#bloodline arcana

[tav-marcio-leles]

Why are we sleeping on this dialogue??? I’m losing my mind over it

But once again, the game enables another headcanon of mine. I was thinking Gale likes looking at Marcio’s eyes, because they have the storm spirals going on. I was thinking maybe it reminds him of the magic in the Weave (in addition to Marcio radiating arcana naturally thanks to being apart of the Mephistopheles bloodline). I screamed a little a lottle at this line of dialogue.

LARIAN LET THEM HUG

#it’s 4 am but I could not stop thinking about this #bg3 spoilers #myart #glacio #gale x tav #bg3 gale #bg3 tav #bg3 art #bg3 fanart #bg3 #bg3 oc #gale bg3 #tav bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate tav #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #gale fanart #baldurs gate gale #baldurs gate fanart #the delivery of these lines??? boy about to CRY??? #lighting changing? tears in his eyes? #AHHH #bg3 comic

[teecupangel]

Yes public answering is allowed.

Take your time, I know I am not the only one with asks.

Desmond Miles, Malik Al-Sayf, Kadar Al-Sayf, Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad, Leonardo Da Vinci and Ezio Auditore all playing Dungeons and Dragons pre canon (pre AC.) Desmond has no idea who his friends are cause he didn't pay attention to history lessons and drowned out his father after awhile of his bloodline importance speeches. Kadar is the Dungeon Master/Storyteller. Malik and Altaïr play Paladin and Cleric respectively. Ezio pretty much plays himself, charming flirt. Leonardo, plays powerful characters since he feels powerless often. His friends enjoy Desmond's company that when he goes missing they step up to find him. And Desmond's mind is blown after viewing Altaïr's memories that he figures out who the other two are.

Once again take your time.

Okay.

What if Altaïr is in a forced sabbatical?

Maybe it’s similar to what happened in 1191 where Altaïr’s actions led to the death of someone. Maybe it’s because he deliberately got between their team and the Brotherhood under William Miles.

If you want to keep Clay alive, maybe he saved Clay and that led the Templars and the Assassins into almost recognizing him so they’re all lying low.

Altaïr being not allowed to leave the house is his punishment XD

Malik is an inch away from actually strangling the man with the lan cable for his computer because a bored Altaïr is an annoying one and Kadar took a part time job because he’s that bored.

Kadar met Desmond because his part time job is a delivery man for a specific brand of alcohol that Bad Weather keeps on stock.

Kadar recognized him immediately as William miles’ runaway son and befriended him because he’s curious.

Their friendship leads to Desmond admitting he’s curious about DnD but doesn’t have friends to play with. Kadar invites him because he has online friends that he actually plays DnD with (one of those friends being Rebecca and, if you want a watch_dog reference, Wrench) so he gets the others to play DnD as well because they’re all varying degrees of noobs.

Also, this way, Altaïr would actually have something to do XD

Before Desmond gets there, Kadar makes them promise not to talk about anything Assassin related because Desmond is the first actual offline friend Kadar has made that wasn’t part of the whole ‘we sorta got reincarnated/transmigrated into the future but we’re not gonna talk about that I guess’ thing.

(I’m using http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/ for character info and I am absolutely not sure if they’re already available by 4e XD)

Unorganized Notes:

Kadar uses 4e rules but is fast and loose with them (because I wish to give them 5e but 5e was relased in 2014 TTATT). Leonardo makes the minis but Kadar makes the maps (he does check online for references). It’s his own campaign but his online DnD group helps him (he actually plays a Rogue online named ‘Altair’ without the ‘ï’ because he’s still a fanboy)

Everyone agreed Rogue is off-limits because they might all choose Rogue and also to not tip Desmond off so no one is a Rogue. Desmond screws this up by actually picking Rogue. Desmond actually goes for Assassin Rogue because he loves irony XD His backstory is that he left a cult of assassins as a child and is trying the adventurer life. Everyone just feels a bit awkward when he told them that backstory but Desmond just breezed through that so it was just for a moment XD

Malik is an Oath of Vengeance Paladin who share the same deity as Altaïr. In-game, this is because Altaïr is a Cleric on a mission to appease their god and Malik is there to keep him in check. Out of game, Malik wants to be the one to finally annoy Altaïr this time around and this backstory gives him an excuse to do it.

Altaïr is an Arcana Domain Cleric who is on a mission of redemption as ordered by his deity. The reason why he’s in a road of redemption is unclear and it’s clear that Altaïr has no respect for his deity. In-game, everyone who worship the same deity call him their god’s ‘Chosen’ and he hates it (Kadar absolutely loves to ham out the worshipping of the 'Chosen' XD). Out of everyone, he’s the player who is absolutely min-maxing his character.

Let’s be honest, we’re all expecting Ezio to be the Bard and he is. He even plays the guitar because, according to him, it’s better than a minstrel's lute, whatever that means. Absolutely a School of Swords Bard that has the highest Charisma stat among all of them. He’s the designated leader and the one who pulled everyone together into this weird group of adventurers. He may or may not be a noble who ran away from home.

Leonardo is an Artificer. While Artificers are already available as a class in 4e, their specialties were officially created for 5e but fuck it, let’s say it’s a modified Artificer class because Leonardo should be an Artillerist Artificer. If you don’t want the Artificer class because of how questionable it is possible for 4e, my alternate suggestion is Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer for pure magic destruction or Great Old One Warlock (unli Eldritch Blast). He plays Ezio’s character’s long suffering childhood best friend who joined the group because Ezio ‘begged’.

The campaign may or may not be a chosen one absolutely not wanting to do his mission as said chosen one and being dragged along by his god approved babysitter and a misfit company (the twist is Altaïr's mission is to actually find their god's child that is supposed to save the world... it's Desmond. Desmond's the god's child. The cult he's from is worshipping the same god as Altaïr but Desmond, Altaïr and Malik don't know it. Kadar thinks he's made such a good plot twist XD)

(I left their races ambiguous for you to play with. I personally would suggest making Altaïr a kenku for the lols XD)

#i’m just imaging them being as chaotic as the oxventure #damn i focused on the dnd aspect #sorry #ac characters play dnd #assassin's creed #ask and answer #teecup writes/has a plot #fic idea: assassin's creed #desmond miles #altaïr ibn la'ahad #ezio auditore #kadar al sayf #malik al sayf #leonardo da vinci

[rookfeatherrambles]

Apparently the commission from @dcartcorner about my unnamed cozy fantasy Jmart AU is at like 400 notes of people just screaming about how much they want it so! Introducing: (It still doesn't have a name yet), the cozy (ish) fantasy au!

Jon is an archmage in training at the Magnus Institute of Arcana, (I gotta think of a better name) where he is apprenticed under Elias Bouchard, the actual Archmage of London. That's an important figure who keeps the balance of magic (and more)

Being close to the Archmage, Jon is learning some pretty incredible magic. But when he accidentally discovers Elias harnessing power from ancient, Eldritch and forbidden gods, Jon realizes that the magic he's been taught to use is furthering some kind of ritual to bring those terrifying creatures into their world and he's been helping all along without realizing it.

With knowledge that could throw London into chaos, Jon seals the knowledge away somewhere safe and then curses himself to become a cat, permanently, and flees the Institute for the city streets as a stray.

It was supposed to be permanently, anyway.

Meanwhile, Martin's moved away from his very overbearing and at the same time distant family. Heir to the powerful magic of the Lukas/Blackwood bloodline, Martin throws away all his prestige for the quiet of a cafe somewhere in the city and a modest life as a Hearthmage. It's a rundown place he's bought to make his own, but he's up to the task of fixing it up.

After a few months of living there, established and settled, he starts noticing that some of his fruits and vegetables are being eaten by a mysterious animal. After many stakeouts, he finally catches the culprit in the act. It's a scrawny black cat with green eyes and a crooked tail, and it has a fondness for tomatoes! Try as he might though, Martin cannot catch the cat. And then, one day, Martin opens the door to start the day and there it is. Sitting outside the door as if its an impatient customer. And there is a tomato in its mouth! Martin's tomato.

He is too stunned to speak, and just watches the cat saunter into the cafe, cool as you please and hop up on a chair to eat it's breakfast.

This is how the war of the veggie patch ends. With a tomato, some warm cream, and some cautious chin scritches.

#the magnus archives #jonathan sims #martin blackwood #jonmartin #jmart #fantasy AU #elias bouchard #cozy magic au #cozy #'the cat is plot relevant' the cat is Jon #there you guys go #have a little fluff with a tinge of dark. yummy

[vixensdungeon]

Dungeons: The Dragons

What if Dungeons & Dragons was a Storytelling game in the vein of Vampire: The Requiem and such?

Obviously it would still be about adventurers going into dungeons to get loot, but with a new Chronicles of Darknessy twist. Why Storytelling instead of Storyteller, you might ask? Because the more formulaic structure of the former makes this easier, basically. Let's go!

So one of the things I struggled with while coming up with this was what the Inherent Type would be (see: Clan, Auspice, Path). The obvious answer might be race, but that didn't quite sit right with me. For one thing I wanted there to be an element of transformation, like a normal person can become an adventurer, and suddenly becoming an elf would be a bit weird. So by default your adventurers are humans who go through some transformation to become adventures. And my bestie @thydungeonguy finally cracked it when I was wondering what the obligatory skull logo would be like and he said "dragon skull." So it clicked: an adventurer has become infused with a dragon soul or something, and the five inherent types map to the five metallic dragons!

So next we have the Joined Type (see: Covenant, Tribe, Order), and this one was a lot easier. Going with classes was a bit too boring, so I just stole the five factions from 5th Edition, which can still serve to give you class-like abilities (evil-smiting abilities from the Order of the Gauntlet, for example).

Then there's the basic Powers (see: Disciplines, Gifts, Arcana). I think these come from the draconic type, with factions working more like the Covenants in Vampire where they can teach you miscalleanous skills like sorcery. I haven't figured out any particulars, including what to call these.

Onto the Power Stat (see: Blood Potency, Primal Urge, Gnosis). This is just Level, right? Like, you all agree this one should be called Level? Moving on.

The Morality/Integrity Stat (see: Humanity, Harmony, Wisdom) is a measure of how close you are to a Normal Man. The lower it goes, the more removed you are from being able to associate with people who have normal jobs instead of risking their lives going into dungeons for loot. If it's at 10, you can't actually go into dungeons. If it's at 0, they won't let you back into town, you're just too dungeonpilled now. Don't know what to call this. Normalcy, maybe?

There's also the Resource Stat (see: Vitae, Essence, Mana). I think here we have to depart from the usual formulas a bit and, instead of giving characters a pool of points to use, give them spell slots! Maybe even call them that, in which case the powers would be called Spells.

The Advanced Types (see: Bloodline, Lodge, Legacy) are Prestige Classes, which are called that even though there technically aren't classes.

Tell me what you think, and suggest names for the stuff I haven't named yet!

#dungeons & dragons #chronicles of darkness #ttrpg

[kedreeva]

Really debating keeping him. It would be short term, until he is able to give me a purple pied bs male from Indie's bloodline... But depending on who I paired him with, it would ensure that his boys would have Indie's purple genes only. The biggest problem is that I don't know what split he carries, white or pied, and I don't know what splits anyone else carries. So keeping him could also mean 2-3 years down the drain if they all carry only pied, no whites, or only whites, no pied.

I think I'll hang onto him for at least a season, until I see what girls I get next year. Hoping Eclipse, Arcana, and Stella will throw some good bs split leucistic gals for me

#peafowl #birds #my pets #peacocks #i suppose if he's staying he needs a name #a color name since his dad is indigo

[tales-from-the-aether-ttrpg]

Tales from the Aether a Top Down View

The goals of this ttrpg system is simple:

- Allow players the freedom to build a character from the ground up and feel as their character develops over time into something wholly unique.

- Give players a sense of urgency during combat encounters.

- Expand spells and magic so magic feels like a diagetic part of the world and players using magic are both unburdened by spell slots and feel the weight of the power they wield.

- Merge story telling and role play with the traditional sword and sorcery adventure narrative.

Every aspect of this system revolves around player choice and customization. No two players can make the same character even if they both choose the same ancestry, background, and archetype. The most important aspect of character creation are Skills and their Feats. Archetypes are guidelines players can use to help select beginning skills and feats but they need not be taken as gospel. When a player is creating their character, regardless of level, they have over 30 Skills to choose from and each skill has Feats that grant the players unique abilities and traits. Skill Feats are the bedrock of your character and allow players to craft a unique role play styles and combat styles.

Creating a sense of urgency during combat was one of my main goals with this system and thus I developed the Stamina and Arcana systems. All players have Stamina while only magic users have Arcana, both are resources that replenish over time. Players are not limited to a set number of attacks on their turn but can attack as much as their little hearts desire - if they have the Stamina to spend. Every attack costs Stamina and certain weapons require more Stamina to wield. Spells work similarly as in they cost Arcana to cast or maintain but every individual spell has a casting time so the maximum number of spells you could theoretically cast on your turn is three - Main action, Minor action, and Reaction. If you run out of either of these resources, you are penalized. Thus, the goal of combat is to end the encounter as quickly as possible as you are literally on ticking clock.

Magic in this system is designed to make the player feel powerful. Outside of combat, players can cast their spells as much as they want and choosing to use utility spells over battle spells is a non issue. Instead, those who wield magic must be incredibly conscious of their Arcana during battle as there are many avenues that their enemies could drain this resource - causing them to risk Possession. See, characters who use magic do not do so naturally but have made a bridge between their minds and the Aether, a world between worlds and the source of all creation. If a character that uses magic runs out of Arcana, there is a small chance a spirit from the Aether could cross this bridge and gain free reign of the character's mind and body through possession.

Integrating role play into the standard elements of fantasy ttrpgs like exploration and dungeon crawling and treasure hunting was a must. Through avenues such as Disabilities, Bloodlines and Curses, Backstory, Factions, Stress, Reputation, Your Moment and Pursuits, I have provided both GM's and players ample tools to weave their story into every action they take. There is no real divide between combat and social encounters as both have equally high stakes and can be just as deadly - or rewarding.

This is a peak at some design elements of my TTRGP Tales from the Aether. This is not dnd. If you think some of these ideas are interesting, check out my Masterpost linked here and follow for more updates :D

#tales from the aether #tfta #indie ttrpg #ttrpg

[the-mic-drop]

Building Zelda in BG3- Sorcerer

@benilos asked for it, and I'm delivering!

So, we've got two options for Zelda; a Sorcerer and a Wizard. A cleric might also work, but I haven't really settled on the specifics yet. The Sorcerer build is below the cut. I'll do the Wizard build next

We'll start with the version I use in the Isekai series I've been posting. I call this one...

The Dragon Queen

Background

Race: Elf (High Elf)

Background: Noble

High Elf Cantrip: Ray of Frost

Now High Elf I feel is self-explanatory, and Ray of Frost is the cantrip because she's more aligned with Naydra and her ice powers. As for the Noble background, I choose that over Sage because this Zelda is when she's really stepping into her role as Hyrule's regent. She's building a rapport with her people and is comfortable using her status as "Princess of Hyrule." Though if you disagree and think Sage is more appropriate, I can't really argue with you.

Abilities

Strength: 8 (-1)

Dexterity: 10 (0)

Constitution: 10 (0)

Intelligence: 16 (+3)

Wisdom: 12 (+1)

Charisma: 17 (+3)

Charisma is the main stat because that's a Sorcerer's spellcasting modifier, and even though Zelda is the Wisdom part of the Triforce, this version of her is much more of an intellectual than a philosopher. I felt the need to give her a tiny boost to Dex and Con becuase she's bound to be good with precision tasks and she's been through quite a bit.

Class & Levels

Class: Sorcerer

Sub-Class: Draconic Bloodline

Draconic Ancestry: White (Cold)

Sorcerer is a natural choice due to the inherited nature of her divine powers, and Draconic Bloodline fits perfectly since this is post-TotK Zelda, who deserves to keep some of her Draconic aspects. (Note that Draconic Bloodline gives you Draconic Resilience, making Mage Armor unnecessary.)

Proficiencies: Arcana, Religion

Cantrips: Shocking Grasp, Light, Friends, Blade Ward

Spells: Thunderwave, Witch Bolt

Arcana and Religion just fit way better than your other options. Shocking Grasp from Urbosa, Light because duh, Friends because her high Cha makes her a natural choice as the party's face, and Blade Ward because of her desire to protect those around her. Thunderwave and Witch Bolt are also thanks to Urbosa.

Level 2

Spell: Feather Fall (She floats sometimes)

Metamagic: Careful Spell, Extended Spell

Level 3

Spell: Gust of Wind (Revali)

Metamagic: Subtle Spell

Level 4

Spell: Hold Person (Calamity Wrangler/Stasis)

Cantrip: Mage Hand

Feat: Ability Improvement (Cha +2)

Mage Hand because she'd love it for efficient research. When you up your Charisma to 19, you'll likely be near the point where you're facing Auntie Ethel and you'll probably be able to get her boon easy enough to top Zelda up at 20 Cha.

Level 5

Spell: Slow (Sage of Time)

Level 6

Spell: Lightning Bolt (Urbosa)

Level 7

Spell: Ice Storm (Naydra)

Level 8

Spell: Banishment/Daylight

Feat: War Caster

Banishment because that's what Zeldas tend to do to Ganon in the series and Daylight because of the divine light she tends to generate. War Caster is just a necessary choice for any spellcaster.

Level 9

Spell: Hold Monster (Calamity Wrangler/Stasis)

Level 10

Spell: Telekinesis (Shiekah Tablets)

Cantrip: Dancing Lights (Divine Light)

Metamagic: Distant Spell

Level 11

Spell: Sunbeam (Divine Light)

Level 12

Spell: Chain Lightning/Cone of Cold/Globe of Invulnerability/Dimension Door

Feat: Mobile/Resilient- Wisdom/Spell Sniper

So, once I get to level 12, I find my main issue with Sorcerer; the lack of spells. You're plenty powerful, but not as utilitarian as you might like. Anyway, by the time you get to your max level, you'll have a Zelda that is as much a force of personality as a force of nature.

#Baldur's Gate III #Baldur's Gate 3 #BG3 #Legend of Zelda #LoZ #Breath of the Wild #BotW #Tears of the Kingdom #TotK #Zelda #BG3 build

[dailycharacteroption]

Pop Culture Builds 13: Margot d’Francane (Wizard School Mysteries)

And here we are with another Pop Culture special, diving into how to create facsimiles of your favorite characters from across fiction in Pathfinder or Starfinder, and this time we’ll be doing a first: a build which focuses on Pathfinder Second Edition!

But before we get into the nitty gritty, let’s preface this: I will never be doing any characters from a certain young adult series written by Britain’s TERF-in-Chief.

So instead let’s do one based on a book series that takes the magical school trope and combines it with the teen detective genre, without the ugliness that is interwoven with Joanne’s overhyped diatribe.

Indeed, today we’ll be focusing on William Cope’s (also known as @tyrantisterror here on tumblr) series, Wizard School Mysteries!

(Note that I have not found the time to read Cope’s books, so I apologize in advance if I miss anything important about dear Margot’s character in this book)

But without further ado, let’s get into today’s subject, Margot d’Francane!

When Margot lost her family to the last great Goblin War, she found herself in the care of a kindly blacksmith who took her in. However, things were not idyllic for the young mage, as her innate pyromantic abilities were so potent and uncontrollable that her caretaker was forced to bind her arm, which was already deformed with a magical illness called lichrot, with a rune-enchanted metal gauntlet.

However, this was not enough for Margot, who wanted to truly control her powers. So, she enrolled at the Academy of Applied Arcana and Magic to better understand her powers. However, some of the teachers, one in particular, saw her gauntlet as a way to demean and belittle her. Imagine someone making fun of your wheelchair for being a “crutch” despite it also keeping other people from getting hurt.

However, with the help of her newfound friends, she’s more than capable of mastering herself and rising to the occasion (not to mention finally putting that awful teacher in her place).

Margot is human, but there’s no special reason that she needs to remain so for this build, though cooperative nature, sense allies, cooperative soul, group aid, stubborn persistence, and the like are good choices for her determination and team mom energy.

For her class, I went with the sorcerer class with the elemental bloodline (fire) and the wellspring mage archetype, the former representing her unparalleled mastery of pyromancy, while the latter representing the uncontrolled nature of her power. However, the wellspring mage assumes that your character is a more traditional “wild mage”, whereas Margot’s uncontrolled outbursts of magic tend to err on the side of “even more fire”, so some GM fiat may be needed there.

Of course, in 2e classes have their own feats. From the sorcerer, you’ll likely want dangerous sorcery, widen spell, bespell weapon, split shot, advanced bloodline, detonating spell, steady spellcasting, energy fusion, greater bloodline, overwhelming energy, and the like. Meanwhile, the wellspring mage archetype offers the dedication, and interfering surge in particular. The end result is a mage that have overwhelming mastery over their destructive potential, but sometimes things get out of control.

In more general feats, specialty crafting (blacksmith) makes sense, as does toughness, cooperative crafting, impeccable crafting, craft anything, and the like.

Naturally, most of Margot’s spells should be fire-focused, but don’t forget a few lightning spells so you can combine them for her energy fusion feat as well. Beyond that, spells that protect and buff allies are also a must, as she deeply cares and worries for her friends.

As far as signature equipment goes, Margot is mostly known for her gauntlet, which helps her control her fire magic. While there is no specific mechanic for such a thing in Pathfinder 2e, I imagine it would be easy to homebrew this as a gauntlet or spiked gauntlet composed of a special material (I’m thinking either adamantine or noqual, the latter for it’s antimagic properties) enchanted to become a powerful striking weapon, but also potentially having a unique enchantment that lets her reroll her wellspring surge roll once per day. Beyond that, I would advise giving her equipment for enhancing her magical arts. She does, however, have a magically animated chariot as well, which could be used to add to her mobility as well.

Of course, if you don’t want to build her as a 2e sorcerer, you could build her as a 1e evoker wizard with her gauntlet as her focus item, or a simple fire elemental sorcerer with the elemental spell (electricity) feat. Arcanist with bloodline development and the ability to induce primal magic events might also be appealing to some.

A fiery mage who uses a gauntlet as a limiter or focus can be a lot of fun, even beyond the confines of this character, so feel free to use it beyond emulating Margot.

That does it for today, but this week is just getting started!

#pathfinder second edition #pop culture #pop culture builds #pop culture characters #wizard school mysteries #margot d'francane

[vaalthus]

The Aker'varus (spoilers)

Ya know this entire time it somehow didn't occur to me that the Aker'varus was just a dragon this entire time, lowkey assumed it was just some terrifying giant bird-like creature based on the Aerozoophobia creature we encountered in the Jungle Adventure quest. A thought that becomes extra dumb when you remember that particular fear monster looks like this:

So the foreshadowing for what the mythical beast actually is was staring me right in the face and I completely missed that.

Ooof the trauma.

Sounds like an opportunity to encounter the actual dragon in the future when concerning the plot of the southern kingdom. On another note, I still find the matter of Kassandra's parent's death much too suspect when we know how the Imperial family operates. I'm still not fully convinced they aren't at fault for the Aker'varus killing Kassandra's parents so to speak. Their demise in this manner just seems too convenient at the moment.

Yo! A biologically metal themed dragon!?!?! Now I want us to fight the real thing even more now.

....I'm convinced this man is an anime protagonist.

Hmm while not stated, I suspect this fire being casted is doing "good" damage, as in the "elemental" good we see in game. Would certainly explain why the fire is pink in contrast to the orange flames Sirius was shown to cast as a child and furthermore it wouldn't be the first time we've seen the fires of other elements take on a completely different colors. In the case of good, its usually been a color motif of either pure white or a pinkish hue. Just an observation though.

I. WANT. TO. FIGHT. THE. REAL. THING!!!!!!

Okaaay didn't think Inanitas was straight up inside the artifact but I certainly won't complain. Might explain why no one else but Sirius has been able to use the artifact's power within the Imperial family's bloodline for a long time. It simply comes down to there being a literal conscience entity to decide who gets to use it or not. Gave Sirius some mad celestial drip though.

Easy to see why the Imperial family does not want Sirius to be free of the Sword of Inanitas.

This line feels more ominous than anything. Sounds clear the Celestial has its own machinations it wants to achieve and yet I cannot help but be at unease when reading this.

In spite of this feeling like a death flag, I suspect what might happen here is that Kassandra will simply be trapped in the Fearscape as opposed to dying in shutting the engine down with minimal damage. Perhaps leading to quests down the line to free her though that is a guess at best. Or her character will simply receive a fate worse than death treatment and she'll be forced to stay in an endless fearscape, for all eternity...or she'll just die. Alternatively, this might be a convenient escape for her from the Arcana. Can't imagine how Sirius will react if she's truly lost forever though.

#dragonfable #dragonfable spoilers #the aker'varus #the hints were staring me in the face!!! #Really hoping Kass doesn't meet her end here #At least not yet #Feels like there's more to see here still #But I guess we'll find out soon #And then there's Inanitas... #why choose only Sirius after so long? #what made him stand out above the rest of the recent generations? #was it his “goodness”? #or something else entirely

[neonacity]

ARCANE : INIZIO | CH.6 | NCT DREAM X READER

Summary: When human deviants granted with the abilities of the legendary Arcana cards find themselves racing against devious forces, they are left to make a choice that might change the fate of the world itself: be the victims of the game, or become the masters of it themselves.

But will this war end with a crowned hero?

Or will it just create another mad villain?

*****

Note: This is the second book of Arcane. The happenings in this story is a prequel to the first installment which you can check in my Masterlist. Since the lore is highly dependent on the first book, I highly suggest you check it out first—otherwise, new readers might have a hard time understanding what is happening here. Expect lots of time jumps and flashbacks throughout the chapters.

Pairings: Dream 00’ Line + Mark x Reader

Trigger Warnings/Themes: romance, violence, torture, trauma, poly dynamics, suggestive themes, language, psychological, mystery, sci-fi. The concept of the tarot or Arcana cards will be loosely used throughout the series. Note that I am not a trained doctor so there may be some slips here and there about medical things. Again, this is a work of fiction and I am not implying any likeness between the characterization here of the boys to their real life counterparts. I also reserve the rights to all my work—I do not post anywhere else other than tumblr. Minors DNI. Please do not repost. I only publish my works in Tumblr.

© neonacity, 2022

Previously > CH. 1 | CH.2 | CH.3 | CH.4 | CH.5

In the beginning, there was everything and nothing.

Quod est superius est sicut quod inferius, et quod inferius est sicut quod est superius.

That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above.

Harmony and equilibrium is the great thread that runs through the universe, and the very same law that keeps the aether, the nether, and the mundane world coexist peacefully with each other. For billions of years since the dawn of existence, humanity prospered in between the world above and the underworld, supported by opposing life forces necessary to keep the universe from tipping over. For centuries, there was peace, until a great shift started unraveling the fabric of the three worlds.

Greed. Pride. Lust. Gluttony. Envy. Sloth. Wrath.

As human consciousness grew, so did their desire for more festered. Kingdoms were created at the expense of tearing apart lands, wars were waged for vainglory, and lives were traded in exchange for earthly pleasures. As darkness threatened to tip the great balance of the three worlds, heavenly and nether forces were forced to work together to keep the universe from losing its equilibrium. Where the three dimensions once co-existed separately before, the greater powers threaded in the greater cosmos lent parts of their forces to the mundane world to try and keep its balance.

And thus, the twenty-two Arcana powers were born.

Each heavenly and infernal force chose its human stewards, vessels who can wield the energies of aether and nether in the mortal realm. The powers were neither good nor bad, but the first Grandmasters—and their succeeding bloodline—were given a task that they will have to carry along for as long as humanity exists: keep the equilibrium in the mundane world and protect it with their lives.

The powers are divided into three classes, the same way the universe is with its three dimensions.

The First Class: The Knights. Arcana masters whose abilities can bend matter and elements to affect the physical realm.

The Second Class: The Oracles. Arcana masters who have control over the subconscious, the psychic, and the ethereal.

The Third Class: The Triad. The holders of the last three pillars of the Arcana. Alone and separated from the bloodline, they are powerless, but together with the great system, they are the only ones who can tap into the abilities of the other masters.

For decades, the bloodline grew and prospered as new masters were born every generation. While the Family's existence is kept a secret from the greater mundane world, its members prospered and made their marks known in society as its secret vanguards. Kings, Queens, Inventors, and Great Artists, the force of the secret brotherhood was threaded and felt throughout the course of humanity. Wars were won and some battles were lost, but one thing remained the same. Regardless of the battle, the Grandmasters are here to protect the balance of the universe.

And so it begins, once again.

******* "Make one wrong move and you lose your head."

You turned around, not in fear of the words that managed to break through the mundane talk over at your breakfast table, but because of the familiar voice that said it. Beside you, Renjun, Haechan, Jisung, Chenle, and Jaemin also did the same, their expressions changing as their eyes landed on the group now smiling at your lot. You gasped the same time the boys made their own expressions of surprise, some even jumping from their seats.

"Johnny-hyung!"

"Woah, Jaehyun-hyung and Yuta-hyung—"

"Taeil-oppa?” 

"Hey, kids. What's up?"

The tallest of the group, a man with black hair that fell over to his eyes, gave your table a wink before reaching over to ruffle Haechan's hair. Everyone was still pretty much stunned by what was happening that Ten's amused laughter had to pierce through the ruckus to bring you all back to focus.

"I told them they can all see you later after classes but these losers had to force their way in here to make a scene. I guess the cat's out of the bag then. We have visitors."

"You're talking as if we didn't just graduate here a couple of years ago," a guy standing by his side with a playful smile nodded over to him, his eyes sparkling. "Is that what being a teacher does? You used to run around with us and do—"

"Shut the fuck up, Yuta. And I'm not a teacher here, I'm the Academy's doctor. Kun is the one who ended up with the boring job."

"I'd love to call it boring, but I think it's actually pretty cool. You saw their breakfast buffet? Do teachers also get that now?" A shorter guy with close-cropped hair motioned towards the half-finished plates on your table. Taeil gave you all a small smile seeing the still stunned look on your faces.

"You all look like you're seeing ghosts," Johnny teased as he plopped on the vacant seat next to you. With a big grin, he draped an arm over you and pulled you into a half hug that almost cut off your air supply. 

"Hi, Princess. You've grown up, haven't you? You still single?"

You couldn't see anything while being smothered by the bear of a man, but you heard Haechan clearly from somewhere across the table.

"Yah, hyung!"

"Uh-huh, I think she is still single."

“Yep. Definitely still single.”

Another voice chimed in, sounding extremely amused. You were on the verge of protesting when Johnny finally let you go with a laugh. You pulled away, a little disgruntled, and came face to face with a chuckling Jaehyun across from you.

"What are you all doing here?" You finally managed to ask, your tone a little disgruntled as you tried to straighten your hair that Johnny managed to mess up. A few of the other students still lingering for breakfast threw you looks from the other tables, gawking at the newcomers. Not that you can blame them. For the general student body, this group had a reputation as the ringleaders of the Academy in their heyday. 

For you and the rest though... It’s a little bit more complicated.

After all, there is just no way it is plain coincidence to have the strongest Arcana Masters back in Rosewood.

In terms of control and maturity of abilities—and unlike the current masters enrolled as students—the earlier batch of Arcana masters are at the apex of the current generation of ability holders. Their powers have matured enough to be at their full potential after years of training and practice. If this were a battle, they would be considered the war generals—and seeing who is at Rosewood at this very moment can in no way be lacking of any significant meaning.

Johnny, Master of the Justice. Arcana Number: 08. One of the most physically strong in the family, his position is at the forefront of battle, not because of his sheer prowess in fighting alone, but due to the nature of his power. Ability: Karmic Manipulation. Whatever's done to him, he can cast tenfold of it back to its wielder by mere compulsion alone.

Jaehyun, Master of the Tower. Arcana Number: 16. He stands next to Johnny in the line of fire, being the human embodiment of carnage itself. Ability: Destruction Magic. Jaehyun has the power to shift energies to destroy everything on his path, including their life force so that they are totally erased from the cycle of the universe, never to be reincarnated again.

Yuta, Master of the Hanged Man. Arcana Number: 12. Another ace of the family, Yuta is one of the few members whose power can be projected to the outside world and to himself. Ability: Gravitational Manipulation. He can control the physical laws of gravity to his advantage, allowing him to also be the only member to have the ability of flight.

Taeil, Master of the Hermit. Arcana Number: 9. Though not a physical caster, his powers are probably one of the most terrifying among the Oracle class. Ability: Nightmare Inducement. He can get in anyone's head to know their greatest fears and project them to the physical world.

Ten, Master of the Chariot. Arcana Number: 7. He rarely uses his powers because they can affect the fabric of destiny alone. Ability: Space-Time Manipulation. The lord of time himself, he can jump through different dimensions and locations at will.

"Can't an alumni visit their home school?" Johnny asked back, his tone light. You exchanged a quick glance with Jaemin and Renjun beside you. 

"Aren't you supposed to get married next month, hyung?" Chenle asked politely but pointedly. It was brief, but Johnny's friendly smile slipped ever so slightly before he caught himself again. For once, he actually seemed like he didn't have any answer to shoot back.

"Masters just can't go back any time they want to… We are all meant to go somewhere to watch over things after leaving Rosewood. Aren't you working for the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, Jaehyun-hyung?" Renjun said next.

"I'm pretty sure you don't get a lot of vacations there to spend for a quick school visit," Jaemin trailed off to drive the point across.

If the group wasn't obvious earlier at least for the clueless, they certainly are now with the way they exchanged looks. Ten looks like he was on the verge of breaking when another trio caught all of your attention as they strolled towards you. Your eyes rounded in surprise when you recognized their faces.

"Taeyong-hyung," Jisung voiced out the man's name who was currently flanked by Kun and another girl whose face you know so well. What on earth has your father done this time? 

"I thought we agreed to talk to all of them together?" Kun frowned at Ten who gave him an exasperated shrug.

"They never listened to rules as students, do you really think that has improved now?"

"Sorry for barging in. Are these guys bothering you?" Taeyong asked, his eyes kind as usual as he regarded all of you. It's been a couple of years since you've last seen him since he graduated, but you realized that the former Head Boy and well-known Legacy in the family has retained his kindness until now. Taeyong, like Kun, is a member of the bloodline but lacked any powers, but that hasn't stopped him from playing a pivotal role in the clan. While Kun stayed at Rosewood to defend it should something happen, Taeyong was sent to fight for it and protect it from a distance. The duty given to them is what earned the pair the title of this generation's Ace of Shield and Ace of Sword.

"Taeyong-oppa… You're also here," you trailed off before your gaze unwittingly slipped towards the girl standing by his side. She looked like she didn't want to impose her presence, but you couldn't stop yourself, not when you know her face all too well.

"And you… Mijeong?"

Her head jerked and she looked at you wide-eyed as you called out her name. Despite the strangeness of the situation, your lips slightly twitched into a knowing smile.

"You remember my name?"

"We were classmates at Advanced Psychology. And you've also been watching over me since I joined the University. I hope my father didn't force you to do it."

If she looked surprised earlier, then Mijeong definitely seemed shell-shocked now. Beside her, Taeyong raised his brow curiously before glancing at Kun who looked like he was trying his best not to smile.

"You, you've always known that I—"

"Was tasked to guard me? Yes. I wouldn't think too much about it though. You're really good, but I've also spent my whole life living with my father's schemes."

"I guess she wouldn't need too much introduction then if that is the case. Kim Mijeong, she's the master of The Strength and—" Taeyong started before he was cut off by a flash of silver darting from out of nowhere past him. The movement was too quick for all of you to notice, but the next thing you saw was the butter knife safely tucked between Mijeong's middle and forefinger. The girl raised her eyebrow before twirling the blade casually in her hand.

"Yuta… Can you please not do that?" Taeyong asked with a sigh. The boy in question smirked, his eyes set on the other Master.

"When they said La Fuerza is from the Kim clan, I didn't expect it to be the little sister. I had to check if she’s good since that family thinks they're too good for Rosewood," Yuta said, his eyes dancing. Mijeong returned the snark by staring him down.

"We have a different training as the working guards of the family. I don't think it's such a bad idea to skip the Academy too if it means we get spared from mingling with douchebags like you," she snapped back smoothly before making a show of making one last twirl of the  blade in her palm before closing her fist around it. The lot of you watched, jaw slacked, as she easily folded and bent the metal in her hand like it was a piece of paper. The next second, she was flinging it back to Yuta's direction with a flick of her wrist. The now crumpled clump of metal stopped just a few inches from hitting the other in the face as he stopped it with gravity.

Chenle gave a low whistle, impressed by the show. Kun, however, looks like he was done with the exchange.

"Okay, can we just stop throwing blades at each other for a moment? It's 9AM."

"Yes, which makes it the perfect time for you guys to answer our question. I'm afraid even this isn't enough to distract us," you added before giving the newcomers a pointed look. Taeyong gave you a slightly guilty smile before touching the back of his head.

"Your father invited us for a little bit of help. We don't think we will be here for a long time though, don't worry. I think he just has a few things he wants to try."

The way you and Haechan looked at each other at the same time told you one thing. He’s not lying, but he’s definitely not telling the whole truth either. If there's one thing you all know about Taeyong, it's his talent to make the worst of things sound like a frolic in the garden.

"When you say a few things he wants to try…" Haechan asked, prodding for more.

"A few… classes specifically. And drills," Kun was the one who answered this time. Silence dropped on your table, thick and loaded with meaning. The next one who broke it was the most unexpected of all.

"Is something happening? If there is, I think we have a right to know about it," Jisung said, his voice still polite but steady. Several pairs of eyes swiveled towards him, surprised by the youngest’s comment. You could almost physically touch the lingering guilt from his older brothers before Taeyong finally sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"We want to tell you, but the Headmaster hasn't given us a lot of information either. He called us back to protect Rosewood against attacks—from who, I doubt he knows himself—and to prepare everyone. Especially you kids."

"What does that mean?" Chenle asked, confused. "All of us got calls from our families yesterday. They said we might leave the Academy temporarily."

"Not until you finish your training," Jaehyun said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Training? With who?" Jaemin replied.

"With us." Johnny answered as he finally picked himself up from his seat. You and the others froze, not expecting his answer. Nobody needed to say anything for all of you to piece together what’s happening.

The seniors are not only here to protect the Academy, but to prepare all of you for a bigger war.

"We're officially making an announcement later but since you're all here…" Kun started, looking at each of you. "The rest of the student body will be sent back to their homes today. Regular classes are indefinitely postponed to make way for drills which will start tomorrow."

"All Knights class will be divided into groups and will be trained under Johnny, Jaehyun, Yuta, and Mijeong. The Oracles will be assigned to Taeil and Ten. Taeyong and I will be moderating everything."

"And the Triads?" You asked, causing Kun to stop. He looked unsure of what to tell you, but you didn't waver, keeping your eyes steady on him for an answer. 

"I think you need to talk to your father first..."

Your hands balled into fists under the table. You haven't talked to the man again again since your confrontation at his office, but the fact that he didn't include you in any of his plans does not mean anything good. You kept silent now, however, knowing that you should be more careful of your actions.

"You can all go back to the dormitories now. We'll just call you again once everything is ready. I suggest you just… relax today," Taeyong said before looking at the other newcomers to signal them to leave. You all watched quietly as the group picked themselves up and bid you their goodbyes.

Renjun was the first one to talk once everyone was out of the door.

"What's going to happen now…?" He asked quietly. Haechan dropped again to his seat, looking as worried as the rest of you.

"Training under those beasts? We're going to die. That's what's going to happen. We're going to fucking die."

******* "Get up. We need to go."

Jaemin opened his eyes and gave you an unbothered glance the moment you locked the door behind you. He looked unsurprised by your sudden barging in, a look of mild curiosity tracing his features as you started pacing in his room. He remained unmoving from his spot on the bed even as you finally turned to him, gnawing at nail on your thumb.

"What exactly are we up to today?" He asked mildly, raising his brows at you in question. You paused, not knowing how to best phrase the answer.

"We're ransacking my father's office."

The silence that followed was almost painful. You winced, expecting the worst reaction.

"You've absolutely gone mad, noona."

Your shoulders slumped at his reply. He is right. You've reached the point of being batshit crazy this time, but you're also desperate, and time is not necessarily on your side.

"Look, I need to do something. There is no way Papa will tell us anything so we need to find our own answers. This is the only time that we have. I checked. He left the Academy again so his office is free," you paused before finally staring at him. "Will you help me?"

It took him a bit to answer. The truth is, when it comes to things like this, he is the only other person you could trust to have your back. Mark is too straight-laced to try and do something like this—that and the fact that he still refuses to talk to you—and Jeno... Jeno would be another good option too if only he hasn’t been avoiding you as well. The rest, you didn’t want to drag into trouble in case you get busted. You didn't realize that you've been holding your breath until Jaemin finally sighed and started picking himself up from his bed.

"They say I'm the devil, but you're actually more dangerous. Don’t play innocent, you already know my answer when it comes to you," he said as he straightened his clothes. You tried your best to hold back your grin from showing.

"You can say no, you know," you quipped as you both headed to the door. He easily opened it and motioned for you to lead the way.

"When I can ask for a payment for this favor? I don't think so. Lead the way, love. We have some sleuthing to do."

******* "So, what exactly are we looking for?" Jaemin asked as he went through the stacks of books in your father's shelves. The room was dim with only one small fluorescent lamp that you decided to open and you squinted in the dark as you flipped through the folders on his desk.

"I don't know… Anything that can give us a clue. He told me that the Kims alerted him about people trying to pass through the barriers of Rosewood a couple of months ago. I don't believe he hasn’t been working on getting any leads since he found out about it."

At your words, Jaemin froze on his spot and slowly turned to look at you. You returned his gaze knowingly as you closed another folder and placed it back to its pile.

"People? You mean—"

"Humans… Mundanes who aren't part of the bloodline," you muttered grimly. This is the first time you've shared the information to any of them since your talk with your father. You figured this is the best time to give him an idea, given everything that has happened in just a span of a few days. 

"But how—" he paused, his face strained. "Is this what this is all about then? Whatever it is that we are preparing for, it's against the humans?"

"Not just any group of humans, I guess. Someone powerful, or else they wouldn't have much influence to pull something as big as this. That's what we need to find out. Whoever wants to steal the Arcana powers."

"So this isn't really a fight but a hunt. That's why our parents are asking us to leave and why Jaehyun-hyung and the others are going to be training us. We're running away and being taught to defend ourselves."

You didn't immediately answer, though the look on your face was enough of a confirmation for him. The truth is, you still do not want to follow the path your father is drawing up for everyone. Escaping is the most logical course of action, but it can also start a cycle that none of you might be able to break. If you run now, you'll be looking at your backs and living in fear forever.

"Is that why he is also marrying you off to Mark-hyung?"

His question was not surprising, but it still definitely made you pause. Ever since your father told you about the arrangement, you haven't really talked to anyone about it, Mark included. After your talk, you are convinced he was trying to stay away from you as much as he can—and for that, you couldn't really blame him.

"It was a discussion between him and Mark's father. None of us said yes to it," you said, shifting your eyes away from him and continuing to sift through the other files on your father's desk. Jaemin was quiet, but you could feel his stare heavily on your skin.

"I think you know what his answer will be given the choice. The question is, do you want to marry him?"

This time, you felt your heart clench.

"I don't want to marry anyone for convenience."

Jaemin's loaded pause was so palpable you almost wanted to escape him.

"You love him. You can fool anyone, but not me. You've always loved him."

"If you're so good about reading me, then you should also know the reason why I can't be with him," you said as you finally met his gaze steadily. The light from the lamp threw shadows over the curves of his face from where he stood, but it was the look in his eyes that spoke the words none of you wanted to speak out.

You didn't know when it happened, but as you grew up, both Jaemin and you somehow came upon a silent agreement never to talk about things like this. It wasn't needed, because you both know where you stand in each other's lives. It was a silent dance, one that both of you were content in doing for as long as it could work. He never rocked that boat, but as you looked at him now, you were also gripped by the sudden fear of that world slowly being tipped over.

"It is the right choice…" he said slowly, almost as if he was forcing the words out of his lips. "If the humans are after us, that means there is a traitor in the family. The Masters will be vulnerable, especially you and your father. Mark-hyung's family… You can either be a part of them, or have them as your number one enemy."

"Do you want me to marry him, Jaemin?"

This time it was him who stopped. His expression didn't falter, though you noticed the way his jaw slightly ticked as if he was trying to control himself. 

"If my family can give you the same protection that his can, then believe me, I would have whisked you away by now and married you on the spot."

You took a slow breath in at his answer.

"You can’t say that. You know that I—  "

"Love me just as much as you do him, Jeno, Renjun, and Haechan? I've personally never had any problem with that. I think you know that by now. I want you. I don't care whatever else comes with that."

To say that you weren't ready for this conversation was understating it. Jaemin had always been safe, that one person you knew would always have your back without really losing sight of what should and shouldn't be done. Right now though, he is making you look at things that you aren’t ready for yet.

You were so lost in your thoughts that you didn't notice him crossing the distance to where you were seated. The next thing you felt was warmth touching your cold cheeks as he ever so gently tipped your face to look at him. The way he held you and the look in his eyes almost made you want to fold into yourself.

"Tell me what's on your mind… You're hurting…" he whispered as he started gently running his hand over the corner of your eye.

"I wish you didn't know me so much."

He smiled.

"IL Matto or not, you can't run away from me when it comes to that, love."

It took you a moment to answer again. After a few more heartbeats, you finally stood up and walked towards the center of the room, as if putting distance between the two of you would somehow lessen the impact of your words.

"I don't think I will be living long enough to marry anyone, Jaemin," you started, voice low enough only for him to hear. His eyes slowly widened and you avoided his gaze to not see the realization there.

"It hasn't been part of my plan. Ever. I don’t want to stay here for a long time. How can you live in fear knowing that you can turn mad one day and just lose everything? It's terrifying."

"You're not going to—"

"I will. In time," you cut him off before he could even finish. "Papa knows it and I know you do, too. I can feel it. It will happen one way or another. It’s the curse of IL Matto."

He was quiet. For the first time, he actually let his emotions run free as he stared at you. You could see the gears working in his head and you gave him a small smile as you watched him piece things together.

"You want to fight," he said lowly. “You’re going to go against your father’s plans.”

"Yes. Somebody had to stand up to him. I don’t want to run. I want to try to fix things while I still can.” 

He was about to say something again when a sudden beeping rang through the room. You both turned to the phone on your father's desk, it's red light beeping from the incoming call. You were still both frozen on your spots when the ringing finally stopped and the system switched to voice mail.

"Sir, we're done trying to process the specimen that we got from the night you were attacked. The men were using unknown technology that was unlabeled but we traced some of the scraps we got from the site and made a successful match. We have a name now."

Both you and Jaemin stared at each other, faces pale. Your heart was beating so loud against your chest that you thought you wouldn't hear the unknown man's next words.

"It's Cypher Institute."

******* "I'm surprised that you're actually the one who showed up today. I thought you were making sure to keep things under the radar."

The lilting, almost amused voice of the woman felt like thin ice needles slowly sinking into his skin. The private room's lighting was dim, but even the lack of proper illumination didn't tarnish the deep red lips that now tilted into a mirthless smile across from him. Everything about her looked cold, almost to the point of artificial perfection, and that's coming from a man who is also known for icyness himself.

"A show of faith to this unlikely partnership, if I must say. I didn't want you to think I might stab you on the back," he answered back just as smoothly, his expression never-changing. The woman's smile widened, showing perfect white teeth.

"Now, now. I think you don’t have too much faith on us. Why would I think that, after all that you've done for us…?"

"Junho Lee."

The mention of his name almost made him flinch. As one of the most prominent members of the Arcana bloodline, he does have an ability of sensing energies of others. This woman might be powerless—a regular human—but what she has is something more sinister than any of the ancient powers above and below.

Unadulterated greed.

And madness.

"I want to personally have your word about our arrangement," he said stiffly, his cold gaze unwavering on her. She merely turned her head a little to the side in mild interest.

"Mm… Is this the one about your son? Feel free to be specific. The consequences of your betrayal run deep after all."

Her use of words finally shook his facade. His fists closed in response, an action she did not miss from the way her eyes lit up with amusement. When Junho Lee signed up to this agreement, he knew he was permanently damaging his sacred ties to the Family. Playing with fire was part of the game, but he did not expect to be against the Devil herself.

"I need your word that my son will be unharmed once all of this is over and done. I don't care whatever else you do, but Mark stays safe."

"Of course. Is that all?"

He paused. The woman’s expression didn’t change but something about the way she looked at him told him that she was probing for... more. Junho knew this time will come when he will be asked to make a choice, but that didn’t make the process any easier now that he is finally at the crossroads. 

When he decided to sell his soul to Cypher, he only had one goal. To make the man who was behind the death of his wife suffer. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. IL Giudizio allowed his own wife to go mad and wreak havoc on others, resulting on the death of a whole generation of Masters. He was the reason why his family was ruined and why Mark's mother was ripped away from him. The man deserves to suffer, his family included, and yet… he couldn't bring himself to betray his daughter to the Institute. While he has no trace of care for the current IL Matto, he knew—from the way his son looks at her—that she is one he is willing to burn the world for; the same way he is doing now for his own lost love. 

Mark already lost his mother. He can't bear to rip the last woman he loves from him too. For that, he is willing to spare some souls. 

"Yes. Just him. You can do whatever it is that you want with the other Masters."

"Ah… how cruel. To think that your family used to be the number one trusted clan of the whole bloodline itself. Who would have thought that you would be the one to send them to the slaughterhouse yourself."

"I am loyal to no one and nothing but power."

The woman paused, her smile frozen in her lips. Her vision was one of the most terrifyingly beautiful things he's ever seen, her eyes piercing… still probing.

"One last question then," she said slowly, deliberately. His facade never changed despite the cold starting to gnaw at him from the insides.

"Who is IL Matto?"

"I do not know. IL Giudizio considers me as his closest confidante and trusted ally, but not enough for him to betray the last member of the Triad even to me. If you want to look for the last Master, you'll have to torture it out of his own lips."

He delivered his answer so smoothly and so effortlessly that he could have fooled anyone with his lie. But this woman is evil incarnate herself, and for that he had to work harder. It felt like having a stare off with a beast waiting for its prey to blink and show any weakness. He didn't waver though until finally, she smiled at him once more.

"I see. If that's the case, then you have our promise. Your son will be spared. But only if you deliver your end of the bargain. Time is running out and I am growing bored."

"Bring IL Giudizio to Cypher."

Junho took that as a cue for him to finally stand up and leave. Straightening his coat, he gave her a look that could rival her ice.

"One of my men will give you a call once everything is ready. Tell IL Mondo... I send my regards."

Miyoung’s smile sharpened at the edges as she followed the man's retreating back until it disappeared out of the room. Her soft voice lingered in the air, an echo of the closing of the door.

"Let the games begin."

CHAPTER 7

*******

A/N: So... It’s  been two months. Are there people who even still remember this story? Lol. Anyway, I’m just dropping this here real quick before I semi-disappear again. This feels rushed and and is shorter than usual, but I’m glad I was still able to finish a chapter. Enjoy!

@effulgentfireflies, @kasperneo, @lostlovesoul11, @byunniebaekhyunnie, @smolpeyy, , @dearj43, @bettyschwallocksyee, @babyksworld,   @yongboksfreckles,  @user103843, @lovehowdream, @glitching-wren, @jhornytrash, @coconuttiez8d, @negincho​, @stopeatread​, @ellatizw​, @huangberryyy, @wonyofanclub​, 

Untaggable for some reason: @renjunsflower, @coconuttiez8d

#mark x reader #jeno x reader #jaemin x reader #haechan x reader #renjun x reader #nct dream 00 line fic #nct dream 00 line reader #nct fanfic #nct fantasy au #nct mystery au #nct mystery fic #haechan fic #mark nct fic #jeno fic #jaemin fic #renjun fic #kun wayv fic #ten wayv fic #nct 127 fic #nct dream x reader #nct dream x reader imagines #nct dream 00 line x reader #nct scenarious #nct dream scenarios

[dailyadventureprompts]

Villain: Tirivanis, the Duke of Wounds

The first rule of dealing in blood is to never dip into your own supply

One must admit that there is power in blood, mortals bleed so easy yet a few drops can mean the difference between life and death. Blood is what ties us to are closest kin, and agreements signed in blood are thought to be the most binding. Is it any wonder then that someone would look upon this power and not seek to claim it for their own?

Enter Tirivanis, an enterprising devil who sought to unlock all the multiverse’s sanguine secrets, mastering not only the binding blood contracts of his infernal kind but more esoteric sources of magic: the contagious curse of vampirism, pagan battle and fertility rites, sorcererous inheritance and destined dynasties. Over time the Duke became so skilled at Interweaving these disciplines that he could freely mingle his power with that of his follower’s bloodlines, creating a living reservoir of arcana that he could tap into at will without the need to tempt mortals individually. This made him a true power in the courts of hell, atleast until he was summoned to the material plane in order to lord over some of his underlings and ended up getting into a fight with a meddling seraph resulting in being entombed beneath the earth for a few centuries.

Imprisonment was not good for the duke, trapped as he was and unable to maintain the bonds of magic that sustained him and all the contracts he had struck began to slip into default, bleeding him of more and more of his power. This imbalance that was only corrected after a nightmarish battle above his resting place soaked the earth with enough blood and sorrow that he was able to wrest himself free at which point he emerged as a changed and harrowed thing, desperate to undo all that he once made.

Though Tirivanis can play at being the suave and calculating devil he once was, the moment he gets a whiff of blood touched by his old power he goes after it like a shark, ripping his victims apart, wringing their flesh of blood, even licking it off the ground where it was splattered, made feral with the ecstasy of being made whole bit by bit. When his frenzy passes and his mind returns, he rises again, having traded yet more dignity for yet another scrap of his old power. He begins the hunt again, using what magic he can muster to seek his next victim.

Hooks:

Its a classic story: the party is set on the trail of a curse-slinging warlock hellbent on acquiring blasphemous powers and willing to perform any dark ritual to achieve it, only to fight their way through the villain's dungeon lair to find their quarry in pieces all across the ritual chamber. In the centre of this gorily decorated chamber they find a once-regal devil trapped in a ruinic circle panting after the out of reach warlock giblits like a starving dog. Having caught Tirivanis in a compromising position, the party might be able to haggle for some infernal boon, provided they don’t mind using entrails as bargaining chips.

Having proven themselves erstwhile heroes, the party receives an invitation to a country estate to hear a potential request for employment. A day or so carriage ride from the town, they find their hosts “out” at the moment, but are invited to wander the beautifully kept grounds and be waited upon by the friendly ( if a little anemic ) serving staff. That night, the party is woken from their beds and invited to meet with their perspective employers, who turn out to be a family of vampires. Carefully controlling both their appetites and number, the vampires have managed to not invite outside attention, atleast until one of their number was attacked kidnapped. Do the party accept their blood money, or risk angering a very old and well connected family on principle alone?

The hottest new trend on the arcane black market? Rune inscribed leaches that’ve begun appearing in the realm’s swamps, which suffuse the caster’s body with magical stimulants while taking just a little blood in return. Tirivanis created these loathsome symbiotes to detect for those who share a tie to any of the magical bloodlines he crated. When one of the little critters gets a taste, Tirivanis is there in a matter of days, though the dealers have been covering up the deaths of tieflings and other users in order to move more product.

#villain #fiend #mid level #high level #warlock #horror #dungeon #vampire #mystery #rescue mission #noble #nobility #black market #sorcerer #tiefling

[reunionatdawn]

My Analysis of the Best Paired Endings in 3H (Part 14: Marianne/Lorenz)

Marianne: Back then, I felt that my life served no purpose and that I was nothing more than a burden. In truth, I was begging the goddess to take me to her. That was my daily prayer.

The Crest of the Beast is associated with The Devil arcana. It can signify depression and also be a sign of feeling trapped or restricted, as though outside forces beyond your control are restricting you, leaving you feeling powerless and victimized.

Unless recruited, Marianne was the only student to not appear outside of her home route post-timeskip. Some have speculated that she took her own life, which I suspect is true. It was likely the promise of a class reunion that kept her going those five years. And if Byleth is not part of the class, the house leader will not make the promise. There were only a few people during the academy phase that Marianne connected with strongly enough that they would motivate her to live long enough to see them again at the Millennium Festival.

Marianne: What do you believe determines a person's value? Sylvain: I like to think it's a person's smile. Marianne: Huh? Their smile? Sylvain: A smile, it tells you who someone is. Are they fake or sincere? It also makes you feel stronger when you smile.

While Hilda and Marianne became close friends, that didn't happen until the war arc. During the academy arc, there were only three characters who made a strong connection to Marianne, enough to make her sincerely smile. The first was Byleth. At the Goddess Tower, we can assume she was making a wish to die. But you gain Support points with her if you tell her that your wish is only to see her smile.

Dimitri: Ah, a smile and a laugh. Coming from you, that's a rarity. This must be my lucky day. Marianne: I just find the idea amusing. It's strange to think that someone like you could have anything in common with me. Dimitri: Is it so terrible a thought? Marianne: No, no. It's not that. It actually makes me happy. As though there's finally someone who understands how I truly feel…

Second was Dimitri. Byleth's arc was about awakening her humanity after living as the Ashen Demon, and helping Dimitri become human again, too. While Byleth could understand his capacity for depravity more than anyone, I think Marianne was probably able to understand his survivor's guilt best. If you're playing as Male Byleth, then I think Marianne is by far the best wife for him. Other than Female Byleth, he seemed to have the strongest connection with her because they both felt like cursed beasts.

Marianne: Please, Dimitri. Promise you'll live through this war and long after. I don't know what I'd do with myself if we lost you… Dimitri: As long as you are carrying on, I have yet another reason to carry on myself. I promise to the goddess of Fódlan that I will never give you cause to despair.

Dimitri longed for female companionship. He can marry his childhood friend Ingrid, his BL classmates, and even his old mentor Catherine. But Marianne was the only other non-Byleth wife to give him a reason to live and vice versa.

Lorenz: But perhaps it is for the best that your beauty not be revealed to all the world. Yes, it is certainly better that only I, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, can appreciate your true magnificence! And on that note, I bid you farewell! Marianne: What a strange person… But being called beautiful just the way I am? That was nice to hear.

The final one was Lorenz. I believe the writers probably based this ship on Beauty and the Beast directly. Marianne could even talk to animals like a Disney princess.

If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair, and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?

The "Survivor of the Curse" felt totally worthless because of her bloodline. She spent her whole life avoiding other others due to her shame of her Crest. She needed hope that she could love and be loved in return in order to survive.

Catherine: That's not to say lineage counts for nothing. It just doesn't count as much as how you live your life, and what you live for. Or, let's say I was descended from some noble house. Would that change how you treat me? Lorenz: Yes, it would. To treat you differently from the commonfolk would only be appropriate.

The "Noble of the Red Rose" was pretty much like the Disney prince. Arrogant and judging people on their status and outer appearance. He would invite girls to dinner just to evaluate them. His character arc was about learning that lineage is not the defining factor in someone's worth and that true beauty is found within.

Lorenz: I have always sought to embody the ideal of nobility. That, at least, is a goal I continue to stand by. But now I know that bloodline alone is not sufficient to gauge a person's worth.

The Crest of Gloucester is associated with The Hermit arcana. The Hermit card in Tarot is a card of introspection, soul searching, analysis, and self-reflection. It denotes that this is not a time of socializing or action but of peace and solitude. And a hermit like Marianne was his preferred dining companion.

Marianne: I've been keeping this from you for a while. It's… It's about my Crest. It's just terrible. I— Lorenz: Please, that's quite enough! You're trembling. If uttering this secret hurts you, then I have no desire to hear it. Your smile is a greater gift to me than any truth. Whatever you have hitherto concealed, I am certain it is essential to you. And I do wish to know it. But not until the day arrives when you can tell me with a smile on your face. I am not the sort of man to prize my own knowledge over others' happiness, you know. Besides. The mystery is part of your charm. Marianne: Hehehe! You're funny, Lorenz… Lorenz: There! That's what I mean! Your beauty has always captivated, but that smile truly warms my heart!

It was cute how Lorenz grew to value Marianne's inner beauty the most and accepted her the way she was. He didn't even want to know about her Crest until she could tell him with a smile. It showed how much he'd grown as a person.

Marianne: But now I fear the idea of dying and being left alone. I have friends who accept me for who I am now, in spite of my Crest. And I have you watching over me. I've finally learned to accept the kindness and warmth of others. It's because of you, Professor. Because of you, I've decided to live.

In Houses, Marianne tells Byleth that they are the reason she decided to live because they taught her how to accept the kindness of others.

Marianne: For so much of my life, I didn't care if I lived or died, and yet… And yet when I saw you there beside me, I realized I did care. I wanted to live. Lorenz: And that is good enough. Such instincts are only natural. You needn't try to justify it to yourself, or anyone else.

In Hopes, Lorenz actually fulfills Byleth's role of being the one who helps Marianne feel like she wants to live. So, this ship definitely felt tailor-made for both of their character arcs and the writers liked it.

Marianne: This is the first time I've smiled in so long…and I have your kindness to thank for that. Lorenz: As I've said, you are perfect just as you are. But I suppose I can take a little credit! Yes, your radiant smile shall illuminate all the world! With me by your side, you will not be able to help it! Marianne: Hehehe! I'm looking forward to that.

Marianne was sent to the academy to marry a powerful nobleman, but unlike many of the other girls, that is something that can bring her happiness. She didn't have any big dreams that she'd have to sacrifice to marry a noble and she genuinely liked Lorenz.

Lorenz & Marianne After becoming the new head of House Gloucester, Lorenz initially focused on the recovery of his own territory before energetically engaging in the governance of all of Fódlan. Having earned recognition as a skilled politician, he suddenly announced his own marriage. His partner was Marianne, the adopted daughter of Count Edmund. Having learned about estate management from her shrewd foster father, she also became involved in the domestic affairs of Fódlan with Lorenz after their marriage. Particularly, she achieved significant success in promoting dairy farming, leading them to be praised as the "parents of cattle and horses." It is said that Lorenz was not pleased with being referred to by that nickname.

Lorenz's dream was for his name to go down in history, and he does achieve a great deal acting in the governance of all Fódlan. In this ending, he has a much different nickname than he probably imagined for himself, but I'm sure it made Marianne smile because her life work benefited the animals that she loved so much.

#fe3h #fe3h meta #marianne von edmund #lorenz hellman gloucester

[inkyquince]

hey guys! Gonna open Quincy Kinky Shit for the first time in... Who knows, a year.

For those who don't know, it's where you guys send in a Character + Trope/Kink and I write a short thing for it! (I usually write way too much but eh)

It's only open for a bit but also wanted to specify what I'm beyond down to write for rn, my biases have changed since the last time.

Sadly, don't really want to write anything Obey Me or The Arcana anymore, but don't mind writing for em, but shall be short.

The main ones are:

Degrees of Lewdity

Baldurs Gate 3

DC but mainly Batfam and Gotham lads

My OCS

Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines

Divinity Original Sin 2

Cyberpunk 2077

Fire Emblem (Three Houses and Fates)

I know I'm missing some ones but if you've seen me talk about it, it's a safe bet to ask for, without the aforementioned two.

Anyway, jabber jabber, all that to say:

QKS OPEN!

#quincykinkyshit

[pathfinderunlocked]

Soulflicker - CR5 Undead

Stay within the candlelight. I'll show you the path...

Artwork is an in-game model from World of Warcraft, copyright Blizzard Entertainment.

A soulflicker is an undead creature that guides other undead. Mindless undead instinctively believe that a soulflicker can lead them from undeath into the afterlife, and if not directed otherwise, they will follow the soulflicker around for as long as it leads them. Intelligent undead do not fall for the ruse, but soulflickers sometimes make deals with intelligent undead, leading them to their desires in exchange for power or protection. The power that soulflickers seek for themselves is often relatively simple - they mainly look for more mindless undead to be their followers. But if they can learn of something more valuable from a creature's corpse, they'll seek it out.

Soulflickers are constantly on the search for new treasures and secrets, either to take for themselves or to trade to other undead, and they have the ability to gather these secrets supernaturally with some of their spells. They often learn and seek out secrets and treasures that their mindless undead followers were searching for in life, or that they knew about.

Obviously, this is a support creature, and shouldn't be fought alone.

Soulflicker - CR 5

Visibly pale and waxy skin covers the shriveled arms that reach out from under this creature's robe. It's hunched over, and lit candles adorn the top of its backpack, melted into the fabric.

XP 1,600 NE Medium undead Init +4 Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +12

DEFENSE

AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (+4 mage armor, +2 natural) hp 51 (6d8+24) Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +9 Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2 Immune undead traits

OFFENSE

Speed 25 ft. Melee slam +3 (1d6) Special Attacks warding candles

Spell-like Abilities (CL 6th; concentration +9)     Constant—detect undead, mage armor, resistance     At will—blood biography (DC 16), corpse lanterns, grave words, sentry skull     1/day—carrion compass (DC 15), create treasure map

Spells Known (CL 5th; concentration +8)     2nd (2/day)—glitterdust (DC 15)     1st (3/day)—grasping corpse (CMB +8), touch of blindness (touch +3, DC 14)     0th (at will)—detect magic, ghost sound, spark

STATISTICS

Str 11, Dex 10, Con —, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 17 Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD +13 Feats Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Toughness Skills Knowledge (arcana, religion) +8, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +5, Perception +12, Survival +9, Spellcraft +7, Use Magic Device +9 Languages Common, Necril Gear backpack, spell component pouch, 160 candles

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Spellcasting A soulflicker casts arcane spells drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. It is a spontaneous caster, and gains half as many spells known and spells per day as a 5th-level sorcerer. It uses Wisdom, not Charisma, as its spellcasting ability score. It does not gain a bloodline or any other sorcerer class features.

Warding Candles (Su) As a standard action, once per hour, a soulflicker can place down and light three warding candles in three different spaces it can reach. Each candle sheds light as a normal candle (increasing the light level in a 5-foot radius by one step, to a maximum of normal light) and emanates a 5-ft. radius aura that protects the soulflicker's allies within the aura. Allies protected in this way gain channel resistance +2 and take half damage from corporeal attacks. This protection does not stack with the reduced damage from actually being incorporeal, and is overcome by any effect that would allow attackers to deal full damage to an incorporeal target, such as a ghost touch weapon or being incorporeal themselves.

Each candle has 1 hit point and an AC of 13 (as a Fine-sized object). Anything that snuffs the candle out, such as even a small amount of water or wind, ends the protection from that candle.

#d&d #pathfinder 1e #undead #warcraft #sorcerer

[verosvault]

🚨SPOILERS FOR FANTASY HIGH JUNIOR YEAR EPISODE 4!!!🚨

Dimension20 "Fantasy High Junior Year"

Episode 4 "Under Pressure"

Timestamp: 1:55:46

Video Length: 4min. & 23sec.

Fig meets the Warlock Teacher. Zara Sool. (‣Pt.1 | Pt.2)

Professor Zara Sool!

Zara Sool: "The previous teacher of this class, Evan Freem, was devoured by his patron for failing to meet the necessary requirements."

👀👀👀👀 Yikes! 💀💀💀💀

Fig minor illusions her name onto the attendance list! 😂🤣💀

Zara sees her do it! 😂

Fig: "Was I wrong about that?!" *Chest Pump*

😂😂🤣🤣💀💀

Ally: "Are you Jabberwockying dancing?"

😂😂😂😂

Zara Sool: "Lesson number one. In manners regarding warlocks, what's on the page is the only thing that counts."

Fig hexblade curses Quincy! 😂🤣💀

Nat20 on an arcana check from Fig! 😆😆

Fig immediately catch up! The warlock stuff really makes sense to Fig!

Fig draws her warlock powers probably from her dad, her bloodline, or her legacy.

Brennan: "Rather than wizard craft- where like- you have to break the universe down into its really discrete molecular magical components to put it back together. This is sort of a broader, more holistic look at, what are the forces that are actually at work here? What is the Fey Realm trying to do? What are devils trying to do?"

Fig catches up super fast in warlock class! She understands it very quickly!

#dimension 20 #dimension20 #blog #fantasy high #fantasy high junior year #under pressure #fantasy high under pressure #fantasy high junior year episode 4 #fantasy high scene #fantasy high junior year scene #dimension20 scene #queue #fig #fig faeth #figueroth faeth #emily axford #zara sool #warlock class #warlock #quincy #brennan lee mulligan #the bad kids #the intrepid heroes #bad kids #intrepid heroes

[mhintallyill]

Some Information

Disclaimer: I don't exactly know how Tumblr works. This blog is mostly reblogged fanart and headcannons, but I try to make my own on occasion.

Might reblog somethings that are a little mature but I plan keep it mostly PG / PG-13.

Fandoms/Games:

Fictif - Monster Manor and Last Legacy

Touchstarved - All Characters especially Mhin (of course) and Kuras

I might post some OCs I have made for these in the future, but we'll see..

The Arcana - All characters but mostly Muriel

DNI if you:

Are any phobics or ists against people

Make fun of young/beginning artists

British (jk)

GINGER (NOT JK)

Like fr every ginger I have met has crossed me or my bloodline unless fictional

#about post #touchstarved game #the arcana game #fictif games