#thtmatc

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Tag Game: WIP Folder Titles

Thank you to @illarian-rambling for the tag! I could've sworn I'd done this one before, but the post seems to have eluded me, so I'll just list everything out again.

Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

Original:

Trials of the Six

Trials of the Six: Legends

The Legend of Orian Goldeneye

The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure

The Watcher and the Thief

Forsaken: The Doomed City

Forsaken: The Lost Island

City of Mechanicals

Of Wings, Blade and Shadow

The Cardinal Points

The Fallen Cyborg

The Myroir Chronicles

The Royal, the Mercenary, and the Shadow

Fairytale Fantasy Urban Adventure

Fairytale Steampunk Adventure Romance

Horror/Fantasy/Mystery Story

Untitled Fantasy #1

Fanfiction:

Farfell: The Silver Dragon

Demigods of the Death Gate: Dry

Demigods of the Death Gate: Defy

Demigods of the Death Gate: Decay

Demigods of the Death Gate: Drenched

Demigods of the Death Gate: Demons

The Assassin and the Dragonlance

Cinderheart

Portal Whump Fic

Disclaimer: A lot of these folders (the ones without proper working titles) consist of a single word document containing the concept and/or idea dump I had for that story. Usually after I had a dream about it. I don't think I added those the last time I was tagged, but here we are now lol

Umm....this is a lot of people to tag...😅 26 WIPs... I mean it's only 10 if you count the ones I'm actually working on so that's how many people I'm going to tag.

Gently tagging @faytelumos @scaewolf @hufflepuffwritingstuff2 @moonandris @phoenixradiant

@diabolical-blue @pluppsauthor @stargazer-luna @spitefulbull @gummybugg and open tag! :D

#writeblr #tag game #my wips #writeblr tag games #open tag #wip folder game #trials of the six #the legend of orian goldeneye #thtmatc #the watcher and the thief #my fics #demigods of the death gate #cinderheart

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Tag Game: OC Questionaire

Thank you so much for the double tag! @willtheweaver here and @illarian-rambling here!!!

My questions:

What does the perfect day look like?

What time of day is your favorite?

If you were granted one wish, what would it be?

What's the best thing you've ever eaten?

What's the worst injury you've ever had?

Do you wish you looked different?

Gently tagging @fourwingedwriter @faytelumos @writingphoenix @phoenixradiant @agirlandherquill @late-to-the-fandom @cssnder @annakayy and open tag! I don't feel like making up new questions so just pick three out of the list above.

For the trio in The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure:

What does the perfect day look like?

Draven: Any day where I'm not being shot at, mauled, or chased is a good day for me! Octavian: Unfortunately, I have to agree with Cozenson. A day of silence is rare for us. Reese: It's raining, I don't have any obligations, my parents are out, and I have a warm drink and a good book.

What time of day is your favorite?

Draven: Sunrise. It usually means I've survived another day. Octavian: Celestials, you're morbid. I also prefer the early morning, but only because it's better for hunting. Reese: Night. I'm mostly left alone to do my own thing.

If you were granted one wish, what would it be?

Draven: That I wasn't fucking shot! Octavian: That the plague never happened. Perhaps then my people would still be around. Reese: *fidgets with her sleeves* that I could have had a normal childhood.

What's the best thing you've ever eaten?

Draven: Celestials, Octavian, do you remember when we went to that noble party in Zariya and they had that one berry pie that you said looked like blood? Because that was delicious. Octavian: I didn't only say it looked like blood, I said it appeared they used bloodberries, called that because the juice is the same color as blood. But you are correct, though I much prefer the berries fresh. Reese: Agreed on that. Also whoever the genius was that first combined coffee with chocolate, I want to give them a hug.

What's the worst injury you've ever had?

Draven: I've been scratched up many times in my line of work, but none of that compares to a classic gunshot wound. Fucked up my shoulder for weeks. Octavian: Almost drowning in a freezing lake is pretty high up there. Reese: *wordlessly points to the scars on her arms*

Do you wish you looked different?

Draven: Celestials, no. Well, sometimes I've wished I was better at disguising myself. I have the type of reputation that leads to people placing bounties on my head. Octavian: Should I? Reese: *shrugs*

#thtmatc #tales from valaria #tfv #draven cozenson #octavian de silv #reese takari #my ocs #my wips #oc questions #oc question tag #tag game #writeblr tag game #open tag #writeblr tag games #writeblr

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Tag Game: Find the Word (Round 2!)

I've been tagged by @faytelumos (thanks!) so here's more snippets of my various WIPS.

My words are: hungry, messy, laugh, stomp, and blue.

Hungry - Trials of the Six, Scene 41

“Those questions are also on my mind, yes. But I haven’t met very many Ilunians, and it surprised me how similar you look to a friend of mine.” His captor regarded him with an expression on the verge of amusement. “Huh. Might hail from the same fleet. Hungry?”

Messy - An Immortal Thief

‘Blessed’ by the goddess, just like I was, those knives have the ability to inflict wounds that resist the average methods of healing, and they can incapacitate a guard with only a slice to the shoulder rather than the throat. They make stealth missions a lot easier and less messy. If I lose them, the goddess wouldn’t be too pleased with me.

Laugh - Trials of the Six, Scene 7

“What are you two even talking about?” Korfel demanded from near the sail, clearly exasperated.  Jarsali stuck her tongue out at him. “You’re just bitter. Laugh once in a while.” “I laugh!” “Not when I’m around you don’t!”

Stomp - The Legend of Orian Goldeneye

Jas laughed and stomped on the smooth, glass-like rock. Killian expected it to crack like ice, but it held firm. “Come on,” she said, “let’s look inside.”

Blue - The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure, Chapter 19

“This place is a curse,” he hissed, a small plume of blue flame escaping his lips, “you wouldn’t believe the amount of souls roaming unclaimed upon these grounds. Don’t let me add yours to the number.” “Are you done?” The one on the left, an elf, asked impatiently. “Because you’re just embarrassing yourself.”

Gently tagging @gamerkats @chronicallydragons @smudgedredink @themswritinwords @late-to-the-fandom (also open as usual)

Your words are: side, scatter, listen and study.

Happy searching!

#my writing #tag game #writeblr tag game #writing #writing tag game #writeblr #trials of the six #the legend of orian goldeneye #thtmatc #find the word #find the word tag game #find the word game

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Tag Game: Find the Word (Round 4!)

Thanks to @diabolical-blue for the tag!

My words: silver, broken, relate, tender

These all somehow managed to be in Tales from Valaria. Props for consistency, I guess. Couldn't find tender, but gentle seems to be close enough.

Silver

(The Watcher and the Thief, Chapter 1 Scene 2)

Octavian rose to his feet, the ghost of a smile on his face. “My presence is requested. I wish your apprentice a swift recovery.” The elf bowed his head to Hector and departed. Ah. Ag was the alchemical abbreviation for silver. De Silv. It was a clever, if strange, bit of code. Why did de Silv have a signal to himself?

Broken

(The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure)

Octavian glanced down at his hand. The skin on his knuckles had broken, and the cloth wadded tightly around his palm was soaked in the pale red liquid. A nasty gash above his right eye dripped blood down his face like tears. “...yes.”

Relate

(The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure)

Upon first inspection, she only looked to have a partially scabbed-over cut on her left cheek. But the deep red stains on the sleeves of her jacket, too big for her, told a different story. She also didn’t look like she’d had a proper night’s sleep in some time. Draven could relate.

Tender Gentle

(Magician's Bait)

“Oh, princeling…” She murmured in an almost gentle tone. Her grip on his hair loosened slightly, and the chair tilted back another inch. Damian’s heart jumped into his throat. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Gently tagging @annakayy @gummybugg @catwings-writes-things @thethistlegirlwrites @aalinaaaaaa

@stargazer-luna @theeccentricraven @phoenixradiant @late-to-the-fandom and open tag! :D

Your words: fold, fine, free, few

#my writing #writeblr #writeblr tag game #writeblr tag games #open tag #find the word tag #find the word #my wips #the watcher and the thief #thtmatc #the hunter the myth and the cure #magician's bait #octavian de silv #hector epsilona #draven cozenson #damian caenum #tales from valaria #tfv

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"Is that a kid!?"

WoW Birthday Whump Day 7: Bloodied knuckles / Wounded / "Is that blood?!"

Whumpril Day 7 (Hesitation)

WoW Birthday Whump Prompts List

Whumpril Prompts List

Tales from Valaria Masterpost

TW: blood, referenced kidnapping, referenced poison, referenced torture, cleaning wounds

Context: Draven receives an unexpected visit from Octavian. And he's not alone. A.K.A. Draven meets a child who is definitely not traumatized.

-----

Draven was in the middle of housework when the front door lock clicked. He froze, dusting cloth in one hand, the other reaching for the pistol at his side. The door creaked as someone pushed it open, then it shut just as quickly. Was that two sets of footsteps?

The door lock clicked a second time, and Draven drew the pistol, letting the dusting cloth fall to the floor. “Hiro?” He called, scrambling off the table—where he was dusting off the lamp above—and moving towards the doorway that connected the kitchen to the main living space. What he saw when he entered the room gave him pause.

“Is that blood?!”

Octavian glanced down at his hand. The skin on his knuckles had broken, and the cloth wadded tightly around his palm was soaked in the pale red liquid. A nasty gash above his right eye dripped blood down his face like tears. “...yes.”

Draven jumped as a small head popped out from behind Octavian. “And is that a kid?”

The girl flinched at his words and ducked back out of view. She was young, couldn’t have been older than twelve or thirteen, with short blonde hair.

“Also yes,” Octavian said simply. “I found her in the forest while hunting.”

Draven slid the pistol back into its holster. “Did you lose a fight with a bear? I expected better from you, de Silv.”

The devar rolled his eyes. “Obviously not. I sustained these injuries while trying to escort her home.” He gave the girl a significant look. “Because she hadn’t bothered to tell me she’d been kidnapped.”

“I said I was sorry,” the girl mumbled, barely audible from across the room.

“Kidnapped? Is that why you brought her here, of all places?” Draven crossed the room and reassessed both their injuries. Other than the bloody knuckles, the cut above his eye, and probably a few bruises, Octavian looked all right. The girl, however, was another case.

Upon first inspection, she only looked to have a partially scabbed-over cut on her left cheek. But the deep red stains on the sleeves of her jacket, too big for her, told a different story. She also didn’t look like she’d had a proper night’s sleep in some time. Draven could relate.

The girl’s face reddened at Draven’s inspection. Her eyes were downcast, and she picked at the hems of her jacket.

“Yes. I assume that whoever had taken her had agents in Zariya, they tried to snatch her off the street before we got out of sight.”

The key word was ‘tried’. Draven nodded before turning on his heel and darting back to the kitchen. Snatching his bag from its place on the table, he returned and dropped it in front of one of the couches. “Sit,” he ordered.

Octavian did so without question or hesitation, and the girl meekly followed. Draven rummaged through the bag, searching through the disorganized mess for the medical supplies he kept on hand. The hunting business was notorious for many on-the-job injuries, even for the mercenaries.

The first thing Draven shoved at Octavian was the tiny bottle of augri, alcohol so pure that ingesting it might cause death. “For cleaning the wounds. Not for drinking.”

The devar regarded him with mild amusement. “My people—er—my poison tolerance is greater than you realize, Cozenson.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Draven handed him a pair of handkerchiefs. “I don’t have extra on hand and it doesn’t taste good anyway.”

“...how do you know that?” the girl asked quietly as Octavian wet one of the cloths with the augri.

Draven tossed the rest of the medical supplies onto the couch next to Octavian. It was a jumble of different bandages that he hoped would be enough to bind their wounds. All as clean as possible, of course. He had standards. “Hiro—my roommate—dared me to try some once when we were in training. I didn’t swallow it, obviously, but let’s just say I prefer whiskey.”

The girl frowned. “‘Training’?”

Octavian pressed the handkerchief to his injured knuckles and hissed out through his teeth. “He’s a lycanthrope hunter. My apologies, I didn’t introduce you. This is Draven Cozenson, my partner. Draven, this is Reese.”

Reese’s eyes widened. “Wait, you’re the werewolf hunter? The one who used to work in the northern forests?”

Draven rocked back on his heels, mystified. “Yeah, that’s me.” He knew his fame had grown since training, but for a random Zariyan girl to know who he was… had he really gotten that famous? Apparently so.

Octavian finished cleaning off his hand and started wrapping it. “You’re going to have to remove the jacket,” he said softly. 

Reese glanced down at her forearms, hidden underneath the stained sleeves, and grimaced. “Oh… yeah….” She slowly slipped off the jacket, jaw set as her wounds were revealed.

Draven cursed. “What in the depths did they do to you, kid?”

The cuts were shallow, thank the celestials, but so much of her blood was smeared over the skin that it was impossible to tell the extent.

“The cuts weren't them,” Reese said, numb. She pointed to the bruises on her inner elbows and wrists. “That's what they did. The cuts were done by… I think it was a fellow prisoner. With broken glass.”

Octavian froze in the act of scrubbing the blood from his face. “You didn't tell me that.”

Reese only shrugged, reaching for the augri and the other handkerchief. She winced when the alcohol made contact with the cuts but did not cry out.

Draven made uneasy eye contact with Octavian as the devar cleaned the gash over his eye. This changed things, and they both knew it. Not only had the people who'd taken Reese tried to get her back, they'd done so in broad daylight. Octavian defended her, and although they escaped, her abductors would be keeping watch for both of them.

“I need you both to lie low for a few days,” Draven began, rising to his feet. “Perhaps even move to my other safehouse when it gets dark. Then we get Reese home safely and figure out our next move from here.” He glanced at Reese. “Did you learn any of your captors’ names?”

She hesitated before responding. “Only Sagon. I don't know his last name. He has long black hair, it's always pulled back, but he wore a mask like a black circle to cover his face.”

Octavian folded his arms. “I can handle myself, Cozenson. They were no match for me.”

“Clearly…” Draven deadpanned, eyeing the cut on his head. “How'd you end up with a wound like that, anyway?”

The devar muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

“Hmm?”

“...I let myself get slammed into a table…” Octavian repeated, face darkening.

Draven smirked. “‘Handle yourself’, indeed.”

“Shut up.”

@fourwingedsnake @whumperofworlds

#wow birthday whump #wow birthday whump [day 7] #bloodied knuckles #wounded #“Is that blood?!” #referenced kidnapping #blood #referenced poison #referenced torture #cleaning wounds #broken glass mention #thtmatc #tales from valaria #draven cozenson #octavian de silv #reese takari #banter #whumpee #multiple whumpees #annoyed caretaker #caretaker #whumpril2024 #whumprilday7 #hesitation

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What's your favorite trope to write?

Ooooooo I had to think long and hard about this one.

I think my top three general tropes are amnesia, protagonist in fantasy story is just Some Guy, and interdimensional travel (I call it Jumping or Traveling).

Amnesia is just so fun because the character used to be somebody, and they have evidence of that somebody through people who used to know them or items they owned. But they have to rediscover that person and the journey fundamentally changes who they are.

Draven is a prime example of Some Guy in a fantasy story. I've never been the biggest fan of the chosen one trope where it's played as "the protagonist has super special powers and they must defeat this ancient evil or whatever". I still like giving my main characters powers but when they aren't special it becomes more like "well this is messed up, someone has to deal with this so I guess it's gonna be me". And when that character doesn't have powers, it becomes a case of "I may not be able to do everything you magic people can but I'm just as capable with or without this gun".

And then interdimensional travel is fun because I can explain why I decided to stick Octavian and Draven in The Legend of Orian Goldeneye when they are from a completely different planet.

For whump tropes my favorite is immortal whump, because there's so much more I can do to an immortal victim that I can't with a normal whumpee, since I prefer realistic whump alongside magic whump. I also like the used as bait trope, sickfics, etc.

#thanks for the ask! #favorite tropes #writing tropes #whump tropes #amnesia #amnesia trope #amnesia whump #Some Guy #interdimensional travel #chosen one trope #immortal whump #magic whump #used as bait #sickfic #realistic whump #about me #the legend of orian goldeneye #draven cozenson #octavian de silv #thtmatc #tales from valaria

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My time has come!

A writing request! Could be OCs or generic whump, whichever you're more comfortable with!

Whumpee and Caretaker got into a bad argument, and Whumpee leaves. Caretaker left them alone for a few days until they learned that Whumpee has been kidnapped and being held as bait for them. Despite the fight and the fact it was a trap, they rescued Whumpee from their kidnappers. Cue apologies and hurt/comfort ❤️

Thank you so much for the request! (Rules here)

It took me about two weeks but I managed to get 3600 words out of this prompt, and I chose to go with the Gunblade Duo (Draven and Octavian). I had a lot of fun with this, enjoy! :D

CW: swearing, blood, guns, concussion, passing out, tied up, knife wounds, implied mauling, abduction, referenced abduction, arguing, death, alcohol

A/N: This takes place during The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure and is not canon to the story. There is some reference to the events leading up to this one-shot, and implied reference to the events of The Watcher and the Thief. None of that is relevant for reading and enjoying the story :)

Tag List: @fourwingedsnake @pigeonwhumps

The trek back through Zariya was even more tense than the initial trip. Octavian must’ve sensed Draven’s displeasure. He was silent for much of the journey, only speaking to point out notable sounds and scents. Draven should’ve offered thanks. It was what a decent person would have done, considering any of the people they avoided due to Octavian’s warnings could have had ill intentions.

Draven, however, wasn’t in the mood to be a decent person.

“I apologize that the party was a bust,” Octavian finally said. They were drawing close to the safe house where the devar and Reese were staying until Draven felt it was safe for them. Octavian was, for some reason, even more paranoid than Draven about keeping the kid safe, so even if Draven decided the search for her had subsided, they might still be stuck with her for a while yet.

“You don’t sound very sorry,” Draven muttered as they rounded a corner, dodging around the pool of light illuminated by a nearby street lamp. The party had been his idea; to draw out some of the higher-profile targets the evening before a full moon. The smart ones would decline. The foolish ones would accept and try to depart early.

Unfortunately, only one of them was clever enough to avoid the party. Of the ones who attended, only one tried to leave early. And that was because she hated staying around the crowd of partygoers for too long.

“Personally, I don’t see it as a total loss.”

Draven exhaled sharply. “Really? How so?” When they’d returned to the party, he’d been pissed to discover that two of the attending targets had slipped out while they were distracted with the noblewoman. This little piece of information had turned one confirmed suspect into three.  Three more lycanthropes they had to track down. Draven was beginning to get sick of the whole thing. But money was money, and he was getting paid a lot of money.

Octavian indicated a pair of figures ahead of them on the street, and they ducked into an adjoining alley. “I spoke with a former Draigo contact. Most of the human confidants were never made public, we’re lucky I recognized him from a previous mission.”

Yeah. We. “And?”

“He all but confirmed what I already suspected. The stronghold in the south burned down before the plague claimed its first victims. It was unrelated.”

“And this is relevant because…?” They emerged from the alley. Draven quickly glanced around before turning south. Almost there.

Octavian hesitated. “I… it means that I can trust my memories from right before… you know….”

Draven rolled his eyes. “Sure.”

“Are you still annoyed that those targets got away from us?”

“Of course I’m annoyed!” Draven snapped, stopping in his tracks. “More than annoyed, I’m fucking furious! The plan was to eliminate four difficult targets from my list, not one!” He folded his arms, glaring at Octavian. “And your ‘relevant’ information was all but useless. It was a complete dead-end, and the cost is definitely coming out of my pay, and—”

Octavian hissed through his teeth sharply. “Of course it all comes down to money for you. Typical.”

Draven folded his arms, hands clenched into fists. “At least I’m not the one in denial about the greatest tragedy in the last decade!”

Octavian’s mouth snapped shut, and his expression changed from mild annoyance to barely concealed rage. If looks could kill, Draven would be six feet under and decomposing. “I can see myself to the safe house.” He finally spit out through gritted teeth, “Good night, Cozenson.”

He turned on his heel and stalked away, quickly melting into the shadows between the buildings. Draven gritted his teeth and walked in the opposite direction. He needed a drink.

- - - - -

Of course it all comes down to money for you.

Typical.

Draven knocked back the remnants of his drink. The alcohol did little to numb the shame that curled around his mind, threatening to pull him under. He slammed the shot glass on the counter, causing the other empty glasses to rattle. Since when did he care about what de Silv thought... of all people! 

A few feet away, the bartender of the random tavern Draven had stormed into eyed him with a questioning look. Draven waved him off. “I’m done for the night, I’ll settle my tab now.”

He fumbled with the strings on his coin purse with numb fingers, growing more annoyed by the second. Drinking away his frustrations had never worked in the past. Why would it this time? And now he was guaranteed a hangover in the morning. 

This was all de Silv’s fault.

The door to the tavern opened, and several pairs of feet stomped on the wooden floor. A bit late for a party. Draven finished paying for the drinks, frowning as the bartender grabbed the money with a fearful expression on his face and quickly ducked into the kitchen. As he turned to leave, he found a group of five well-armed men, all wearing identical black metal masks, standing behind him. “I was just leaving,” he said, moving to walk around them.

The group moved with him, keeping between him and the door. “Look,” Draven snapped, words slurred from the alcohol, “As much as I’d love to settle whatever score you got with me, I’m surprisingly not in the mood. So if you could just get out of my way and we could go on with our merry lives….”

No response. All five men stared at him in silence. Well, he assumed they were staring at him. He couldn’t tell, what with the masks completely obscuring their faces.

“‘Kay,” Draven muttered, reaching for his pistol, “I did warn you.”

His attackers sprang into action, surrounding him on all sides. But Draven only focused on the one directly in front of him.

Crack! Cra—!

He only got to aim one shot before he was tackled from the side. Even with unsteady hands, his aim was true, and he earned a cry of pain and a spray of blood for his efforts. The second shot went wide, the bullet embedding itself in the far wall. Draven stumbled sideways as his assailant tried to wrestle the gun away from him, the other three advancing.

Temporarily freeing his gun arm, Draven slammed the butt of the pistol against the side of his attacker’s head and pressed the business end against the bare skin of his neck. The other man stumbled back, one hand clutching his head, the other pressed against the burn caused by the hot metal.

Draven whirled around and almost fell over as the world continued to spin. He swore and drew his other pistol, blindly firing with his non-dominant hand as he stumbled backward towards the door. He didn’t notice the movement behind him until it was too late.

Thud.

Pain exploded in Draven’s head. The force of whatever had hit him sent him to the floor, his weapons falling from numb fingers and clattering out of reach. What…?

What… in the depths…?

Strong hands seized him and began to drag him away. Draven watched through half-open eyes as one of the remaining masked men picked up his pistols. Darkness bled into the edges of his vision.

They… they don’t want me dead…?

That… that’s not…

…not good…

…fuck…

…

- - - - -

Octavian dealt with his anger in the only way he knew how: sharpening his knives. He’d been doing that a lot lately, he realized, especially since he officially started working with Draven. It wasn’t just anger that prompted him to do something repetitive like knife sharpening, it was also worry, and stress. Both were also incredibly prominent in his life.

As a result, they had become incredibly sharp over the last couple of years. So sharp Octavian didn’t notice he had cut his hand until Reese pointed it out. “You’re, uh, bleeding.”

His jaw clenched as he carefully set the offending weapon aside and accepted the handkerchief she handed him. “I must’ve been more distracted than I thought,” he muttered, wiping away the pale red liquid from the cut. It wasn’t deep, thankfully, but it was long, cutting along the side of his left pointer finger.

Octavian stared at the cut, watching the blood drip down his hand in morbid fascination. At least I’m not the one in denial about the greatest tragedy in the last decade! Even if the words had come from a place of emotion, intending to hurt, he couldn’t deny the truth behind them. Call it optimism, call it hope, it was all the same.

Denial.

He pressed the cloth against the cut as Reese returned—when had she left?—with one of Draven’s spare bags. She handed Octavian the augri and bandages before sitting down next to him. She picked up the knife, still wet with his blood.

“…It’s been three days.”

Octavian hissed out through his teeth. The clear liquid was cold against his skin but searing hot like fire on the wound. Three days since the party, yes. Three days since we last parted, yes. “And?”

Reese carefully cleaned the blood off the edge of the weapon. The edges of the bandages on her forearms peeked out from underneath her sleeves. Her own wounds were healing, but they still needed to be covered. In a couple more days, she wouldn’t need the bandages. “I just… three days… is kind of a long time… to be left alone…?”

“You’re worried about Cozenson.”

She nodded.

Octavian sighed through his nose as he wrapped a thin strip of cloth around his finger. “He can handle himself.”

Her jaw tightened, and she hesitated before speaking. “You’re still angry with him.”

Octavian made a noise of indifference.

“So… so you don’t think any one of his enemies might have gotten him? You’re not worried at all?”

He opened his mouth to argue that no, he wasn’t worried, and if the hunter had gotten himself into some sort of mess he could very well get himself out of it, but the look on Reese’s face made him reconsider his words. He exhaled slowly and held out his hand. She handed over the knife, and he slid it into his sheath.

The truth? Octavian was concerned, now that Reese had brought it up, that Cozenson had left him alone for so long. Granted, Octavian hadn’t gone out to meet him at the guild over the past three days, but even so, Draven barely went a day without checking up on Reese. He pretended otherwise, but he was as interested in the girl’s safety as Octavian was.

“If it’ll make you feel better,” he began, rising to his feet, “I’ll go check up on him.”

Reese jumped up and thrust the bag at him. “Here. You might need it.”

Octavian nodded and slung it over his shoulder. “I’ll be back soon. You know the rules.”

She all but shoved him towards the door, bolting it behind him as soon as it was closed. Octavian wasted no time setting off northeast, towards the Hunter’s Guild. He would ask around there first. And if nobody knew where Cozenson was, the next step would be breaking into his apartment.

And if the apartment offered no clues? Octavian brushed the thought aside as he turned up his hood to hide the tell-tale silver of his hair. It was early morning, and few people were nearby, but he didn’t want to risk running into Reese’s abductors, who were no doubt on the lookout for him. He still received odd looks from passersby, but it was better than nothing.

He wasn’t a skilled tracker for nothing. But he’d rather not have to go that far. A trail three days cold was going to be a nightmare to follow.

Octavian had only just gotten into the northern district of Zariya when he was approached by a familiar face. Thaddeus Kaneson? Octavian had worked with him briefly back when he first joined the Hunter’s Guild. As far as he was aware, Thaddeus would have no reason to know about his and Draven’s current job. Their partnership, maybe. Why is he here?

“De Silv,” the hunter greeted softly, joining him.

“Kaneson,” Octavian replied, not slowing his pace, “I thought you were in Caenum.”

Thaddeus shrugged. “I was. Got called back.”

“That’s not why you’re here.”

“No, it’s not.” Thaddeus stopped and pulled out a sealed envelope from a hidden pocket on his duster. “This was dropped off late last night. Nobody saw who did it.” He held it out. “It’s for you. I got the short straw of trying to deliver it. Glad I found you quickly.”

Octavian hesitantly took it. His name was scrawled on the front with thick, dark letters. Thaddeus turned to leave, but Octavian touched his arm, stopping him. “Have you seen Cozenson? Within the last couple of days?”

The hunter paused, thinking. “Can’t say I have,” he said, cracking a grin. “Why, did you lose your partner?”

Octavian sighed. “I’m concerned that he might have gotten himself into a situation that I will need to rescue him from before he gets himself killed.”

Thaddeus’ grin grew wider. “Celestials, you did lose him! Well, if I find him before you do, you’ll owe me drinks at the Laughing Bear.”

“I highly doubt that will happen, Kaneson.”

Thaddeus turned away, chuckling. “We’ll see about that, de Silv.”

Octavian let him go, fiddling with the envelope until the hunter was out of sight. Shaking his head, he ducked into the shelter of a nearby alley and turned it over. He ran a finger over the wax seal. Unbroken, but he knew there were ways to open it without damaging the seal. No design was imprinted on the dark red wax, the color oddly similar to human blood. Either no signet or the person who’d sent the letter did not want to be known.

Octavian’s suspicions grew as he broke the seal and pulled out the letter. One page, same messy lettering.

We have your partner. If you do not turn over Reese Takari, we will kill him. You have one week.

The paper crinkled under the force of Octavian’s grip, but he didn’t care. It was dated the night of the last full moon, three days before, with an address scrawled below the note. No signature, but he didn’t need it to guess who had sent it.

And he’d rather be damned to the depths than give Reese’s abductors what they wanted.

- - - - -

“I think I finally figured out what your mask reminds me of.”

The guard who had been assigned to watch Draven did not obviously react, but Draven noted the way his jaw visibly tightened under the stupid metal face mask.

Draven smirked despite the pounding in his head and the aching in his joints from being tied to the chair for so long. “Your mask specifically looks like a little obedient watchdog. One who only knows how to follow the orders of someone who’s done nothing but bitch at you.”

The guard, celestials bless his patience, remained motionless, holding his handgun, as he stood about as far as he could get from his charge without leaving the small, windowless room where Draven was kept. He had originally been in the main area of the random warehouse in the merchant district, but with the front door right there, he couldn’t help but almost escape twice. Now, he was about as far away from the door as he could get, though there were plenty of windows just outside the room.

“Personally,” Draven continued, “I don’t see why your boss—whoever the depths that might be—makes you wear those stupid masks. It’s not like I couldn’t identify you by the way you stand or anything.”

The guard’s knuckles turned white as he resisted the temptation to strike Draven across the face. Or at least that’s why Draven assumed he was gripping his weapon with such strength. Any more force and the gun would probably snap in half.

“So… when did your boss say the time limit was again? Three days left, now? I have a job to get back to.”

No response.

Dammit. Worth a shot.

Draven sighed and ran his fingers along the ropes tied around his wrists for the hundredth time since he’d been bound there after the second escape. Both of the knives hidden in his sleeves had gotten confiscated, all he had left was the one in his boot. Which was currently out of reach.

Not that it would do him much good at this point. With the one guard between him and the only exit, and at least two more standing outside between the door and the nearest windows, he wasn’t getting very far. They might actually shoot him this time if only to keep him from attempting escape with a more permanent solution.

Draven opened his mouth to ask another question, but before the words left his lips, the sound of shattering glass pierced the air. The guard jumped, startled, and darted out the door. Draven cocked his head, listening as chaos reigned. Screaming, shouting, gunshots, and running footsteps as his captors tried to contain whatever had gotten inside.

The person in charge, who wore an identical black metal mask with a single gold stripe across where the forehead would be, had claimed they could handle Draven’s partner if he chose to fight his way through. “De Silv would have no choice but to accept,” he’d gloated, “I have thirty men armed to the teeth. What does a single hunter have against that?”

Besides, Octavian had no reason to risk the kid for Draven. 

Why would he, after what Draven had said to him? 

If Draven were in his position, he would have just left him and gotten himself and Reese out of Zariya days ago while her abductors waited in vain.

Just as the thought crossed Draven’s mind, a familiar face appeared in the doorway. “Cozenson,” Octavian said in greeting. He was covered in human blood, the dark red liquid dripping from his knives and smeared on his face and clothing.

“De Silv,” Draven returned slowly.

“Surprised to see me?”

He sighed. “A little bit, yeah.”

Octavian casually tossed one of his knives into the air and caught it deftly. “I couldn’t just leave you to die at the hands of these masked imbeciles. I’m not you.”

The last sentence was unspoken, but the look on Octavian’s face implied it well enough. Draven opened his mouth to argue, to deny, but he hesitated. Octavian would know it was a lie. “Look,” he said, after a moment of thought, “I’m sorry. For what I said to you. I wasn’t being fair.”

The look of pure shock on Octavian’s face was priceless. “I….”

“I know, I’m apologizing. Big shocker.” Draven jerked his head to the side, indicating the ropes binding him to the chair. “Could you let me out? My hands are getting numb.”

Octavian blinked and slowly nodded. He crossed the small room in two strides and quickly sliced through the ropes. Draven jumped to his feet and staggered, vision tunneling. “Shit,” he muttered as Octavian steadied him. “Don’t get a concussion while drunk.”

“Noted.” Octavian considered the blood on his knives, lips pressed into a thin line, before wiping the blood off and sheathing them. “I also apologize. For leaving you alone. However much I detested your company at that point, we are partners.”

Draven sighed. “Yeah, couldn’t agree more.” He slowly stepped out of the room, noting the copious amount of blood and broken glass littering the warehouse floor. The bodies of the dead lay scattered about haphazardly. Most had died by Octavian’s blades. Two appeared to have been mauled. “So… thirty men?”

“Some of them fled,” Octavian said softly. “They assumed they were dealing with an elven hunter. They were half-right.”

Draven’s eyes landed on his guns, which rested on a table across the vast room. They appeared undamaged, thank the celestials. He could always get new guns, of course, but those were his guns. They’d seen him through many a hunt and duel and scuffle. He began to pick his way over, avoiding the corpses and the worst of the blood. “You seem conflicted.”

Octavian trailed after him “I think anyone would, in my position.”

“Has everything gotta be a damned riddle with you?” Draven reached the table and picked up one of his guns. Empty. The boss must’ve unloaded it. Pretty clever for someone working with limited knowledge. He gave the room another glance. From what he could see, none of the masks on the dead guards possessed the golden stripe. “Octavian, did you happen to kill a guy with a stupid-looking gold streak across his mask? ‘Cause that guy was a particular brand of asshole. And also the one in charge.”

He glanced back to find his partner staring into space, eyes moving back and forth. “No,” Octavian finally said, refocusing his attention on Draven. “He was one of the first to flee.”

“Damned coward.”

“‘Damned coward’, indeed.”

Draven returned his guns to their rightful places on his belt and gave the warehouse one last cursory look. “Guess I’m rooming with you and the kid for a little while.”

Octavian nodded. “Her abductors are surprisingly resourceful. She must’ve been a valuable prisoner.”

“Still hasn’t told you anything?”

“No.”

Draven sighed. “I don’t know what they did with the knives I kept up my sleeve, but I’m tired, my head hurts, and I want nothing more than to go home.”

“Shall we depart then?” “Celestials, stop being so formal. Let’s get out of here.”

Meme Summary

#my writing #writing requests #whump #my ocs #gunblade duo #octavian de sil #draven cozenson #reese takari #thtmatc #tales from valaria #tfv #swearing #blood #guns #concussion #passing out #tied up #knife wounds #implied mauling #abduction #referenced abduction #arguing #whump writing #oc whump #used as bait #parting words regret #death #kidnapping #alcohol use #drunkenness

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Tag Game: OC in 15

Thank you to @late-to-the-fandom and @thewritingautisticat for tagging me!

Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture the character/personality/vibe of the OC. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you’re free to include those as well!

I've been on a Draven kick lately so I'll choose him. He's got a lot of fun lines. These lines are all from The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure from Tales from Valaria. For context, he's a werewolf hunter with a sarcastic sense of humor and a gun. Two guns.

“What, you haven’t heard of me?”

Enough with the formalities, Fairy. You know who I am and my reputation, you're the one who summoned me here behind the Guild's back.”

"Are we judging each other's fashion choices? Because your fancy vest and dress shirt wouldn't last a day in my line of work."

“You are. So lucky. I didn't shoot you.”

“Try that again,” Draven hissed in his ear,” and I’ll carve out your organs and sell them on the black market.”

"You did say that… are you finally giving me answers a whole" —Draven made a show of checking the clock on the desk— "two years later?"

“The only reason you’re aware of this plan, Fairy, is you’re, unfortunately, essential to its completion.”

“I can name at least three people in the guild who’ll thirst for your blood after seeing this."

Draven winced at the thought. “Ugh, fine. But I will not apologize for the names I will call you.”

“You know what, I don’t want to know. I’m going back to bed.”

“Don’t you think that was a bit much?” he muttered out the side of his mouth.

“You’d think the living legend would know more about the mythical rock.”

“You do realize we’re talking about circumventing the laws of nature, right?”

“I can already tell I’m not going to like this.”

Fun fact: in the very first draft Draven had knives. But then I gave Octavian knives, so Draven got the pistols for more variety. I also love the idea of a character who's just Some Guy in a fantasy story. Just Some Guy with the power of gun.

No pressure tagging: @gamerkats @fourwingedsnake @themswritinwords @faytelumos @chronicallydragons @spitefulbull and open tag!

#thtmatc #draven cozenson #tales from valaria #oc in fifteen #oc in 15 tag #tag game #my wips #my ocs #writeblr #writeblr tag game #writeblr tag games #open tag

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Tag Game: ROYGBIV

Thank you to @willtheweaver for the tag!

Rules: Find the main rainbow colors in your WIP!

I honestly have no idea how much I use color as a descriptor, it's either way too much or not enough. I highly doubt I'll find indigo that's for sure.

The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure (Tales from Valaria)

Red: He paused next to a large shrub with red berries at the bottom of a hill. The scent of blood was stronger.

The Legend of Orian Goldeneye

Orange: The cell had one occupant, a young man with dark, messy hair and a brownish-orange jacket. He was curled up in the farthest corner of the cell from the entrance, watching the group warily.

The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure

Yellow:  Blood stained its massive claws and teeth, and the primal desire for fresh meat glittered in its yellow eyes.

Green: The guard hesitated and pulled off his uniform coat, a simple jacket with unorthodox splashes of green and brown, more like a camouflaged coat for hunters.

Blue: Octavian rubbed his arms vigorously. His lips appeared blue in the poor light. “Should I?”

Indigo: As I thought, no sign of indigo...

Cinderheart

Violet: Jin opened her eyes to find the sky above the battlefields streaked with brilliant reds, yellows, and violets, the stars beginning to show themselves at the edge of the night. She was cold. So very cold.

Gently tagging @faytelumos @pluppsauthor @chronicallydragons @annakayy @illarian-rambling

@writingphoenix @elizaellwrites @fourwingedwriter @gummybugg and open tag! :D

#writeblr #my writing #my wips #tag game #writeblr tag game #roygbiv #roygbiv tag #open tag #the hunter the myth and the cure #thtmatc #tales from valaria #tfv #the legend of orian goldeneye #cinderheart #the dragon prince #octavian de silv #jin cinderheart

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Not me writing this whump fic for a request and retconning the opening scene of one of my WIPs because of a throwaway line

#tbh it was going to happen anyway #thtmatc opening scene was the first scene i'd ever written with draven #so now it doesn't feel the same as with the rest of the wip #writing thoughts #idk if this fic is even gonna be canon but so we go #thtmatc

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Tag Game: Find the Word

Thank you to @willtheweaver for the tag! It's been a while since I've done one of these.

My Words: Moon, meet, may, might

From The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure (Tales from Valaria):

Moon

The moon was full tonight, but the canopy of the trees rendered it unable to provide sufficient light. Reese could only hope it hindered her pursuers as much as it did her.

Meet

He held out Draven’s pistol with two fingers and dropped it to the floor. He kicked it across the wood, where it clattered to meet Draven’s foot.

May

The agent frowned. “If I may, my lord. We already have a watch on Cozenson’s hideout.”

Might

His partner reacted swiftly, for a human. He closed the distance between himself and Octavian in a single stride and swung. But however fast he might have been, Octavian was faster. He dodged the swing easily and counterstruck with a blow to his opponent's stomach.

Gently tagging @faytelumos, @spitefulbull, @late-to-the-fandom, @phoenixradiant,

@thethistlegirlwrites, @catwings-writes-things @pluttskutt, @aalinaaaaaa @pluppsauthor,

@gummybugg and open tag! :D

Your Words: sense, shock, sun, self

#writeblr #writeblr tag games #find the word #find the word tag #tag game #my writing #my ocs #tales from valaria #thtmatc #draven cozenson #octavian de silv #reese takari #open tag #writeblr tag game #my wips #the hunter the myth and the cure

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🎶 [Notes] Do you have any other WIP related things, like moodboards, character portraits, playlists or similar?

(in response to this ask game)

I don't have a lot of those other things lol, mainly because I forget that's something I can do beside writing and blogging and ask games.

I have a Pinterest board with sections for a lot of my ocs, mainly Trials of the Six and The Watcher and the Thief with a couple bonus. It's mainly moodboards and outfit inspiration.

The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure has a Spotify playlist! But I keep forgetting to add songs that remind me of the characters or plot.

And The Legend of Orian Goldeneye has character portraits (courtesy of picrew for most and featuring art from one of my mutuals)

(I don't have anything for Forsaken: The Doomed City, unless you count this Pinterest board which is for a different story in the same world, Forsaken: The Lost Island)

#thanks for the ask! #ask game #wip ask game #my wips #trials of the six #the watcher and the thief #tales from valaria #thtmatc #the legend of orian goldeneye

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My OC's in the Knights Radiant Quiz

@illarian-rambling did this thing recently where she took the Knights Radiant Quiz for her ocs. Thought it was cool so I'm doing it too lol.

The Legend of Orian Goldeneye:

Jas: Willshaper (81%). Considering what her motives are in the story, this tracks nicely. Killian: Skybreaker (78%). I feel he'd be more of an ancient order Skybreaker, operating within his own moral code with an understanding of how rules are imperfect. Orian: Edgedancer (77%). It kind of fits his personality, and he would love to slide around. Henrik: Skybreaker (74%) and Stoneward (74%). Man was born to be a Skybreaker, he's a garrison captain after all. Stoneward also fits him, as a soldier. Diana: Lightweaver (74%). She is a musician, her morals can be questionable, and she disagrees with Henrik about many things. Azura: Lightweaver (57%) and Elsecaller (57%). She is very much into the subterfuge aspect of the Lightweavers. She's also decent at tactics, a theme of the Elsecallers, and dreamshaping is somewhat similar to moving through Shadesmar. Morpheus: Elsecaller (63%). Very similar to Azura, but he's much more on the cautious side.

Tales from Valaria:

Octavian: Windrunner (77%). Like me! And it also fits his role in The Watcher and the Thief, though by the time The Hunter the Myth and the Cure comes around it's changed drastically. Draven: Willshaper (73%). He does what he wants, doesn't really care for rules but he does have his own moral code. Reese: Lightweaver (62%). I'm not too sure about this one, mostly because her morals align closer to a Willshaper or Edgedancer in my opinion. But she does tend to hide her true self from others. Luc: Windrunner (78%). Fits his morals and his job, he's quite protective. Hector: Windrunner (79%). Same as Luc, makes sense since he's Luc's mentor, but I'd say Luc has a little bit more Skybreaker in him than Hector. Damian: Edgedancer (70%). Bodes well for Caenum to have a heir that cares for his people. He was also willing to give up his freedom if it meant his captor didn't get what she wants, so he's fairly selfless. Kaira: Lightweaver (57%) (Also -20% for Bondsmith apparantly???). She's very good at deception, but that's the only thing that would be Lightweaver about her. Personally I think she'd be a better Elsecaller, due to her search for power. Rift: Elsecaller (54%). I don't know how he got this one, he has average wisdom and intelligence is his dump stat. But he would definitely make good use of Shadesmar (for "borrowing" purposes).

(Forsaken: The Doomed City):

Rowan: Elsecaller (74%). Makes sense, he's fairly cautious, he's the leader of the group (not very good at it), and he's willing to do anything to get what he wants. Victoria: Windrunner (63%). She definitely likes working in a team, and is really attached to and protective of those she cares about, to the point where she'd do anything to save them. Ollie: Truthwatcher (81%). Considering their powers make them a great spy, fueled by their natural curiosity, this fits. Sam: Stoneward (61%). She's the group's tank, the most reliable out of all of them, and fairly optimistic. Whisper: Elsecaller (70%). What is with my villains and getting Elsecaller? Is it because they all seem to be selfish bastards who do anything for what they want? (Nevertheless this does fit him).

#my ocs #my WIPs #the legend of orian goldeneye #tales from valaria #the watcher and the thief #thtmatc #jasper katherine #killian cory #orian goldeneye #henrik bronze #diana ozborne #azura lazuli #morpheus tloog #tvf #octavian de silv #draven cozenson #reese takari #luc epsilona #hector epsilona #damian caenum #kaira ta'ruen #rift twatt #rowan ftdc #victoria ftdc #ollie ftdc #sam ftdc #whisper ftdc #forsaken: the doomed city #superhero story

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🌍 - What are this oc’s religious views?

(in response to this ask game)

The Wheel chose Draven Cozenson from The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure for this one!

Fantasy religions for me are either all or nothing; I either have a whole lot of details or I don't even remember to address it. Lucky for us Valaria worldbuilding has a bit of the former! (not as much as Trials of the Six, but definitely more than Forsaken)

In the oc interviews and similar tag/ask games I've done in the past, you've probably noticed that Draven mentions celestials a lot, or something called the depths. (Minor worldbuilding tangent: Celestials are the Valarian equivalent of angels, and the depths is the Valarian name for hell.) He doesn't really believe either exists, but he swears by them anyway. I suppose that makes him an atheist.

#thanks for the ask! #oc ask game #ask game #my ocs #draven cozenson #fantasy religion #worldbuilding #worldbuilding religion #tales from valaria #thtmatc

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Top 5 OC Quotes!

Ooooooo I have a few memorable ones!

1. Lockpicking argument (The Legend of Orian Goldeneye)

Jas: Do you happen to have a lockpicking kit in that bag of yours? Killian: Do you know how to use one? Jas: Listen here, buddy, if you had a lockpicking kit, it’s implied that you know how to use it to begin with. Killian: No! I don't have a lockpicking kit!

2. Missed out (The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure)

Draven: What happened? Octavian: You missed out on a Stalker's finding us. Draven: ...huh? Draven: Y'know what, I don't wanna know. I'm going back to bed.

3. Haunt (The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure)

Luc: *surprised* You're alive. Octavian: No, I'm his ghost, come to haunt you.

4. Threaten with a very sharp sword (Trials of the Six)

Aquilar: If we come back, and I find my boat's gone, Kriv's getting me a new boat even if I have threaten him with a very sharp sword. Kriv: *sarcastically* Oh, I'm so scared.

5. Seen that coming (The Legend of Orian Goldeneye)

Octavian: Should've seen that coming, shouldn't we? Draven: Shut your damn mouth, de Silv.

#thanks for the ask! #oc quotes #wip quote #my wips #my ocs #top five #the legend of orian goldeneye #jasper katherine #killian cory #thtmatc #draven cozenson #octavian de silv #luc epsilona #trials of the six #aquilar puer-maris

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Top 5 OCs of yours?

-- @whumperofworlds

...I suppose I should have expected that lol

Let's go with general criteria (as opposed to whump criteria)!

Octavian de Silv (Tales from Valaria + The Legend of Orian Goldeneye) - created at around the same time as early versions of Jumping. Elf, skinwalker, fights with knives, member of the Magic Whumpee Association.

Draven Cozenson (The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure + The Legend of Orian Goldeneye) - Gun. Noir. Scoundrel with a heart of gold. Sass-master.

Jarsali Fortus (Trials of the Six)- has seniority over the rest in this list due to being created when I was 14-15. Got ported over to a D&D campaign once where she torched a manor. Wacky stick.

Killian Cory (The Legend of Orian Goldeneye) - accident-prone. Power of improv. Has powers but doesn't use them. Pretty trusting but it tends to not work out for the best.

Reese Takari (Tales from Valaria) - my immune-to-magic child! Accidental Watcher, Magician-hunter extraordinaire, trauma and insomniac.

You have no idea how hard it was to narrow this down :3

#thanks for the ask! #ask game #top five #my ocs #octavian de silv #draven cozenson #reese takari #jarsali fortus #killian cory #tales from valaria #thtmatc #the legend of orian goldeneye #trials of the six