#they’ve got so much random lore that I’ll probably go into at some point cause I’ll have to explain a lot of the later drawings of them

[nightmun]

A bunch of fun little drawings of Haniel I did a while back!

The other two interns in the first image belong to @lolatulips and @pokeblog123!

#rhythm doctor #intern #haniel #marie sanglante #mal prachett #my art #I originally drew these to go with the post introducing them but ended up deciding to put them separately #the Haniel brainrot lately has been insane though #Handtern is great for funnies but having a version of them that can actually emote is really fun #I’ve got so much art of them now you have no idea #plus I was bored the other day and pumped out a 7k word doc about them (maybe I’ll share that at some point if I finish it we’ll see) #they’ve got so much random lore that I’ll probably go into at some point cause I’ll have to explain a lot of the later drawings of them #for now though have these nice chill little doodles of them!

[pantherxdrawz]

Enstars x Genshin au? Nah. How about

Enstars x Honkai: Star Rail au

I’ve just got rambles cause yeah I wanted to draw the designs but adhd brain hit like a freight train “oh I wanna draw this design” “n o.”

Anyways yeah just just rambles

How I’ll do this is “Enstars character takes Star Rail characters General role, however I’ll give them wiggle room and they keep their personalities, maybe even tweak their backstories”

So generally ALKALOID takes the Nameless/Trailblazers roles,

Hiiro takes Dan Heng’s role, however he’s not exiled for a past life’s actions, rather he “ran” from home and joined the Trailblazers to find his oldest brother (Rinne, who doesn’t technically take a role, I mean right now you could say in a way he takes a combo of Bailu’s and Dan Heng’s as well if you really want but yeah he’s pretty much role-less, free from the binds of the story) who was supposed to be the next Vidyadhara High Elder but ran away across the galaxy for unknown reasons

Also I say “Oldest brother” because I know in canon Rinne is Hiiro’s only brother, but in this au I’m gonna do a funny thing and make Luka be their middle child brother in the au because come on look at them, which means (besides NPC’s) he’s gonna be one of the few un-booted-out-for-Enstars-characters-to-steal their-lives-characters who just vibe for an epic crossover

Also yes this means Vidyadhara Rinnie, Luka And Hiiro

Or Luka is just adopted-💥

Then there’s going to be Mayoi as the MC, well, technically, he doesn’t take the Protagonist role in this au, Hiiro does still, So like. Imagine if Dan Heng was the protagonist/MC of H:SR instead like does that make sense?

I also think Mayoi would die if he was given the Main Protagonist role- Anyways why am I giving him a side protagonist version of Caelus/Stelle? Well one: he was my first favorite in Enstars, ever, and two: anxious wall gremlin is a very good stand in for feral raccoon (wo)man

And yes this means he’s now an artificial human with a stellaron inside him and could explode at any second

I also had the idea of Aria as March 7th, I…Don’t have anything for that except how they just make me think of the other, so that’s not really in stone

And Akiomi as Welt, just cause why not

Madara and Kohaku take Clara and Svarog‘s roles, (Madara Svarog and Kohaku Clara to get specific)

Kohaku taking Clara’s role if she had a big fucking gun/hj

For this au instead of Kohaku being a shy little orphan like Clara, he’s just a random teen that ran away, found Madara and they ended up as friends somehow, but technically Kohaku is in Clara’s role here, like just

“Yeah I found this big fucking motorcycle transformer cowboy thing and it’s my mom friend now”

“+w+”

Also I’m changing the type of Robot Madara is, instead of being the giant robot Svarog originally is, he’s now a transformer that turns into a motorcycle, because why the fuck not, it doesn’t matter as long as he has Svarog’s capabilities as well

HiMERU takes Tingyun’s role (starts slowly descending away, evil cackling in knowing both Enstars and Star Rail lore as I refuse to elaborate, but if you play both games like me we can evil laugh/cry together :))

Jin takes Jing Yuan’s role, why? *drops a second infodump*

It’s literally perfect to me, first of all, they’re both eepy old men who have the :3/=w= faces

Also I say “Old” but if Jing Yuan aged normally and wasn’t immortal he’d probably be like 40’s and Jin is 30’s, and I don’t think that’s actually old I just say old cause they both call themselves old at at least some point and the entire fandom and their mothers call Jing Yuan old/hj

They’ve also got a few similarities:

They both took paths their parents didn’t want them to (Jing Yuan being with the Cloud Knights when his parents wished for him to inherit the mantle of a scholar or official at the Realm-Keeping Commission and Jin being an Idol, when his parents wanted him to be a Doctor),

-They both lost one’s close to them (Jing Yuan losing his mentor (who is still alive but eehhhshshs he technically lost her-) and old friendships, Jin meanwhile lost his whole ass older brother)

-Both seem lazy but whenever it’s the right situation (For Jing Yuan it’s literally any situation where he’d absolutely need to take action, for Jin it’s his students in danger) Shit gets real

Also I just really want a situation where he’s constantly sleeping on the desk while Mayoi, Aria* and Akiomi* are just staring at him like “:/ are you sure this is the real general??? Are you sure this isn’t just a random lost guy?????” Maybe even finding him sleeping while standing up in hologram form

(*swaps aren’t in stone but what I’m going with rn)

and two characters I simp for in one

Uhh *checks notes aka just my floating thoughts on this*

I think that’s it for now, im up for ideas for this au

#To those of y’all who followed me for rain code swap au edits #I’m making more my brain just swapped hyperfixations #I am a Multifandom blog after all #enstars au #ensemble stars au #Enstars #ensemble stars #honkai star rail

[sammysreelreviews]

Counting Down My Top Ten Animated Tv Shows Of The Last Decade

What’s up bitches?! It’s time for my second decade countdown! If you know me you know I love animated shows so I just had to give them their own countdown! So many amazing animated shows have happened in the past ten years and I’m so excited for future shows! I’ll probably cry writing this cause I’m a little Pisces bitch! Enjoy the list and there will be ***SPOILERS!!!***

10. Disenchantment (2018- ) Netflix

Disenchantment in a way is a feminist cartoon because Bean is a princess who wants to do things her way but she’s also flawed which I think is important! I only started watching this show because I’m obsessed with Broad City and Abbi Jacobson voices Bean so of course I’m going to watch it! I really hope we get more lore and Elfo in season 3 and I can’t wait for what they come up with next!

9. Aggretsuko (2018- ) Netflix

A show about a red panda who likes to song metal karaoke sounds ridiculous but it’s ridiculously good. This show not only makes you think about how draining corporate work life is but also about how people make you feel and how sometimes you just need a mental health day. I’m so grateful Netflix kept this show running and I even have Aggretsuko days of the week socks that my therapist loves so I don’t wanna hear shit!

8. Steven Universe (2013 - ) Cartoon Network

My friend Genna literally does not stop asking me to watch this show and she made me before I made this list and I actually like it. I haven’t finished the show I just started season 3 but Steven Universe is charming and vulnerable which is hard to do with a kids show. Another thing I love about it is the backstory. I feel like one of the best parts of the show is the intricate backstory of the different gems and it’s what makes me keep watching honestly. I can’t say much cause I’m not done yet but I’m liking what I’m seeing and I love Steven and Garnet’s relationship so much!

7. Big Mouth (2017- ) Netflix

Big Mouth. I’ve talked about this before so I won’t say much but this show is so fucking weird but so fucking funny I hope it never ends. “Lucky Malala, that’s what they call her.”

6. The Amazing World of Gumball (2011- ) Cartoon Network

Ok so I always saw random episodes of Gumball on TV but I never watched it fully until like a couple months ago and it’s just so creative, hysterical, and the animation is insane like there’s 3D and 2D characters just co-existing together. I wrote about Gumball like two or three articles ago in shows that ended way too soon but they’ve announced that we indeed are getting new Gumball episodes very soon! I’m PRAYING we get some closure after that cliffhanging as fuck season finale! Also, is Darwin not the cutest animated character since Flounder!? Maybe it’s a fish thing!

5. Bojack Horseman (2014- ) Netflix

Ok so this is probably the millionth time I’ve mentioned Bojack here but this last season was about Bojack taking responsibility and getting his life back together which really resonated with me. In a way I could relate I wanted to stop making mistakes and better myself for me and for my friends and family. Bojack is the king of self sabotage and and one point I was too. Unfortunately I’ve been having crippling anxiety but this time I’ve tried every step and opportunity to get better which is what Bojack is doing now and I’ve never had an animated show explore that. I’m so sad it’s ending but honestly it’s a must watch! Sorry that got so personal I have no idea why I’m feeling so fucking emo right now. Bojack Horseman is funny as hell too just FYI!

4. Gravity Falls (2012-2016) Disney XD

Gravity Falls, yet another show I’ve mentioned countless times, is not only hysterical but there’s a mystery that makes you want to rewatch it the minute you finish it. I really wish this show would’ve gone on forever and ever but all good things must come to an end.

3. Star vs. the Forces of Evil (2015-2019) Disney Channel

This show actually broke my heart when it ended. Star is a show that not only has a heartwarming plot but it has tons of laughs too! Ponyhead was another character that I could relate too and I loved the LGBTQ representation it had. Everyday I pray they reboot this show so we can see what happened after the world was rid of magic and to see Marcos and Star get married.

2. Bob’s Burgers (2011- ) FOX

I’ve made an entire list of my favorite Bob’s Burgers episodes which you can read here, so I’ll keep this short. Who couldn’t love this show about the best family on tv? Bob’s Burgers is a show that I can tell you what happens in each episode. I watch it when I’m in any mood whether I’m angry, sad, or super happy it’s my go to pick me up and that’s why I’m obsessed with it.

1. Adventure Time (2010- ) Cartoon Network

I don’t know how to put how much I love Adventure Time into words because it’s a show I binged in one of the lowest parts of my life mentally. Not only is Adventure Time hysterical but it has so many characters and story lines that would make the most macho man cry. I’m so happy that HBO Max is giving it four epilogue episodes because I missed Finn, Jake, BMO, and the rest of the gang so much. Ok let me stop typing about this show before I start really crying lol. Adventure Time is not only one of the best animated shows of the decade but it’s my favorite animated show ever made and I’m so happy it was there for me when I needed it. Yup. I just cried and that’s why Adventure Time is number one.

#aggretsuko #netflix #netflix suggestions #netflix recommendations #steven universe #adventure time #star vs the forces of evil #disenchantment #bobs burgers #bojack horseman #gravity falls #amazing world of gumball #big mouth #cartoon network #broad city

[terramythos]

My reread commentary on October Daye #8, "The Winter Long" or "more shit goes down in this book than the first 7 combined, holy shit".

I apologize to anyone who reads these cause I literally hit the length limit on this post and had to pare it down lmao 

-Good start: Under the Acknowledgements section: "Everything I have done with October's world to this point has been for the sake of getting here". Sooo basically the first 7 books? Setup for this one. We're in for a Ride.

I want to emphasize some of the best meta foreshadowing I've seen:

FOR REFERENCE, Rosemary and Rue is the title of book 1. It's also the only book whose opening Shakespeare quote (from Hamlet) doesn't really match the title. If you know your Shakespeare, you probably would have caught that and figured out that it was from The Winter's Tale instead. Plenty of conclusions you can draw just from that. Since then the series has been chock full of hidden identities, and this book has two BIG ones coming into play. Foreshadowing was here from the very fucking beginning, and it is some next level shit. Very well done.

-If you skipped book 1 you are SO fucked, btw.

- we're going to great lengths to describe Sylvester's physical appearance. Gee I wonder why. I'm sure it's not relevant

- yes Sylvester has FOX COLORED HAIR and YELLOW EYES and his magic smells like DAFFODILS and DOGWOOD FLOWERS. He is Toby's LEIGE and FATHER FIGURE.

Me on a first read: oh it's just beginning book exposition, they all do this

Me on a second read: god fucking damn it

- toby: I should have known Sylvester would never disappoint me.

Me: oh sweetie. Oh honey.

- "He smelled like smoke and rotten oranges.

This man wasn't Sylvester Torquill."

Anyone who read book 1: OHSHIT.AVI

Welcome back, Simon! You know, Sylvester's evil twin? You know, the big bad (so far) of the series? The the one responsible for turning Toby into a fish for 14 years?

-Yet he seems kinda... off, huh? Comments about how he didnt know the spell would last 14 years, how he hates to upset October's mom, of all people? Whatever could he mean? :)))

-New toby power: spell reflection? Hell yeah? Also spell BREAKING, but to be fair she did do that one other time. In, you guessed it, book 1.

- "When I tried to picture Sylvester's face, I kept seeing Simon's instead" ow oof

- Simon calling Amandine "Amy", which we've established is an affectionate nickname (it being what, you know, THE LUIDAEG calls her). Why would Simon, of all people, call her that?

... oh.

-That sure explains a LOT, huh? That sure was set up... this whole time, huh?

-Little "fuck you" lines like "I didn't know Sylvester had a niece" in book 2. Talking about January. Well, uh, he has several actually! You're one of them!

-Explanation for why Sylvester had any inclination to be October's mentor... eventually becoming her liege and father figure... even giving her the Changeling's Choice (something family is supposed to do). It seems mighty convenient that a random noble was involved in the life of a changeling to such an extent. BUT, if he was her uncle, and knew his brother wouldn't step up? Well...

-This isn't even the biggest reveal of the book. Like, we're only a handful of chapters in and this bomb gets dropped.

-Sylvester, every 10 minutes: oh boy I cant wait to see my brother so I can like, completely eviscerate him!

Everyone else: uh,

- Tybalt: and here I thought I was going to have to ask Sylvester for his blessing. Now I technically have to ask SIMON?

Toby: uwotm8

Tybalt: oh god uhh I'm joking yeah uhh I'm just trying to distract you from all this stress :)) yeah (nailed it!)!

-And now we begin the "wow Sylvester is actually not a great person" slide. It's been hinted at that he's pretty unstable and has shitty priorities regarding people he cares about. But Toby glossed over a lot of it because she adored him. Welp.

- It's also an interesting aside that Etienne was kind of a dick to Toby for a reason in the earlier books. He legit thought she had been knighted because she was family, not that she had earned the post. And after the last few books he clearly knows now that that's not the case and they've actually become friends. That's interesting hidden character development.

- ok so The Gang finds out that Simon was telling the truth when he said turning Toby into a fish for 14 years was to save her. Because he had actually been hired to KILL her and didn't want to do it. So it was a loophole-- everyone thought she was dead, and then (as established in book 1) pretty much everyone forgot she existed until the spell broke.

-BUT Simon is bound by a geas (where have we seen that before) and cannot divulge his employer's name. But who had such a grudge against Toby and/or her mom to order a hit on her AND forcibly bind everyone to secrecy?

-who knows? Not toby. So they go to The Luidaeg to maybe get a lead, and she establishes right away that she is ALSO bound under a geas and can't say who did it. So we play some 20 questions, and then...

ULTRA DISTRESSING LUIDAEG LORE :((((

-additional: another month name just came into play. August. Toby's half sister, missing for a century. WHAT IS WITH THE MONTH NAMES

- "please don't mistake villainy for evil." That's an.. interesting quote re:Simon.

- Simon's way of protecting toby from the impending threat is "well maybe you turn into a tree for a few centuries but like. You're safe, right? Why are you mad?"

- The Luidaeg: *is straight up dead*

Toby: hey tybalt remember that time in book 2 when I Resurrected the Dead

Tybalt: yeah, it was fucking terrifying and I didnt speak to you for 6 months

Toby: *finger guns* guess whaaaaaat

-The Luidaeg: *says just. A bunch of Lore*

Toby: Luidaeg dont you dare drop that cryptic shit on me then pass out

Luidaeg: nap time

-"If you so much as whisper the first word of a transformation spell, I'll have your larynx in my hand before the second word can form." DAMN, Tybalt.

-Simon: I am VERY sorry for my bullshit earlier. I can't tell you who my employer is, but I CAN give you this BOUQUET of ICE COLD ROSES. Ice cold, like winter. Winter Roses, if you will. Yeah. Uh have a nice life, bye!

Everyone: well this sure is a mystery

-Simon is definitely a morally grey character. Has done really awful shit, is built up as a major villain... but turns out he had relatively little control over his actions. He does the wrong thing a lot but it's usually not for a truly evil end? If the context is to be believed he got stuck in the geas contract with Unnamed Employer to save his daughter, which explains the bad shit he did that we know of. Which then inadvertently kicked off like the whole series. He seems to genuinely care about Toby in a warped way? It would be so easy to write him off as an evil stepdad or whatever and there's plenty of canon to support that stance (she's an illegitimate CHANGELING child) but he seems like he wants to just be her dad. I hope we explore his character more, is what I'm saying.

-And not to keep rambling about it but Toby is an established unreliable narrator and a horrible (initial) judge of character. So it's not like this is an asspull or off base at all.

Twist of the fucking century here.

-You know... the character who set off the events of the series? The character who was murdered in book 1 and bound October to a geas forcing her to find the culprit or die? Evening fucking Winterrose?

-There were hints, most very subtle unlike the other big twists, but probably the biggest one is SHE NEVER SHOWS UP AS A NIGHT HAUNT. And they're in the story quite a bit, and they ALWAYS feature killed off characters. Except Evening.

-My favorite hints were the ones just piled in book 1. Comments like "no one knows who Evening really is" said with zero self awareness. Because we are actually about to find out who she is... 7 goddamn books later.

-dead meme but "surprise, bitch. Bet you thought you saw the last of me."

-God she's so awful lol

-Toby thinking Quentin died then calling him THE SON SHE NEVER HAD is a BIG OOF right to the HEART. ;-;

-The book also points out that The Luidaeg through the series has ALWAYS referred to Evening in present tense. Even though she "died" in book 1.

-The Luidaeg ALSO never refers to her as Evening. It's always "The Winterrose". You know, a title. Which we have heavily emphasized is something the Firstborn use in place of their true names.

*jazz hands* Surprise!

-We also (finally) have a canon explanation for the... rather remarkable coincidence that Quentin, the fucking Crown Prince (from TORONTO), is in San Francisco at all. It was always weird he got sent to Shadowed Hills, and it's been commented on multiple times... Evening arranged it, of course! For reasons we don't quite know. But as the Daoine Sidhe Firstborn, her descendants couldn't exactly say no. Even though they didn't know who she really was.

-We really are falling all over Firstborn in this series? It sure is.. an odd coincidence, huh?

We got:

The Luidaeg: Roane/Selkie

Amandine: Dochas Sidhe

Acacia: Blodynbryd

Evening: Daoine Sidhe

Blind Michael: ... uh actually I don't think we ever learn what race he's Firstborn of. All his "children" are kidnapping victims forcibly twisted into monsters. Well, except for Luna, but we only know the Blodynbryd side.

But it's weird that for being so rare that we've run into 5 of them in 8 books. There's gotta be a reason for it.. but what?

-Luna starts the series as Toby's Surrogate Mom and is now just straight up an enemy huh

-I made this observation in my book 1 notes, but I find it very interesting that all of Toby's initial friends and allies... aren't by this point. Whereas her current allies are either former enemies or people she initially disliked or distrusted.

Starter allies: Sylvester? Was lying to her the whole time. Luna? Pretty much tried to sacrifice her (+above). Evening? Uhh this whole damn book. Devin? Tried to kill her for personal gain. Lily/Connor? Both killed off for real.

Current allies: Tybalt? Literal former enemy turned lover. Quentin? Kind of a snotty, vaguely racist kid she whips into shape. The Luidaeg? Extremely powerful witch who Toby assumes is True Neutral and wouldn't hesitate to kill her. May? Literal personal walking death omen.

It's just a cool reversal. There's so much really excellent character development in this series and I love it.

-Simon still is a pretty major bastard but.. less outright mustache twirling evil than we were led to believe up to this book. You learn his Backstory and while it really doesn't justify his actions it does...explain them.

-Blink and you miss it Lore: August is missing because she entered a contract with the Luidaeg. She's holding the candle from book 3 :)))

I'm starting to realize I stan The Luidaeg so hard I just have to take a picture every time she shows up and does stuff lmfao. (Best character).

-But... nothing like your inconceivably ancient and powerful aunt suddenly owing you a life debt, I guess???

-Toby. You know, just an ordinary weak changeling who has somehow managed to KILL A FIRSTBORN and RAISE THE DEAD. yikes.

I'm just putting this here cause it's funny as shit. Tybalt really is just... a cat

This book: I heard you like distressing Luidaeg lore??

Me: oh thanks I don't need to feel things

-God Evening is awful. Like, if you didn't know that already, see above.

-It says something about The Luidaeg that despite all that shit their Firstborn did to her she ends up becoming such good friends with Quentin, a Daoine Sidhe?

-BIG LORE with The Luidaeg talking to Maeve??? And Maeve "responding" kind of? This series damn well better explore what the fuck happened to those three it's been built up all series

-Omg the showdown with Evening and The Luidaeg. And Toby managing to break free and realize she deserves so much more than Evening-- all without magic. And Simon showing up for a last minute redemption trying to hit Evening with elf shot? I mean he gets shot in the process, but...

-We now have like, 3 or 4 characters just... asleep indefinitely thanks to elf shot. that's gonna be a Thing isnt it. Rayseline, Evening, Simon, Arden's brother...

WE DID IT BOYS

-This is the last full one I've already read. Most of my reactions in 9-12 are gonna be new. So.

#long post #i mean it's under a cut.. but

[pellicano-sanguino]

Random thoughts while watching...  OSK Revue?

I finally saw my first OSK Revue show (Dracula, 2017), so thought I'd write about it. This is not a proper review, just a bunch of random thoughts. I will be making a lot of comparisons to Takarazuka in this, and please understand that I do not mean to imply that OSK is just a zuka copycat, I simply wanted to compare the two and see what they have in common and what not (also, all opinions are about this production and these actresses only, I'd need to see more shows to form a proper, better educated opinion on OSK's style as a whole.).

First impression was a surprise at how small the production is. I knew OSK isn't as big as zuka, but still, the theater's stage was very small and there were only about ten actresses, many of them pulling several roles, I think. I felt like I was watching a Bow Hall show cut in half both by stage length and actress numbers. Having a small number of actresses causes there to be some slower, quieter scenes, where a character monologues for a while so that everyone else has time to do the costume change.

Even so, it still felt very similar to zuka. Despite the small stage, they do dance, including a post-show minirevue that includes the main otokoyakus dancing in pretty, sparkly tailcoats and a duet dance with the main leads. The makeup is similar but there's some small differences that I'm not expert enough to point out (don't know anything about makeup). There are some stylistic differences in zuka makeup too, so it felt like I was watching a sixth zuka troupe and this was their troupe's personal style.

Minirevue dancing (and look, some parade feathers. Small feathers but feathers none the less.)

Otokoyaku still sing like otokoyaku and musumeyakus sound just like zuka musumes. I liked the leading otokoyaku's voice, it was pleasant to listen. Though she has to do a lot of angry angsting throughtout the musical, which is occasionally bad for her voice, making it sound like she has a bit of a sore throat. The songs were ok, nothing particularly memorable or catchy. A lot of the music is rather simple, like piano music and such.

I admit, when I was putting the disk in the DVD player, I was chanting in my head ”Please follow the book at least barely, please don't be weird and rewrite the story wildly.” Well, no such luck, this isn't a book faithful adaptation. Which unfortunately leads to me not having a clue what the hell is going on most of Act 1. But I am happy that it's not a comedy or a super weird adaptation.

I have to say that seeing a completely serious take on a vampire musical is a breath of fresh air and something I wish zuka could do. Don't get me wrong, I love the lighthearted vampire shows like Seal of Roses (which maybe didn't aim for lighthearted but kinda accidentally became one). Zuka always makes the vampire stories, well...  kinda weird (I've already ranted about the randomness, plot holes and inconsistent vampire lore in my Random Thoughts While Watching Zuka #4). I appreciate them thinking outside the box and surprising me instead of recycling the most generic vampire story plots and tropes, but as a vampire lover I would die for vampire show that actually takes itself seriously. I suppose the Poe Family show is a serious take on the subject (no comedic parts or weird story elements), but that is probably thanks to the source material. Zuka can do cool&dark, they've done Elisabeth, so if they wanted they could make truly awesome vampire shows.

While I said that this is a serious take on a vampire story, there's still a short comedic song number in the beginning of Act 1, where a bunch of reporters try to interview Dracula after his arrival at London, only to have him scream NO COMMENTS at them.

This show uses sound and screen effects a lot. Most of the time they make sense (like hearing the sound of a train in the station) but there are moments where I hear a random noise or see strange images projected on the screens and go ”What the hell was that?”

There are only three big roles in this show: Dracula, Mina and Jonathan Harker. There's also this one lady in black who I suspect to be the spirit of Dracula's dead wife, who he grieves and longs for all the time. So yeah, the beginning of Act 2 reveals to us that this show has taken inspiration from Coppola's Dracula and lifts the vampire's origin from the movie. He was a warlord in medieval times (which means he's dressed in armor and has a sword YES me likey) and somehow a false letter was brought to his wife claiming that he had fallen in battle, which led to her committing suicide. When human Drac got home to discover his wife dead, he was devastated and broken, that is, until he hears that the church refuses to bury his wife because suiciders are sinners who go to hell. There's a literal DUN DUN DUUUUN sound effect as the count builds up rage, then curses God and allows the forces of evil to corrupt his body in order to revenge. He then proceeds to kill all of the priests/monks/whatever the church folks were supposed to be.

This slaughter of innocent unarmed humans would be brutal and super dramatic, but the fight choreography leaves...  much to improve. Yeah, zuka battle choreos can look like they're from the 60's Batman too, with punches that miss by a mile, but here...  the stabs are so lazy it looks like the poor victims are literally walking into his sword.

If Heaven won't accept

my suicided wife

I'll follow her to Hell!

(...and lick her knife.)

Not gonna lie, this is something I haven't seen zuka do. Sure, they've implied licking things, but it's always done quite swiftly and * elegantly * and not, well, like this. Tongue out and all, literally licking the knife prop.

I was curious to see if the kisses are still fake or not, since OSK is free to have their own traditions and don't have to follow rules set by Hankyu. Also, I keep hearing rumors that OSK is supposedly more daring than zuka when it comes to love scenes. Not in this show, at least. The romantic scenes are very chaste and more cute than sexy (also, the blood drinking scene, while definitely romanticized and very nice&dramatic, not any hotter than the blood drinking scenes in zuka). And the kisses are very much fake. Oh well, the actresses are spared of messing up their lipstick.

Speaking of messing up lipstick, I know that stain is supposed to be blood but it looks like a group of amorous ladies gave the count several sloppy kisses.

So, my guess for the plot is that Dracula comes to London in search for the woman who is the reincarnation of his wife. To lure women for him to see, he puts up...   a fashion show or something? Dresses are on display, including dead wife's wedding dress. Which Mina gets to wear, and Dracula is immediately convinced she's the incarnation and for the rest of the musical never calls Mina by her real name, just by the wife's name. Which is...  Elisabeth. I don't remember what the wife's name was in Coppola's movie, but still, the dramatic way Dracula pronounces this name does make it sound like it was lifted from another musical.

In Act 2 Jonathan, on his way to rescue his girlfriend from the vampire's castle, meets an annoying little kid. And yeah, just like in zuka, there are no child actors in OSK, children are played by adult women using cutesy kiddie voice and being super genki. But then the kid finds the knife that Elisabeth used to suicide herself and turns to face the audience while holding it, and I was like ”Great. The annoying kid has turned into a creepy kid.” If the child had turned out to be a vampire and in team Drac all along, that would have been an awesome plot twist. But instead he's actually an angel or something like that, providing Jonathan with the weapon that can kill the vampire.

Dracula has a bunch of vampiric minions at his castle, not just the three brides. I have to ask, what is it with vampire shows having one main vampire who behaves normally and then having a bunch of background vampires/minions who speak/sing like they're high as a kite and lumber around dancing artsy inteeeerpretive dances? It's...   weird. Why are some vampires normal and some complete fruitbats?

This Dracula must be the angstiest version of the character I've ever seen. There's occasionally great moments where he's charismatic, seductive or in rage mode, but the majority of time he is either silently depressed or actively whining (even many of his angry scenes come out as more whiny than aggressive). It's a very dialogue heavy show and because of the language barrier and free adapting of the story, I have no idea what his angsty dialogues are about. But whatever he says, he actually manages to win Mina's sympathy and they dance together. Even if they kiss, I still think Mina's feelings are more pity and less sincere romantic interest. Also, I should point out that I have nothing against depressed, angsty, reluctant vampires in general, it's just that I don't usually associate that kind of behavior with Dracula (depression and angst is more sir Francis Varney's thing.). Dracula is cold, ruthless, cunning and irredeemably evil, not some emotional lovelorn wreck.

I have said this before and will say again: Dracula does not aishiteiru.

Jonathan makes an attempt to save Mina but doesn't get to kill the count. Which is good because while the Jonathan of the book would definitely want and be able to fight the count, this musical portrayed the character as a cute and awkward softie nerd (I approve, not all male heroes need to be tough guys) and avoiding getting his hands wet with blood was a good move. Poor guy would be traumatized for life, even if it would be to save his girlfriend, he's just not a killer. Instead, Dracula decides to let the lovers go free and suicides himself, like he usually does in adaptations where they make him have a romance with Mina.

You know how in zuka there's the tradition that in the end the dead characters make an appearance dressed in white, to sing and prance around in an afterlife epilogue. Well, not in this show, but there is something kinda similar. In the ending scene the spirit of Elisabeth appears behind the dying count and poses dramatically with him, spreading her cape like white bat wings, taking him with her to afterlife. I think it looks cool.

To end this, let's talk about the blood drinking scene. In all vampire stories, these are the most important scenes, in my opinion. Blood drinking is what vampires do, it's their trademark thing, and if you chicken out of showing it or handle it lazily, then why the hell are you making a vampire story in the first place. You don't make Phantom of the Opera adaptation and fail to have the unmasking scene be the most dramatic and memorable scene, and similarly, you don't make a vampire story and fail to deliver the blood drinking scenes properly. Yes, I have weirdly strong opinions about this, deal with it.

Very early in Act 1 we see Dracula suffer from malnutrition, his hair turning gray and his knees failing, making him slump to the ground, very visibly suffering. For emergency he empties a small vial of blood that doesn't seem to make him get any better. And it is this moment when Jonathan decides to visit him for the first time for work-related reasons (no idea what his profession is in this story. In the fashion industry?). So, we have a thirsty vampire and a nice, cute bloodbag in the same room all alone.

Me: Drink him!

Dracula: Nope. I'd rather suffer. :)

What the hell? In the book he totally noms Jonathan. Is this because he's a male? This Dracula afraid to drink from someone who has icky boy blood? Oh well, he gets better later anyway, so I assume he gets some blood off-stage. But still, it was very confusing to see a starving vampire not take advantage of an opportunity of some easy blood.

Well, later Dracula is introduced to Mina and immediately decides ”This is the One.” And I cheer him on.

Me: Drink her!

Dracula: No. Now is not a good time. :)

Me: Damnit! DRINK SOMEBODY!!!

We have to wait all the way to the end of Act 1, but finally, we get a genuine on-screen blood drinking scene. Just as important as the moment of blood drinking itself is what leads up to it. In this musical it's Jonathan piecing together all the clues and finally getting Dracula's real identity (in a rather nerdy monologue of stuff like ”...Dracul means Dragon, and the A at the end makes it Son of the Dragon...   wasn't there a warlord named like that in Romania hundreds of years ago...”).

Nerdsplaining time!

Terrified with his discovery he tries to save Mina, who Dracula has just kidnapped, spilling the beans for her as well. The revelation of Dracula's vampiric nature scares the two humans and there's plenty of dialogue that goes over my horizon, but I do get that the thing that makes Dracula snap is when Mina confesses to loving Jonathan.

The jealous vampire then starts to torture Jonathan by...   some kind of Darth Vader mind-choking magic. Well, I suppose it's choking, because Jonathan holds his hands around his throat as if struggling against invisible fingers, but the sound effect doesn't suggest choking at all. It actually sounds much more gruesome and painful, a nasty ripping sound, as if the count is telekineticly tearing the poor man limb from limb and simultaneously flaying him alive. Eww, it's a gross sound effect.

Mina obviously can't idly just watch as her boyfriend is painfully tortured to death while she has the power to put an end to it. To save Jonathan, she loudly exclaims that she doesn't love him. And the count, being a little bit of an idiot here, buys it. Strangely, Jonathan seems to buy it too, crying Mina's name in disbelief. The torture ends (thank goodness), and to make sure no harm comes to Jonathan, Mina tells Dracula that if you're really a vampire and if it's blood you want, you can have mine!

Just let me gather this bothersome veil...

...and Behold! Vampire bait.

She dramaticly pulls the veil of the wedding dress on one shoulder and reveals her neck. I love this. And so does Dracula. This is the one moment where his eyes actually light up with passion and while he attempts to stay cool, you can see his chest rise as his breathing gets faster with excitement. Darn right, count. Blood offered by free will is the best stuff there is. And it was about time you finally drank someone.

It's always interesting when humans offer their blood to the vampire out of free will, because there's usually good and complex reasons behind it, and this is no exception. Mina doesn't offer her blood out of sympathy or under the influence of vampiric hypnosis or even being seduced by the pretty blood drinker. It's offered by free will but it's very much not concensual. The offer of blood is the only way she can distract the vampire long enough to let Jonathan escape and get help. By playing along with the count's delusions about Mina being the reincarnation of his wife, she is cleverly buying time, manipulating him. Only, unfortunate for these two, there is no van Helsing or any other member of the book's league of merry vampirehunting men in this show for Jonathan to run to, so all he can do is to follow them to the castle and attempt a lone rescue mission (which fails).

Frankly, the one who eventually defeats Dracula (kinda) is Mina, who manages to win the count's sympathy (making him learn the good old ”if you really love someone, you'll want what's best for them and let them go instead of selfishly trying to force them to stay with you”). And this blood drinking scene is the first time we see that she is aware of the power she has over the vampire. Maybe in the end she didn't exactly intend to make him commit suicide, just trying to make him let them go, but old Drac was living a horribly depressed and angsty unlife anyway, so it doesn't surprise me that he decided to end it. That's why the (kinda). Mina has great influence over Dracula but I do think his decision to die a final death seems to be not a result of manipulation but a genuine decision. Though he still technically makes her do it, by forcibly placing the knife in her hands and then grabbing her wrists, stabbing himself, making her involuntarily deal the killing blow. Kinda dick move (Mina is quite horrified of this, understandably), but at least I'm happy Mina doesn't kill herself too in this one (yes, I'm still angry at that ending in 2011 Wao Youka's Dracula. The count kills himself so Mina can go back to being human and back to Jonathan. And then the dumb woman makes the count's sacrifice completely pointless by throwing away the life he attempted to save.) Dracula ends his unlife but Mina and Jonathan return to the world of the living, where they belong.

Final random thought: Knightly warlord Dracula looks a bit like Lancelot’s long lost, dangerously unhinged brother. (it’s the wig and the silver armor with blue details. The actresses are very different.)

#osk revue #dracula #random thoughts while watching osk

[renegadesrpg]

Dark Angels: Creation. Part 41: Witch hunter; Hunter Witch Part 1. Adrian and Bryn

Adrian: *Sean throws Bryn a sharp look, his own troubles momentarily forgotten as he turns from worried male back into Sin’s reaper first lieutenant, but Zav shakes his head at him and then jerks it towards the ancient church. His deep, rich mental voice tags my brain as he silently speaks to all of us. ‘Let them work it out Sean. Even as a human Bryn could handle any witch ever born. As a reaper it should be like shooting fish in a barrel for her. We’ll go out to her workshop so I can teach you what you need to know. She’ll call us if she needs us.’ Sourly, I frown at him and ‘path’ back ‘Thanks for throwing me to the wolf here Zav.’ He just throws his head back and laughs as he mists away. Sean gives a mental chuckle, which I am actually kind of glad to hear, given where he’s at in his head right now, and sends out some soothing vibes as he adds his two cents. ‘Don’t worry, she hardly ever bites. Unless you ask her to. And even then she has to REALLY be into you.’ ‘Ha, ha, very funny,’ I answer back as he demats out right behind Zav. With a sigh I look at her dubiously.*

Why is it always me you snag for these crazy ideas? I’m a soldier, not a hunter. Give me a battlefield and I’m your guy, but hunting’s a different kind of fight. Sean’s better as a hunter, or even Zav.

Bryn: *Hands on my hips, narrowing my eyes and tossing my shaggy black hair back as I narrow my eyes*

Think of it as guerilla warfare. Even you’ve learned that forming ranks isn’t always the best option. *Huffing* And besides, it’s /not/ always you. Usually it’s Zav. But he’s busy and I don’t think he can help me with this anyway. You’ve got something special and I need it.

Adrian: Fine. What do we do first?

Bryn: First? Strip.

Adrian: *My eyebrows raise in outrage.* What do you mean, “strip”? I’m not taking my clothes off for you!

Bryn: *Snorting a laugh* Oh, relax, lover-boy, your virginity’s safe with me. I need to look for an anti-witch mark. I think you’re somehow invisible to the witch. We’ve been working in pairs, with another reaper, since this began. The only attacks that have occurred have been when you were the only reaper paired with another. I’d say that whoever is in charge of spying on us can’t see you. So drop your pants, at least down to your boxer briefs.

Adrian: I’m not a virgin, for Creator’s sake! *Jesus, women!* And I don’t wear boxers, briefs, or any combination of that under leathers. Just a jock strap.

Bryn: So much the better. If I need to see the full package, I’ll let you know.*Smirking, Now drop the pants and ditch the shirt.

Adrian: Fine, *I snap* But I’m not doing this down here. Sin and Declan could mist in at any second. My room will do.

*Without waiting I dematerialize upstairs to the room I took as my own for the duration. A quick glance around assures me it’s in shape just as Bryn’s black mist reforms in the doorway.*

Bryn: *I just knew he was going to be a pain about this. He’s always been more standoffish than Sean and Zav. With a sigh I mist up to the doorway to his room. Once my form has re-manifested I take a careful look around. The place looks like a military barracks. You could bounce a dime off of that bed. There are no personal items, no keepsakes. The only things that hang on the walls are his sword and dagger, tools of his trade, I guess.*

Well, you live up to the billing. *stepping inside* This place is certainly Spartan.

Adrian: *I give her something between a smirk and a frown… I never know how the hell to respond to Bryn. I’d had more contact with her since we started this rebellion in the ranks than I’d had since Zav recruited her and still I was awkward as crap around her. But then, I’d never been good with women. Even my human wife had given me a wide berth after fulfilling her duties as a Spartan wife, which had suited me just fine. Normally I treated female reapers the same way I treat male ones -- like I would have a lower ranked soldier when I was human -- with respect, but also with the expectation they’d keep the appropriate distance from a higher ranking officer. But by rank Bryn was my peer and in terms of power, hells, she could probably put me down by raising her eyebrow if she got pissed. I don’t know what one of those fireballs of hers could do to a reaper, but I didn’t want to give her an excuse to use me to find out. Finally, stalling, I ask,*

So what would this mark look like? After all this time I think I’d know if I had one.

Bryn: It could look like a birthmark, a mole… a weird configuration of freckles. Or it might not be visible to the naked eye at all. Whoever put it on you had talent, power, and imagination. I strongly suspect your grandmother. Even though it was before my time and well away from my country of origin, I’ve studied the lore and I’ve done some time... we’ll call it internships… with magical mortals and immortals during my leaves from the corps. *At his skeptical look I add,* What, you think I just take off for a few weeks and amuse myself with boy-toys? Give me a break. Men are more trouble than they’re worth. I learned that lesson early on as a reaper. Now lose the clothes.

Adrian: *This time I don’t have to think about how to react. A dark frown crosses my face as I let my clothes disappear, at least down to my jock. My skin heats as she starts to circle me and looks at me appraisingly*

I feel like a stud being examined before he services a mare, *I grumble.*

Why would you think my grandmother would do that?

Bryn: *Clinically, I look over every exposed inch. His skin has that tan that modern human women give themselves skin cancer trying to achieve and it ripples over a well-defined six-pack. The black back straps of the supporter grip well-developed glutes and the front… well, let’s just say I bet he had to specially design this particular bit of apparel. The pouch covers the necessities –barely- but even with its larger than normal proportions there’s quite obviously no room for any kind of protective cup. There’s barely room for him. Apparently Apollo’s genetics ran true through his descendants. But there are no marks on him that I can see. No freckles, no birthmarks, nothing. Just wide expanses of smooth, golden skin.*

The first Oracle of Delphi was mad strong magically and notably protective of her descendants. Oh, she had to let them choose their paths from the Fates’ choices, but she did what she could to protect them from harm from god’s and other magical entities... I’m not seeing anything…. Is the form you manifest as a reaper identical to the one you had as a human?

Adrian: *Nodding* It’s exactly as I was before I died. Does this mean I have to lose the supporter, too? I mean, why would my grandmother have put the mark on my, uh, private parts?

Bryn: Maybe because no one but someone you trust would ever see it. But don’t ditch the jock yet. There’s another possibility. She could have branded it soul deep the way Freya did the Inguz on Sin. I’ve never seen Sin naked, but I’m betting it doesn’t show itself unless invoked. It probably flairs if the Horseman tries to reach him through their link. If we left the wards and the witch is scrying for us then it would probably show itself.

Adrian: I am /NOT/ going outside this room like this, let alone outside the wards!

Bryn: Chill!

*Ok, I’m getting impatient with this modesty thing…*

We can mist to some place remote. If I’m right, the witch won’t see you, just me. You can manifest, let me take a gander, and then hide and get fully dressed, including weapons, until they send someone. We’re a match for the Horseman’s bully boys. We just need one alive when it’s over. I’ll force mental rapport and find out what they know before we stuff them in a Dybbuk box. We’ll know all he or she knows. If it’s demons we might have to get more creative. And if I’m wrong and they see us both, then we just have to kill them and try something else.

Adrian: *Snorting* You make it sound so easy. As they keep losing grunts, they might suspect we’re dispatching them too easily and send more than a couple this time.

Bryn: So?

*Hands on my hips, challengingly. A little conflict is getting him past his embarrassment and, hey, I’m always up for an argument in a good cause.*

You held off 10,000 men with a group of 300 at a mountain pass in Greece. You afraid of a few reapers? Where’s that Spartan attitude?

Adrian: We all DIED, in case you forgot. And no, I’m not afraid. I just want to be sure we aren’t “ambushed” with overwhelming force. They have to realize by now that the ones they have sent out aren’t coming back and that we /are/ still coming up on their radar. They haven’t called demons back in since the initial attack, but if they still could.

Bryn: *it’s a good point, I have to admit.*

But I can’t see the Horseman asking Lucifer for help easily. It shows that he’s weak. Sean took out DeAndre and that has to rankle, IF he knows about it. There’s no guarantee of that. The Horseman tends to let his “underlings” run things for him. If he didn’t, we wouldn’t have been able to position ourselves as well as we have. But if someone has slid into the power vacuum created when DeAndre and his crew didn’t return they don’t want the Horseman to know they’ve failed to contain us or even to take a civilian important to us. *Thinking out loud now.* In fact, I bet the Horseman isn’t aware of any of this. Not that he’s above rape and murder, but it’s not the smart move right now. Trying to take us out before he’s ready to make HIS big move isn’t any smarter than it would be for us to go on small random offensives just before we make OURS. It's in his best interest to keep us unsuspecting until he’s ready to take out all of the holdovers from Sin’s era and that he’s not quite there yet. New leadership is probably keeping him in the dark as much as they can. The reaper souls haven’t left a mortal plane yet, just been stashed in Dybbuk boxes for safekeeping, so the Horseman wouldn’t feel them gone. Lucifer might be missing the random demons that attacked you and Sean, but if they were low level cannon fodder, I doubt it. No, it’s the witch that will be more of a challenge than we’ve seen before. I can only think of three witches besides myself that could manage this kind of thing solo and I don’t like to think any of them would be in the service of Lucifer.

Adrian: *My embarrassment is gone. Bryn’s pretty much all business at the moment. She’s not above teasing any of us when the moment is right but she gets this isn’t the moment. And that makes it easy for me to focus on the task at hand as well.*

What makes you say that? And why not any of those three witches?

Bryn: It’s a massive operation to set up magical 24/7 surveillance on several beings who simply wink in and out of any location on the mortal plane and that’s how it would look, like a blip on a very big map. Scrying is usually done on a small scale for one physical being in a suspected general location. To see one of us popping up anywhere in the world, and doing it seemingly from nowhere, because with us behind wards that’s how it would appear, requires more than physical observation. It requires something that mentally tags the practitioner so they can catch it. Add to that our physical appearances are simply manifestations of our souls, and it means it has to be someone with enough juice to track a soul, not just a body. *Sighing, now, because the answer to the second question is harder.*

As for why those three? Well, two of them are my sisters. They died in the battle before my last one and I always assumed their souls had moved on to new lives, probably multiple times by now. Something would have had to go very, very wrong in one of those lives for either of them to end up pledged to Lucifer. As for the third… he’s very, very strong, and he very manipulative. And…*hesitating* we have history. Of all the human “boy toys” you guys have teased me about taking for a spin as a reaper, he’s the only one that I actually did.

Adrian: *If my jaw could hit the ground, it would have. Bryn’s as tough and pragmatic as they come and she’s always avoided emotional entanglements of any kind. Someone that could get past that tough exterior was either very special or very devious. A thousand questions run through my head.*

What do you mean “took for a spin”? Was this a short term fling or something more? Just how powerful was he? Enough to pose a problem for you?

Bryn: *If looks could kill a reaper, Adrian would be headed for the Long Sleep right now.*

We were involved for 20 mortal years, so maybe you’d call that a short term fling in a reaper’s gauge of time, but for that 20 years I thought I’d found what Sean and Zav have. I wasn’t sure how it would go when his time as a mortal passed, but I thought perhaps he could be recruited to become one of us. I had only been a reaper a few hundred years. I wasn’t aware of all the vetting Sin put in before he took one of us on even just as an ordinary reaper. Emrys would never have made the cut. He wasn’t entirely mortal for one thing. And he had an overpowering ambition for power that I didn’t realize until we’d been together most of that 20 years.

Adrian: “Not entirely mortal?” What does /that/ mean? Witches are mortal. Essentially just gifted humans.

Bryn: But Emrys wasn’t totally human.

*Looking away for a moment, embarrassed now at how naïve I’d been.*

Emrys’ father was a demon. His mother had been human. I’m not entirely sure, but I got the impression that his conception hadn’t been willing, and after he was born she confessed all to a priest. He convinced her the child was an abomination that had to die, but of course he wouldn’t get his hands dirty and she couldn’t bear the thought of doing it, so she swaddled the babe and left it in a sacred oak grove. Christian priests were just beginning to make inroads in Wales back then. Druidism and goddess worship were still predominant and the druids found the infant. The high priest was no fool. There was no reason an apparently healthy male child would be abandoned back then. He investigated and found the mother but she was too afraid to take the child back so he adopted him and raised him. I’d thought that upbringing had been enough to counteract his demonic heritage, and maybe his lust for power was just a normal human failing. But if it wasn’t….

Adrian: If it wasn’t, he could easily be behind this. *I finish for her.* How did you meet him? Did you teach him magick?

Bryn: He found me. Up until I moved everything here I kept my workshop in the crystal cave in Wales where I’d learned my craft all those centuries ago. It was remote and I had never had to ward it against intruders and then one day when I’m off role and working on a spell this drop dead gorgeous young guy just appears at the entrance. He said he’d been exploring. “Exploring”, my ass. *snorting* He’d felt the power as I worked the spell and had scryed to find the location. Then he just “appeared”. He said he was on a spiritual quest and just happened to find the cave. It took me 20 years to work out that he could translocate like a demon. Granted, I wasn’t with him all the time, but every leave I got, I spent with him and every night instead of staying with the corps I decamped to his bed. *Shaking my head,* I was so blind to what he really was.

Adrian: *She’d deny it, but you didn’t have to have Sean’s gift to feel the pain in her voice. This asshole hurt a woman I called sister, and now I want to deal out some pain to him. Didn’t matter if he was already dead. A reaper can get to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

So what happened?

Bryn: A baby was born in Cornwall. A dragon, a comet with a flame red tail, filled the sky that night. *My eyes grow distant as I remember.* He was almost manic with excitement. He said he’d seen it, that it portended the birth of king who would unite all of the kingdoms under one rule, but that he needed to be there. It was only with his power that it could happen. By that time the Rome I’d fought against had long since left Britain. Vikings ravaged the coasts at will, and for a time, they’d succeeded in establishing a foothold on a large part of the island. When grown, this new king, according to him, would see the Vikings gone and Britain ruled by Britains.

*Sighing wearily as I drop down to sit on Adrian’s bed*

What he didn’t say was it wasn’t about uniting the kingdoms. It was about being the power behind the throne. There was nothing altruistic in this. He saw the future and wanted more power. He already had magick…. More than anyone else I’d ever seen and I’d taught him how to use it. Now he wanted a different kind of power. And he wanted me to help him. As a reaper I could take out anyone that stood in his way, make sure he had access to the child. As a witch I could combine my power with his and create a world that was his to command. I was appalled.

We had a fight, a huge one, and it all came out. He never loved me. He’d used my body the way he wanted to use my power – to bind me to him. If I’d had none, if I’d even just been a mortal witch, he wouldn’t have looked at me twice. I cast him from my cave and warded it against him so thoroughly that he had no hope of ever gaining entrance again and then I turned my back on him. He followed through and I guess it worked for a time. But in the end other mortal weaknesses caused the death of this savior of Britain and the kingdom fell. Emrys died, walled away in his own cave by his fallen king’s enemies, led by a witch with some significant power of her own. Zav reaped his soul. I never asked what happened to it. Being half demon it could very well have ended up at Lucifer’s disposal.

Adrian: *I cross to the bed and sit down beside her. Ignoring my nearly naked status, I put my arm around her shoulder and pull her against my side. It says something about how devastating this was to her that she actually allows it. As I look down, I can see a sheen of tears she refuses to shed gleaming in her eyes.*

So if it is this asshole, can I kill him?

Bryn: *A strangled laugh escapes me. Damn, Adrian is such a rock. Unshakeable and steady. And just what I needed. Not too much sympathy, just enough and the understanding that revenge is best served cold.*

Well one of us has to.

Adrian: And, *raising an eyebrow – damn, has Sin taught all of us that?* And if it’s one of your sisters?

Bryn: *Inhaling and pulling away from his side to sit upright as his arm falls away.*

If it’s one of my sisters, it’s on me. I’ll need to know what twisted them up so much that they went that way and then I’ll deal with them. But I’m hoping it’s a coalition of lesser witches. A group of three with some skill could also pull this operation off. But first we have to get to them. And to do that we need to interrogate a bad guy.

So. *clapping my hands on my thighs, and then standing, forcing the bravado back into my voice* Are you ready to go, studly?

Adrian: *Suddenly, I’m very conscious of my near naked state once again. It’s a more normal Bryn comment, and I’m glad to see her coming back to herself, but still, “studly” is a going a step too far. Face flaming, I blurt* Don’t call me that. And just /where/ are we going?

Bryn: Outside my crystal cave in Wales. It’s remote even by today’s standards, and it has plenty of trees for you to conceal yourself behind so we can get a drop on whoever comes. Plus, if you’re concerned about them sending greater numbers than they have previously come to pass, we can retreat into the cave and I can slam down wards they won’t get through. Oh, don’t look at me like that, *Seeing the dubious look on his face.* We’ll stay in the half world until you can reassure yourself there’s no one around to see you in all your semi-naked glory. But be aware if I don’t see a mark flare, you’ll be naked pretty quick so I can make sure grandma didn’t tat you in an even more concealed place. Once it does you can get dressed. And armed.

Adrian: *The sword from the wall materializes in my hand. Though I’d come to prefer the medieval longsword, for fighting naked a Spartan sword was a more appropriate length for potentially naked fighting.*

I’m going in armed. As a mortal I didn’t fight in much more than this.

Bryn: *Frowning* Then why all the “I’m not going to be naked” crap if you fought mostly naked as a human?

Adrian: Because I’m /not/ human anymore and leathers provide a little more protection. Plus you’re a girl. I didn’t /fight/ girls in battle. Now are we going or not?

Bryn: Don’t think of me as a girl. Think of me as a harpy. Vicious and lethal. It might help. Follow me. *with a thought I dematerialized into the fine black mist of the reaper and disappeared.*

Adrian: *Snorting*

Women. *following her lead, I dematerialize into the half-world and follow her to Wales.*

#TBC

#WitchHunterHunterWitchPart1 #DarkAngelsCreationPart41 #Renegades #RRPG #BDB #AU #Reapers #Angels #Vampires #Witches #Ghosts

[elizabethrobertajones]

So I'm rewatching s4 right now and I am a bit confused now. We learned in s12 that Lucifer created the princes of hell after Lilith. So the hirachy is basically this: Black eyed demons as the food soldiers red eyed demons who handle the crossroadsdeals, yellow eyed demons as the generals of hell and then Lilith? white eyed demons. Now Alistair is a white eyed demon too and he knew some crazy stuff like exorcisms for amgels. So how does this all fit in Ivm so confused.

I think the answer is that they’ve been winging it the entire time with lore - I think the early seasons changes to lore also made little holes because I remember finding some of the early big changes like Lilith or Alastair showing up, or Azazel’s plan being retconned into being all about finding one kid instead of raising an army (or, of course, the boy king plot disappearing into being just confused demon rumours which kind of makes it all work once you know Lucifer better, like, say, after 5x04 or 5x10…) or or or wtf was Meg up to and was she and that other demon REALLY Azazel’s children or was that an exaggeration, and how much of his plan did she KNOW and -

(And also wtf is a King of the Crossroads and was he or Lilith in charge of the deals and were they really lovers or was that a weird embellishment from Becky, and how comes he got the Colt THEN but did Lilith even really hold the deal or was it just assumed Crowley would give it to her but it doesn’t matter because he didn’t EXIST for two more seasons and all the time the crossroads demons obliquely mention their boss it’s probably supposed to be Lilith in season 3 and now you’d think it’s Crowley if you watched the show backwards…)

Yeah, I’ve been struggling with this since like, season 3, so at this point they could just be like “and here’s a whole bunch of peers from the Demon House of Lords” and I’ll be like okay then I guess that’s a thing what sort of nonsense are they getting up to then?

(And yeah I know there’s answers to most of those questions and ways to rationalise them or later context that makes it all make sense and as the years have gone by I’m now at peace with all these weird changes to canon like the fact Sam’s powers were basically just a silly side effect of being groomed to be Lucifer’s vessel or Crowley somehow accidentally-deliberately ended up ruling Hell because literally no demon no matter how late they were retconned into the story, felt like bothering with it even if they had to time travel through a closet to answer the question of why they had never tried before or retire to fish or keep bees or whatever it’ll turn out Dagon was spending her time on while avoiding getting involved in something as dramatic as the apocalypse…)

(Or maybe she or the other surviving Prince of Hell DID but behind the scenes in such a way that they were never hauled out into the Winchesters’ path, but were busy doing things like breaking seals and stuff in all the nonsense that happened way way off screen because it would be too much money to show it…)

Anyway for what it’s worth your impression of the hierarchy seems as good as any. Hell seems to produce a lot of grunts and low-quality demons. The ones with the special spark either made too much of a name for themselves and got killed (same as how Heaven now literally seems to be quiet because all named personalities with the inclination to try and rule it have been killed off, and I think Joshua is basically the only angel LEFT up there with a name and personality :P)… I think the smart demons end up in the crossroads business and the red eyes probably show their extra powers which I assume get burned into them one way or another… That department is responsible for restocking Hell faster than it would fill up naturally with the run of the mill sinners (though stuff like Jeffrey’s demon is a bit ambiguous about if he was picking up pre-booked for Hell serial killer types and just egging them on a bit to cause the most mayhem on Earth before they go to Hell, which they probably would have regardless…) and that’s a very separate division. Admin and bureaucracy, and Crowley runs Hell like a business crossed with a medieval court, a great combination of King of the Crossroads/Hell and his salesman style elevated to CEO of Hell Inc. 

I think Crowley crossed lines, anyway, by becoming King of Hell because it seems like power used to be all in the military types - Lilith led Hell into war in season 4, and Lucifer basically picked up where she left off. If you assume she’d been in charge the whole time before that as the highest ranking/oldest demon, it would make sense, although in season 3 it’s implied she’s on the rise, so it’s not like ALL the demons recognised this, although how much of that is like the angel fall and personal ego trips (but without the emotional hook from Cas to make it upsetting they’re infighting, and they are happy to be there unlike the angels) making random factions happen, idk… By season 4 anyway the leadership was clear since it was a choice between Sam and Lilith for the demons, and in season 3 early on the demons realised Sam had no intention of leading them like he was supposed to.

I think Alastair is equivalent to Crowley, running his department of Hell (the crossroads deals feed into his torture chamber) and I’m guessing since Crowley came late to the game, only in the last couple of hundred years, he had to Crowley his way up to the top of the crossroads hierarchy, but Alastair was clearly an old demon, probably turned either by Lucifer directly or by Lilith (which is why his eyes were like hers)… 

Cain seems like quite a personal thing for why Lucifer turned him, and we don’t know the timeline on if he made the princes of hell before or after, but the knights of hell are definitely lower on the order… If Cain ever fitted well into the Hell hierarchy, he’d have been in charge of the armies, while the princes would probably have been responsible for everything although all of them except Azazel retired to beekeeping/fishing lives before the story starts, meaning we never see Hell fully functioning. It’s probably been in shambles for hundreds of years - Crowley probably went to Hell ~1700 and Cain defected some time in the 1800s; if you give Crowley 100 years to become demonised, he shows up about the time we know for sure the leadership in Hell is crumbling. Colt and the Hellgates thing whatever was going on there (and what happened to Cold Oak, South Dakota, because that’s serious demon nonsense and probably concurrent) happened just two years before Cain fucked off to keep bees and probably WHILE he was massacring the Knights of Hell depending on how long that took him and when he met Colette and all the stuff that was going on with him. I’m guessing there’s an unexplored story there which maybe even the writers haven’t noticed while flinging random dates for reasons significant only to their episodes (but who knows, it IS Robbie Thompson putting the keystone in, as it were) but anyway, Hell has been in a Bad Way for at least 200 years if not many centuries. The Croatoan episode suggests they were testing the virus back in the 1500s and that never amounted to anything, which means they failed to kickstart the apocalypse five hundred years ago and who knows what damage that did to morale…

Anyway I think Hell is a mess, canon is a mess, and it’s pretty much impossible to work out what all these demons are and how they’re related because they make it up a bit each time they introduce new ones depending on what sounds cool, leading to a “just say yeah when they introduce new canon” kind of response I now have to anything about demons on this show >.>

#Asks #WHAT HAPPENED IN THE 1500s IN HELL? #AND WHAT HAPPENED IN 1880??? #things we will never know but the entire upper management literally fucked off to go fishing #so I am guessing it is something they Do Not Talk About #:p #hell #demons #my stuff

[foolsiwillshowthemall]

Alyss Whitfield’s Journal:  Into the deep dark woods

Four days on the road.

Could be much worse.  It’s been quiet, nobody trying to kill us for a change.  No further giants, or shadow creatures, or Zhentarim.  Good time to talk and get to know each other, if you’re so inclined.

Jaelyn and Ghent are having a discussion about Nazca.  Surprised that he’s actually interested in how their transformation and bonding works.  He’d never struck me as the type interesting in learning anything that didn’t involve him.  Keeping my mouth shut and listening, because they surely don’t want my input.  Far as I can tell, these elves - the Cheysuli - are as good as slaves to this nature spirit of theirs, the thing they call the Earth-mother.  So indoctrinated they can’t even think of disobeying its whims.  A witch would never stand for it.

I’ll put “The Earthmother” on the list of evils to be dealt with, but I suspect it’s far too large for all the witches in the world to deal with.  And Jaelyn would probably kill me if I even mentioned that I thought his god a great monster to be fought.  I’ll just hold my tongue and ride in silence.

Not far till Calling Horns, anyway.  Looking forward to sleeping in a proper bed again.

Spent some more time looking at Okkam’s sword.  He doesn’t seem to need it to fight at the moment, everyone’s leaving us alone.    Pouring all the knowledge I can at the thing, every half-remembered bit of lore and deduction from the shape of the spells on it.  There’s a lot of magic still bound up, not active yet, waiting to be activated.  Extra functions and powers waiting to be released.  Near as I can tell, there’s locking spells, one or more, on the remaining powers of the sword, that won’t release them till the right conditions are met.  It’s also linked to those shadow creatures somehow.  That was no coincidence, it sucking them in when he struck them.  It’s like the sword was designed to absorb and hold their essence, though for punishment, containment, or powering the sword I can’t say.

I don’t like it.  A sword’s a dangerous thing to begin with.  Sure, you can use them for good, but it’s still intrinsically an instrument for killing.  One that’s just full of evil spirits in addition is just bad news waiting to happen.  Okkam seems to be a decent and stable fellow, but I’ll be keeping an eye on him just the same.

---

Arrived at Calling Horns.  Same as I remember it from last time.  Sure, it’s not much of a town.  Few ramshackle houses, some businesses, and an inn, but it’s nice when so many seem influenced by strange evil that this place is still the same.  Headed straight to the tavern.  Met Tamalin.  She’s just the same as I remember.

Tells us that this town has a troll problem.  Occasional raiding parties, attacking travelers, stealing cows.  I let her know that if we come across any trolls, we’ll be sure to deal with them.  Okkam and the others don’t even need encouragement to go after creatures like that.  She lets me know there’s a 100gp bounty per troll head.  I noted to make sure we bring them back of any we kill.

They come from the north, she says.  North of here is a horrible swamp, where we weren’t planning to travel anyway.  We’ll deal with any we happen across, but a trip to find where they’re coming from isn’t something we have time for right now.

Had a leisurely meal there.  Some heavily armed guard-type with the town crest on his armor came in and watched us.  Can’t blame them.  A group like us comes into town, we’re going to worry the locals.  Must make sure the boys are on good behavior here, don’t want to get banned from this town too.

Okkam ordered a round to celebrate Jaelyn and Nazca’s bonding.  I’d point out to him that as near as I can tell they were bonded years ago, but I’m not one to turn down a free drink.  He seemed a bit down on the trip here.  Talked with him a bit about his dad and the sword.  Says his dad made the sword years ago, he’s watched his dad practice with it but never knew about the extra powers it seems to have.  Makes me wonder if his dad was intending to pass the sword down, and teach Okkam how to unlock the powers he’d added?  The secrets of those might have died with him.  Mysteries and mysteries.

---

Need to start working on my own improvements to things.  This ring that I’ve found has me thinking.  Ideas percolating in my head.  Dangerous things, ideas.  Have to be careful with them, pick which ones to follow and which ones to ignore.  Lately I’ve had concept for something that I could make to focus and think better.  Have to find the right materials.  This town doesn’t have them, might have to take a trip back to that horrible Waterdeep place soon.

We’re also teaching Nazca Common.  I think that just about all of us can speak Elvish, but it’ll be helpful for her to be able to talk to others without one of us here to translate.  I’ve noticed the guard they’ve posted being a bit suspicious when we’re talking all in Elvish, like they think we’re plotting something and don’t like not being able to overhear.  Be useful when we can all speak Common then, to put people at ease, and only speak Elvish when we actually are hiding something.

---

Morning in Calling Horns.  Got some useful information for the next leg of the trip.  We were getting ready to set out - nobody attacked the town or tried to kill us during the night - and I talked to Tamalin some more.  Not much going on local that concerns her, other than the trolls.  Let her know again that we’d kill any we came across, though we weren’t planning on taking any side trips to hunt them specifically.  Mentioned that we were likely headed to Noanar’s Hold next, since it was the closest to the river we’d be following into the forest.

She’d never been there herself, didn’t know anything about it, but recommended we talk to someone named Harle Ploughman outside of town.  Has a farm to the east.  I thanked her and left her a generous tip before we left.

Arrived at the farm.  Impossible to miss.  Giant plough out front, 4 oxen in a pen.  I went up to talk to him, cause nobody else wanted to.  The fellow is huge, possibly a giant himself, but seemed quite friendly  and happy to advise us.  When I mentioned Noanar’s Hold, he got a furrowed, thoughtful look on his face.  He doesn’t like the place.  Says it’s small, like a keep surrounded by a walled town, run by four nobles - three men and a women.  He says they hold the town enthralled, and nobody is allowed to leave.  Was happening by himself and only just managed to avoid them.

I assure him that we’ll avoid the place, and he gives us a blessing of help on our travels.  Nice fellow.  Wish we could meet more like him.  I do get the feeling he’s no simple ploughman, but I’m not one to pry.

Ghent got curious at this point.  Had been completely uninterested before until hearing this story, now insisted on asking more questions.  Wasn’t able to learn much.  Harle was by there about two years ago, doesn’t have any more recent information.  The nobles are keeping the people completely scared of them, though by magic or mundane means I can’t say.

We should probably go by and check the place out and see if we can do anything, but we have other things to do first.  We’ll avoid it on the way there, take the road south but then cut off through the forest before reaching the hold.  If we have time, we’ll swing by it on the way back.

---

Traveled all day along the road, camping by the crossroads now.  We’ll reach the forest tomorrow.

---

Deep in the forest now.  Haven’t been traveling long, but this is the kind of forest where just stepping inside is enough to feel deep.  Jaelyn and Nazca say this forest is ancient, older even than the Moonshays that they are from, and we must respect it.  I’ll agree with that, though I suspect that my meaning of respect is different than theirs.  I’ll respect that the forest is ancient and full of dangerous things that could likely kill us, but you wouldn’t catch me worshiping it or any fool thing like that.

Ghent doesn’t understand how you can feel a forest.  I don’t even know how to explain it to him.  Though my senses are not those of Jaelyn, I can feel the age and magic all through this place.  I just hope he doesn’t decide to start practicing his lightning magic on random trees again, that could attract all the wrong attention.

I asked Jaelyn if his earth-mother is here too.  He’s not sure.  Thinks she might be limited to the Moonshays.  This place could have an entirely different nature spirit living in it, and Jaelyn still doesn’t seem to understand how territorial gods can be.  We’ll have to be careful.  Also had a short talk with him about destiny and being chosen by fate.  Of course, he thinks it’s a great thing to have fate choose you for a special life.  Growing up under the influence of the earth-mother, raised to think it’s a great honor to be chosen for service by it, he thinks that it’s just wonderful to have forces outside your control grab your life and decide to make it short and exciting.

Nazca thinks we’re being watched.  Of course we are, this is not a surprise at all here.  Best to just be harmless travellers and not provoke the locals.  Ghent offered to make us all invisible, but we decline - that would just show the locals that we have something to hide.  Of course, everyone has things to hide, but it’s best not to make it as obvious as magical invisibility would.

Stopping for the night now.  Tried to make a fire as best we could without causing any damage to the forest.  The boys are setting up watches.

---

Had an amusing encounter today.  Fear that Janus may not have found it as amusing as we did, but it has come out well enough.

We spent all day tracking through this ancient dark forest, following Jaelyn and Janus’s senses and tracking skills.  I have to trust that those two know the way to go, as far as I know we might as well have been walking in circles.  Jaelyn is sure he sees evidence that elves have been through the forest within the last week.  Janus thinks there have been orcs.  I can’t see evidence of either, but they seem to know what they’re talking about.  I hope these elves aren’t like those of the Ardeep forest, I could do without being captured again.

Were interrupted in our walk by someone shouting from a tree, and an arrow hitting a tree next to Janus’s head.  Looked up to see a lady Orc, wearing almost nothing, aiming another arrow at Janus and shouting his name.

The orc - Korogelen was her name - was furious at Janus about something, so mad she was ready to kill him.  She got even more angry when he didn’t remember her, and had no idea what she was mad about.  She did come down from the tree, and said something along the lines of “You don’t remember my dress?”  I thought this might explain why she was walking around the forest wearing three strips of leather and nothing else, but Janus assured me later that her outfit was typical of a woman of his tribe.

We eventually got the story out of her.  She was preparing a special dress for some coming-of-age ceremony her tribe does.  Tradition holds that the orc must prepare the dress herself.  She’d nearly finished it when Janus jumped in the river and swamped her work, ruining it.  She’d been beaten by her mother and had to start over from scratch.

Well, I can certainly excuse her anger about that.  Though I would prefer she not kill Janus over it, so we set about trying to make things right.  Their laws allow him to offer a trophy or service to settle the debt, or she gets to kill him.  He offered a fancy floating glowing gem that we found, but she turned that down.  Some of the Zentarim armor, but she couldn’t wear it and wouldn’t take a trophy she didn’t kill herself.  As a last chance, he said that we were going to Shadowtop cathedral, and offered to talk to the tree that talks on her behalf.  She accepted that, and her whole tone changed.  Thought now that Janus was very brave, and if he can talk to the tree he much be worthy.

She left us with a warning that she’ll be following us as we go, and will kill Janus if he reneges on his side of the deal.  Seems sensible to me.

Jaelyn thinks that this is some orc mating ritual, and that the orc lady will want Janus for a boyfriend if he goes through with this.  Janus doesn’t seem to be interested.  I suppose that having someone aggressively come onto you at arrowpoint is a bit unnerving even for an orc.

Settling down to camp now.  The sky is clear and the moon is full.  There are moonbeams breaking through the canopy now everywhere.  It’s a tranquil and beautiful night.  We should be able to reach Shadowtop Cathedral tomorrow, if Jaelyn and Janus are leading us properly.

---

Found other that what we expected at the Shadowtops Cathedral.

It’s aptly named.  Trees grew taller and thicker as we headed for the center, till the tops of the canopy were a solid blanket of shade.  Harder to tell when we were exactly at the center, but was clear we were at the right place.

Heard a song, sad and beautiful, sounded like a pan flute.  Not orcish or elvish.  No style I recognized.  Improvised sounding, not repeating itself, music that was highly skilled yet spontaneous and natural.  I couldn’t imagine who could be playing it.  Then we reached the clearing, and there was a Satyr sitting on a rock playing the music.  Of course.

I’ve never met a Satyr, but I’ve met far too many humans who take after them.  Only interested in dancing, wine, and women, and no thought for the future or the consequences.  Perhaps the were better than their imitators, or perhaps not.  I let Jaelyn do the talking here.

The Satyr said he knew the “Ancient One”, the talking tree, named Turlong.  Said Turlong would be around “any time now”, although what that means to a Satyr or a Treant I can’t say.  He also said he knew were Aerglas - the Druid we sought - was, but he was “Too sad to remember”.  Too sad to remember?  Who ever heard of such a thing?  He was just trying to get us to do something for him, or course.  Said that he had lost his love, for she had a fickle heart.  Einlayen, the woman in question, had said to meet him at a pond, but when he went she was not there.  He said if we intercede with her, he might remember where Aerglas is.  It’s rank nonsense, of course, but we don’t have much choice here.

On further question, he says that Einlayen is a “Daughter of the trees” - a Dryad.  Now, from what I know of them, they can’t go far from their grove.  Well, we should just be able to go there to find her, but he won’t tell us where it is.  I can respect that.  Someone finds her grove, she’s at risk.  Good of him not to tell strangers, but now how do we find her?  He says to go to the pond and call out her name.  Might as well.

Ghent questioned why we were bothering.  It’s not like we have any other leads.  And maybe she actually needs our help.

---

Reached the pond.  No sign of Einlayen, but Jaelyn thinks there’s signs of a struggle, someone was dragged off, and Janus spots what he is sure are elf footprints.  We’ll go follow up on that.

---

Solved two mysteries at once here.  Created one new big one.  And we didn’t need the Satyr after all.

We followed the tracks, our tracker-types sure they were following the trail of a dragged body.  Found a recently-extinguished campfire, then followed the trail to a cave.  Janus snuck in, saw in a cavern an elf, sitting on a rock, and a dryad, lying on the floor.

On hearing this, we approached.  I didn’t know what was going on, but couldn’t see any good reason to capture a Dryad and take her away from her grove.  That kind of separation kills them.  We weren’t sure how to approach, then Okkam solved that question by just walking up to him.  I didn’t see what happened next, but I did hear the shouting in a language I had never heard before, then the scorch of fire as the elf just opened up on Okkam with a magical column of fire.

At least there’s no town to accidentally burn down this time.

Well, whoever this was, he was powerful and not interested in talking to us.  Jaelyn tried to tell us to hold off because this was a Druid, but that wasn’t happening.  Janus and Okkam both attacked the Druid - though to their credit they were both taking pains to subdue him without killing.  Jaelyn continued trying to talk to the Druid.  He responded by yelling that same language, and then blasting Jaelyn with that same fire spell.  That seemed to end the question of trying to reason with him, even for Jaelyn.

We heard him say the name “Aerglas” a few times while yelling.  Apparently this is the very same Druid we’ve been sent to find.  What’s happened to him?  If he’d just talked to us, we could have avoided the unpleasantness.

I tried to subdue him with a spell, but his will was too strong.  Was a long shot anyway - command spells rarely work on the strong-minded.  Ghent tried magic too, of his own style, blasting the Druid with a lightning bolt.  That put him down, but luckily didn’t kill him.

I had a look at the girl.  In pretty bad shape she was.  Nothing my healing magic could help with.  She needed to get back to her grove fast.  Nazca took her.

Took a look at the Druid after that.  Made sure he was still alive, also made sure he was securely bound and gagged and not able to do magic once he woke up.  Also took a look at the fancy magic staff he was waving around.  A glance with magic sight told me it was quite powerful, though it would take more time to identify what it was for.

Took everyone back to the Satyr, since he was the only one who knew where her grove was.  He wanted to just grab her and take her himself, but Nazca insisted on holding on to her till they reached her tree.  He led her there, and the tree just opened up and swallowed here.  Hope that was supposed to happen.

Spent a bit of healing magic patching Jaelyn and Okkam up, they were both pretty bad off.  Nazca’s able to do some healing now too, and between the two of them we got everyone back and fully healed.

Took a closer look over the druid.  No signs of his being drugged or under the influence of evil magic, least so far as I can tell.

Also took a closer look at that staff.  It’s full of Druid magic, not a school I’m familiar with, but I got a name off it.  Braugh’s Bough.  Now that’s a name I recognize, or at least half of it is.  Braugh, legend has it, was a very powerful druid who worshiped the moon back in the legendary elven days.  It’s said he could bring the moon down upon his enemies, which seems overkill to me for any enemy I can imagine.  Jaelyn’s heard of him too, of course.  Doesn’t tell us what Aerglas was up too, but at least we have something.

---

Back at the cathedral now.  There’s a stomping noise coming through the trees.  Turlong the Elder One, Talking Tree, Treant, is coming to see us.  Hoping we can actually talk to him and not get into another pointless fight.

#pathfinder #tabletop #rpg #gaming journal #what happened at the game #dryads and satyrs and druids oh my