#running an undead invasion is exhausting

[tired-truffle]

Yet Broken Still You Breathe

An AlistairxOC fic

Chapter Word Count: 4k

Part 3/40

"I think I've come to terms with the fact that there will always be a ribbon of loneliness running through who I am." - Jenny Slate

Masterlist

“So, you think you’ll want to join our crew as we valiantly fight against the Darkspawn invasion?” Darcy pulled out his sword and started duelling an invisible enemy where they stood in the courtyard of Redcliffe castle. Old blood stained the grass beneath their feet, the bodies of the undead they’d fought only a few hours beforehand strewn across the ground like discarded playthings. The smell of copper and rot filled the air but Darcy seemed bothered by none of it, instead, it seemed to almost enthuse him. “I know you almost got killed,” he said with a flippant motion of his hand, his other resting on his hip, quickly moving past that unfortunate fact, “but you aren’t afraid to fight dirty and you took down those three undead all on your own. I’d be remiss not to ask you to join our team, we could use a rogue like you. We’d have Leliana for all the- well, whatever it is she does when she’s not talking about her supposedly prophetic dreams from your Shemlen God, and you, the intimidating aura and ruthless survival skills. A perfect combination.” Darcy clasped his hands together and batted his eyelashes at her pleadingly.

“Uh,” Gwen said with all the intelligence of a wolf caught in a bear trap. Her head felt like it had been shoved full of cotton, and run over by a wagon, and the ringing music in her ears had only gotten stronger in her weakened state. 

“What our fearless leader means to say,” Alistair interjected while Gwen continued to blink at Darcy, at a loss for words, “is that we would be honoured to have your strong and ruthless fighting spirit on our side.” 

“Yes, that,” Darcy agreed. 

“Why am I being the tactful one here,” Alistair said with exasperation, “That’s usually not my strong suit.”

“Then you can rest easy, Alistair, intelligence would be a necessity, which you are sorely lacking,” Morrigan droned, her arms crossed over her chest, her robes covered in sprays of dark blood that did not belong to her. Out of all of them, she was relatively unscathed - the perks of being a mage. 

“Oh, well excuse me if I don't possess your level of intelligence, oh great and wise Bog Witch.” Alistair huffed.

“My hut was adjacent to a swamp, Alistair. Anyone with even the slightest semblance of wisdom would be aware of that fact.” Morrigan shot back, Alistair looking more and more miffed by the second. 

“Children, the both of you” Darcy cut in, stepping between the two with his hands up as though they were quarrelling school children, ”trading insults isn’t going to convince Gwen to join us.”

Gwen had been watching the exchange with tired eyes, barely hearing what they were saying in her exhausted state, still unsure how she was managing to stand on her own two feet. But at the mention of her name, she focused her gaze on Darcy. She had attempted to uncover any ulterior motives lurking in the shadows. He had seen her in action, swift and deadly with her daggers in hand. But beyond that, he knew almost nothing about her except for the way she could take down their enemy without hesitation. She wasn’t exactly the kind of person one would want hanging around your camp late at night. And yet, during their entire battle through Redcliffe castle and their talk with Lady Isolde - who was now dealing with the consequences of her poorly thought-out plan - she could find none. Darcy, Alistair, Morrigan, and even Barkspawn had had her back throughout the entire fight, save for when she had gotten separated, though that was as much her fault as it was theirs. Darcy had treated Lady Isolde with kindness and grace that she had returned with self-righteousness and a judgemental eyeing of Darcy’s ears. It had left Gwen confused as to why they were going to go out of their way to fetch a mage from the Circle to un-possess Connor at great personal risk to Darcy when it was the Arlessa who’d gotten them into that mess in the first place. She had caused the death of most of the castle’s occupants and had unleashed a horde of undead upon the people she was supposed to protect. The assassin mage they had freed from the prison had offered an easy trade, Isolde’s life for her son’s. It seemed simple to Gwen, but Darcy had refused and had instead offered an alternative that would have them making the trek back to Redcliffe from the Circle. 

By all accounts, Darcy was a good person trying to help everyone he came across, whether they deserved it or not. She wasn’t entirely convinced he wanted her to join them just because of her ability to fight, there had to be something else, some other reason he wanted to get her to travel with them. Perhaps it was as simple as having her ‘intimidating aura’ around so that others were less likely to take advantage of Darcy’s good-hearted nature, though Morrigan provided enough intimidation to scare off an entire army if she so chose to.

Did his Grey Warden senses pick up on what she hid behind her bandana? Was he trying to get her out of the town so he could put her down like the feral monster she was? It was certainly a possibility, yet he seemed too genuine to have anything sinister planned for her. 

“But,” Gwen furrowed her brow, “you don’t know anything about me.”

Darcy shrugged, “I’m good at reading people, and I can tell you’re the type of person who tries to do the right thing.” Gwen kept her lips pursed, that still didn’t negate the fact that she was hiding things about herself she had no intention of revealing, things that would turn them all against her in the blink of an eye. As if reading her thoughts, Darcy continued, “You’re a secretive person, I can tell you value your privacy, and I respect that. You don’t have to tell us anything you don’t want to, as long as you don’t plan on betraying us that is.” He grinned as though he’d told a funny joke. No one laughed. Morrigan looked as disinterested as humanly possible, and Alistair… Alistair was looking at her with barely concealed curiosity and a dash of hope that made her heart start to race. He was going to be a problem. He couldn’t find out what she was or what she’d done. Even men with the kindest of faces could be hiding viciousness underneath. She was sure that that curiosity would turn to disgust, fear, and hatred. Feelings she couldn’t afford a Grey Warden to have for her, not if she wanted to complete what she had set out to do.

Gwen rubbed at her eyes with a bloody hand, probably smearing it all over her face, but she found she didn’t care, “I guess I’ll join you, for now.” These people held the key to her salvation - answers about the Darkspawn and an end to the incessant ringing in her head that was slowly driving her crazy. She was determined to get what she needed from them, no matter what it took. And if they tried to kill her, well, she’d either kill them first, or she’d be put out of her misery. At least she could say she tried. 

Darcy squealed and clapped happily like a child being given a puppy for their birthday. Alistair's face lit up with a large, toothy grin, his eyes sparkling with excitement and Morrigan continued to look as disinterested as she always did. Barkspawn barked happily, his butt wiggling with the force of his enthusiasm. 

“But first, I need sleep and maybe some more health potions.” Gwen swayed on her feet, leaning a hand against the cool castle wall for stability. Alistair winced and took a step forward, reaching out like he intended to hold her arm, but stopped when Gwen shied away, dropping his arms and looking away awkwardly. She supposed it wasn’t entirely irrational, considering he had all but carried her into the throne room to confront Lady Isolde and the demon wearing her son like a skin suit. He appeared amiable enough, but on instinct Gwen had cringed away from him, her mind immediately going into survival mode. Every muscle in her body had tensed, ready to defend or flee at a moment's notice. It wasn't that she thought he would harm her, but over the years it had become ingrained in her the need to constantly be aware and prepared for any potential danger. She couldn't control these automatic survival instincts, they guided everything she did and they kept her safe. She didn’t correct herself or apologize either, she didn’t need him thinking he could just touch her whenever he wanted, that would lead to complications she wanted to avoid experiencing again. 

Darcy heartily agreed - Gwen was relieved to turn Alistair’s attention away from her - having already asked Bann Teagen to allow them to stay the night in the castle, he got the attention of a soldier who pointed them in the direction of the guest wing. There were only two spare rooms available that didn’t have dead, rotting corpses being cleaned out of them, so they had to split who slept where. Darcy, Alistair, and Barkspawn took one room, while Morrigan and Gwen took the other. Gwen wasted no time and quickly exited, making her escape to the room. Thankful that there were two twin beds inside the little room and just enough walking space to comfortably fit two people. The last thing she wanted was to roll over, have her bandana shift, and for Morrigan to wake up to a face full of unnatural split cheeks and sharp, pointed teeth. Having separate beds meant that Gwen could ensure that the covers stayed over her head while she slept to avoid any accidental face reveals. And a dagger in hand for good measure. 

The late evening light shone through the small window on the far wall, the orange and pink colours of the sunset illuminating the old wooden furniture, knicks and scratches carved into the surface speaking to the lives of those who had previously occupied the room, servants who were more than likely dead. A worn carpet that once must have been a lively shade of red now sat brown with age and askew, dejected on the cold stone floor. The pillows were indented in the middle as though they hadn’t been moved since their last owner had peacefully slept the night away, unaware of the dangers that lurked around the corner. Gwen’s stomach rolled and she quickly turned her thoughts to other matters, unwilling to stay on that distressing subject.

Morrigan followed soon after her, casting her a cursory glance before complaining about the lack of service and proclaiming she would leave to find a clean bucket of water to wash herself with. Gwen doubted she would be successful, but was pleased to have the room to herself for a moment so she did not point that out.

In her absence, Gwen peeled off her armour, blood-crusted clothes following suit until she was only in her smalls. She felt vulnerable in this state, her pale, blue-tinted skin like that of a corpse was littered with scars, most she did not care if anyone saw, but the ones that she did… well she’d rather not have to explain them. The most haunting were the ones around her neck, wrists, and ankles, as though something had dug into her skin slowly for a long time. They left jagged edges and indentations, discoloured skin and marks that at one time had clearly been worn down to the bone. Her back was more raised red scar tissue than regular skin, long strips intersected with smaller ones made her back look like a gruesome patchwork quilt.

She doubted Morrigan would ask questions, nor did Gwen feel compelled to answer should any arise. She didn’t want to talk about them and she hoped that Darcy had meant what he said about respecting her privacy. She’d never travelled with anyone before, so she wasn’t sure what to expect. But even if they didn’t ask, they were sure to come to their own conclusions, and she wasn’t sure if she liked that any better. 

Gwen quickly re-tied her bandana, ensuring that it was tight - almost too tight - against her face, and threw on her cleanest tunic before flopping into bed. She didn’t care that she was sweaty and covered in blood, there would be a lot more of that in her near future. And right now, her battered and bruised body, having consumed a few too many healing potions that were pulling on her body’s depleted energy stores to heal her many wounds, was too exhausted to do anything else but sleep. Thankfully, she had enough awareness to ensure that her favourite dagger was clutched tightly in hand and the blankets pulled up and over her head. It was comforting, a familiar habit she had developed in her youth - though the sheets of her childhood had been threadbare and stained a variety of disturbing colours and these sheets were soft and downy as one would expect of linen that was kept in a prestigious castle. As she curled up under the covers, she was quickly lost to sleep and her mind was consumed by familiar terrors. She was trapped in a relentless cycle of nightmares, as she was every night for as long as she could remember, another curse of her existence. Before long, she was lost in the depths of sleep's dark grip where her deeply suppressed memories came out to haunt her.

***

When Gwen woke the next morning, the early morning rays shining softly through the window, she was not surprised to find Morrigan gone. However, she was shocked to see a small glass bottle filled with a glowing red liquid, and a delicate porcelain cup filled with clear water that had been placed carefully at her bedside. Having rested and healed up quite well she had no current use for the healing potion and carefully to tucked it away for later. Gwen sniffed the water suspiciously and then decided she was being ridiculous, if someone - likely Morrigan as she was sure the castle servants were too busy to provide such frivolous items to guests -  had wanted to kill her they had plenty of opportunity while Gwen had been unconscious all night. 

She drank the water and didn’t immediately keel over. She declared it a victory, threw on her clothes, and went to find a bucket of water for a speedy sponge bath, hoping that with the continued cleaning of the castle, it wouldn’t be too hard to come by. It didn’t take too long searching to find one and haul it back to the still-empty room along with some bread and apples she had found stashed in the cellar. As she sat down to eat, a sense of relief flooded through her. She could enjoy a meal without Alistair's attentive gaze following her every move. The thought of being constantly watched while they were on the road together made her stomach churn. So for now, she took solace in this moment of solitude, savouring each bite as if it were her last. The quiet rustle of leaves and the distant chirping of birds provided a peaceful soundtrack to her meal, a temporary escape from the journey ahead.

She emerged from the castle's entrance, her eyes scanning the area for her new companions. She spotted them standing in a small group, their figures silhouetted against the rising sun. They were all armed and armoured, ready to set off. Despite the early hour, the sun shone brightly on them, highlighting their features and casting shadows along the gravel path. Behind her, the castle stood tall and imposing, with its stone walls and towers reaching towards the sky, unwelcoming and urging her to move out of its grasp. She nodded at them, not willing to say much more at the time, loath to admit that she wasn’t a morning person lest they learn that weakness.

“You snore in your sleep,” Morrigan remarked with disgust, before turning on her heel and marching off. Gwen's eyebrows furrowed, creating deep lines on her forehead as she tried to recall the sound of her own snoring, her lips pulled into a slight grimace.

“Don’t let her get to you,” Alistair said, coming to stand beside her, looking at Morrigan’s retreating form with a scowl marring his face, “She’s all bark and very little bite.” 

“It’s okay,” Gwen shrugged, “she reminds me of a barn cat I once… roomed with. It would hiss at me whenever I tried to pet it, but when I woke up at night it had curled itself into a ball at my back. I don’t know if it liked to cuddle or was just stealing my body heat, but I enjoyed it all the same.” She didn’t add that by ‘rooming’ she meant stowing away, it wasn’t relevant to the conversation and Alistair really didn’t need to know. No need to pique his curiosity any more than it already was. 

“That is… an oddly apt analogy,” Darcy murmured, shooting her a surprised look. 

“I think it has some room for improvement,” Alistair interjected, “how about instead of a cute, cuddly cat, she’s prickly lizard? Or maybe something that breathes fire and poisons everything it touches.” 

Gwen started walking after said prickly, fire-breathing, poisonous lizard, “It’s your head if she hears you calling her that.”

“It’s always my head with Morrigan,” Alistair grumbled, but he reluctantly trailed after her as they began their journey toward the Ferelden Circle. His heavy footsteps echoed against the cobblestone path, and he glared holes into Morrigan’s back, who seemed determined to ignore him.

While they left Redcliffe, Darcy quickly explained that the rest of their group, Leliana, the aforementioned rogue, and Sten, a Qunari warrior had gone ahead to scout for Darkspawn in the area. They were to meet mid-morning on the outskirts of Redcliffe. 

“Do you usually split up when heading into battle? Surely more fighters would be better,” she’d asked.

To which Darcy had nonchalantly replied, “It’s best to be prepared for whatever lies next so we don’t march headfirst into a trap after a particularly taxing battle,” he stayed quiet for a moment, “besides, if we were to all die then there would be no one to carry on the fight against the Blight. Someone has to make sure that Ferelden survives this.” His eyes were focused on the horizon, his jaw set, a subtle shift in his stance. The lightheartedness with which he had so far carried himself momentarily vanished as she saw a hint of the leader within him emerge. Despite the constant presence of Grey Wardens and their threat, she couldn't help but feel reassured by Darcy's fierce determination to end the Blight and silence the ever-present haunting music in her mind. For once, she felt like she might have made a good decision in following him.

They met up with the two other companions and Darcy regaled them with tales of their battle, acting out his most favourite parts, and greatly exaggerating how easy it was. Gwen thought about pointing out that she’d almost died, but felt like Darcy would take to that in the same way as a child would take to having their favourite toy tossed into the mud. Besides, the orange-haired woman - who Gwen assumed must be Leliana - was watching him with rapt attention, and she couldn’t bring herself to diminish the small woman’s joy. The large Qunari on the other hand seemed to have tuned out immediately and stared at the horizon, face set in what she could guess was a permanent scowl. She’d seen a few Qunari before, and his attitude seemed par for the course.

“Is he always like this?” Gwen tilted her head towards Darcy as she whispered to Alistair. He shot her a quizzical look. 

“Always like what?” 

Gwen waved him off with a shake of her head and he went back to eagerly watching his friend. 

As the story came to a close, Darcy officially introduced her to the two new companions, although she couldn't help but feel like she was actually the newcomer. Leliana bound excitedly up to her and expressed her joy at having another woman to travel with, and Sten followed up her statement questioning if Gwen was a woman at all, given that they could not see her face and her figure was hidden under her armour. Gwen held back a sigh as Darcy admonished him in a joking tone for being ‘blind to Gwen’s obvious womanly ways’. There had been many reasons why Gwen had never travelled with a group before this, but she could add a new reason to the list; constantly being around differing, colourful personalities was exhausting and it hadn’t even been an hour yet. 

Maybe ending the Blight wasn’t worth it after all. 

Once Morrigan started barking at them for their ‘ridiculous chattering’ and urging them to move on before the Blighted Army descended upon all of Thedas, the group started their Northward journey. 

It didn’t take long for them to share the details of how their quest had begun. The Teryn who commanded King Cailan’s army, Loghain Mac Tir, had betrayed the King and retreated during the battle of Ostagar when they had called for help, abandoning those fighting and resulting in the King’s death, along with Duncan, Alistair’s Grey Warden mentor and the man who had recruited Darcy only a week before the battle. Alistair had tried to hide the sorrow that had crossed his face at the mention of his former mentor, but even his witty sarcasm couldn’t hide that deep sort of pain. Gwen made note to not bring it up. If not for the timely intervention of Flemeth, the famed Witch of the Wilds, and Morrigan’s mother, Darcy and Alistair would have perished as well. Their current objectives were to invoke the Grey Warden treaties with the Dwarves, Elves, and Mages to get aid in hunting down the Archdemon and its Darkspawn Army. Darcy recited the tale to Gwen, who only responded with a grunt of confirmation. The amount of information was overwhelming and gave her a great deal to think about.

Gwen quickly learned how to tune out the sounds around her and focus on the road ahead. It had limited success as she was often roped into conversations by Alistair - which of course it was him trying to include her, he probably thought he was doing her a favour - but she did not care to partake in them, something that he didn’t seem to be able to grasp. Sometimes, a sharp glare was enough to get him to leave her alone, but once he learned that the glare was never followed up with acts of violence, he started to push more and more. 

Maker, it had only been two days and already she wanted to throttle the Grey Warden. She refused to let herself be pulled in by his attempted thoughtfulness. She didn’t need it, she didn’t need to be included, and she was quite fine walking in silence until she could get what she wanted. She knew better than to allow herself to fall for this, she was a monster, a freak, an unlovable creature. She did not deserve their kindness and the guilt of deceiving them into thinking she wasn’t rotten at the core of her being threatened to choke her. She had tried to go against her nature once, but that had only ended in pain, and she had never wanted to feel that kind of pain again, nor inflict it on others. She had kept to herself over the years, but now, surrounded by people, she felt that loneliness crush around her. It was silly, but seeing these people be able to joke around and be open with each other in a way that she would never be able to, only widened that aching space within her heart where… where she had been. This would be harder than Gwen had anticipated, but to get her answers, she would do just about anything.

Next Chapter

A/N: I would love to hear your thoughts!

#angst with a happy ending #slow burn #fluff #eventual smut #falling in love #humour #alistair dao #alistair dragon age #alistair theirin #alistair x original character

[mezzopurrloin]

Chapter 2-2: Digging up the Dead

Arthas has assembled the Cult of the Damned once again, and brought them to Andorhal, the place where he killed the necromancer Kel'Thuzad.

Arthas asks why they don't just raise the remains where they find them.

I guess that's as good an excuse as any.

The first step is to take Arthas to Kel'Thuzad's grave.

Meat Wagon: Cruel machine that can transport corpses. Several Undead abilities, including Cannibalize, require corpses in order to use. Also the Undead siege weapon, flinging diseased corpses over long distances.

Like so.

On the way we run across some human forces.

There are a lot of Paladins in this mission, and they all have some harsh words for their former comrade.

This fight was actually very close, and Arthas was only able to survive thanks to a health potion he picked up in the previous mission.

Once the opposing Paladin is slain, Arthas makes his way to the graveyard.

Arthas, you lead an army of the undead. Ghosts should not surprise you.

Quel'Thalas is the homeland of the high elves, and it seems we'll be going there soon.

The Sunwell is, as Tichondrius suggests, a massive font of magical energy.

There's our next objective.

It's probably a good idea to work on building a base first, since Arthas exhausted a lot of his forces in the previous fight. This also serves as a tutorial for Undead base building, which is a bit different than the Human or Orc version.

Haunted Gold Mine: Summoning this over a gold mine allows Acolytes to collect gold from it. They gather gold by channeling at the mine, so distance to the base is not an issue.

The Undead summon their buildings into existence. The Acolyte needs only to begin the summoning and the building will finish on its own.

Almost forgot to do a closeup.

Acolyte: Worker unit of the Scourge. This dark cultist uses magic to summon buildings, collect gold, and repair as other worker units do.

Unsummon: Unsummons a building, destroying it and refunding part of the resource cost. Acolytes will automatically do this to a Haunted Gold Mine when it runs out of gold.

Necropolis: Central building of the Undead base. Trains Acolytes and summons a large radius of blight around it. Works as a return point for gathered lumber (but not gold, as Acolytes collect that without returning).

All Undead buildings, excepting the Necropolis and Haunted Gold Mine, can only be summoned upon blighted ground. The blight radius grows larger with each additional building summoned, and Undead units standing on blight regenerate HP faster.

Acolytes don't harvest lumber; Ghouls do instead. They're quite efficient and can carry up to 20 lumber at a time, and can also serve as base defense in a pinch.

Crypt: Tomb where basic combat units are summoned. Only has Ghouls currently available.

Graveyard: Holds weapon and armor upgrades for Undead units. Upgrades are normally split between humanoid and creature units, but as we have no creature units unlocked yet, those upgrades aren't available. Also generates fresh corpses, and serves as a return point for Ghouls carrying lumber. Like with Lumber and War Mills, summoning them near trees is a good idea.

As previously mentioned, some Undead abilities require corpses. Most units will leave a corpse when they die, with the exceptions of heroes, flying units, mechanical units, and ghostly units such as Shades. It usually doesn't matter what kind of unit the corpse is from. In cases where it does, the ones summoned by the Graveyard count as Ghoul corpses.

Ziggurat: Provides 10 food. Honestly, I'm not sure how these things are supposed to produce food. Maybe they gather souls for the undead to feed upon?

Spirit Tower: Upgraded form of the Ziggurat. This turns it into a defensive tower that fires souls at nearby enemies. It still provides food too.

Halls of the Dead: Second tier upgrade of the Necropolis. We got access to this surprisingly early. Allows the summoning of Slaughterhouses.

Slaughterhouse: Factory where construct units are created. Meat Wagons can be recruited from here.

With the base all built up, it's time to send Arthas and his minions out into the field.

There are three Paladins protecting the urn, and all of them are very annoying to deal with. Paladins in general are really hard to kill thanks to their Divine Shield and other defensive abilities, and Holy Light lets them both keep their armies alive longer and deals major damage to Arthas and his ghouls.

Arthas leveled to 3 from slaying the first one, and I put a point into his third ability.

Death Pact: Sacrifices a friendly unit to restore health to the user. The amount of health restored depends on the sacrificed unit's HP.

This is a great self-preservation move, much like Divine Shield. And Ghouls are pretty expendable anyway.

The second Paladin is level 5, and has more of the same tricks. Arthas nearly died here and I had to make a swift retreat to my base after finishing him off.

This also made me realize I hadn't built an Altar yet. Thankfully, I didn't need to use it.

Altar of Darkness: The Undead altar of hero summoning and revival. It's basically the same as the other Altars.

The last Paladin is someone very familiar.

Uther is level 10, a major upgrade from the last few Paladins. Taking down a max level hero with just a level 3 and some ghouls isn't an easy task.

Also, funfact: Uther's paladin order is named The Silver Hand after the Human mouse cursor, which is a silvery gauntlet.

Surrounding him with Ghouls and having a few Meat Wagons as backup eventually led to him being outmatched.

With Uther dead, the Urn of King Terenas is recovered.

Next time, the invasion of Quel'Thalas begins.

#mezzo's screenshot lps #let's play #warcraft iii #warcraft iii reforged #reign of chaos #arthas menethil #tichondrius #kel'thuzad #uther lightbringer

[nosleepuntilvacation]

If you’re still taking mtt x reader prompts, watching a scary movie?

I am indeed still taking prompts, and that prompt looks like a good one for Halloween!

Below the cut: In Which You and Mettaton Watch a Zombie Movie! (See if you can get the reference in the fic… I probably got a little too carried away with the shout-out, but I don’t know.)

The chubby kid with a jack-o-lantern on their head lets out a mad giggle. “Trick or… trick!”

Before the two teenagers can react, the kid spits out some pumpkin seeds, aiming straight for the teens’ eyes.

You can’t help but wince. “Ow! That had to hurt!”

“Indeed…” Next to you on the couch, Mettaton shudders slightly. Even though his eyes are most likely tougher than yours, you can tell he’s in no mood to test that anytime soon.

With tonight being Halloween night, the two of you had decided to watch a scary movie together while waiting for trick-or-treaters. After browsing the options, you ended up choosing a movie called Threed. According to summaries, the movie is about teenagers liberating a town from an invasion of zombies and similar creatures.

Even though you have a feeling it’s going to end well based on the summary, the atmosphere crafted by the movie is rather foreboding. Fortunately, Mettaton is with you, and he brought some buttered popcorn.

The fight scene makes your heart beat rapidly; fortunately, the teenagers on the screen are able to get the kid to surrender, and they continue on their way. After a little more exposition as they go around town, they soon end up in another fight, this time with a ghost.

Mettaton scoffs and covers his forehead with his hand when the ghost tries to possess one of the teens. “No, you fool! If you want a body, you possess something inanimate, or else your vessel will rebel! That was one of the first things I learned - the easy way, thankfully - when I was still trying to find a body.”

When the teens finally take the ghost down with the use of a baseball bat, a frying pan, and magic powers, he scoffs again. “I told you so.” Pulling you just a little closer, he shakes his head. “Honestly, darling, that ghost should have known better.”

You can’t help but chuckle; Mettaton’s sarcasm certainly helps to defuse the tension, even for a short moment.

The tension returns when the movie gets to a scene where the two teenagers are walking through a dark forest near the town’s graveyard. They eventually run into two zombies blocking off the end of the pathway, and even though the zombies stare the two down intensely, neither side ever attacks. Regardless, the scene is so tense that you can’t resist huddling closer to Mettaton…

And then there’s knocking on the door.

Although you both really want to know what happens, the two of you pause the movie and head over to the door. As expected, there is a small group of kids in costume upon opening it.

“Trick or treat!” they say.

Mettaton’s eyes shine. “Oh, my! Look at these lovely costumes!” He looks around. “Let’s see… we have a vampire, a werewolf, a dragon…” Upon seeing that one of the kids is dressed like him, his grin only gets bigger. “And what’s this? My favorite killer robot of all time? Simply wonderful!”

You help him hand out candy, and once they each get a handful, you both wish them a happy Halloween before closing the door. The first thing Mettaton does is let out an excited, cheerful laugh.

“They love me, darling!”

He’s so happy that you can’t resist giving him a big hug. “Of course they do; you’re very lovable.”

The subsequent kiss on your forehead only proves that statement.

Soon, you’ve returned to the couch and have resumed the movie. The teenagers make it back into town, only for an exhausted-looking female celebrity to beg them for help as they walk by the hotel. A panicked bystander warns the teens not to fall for it, but they follow her into the hotel anyway.

You hold Mettaton close. “I don’t like where this is going.”

“Neither do I.”

The teenagers follow the woman into an upstairs room, which is completely dark at first; when one of the teenagers turns on the lights, though, the room is revealed to be full of all sorts of undead - humanoid shamblers, red-eyed specters, and even some zombified dogs here and there.

Right before the horde descends on the teens, the screen cuts to the outside of the hotel, while sounds of screaming and fighting are loud and clear. It eventually stops, and there is a sound of footsteps before the picture fades out; when it fades back in, the teens are revealed to be alive - though not without injury - and trapped in a mysterious crypt.

All the while, you’ve been holding Mettaton close and shuddering. “Don’t they know not to go with strangers?”

He kisses your forehead again to help you feel better.

The next part of the movie is a bit of a breather; after the female teen calls out to a friend in a faraway country using her telepathy, there’s a montage of a new character - a blond teenage boy - traveling across a snowy landscape before boarding an airship that resembles a UFO and traveling to the town, where he ends up crash-landing in the crypt. Although you don’t get scared at this part - this is easily one of the least scary parts of the movie - you do end up getting the hiccups after having some more popcorn a little too quickly.

Mettaton gives you a concerned look, but you smile and explain yourself between hiccups. “They’ll go away eventually. Besides - hic - I’ve heard you can get rid of hiccups by getting scared.”

He also smiles. “Good thing we’re watching a scary movie, then.”

Indeed, after the newcomer breaks the other two teenagers out of the crypt, the action returns with a fight against two possessed marionettes. Even Mettaton looks disturbed by this; you can tell that he’s probably thinking of how lucky he is that his body was designed well enough to not fall into the “uncanny valley” like those puppets.

Finally, after that scene and a few more rounds of exposition and zombie battles, another tense scene builds up as the teenagers enter a mysterious circus tent, having heard of a rumor about it. Although it’s empty, you get the suspicion that something is off. When some folds in the tent’s fabric open up to reveal two glaring eyes and a gaping maw, and the tent itself roars at the teens, that’s when you notice that your hiccups have gone away.

This fight scene is easily the most intense yet; both you and Mettaton are on the edge of your seats. The tent seems to defy all logic as it attacks the teenagers, but the teenagers are ready to fight back. After a huge blast of fire magic and bottle rockets, the tent finally goes down in flames - quite literally. You exhale a loud sigh of relief when the teenagers are able to make it out safely.

It’s while the scene is winding down that there’s another knock on the door. As you and Mettaton pause the movie to answer it, you notice that there isn’t much to go in the movie. Deep down, you feel brave for watching it with him. Even though he saw that you were scared, he was perfectly understanding throughout.

You hold his hand and smile at him. “Thanks for watching the movie with me.”

“Of course, my darling. And I’m always up for another if you’d like.” He returns your smile with a warm one of his own. “Happy Halloween.”

“Happy Halloween, Mettaton.”

One of the zombies, stuck to the ground with what appears to be a variation on fly paper, glares up at the teens and lets them know exactly what it thinks of the situation.

“I’ll blame you after my ‘death’.”

#Thanks for asking! #anonymous #undertale #mettaton #mettaton x reader #x reader #halloween #earthbound references up the wazoo #if you read that last tag before reading the fic then now you know what the reference is

[mango-empress]

Im Posting them all

(+ means perk, - means debuff, = the description is both)

Feel free to make these origin ideas into an actual mod/datapack if you have the ability to I would love to see that.  Contact me if you have any questions or if you think something is to powerful or weak

Axolotian Origin:

(+)Water Eyes: Sight has adjusted to long stays underwater and now can see perfectly 

(+)Natural Swimmer: Can swim faster and able to float in one spot

(+)Guardian Resistance: after many battles with your mortal foe the Elder Guardian you have become immune to the mining fatigue status affect 

(+)Limb regeneration: Ancestors have passed down the ability to heal faster when you are completely submerged 

(-)Amphibious: Due to your accustoms to the seas you can breathe underwater but due to the harsh sun you can only be on land at night where you are slower and have half health

(-)Pescitarian: Your predatory instincts only allow you to eat fish

(-)Cave Dweller: Your natural spawn is in an underwater cave

Equine Origin:

(+)Beast of Burden: You can carry an extra 9 slots for items

(+)Powerful Legs: You naturally run faster and have a higher jump 

(+)Strong Stomach: Unprocessed wheat is easily digested by your stomach and works as a food source

(-)Hooved Feet: The shape of the your feet makes you unable to wear proper shoes

(-)Herbivore: You are only able to eat plants

(-)Gluten: You exhaust easier 

Goliath Origin:

(+)Large Hands: Tools can not fit comfortably in your hand so you deal more damage with your fist and can mine a 2x2 naturally

(+)Mammoth Body: You are as tall as 4 blocks and with this great size compared to those smaller than you you have an increased health

(-)Heavy: You insane mass makes it hard for you to swim and causes you to sink faster than most

(-)Gluten: You exhaust easier 

Cetacean Origin:

(+)Pack Hunter: You can befriend dolphins by giving them food, these dolphins will then swim with you when asked and help you fight and gather more food

(+)Echolocation: You have cultivated the ability to detect nearby animals through sound 

(+)Wet Eyes: You can see clearly in water

(=)Aquatic: through many generations of evolution you have rejected you mammalian brethren and have decided to go back to the ocean making you an adept swimmer but unable to move easily on land

(=)Blowhole: you still require air to breathe although you do have a larger lung capacity

(-)Pescetarian: Your diet consists of only fish

Undead Origin: 

(+)Past Life: you start off with a reminder that you died early by starting with simple armor and tools 

(+)Shared Loss: Other undead mobs know what it feels to be dead and do not attack unless provoked

(+)Lung Failure: Your lungs have long lost any function and with that you have lost the need to breathe

(+)Infections Touch: when you slay a villager they join you in the after life

(-)Known Enemy: The smell of your rotting flesh is a dead give away, villagers are scared of you so golems naturally attack on sight

(-)Dry Skin: without liquid naturally coasting through your body you have become more affected by the sun and burn easily

(-)Airless: Without any air pockets in your body you have 0 buoyancy and sink when in water 

(-)Blood Lust: You can’t stay away from your urges and are only able to eat raw meat

Draconic Origin:

(+)Magic Crystals: Just like your end sibling you are able to be healed by the crystals with unknown origin

(+)Winged: You have been given the gift of short term flight, as long as you aren’t covering the wings with armor

(+)Familial Bonds: By holding the dragon egg you are reminded of your future and get a boost in strength, speed, defense, and health

(-)Dragon Hearted: When your end sibling is being attacked you get weak and are unable to fight back. Who ever gives the final blow will forever be dead to you making you deal double damage

(-)Invasive Species: Enderman are infuriated by your sibling s conquer of the end and will attack you unprovoked

(-)Large Stomach: You require more food to feel satisfied 

Ghast Origin:

(+)Hot Breath: you have gained the ability to create explosive flames in your body and can spew them out when needed

(+)Screech: if you feel threatened you can let out and intimidating load screech 

(+)Blimp: When you are at home in the heat you have the ability of flight 

(-)Neather Home: Your natural spawn is inside a neather soul sand valley biome

(-)Light weight: to be able to fly you have also needed to shed some fat causing you to have less health even when grounded

(-)Hydrophobia: your body is not accustomed to water causing you to take damage

Corvid Origin:

(+)Shiny: gold armor provides extra protection and gold tools have higher durability 

(+)Natural Thief: Your want to take everything allows you to grab items from farther away. Also if you hit someone you have a chance of stealing a piece of armor or what they are holding

(+)Small Wings: your ability of true of flight has been lost but can slow your decision

(-)Fragile Bones: You weak structure makes you more vulnerable to hits and due less damage

(-)Shadow Figure: you move faster at night but slower at day

Nightmare Origin:

(+)Paralysis: Phantoms freeze in your vicinity unable to comprehend you.

(+)One with The Night: You are the shadows and because of this you cannot survive where light shines to bright, you get strength and extra health in pure darkness 

(+)Night eyes: You have perfect vision even in what others see as pitch black.

(-)Photosensitive: Light hurts your eyes and causes you to go blind 

(-)Fear Aura: Your natural terrors make nearby players unable to sleep through the night 

Witherian Origin:

(+)Brothers in Bones: Skeletal enemies see you as friend rather than foe and will not attack

(+)Soul feet: Due to you already present relation to the souls in the neather you can move quickly on soil sand and soil without any help

(+)Wither Touch: All attacks with swords or your fist slowly decay at the opposition

(+)Perfect Strike: The chance of decapitating a skeleton if you were ever to fight is raised to 10%

(+)Star Totem: Beacons have a boosted affect on you and neather stars on their own if held on death work as a totem of undying 

(-)Wither Lord: The great deity of The With is precious to you so you could never harm it and seeing some try will diminish your max health

(-)Fear of Change: The strongest weapon you are able to use is a stone sword because of the long standing tradition in your family

(-)Neather Home: Your natural spawn is in the neather 

Dryad Origin:

(+)Forest Dweller: Your body was meant for living free in the thick forests, when you are in this biome you will move faster.

(+)Marksmanship: All dryads have a natural instinct for using bows, with yours you have learned how to conserve arrows and use 3 at a time

(+)Photosynthesis: You have no need for traditional food and only heal through being in at least a block of water and having a good source of sun. 

(=)Life Hands: All damage that would be dealt with a hit is actually healed, in the case of undead mobs this still harms them. You are also able to cause plants to grow and animals to age in a 4x4 radius once every 20 seconds

(-)Flammable: All fire damage does double due to your woody structure. In hot biomes like the neather you will instantly burst into flame

Stellar Origin: 

(+)Aries: Sheep drop more wool and mutton on death and follow you naturally. 

(+)Taurus: Cows drop extra leather and beef on death and follow you naturally

(+)Leo: Cats have more health and can now fight alongside you

(+)Scorpio: Spiders don’t attack you naturally. You are also unaffected by cobwebs and can climb walls

(+)Sagittarius: Horses, Donkey, and Mules move faster and have more health when tamed. You also do double damage with bows.

(+)Capricorn: You can swim quickly. Goats also if nearby will help you in a fight

(+)Aquarius: You spawn with a water bucket that never empties

(+)Pisces: When fishing you have a 25% to real in 2 fish, and all killed fish always drop 2

(-)Gemini: All durability taken on items is doubled

(-)Cancer: You are unable to move forward and backwards, only left to right

(-)Virgo: You are unable to breed any mobs

(-)Libra: Your hunger and health are always 1:1

Voidling Origin:

(+)Void Flight: Whenever you fall into the void instead of dying, you get the power of levitation 

(+)Parallel Dimension: For every 5 experience levels you can teleport from the end to the overworld in the exact same coordinates 

(+)Accustomed End: When in the end you can jump higher, take no fall damage, and move faster. Enderman Also won’t ever attack you when in the end. 

(+)Resourceful: Endstone is easier to mine and is able to be used as a stone replacement in crafting. Obsidian is mined 2x faster

(+)Apperification: By holding right click and a block, if you are above an air space the block will instant place

(+)Second Inventory: You can swap your ender chest and your inventory in an instant, although you might be more exhausted and need to eat more

(+)Pickup: You can lift 1 chest and carry it around with you, if you try to sprint you will spill the content though!

(-)Extreme Hydrophobia: You take damage by being in water and will start to choke up by being too close. You are unable to have anything in your inventory that contains water

(-)Cursed Hands: When holding an item in your hand for longer than 5 minutes it will disappear

(-)Voided Mining: There is a 5% when you mine a block for it to instant mine and drop nothing

Vexian Origin:

(+)Phase Body: You are able to freely move through blocks

(+)Light weight: You jump higher and fall slowly 

(+)Summoner Bond: If another player is of the evoker origin you can teleport to them

(=)Enemy of the village: Villagers are passive to you and villagers fear you

(=)Small Fry: You are shorter than others and have less hearts because of it

(-)Rage: You must kill a mob every 5 minutes or you will be slowed, weekend, unable to phase, and have less health 

Stone Origin:

(+)Sturdy Skin: You have natural defense and all mobs excluding creepers and silverfish do less damage. You are also impervious to fire

(+)Earth Knowledge: Stone tools work for you like the most powerful of items. When mining you mine faster and get more drops from ores

(+)True Defense: when you get down to 1 heart you become impervious to everything but completely unable to move

(+)Lungless: You do not need to breathe because you do not have the organs that perform that function

(-)Heavy: You sink in water and lava both you are unable to swim in

(-)Legless: You roll very slowly across the ground and are unable to jump

(-)Mineral Diet: You are unable to eat regular food and must eat stones. Cobblestone isn’t to broken up to provide any nutrient so it must be cooked like meat to give you anything 

Chronian Origin: 

(+)Time Skip: By using a clock on a bed you can pick the time of day to be Midnight, Sunrise, Sunset, or Midday 

(+)Remind: Using your abilities you can rather rewind your own personal time causing you to go back to where you were before and have the same health, food, and levels as back then. This does have a cool down of 1 minute though because reminding time to much can break it forever

(+)Speed Up: You can make plants grow quicker, fire spread faster, and animals grow sooner for 5 seconds every 30 seconds

(+)Internal Clock: You know the exact time of day always and can even see how much longer until other things will be affected by the sand of time

(-)Jet Lag: If you spend to much time without sleep you will get weakened, slower, and unable to use your brain to its fullest resulting in lost knowledge on recipes

(-)Time Locked: You hate traveling far distances from your spawn because time zones can be complicated. You outright refuse going into other dimensions unless you have many clocks to watch. 

#Origins Mod #minecraft #minecraft origins #Yes I know the zodiacs are out of order but its because I had to keep the perks first and debuffs second #PLease if you know someone who can code and is up to it share this with them #I would love to play with these with my friends #long post #or as I like to call them #long boios

[hentaigamers192]

The game creates a solid first impression, and its online company has some intriguing ideas, nevertheless they both struggle to trace through.

The opening hours of hentai games are tremendously effective at putting you on edge. A remake of this original 1999 match, hentai games sets the volatile and intense battle between protagonist the characetr and the unrelenting drive of nature, both the competitions , front and centre --providing method into a sturdy survival terror moments which reveal off the most useful of the string can offer. But then solid beginning, this reevaluate to your bygone age perhaps not merely enhances track of the form of terror game that Resident Evil formerly has been, but in addition loses sight of what made the first so unforgettable. Much like 20-19's hentai games, the remake of hentai games contrasts the classic survival horror game through today's lens, shifting areas and changing key activities to suit a significantly revised story. hentai games does not detract too far from the method set by the hentai games picture, but it does lean harder to the action-focused slant the original variation of hentai games 1 had, giving you some increased defensive abilities to live. hentai games's introduction is actually a strong individual, conveying a creeping sense of paranoia and dread which is synonymous with this chain, and the characetr once more proves herself for a more sure person to take everything .

hentai games is very much a companion piece to the previous game, functioning as being a simultaneous prequel and sequel which restricts off the saga from the town. There are key points from the story that assume you to be aware of prior characters or locations that tie straight back into the prior picture. At the same time that you will not overlook on whatever crucial to not having played hentai games, a number of the last match's many poignant moments are awarded more sub-text at hentai games. You will eventually cross paths with encouraging personalities such as the mercenary, the game's second playable character, along with other amazing individuals looking to take advantage of the turmoil.

It had been interesting to find that the characetr and also her allies assert their faith and even show some snark all through the incident, which makes sure that the game isn't generally indeed serious. Both protagonists are also awarded some key moments throughout the narrative that show their abilities along with personality more, which is fun and satisfying to watch play out. But disappointingly, hentai games's narrative reaches its judgment after having a brisk six-hour campaign, which is compounded with an lack luster conclusion which still left me needing. While that is comparable to the game, the shrinking range of the remake's plot and locations creates its limited run a lot more apparent.

Through the duration of the match, the characetr is a capable survivor, much more so than characters, and she's well-suited to handle the undead and also other bio-weapon monstrosities including the the rivals that ramble the town. Along side dodging assaults, she could even perform slow-mo evasive rolls which offered just a clean shot at the enemy's weak spot, which can be especially satisfying to pull during a extreme adventure. There's a more pronounced emphasis on actions and swift reflexes in hentai games, that could make the shooting, survival, and also mining loop even a bit a lot more engaging and reactive. While this fundamentally gives you a much increased feeling of control in the field, it's maybe not enough for the purpose it generates experiences together with all the ravenous undead or perhaps the competitions uncomplicated. So when you are competent, it is usually best to play safe. hentai games strives to stick with the tenets of survival horror gameplay and is more generally far more ambitious than hentai games, due to the more focus on inventory management and ammo crafting. Nevertheless, the generous save things and check points ensure that you wont suffer too intense a loss after departure. hentai games additionally conveys forth many of the successes from your hentai games picture, which gives it a leg up to get its particular excursion. As with previous games, hentai games is all about escalation, forcing you to compete with dwindling tools while the critters --and also the competitions --put the pressure on. Contrary to in hentai games, which took you off the roads of the metropolis, you spend more hours at hentai games investigating the principal roadways, aspect alleys, as well as additional points of interest in town. hentai games possesses an impeccable level of detail for those destinations and action throughout its six-hour effort, directly to the stressed atmosphere and gruesome violence. Even the brutality and devastation in the metropolis is revealed effectively thanks to the vivid and grotesque details as you research the destroyed metropolis. The game additionally draws your eyes into the many locales that reference basic Resident Evil, that is not only enjoyable to find, but manages to tug on the nostalgic heart strings.

One of my favourite areas of hentai games is Down Town the City, that shows off the best that the movie offers. As an expansive map, it not only has diverse locations, and lots of undead, it also displays the energetic nature of this match's real celebrity --the opponents. The imposing villain quickly establishes himself as a cunning pressure when encountered out from the start. The rivals has quite a few tricks up its own sleeve, such as with its tentacles to trip you up or turning different zombies in to horrible mutations, all of which are disturbing to see. It will knowingly stem and accompany you to regions you thought were protected --bending on the unspoken rules of engagement in survival horror to set up its presence further. The competitions helps make Mr. X from hentai games encounter around because of fedora-wearing go-on, and also once you find yourself in a safe distance, you'll be able to catch a peek of the villain waiting outside for you to go away --which stand since a number of the most unnerving minutes of this game. Nevertheless, since the game goes on, it will become clear hentai games fights to maintain its poise as soon as the scope starts to narrow, and also blatantly the game is based on boosting a lot of hentai games's hints and tropes, which feel less fascinating. This has to accomplish with all the match's emphasis on momentum. When you are getting familiar with a location, particularly the diverse and extensive metro region, a narrative beat will occur that attracts you to the next space, preventing your return. The series' penchant for puzzles are also infrequent in hentai games remake, putting more focus on exploration and fight which can eventually become exhausting. Additionally, it could be hard to balance the weather of both survival horror and activity gameplay, as a person can certainly sabotage one opposite, and sadly, this is evident from hentai games. You can find several moments where the game's strengths for action and horror shine, particularly in the more open areas where in fact the rivals is afoot. Generally, even though --especially toward the next halfits efforts to balance both can encounter too embarrassing and dull, and in its worst, they can be jarring. That is particularly valid with the many fancy set-piece encounters, in which you can restrain the characetr because she awakens Uncharted-esque sequences that are highly-scripted game-play minutes that go to its cinematic result. They often result in tonal whiplash, as you typically transition straight into the non invasive, survival-horror pacing right afterwards. This is quite evident at the portrayal of this match chief antagonist. The rivals is at its most useful when stalking you from the roads. However, these segments --whilst terrifyingly engaging--are all meticulous. The competitions only knowingly searches you through the opening part in Down Town that the City. The majority of the rivals encounters arise in scripted sequences that contribute to chef conflicts. In the very first game, the competitions' random looks kept you on edge. By comparison, the picture's usage of these rivals from the mid-to-late game will more than likely need you roll up your eyes in the potential of the following long and mended experience. However, as the game continues, it becomes evident hentai games fights to maintain its poise as soon as the extent begins to narrow... The rivals is unquestionably among the absolute most iconic villains of this show, and it's disappointing and frustrating to find it effortlessly side-lined, coming off more as a conventional Resident Evil boss which springs out in story beats. Another side effect of the lack of those rivals encounters inside the game is it requires attention to the lack of enemy diversity. While the show' routine zombies come in abundant source, most other enemy types don't appear too usually, making combat and survival elements texture stale towards the end.

Commensurate with previous games, completing hentai games unlocks up some additional features once you total it, that can arrive from the type of a shop within the main menu which allows you purchase new costumes, weapons, as well as other items. This makes it possible for you to primarily customize your next playthrough, providing you sure important items sooner than planned or upping your attack defensive and power capacities. When these modifications could be fun for a revisit, there isn't much else in the method of bonus content to keep you going, a side from a fresh play-through from the game's nightmare trouble mode that ratchets up the pressure more. Additionally contained with the remake is Resident Evil: Resistance, an asymmetrical on-line manner pitting 4 giants against a lone player within the function of the over-seeing antagonist. Essentially, it's a more accessible spin in the franchise's previous experimentation with internet terror, Resident Evil Outbreak, using a few echoes of other curricular games like useless by Daylight or Left 4 useless. Four people use their own different skills to fight monsters and total goals to make it to the point's exit. All the while, one particular enemy player will detect the activity through security camera systems to float traps, summon creatures, and also manipulate the environment to spell out a quick ending into the band's escape. Playing as the Australians feels nearer to traditional Resident Evil, where resources are rare along with the bets become more significant. Utilizing every team's skills effectively can arrive in clutch during a tough struggle, rescue you and your team from the master mind's tactics. As you invest time in enjoying the various characters, you will increase in position and uncover different skills and makeup for them. By completing daily and weekly struggles, together with completing games, you're purchase RP which is spent on loot bins that give bonus things for the set of Australians as well as the collection of usable masterminds. Resistance has interesting ideas as soon as it comes to attracting the series' survival-horror movie online, also it does an adequate job of getting you up to speed using solid tutorials. Nonetheless the total performance of this game's mechanics regularly boils as clunky as well as invisibly. During peak moments of actions, the controls to the lands feel unresponsive, especially if seeking to get yourself a fresh hit fast-moving targets. Resistance features a personality of its own, clinging tightly to testimonials and easter-eggs into additional entrances in the series. While every single survivor includes a back story they largely tug horror movie cliches along with archetypes, and they scarcely speak during the true match, that will help it become really hard to connect with them. The very fun available in Resistance is playing the mastermind, in which you could see the survival-horror movie out by the opposite side. Some of the absolute most pleasurable moments originate in whittling down the guards of all the lands and churns their past vestiges of expectation as they endeavor their last escape. At its best it is a smart real time strategy spin to the survival horror formula, however the match's already clunky gameplay has at all. Resistance failed to hold my interest , also even though hentai games is that the tougher of those two, it's still disappointing. Looking back to my very first playthrough of the hentai games picture, it was clear the match reached its peak early and slowly lost momentum going forward. With all the movie's shortcomings in mind, it truly is simple to create comparisons into this original match's tactic. Along with incorporating a more dynamic and existing the rivals, the characetr's odyssey had much more areas to visit. It is striking to visit classic areas such as Hospital and Downtown re created, yet a few other places by the original, just like the Clock Tower and Park, are also absent. Whilst this will not mean much for novices, and the movie skirts that by putting up elaborate the rivals encounters, the diminishing scale of the game diminishes the impact of the plot and activities. It is clear this remake of hentai games will be missing some important beats which might have given a far more rewarding and satisfying story. As a remake, hentai games not only falls short of its own source, however nonetheless, it also doesn't quite stick the landing as an standalone horror experience. Even without taking in to account the game, or its predecessor, hentai games fights to keep up with its rate involving a variety of factors out of survival horror and standard action. While it has a powerful beginning and gives its principal villain a few amazing moments, this truncated retelling of this concluding game from the initial Resident Evil trilogy doesn't do justice.

#video games #video game #games #mobile games #android games #pc games #online games

[istrys]

Let Vengeance Guide Thy Hand

The Bloodsworn Ruins were almost as he remembered them. The crumbling buildings were lit aflame after the terrible battle at the end of an era, leaving nothing but skeletal structures still stubbornly defying the march of time. The ground that was once frozen mud and dust had been completely overtaken by wildflowers and weeds, effectively blanketing the entire area with lush plants that no doubt fed on the copious amounts of blood that once flooded this dreadful place; and despite the years that have passed, the few cobblestones still exposed to the elements remained stained a murky brown from that mystical eclipse.

 He decided to go to the old blacksmith for old time’s sake first. The beaten down building no longer had a roof, and the sawdust and debris from the long year of his toiling weren’t completely gone; when he stepped in to see what the interior still looked like, Istrys glanced up with her hand on the anvil, and gave him a welcoming grin. “There you are. When I heard the news, I got here as fast as I could.” The Necromancer ran her hand along the beaten anvil, tracing the cracks and dents with the tips of her fingers. “So this is it, huh? The place you spent countless hours by yourself when you served old Zerry boy?”

“Not entirely by myself, no.” Rethandus glanced around to see some of his old weapons were still leaning against the walls; yet exposed to the elements for all these years made them useless. The Harbinger turned to glance at her, “So you know what happened? And what this means?”

 “It means you’re still my master, Andy.” Istrys winked, leaning over one of the tables at him. “And we’re going to show the Burning Legion how an invasion is really done. I can’t wait to get started!”

 “Glad to know you’re coming with me. I’m giving everyone who served under the Sun’raels a chance to step out and live the rest of their lives here on Azeroth.” The Harbinger carefully lifted one of his old swords off the wall, but he could tell any sudden movements would snap this piece of junk in half. Still, it was interesting to see his old work, and seeing how much he’s improved. His faint scowl turned into a grimace for a moment before he glanced up at Istrys again. “... so Alucieus is missing…”

 “About that…” She started, standing up straight again. “You see, Whitstan and I had a hair-brained idea to get him back on his feet… and it worked! Sort of…”

 “You used Necromancy on Alucieus?!” Rethandus hissed, causing the flimsy sword in his hand to crumble into pieces. “You raised him into undeath?! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!”

 “The bastard’s not undead!” Istrys objected. “We managed to cleanse his blood of the fel poison! But… something happened when he grabbed my hand. Some unexplained feedback sparked between us… and I saw his entire life flash before my eyes. Judging by the way he reacted immediately after, he also saw mine. Including when you spilled the beans to Zerry’s widow.” The Necromancer crossed her arms while she studied Rethandus closely. “... he was less than pleased.”

 “What happened?” The Harbinger asked, taking a small step forward.

“He got pissed, that’s what happened. The bastard exploded with the Holy Light and sent me, Whitty and some nosy tauren were sent flying into the walls. If it weren’t for Vesk I probably would’ve been knocked out cold.” Rethandus clenched his fists while she spoke, trying to imagine what the High Justicar could’ve seen to make him lash out at his own people. “I pretended to be unconscious until he left the room. Once the coast was clear I dragged Whitty out into the hallway and through a Death Gate. Alucieus is coming after you, Andy. And soon.”

 “He thinks I betrayed him.” Rethandus ran a hand through his frozen hair while he was seemingly lost in thought. “He’s not wrong to blame me for Zerethel’s downfall, but… I did what needed to be done. It was messy… and innocent people died… but I did it for the greater good. A few hundred died as opposed to what? Thousands? Millions?”

 “You don’t have to convince me. You and I both know Azeroth is better off without him, but…” Istrys walked around the table to approach the Harbinger. “He doesn’t see it that way.”

 “The Sun’raels aren’t famous for their forgiveness.” Rethandus stroked his chin, trying to think of where Alucieus could even go to gather his strength again. “If he’s deadset on killing me, he’ll go after everything I have first. Which isn’t much-.... oh no…”

 “Huh? What happened?” Istrys asked, perking a brow. Rethandus shot a worried glare at the Necromancer but didn’t answer, instead turning to rush out of what used to be the door. “Rethandus?! Where are you goi- wait for me asshole!”

 The Harbinger turned his gaze over to the hill; the hill. Quickly he disappeared from the Bloodsworn Ruins, making his way up the winding road; the once beaten path had been completely erased thanks to the flourishing wildflowers, but he knew the route by heart. Eventually he reached the lonely hill, still covered in dead grass, still untouched by the nature that surrounded it. Yet, as he reached Zion’s grave, his worried scowl contorted into a grimace of maddening hatred.

 She was gone. The massive hole where her grave once was seemingly screamed at Rethandus, deafening him with an overwhelming sense of despair and blistering fury. No animal would dare dig up an undead corpse, and the Scourge have long been cleansed from these lands for miles upon miles around. Despite his best efforts to keep her grave a secret, someone found her, and deliberately dug her up. The thought of her corpse being used as some necromancer’s experiment caused Rethandus to collapse to his hands and knees, barely able to contain his anger. The new and improved runes along his body and armor seethed with a flex of power they were not made for, causing the land around him to freeze with each pulsating wave of raw frost magic radiating outward from him. For a moment he was lost in his torment all over again, thinking nothing of slowly flaying the frostbitten flesh off whoever did this terrible deed. For a moment he was not himself, forever falling into a darkness he had only visited once; and if he crossed the threshold, he would never be able to turn back.

 “Fuck you’re fast… what’s happened? What’s wrong?” Istrys called out, glancing over his shoulder to see an open grave.

“SHE’S GONE!” Unadulterated hatred dripped from his frozen, cracking lips. “ZION’S BODY IS MISSING!” Istrys didn’t speak, shooting her gaze between the Harbinger and the open grave; seeing him this angry was a new and unsettling experience. His mind was shattered, his thoughts were erratic and his body was locked in place, frozen stiff by the frost runes that exhausted themselves by his command. The Necromancer covered her face and took several steps away, unwilling to endure the relentless winter wind that swirled around him. Slowly his thoughts began to click back into place as he struggled to connect the dots; slowly but surely, he found his answer. “Whitstan did this.” His voice echoed over the howling wind, catching Istrys’ attention. “Whitstan seized Zion’s corpse when he got his memories back. He did this!”

 “Hold on, he couldn’t have!” The Necromancer protested, pulling her hood over her face before bracing herself against his storm. “Whitty was taken back to the Sun’rael estate! He has been with at Kaevia’s side ever since!”

“Kaevia…!? Kaevia did this…?!” Rethandus hissed through his frozen teeth, while untamed frost magic crawled along his skin and armor, threatening to freeze him solid.

 “You need to calm the fuck down!” Istrys called out to him, but he could barely hear her. “You’re not thinking clearly! Rethandus?! Hellooooo??”

 “The Sun’raels did this.” Rethandus thought to himself, no longer able to speak now that his teeth and tongue were frozen together. “They think they can just lock her body up like some sort of claimed trophy? For what?! To keep me in check?! To make sure I follow their every command like some sort of dog? They didn’t trust me… none of them do. None of them have ever trusted me. They need to be punished. They need to suffer for what they’ve done. Suffer. Suffer. Suffer! Die! Die! DIE! DIE! DIE!”

 He felt Istrys hands wrap around his neck and disable his runes, causing the violent winds to immediately vanish. Half-frozen solid the Harbinger continued to glower at the open grave, struggling to wrestle with this pure hatred. “Now you listen to me.” Istrys whispered in his ear, causing him to lose track of his own thoughts. “You want to kill them for this? You want to make sure they answer for hurting you? Fine, let’s do it. But you have an obligation now. You can’t just run off and slaughter them for this. The Sun’raels have too many friends and we already have too many enemies. You need to snap out of this stupor and lead the Oathguard, or we’re all already dead.” Slowly she began to manipulate his own runes, thawing him out of the shell he put himself in.

 “I can’t just let this go unanswered.” Rethandus suddenly sounded exhausted, more than he’s ever been. “I can’t just let her sit in some fucking box beneath their estate…”

 “If you attack them, you’ll invoke the wrath of all their devout followers, their close friends and the High Justicars. I’m not saying let this transgression slide, but… we don’t have the means to make them pay yet.” Istrys winced as she peeled her arms off his body, underestimating how easily the chaotic ice gripped her skin. “Let’s go to Argus. Let’s kick some ass. Let’s make some friends. You follow me?”

 “How am I supposed to take the fight to Argus knowing she’s not where she should be? How do you expect me to just… set this aside for later?” Rethandus turned his head to look up at the woman, still moderately trembling with anger.

 “Use this hatred against the Legion.” The Necromancer suggested. “Take your anger out on them to cool yourself off. Practice getting used to your new runes. Train and train and train. This isn’t just one Death Knight you’re going to be up against. These are Clerics. Paladins. Umbramancers. Rogues. And a whole lot of would-be heroes eager to kill you in defense of their Redblood king. Do what you did preparing for Whitstan’s death, only on a much larger scale.” Istrys knelt beside him and placed her hand on his chin. Eventually he glared up at her after a few moments of her liting up his chin. “Do you hear me in there? We’ll get her back. Let’s go and get ready.” Rethandus’ grimace slowly eased back into his scowl, but the pain was still written all over his face.

 “Okay.” he reluctantly sighed, cracking the ice off his arms and legs to allow him to get back onto his feet. “We slaughter the Legion. We get prepared. Then we get put Zion back where she belongs.”

 “I think we should cremate her so this doesn’t happen again.” Istrys shrugged, catching his angry but exhausted glance. “Come on, we have an invasion to join.”

 “A year ago if someone told me you would be my voice of reason, I’d probably laugh at them.” Rethandus huffed, brushing the rime off his knuckles.

 “You don’t laugh at anything.” The Necromancer corrected.

[wendynerdwrites]

Campfire Fuckplot!

Our Campfire Story for Jonsa shippers. Find out more here!

“I can’t believe this is actually happening,” Sansa Stark says as she sweeps into her private bath house, depositing her cloak on a hook by the door, “I was just answering petitions and proposing solutions! In my own castle! In my own court!”

 “Wait, what’s actually happening?” Her dark-haired lover sits naked in the hot-spring pool, easing his sore muscles from his sessions in the yards, his elbows propped up on the edge of the pool. “Someone disturbed court today?”

 “Someones,” Sansa informs him as she strips off her gown, “Those Sand Snake women. Who have apparently decided that they know how to run the North better than I do. They kept interrupting my verdicts, telling me what I should and shouldn’t be doing, because that’s ‘not how they do things in Dorne’. As if the standards for a giant desert apply here! When I told them to stop, they got angry, started going on about how my style is pointless and wastes time, and how they were allies of the Dragon Queen first. I told them I wasn’t speaking for or about Daenerys, that I was speaking for myself and ruling my own people. Now members of their retinue are hissing at me when they see me!”

 Jon starts to rise out of the water, looking furious, “Aye, they actually tried to tell me how to fight. Even though none of them use a sword or have ever so much as killed a wight. They can say what they want to me, but if they’re harassing you, now…”

 Sansa sighs. “I’d rather not stir up more fighting. I just hate how they act like they own the place. Please don’t make a scene, Jon. As much as I appreciate the chivalry, I’d rather just relax now.”

 She eyes him, naked and halfway out of the tub, drops of water running down his chest and arms. A naked Jon always has a particular effect on her. As does a wet Jon. But a wet, naked Jon ready to crack skulls to defend her honor? Better than a mountain of lemoncakes. She quickens her pace in unlacing her shift. Jon settles back into his seat, sighing.

 Naked as her name day, the Lady of Winterfell daintily tip-toes to the pool and slips down into the steaming water, onto the side-bench next to him. Her hands fly to his broad shoulders, massaging them generously. Jon throws his head back and moans.

 “You have magic hands, I swear,” he tells her as he leans into her touch. “But speaking of magic…”

 “Oh?”

 “Have you had time to look at the strange artifact Bran found?”

 Sansa groans. Bran had a vision of something involving her, Jon and some stick-thing that was buried in the crypts. He’d found it and turned it over to them. Jon had examined it and not found anything magical thus far. It was a beautiful sort of rod, of carved weirwood, white gold, and a ruby at the top. But they’d yet to figure out what it was, besides pretty. She’s meant to examine it more closely herself, but…

 “I haven’t had time to look at anything!” She complains. She had a kingdom to prepare for war. Since they bent the knee to Daenerys, Sansa, as Lady of Winterfell, became sovereign of the North again. And given the revelation over Jon’s Targaryen heritage, it made it harder to share the burden of governance --- at least publicly--- than it had been when he was the  Stark King in the North. Jon’s decision to submit to Daenerys was highly unpopular, many of the lords who had declared for him saw it as a betrayal. Finding out that their former king is a Targaryen himself certainly doesn’t help things. They tolerate him because he’s the warrior they need and because all the Starks insist. But she couldn’t be seen to be giving him too much power, giving her more to do than when she was the unofficial queen.

 Jon’s face falls. “Well, if you’re willing… I brought it down here.”

 Sansa sighs. She would rather be seducing him right now. But any magical artifact might be of great use in the wars ahead, and it is her duty to explore her options. She reluctantly pulls herself out of the water and goes over to the table where Jon has piled his clothes. She finds the wand fastened to his belt, bends over, and eyes it closely.

 She tries waving it, turning it around in her hands, running her fingers along the smooth, cool surface. But nothing.

 Bran had visions of both of them using it, though… So she wanders back to the pool, wand still in hand.

 “Perhaps if we both hold it?”

 They each grip it by the base and close their eyes, trying to concentrate on, well, making the wand do something. Nothing.

 Finally, they give up, and Sansa sets the wand aside.

 “Oh well,” she says, moving to straddle his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, “Maybe there’s a clue in the library that can tell us how to use it. In the meantime…” She smiles and lowers her head, kissing him deep. She smiles against his mouth as his cock stirs against her. That’s the only magic wand she wants to attend to right now.

 It’s amazing to her how something that once so terrorized her can now be so pleasurable and beautiful. It took her a while to be comfortable engaging in this act with Jon--- they’d worked up to it, a kiss here, a touch there. He’d been the soul of patience. But once they finally coupled, it was paradise. It’s always paradise.

 And when you’re the sole regnant of a country beset by winter, famine, invasion, facing a war with an army of the undead, paradise is exactly what you need. Jon’s her oasis in an icy tundra, in more ways than one.

 And gods, the relief of it. She can forget all her troubles and exhaust all of her pent-up emotions and frustrations when joined with him. After so many years of pain, loneliness, and fear, she feels pleasure, she’s not alone, she’s safe, and she’s loved. And then she relaxes, boneless and blissful.

 Despite how some might view her coupling with him out of wedlock, it’s the purest part of her life. And there’s so little purity in the world today. Being with him, even when they’re not joined, is all that’s good and right.

 And it’s fun.

 Their lips break apart and Jon chuckles, running one calloused hand along her breasts, squeezing one, then the other. His other hand goes to the small of her back to help her balance.

 “In the meantime, we should enjoy our bathtime while we can,” he says, finishing her sentence. He nuzzles her neck. Sansa feels a familiar fire within her core. She clings to him and runs her hands through his thick curls, head thrown back in ecstasy. She grinds her mound against him for a while, relishing the sweet anticipation of it all.

 Finally, she lifts her hips just so, reaching between them to properly position them both. Jon moans when she grips his shaft, and with a playful giggle, she pumps it a few times before finally sheathing him in herself.

 Ah, filled. But it’s not enough. It never is. She can never get enough of him. They press against each other as much as possible… clinging, kissing, clawing, stroking, moaning.

 “Sweet Sansa,” he moans, “Love you… Love you… Love you…”

 That brings her so close. She loves his voice: deep and raspy, but gentle and kind.

 She’s so close, so close---

 BAM!

 “What are you doing?!”

 Sansa jumps, slipping off of Jon and falling back into the water, submerging herself inelegantly. She panics. This is her private bathing chamber! Who would dare…

 Jon scrambles to help her up again, and she gets her answer. Of course, the Sand Snakes.

 She continues to panic. Her affair with Jon is an open secret in the North, true. Everyone knows, no one talks about it. But the Dornish women were likely to break that peace. She grips Jon’s shoulders defensively, glaring at the three women.

 “What in the Seven Hells are you doing?”Jon demands, “This is the lady’s private bath chamber?”

 “Pools should be for everyone, not just the ladies,” Obara Sand insists, “That’s how the Water Gardens works!”

 “This isn’t the Water Gardens!” Sansa spits, “Now get out!”

 The Sand Snakes ignore her. Tyene Sand, the youngest of them, licks her lips.

 “We’re glad you’re not bathing alone, My Lady, but what kind of fucking was that?!” She comes closer, smirking lasciviously, “That’s not how it should be done! Don’t you know that you get the deepest penetration if he takes you from behind?”

 Sansa shivers. Oh, she knows. And she can’t stand the thought of being taken that way again.

 “We don’t need your instruction!” Jon snaps, “What is wrong with you?! GET OUT!”

 Again, the Sands ignore the order. Lady Nym, the middle sister, spots the wand lying by the edge of the pool. Her dark eyes glitter and she makes for it.

 Sansa snatches it before the Snake can take it. “Who do you think you are, barging in here, telling me how to do things? Court wasn’t enough, you have to tell me how to make love, too?!”

 “We know more of the world than you do, My Lady,” Obara insists arrogantly.

 “You know nothing!” Sansa snaps, “And even if that weren’t true, I wouldn’t care. You’ve all been my worst nightmare since you got here! You have no business telling us anything!”

 “For pity’s sake, why can’t you just let us alone?” Jon says, “Let us enjoy ourselves?! We were having a beautiful moment and you just had to butt in?” He pulls Sansa closer to him. “I don’t care how much you think you know of the world. I’d much rather be in a world where you don’t exist!”

 And all of a sudden, there’s a loud, rumbling sound. The bathhouse disappears, replaced by swirling lights of every color. Both she and Jon, clutching one another for dear life, are yanked in one direction. Sansa screams.

~_~_~_~_

I tag @fedonciadale to continue!

#jonsa #jon x sansa #campfire fuckplot #entry1

[anontrolls]

Worldbuilding: Alternian Undead

As part of my ongoing goal to put down all my various headcanons into actual posts, I figured I’d do a post for one of my longest-held and more thoroughly-developed headcanons. I’ve had a lot of stuff worked out for my zombie system and have been RPing it since freaking 2014, and it’s about time I wrote it all down somewhere! I spent a lot of time and effort on this post, so any and all reblogs to spread it around are super appreciated!

Also throwing out an honorable mention to glowtrolls’s zombie headcanons, bc we developed some of this stuff together and RP a lot of it together as well!

intro

The Alternian undead, also known as revenants, daywalkers, zombies, or more colloquially as ‘zeds,’ are a hostile and dangerous Alternian parasitic flora indigenous to desert regions that primarily hunt living things. Especially trolls.

The actual organism behind revenants is a category of parasite that comes in many floral and fungal forms. It seeds in the flesh of its hosts and grows through and over until it gains access to blood vessels and the central nervous system, at which point it disables a large portion of the hosts cognitive functions and secretes hormones designed to give the host new imperatives - primarily to spread and infest more hosts, and acquire sustenance.

The parasite spreads primarily through airborne and bloodborne infections. Seeding into the tough skin of Alternian natives is difficult, as the epidermal skin layer is the body’s first and most effective deterrent of all sorts of infections, so airborne spores typically find their homes in uncovered open wounds and, more alarmingly, through bodily orifices, leading to growth sometimes even originating from a host’s lungs. Eventually, large parts of a host organism can be seen overtaken by the parasitic flora.

The spread of the zombie parasite through a host often causes great damage to the host body, which has led the parasite to some very specific adaptations:

Revenants are no longer capable of sustaining themselves off of the foods that their hosts could originally consume, such as cooked meat or fruit. Instead, the urgency of passing on its parasitic spores before the body deteriorates due to the parasite’s damage or the harsh native environment has lead them to combine the hunt for sustenance and propagation into one - revenants only feed on the living or recently-dead. Once a corpse has been dead for long enough, the deterioration and protein dissociation associated with death renders it useless as food for a revenant (with few exceptions; see ‘types’ section 2A).

The parasites on revenants run their hosts into the ground, removing the hosts’ aversion to pain and damage in favor of prolonging their immediate uptime to outlast their prey and often sacrificing the damaged host to pass on the parasite.

types

There are a large variety of type of revenants, primarily categorized by the type of parasite that infects them.

Fig 1. All photos of dormant revenants taken by Belamy Loyale from a safe distance.

FUNGAL | By far the most infectious species of revenant, there are several species of fungal revenants. Fungal revenants often congregate around abandoned structures come nighttime where they may more easily find damp conditions in which to recuperate from the harsh light of day.

These range from the common gobblebeast tail to the the invasive but beautiful orange pore (fig 1A), the red cups (fig 1B) that often disguise their spores as berries to tempt unsuspecting fauna, the veiled lady (fig 1C) which has led to several alternative fashion lines inspired by the fungal veil that hosts often develop over their faces, and even the rare violet coral (fig 1D) which primarily hosts itself to seadwellers.

Fig 2. Samples taken from deceased revenants. Some trolls and revenants were harmed in the taking of these photos.

FLORAL | Floral revenants are typically less infectious than their fungal counterparts, but have developed significantly more varied tactics to lure in victims.

Rafflesia (fig 2A) is a unique floral parasite in that it produces the smell of meat and lures in other revenants - it is one of the only revenants ever recorded to feed on other undead hosts. Lavendesire similarly lures in its prey, though it attracts the living using a heady mind-altering scent and typically seeds nearby sources of water such as oases to better lure in unsuspecting trolls. Fool’s Rose (fig 2B) is a primarily stationary variant with the capability to move unusually quickly, which disguises itself as a desert rose only to snap up investigating trolls. There are also several aggressive cacti species (fig 2C) which rely on gouging open wounds into their prospective hosts to increase chances of infection.

There is even a variant on the common dandelion, and the extremely dangerous exploding blast flowers (fig 2D), both of which are known for the longevity of their spores, which either are propelled by winds or explode from their hosts to seek other bodies to infect - they are notoriously difficult to escape if one goes to seed near a population center. Another curious species are the Titans, which overwhelm and collapse their host bodies, preserving their facial detail to attract and infect other potential hosts who seek to help what appears to be a struggling troll caught in a carnivorous flower.

PREDATORS | Thankfully, revenants are not exclusively predators. One of the downfalls of rendering their hosts so easily suggestible is that the parasites may fall victim to other sorts of dangerous flora, and their slowness often renders them helpless to flee from resistant fauna that has adapted to be capable of preying on revenants. One such example of a predator is the Death’s Gate Flower, which lures in revenants and compels them to lay at its roots to serve both as fertilizer and a deterrent from other predators.

behaviors and characteristics

There are several characteristics that are common to the vast majority of revenants and easily identify organisms as parasite hosts:

Zombie hosts are typically fairly deteriorated and, as a result, don’t move as quickly. To circumvent the issue of speed when it comes to capturing prey, most zombie species have an innate horde-forming instinct that compels them to group up with other revenants when they detect revenant spores. They are much more effective hunters in large hordes.

Zombies will outlast any properly living organism due to their lack of consideration towards the intact-ness of their host. Combined with their tendency to travel in hordes and the wide open desert environment, they will often simple walk until their fleeing prey collapses from exhaustion, at which point they will feed on and infect it.

Revenants, once infected, become cold-blooded walking corpses. As a result, the cooler temperatures that accompany nightfall often see them laying in mostly dormant states, saving their energy for the daylight hours - or until they detect a nearby warm body to prey on.

sociocultural presence

The locales that zombies are indigenous to have made several adaptations to the presence of revenants.

Most famously, pre- or post-cavern jade workers traditionally take up the mantle of hunting daywalkers of all sorts, equipped with the traditional chainsaw to slice through zombie hosts until they are incapable of surviving further.

Additionally, zombie hordes are often tracked by most recent sightings, and travelers seeking to traverse the deserts would be wise to check the local news or travel guides for the most recent location of any local zombie hordes and avoid them. For the more urgent (and wealthy) travelers, there is always the reinforced railway system or travel by air.

Most desert towns that are deep enough into the desert to potentially fall prey to revenant hordes are reinforced with sturdy walls and employ a 24-hour watchguard to look out for approaching hordes in case defense by fire or plant-killer, or even an emergency evacuation, are necessary.

#fantroll #fantrolls #fantroll headcanons #worldbuilding #body horror #zombies #long post

[missquackenbush]

 Another boney hand clattered to the road and Malena took a heavy breath. When she said “boney” she meant it was entirely bone. 

She had run into a few animated skeletons before, but they seemed more abundant as she headed toward this fog-covered town. She huffed and lifted her arm, awkwardly gripping the curved blade she’d picked up a few towns over. It was clean of blood obviously, but Malena felt like she’d just been whacking it around instead of using it for precise cuts and she was surprised to see it was holding up fairly well. She still hadn’t quite mastered the delicacy of swords, but if she swung hard enough most creatures seemed to either move out of her way or stay down. The shambling skeleton started moving toward her again, and despite lacking both arms it looked determined to cause her harm whether it be biting or kicking. She preferred the latter. Grunting, she bent her knees into a defensive position then distinctly picked up the sound of chainmail clinking behind her. Quickly sliding left, she turned to look at both her attackers. A good ear had kept her from being completely surrounded many times before, and she begrudgingly thanked her keen senses for keeping her alive again. However, as she turned she was surprised to see a tall woman glaring at the skeleton, arm outstretched. A mask covered the lower part of her face, but there was a regal sense about her that shone through. Without a glance toward Malena, the woman shot a quick bolt of light from her hand and the skeleton dropped to the ground. Her arm lowered and her shoulders slumped in relief as she turned her bright gaze to Malena.

“Elizabet Byrd,” The woman thrust out the same hand that had only moments before sent out radiant energy. “And you are?”

“Malena Sybella,” she replied, putting away her scimitar and wearily shaking the woman’s hand.

“Hail and well met.” Elizabet bowed her head then turned to look down the road. “Are you also heading to town? There’s been quite a few undead around, perhaps it is better we travel together.” As she looked back, her eyes sparkled with an energy that Malena had not seen in months, maybe years, and it took her a moment to realize she was still being addressed.

“Sure. I don’t mind having some of that magic around,” She rolled her shoulder as they started walking. “That’s the fourth skeleton I’ve fought today and I’m a little worn if I’m honest.”

“Oh, that was you? I saw some of the remains and wasn’t sure if I was looking for someone or something that had done all that.” Malena felt her throat tighten, but tried to keep her posture nonchalant as they continued. “I’m glad to know that it was just a capable traveler instead of someone caught off guard. You seem quite strong, Malena.”

“Strong, maybe. Capable? Not entirely, but I seem to manage.” She couldn’t see Elizabet’s face, but had the sense that she was smiling.

“Either way, it takes at least some guts to deal with the undead. That’s more or less my profession,” She gestured to the symbol on her robes, a skeletal hand grasping a scale. “Cleric of Kelemvor, you know, Lord of the Dead. Basically I work with people through their passing, or help with the burials. I’ve also been known to fight off a few undead, which seem to be possessing this area more than they should. It’s eerie, but I can’t seem to figure out their source. I heard they were increasing and came to see what I could do to help. What brings you here?”

“The same, I suppose.”  Malena shrugged. “I’ve been travelling for a while trying to cut down monsters and thugs before they can corrupt towns.”

“Nobel of you. What draws you to do this?” A flash of fresh blood bubbling over exposed bone crept into Malena’s conscious, the image crawling through her thoughts. She blinked rapidly and focused on the trees around them, pulling herself back into the moment.

“Nothing better to do. I mean, there’s nothing else I really want to do. I don’t know what else there is, except to try my best to protect people from the creatures that lurk around. They take advantage and they wreck lives, I just want to do something about it.” Elizabet watched as she spoke and then nodded.

“I can understand that sentiment, I too prefer to take action to protect those who would be in danger. Even if it seems an impossible choice, those who are defenseless and innocent must come first. I don’t believe I can properly decide who lives or dies, but I’m not above a fight.” She seemed confident as she talked and Malena was struck by her commitment. However, the conversation was starting to get a bit too personal for her liking.

“You’re talkative,” Malena commented, not leaving space for a question.

Elizabet laughed softly. “I think I just haven’t had someone to talk to in quite a while, forgive me if I’m being too invasive.”

Malena shrugged again, but let the silence stand between them as they continued on. Instinct gave her a fondness for this woman, and that was something she did not want to hold onto. Attachments only lead to weakness. She would accompany her, but she expected that once they got to an inn it would be the last she saw of Elizabet Byrd.

As they approached the town, the lights from the inn greeted them softly. The sight was familiar, but left a bitter taste in Malena’s mouth. Over the last few years she’d seen a lot of cities, a lot of people, and a lot of inns. Although nothing felt like home anymore, that gentle glow from the windows as the daylight was fading always suckered her in. There was a sort of far-away warmth, like a pleasant memory she was trying to hold onto was just out of reach. She hated that feeling. It was temporary and impossible to hold onto, and therefore, she hated inns. It was all just a reminder that she would move on and she didn’t need any pleasantries in the middle of it.

Elizabet opened the door and gestured for Malena to go through. The noise clanked around them and Malena winced before heading toward the innkeeper behind the bar. She held up two fingers. The man looked between her and Elizabet then shook his head.

“Sorry miss, we only have one room left for the night. It has two beds so you would be comfortable enough.”

“No, that’s alright. She can have it.” Malena stuck her thumb behind her to Elizabet. “I’ll find somewhere else for the night.” She was used to sleeping in barns or alleyways, so long as she was gone before anyone saw her, she was fine.

“Hold on.” Elizabet grabbed Malena’s wrist as she was leaving. Malena stared at the hand, suppressing a growl that tried to creep up. No one reached out like that to her, no one casually started conversation with her, and no one stopped her from going on her own. “Malena, I don’t mind sharing the room. Listen, it’s going to get cold out there and you’re already exhausted from the fighting earlier today. You don’t want to spend the night out there waiting for something else to attack you. And if you do leave, then I’m going to spend all night worried sick about you.” Malena looked back up at Elizabet. She’d taken her hood down--mask still up--and her short crop of hair shone like a pearl that had caught the light just under water. Her eyes were sincere. Malena’s gut twisted. “Just one night, for my own peace of mind.”

“Fine.” Malena shook her arm out of Elizabet’s grasp and reached for her coin purse.

“No,” Elizabet reached out and put her hand over Malena’s to stop her. Again with that casual touch. “How about you cover dinner and I’ll pay for the room.” That meant they’d be spending more time together than Malena had originally thought.

“Alright,” she begrudgingly agreed. It had been on rare occasion that Malena ate with others anymore, but perhaps this was one of those times. Elizabet seemed keen to have company and if Malena was honest, it had been awhile since she’d been able to sit and relax with someone. After ordering their food, she sat down and watched as Elizabet talked with the innkeeper on the other side of the room. She stood straight and was taller than most of the other humans Malena had met, but her shoulders drooped soft and humble which gave her an approachable atmosphere. She was gesturing something to the man, and he laughed before answering her. How long had it been since Malena laughed? Probably not since Serena had accidentally triggered a rabbit trap and found herself covered in mud. Their parents had lectured Serena, but as soon as they turned away she had winked at Malena and given her a big thumbs up. Her sister was always messing around and sneaking out, which is why, their parents had said, Serena never knew how to do anything on the farm. But her plans were bigger and bolder than that, she was sure she’d marry some traveller and have grand adventures with a big dog and the love of her life and they’d go out dancing every night. Well, fate didn’t always work out like that. Serena was stuck and it was instead Malena who’d left and gone travelling. She had met some grand people, she thought as she eyed Elizabet, but the dancing was something she would avoid.

Finally done with her conversation, Elizabet headed to the table. She relaxed before giving a quick look around the room and turning back to Malena.

“I was asking about the undead sightings and they said that they’ve increased recently with this incoming of fog. Apparently it’s worse at night and no one walks around anymore. He said it’s unusual to have this much fog, and it’s so dense you can barely see ten feet in front of you as you walk. Not much else he had for me though.” Great. Heavy fog, more skeletons, no leads. Well, Malena would probably head out in the morning and see if there was anything she could fight off. She didn’t need to do detective work with someone she’d just met and would likely never see again.

“So what’s with the mask?” Elizabet was surprised at the change in subject, but she didn’t seem offended.

“I just prefer to wear it,” she hesitated. “A few scars is all.” Malena nodded and unconsciously reached to cover her left arm before realizing it was already under a shirt. It’s not like anyone would recognize it anyway, she thought. Still, it wasn’t anything she wanted to talk about, so she didn’t. They sat there waiting for a bit until the food arrived and they ate in continued silence. After a while Elizabet asked a few questions about where she had been, and Malena gave short answers. This went on until a man who had been sitting in the corner suddenly stood and approached them. His clothes were distinctive and different from what most people were wearing, but Malena couldn’t quite figure out where the style could be from. She tensed as he grew closer.

“Elizabet and Malena, I presume?” His voice was heavily accented though, again, Malena could not pin down from where. “I have been asked to deliver this.” He pulled out a sealed letter from inside his coat and laid it on the table.

“What is this? How do you know our names?” Elizabet started.

“That is not important. Just read. I suggest you do as it says.” He put a hand up to his hat, elegant and decorative. “Perhaps we will meet again.” Then he left.

“That was strange,” Elizabet stared after him, but grabbed the letter. “Maybe the innkeeper told him of us.” Malena knew that man had not moved from the corner, but she didn’t say anything. As Elizabet opened and began reading the letter, she felt her skin begin to crawl and the light panic that had started when the man stood up continued to grow. She glanced over and saw the letter was addressed to both of them. Their names had been written together, and she was sure that man had not done anything but watch them. A chill ran up her spine as she looked around again, but no one else was paying attention. She turned back and studied the wax seal on the letter. It was not one she recognized, but there was some kind of bird and a house crest. Elizabet finished reading and looked up at Malena.

“This letter is asking us to find a woman, Ireena, and accompany her from the city of Barovia. She’s apparently being hunted by some sort of evil. Have you heard of Barovia?” There was a question Elizabet wasn’t asking, but Malena wasn’t sure she wanted to know either.

“I have not. Does it say how they knew we would both be here?”

“No.” Elizabet glanced down again, scanning the letter. “No, it just talks of Ireena. It does seem like this could be connected to those undead, though, I mean ‘a great evil,’ is usually the source for those sorts of things.”

“Well,” Malena took another bite of potatoes trying to act as though she weren’t too affected. “It is a better place to start than some unusual fog activity.” Elizabet’s eyes crinkled as though she were smiling.

“Good, then we should set out in the morning, yes?”

Malena nodded then hesitated for a second before, “Elizabet. You mentioned earlier that you would do what it took to protect those who were innocent. Would you be able to kill a monster?”

Elizabet looked a little puzzled but nodded. “Malena, that’s my job. Of course I would.”

“Good,” Malena sighed. “I trust that you don’t say much without conviction, and that’s what I needed to know.”