#and i refuse not to include artificer

[lanaevyssmoved]

#bg3 #d&d #i had to combo paladin and celtic because i couldn’t fit them all in.. limited poll function #and i refuse not to include artificer #pws rebwog…

[batnip]

Reversed Karma AU

A Rainworld Alternate Universe.

...

 The.. triple affirmative has been found- the affirmative that a ..solution has been found, the affirmative that the..solution is portable, and the affirmative that technical implementation is possible and generally applicable.

I remember that cycle... ancients swarmed the stuff, only privilege given to the founder, Sliver of Straw, was leaving us first.

And then cycle by cycle, our parents left..

Spoilered for absurd about of text, and general spoilers.

Saint never wanted to ascend anything. And by the time every last ancient was dead and gone, cycles passed, and structures fell. The green fuzzy thing was not once fuzzy, growing a coat as the rain sent by iterators stopped.

- - So it trailed along, guilty for what was not its fault, bringing iterators to life again. With a new name, [Pilgrim].

-- Footnote : Karma needs are reversed with the Pilgrim. Dying will up their karma, surviving will lower it. Secret passages will be added to cross gates you cannot with low karma, as it is needed to progress. =======================================

Rivulet is an odd case. I wanted them to obviously give rarefaction cells, as they did to Moon originally. So the tale goes they were created by a rebellious, younger Ancient who was fond of life and the cycle. One who refused the common ideals.

-- The swift little mouse they created, was given their own ability to create low-density rarefaction cells (singularity bombs) and refine them into more high-quality cells which the Ancient learned themself.

-- As soon as the news was spread to the general public of the triple affirmative, they sent the [Technician] out into the world, wearing several pearls describing their mission. ===========

Monk and Survivor lived with their colony, and were sent to scout a new home for the colony by the [Mapmaker]. They are named [Guard] and [Scout] in Reversed Karma. They brought Scout's two slugpups with them, even if the journey was dangerous, finding a new home for Scout pups was important to both Scout and their Sibling.

-- They find the tree in journey's end, Guard staying with the pups there as Scout tells the rest of the colony, including the leader, Mapmaker.

-- Footnote: Monk still brings Moon her cloak and several pearls. =========================================

The [Mapmaker] replaces Gourmand in Reversed Karma, making a map for their colony to follow. They are the leader of their colony.

-- Very similar to vanilla, leaving current living to the tree, showing the colony to the new home.

-- Footnote : Rain is beginning to return to normal, without cold mechanic. =====================================

The [Traveler] replaces Hunter in Reversed Karma, created by Five Pebbles to check on the local group. They spawn in the grounds of Unparralled Innocence. They do not have the Rot due to Five Pebbles more careful creation of a purposed organism compared to No Significant Harrassment.

-- Footnote : Cold mechanics are in work in these areas, as UI and CW were revived later than LTTM and FP.

-- Footnote : You may optionally visit Chasing Wind. ==========

The [Mother] replaces Artificer in Reversed Karma. Their slugpups are both alive, with the same explosive quality. They give Pebbles back his cloak and become a citizen after Sofanthiel locks onto them.

-- Footnote : Mother has bad reputation with scavengers due to passing tolls without payment before the campaign. They get a backspear due to one less hand slot having two pups.

-- Footnote : Rain has returned to normal.

-- Footnote : Mother has reduced food needs compared to vanilla Artificer due to needing to feed their pups. ===============

The [Messenger] replaces Spearmaster in Reversed Karma. They were created by Seven Red Suns to send messages between them and their friends, similar to [Traveler]'s check-ins with other iterators.

-- Footnote : Messenger has a mouth, and cannot duel wield spears.

================================================

A note from the OP: I hope you like them.. I've been wanting to show them off for a while. One of my headcannons for iterators was that the natural urges are coded into them with anti-ascension stuff. Like. Make ascension for us, but not for you. This is why they were wildly unsuccessful in finding the triple affirmative. Also.. Tumblr nuked quality of my image :c If u read all this and liked it perhaps a rb?? also hehe funny number thank u all

#rainworld #rain world #rainworld fanart #rw slugcat #rain world fanart #slugcat #rw art #rw designs #rainworld au #rw au #rain world au #- #rw survivor #rw monk #rw hunter #rw rivulet #rw artificer #rw saint #rw gourmand #rw spearmaster #- - #rw reversed karma au #reversed karma au #- - - #rk pilgrim #rk technician #rk guard #rk scout #rk mapmaker #rk traveler

[joons]

really having a time today, but i've been reading ... i suppose you'd call it elvis historiography, the history of the way narratives about him have been set from the beginning with little pushback. and it strikes me how easy it is to titter about how outlandish the criticism of him was in the '50s, the pearl-clutching about dancing and the sneering dismissiveness of everything he represented (which is often a list of things that CRITICS were uniquely worried about, but which had nothing to do with what ELVIS thought he represented), and think it shows something uniquely weird about the 1950s that we are well beyond! nope! we are not! the attitude of refusing to give elvis a place of respect, either as a cultural force, an artist, or simply a human being, has always been there, and only the language shifts with time. the founding lies build on one another, in a way that may not be obvious when the criticism shifts from religious to psychological terms. he's always on the wrong side of the racial divide, he's too liberated, he's too repressed, he's too vulgar, he's too buttoned-up, he's too original, he's too boring - anything to put him back in his place, for the critic to view themselves as better than him in some way. whether it's through his music, movies, private life, it doesn't matter, what is important is that elvis needs to be isolated, shamed, neutralized. make him a joke so that whatever power he seems to have no longer matters. the early lies don't have to be true, they can just be reframed (and oh, honey, you can literally track the bad authors who cite each other). he is america's sins, even the ones we no longer count, even the ones we haven't thought of yet.

and that reminded me of this quote from jane elliot, who acted alongside him in change of habit:

“Elvis … learned that, because of who he was and people’s preconceived ideas of who he was, there was always a chance he was going to bring the worst out in somebody—that they were going to take pot-shots at him. In order to be comfortable in his own skin, he had to understand their compulsion to knock him down a level, and that included me.”

elvis understood that his fame prevented him from being known and that it put a target on his back for everyone to kick. and he was kind about it. he constantly put himself in the shoes of the people who wronged him and forgave them when they didn't deserve it. and it's kind of wild to me how brave and hard that was. how it was a mark of his humanity and agency when everyone was telling him his success was pure luck, based on plagiarism or passivity. it's remarkable how much his attitude and grace shine through, becoming more extraordinary and gentle and compelling the more people hate him. the sincerity is something that, like, devastates people who want to believe that success is a cruel calculation, that you can't get to the top without being like them. elvis was never like that. worse, he made them feel bad about being like that. everything that has happened since is people trying to get him back. for caring about people and about music with no artifice.

#i dunno i'm just like ... mad? today? #edit: another time when jane told this story she said 'but he forgave me ... so i better forgive myself' #bursting into tears? #meta #elvis presley

[crunchetime]

Abel Twelve Peaks [he/him]

Loxodon Fighter, Psi-Warrior

An exiled warrior from distant lands, Abel Twelve Peaks is a powerful, stoic loxodon with with a booming voice that belies his peaceful demeanor. He rarely raises a blade to solve a problem, but when he feels he must, he will bend gravity and the minds of his foes to his will, distorting the battlefield to put him in ultimate control. In his day-to-day, however, Abel is a gentle giant who excels in his warmness, soothing tensions among his peers and sharing in the joys of their revelry...

...all this is to say: Abel is a fearsome fighter wise beyond his years and a beloved compatriot, but where exactly he came from is a mystery. He refuses to answer any questions about his past, and does so with a grave, intimidating tone. It seems as though he wants to leave that past behind, and as long as it doesn't come knocking, folks aren't quick to complain.

[when you make a elephant man whos also kinda a babygirl]

[For those just joining us, I made a list of D&D ocs with one based on each playable class, including Artificer and Blood Hunter (14 total). Then, I decided to make a second set. As of typing this, I'm close to finishing a third set, bringing the total oc count for this list up to F O R T Y - T W O (42). Someone Help]

#loxodon #psi warrior #artist on tumblr #digital art #my oc #oc #my oc art #dnd art #character art #dnd character #dnd character design #dnd character art #dnd oc #dungeons and dragons art #dungeons and drawings #my art #my artwork #Abel Twelve Peaks #oc-Abel

[immortalarizona]

so today’s session was a little wild.....

in vaguely chronological order, the following events occurred:

the party one-shot SO many goblins in that one random encounter I planned to introduce the artificer with. like they only have 7 hp but DANG

tarokka readings from a kalashtar sorceress, because the module is my bitch and I do what I want

I got to see the bastard man behind the mask for the first time!!! (during the tarokka readings, which were one-on-one, the bard showed a bit of his true self, and it was DELIGHTFUL)

after her own reading, the fighter is now suspicious of EVERYONE EXCEPT THE BARD, WHO THE CARDS WERE WARNING HER OF ABOUT AS EXPLICITLY AS THEY COULD

speaking of misconceptions, the rogue player is now convinced that Jimjar is secretly evil. this is probably not helped by the fact that the sorceress REFUSED to give him a reading because She Recognized What He Was (A FUCKING GOD)

through a series of truly god-tier medicine checks, the artificer took the vial of holy water I forgot I had given Morwenna and, after testing the effects on some goo the party had collected from a spore servant earlier, injected the rest of the vial into Sarith’s carotid artery in the hopes of destroying the fungal infection in his brain

part of Sarith’s brains may or may not have leaked out through his eyeballs during the hellish minutes that followed

Stool may or may not have raised Sarith from the dead as a quasi-spore servant when mouth-to-mouth, CPR, and an impromptu defibrillator in the form of Shocking Grasp failed to restart his heart

Sarith’s heart Still has not started, in fact

(and it never will again)

because my man is now Reborn Lineage: Plant Edition™

and he also remembers Basically Nothing!

(which reminds me, I need to draw his new look)

also we finally made it to Sloobludop and we all broke down laughing as I failed miserably at pronouncing these fucking names with a straight face

everyone is bored with Derendil, including me. he will not survive longer than two sessions, I can guarantee that

tl;dr — madness and mad science :]

#dnd #oota #out of the abyss #road trip to hell #sarith kzekarit

[randomfaeriedragon]

Hey, guess what I did this week?

Thats right, draw 3/5 OC Iterators that began growing in my brain on a photoediting program with my computer's touchpad!

This is the first time I've ever really drawn something digitally other than my profile pic & rw brainrot, and it's definitely the first time I've designed iterators, so yeah! Enjoy the art and subsequent Lore dumps under the cut :)

Iterator 35, Gen. 2: Shaded Pewter Lights / SPL

Built at the base of a dry, desert-like mountain, SPL preferred to occupy their time with huge, complex mechanical experiments rather than genealogical or Acension-based research. They despise thinking about the Great Problem, as no one can experiment if they're all dead, though they don't dislike iterators who attempt to solve it (for that reason alone). Their city used to harbor and attract skilled mechanics and engineers for miles around, as a particularly prodigous university was located on their can. Though they rarely interacted with their citizens, they often miss the requests they sent them, especially those sent by the less experienced artificers of their city; however, they feel little love for the Ancients beyond appreciation for their skill in mechanics (the skill required to build the iterators).

In the past, SPL has repeatedly set up projects within their can that could only be described as titanic Rube Goldberg Machines. SPL often sought to improve the functionality of their can with these experiments (plus having fun), keen to observe and record as much data as possible from the cycles-long whirring of cogs and water wheels before setting everything up again to repeat. Their main goals included lowering their needed water intake, gaining a form of low-power mode for bad weather, and utilizing lightning as a secondary power source. Though many saw these modifications as taboo, SPL couldn't care less, blocking almost all communication during their experimentation era: however, they often shared their knowledge with APS to assit in the creation of the wildlife santuary on his can, and many of the conduits used to water plants there are of their design.

Due to an integral flaw in the rerouted void fluid piping of their Easternmost Leg, SPL's can collapsed in the middle of a heated arguement with their local group, with their Westernmost Leg piercing through their can. With rust and sand permeating their structure, their many mechanisms fell silent for the first time since the Ascension. Although SPL is still connected to their can, overseers, and local communications arrays, they can no longer induldge themselves in experiments; they barely have enough power function as is. They now spend most of their time chatting with other iterators in their local group, sending overseers to APS's sanctuary, and attempting to prevent further discoloration and rust on their puppet. They're not usually bitter, but particularly vulgar arguements with EN can send them into a spiral.

SPL still feels they did the right thing in modifying their can. Though the other iterators refuse to admit it, the main reason they still function is due to the modification of their can.

Iterator 77, Gen. 3: Rain from Clear Skies / RCS

Although he often jokes around, RCS is the most calm and collected of his local group. He often finds himself mediating fights between his local group (read: SPL and EN) for this reason, as has the astonishing ability (within his local group at least) to sit back, consider something fully, and make mostly objective decisions. He also uses this ability to point out details many other iterators overlook, so is often called for help with malfunctioning software and to explain why some experiments went wrong. His citizens instilled him with a love for quiet and time to contemplate, and they had a moderately positive relationship, so often misses them. But when he isn't meditating or recording data from around his can, he's talking with EN. They have soft spots for each other.

His name comes from the already heavy rainfall in the region where his can was built, which his construction didn't help; very little non-semi-aquatic wildlife remains around his can. However, he often moderates the remaining flora and flauna to insure it's continued survival, and has sent more than a few wounded animals to APS so she can assit in their recovery. When he's not researching, RCS also acts as the jokester of his local group, and often codes pranks and malware intended to cause harmless irritation into sent messages. He's gotten quite good at it, to his local group's endless infuriation (and delight). He doesn't send these to SPL, though, as their systems likely wouldn't be able to handle the repairs.

Iterator 16, Gen. 1: Even Nightfall / EN

As one of the earliest iterators built, EN's city was particularly religious and pious, priding themselves on their virtue and detachment from the material world. This did not bode well for EN, who had an almost abusive relationship with their citizens; they treated EN as something to deal with their problems and nothing more. After they Ascended, EN felt both a weight off their shoulders and, for a reason he can't pin down, a profound sense of betrayal that their creators abandoned them. Though a few in their local group see them as nothing more than cruel and callous, EN is very emotinally reserved (but also very, very smug) and astoundingly protective and kind towards those they care for. This includes RCS, their genticially modified slugcat Arps, and to some extent APS.

APS acted as a sort of mentor to EN when they were built, helping them manage their city's requests and sneak in a few personal projects on the side. While their city didn't approve of the projects they found, and reprimanded EN, the number EN kept secret far outnumbered those discovered by the Ancients. With their creators gone, EN found a hobby genetically modifying the pre-existing wildlife around their structure, and has improved their already impressive skills; this lead many genticially modified organisms to spread out and inhabit EN's can, and is also where Arps came from.

Named after APS, Arps acts as a mix between a therapy animal and pet for both EN and RCS. Arps frequently travels between EN and RCS's cans, and EN gave them the ability to glide to ease this passage; however, they (and RCS) also always send an overseer along with Arps to ensure their safety. Even when Arps is simply gliding between trees in the Rainworld Equivalent of a Sparse Pine Forest surrounding EN's can, he always sends an overseer to make sure they're OK. They're almost overbearing!

EN and RCS are perhaps the closest out of any of the iterators within their local group, and frequently chat or play 7-dimensional chess for entire cycles before they have to check up on an experiment so it doesn't explode. Though they couldn't talk much and weren't nearly as close pre-Mass Acension, RCS was one of the few iterators who spent the time to work around EN's colony's communication restrictions and talk to them. He was a great comfort, and one of the only reasons EN didn't crack under their city's pressure.

Not Featured Here: (bios will get out eventually)

Iterator 4, Gen. 1: A Profound Serenity / APS (Any Pronouns)

Iterator 84, Gen. 3: Tide Rolling In / TRI (She/Her)

Arps (They/It)

Probably One or Two More Iterators

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE: I used an Ancient script by @ikayblythe for the displays by my iteratoes, took heavy inspiration from iterator designs by @altitudeofalcatraz, and took the idea of Iterator Number Deisgnations from Daszombes' Iterator Logs on Youtube.

Anyways, I'm going to go drop off the face of the planet for a week. Thanks for reading this much this far, goodbye!

#hoo boy this is and was a lot #how much does it say that i talked about EN's trauma before anything else? #I struggled with EN's design so much #I could never tell if the colors were too bright or not vibrant enough #and I originally drew them in greyscale- #Also don't mind their pose I meant to have their arms crossed but realized later they were not in fact doing that #also also the overseer designs were a headache #I might go back and completely revamp RCS and EN's overseer designs #but yeah #first major “did an art” achieved! #rain world #rainworld #iterator ocs #rain world ocs #rw shaded pewter lights #rw rain from clear skies #rw even nightfall #I went back and fixed some typos and stuff so hopefully it reads a bit better now-

[thesporkidentity]

I had not formed this conclusion in consequence of Sir Percival's refusal to show the writing or to explain it, for that refusal might well have proceeded from his obstinate disposition and his domineering temper alone. My sole motive for distrusting his honesty sprang from the change which I had observed in his language and his manners at Blackwater Park, a change which convinced me that he had been acting a part throughout the whole period of his probation at Limmeridge House. His elaborate delicacy, his ceremonious politeness which harmonised so agreeably with Mr. Gilmore's old-fashioned notions, his modesty with Laura, his candour with me, his moderation with Mr. Fairlie—all these were the artifices of a mean, cunning, and brutal man, who had dropped his disguise when his practised duplicity had gained its end, and had openly shown himself in the library on that very day.

so the fact that he demanded she sign a contract while absolutely refusing to let her read it, indeed, making sure she couldn't read it by covering all the text except the signature line with victorian sticky notes, isn't what made them suspicious. no, that could be explained by him being just the kind of petty asshole who would demand unquestioning obedience from laura and start slamming his hands against the desk to scare them because she's his wife and should do as he says. what made them suspicious was the way that he first tried the charm approach to get what he wanted rather than his default demand of obedience. what a fucking nightmare that they don't question when he's violent, but when he's nice.

also, this is unrelated to the quote, but my brain is just reeling at the cognitive dissonance of the attitudes in this scene. and i don't mean sir percival specifically, i mean the general attitudes including percival's insistence, and fosco's declaring that he and his wife have only one opinion (his), both representative of the idea that a wife should obey the husband (it's just that there are acceptable and un-acceptable ways of ensuring that obedience).

like, on one hand is the attitude that a wife should only do as her husband says. and yet on the other hand is the contradiction of laura having some sort of legal right that requires her consent and signature. she should submit to her husband's will, and yet the requirement of her signature means that she is taking on whatever the responsibility of that contract is. she should have no say, but she should bear the consequences of his deciding for her. it's just this catch-22, there's no way for her (or, truly, women in general) to win there. i hate it! a woman has some sort of legal right, except that she shouldn't, she should follow orders, she should be responsible for a contract. it just goes round and round in a circle of contradictions but no one acknowledges that no-win scenario except for laura and marian. the men just either pretend they don't see it (likely fosco) or truly have never examined that situation because their privilege means it doesn't affect them or benefits them (likely glyde). anyway i hate it, it makes me want to tear my hair out

#woman in white weekly

[mosses-gate-3]

tav challenge - (new tav) Ren edition!! This can be their introduction of sorts

They're a half-drow artificer (except I can't play them as an artificer because bg3 HATES FUN /lh) and they're being haunted by the ghost of the legendary pirate captain Juniper Stormaven. They're very pragmatic and don't tend to be very outwardly emotional, preferring to let the things they create speak for them.

favorite weapon: As soon as they find Dammon I think they commission a special sword enchanted to extend into a whip or retract back (if you've seen the Dragon Prince I took a lot of inspiration from a character in that).

style of combat: Ren is very tactical and likes to plan things out thoroughly before they get into a fight, though they try to avoid violence in favor of diplomacy.

most prized possession: A crumpled letter they've sewn inside the lining of their clothes. It's the only thing they have from their birth mother.

deepest desire: To run their own store or maybe even have a ship with all the things they enchant and to create/sell automatons that are both practical and beautiful. They want to use their creations to help people.

guilty pleasure: They have a huge sweet tooth

best-kept secret: Ren can't read. They're very smart and they've tried and tried to learn, it's just never worked, reading is nearly impossible for them. It's the reason they flunked out of wizard school - they were actually supposed to attend at the same time Gale was, but the academy refused to accommodate them (with magic items that could read papers out loud to them, etc), and so they failed all their classes and had to leave. Juniper and their parents are the only ones that know - they've been able to hide it from the companions because Juniper just reads things out loud over their shoulder.

greatest strength: Their ability to make creative and efficient plans and be objective and unbiased.

fatal flaw: They have a hard time communicating what they want and often bottle things up until they explode.

favorite smell: The ocean, I think they find it comforting after being at sea for so long.

favorite spell or cantrip: I'm not actually sure what kinds of spells artificers have but Magic Missile is always a good one.

pet peeve: People who judge other people's eating habits especially but also those who just generally are up in everyone's business. They definitely value privacy.

bad habit: Any piece of machinery they find ends up dissected, and it's really a gamble as to whether it gets put back together again.

hidden talent: They're very good at drawing people, likenesses and whatnot.

leisure activity: They like to tinker with things and build little automatons in their spare time.

favorite drink: Herbal tea, chamomile or peppermint especially

comfort food: Honey buns :)

favorite person: Their adoptive father, he's the one that taught them how to build and animate things. He's always been very supportive of them. Ren's favorite companion is Gale.

favored display of affection (platonic and/or romantic): Making and buying things for people, especially if it'll improve their life somehow.

fondest childhood memory: One day someone sold their dad (who ran a pawnshop) a broken clock. They took it apart together and he built them a little clockwork bug thing, which Ren then accidentally animated - that's how they found out they had a talent for magic. The bug is still wandering around their father's study, as far as they know.

Is there anything else you'd like to share? (feel free to include art or a screenshot of your Tav if available!): They were a low-ranking officer on an exploratory vessel after they dropped out of wizard school, which is where they unfortunately wound up haunted by Juniper. They have a lot of fondness for ships. Also Ren is short for Reneeginald for backstory reasons

#reneeginald #my tav #my ocs #bg3 tav #moss says things

[cactusringed]

IM asking you to ramble about bg3 au and autism blast everywhere. and makeout and how sexy and funny you are.

I love you both so much our wedding is coming soon

Anyway OK listen. Listen to me okay Bg3 refers to baldurs gate 3 and for all you need to know it's a dnd video game where the characters get infected with literal brain worms which should have turned them into murderous cultists, but somehow they got spared that fate, and come together to get rid of their brain worms

The party is made of

Grian: a gnome druid whose preferred wild shape is a bird and who might have some hidden aasimar origins because Grian HAS to be God's favorite princess all the time

Scar: an elf ranger who was torn away from his family when he was kidnapped by illithids, and whose closest bro Cub (a warlock who's made a pact with archfaes) was also infected but sadly was turned into a cultist. Scar is desperately looking for him.

Scott: a tiefling bard/sorcerer who does most of the group's talking with npcs both due to his travels making him the more knowledgeable of the group about the region but also because as a bard you can do wild shit like just convince really powerful entities to just kill themselves for fun and that's a very Scott thing to do

Mumbo: a half drow artificer who tbh is the most normal of the group (as far as everyone knows anyway)

Jimmy: half aarakocra (bird :D) vampire cringefail rogue who. Well yeah he's a stand in for astarion me and my friend just wanted a cringefail vampire with negative charisma ok

Joel: A half elf barbarian who has a little secret. The secret is that he's a murderous bastard. But like in the most literal sense of the word

Joel's role specifically has me so mentally ill. Okay. So like. You need a teensy bit of lore for this ok and this will include spoilers for baldy gate 3 if the 2.5 people who read this far intend to play the viddy game well stop reading but still kiss me on the mouth.

So the Lore has many gods and the gods are just real tangible all powerful beings. Much like with Greek mythos, you following a specific god isn't because you only believe in that God, but because you're most devoted to them. Well that's how I see it anyway. And there are three gods associated with death and evil (it's more complicated than that in my hc but we don't have time). One of them is Bhaal. And Bhaal, get this, is the most metal fucking fictional god I've seen because he's the god of MURDER.

Something something he had to give birth to people called Bhaalspawn for some reason who are his direct children and carry a piece of him within them or something (Bg/dnd superfans don't come at me) and it's all part of his grand plan to take over the world. WHATEVER

But Joel IS a bhaalspawn. And he was Bhaal's specialest most favorite bhaalspawn. And now, okay, the thing about bhaalspawns is that they're not actually inherently evil, but they do carry that part of Bhaal within them - his will, and his potential for power. Some Bhaalspawn are raised specifically to be daddy's best little murderers and of course that's how Joel was brought up.

He was examplary because he was trained to be. He was capable of some of the most rancid bloodshed because it was what he was taught, and rewarded for. He was created to be murder incarnate, so any other emotions (love, empathy, etc) were shunned until Joel was either incapable of it, or refused to show it.

Except something happened. He got betrayed, usurped, and infected with the aforementioned brainworms which led to his memory loss. What did remain, even as he escaped the ship keeping him captive, even as he joined up with other infected survivors, was... A primal need. Like it was coded in his DNA, like it was in his blood itself: he had a need to kill. Not just kill, but spread misery, spread pain, and acquire power at any cost. He mostly unleashes those urges onto his enemies, but it never feels like enough. Like a scratch he can't quite itch. Of course, that's all Bhaal trying to reel him back in, Bhaal trying to reclaim him.

But like clockwork - because such ingrained training doesn't go away no matter how much one thinks they forgot - he finds himself relishing in it. In the violence of it all. The only time he feels truly alive is when he's covered in blood and gut.

... That is, until he finds himself growing closer and closer to Jimmy. After a night where Jimmy, desperately trying to hide his very obvious identity as a vampire but also desperately hungry, tries to feed off of Joel, and reveals his secret... Well, Joel had all rights to kill him right then and there. He reasons that there's no fun in killing someone so helpless but in truth there's something a bit charming about Jimmy. He's earnest, and he's just so... Not exactly innocent, but also sort of? He gives Joel to urge to protect him. To hold him so tight and close as to choke him. But in a sweet way. Probably.

Joel won't be able to put it into words for a long while yet, half because he refuses to let himself feel such things because he's so horrifically repressed. He was the only one at camp who didn't even guess Jimmy was a vampire before the big reveal because he's got negative int and wis (his strategy in battle is just hit things hard before they can hit you and honestly it works most of the time) so he'd just never noticed the obvious signs. Anyway. Because his blood is the tastiest and somehow he's one of the companions who acts the least weird about it, which really says a lot, Jimmy ends up mostly feeding off of him. And, well, something about letting your homie regularly suck blood out of your neck is bound to lead to something more. Joel becomes a bit possessive of his little birdie.

When Joel learns that he's Bhaal's special little princess, in truth he's fucking elated, because he spends weeks torturing himself in an attempt to remember who he is, what he's doing, what's wrong with him - and he's finally afforded answers. He leans fully into it. He's so happy to serve his God with bloodshed.

Until he's faced with him. With Bhaal. And after Joel committed countless atrocities (which the rest of their group didn't mind that much as lokgi as they stayed in the clear. They're all bad people) bhaal asks him to shed one last bit of blood before receiving his blessing, before becoming his chosen, he who will enact the murder God's plans. He needs to get rid of his pesky earthly desires and affections. They have no place within murder incarnate. He asks Joel to flat out kill Jimmy or die right here and then.

You'd think Joel would hesitate with how intensely pro-Bhaal he is. You'd think it would be a difficult decision. Jimmy would have thought too. Except that Joel's response is instant and intense. He tells Bhaal to go literally fuck himself, that he'd rather kill every last Bhaalspawn and make sure his bloodline ends with him, rather than lay a finger on Jimmy. Jimmy, whose helped his heavy heart feel so light and free. Jimmy, who makes him feel true warmth. Jimmy, who makes Joel want to appreciate every sunset, every breeze, every breath of fresh air. Jimmy, who treats Joel as so much more than a bloodthirsty beast.

Joel never thought he would want to be anything more than a bloodthirsty beast.

So of course Bhaal kills him because he's literally a god. Right in front of Jimmy. (there's plot and dnd magic that brings him back but it's definitely the culmination of his arc; that Joel, groomed to become murder incarnate, was given an opportunity to find another meaning to his life)

Also they have CRAZY sex

#Me and my buddy have been very autistic to each other abt this au I needed to scream #I wish I had more time and energy to draw I wld draw am #I'm so fucking unwell #Long post <3 #Also I realise it feels like a 'character a gets saved by luv uwu' and. Well #Sometimes u do just rly need to be loved yeah

[zenosanalytic]

Three Men and a Maybe

HHHHHCHOkay,

SO:

As I revealed in This Post, I have life-longedly loved GamesWorkshop’s(idk WHY my tag for them is separated; I should prob fix that |:T) settings, tho I wouldn’t say I’ve really been a *PART* of its fandom cuz I was at most a lurker in EVERY fandom before Homestuck, but An Idea occurred to me today about some VERY obscure parts of the Imperium’s backstory which would make ALLOT OF THREADS snap NEATLY INTO PLACE, and I’m going to write this theory down(with no idea how unviable their novelizations make it cuz No I Am Not Reading Those Things) even though it will probably be of zero interest to most of my Dear, Dear Sweet Readers u_u u_u

ANYWAY(and under a cut to Spare You All):

All Imperial history is DEEPLY falsified, OBSESSIVELY Censored and Redacted, propaganda; and pre-imperial human history -SPCL the bits from before the birth of Sla’anesh(Yes: I REFUSE to abandon the old spelling; i LIKE that glottal stop there and Im PRESERVING It unu unu unu) wrecked EVERYONE’S shit Thoroughly and Comprehensively- are All Of THAT applied to incomplete -NEVER intentionally preserved- archaeological data, but one thing that this ENTIRELY SUSPECT ~Record~ is clear on(mostly because it’s a central tenet of the Martian Steampunk Techfetishist Cult who builds and maintains, but never Innovates cuz that’d be HERESY!, their equipment) is that back in the Bad Old Days(read: Communist Space-Utopia) Humanity had three classes of “Abominable Intelligences”(AI, get it?) -the Men of Stone, the Men of Iron and the Men of Gold- upon whose labor that Communist Space-Utopia existed, until the Men of Iron rebelled.

From what I’ve read in wikis and what minimal discussion I’ve seen in the fandom the general theories on this tend to be that the Men of Stone were maybe an older class of robots or laborbots, the Men of Iron militarybots, and there’s really no firm idea on who the Men of Gold were(the most popular theories seem to be they were either governmental machine intelligences or some sort of mechanical psyker), but here’s the thing: Why do we think they were all Mechanical?

The recent League of Votann material makes it clear that they’re a clone subspecies derived from genomes specifically engineered for mining work in harsh and non-atmosphere conditions. It also makes clear that ‘the Men of Iron’ were NOT exclusively military bots because the Leaguers STILL HAVE THEM AROUND. THEY DIDNT DESTROY THEM AND RECORD NO CONFLICT WITH THEM(which sort of undermines the whole ‘Oh our Robots went Beserk for No Reason and tried to Genocide all biological life!’ line). They’re citizens like everybody else; self-directed people who just happen to be built rather than decanted out of a clone-vat.

The Humans of what the Imperium calls “The Dark Age of Technology” had the technology to do whatever they liked with the human genome, as ‘abhumans’ like the Leaguers well attest. What if their idea of what constituted an “Artificial Intelligence” included biological constructs? ‘Artificial’ just means ‘Made; Product of Artifice’. What if the Leaguers(scifi takes on Dwarves I remind you) **ARE** the “Men of Stone”, pursuing their own fates independent of the long-dead Federation of “Real” humans which made them to be slaves, just like the Men of Iron living beside them?

But: I haven’t addressed the question of “The Men of Gold”. While it’s just one internet-snake’s fantheory I feel pretty confident about the above, but this next one’s a BIT of a stretch. However: I have what I THINK is a very eloquent way to illustrate it:

That’s The Emperor.

Well: before he was mortally wounded, bound to a giant soul-eating chair, and turned into a demiliche-cum-navigation-beacon by the genocidal fanatics he created to Kill All Nonhumans.

What he’s wearing is called Auric, technically auric-adamantium(auric means golden) armor, and it’s a technology from the ‘Bad Old Days’. He didn’t have much of it and he’d hand it out to his favorites among the Primarchs(those genocidal fanatics who turned him into a psychic lighthouse so they could keep going to breathtaking new places and killing exciting new people).

What if The Emperor is the last ‘Man of Gold’?

I’ve laid out my theory for the Leaguers being ‘The Men of Stone’, and what if something similar, but taken in a RADICALLY different direction, is going on here? What if ‘The Men of Gold’ were artificial biological constructs engineered to Govern the same way Leaguers are engineered to mine and survive? The “Solution” to politics humans have dreamed of for so long: beings incapable of pursuing anything less than the ‘Ultimate Utilitarian Good’(lots of wiggleroom there I’ll warn you!), perfectly logical, utterly dedicated to the survival of humanity(no matter the costs or crimes), peerless in strategy, faultless in rhetoric, infinitely charismatic, Impossible to kill, INCAPABLE of nepotism(or personal loyalty of any kind beyond the expedient, for that matter), and -oh!- also psychics who can know what you want -and how to convince you that their way will get it- before you do, AND project their awarenesses literally across the galaxy at-whim.

What if, taking a page from Voltaire, the humans of “The Dark Age of Technology” made the gods that didn’t exist, and made them In Their Image?

And then those gods, somehow, all died?

All but One.

#GamesWorkshop #Warhammer 40k #WH40K Lore #The Men of Stone #The Men of Iron #The Men of Gold #The Leagues of Votann #Ironkin #The Emperor #The Dark Age of Technology #The Imperium of Man #zA Theorizing #zA's Wild Guessing

[crewofthegoldrush]

about a year ago i drew a concept for what if the pc x npc pairs swapped classes, which quickly formed an AU that I have not stopped thinking about, where the roles are swapped - with the NPCs now as the heroes and the PCS are now NPCs. so let’s break that down under the cut! 

Demetrius d’Lyrandar - Wild Magic Sorcerer, ship wayfinder. 

As a member of House Lyrandar, he has the ability to pilot the airship with no issue, but refuses. The current pilot is doing a fine job without him, seemingly on her own pure charisma, although he will step in in an emergency - like that time a hole was blown into the ship...

His Wild Magic doesn’t necessarily come from chaos, instead from trauma that has caused a disconnection between himself and his magic. He refuses to discuss this, even with those who know of his past, and would rather drink instead. Ironically, his magic works fine when he’s less than sober

Has a preference for weather spells, such as Lightning Lure, Gust [from his Dragonmark], Ray of Frost, and Fog Cloud. His metamagic is Careful and Subtle

Aubrey Galatea - Alchemist Artificer, crew / mercenary

Still a spy from another continent but genuinely believes she is working for/towards the greater good when she is sent on this mission; here her aloofness comes less from being apathetic and cruel, and more because she is so sworn to secrecy she just chooses to keep people at arm’s length, making her quite a wet blanket

If asked how she feels about that moody dragon flirting with her, she claims she’s “putting up with it” but there could be more to it than that

As an alchemist, she specializes in poisons and infusing/enhancing weaponry; some of her go to spells include Mage Hand, Poison Spray, and Caustic Brew. Her chosen infusions are her Homunculus Servant (Incognito), a replicated Alchemy Jug, and Returning Weapon. She almost never uses her Aberrant mark unless she feels she can get away with it.

[I was going to add a bonus Harper but bro i tired]

Brunhilde Kheldeburn - Artillerist Artificer, ship gunner / security

You know those players who feel like fire is the answer to most things? That’s this gal. Buff and can throw a cannon (and occasional flame thrower) over her shoulder like it’s nothing, she’s a force to deal with in a fight. One might be surprised to learn someone so kind and cheerful could be so bombastic and chaotic!

Doesn’t put up with anyone’s shit and is usually the first to pull the previously mentioned wet blankets along with her, not to mention that tough little kobold.

Actually doesn’t find herself using too much magic, preferring to get to it and use her axe or cannon instead, however her favorite spells are Firebolt, Light, and Catapult

Angelica d’Sivis - Beast Master Ranger, crew / archivist

Similar to her canon self, Angelica is driven by a want for fame, which lead her to apply for this 50 day voyage. However, as a hero here she is much more genuine and earnest in this pursuit as I imagine here she came from more humble beginnings. She is still Aberrant, which she uses to hide the fact that she is not a real member of House Sivis; the stigma against Aberrants is part of her motivation to make a real name for herself.

To be honest, I’m not sure the history between herself and her owl, Schuyler, other than just a reference to her canon wizard self, although the owl seems to have a bit of a rivalry with the captains familiar. idk they can’t all be well thought out these aren’t my characters bro

Besides her mark granting her Illusion magic, her ranger spells are typically Hunter’s Mark, Detect Magic, and Fog Cloud

Benjamin Octavious - Valor Bard / [Celestial Warlock], second ship doctor

Largely unchanged from his canon self; he is an employee for House Jorasco and is a lovely man working his way through college. His valor bard self has an even more enthusiastic belief that the best way to help is to get out there, which is partly what lead him to this voyage.

Keeps his role actually the same as well, because the fact that that little kenku is still his boss even in an AU is too hilarious to pass up. 

Before leaving Sharn, he bought what he was told was a lucky charm - a strange, bone carving called the Panther Claw.

Natsuko Hayashi - Scout Rogue, cartographer 

Similar canon history, where she fled her previous life of luxury after receiving a number of threatening letters, only to end up in a lighting rail accident. She survives thanks to the druid tribes in the area, but instead of training to be a druid, she decides to be someone who can fight back after realizing she was only in that crash because she was running away. I think her personality would be the most changed, with her more level-headed, rational mind replaced with someone who is a bit more brash and bold with a habit of accidentally getting herself into trouble, which is probably what happens when you insist on being the one to scout ahead

She furthers her family’s work in cartography, using her skills in leading expeditions to advance their work, earning her a good enough name to join this voyage. 

Is way too proud to admit that the ship’s librarian with the peacock necklace is cute.

Delphinium ir’Celosia “Num” - Eldritch Knight Fighter, crew / ship security

Much of Del Num’s canon backstory isn’t fully known to me, but here I’ve imagined she leans more into her tetra warrior training and works on becoming a better fighter. She abandons her role as a noble, and largely keeps her name...not a secret, but certainly unsaid

Num uses the voyage purely as a way to further her main goal - to learn more about what happened to Cyre, and what better way than to travel all over the country on a ship that was heading towards the Mournlands?

It’d be a lot easier to keep her name hidden if her ex wasn’t also on board….

caNT wait to do the PCs next i put Monty THROUGH IT

#dnd #dungeons and dragons #d&d #eberron #furry art #NPCS #swap au #art only #when i say i haven't stopped thinking about it i really meant it #i could write the book i could make the comic i could draw the thing #natsuko with an undercut would look sooo much better if i could just draw humans D'x

[pansear-doodles]

Hunter is now available in Art Fight!

Description below

Name: Hunter Pronouns: Any/All Likes: Bouts of Physical Activity such as running and climbing, Discovering and Learning about new creatures, Eating, Being Caressed (with consent), Biting things, Chasing and hunting, Experiencing euphoria Dislikes: Being put down, Dying, Feeling weak, Losing, Being put in a situation where nothing happens, Feeling boredom, Feeling cold

History: Hunter was created by No Significant Harassment. They were raised and trained as NSH's personal messenger, being tasked to send pearls and equipment within the local group. One day, NSH notices symptoms of Hunter's illness that was the result of their faulty genetic blueprinting since their creation. NSH offers Hunter a way to rid of this illness, which is to go to the void sea, but Hunter refuses, wishing to accomplish one more mission before they can depart. NSH ultimately entrusts Hunter with a green neuron, to be sent to Looks to the Moon, one of their fallen friends. Hunter's journey was rough, as they were put in a completely new area unbeknownst to them. Predator after predator, jump after jump- Hunter eventually meets one of the iterators in the area: Five Pebbles, who gives them a bit more time to stray away from the effects of their illness. Hunter eventually reaches their destination and delivers the neuron. Moon, while grateful, empathizes with Hunter and allows them to stay for a while. Their child, Rivulet, was grateful to see one who's awakened their mother from a long slumber and befriended them. Hunter is then encouraged to enjoy the world as they can while they still have time, or at least visit their creator- their choice. On their self-realizing journey, Hunter meets a slugcat where chaos rues around them: this was The Artificer. The two fought, but Hunter was ultimately overcome with their brute strength and their illness holding them back. Before they get killed, Hunter manages to pull the rug by uttering something kind to them, lowering their defenses and having their back turned. Hunter convinces the restrained Artificer to turn to a new leaf and enjoy life as is, helping them heal. They became friends who fought side by side, but eventually lovers. Artificer carried Hunter's weakened body to NSH's facility, where some of their illness is healed thanks to the recent findings NSH made while Hunter was away. Some time passes and Hunter finds a lost Survivor. They help and mentor them, accompanying them to their reunion with their sibling Monk. Altogether and the friends they made along the way, they became a friend group. Hunter would later marry Artificer and live atop of Five Pebbles alongside.

Personality: Hunter is adventurous and spontaneous. They always observe an optimistic attitude and is extremely daring, despite their fears of dying. They live life to the fullest alright- trying new things whenever possible and they never skip a beat on it unless their illness acts up. They are friendly and democratic- they are quite the leader and pushes forward knowing that they fight for love and to continue living. I guess the best I can describe my Hunter to you is that they have "older sibling" vibes. Sometimes, its tough for them to keep smiling, so they'd have their downtimes where all they want to do for that while is to rest and chill with their loved ones by their side. They are extremely frustrated by their illness acting up or holding them back from doing the things they enjoy. Hunter is combative and is an excellent tactician, they fight smart but also brute when necessary. They're aggressive at their plays.

Biology: Hunter has an athletic and strong fit, only restrained by the limitations set upon by their illness. Other side effects to their illness includes: fast growth of fur, a portion of their hair that they can control and use to grab things, occasional tremors, occasional weakness, and a large appetite. Hunter must eat large portions of food everyday in order to maintain their health and metabolism, they must also have a monthly rot cleanse to further mitigate their illness. Tremors can happen at random, which is why Hunter prefers being accompanied by someone equipped with the knowledge on how to help them whenever it happens. They have the instincts of a predator: eyes that retract and extreme focus on their prey. They are an adult.

Appearance: Hunter is an orange slugcat with an average height. They have a healthy muscular build, with scars all over their body to exhibit their past battles. They have long folded ears, a large mane, fluffy tail and a long sharp snout. They have gold colored eyes and lots of sharp teeth. Hunter likes wearing warm clothing but also breathable ones where they feel little restraint. Most of the time, they wear their gold wedding ring, with the second karma symbol engraved on it.

Relationships: Artificer - Loves - They care deeply about each other and share a lot of interests- with most of their activities being done together, especially as a family. They not only help each other emotionally but also work as formidable partners- partners in crime. Gourmand - Best Friend - Gourmand and Hunter not only share interests on food, but they trust each other a lot with their own woes and troubles. Gourmand helped Hunter and Artificer's relationship bloom and is always there to happily babysit their children. Spearmaster - Close Friend - Hunter grew up with Spearmaster as a friend since their creators were also friends. They're chill homies. Rivulet - Friendly Rival - Hunter and Rivulet are both competitive by nature but how they plan their moves differ. Nonetheless, they are good friends. Survivor - Friend - Hunter mentors Survivor on a lot of things that they learned, passing down the skills that are necessary to defend themselves and their loved ones. Monk - Friend - Both have stark differences by nature but remain as friends. Nightcat - Acquaintances - Hunter does not know Nightcat as much but seeing that Survivor is good friends with them, wishes to befriend them as well. Enot - Neutral - Uh. Saint - Neutral - Hunter has small wishes to befriend Saint in some way, but they're often so cold to them that it makes it difficult to do so.

#rain world #rainworld #fanart #slugcat #rainworld downpour #rain world downpour #dp spoilers #downpour spoilers #hunter #my anthro au #art fight #my art

[grasslandgirl]

ANON HAS ME IN A MOOD! 2 FOR LAURENTMAKOTO

i love you so dearly i am blowing kisses to u

presumablyh this is in reference to this fic asks list i reblogged earlier?

2: What scene did you first put down?

this is actually an easy answer! i have two emails i sent myself late at night back in june when i first started conceptualizing keiko fic right before your birthday with the early drafts of the first scene from the fic and the scene from the end where laurent and makoto are at the restaurant!! mostly i wrote chronologically, but i remember having a really clear idea for the restaurant scene right before i went to bed and wanting to get it down- hence the emails to myself the night before i started writing the fic itself!! <3

ill put the screenshots and id's below the cut but ty for sending in the ask <3 its fun that keiko fic has a more clear and demonstrable answer than most other fics ive written, for which the answer would probably just be "uhh probably the first scene. i had an idea and i started writing." skfjnskfjbs

[ID: two screenshots of text on a white background. the first reads:

Makoto didn’t imagine being a father. 

Well, technically that wasn’t true. Makoto Edamura’s stopped dreaming about being a dad- about having a family- when his father went to jail. When he was a kid, his mom always said he was just like his father. Makoto  remembered standing in the living room, dinner burning on the stove, as he and his mother watched the television in baffled horror. The truth of his father’s actions falling into a pile at their feet as the grainy footage showed him being escorted into a police car over and over again. How could he ever dare to dream of having a family, after knowing how many families his father had broken apart- including their own. 

besides, all the garbage trauma tied up in his dad aside, Makoto was an aspiring former con man- he didn’t lead a life or have friends that suited children. 

So even if he could never stifle a smile when he passed a park full of running, screaming children; or if he sometimes dreamed of clipping a little cat clip into a little girl’s hair; or if the one time he saw Laurent flirting with a young mother, sweeping her babbling infant out of her arms and pressing a brief kiss to its head with a luminous smile- it didn’t matter. None of it did. 

Because it was less that Makoto didn’t imagine being a father, and more that he couldn’t afford to imagine it. 

the second screenshot reads:

“Wait.” Makoto puts his fork down. Then he puts both his hands on the table, leans forward and skewers Laurent with a glare as forceful as he can manage while not knocking over the ridiculous wine he bought for the table. “Is this a date?”

Laurent’s smile is studied and careful. But Makoto can read him well enough to see the twitch of his eye and the tremble in his fingers as he flexes them once, twice, atop his napkin. Makoto knows him well enough to recognize the rare signs of nervousness on Laurent. 

“Darling,” he answers with an oil slick grin. (The pet name makes something hot seize up in Makoto’s stomach that has nothing to do with dinner or the wine.) “We’re raising a child together. We’ve been living together across the globe for years. I bought you the most expensive wine on the menu-“

“I didn’t ask you to do that,” Makoto grouses, interrupting him, because he refuses to make anything easy for Laurent- even this. If that’s what this even is. 

Laurent’s smile grows, and he inclines his head in indulgent acquiescence. “Makoto.” Makoto’s eye twitches, an involuntary tick in response to Laurent using his given name, instead of one of his stupid nicknames and pet names. He can’t decide which he prefers. “Would you like a ring? Would that help you feel more secure?” Laurent’s tone is light, with the same manicured artifice he brings to every con. It’s so pristine that it’s hard to see the man beneath the confidence; but Makoto can. 

Makoto does. 

Beneath the teasing and the flirting is a genuine question. A genuine offer- to buy Makoto a ring. And abruptly he’s stuck with the scale of it all: their life together. That behind every word, under every smile, between every gesture and con and secret and stupid fucking nickname has been this: Laurent asking for Makoto to stay. Asking for them to have a life together. Proving that this- Makoto- is something he wants. 

But because Laurent is Laurent, he can never say anything straight out. He has to make it into a puzzle for Makoto to solve. (Thankfully, Makoto is very good at solving Laurent’s puzzles.)

And because Makoto is Makoto, he can’t let Laurent get away with anything that easily. 

Makoto leans back, lets an easy shark’s smile spread across his face. “Yeah,” he says, in answer to Laurent’s question. “It would.”

Under the table, the tip of Laurent’s shiny expensive-ass shoe drags up the line of Makoto’s ankle. He does his best not to squirm under the abrupt heat of Laurent’s smile. God. Fuck. He’s made a terrible decision. End ID.]

#asks #xoxoxoxo lyyy caseyyy #keiko fic was equally very fun and VERY difficult to write bc i could not Bother You about it while i worked #as is my very consistent habit with most other fics i write skjfvnskfnb #(save recently bc of my fg and slasher brainrot sfkjbnsfk and i dont wanna bother you with those)

[crunchetime]

Some D&D oc's from my second set! (I made 3 sets of characters based on each of the 14 playable classes including Blood Hunter and Artificer so I now have 42 OCs in this roster total lmao)

Sammi Silvertongue [any pronouns]

Hill Dwarf Bard, College of Eloquence In any given town where revolution is brewing, you may hear the name "Silvertongue" spoken, and tales of a powerful family of dwarves who find themselves at the right place and the right time to foster change and fight any oppressor. Whether it be through actions or words, the Silvertongues have a penchant for toppling tyrants and destroying corrupt regimes from the inside out. The youngest of this line of upstarts, Sammi expresses their performative and inspirational talents through slam poetry, cooking up a rhythmic verbal cadence that carries the beat of the world around them. Sammi is incredibly observant, gathering information on their surroundings constantly. Often, it's simply to build up a vocabulary in case something calls for a quick stanza, but this methodical perception also keeps Sammi present and ever on the lookout for the next opportunity to make a difference. Sammi is a prodigious diplomat able to both soothe potential foes and rally hesitant allies, making them a much-sought-after public speaker for groups on both sides of the law.

Jarec V'nindu [he/him]

Githyanki Blood Hunter, Order of the Ghostslayer Jarec was a fresh face amongst the ranks of the Githyanki's interdimensional crusade, and he learned pretty quickly that his heart just wasn't in it. He chose to slip away from his post one day in the Shadowfell and ducked through a portal into the material plane, but it seems as though he may have brought something unsavory along with him. Whether it be through consequence or a seized opportunity, some otherworldly force snuck its way into Jarec's bloodstream and now periodically gives him glimpses into the space between the planes. Through this strange ability, Jarec has learned how to communicate with the dead and track souls that refuse to go gently into the beyond. He, however, isn't terribly interested in the quarrels of fading spirits. He's found another benefit of the curse; a current of powerful radiant energy runs through his veins, which he can harness to empower his abilities in combat. A born mercenary, Jarec is always on the search for loot, glory, and ways to sustain his lust for adventure. At least he's pointed in the right direction. For now.

Dakka Noregh [she/her] Kobold Artificer, Alchemist

Dakka used to be the servant of a tyrannical white dragon, until a band of adventurers slew it in its mountain lair. Ever the opportunist, Dakka groveled at their feet to spare her, and in exchange, she'd provide them her services as an alchemist. They agreed, and as it turns out, those adventurers ended up founding their own guild and regularly do business with Dakka! The only problem is that those particular adventurers aren't exactly the best people to be indebted to. For life. When Dakka couldn't split the price of renting a new alchemical shop with the cost of supplies needed for the guild's orders, she tried to bargain with the guild to cut her a break. As it turned out, however, they were already planning to replace her with a new alchemist without giving her any notice. She wasn't exactly happy about that, and may or may not have thrown a flask of acid directly onto the new alchemist's face. Now, with dozens of freelance murderers at her heels, Dakka frantically searches for kinder murderers to surround herself with, and to make some money on the side making potions. Her newest invention is a hair growth potion, which she tested on herself as you can see.

Harv Greymoor [he/him] Pallid Elf Druid, Circle of the Moon

Not much is known, nor can be said, about Harv Greymoor. He grew up unglamorously in high elven society, worked as a magic college's groundskeeper for a few hundred years, and retired early with a nest-egg that ran out WAY more quickly than he expected. In an effort to sustain a bohemian lifestyle, Harv now works security on wagon trains and airships. One could take a look at this spindly, scruffy, pale elf and assume him harmless, but as it turns out, this guy's been living out in the wilderness and getting so in tune with nature that he has a direct line to some kind of moon deity. So now I guess he can just kinda turn into animals and cast spells. He thinks it's neat. These abilities come in handy for his clients, which means it keeps ample food on the table for Harv. Which is good, because his appetite has grown significantly with his powers. I'm sure that's not indicative of anything foreboding.

Sybil [she/her] Ardling Ranger, Beast Master (revised)

(For those unaware, Ardlings are a new race/species included [or just revised? I'd never heard of them before now] in the OneDND playtest material. They're basically just a way for you to play your fursona. Sybil uses the Flyer subrace, since she's sort of a bat/owl chimera.)

Sybil has little recollection of where she came from. She simply appeared on an artificer's doorstep as a baby one night, half-blind and terribly injured. The artificer raised her and nursed her back to health, helping her retain the mobility and senses she otherwise would have lost from her injuries. With reinforced bones, improved sight, and a bit of telepathy to assist her speech, Sybil uses her augments to safeguard the forest surrounding her mentor's workshop. Occasionally, though, she likes to fly to nearby towns and socialize. Everybody likes Sybil. She's a good-natured prankster and leads a surprisingly tumultuous love life. The townspeople are all just thankful that the guns hidden inside her legs only come out for monsters.

#my art #artist on tumblr #digital art #my oc #oc #my oc art #dnd art #character art #dnd character #dnd character design #dnd character art #dnd bard #dnd oc #dnd 5e #dnd ocs #dungeons and dragons #dnd5e #dungeons and drawings #ardling #monster girl #monster guy #githyanki #dnd ranger #digitalart #infodump #oc lore #my characters #bat girl #dwarf #elf

[immortalarizona]

if you're interested i always wanna hear about oota npcs...! how'd you approach topsy and turvy?

heyyyy!! sorry it took me so long to reply, I was trying to do the responsible thing and finish my homework Before I got to do fun things on tumblr. (I still have a math project left to do tonight, but it's only due at midnight, it's fiiiiiine.) this is probably going to be another long one, so I'll just put a cut here right now :)

okay, so!! the Tinsplitter twins (yes I made up a surname for them, same as I did for Buppido and Derendil and Jimjar, because No One Can Stop Me):

they're somewhere in the range of 15-20, age-wise. not children in the same way Stool is (they are a whole two months old, I have decided), but definitely not adults either. I started by having them always whispering to each other about something, with Topsy coming up to one of the surface-er PCs (might have been the rogue?) to ask her if she remembers what day it is (and therefore what phase the moon is in, because I've decided that a lunar cycle is three tendays for the sake of my sanity). the twins refused to elaborate on why they were asking, and after they received their answer, they went back to debating between themselves. I had this whole other foreshadowing planned out where Topsy would struggle with kleptomania and Turvy would struggle with even worse paranoia due to their wererat instincts, but I was also trying to juggle the Sarith foreshadowing and Jimjar foreshadowing and Ront's storyline with the barbarian and Shuushar Stories and Stool getting adopted by the fighter, so that particular idea fell by the wayside, alas. still, in a bit of text-based RP between sessions, the rogue and the bard had a little chat with Jimjar where they shared their theories on the twins (as well as the secretly dhampir barbarian) and bet on when one of them would "cause a commotion." (Jimjar is literally my setting's moon deity in disguise. of course he fucking knows when the full moon is coming, and of course he won that bet. this is another bit of foreshadowing that I'm trying to set up :D)

just last session was the full moon, and oh boy, was it tasty. the ranger had cast alarm around the camp and had included the twins in the list of people that could set it off, so he was immediately pinged when the twins snuck off in the middle of the night. they left the following note scrawled on one of the walls in ormu pigment: Sorry. Must leave. Not safe. Do not follow. Thank you. -T&T.

they had taken all their stuff with them, indicating that they had no intentions of returning to camp. it was this, plus the fact that they're fucking children, that convinced the ranger and the fighter to go looking for them. Jimjar dragged the rogue along (they had that fun long-term madness due to a night spent in faerzress where they were each other's lucky charms), and Buppido and the bard also came along, if I recall correctly. (I think Ront had already died and the barbarian had been fucking kicked out of the party during some truly terrifying-for-me-as-a-DM RP at this point, hence the barbarian's absence. fun fact, the artificer in my PC art post is the player's replacement character, and I'm so excited to finally meet him.) the group easily passed the survival check to follow the twins' trail (the droplets of blood from where Topsy had been clawing at her own skin didn't exactly make it hard) and came across the twins in a small cavern overlooking a 60-foot cliff. (the cliff was my failsafe in case things started looking like a TPK. thankfully, we didn't need it.) Turvy begged for the party to run, because Topsy was in too much pain to speak, and then they transformed, and it was time to roll for initiative!

the last thing I wanted was a death match, so I played the twins as fighting more out of animalistic fear and a perceived need for self-defense than anything, which fits with the wererat lore I later established in the homebrew mechanics doc I sent out to my players for review. this did allow for the bard to give the party a safe exit from the cavern with a peace offering of food and a very good animal handling check--but not before Turvy bit the ranger in like round one and the ranger rolled a 9 on his con save. (I had him roll another con save at the start of his next turn to see if he would start transforming because what the fuck do you do in this situation the DMG never covered this, and, well. . . nat 1.)

in the morning, when the detransformed ranger led the similarly detransformed twins back to camp, Topsy and Turvy were absolutely miserable. they felt horribly guilty for having passed on their curse, and they were fully packing up their bags and preparing to leave the party because they believed that the party wouldn't want them around anymore. "We're monsters, aren't we?" they said, and Ront would have absolutely said yes if the barbarian hadn't eaten him the day before.

anyways, thankfully, the party was able to convince the twins that yes, they still wanted them around, and they really wished that they would've said something sooner so that they could've helped them sooner and maybe avoided all of this. I've got it tentatively in brain that the twins have some sort of Emotional Issues relating to parents (perhaps they lost their father at a very young age, and perhaps they originally fled home after being bitten so that they wouldn't hurt their mother), so all this genuine (or, well, seemingly genuine in the case of the bard, that stinky stinky bastard man) kindness had them even more in tears than they already were. the session ended with a group hug, and the next few days of out-of-session RP largely followed the ranger very consciously taking the twins under his wing and swearing to find them a cure for their curse, even before finding a cure for himself. Topsy has already sarcastically called him "dad" when he expressed a desire to protect them from whatever the fuck is going on with Buppido, but trust me, it'll be genuine soon enough.

I loooove language itself as a mode of storytelling, so I set up this Thing where svirfneblin generally don't teach their mother tongue to outsiders, something which Topsy and Turvy explained after the bard asked if there were any lullabies they found soothing that he could use to try and soothe the rats within and they sang one in Gnomish--or the namneblin, as I've termed it from cobbling together D&D Gnomish with Tolkien Gnomish to get what I want. at some point, the twins are going to start teaching the party the namneblin, which is their way of emotionally claiming the party as family. (this is gonna make it ALL THE MORE tasty and devastating when the Cool Uncle bard reveals that he's actually a murderous little meow meow who's been manipulating mansplaining manslaughtering this entire time, and I CANNOT WAIT.) they may even start calling the ranger a term which they refuse to translate, but which Jimjar will--a term that translates to "father." I fucking love found family. I am having a blast.

unfortunately, now we're way beyond the characterization given in the module. they don't really have any personality beyond "secretly wererats," so I'm still working on who they are now that that furry little secret is off their chests. they're both pretty curious, but thus far, I think Turvy is actually the more adventurous one of the two. he's expressed an interest in flying, something which Topsy finds absolutely terrifying, and he's also a bit less mature than his sister. (he laughed when the rogue made a "these nuts" joke during one of the bard's stories, and laughed even harder when Stool was like "I don't understand. What's a 'these nuts'?", while Topsy smacked him.) I'm thinking Topsy is just a few minutes older, and as such, she has that Older Sibling Protective Instinct in her. Topsy and Turvy are almost identical on a mechanical level, but now that the party has leveled up again, I've chosen to give them different survivor talents (see Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft for reference; I'm kinda just making things up as I go along) to showcase their different personalities. Topsy has the Desperate Scream talent, while Turvy has Adrenaline Surge, hinting that she's more of a fighter while he prefers to stay out of the fray. (they both each have a dagger and a sling, but I think I might let the player controlling them in combat know that Topsy prefers the dagger while Turvy prefers the sling.) I'm also tossing around in my brain different interests each of them could have, just to differentiate them further. I'm thinking Topsy could really like shiny things and collecting rocks and fun facts about rocks, while perhaps Turvy really wants to feel what it's like to soar through open air. or maybe he really likes plants!! who knows. I am definitely open to suggestions for hyperfixations to give each of them :]

so yeah, the Tinsplitter twins!! resident party children (alongside Stool) and catalysts of a found family dynamic that brings so very much joy into my heart and that the bard and I are going to heartbreakingly destroy at some point in the future of this campaign <3

#screams from the void #road trip to hell #dnd #oota #out of the abyss #topsy and turvy

[sicahyart]

Bonds of Blood - Chapter 6

Fandom: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Characters: Malos, Haze TW : self-harm

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—

Today, Malos wanted to die. He was laying on his bed, writhing in pain. The burn from his Flesh-Eater core was insufferable. Was that how Jin felt when his body was failing him? He didn’t know how the ice Blade had managed to keep on going for that long.

The Aegis made an attempt to push himself on his feet, wanting to escape from this suffocating little room. His legs immediately refused to support his weight, and he ended up on the floor. He curled up there, his head pounding. The hit didn’t even register in the burn he was feeling inside. His ether lines were showing on his skin, flickering bright red as they tried to regulate the overflowing power ravaging him - in vain.

With a muffled cry, he gathered some of his power in his hand, and, extending his arm, released it in a blast. The explosion took off half of the room, including most of his bed. The Indoline white stone was replaced by a perfect hollow sphere of black glass. A surviving piece of wood, now unrecognizable as whatever furniture it previously was, slid down the smooth slope to rest at the bottom of the hole.

The radius of the blast had been small, much smaller than Malos could do, even without an Artifice, but size wasn’t his aim. He stared at his hand - or rather, where his hand was moments ago. The power concentration in the implosion had been so dense it managed to destroy half of his arm in the process, his patched up old wounds from the Aegis War giving way under the pressure. He never had managed to properly heal that arm without his full core.

Malos closed his eyes, the flickering purple light seeping from his wounds disappearing from his sight and leaving an afterimage on his retinae. His body would soon heal. For now, the familiar pain of a physical injury combined with the release of some of his ether in the blast felt like relief after the previous level of suffering.

The modified Titan control system Amalthus implanted in him had been activated by the release of his power. He pulled on the forced inhibition. He hated the control that thing gave Amalthus over his power, but right now its defense mechanism was what he needed. He gladly took in the anesthetic, deliberately drugging himself on it until he drifted out of consciousness.

—

When he opened his eyes, Malos was once again on a bed, soft mellow sheets under him, bright white ceiling above his head. No trace of obsidian glass. They must have moved him while he was unconscious. He turned his head, scanning the room. It looked exactly like the previous one: small, white, with only a bed and a desk. No guard at the door. Amalthus had stopped bothering with guards after he killed the first few ones, accidentally or not. Nowadays the monks only came to him to take notes on his status and its evolution, like the monstrous curiosity he was as a Flesh-Eater Aegis, leaving him free to wander in between sessions. Amalthus’s direct remote control could access him anywhere anyway, his Driver could just shut him off if he tried to escape from Indol.

Movement caught his eyes in a corner of the room. No guard, but he wasn’t alone. The small silhouette rose from the ground where it was seemingly resting and walked toward him, stopping halfway to bow.

Not fool enough to come too close, eh?

“Good morning, Master Malos. I hope you slept well.”

He wasn’t sure how anyone could sleep well in his situation, but his drugged slumber had been stone deep, which was better than other options he had been familiar with. He sat up, looking at Haze - Fan la Norne.

“Why are you here?”

“We found you injured with your ether entangled, so I stayed to heal you.”

Malos raised his previously missing arm, testing the fingers. Not a trace of it having been blasted off, as predicted. And his ether did feel much better today. No burning. He nodded, thankful.

“Why are you still here? It seems your healing worked perfectly.”

She hesitated for a short second.

“I– I wanted to make sure of it as you awoke.”

Malos stared at her.

“Aw, you were worried about me.”

She took a defensive stance. Malos refrained from smirking at her reaction. He had pushed her off balance by exposing her kindness. She was still wary about him.

“It is my duty to worry about the well-being of those living on the Indoline soil and make sure they are treated as best as possible,” she defended herself.

Darkness veiled Malos’s eyes for a brief moment.

“Keep your savior act for the gullible ones. I don’t need your pity,” he coldly replied.

He turned away from her. It was bad enough to be stuck here, at his Driver’s mercy, disfigured into a monster worse than he already was before. He didn’t need someone to worry about him on top of that. 

The Goddess of the Praetorium seemed to get the message. She bowed one last time, before turning to the door. 

“I– I shall leave you to rest, then. Have a nice day, Master Malos.”

He didn’t answer.

A soft click punctuated her departure as the room sealed itself around the lone Aegis. He let his head hit the wall with a thud and rested it there. He missed the dark metallic structure of the Monoceros. Everything was too bright in Indol. Its apparent purity only served to enhance any flaw into an ugly thing.

He let his mind wander to the Tornan ship, wondering what the others could be up to. Not planning to rescue him, he hoped. He was worthless to them now, he could probably never open the way to the World Tree in this state. Worse, he could be a danger to all of them. He already blasted his own damn arm off. No, better they left him behind. They could ask Mythra for help instead. She could still stay true to her part of the deal and guide them to the Architect. Jin could find a way to wipe out humanity on his own, and with enough luck, blast the abomination Malos had become in the process. They just had to stay away from him and Amalthus. At all costs.

#xenoblade fanfiction #xenoblade chronicles 2 #xbc2 #xc2 #flesh-eater malos #bonds of blood #sicawrites