat knives, sharpened even more by suspicion. ‘Who the hell are you, how do you know my name?’ Don’t have the free hand to look him in the eye. ‘Jaxon, could you take my helmet off?’ I hardly recognized his voice, he sounds like he’s absolutely gone through it. I’d have figured he’d want nothing to do with Blackmire, especially after the trial.

‘It’s me: Koben Tarani. I’d say Lance Corporal, but that’s not the case any more.’ Recollection. I never forgot that drop, and it looks like neither did he. ‘Tarani? I – right, I’d heard you turned into a girl at some point. Wow, you look...haggard.’ Haggard. I suppose it would take a soldier to see that. ‘What the hell are you doing here? And, congratulations on the promotion I guess.’

He doesn’t even know why he’s out here. That he’s hunting me, and the woman he’s locked up is only the bait. ‘It’s a long story. To keep it short, you’re holding my girlfriend, who hasn’t committed any crime under Imperial law.’ That the courts are aware of, anyway.

‘Really? Blackmire said we were hunting an extremely dangerous criminal, and that this woman was her accomplice.’ Half truths, but overblown. I am dangerous, butuntil this – I’d done everything in my power not to disturb The Empire while I ran away, precisely so I could fall down their list of priorities as time went on.

‘You and I both know Blackmire says a lot of things that aren’t true.’ Doesn’t seem like he’s changed much, I feel confident saying that. Stillwater’s looking a lot less hostile. ‘I want to get off you so we can have a less constrained conversation. Would you mind me taking off your gauntlet just to be sure you can’t trigger the alarm?’

‘Heh, it really is you Tarani; never known anyone else that anal. Yeah, go ahead.’ Designs on the armour haven’t changed at all, still know the procedures like the back of my hand. Jaxon can hold onto this. ‘I...don’t necessarily not believe you, but it’d be disobeying direct orders to let her go. You know I can’t just do that.’ He said I looked haggard, but serving under Blackmire has put him through the ringer now that I’m looking at him.

‘Stillwater, I haven’t been entirely honest so far. I deserted five years ago. My commanding officer was going to murder a child, and I stopped her.’ Shock, disbelief. Betrayal. I can see the whole process playing out behind his eyes. ‘I’ve learned a lot of things as a civilian, and one of the most important has been that The Empire doesn’t care. Not about you, not about me. The whole reason you’re out here is because Blackmire’s a stupid petty bastard who’s been holding onto a two decade grudge.’

‘Two decade – we’re hunting you?! I can’t – that’s not...Give me a second to think about this Tarani.’ Stillwater was always a good soldier, and a good man. If there’s anything left of the him I knew that hasn’t been stamped down into nothingness by The Empire, we should be able to come to an agreement. If he’s headed down the same path I went, maybe I can even save him some time.

‘Alright, I get it. Blackmire’s been working us like dogs telling us we’re hot on the heels of an extremely dangerous criminal for the last six months. You are dangerous, and you are a criminal, technically – but you haven’t done anything since you deserted to warrant this.’ I knew he’d listen to reason. ‘I’m the second in command; squad leader, and I have the authority to declare this whole mission a waste of resources. I can’t imagine anyone but him complaining about it.’

If he won’t be able to come after me, maybe I can even let Blackmire go. As much as he has it coming, killing him would certainly undermine my position of not being worth pursuing. ‘Here’s the key card. I’ll pretend I didn’t see this, wipe the security footage, and you two can go home. With your girl gone, I’ll be able to call this off tomorrow morning. He’d need a real miracle to get permission to hunt you down a second time.’

Finally, I’ll be able to be done with The Empire. No more ghosts left to haunt me. Lock glides smoothly, let’s go home. ‘Oh, uhh, good evening sir. I was just-’ Blaster shots. One after the other. A double tap, but ringing out in slow motion. Stillwater’s falling. I have a moment, but I can’t seize it. All the well oiled machinery I’ve maintained for years is seizing up – the gears coated in despair. So this is how that feels. Can barely take my helmet back from Jaxon. It can’t protect me from the pain anyway.

IV

‘I never liked Stillwater anyway. Good to finally have an excuse; he reminded me of you.’ One more shot, to the head. His own man. ‘Nice to see you again Tarani, right on schedule. I’m sure you’re dull-wittedly attempting to comprehend how I figured out you were here.’ Now I want to kill him again. ‘It’s really rather quite simple: your teary eyed reunion with your old comrade here was so loud that I came to investigate while I was getting ready for bed.’

Footsteps coming down the hallway, the rest of the squad. Damn it, we’re trapped. I could maybe survive if I started shooting right this second, my armour would be obliterated but just might hold – but Jaxon and Brayli would be easy targets. ‘Hold your fire men. This is our target, but the hunt has been a long time coming. I want to savour it.’ Of course. The only thing worse than him killing me is him gloating about it first.

‘Before I kill you, and make no mistake: you will be dying here, and I will be delivering the killing blow – I feel it only appropriate that we do a little catching up!’ Condescension dripping from his mouth. It would almost be worth getting shot up just to kill him while it happens.

‘After you destroyed my career prospects, I was a broken man. I fell deep into a pit of existential ennui. Vice after vice I ran through to forget the pain of my shame, spending thousands upon thousands of credits when all I needed was time. Time for the emotions to fade away. All but one: hate.’ A familiar sounding trajectory.

‘I kept abreast of your exploits, even the ones that were supposed to be classified – not like the Imperial bureaucracy did a good job of hiding it. Despising you was the only thing keeping me going, for years. Watching you gain my glory, with my Troopers – stealing the recognition I deserved!’ Obsession, single minded fixation, self destruction. I’ve heard it all.

‘But then – then I was blessed with good fortune. You. Screwed. Up. Finally you fell to the level of a common Trooper. Even I didn’t have the credits and contacts to dig up the details on that incident, but I was nonetheless presented with a plain truth: my arch nemesis, the one and only person in this world who truly rose to deserve my scorn – was now an enemy of the state.’ Troopers are getting restless.

Just by the way they’re assembled I can tell he doesn’t engender any real loyalty, just the lash of authority. If one decides to cut this short and blast me, maybe I can take advantage of the confusion. ‘So I spent five years clawing my way back in. Looking up what – exactly – the conditions of my verdict were, finding the one loophole I could jump through, and throwing myself into my work to make it happen.’

‘In a way, I suppose I have to thank you. With the prospect of finally being here at the end of the tunnel, I truly put in my finest work for The Empire on the path to this very moment. They say a poor craftsman blames his tools, but let me just say now: these degenerates certainly weren’t much help.’ He doesn’t even realize how delusional he sounds. His body looks well into his sixties: graying hair, slumped posture, sunken in eyes. Everything thrown into the furnace of obsession because he just couldn’t let the past go. Two weeks ago I wouldn’t even have recognized anything wrong with it.

‘And now that I’ve taken the opportunity to thoroughly appreciate this moment, there is the unfortunate matter of that armour of yours. I don’t know precisely how many shots it would take to kill you with this ceremonial sidearm, and so I must make use of my underlings. Please riddle her with blaster fire now. You don’t even have to avoid shooting the other two, so it should be something you louts are capable of.’ Just from their body language I can tell they don’t want to do it.

I’d be doubtful if any more of them ever served with me, but with how much abuse he’s put himself through, I can only assume this is a tiny fraction of the abuse he’s heaped on them. That’s it. This is the longest shot I’ve ever tried for, but I’ve got a lot of practice.

‘Belay that order Troopers. As a member of the Purge Corps, I outrank him.’ A ridiculous assertion. Completely absurd, I modified this armour until I could plainly recite at least half a dozen dress code violations from memory. Then again, most people don’t read their manuals.

A dry chuckle, apathetic shrugs of the shoulders. Even a knowing elbow jab between comrades. Direct hit. ‘Don’t – this is – Are you all stupid?! Did you take turns shooting each other in the head when I wasn’t looking?! When was the last time you saw a uniform that was painted fucking purple?! Shower her with blaster fire now!’

‘I dunno sir, the silhouette lines up. Looks like a Purge Trooper to me. Don’t really get to see them too often, maybe those are just ceremonial decorations.’ This is a complete farce and they know it, but it’s been a long time coming. Just need to give them enough plausible deniability to escape a court marshalling.

‘In the wake of your squad leader’s death, I’m taking temporary command of this squadron. I’ll need to have a discussion with Bounty Acquisition Agent Blackmire to determine an appropriate course of action. Please do not disturb us. Dismissed.’ They’re filing through the door. The brig is closed. Just the four of us.

V

To his credit, I figured he’d be a lot more cowardly without his Troops. He managed to get a shot off before I got control of his wrist – it tickled. Finally I get to settle things. This stupid grudge that he’s kept burning for more than half my life. That he threw all of himself into. Only thirty five, but already a frail old man with nothing left. ‘Go on then Tarani, I never figured you for the gloating type. Do it. Kill me already.’ He’s pathetic.

I pity him. I’ve never understood that emotion before, but here it is. ‘Oh come on, don’t tell me you aren’t holding yourself back from it right now, savouring the moment just like I was.’ He’s been living in my shadow for decades. One event he refused to move on from. Looking at him is like looking into a mirror. A dark, twisted, broken mirror.

‘Do it! Settle the score! Fell the one and only person to ever rival you!’ I settled this grudge fifteen years ago, in the courthouse. This doesn’t mean a damn thing to me any more. I already won. Killing him would just let him salvage his dignity. He thinks we’re rivals? What a joke. I almost feel bad about it, but I can’t help laughing.

‘Get out of here Anton. It’s over. I’ve beaten you twice already, go do something with your life that doesn’t revolve around me.’ Doubt he’ll take that advice, but figure it’s the least I can do to give it to him.

‘You’re making a mistake Tarani! You’ve gone soft, and I’ll be back with an ar-’ A blaster shot. Another one. Brayli’s firing them. I was trying to be nice, but I can’t quite say I’m torn up about this. I didn’t want to do it, but if I’ve ever met anyone who deserved a few to the chest; it was Blackmire.

Not bad center of mass shots, though it’s pretty hard to miss at this range. Doubt he had any armour under his uniform, but I can’t fault her for making sure. She’s still going. He’s not even twitching any more. Maybe I should grab the blaster before it overheats, burns her fingers.

‘Sorry sugar. I know you were having a moment, but that scrawny sack of shit trashed my apartment and held me here all night. Even worse, he did it to hurt you. Nobody hurts my girlfriend.’ If we were alone I’d make love to her on the spot.

‘No – now that I think about it; you were right. I was letting my emotions get the better of me, still getting used to listening to them. This was never going to end without one of us dead.’ He doesn’t even have the quiet dignity most corpses do. Hopefully he’s at least a good meal for the carrion animals. A knock at the door.

‘Just checking in, everything good in there? Sounds like your meeting’s over.’ I suppose I have to keep up the charade so they can make a good report. Doubt they need any convincing, so let’s go with the standard protocol for covering up an assassination.

‘Yes. Blackmire’s blaster suffered a spontaneous discharge, and from there; a chain reaction. I suspect it was due to poor maintenance. He was dead before he hit the ground, so I didn’t bother calling for a medic.’ There, those are all the keywords officers like to hear before sweeping an incident under the rug.

‘Ah, I see. Sorry to hear it. Guess I’m in charge once you head out then?’ Ambitious. Hopefully he has better things to do than chase ghosts. Purge Trooper Tarani is dead, after all. I just share a name with her.

‘Before I relinquish command, I have one order. Ensure Stillwater receives a suitable burial.’ Tight, earnest salute. Probably the first one this soldier’s given in years. Never thought I’d be relieved to step out of an Imperial ship onto loose sand. Don’t even need to give the signal, Brayli’s the reason we came here. Seeing us hanging off of each other should get the point across.

VI

Can hear the engine starting up behind us. After spending long enough around them, I learned to identify each Imperial ship by sound. Hopefully I never hear another one again. Vranki and her girls are coming out from behind the dune. ‘Koben! Not a bad job by the looks of things. I don’t even see any blood on you, which is a first. I trust The Empire is out of our hair?’

Ever the pragmatist. A nod will suffice. ‘It’s done. It’s also late. I’d like to invite you all to my house. It’s very sparsely furnished, and out in the middle of nowhere – but I recently made some renovations on it and I’d be honoured if you all came and saw them.’

Odd stares from the girls. Jaxon understands what I’m trying to say. ‘Yeah, I’d love to swing by your place, for a little while anyway. Do kinda gotta be back at the manor at some point though.’ With how much time he’s no doubt spending trying to establish his rule over his new men, I almost feel bad for bringing him along, especially since he didn’t even get to shoot anybody. Like he said though, that’s what friends are for.

‘Now that you mention it sugar, it is getting pretty late. I suppose I’ll just have to stay the night at your place.’ Am I so easy to read, even through the helmet? That’s exactly what I had planned. It’s pitch black out, but that smile of hers is so bright it might as well be a fourth sun.

‘This is sounding like more of a friend’s only affair. I think my girls would like to get back to civilization, to the extent that Dunton qualifies – and I feel like visiting your personal abode might be overstepping the bounds of our professional relationship. Let me make a call.’ I won’t push her. She worded it politely, but there was a firmness to her tone. She’s still a crime boss after all.

Good to see Jaxon’s speeder truck. Not enough room for three in the front, but plenty of room in the back. ‘Jaxon, does that truck have a separator between the compartments? Brayli and I could use some privacy. I’ll plug in the address before we go, but it’s a long drive.’ I suppose Jaxon must have read that as an innuendo. My fault. All I wanted to do was cuddle, but this gonkrock isn’t bad listening.

I’ve never felt this good before. There have been a lot of highs lately, but even while I was enjoying them there was a little part of me that was doing damage control for when it eventually came crashing down. I think I left it back on the ship, with Blackmire. Can’t think of a situation where I’d ever need it again. That’s what these two are for.

END

#my oc #oc #star wars #writing #koben tarani #cw: death #cw: violence #sapphic #transgender

[blackmire]

Extract from ‘Conversations between gods’

“I’m sorry, you did what?”

“They had it coming.”

“They didn’t know any better, they’re just people.”

“So what? We let their behaviour go unpunished? They know better than to ignore their god. I did everything for them, I gave them the land, the fertile ground, the materials for them to flourish - and now they no longer worship me, thank me for what I do for them.”

“But it’s against the rules, Kossuth.”

“The rules?! Yondalla, who here honestly gives a shit about the rules! They needed to be punished for their hubris.”

“There are better ways of dealing with their behaviour than killing half of them. It wasn’t just the heretics you killed, it was the innocent also, your devoted worshippers.”

“... Well, some innocent lives had to be sacrificed for them all to learn..”

“Kossuth…”

“Don’t.”

“You’re better than this.. A god’s job is to help guide our people, to become better than they ever thought they could be, but a god can’t do that if they make the same mistakes as the mortals.”

“What will happen to me? What have they decided?”

“You won't be able to have power over this realm.. You can appear in your godly form to the mortals, but you can’t walk amongst them, nor will you be able to control the volcanos or fire..”

“At least it’s not death.. For how long will the punishment go on for?”

“That i do not know.”

#dnd #d&d #dungeons and dragons #Blackmire mythos #death mention tw #naruba

[yeehaww-sims]

Link Valor | Zelda Maddox | Ganon Blackmire

I wanted to have my own versions for my world of these three, so instead of making characters inspired by them like my partner and I have done 400 times already, I just. Took them. Why have 7 characters just inspired by Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf, when I could just borrow them??

Anyway here's some details:

The three of them met in college when they were all assigned to the same dorm room, since the college went "oh you're all trans this will be fine :)" and then they all realized who each other were. But here's the thing: Ganon doesn't want to be his "destiny," in fact it's actively running away from it, wanting to be the end of the cycle. Link and Zelda are helping, hoping that he won't succumb to his fate and that they won't have to, well, kill him. Yes they all get together.

Link - Transgender, demiboy/androgyne, he/they, pansexual, polyamorous. Wood elf. He's selectively mute and exclusively uses sign language. They love nature and have a lot of bugs and a small garden as well! He's 137 [~27 in human years]

Zelda - Genderfluid, bisexual, fluid pronouns, uses any pronouns but it depends on the day. Also probably polyamorous. High elf. I haven't decided if she's still a princess or not but she's at least Known and Semi-famous in some way. They're a historian, incredibly intelligent, and like doing anything art-y, like writing or painting. He's 138 [~28]

Ganon - Trans man, greyromantic, bisexual, and yes, polyamorous, he/it pronouns. Desert elf, but with some Orcish blood. He refuses to get top surgery and will make it your problem if you complain. It's a musician and gamer, and does some painting and working out as well. He's 141 [~29]

I have lots of thoughts about them all but I'm tired now so yeehaw man.

Currently they all live together in a house Link was living in. Here's some screenshots goodnight

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 #ts4 fantasy #ts4 occult #ts4 supernatural #ts4 dnd #my sims #Link Valor #Zelda Maddox #Ganon Blackmire #holds them up: I just think they're neat :) #and trans they're all trans

[eldritch-sims]

elimination - ( 4/4 )

@yourreilanet thank you so much for participating! i’m so sad to see harper go, but in-game she fell behind the others with that fiery attitude of hers.

make sure to stick around, because we haven’t seen the last of harper yet!

#ts4 #ts4 edit #ts4 story #ts4 asylum challenge #ts4 bachelor challenge #ts4 bachelorette challenge #veriline #dr. blackmire

[datenightfright]

Bastian

The shrill voice of Mrs. Cherish Blackmire rings through the cold room with clarity few can achieve. “Get up you lazy pig!” Bastian, up and dressed long before she comes to his door. He opens up immediately. “What took you so long?” She asks. He doesn’t answer, not that she expected one. She turns from him in disgust and begins to walk down the servants hall. He follows immediately, listening carefully to her instructions. “The roses need watering, the lilacs and lupines need weeding, the herb garden is in desperate need of fertilizing, and I want my arrangements done before noon.”

He nodded as she continued her list. The rhododendrons needed to be moved, she wanted the willow tree needed the moss scraped off it, and for Maker’s Sake please washe the statues, they’re getting grimy. “Did you get all of that pig?” 

“Yes Mrs. Blackmire.” He says as quietly as possible so as not to startle her delicate senses. She hmph’s and turns back to him, “Don’t forget tonight is a very important night for me.” He nods, not daring to speak. They stand there for a few moments. “Well, get on with it! Don’t be lazy!” Bastian doesn’t hesitate and rushes to the garden. 

If there was one thing in life Bastian had to be proud of, it was Blackmire Garden. Though the family didn’t want to admit it, he’d transformed a veritable wasteland into an oasis of greenery. Homegrown flowers to exotic plants, fountains to stop at, topiaries and statues to admire, a maze of carefully clipped bushes, trees to provide shaded areas for picnics. Birds flitted through the leaves, squirrels danced on the branches, there was even a rabbit or two if you looked closely. Yes, he was proud of the Blackmire Gardens indeed.

Bastian gets to work on his list of chores. With practiced hands he waters, weeds, and washes. The sun overhead gleams, making him the warmest he will be all day. He enjoys working in the heat of the sun, sweating, getting his hands dirty. It’s relaxing to him, he feels that’s why he’s succeeded in this place and failed in others. 

He break for lunch once the flower arranging is finished. He enters the kitchen long after all the other servants have left. They often look at him with jealousy when he eats. It wasn’t that he got better fare, it was that he got more than they did, much more. He couldn’t help the fact that he was half-orc, thus did most of the heavy lifting for the Blackmires. The other half-orcs his masters had got the same amount of food he did, but they worked the fields and this ate at different times, in different places. He was the only one to work inside with the other servants. 

He eats his share, savoring the gruel and salted pork for last, as they were his favorites, and then went off to work once more. Washing the statues wasn’t such a hard job, the grime comes away from the surface with ease, it was just the sheer amount of statues he had to clean that took the longest. 

Even so, it’s well before dusk when he finishes his last task. He goes to his mistress, careful not to be seen by the others of the house, for more instructions. He found her, as he often did on days when she was planning a great feast, in the dining hall. She had no work for him, which meant he had the rest of the day off. He knew better than to stay in his quarters in the servants wing, they would talk, and eventually get him in trouble. He went, as quietly as he could, to young Ms. Blackmire’s window. 

Hiding in the bushes he listens closely, closing his eyes as he listens. Ms. Blackmire had a soft, delicate disposition, and loved poetry just as much as Bastian did. She read it aloud daily to her cat, and whenever he could, he listened to her. 

Poetry was the single most beautiful thing to Bastian in all the world. No sound, no sight, no smell, touch, or taste could move him like poetry did. As he listens to her recite line after line of love poetry, he allows himself to dream. He dreams of a world where a beast like himself can read and write. Where he could compose his own poetry. Where it was read world wide, by people just like young Ms. Blackmire.

#bastian #half-orc #my ocs #the blackmires

[overusage-x]

Invisible man.

A researcher working for the Doomblade family. Possesses vast knowledge of arcane magic arts. Always seems taciturn and focused on his work.

#thaddeus blackmire #oc #dailydrawOct2017

[high-inquisitor]

Hanging by Their Arteries

“Are you going to interrogate everyone you’ve never personally fought alongside?” “I’m not seeing what the problem is. I just want to know what to expect.”

After hours of tossing and turning, Archelaos exited the vardo of the family Black. He cracked open a cigar, pleased to find that his silver case protected it from the shipwreck. It was one of few blessings he’d find in the Blackmire, of that he was certain. The audible ‘pop’ of a crushed of a twig caught his attention. His head snapped up, peering into the black of the surrounding forest with wide moonlit eyes. He saw nothing, but that did not mean that he was alone. In fact, he would be surprised if he was.

Once he was sure he was not in danger of being ambushed, Archelaos focused on the branches of the high trees that surrounded their ocean-side camp. They were skinny, reminding him of a saint’s fingerbones. Ancient, divine, and powerful beyond his understanding. It was a hungry forest, savoring at the mouth for the foolish travelers who had washed ashore. As he stared into the woods, the shadows morphed themselves into echoes of the past. Just as in his vision some time prior, he could see bodies hanging from their arteries, stringy and suffering and dead long after they had been hung. In those bodies he saw familiar shapes. A lute. A void-addled cat. A duster. A crown of roses. A mask. If they were nameless and faceless this would have been easier. But they weren’t. In his vision he saw his comrades specifically strung up to be presented to whatever royalty these woods claimed. The beast who had hunted him, who would never stop.

But they had not experienced this vision. They had not poured over volumes of texts in the library afterwards. They did not know what they were walking into, and so they scolded him for his caution and need to be prepared. Archelaos hung his head. In one hand he pinched his cigar and in the other he held a silver idol of the Holy Light. His thumb brushed over it, feeling the sea salt wipe away with his prayers. May they be right. May he be a fool. May they all leave this forest as optimistic and naive as they had arrived. May his vision never come to pass.

It was difficult not to take their plight personally. If he had been better, if he had practiced more, perhaps he could have brought them to Port Independence as he intended. As he finished his cigar and killed it in the wet sand he reminded himself the virtue of tenacity. He could not stray from the path here. He refused. 

#story #the afterguard #wyrmrest accord #moon guard

[troubledpasta]

ended up making an additional outfit for potential future story beat of the campaign i'm in atm. it's sort of technically spoilers but nobody that's in the party is currently following me here so it's fine :^)

#my characters #cyrus blackmire #d&d #dungeons and dragons #elf #art #illustration #artists on tumblr

[cthulhu-lulu]

Sister Adelaide:

Aasimar Cleric, Grave Domain

AC: 16 | HP: 117

STR: 15 | DEX: 14 | CON: 17 | INT: 11 | WIS: 19 | CHA: 12

Sister Adelaide is a former Sister of Battle that lives within the Shadowfell under self-exile. She rarely talks about what sins drove her to abandoning the Chantry, but what travelers have been able to uncover has been unnerving. She holds vigil in a small ruin on a high hill overlooking the Blackmire River, and welcomes any weary traveler in need of refuge from the darkness, so long as they are still among the living...

Adelaide's Beast form:

#d&d #dnd #werewolf #Shadowfell #dungeons and dragons #oc #sister adelaide #hero forge

[scrumpledorph-writes]

Koben’s Responsibility (Learning To Share It)

I

I have to get her back. That’s exactly what he knows I’m going to do, but that doesn’t mean I have any other option. I’m the reason this happened to her. The odds are stacked against me, but Blackmire’s the one doing the counting – and he bribed his way through the academy; so I have a chance. I hope she’s alright.

He probably thinks I’ve gone soft. Tried to put the life behind me like so many deserters do. He’s expecting a haggard, rusty old washout to get gunned down by a single bodyguard detachment – eight at the most if I had to guess. Nothing I can’t handle. Why’d he have to bring Brayli into this?

If he had the intel to find where she lived, he must have been able to track me down too. He said he was working with Huxley, so he must have had the opportunity. It must be about hurting me. It’s not enough for him to kill me, or take me in, he’s trying to make me suffer first. I’ll repay him tenfold.

How should I do it? He’s definitely earned more than a blaster bolt at this point. Knife; gut him like a piece of game? Still too professional. Need to use my hands. Beat that smug face of his inside out? Closer, getting there. He’ll probably find a way to take the fun out of it if I let him talk. I’m getting ahead of myself.

This is going to be a delicate operation. Me getting so angry I don’t think this through is exactly what he’ll be banking on. Have to keep a cool head, hard as it is. I can’t assume he’s still incompetent, it’s been over a decade. Not enough information to form a proper plan from, so I’ll need to do reconnaissance first.

I’ll need equipment for that. Specialized equipment; mine works well for general purposes, but considering he has an entrenched position with advanced notice – a long range blaster at the very least so I can pick a few off before they see me. Should probably get some thicker thermal weave for the assault, and something to help my armour not stick out so much against the desert backdrop. Vranki can get it for me.

II

Forgot I’ve never been here in my civilian clothes, good thing the doorman recognized my voice. She must’ve sent word to the guards, they’re not even giving me a second glance. Not sure if she’s arrogant or prudent for making the path to her office a straight line, but right now I certainly appreciate it. Her operation might be small, and she doesn’t take this seriously enough to last, but right now all I need are connections – and nowhere fosters those better than a whorehouse.

‘Trooper! So nice to see you again, you’ve been the talk of the underworld!’ How could I forget? Being with Brayli made it feel so distant, but just a few days ago I was involved in the death of a major crime boss. Talk must have rippled out from that event in waves strong enough to drown out every other topic for miles – maybe even across the system.

‘I don’t have time to talk about that right now Vranki I-’ ‘No, we’re at the beginning of a beautiful working relationship, so I need to at least address the Rancor in the room.’ She’s never cut me off before, but fine. She must know I’m desperate right now, and she’s just holding it over me.

‘I run a small time operation, but not so small I haven’t been informed of your name and bounty. You’ve racked up a very fat reward on your head, and I asked my men how many would be interested in cashing in.’ This was a mistake. Even if I need help, how could I be so stupid? I just walked into the same trap as before, and there weren’t even credits to bait it this time. At least it’s just us in here – and I brought my sidearm. If she makes a move, I’m fast enough to take her down.

‘I’m currently understaffed, because I fired everyone who said they thought it was a good idea.’ I know she has a bit of a dramatic streak, but she really could’ve led with that. ‘You’re worth far more to me than a lump sum hundred thousand credits, Trooper – and I don’t need people in my operation who aren’t capable of seeing that. Do you still want me to call you that, by the way? Your name rolls off the tongue better, if you don’t mind me saying.’ That’s a lot more pragmatic than I was expecting from her. Maybe she does have what it takes to make it in this business.

‘Thank you. I guess if my secret’s out, you might as well drop the code name. It’s started to chafe lately anyway.’ A shocking relief, but in hindsight it makes sense. I always figured she just did it as a negotiation tactic, but she’s praised my work every time we’ve interacted. A tight, professional smile. A long way from Brayli’s, but at least more genuine than Huxley’s.

‘Now then, what can I help you with, Koben?’ ‘The Empire took my girlfriend hostage. I need-’ ‘The Empire? You’re completely sure, it’s not some gang doing a frame up to cover their tracks?’ Just saying the words flipped a switch in her, her body language, expression – even intonation changed. She’s never leaned forward over her desk while talking to me before. Finally something she takes seriously.

‘I’m sure. One of my old officers left me a message taunting me after he did it. I need a long range blaster, stealth suit, and reinforced padding. I can pay up to seventy thousand credits, and I need them as soon as possible.’ Anton didn’t mention a time frame, but knowing him; he’ll hold onto Brayli as long as it takes for me to show up.

‘What exactly is it that you’re planning to do with all this advanced equipment?’ No use keeping it from her at this point. ‘I’m going to assault his ship by myself, as soon as I have them.’ Nobody else I can ask to do this. It’s my past, my fight, my responsibility.

‘Koben, dear, I know this must make me sound like an absolute bleeding heart right now, but I can’t let you go through with that.’ She’s right about one of those things at least. ‘I’m going to rescue her, and if you’re not willing to sell me the equipment then I’ll make do without it.’ This really isn’t like her at all. I’d figured she’d have been happy to charge me as much for this equipment as she could manage to say it cost her with a straight face.

It doesn’t matter. I suppose I still have that one little slimeball’s number. It’d take a while, but maybe I could sift through his inventory for a workable assassin blaster if nothing else. ‘I can’t get you that gear, but I’m willing to help in whatever way I can. I just told you that you’re no good to me dead, and more than that – I know what happens if The Empire is allowed to get their foot in the door without being beaten back.’

So this is motivated by self interest. Fine then, I can let her take on the consequences if she refuses not to – she has something to gain after all. I suppose she’s not entirely wrong either, this is a daunting task. ‘Fine. What way do you think you can help? I’ve never counted more than a dozen gun hands in here, and I doubt that one you keep out front could hit a star destroyer at point blank.’

‘Well that’s a rather sharp dressing down – but I suppose it is accurate. That being said, if it is Stormtroopers we’re dealing with, then I happen to know one of their biggest weaknesses.’ I can’t imagine what she could know about them that I don’t already. I know the specs of their blasters, what points of their armour are weak, and their average psychological profile. ‘What would that be?’

‘Women.’ Figures. Though, now that she says it; actually very true. ‘You’re very good at what you do – by underworld standards. We’re not operating on underworld standards right now though: we’re talking about the Imperial military. You think like a hammer, and all you see are nails. What you need to get this done is a little subterfuge.’

She’s right, as much as I hate to admit it. These aren’t just gangsters, I can’t expect to have a single chance advantage. No faulty blasters, inattention, or flinching in the face of fear to exploit. Every Trooper I don’t have to deal with improves my odds dramatically.

‘So, what, you’re going to distract them with prostitutes? That sounds dangerous for the women.’ I’d hate to see them get hurt on account of a fight they’re not even part of. I don’t know how I’d even be able to make it up to them if it happened.

‘I’ll put out a volunteer call, won’t force anybody. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of eager candidates, The Empire has a tendency of hurting people.’ Guess I can’t argue there. ‘I know how much they like to stand around and look tough; I’ll have the girls wander off with whoever’s guarding the doors. That fabric under your plates isn’t puncture proof, is it?’ This is coming together a lot better than I was expecting. Quick shake of the head.

‘I figured, but I just wanted to be sure. Anyway, once that’s done, then you can slip inside and get to work. How’s that sound?’ Good. Really good, breaching the ship without setting off alarms is an increase to my success chances dramatically higher than just taking out two Troopers. Though, I do have to wonder how she has such an accurate picture of how we operate.

‘How do you know so much about how Imperial troops function? I’ve thought once or twice now that you used to be an officer, but you seem too casual for that to be the case.’ It would explain a rigour for administration, but the joviality she carries is far in excess of what would be left after a military career, to say nothing of the crackdown on her for going rogue.

‘You’re half right. My husband used to be the colonial administrator on this planet, replacing a man who was gunned down by gangsters in his own bed. He died in a tragic speeder explosion when his was sabotaged after a visit to the bar, and was succeeded by a man who didn’t even reach the colonial office before he was kidnapped and buried alive up to his neck out on the dunes – or so I’ve heard.’

There does seem to be an exceptionally entrenched criminal element around here, I can’t say I’m surprised to hear they resisted Imperial occupation efforts. I picked this planet precisely because it was a remote, worthless dustball; I can’t imagine they devoted too many resources to trying to bring it under control when there were more important fights to dedicate them to. ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’

‘Oh don’t be, that all wrapped up a good seven years ago, and it wasn’t the happiest marriage the galaxy’s ever seen.’ I can imagine her being a lot to live with. ‘The point is, after they cut their losses with the third one – I learned a very important lesson: The Empire isn’t welcome around here. So I faked my death – really easy when nobody’s checking up on you – and decided to start playing by the local rules.’

I have to give her credit, that’s a lot more shrewd than I thought she was capable of. Maybe she’s a good long term bet after all. ‘So not only are you familiar, you have a lot of reason to keep The Empire off world?’ She may not technically have ever been an officer herself, but no doubt she’d get at least a capital penalty for everything she’s done if they ever caught her.

‘You got it. That’s without even getting into all the other factors: keeping you from martyring yourself for the sake of your deathwish, what it would do to my credibility for my best enforcer’s girl to get kidnapped on my turf without me responding, and the fact that pretty much every organized criminal on the planet will appreciate me being the one who gave them the boot this time.’ Suppose I can’t argue with that.

She’s right, I was being stupid trying to do this myself. It doesn’t matter that it’s my fault, Brayli’s the one who’s going to suffer. I need to pull out all the stops for this – call in every favour I have. That’s not many, but every one is better than nothing. ‘Thanks. When can I expect you to be ready? I have a couple more calls to make.’

‘Well, look at you; little enterprising underworlder – building up a contact network. Shouldn’t be longer than an hour to get the girls ready, you go do your thing.’ She chafes me a little around the edges sometimes, but this really does mean a lot to me – even if it means less to her. I’m even smiling at her, but now it’s time for some fresh air.

III

It’s getting late, but Jaxon doesn’t strike me as someone who’s in bed early. ‘Oh, hey Koben! Nice to see you, what’s up?’ I can talk while I head home, gonna need the whole armoury for this. ‘Jaxon, I’m sorry I don’t have time for pleasantries, but Brayli’s been kidnapped – by The Empire. I need your help to get her back.’ This is a big ask considering what he already gave up for me. If it were anything less I wouldn’t ask him to do it – he killed his own father for me. But Brayli’s worth it.

‘Holy shit – Koben...Yeah, whatever you need. I’ve got a couple small starfighters, I can send a few dozen men, and feel free to borrow whatever gear you need.’ Just like that. He’s a good man. Would it be vain to think he gets some of it from me? I’m sure I helped a little, at least.

‘This is going to be a small scale operation. I tentatively have infiltration covered, but I could use someone to watch my back once I’m inside.’ Want to avoid a big shootout if possible; more blasters means more stray shots – and a higher chance that Brayli gets caught in the crossfire.

‘What – you mean, like, me? Koben, I’d be honoured! Yeah, I’ll get my gear and come right over. Do you mind if I record this? The forum guys would go insane if they saw me fighting with you!’ There’s no other trigger man I trust. For that, he can do whatever he wants. Kind of figured he’d be too busy for that dumb thing now that he’s a crime boss though.

‘Yeah, go ahead. And...thank you. Really, it means a lot. I know you’ve already done a ton for me – and I have no idea how I’ll ever repay you.’ If I spent the rest of my life until I died of old age fulfilling kill orders to pay him and Vranki back for this it’d be worth it. Just as long as Brayli’s safe.

‘Don’t worry about it, that’s what friends are for.’

#my oc #oc #star wars #writing #koben tarani

[blackmire]

Extract from ‘Conversations Between Gods’

[“Don’t you ever get tired of watching?” The masked figure says to his companion.

“No,” he replies,”they care for the nature I have given to them. That is satisfying enough.”

They scowl,”don’t act like it’s only because they didn’t burn the trees; They worship you, they’re just feeding your ego.”

“Perhaps. Who doesn’t want to be worshipped?” He smiles slightly, turning to his friend,”they’ve given me a name - Silvanus. It’s a wonderful name, is it not?”

“Sure, when you’re egotistical.”

Silvanus sighs, growing weary of his friend’s temper,”they will worship you too, eventually.”

“In thousands of years from now.”

“We’ve all been alive for longer...”

“I just,” The masked figure stares down at the world of Blackmire, watching as some firbolg’s wander through the woods,”it’s not just the fact that they don’t worship me, but it’s the fact that we can’t be walking amongst them.”

“You know that would disrupt the balance.”

“But how much fun that would be.”

“Mask, you mustn’t-“

“I won’t.. not right now anyway..”]

#dnd #d&d #dungeons and dragons #Blackmire mythos

[jadedstar2]

Thank you, #discoverweekly - these songs are dopeeee. #spotify #weeklyplaylist #dropoutkings #nvm #thewarning #blackmire #lonelythebrave #goodmusic #newjams #morningcommute #turnitup https://www.instagram.com/p/BsbrxYan4ct/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1x4hp8xvpf0hq

#discoverweekly #spotify #weeklyplaylist #dropoutkings #nvm #thewarning #blackmire #lonelythebrave #goodmusic #newjams #morningcommute #turnitup

[eldritch-sims]

elimination - ( 3/4 )

@yourreilanet

#ts4 #ts4 edit #ts4 story #ts4 asylum challenge #ts4 bachelor challenge #ts4 bachelorette challenge #veriline #dr. blackmire

[puffy-shirt]

New d&d character for a waterdeep campaign we started! Zephira Blackmire, a Drow bounty hunter of draconic bloodline :)

#art #digital art #dungeons and dragons #d&d #drow #my art #roarts