#she's a necromancer and she wields a scythe

[where-is-caithe]

Woe, giant Eon ref be upon ye.

Eon - she/her or they/them, lesbian charr.

This was started when I was playing them as a necromancer, however the information is relatively the same no matter their class.

Huge BLOCK of information under the cut!

The gist of Eon is that they were part of an Ash Legion Warband, the Night Warband, that was sent into the Fractals of the Mists around when they were first discovered and instead of returning safely, they were trapped inside. The effects of this are apparent in the way they fight and most importantly, the space spots. Scars they get from fighting heal over in space "rifts". The space feels like their regular fur but cold. The scars they have in this ref are what they look like as of SotO.

As of right now, the idea is they became trapped in the Mists and skipped the level 10-30 personal story, and once they are out, it goes right into joining an order to get out of the Citadel. On paper, they still answer to the Ash Legion. In practice. Well.

Important bullet points! (from the ref and additional points)

Eon is the Commander and follows the story relatively the same apart from the very beginning of it.

they have a broken hilt of a sword from one of their dead 'bandmates that they use in addition to other conjured weapons.

their shoulder spikes are from their Flame Legion heritage, before being lost in the Mists they were a smoke and flame elementalist that specialized in stealth and blitz attacks.

now, their magic feels much colder and their stealth is much more reliable, they no longer use flames.

they were born with a short tail.

they usually have the name "Fang" because of their big teeth.

they don't know how long they were in the Mists and they're the only one of their Warband that made it out.

they learned to wield a long sword while in the Mists and are a formidable fighter with one, though they do use a variety of weapons including daggers, scepters, foci, bows, swords and shields.

they have problems with authority and do not take orders well.

they also have a temper and will lash out, however they're generally friendly unless given a reason not to be.

they're not a good person to be sent to speak with political figures like Queen Jennah or Empress Ihn.

they're very aggressive and will attack first, which is not at all how they fought or acted before the Mists.

Clothing and appearance bullet points!

they hardly ever wear full shirts covering their whole chest, even in dangerous fights.

if there's ever clothing that covers their shoulders, the holes that their shoulder spikes go through MUST be torn that way, not made or cut for them.

always wears something with purple on it.

they have many piercings in their ears and it all depends on how many piercings I want to give them in the moment.

the space rifts must always have purple space, but other colors may be there in addition to purple.

hair is always purple.

they have very faint spots like a black panther.

any metal jewelry or accessories MUST be silver.

their shroud as a Specter is the same as their shroud as a Reaper, but without the scythe.

pupils turn white when fighting/using magic but especially in shroud.

I'm probably forgetting things but this is the basics.

#gw2 #guild wars 2 #gw2 charr #gw2 art #eon #space cat space cat space cat #much to think about #proud of their little chibi i drew #its very cute #no idea if i can replicate that #i was going to say more but i no longer remember

[lackluster-plays]

I've never made a post about Luka's shroud!

Before 1325 AE: While Luka was a cub her necromancer abilities weren't developed enough for her to enter a death shroud. She started focusing on training her magic in her late teens.

1325 AE - 1332 AE: Luka can enter the death shroud. She is exceptional at raising corpse amalgamations to serve her. She even uses these minions to help her glide and gather materials.

1332 AE: Luka permanently becomes a reaper. Her shroud has evolved into something much darker. She rarely summons minions anymore; she doesn't have to. She becomes more powerful and focuses on the magic itself. She wields a greatsword now and can turn it into a scythe in her shroud. She can glide with the magic alone.

Headcanon: Luka's reaper shroud has nothing to do with ravens. There are no feathers in her shroud, only frost and darkness. She can enter it whenever she wants but sometimes she enters it involuntarily if she is livid.

Reaper Shroud

Bjora Marches introduced Luka to a fear she never knew before: the cold. The freezing temperatures were unforgiving. Fighting in Bjora Marches was extremely difficult. Luka couldn't grip her weapons well, her fingers disobeyed her. She saw soldiers walk out of the camp in the middle of the night and disappear. Frozen bodies were found feet from the camp, persuaded by the dragon, and killed by the cold.

Her overwhelming fear, her nightmares, and her despair started to change her necrotic magic. It was becoming as cold and threatening as the environment was. Luka didn't have the energy to resist the change, so she instead formed a relationship with the cold. She became a Reaper.

Luka can't manipulate ice like an elementalist can, but her magic is very cold. Fighting her while she's in her shroud will cause frostbite almost immediately. Her enemy's body betrays them, and they often lay down in the heat of the battle; too cold to do anything. The cold is persuasive and inevitable. Luka is doing her enemies a kindness by ending them before they slowly freeze to death.

#gw2 #luka lore #luka keen #gw2 necromancer #gw2 reaper #gw2 commander #charr commander #guild wars 2 #gw2 charr #guild wars 2 charr #my screenshots #lackluster plays

[victoria1676]

Yo yo! Been abit busy lately with school atm but I have come back to bring out another brainrot!Anywayyy, still brainrotting bout Y/N being a Grimm Reaper/Necromancer n shit but m just imagining that since Y/N is wielding a Scythe, I was thinking that the Scythe that Mumza gave her isn't just any other ordinary scythe but the scythe has few bits of abilities on its own. Like a living weapon perhaps, only responding to its owner, can float idling, etc...

But one of those abilities is that you can fly on it like a witche's broom and since Y/N has wings, it makes it alot easier to access to the wind force. And she can very much sit on it like its a normal chair or some shit literally! And I can just imagine her sitting in her scythe floating about. Not to mention that the weapon she wields is bigger than her, in a maximum height. Whenever height you are or prefer, the scythe will always and will be taller than you. No questions asks.

But mostly there is downside of this ability, and something or someone cannot resist. We all know Y/N's brothers ( Wilbur & Tommy ofc ) will absolutely attempt to steal her scythe to take it for a test drive just like you stealing a car at 3 in the fucking morning. But when I said the Scythe is not an ordinary Scythe, but a living weapon? Yeah, it would absolutely backfired. Poor boys gotta get their bones crack through the flesh in a sentence, yeeshh..

You can very much imagine of any possibilities on how those two little idiotic shits would get themselves into trouble, and m also picturing Tommy dragging Tubbo & Ranboo along as well. Just for them to join in the fun, or nightmare...

But as for genshin on the other hand, some might get curious. Especially for our boy Rubedo, you know how it is bout the two knuckle heads goofing off about. And m also thinking about how chat would also fly down and perch on the blade of her scythe. I mean, they're crows after all so ✨S H I N Y✨ and I can already see that coming, just Y/N having a stroll through any nations, just as long as there are plenty of space to hover or float around for the scythe to freely levitate a few meters off the ground. And it mostly depends how people of tevyat get quite curious n thinking that the Scythe of Y/N's is a scared weapon so no touchy touchy. But we all know the curiosity kills the cat ( sorry Diona.. ) and some characters will go as far as to try getting a little bit of a touch on a blade or the handle. But whenever the tried, the living weapon will very much scurry or float away from them. Until it got to Y/N's hand where it belongs.

But eh, thats it for the night for now. I'll try to figure out how it'll work next time ig, but anyway! Sorry that this is a long one, still, good evening n m signing off! — @paprqvii

Also a little rough concept art sketch bout what m talking bout 4 now :

Uwah sorry i toke so long to reply to your ask! TAT

But wow that was long HAHAHAHAH but still i really like the concept ngl ^^

But the way you combind Your idea of DSMP/SBI reader being Necromancer/Grim reaper in the Sagau is

Your on a roll with this idea Toffy XD

#sagau #genshin impact self aware #genshin self aware #self aware genshin #genshin sagau #genshin impact #genshin self aware au #self aware au #genshin impact x dream smp crossover #sagau dsmp reader

[chancellor-reno5]

The Vampire King's Match

Space: Dragging Themselves Along The Ground

Fandom: N/A

AU?: N/A

Extra: This, like the first entry, is my own world and characters.

Warnings: Blood, Injury, Fights

Tag: @badthingshappenbingo

Everything was fine. Everything was fine before the assassins arrived. Cries and screams of men, women and children alike poisoned the usually peaceful air. His Royal Highness of Bludpyra stood face to face with many foes in his long life, but these assassins were man-made. They could not regenerate their injuries nor could they hypnotise, levitate or use telekinesis, but they were faster and more agile than the average vampire.

Karayan, as he happened to be in the village at the time of the attack, had skewered and slashed many of the artificial vampires to smithereens. However, there was one that was clearly the perfected model. Slim, tall, and weak in appearance, yet lethally strong in reality. It annoyed Karayan. He ordered the ones who were still alive to get inside their homes, while he stood face to face with the last.

Karayan was nothing short of powerful. He'd lived for centuries, perfecting his immunity to sunlight and all of his found capabilities. His scythe, a weapon perfectly designed for him and him alone, floated beside him. He kept calm, blocking the attacks that were sent his way with the scythe, not moving a muscle. Upon spotting an opening, a pale and dead hand grasped the scythe and swung it at a crazy speed. Karayan's eyes grew wide - the bastard had dodged. Before Karayan could regain his focus, a burn screamed through his thighs.

He crashed to the ground, a blood-curdling shriek bubbling up and out his mouth. He didn't understand. His regeneration was impeccably fast, so why wasn't he regenerating?!

"Silver is a beautiful yet dangerous thing... Is it not, Your Majesty?"

Karayan had never felt panic so bad in his life. Like how a heated blade would cauterise the wound it inflicts, the sword this man-made piece of shit wielded had closed the wounds it made. Well, it had closed off the points that Karayan would regenerate from. Fight or flight had become his mindset, a snarl curling onto his face. Gritting his jaw through the pain, Karayan commanded his scythe again, giving his opponent a flurry of furious attacks that sent them stumbling.

With a big enough distance, Karayan clawed at the ground, pulling himself along the blood tainted earth. He knew he was adding to the red. He may not have had a pulse, but his long-dead blood seeped out as a steady run. He dragged himself, pain and all, along the ground.

A scream of agony and surprise had him halt in his escape. This stupid fucker just had to take a arm off as well. Karayan snarled at the assassin, rolling out of the way as a frenzied strike was made towards his chest. Karayan grinned at the look of anger on his opponent's face, and at the fact his scythe was floating at an angle behind the attacker.

Mortal blood splattered over the ground and over what remained of Karayan's body. The vampiric king laid on the ground, gasping for the air he didn't need. He had won, yes, but he was in pain. He laid in his own blood, and that of the assassins he had killed to protect his people. Speaking of his people, a young woman was first to leave her home, a gasp of horror caught on Karayan's ears. He tilted his head back, looking back at the lady as she rushed over to him.

"Your Highness, can you hear me?"

Karayan slowly nodded, recognising the lady to be the wife of his friend's butler. "I can hear you, Lady Serene... I can hear you," he replied, his tone swept with his agony.

Lady Serene Haworth, an elven lady of underestimated power. She was one of a few necromancers that lived in Bludpyra, in this village on the borders of the neighbouring nation where her husband worked. She was a healer, and commonly helped Karayan's servants.

"Let me heal you, Your Majesty..."

#lunafullia #original worlds #original character #oc #vampire #bad things happen bingo #injury #artifical vampires #chancellor reno5's world of chaos #to: those who never lived

[arethereanyoriginalusernames]

Hello, 911, I have an emergency. I have characters.

First of all… remember my Dangan-FuckThis project? Well after taking time working on my art and writing, I’m a bit more confident in accomplishing what I set out to do! So yes, I’m finally getting to it, Months later!

Second, I’m going to take the plunge and start posting more on here than I have been! A lot of my characters have received updates and whatnot, so…

If you want to see what stress and a lack of sleep can do to a bored mind, here you go.

Feel free to ask, reblog with tags, or send a telepathic message of what you want me to talk about.

You can ask about how I draw, write, design characters, etc. Or even ask about my dumbass characters themselves

I apologize for wasting your time, and below is a list of characters for anyone who needs one

Tales of Runaways

———-

Phoenix Dawnsview: Gay arsonist protagonist

Ifrit Dawnsview: Closet gay Mad scientist protag

Chronos Cendrillon: Time manipulating, eccentric telekinetic with secrets on secrets

Chess Malisci: Queen of thieves and a qualified therapist

Vlad Dracula The 628th: Emo vampire Boi who is anxiety incarnate

Wasp: Fairy Doctor with the power of illusions and who deals with everyone’s bs

Missi: Jellyfish shifter with healing powers and very odd ideas of how the world works

Syrellis: Nightingale shifter and former security guard and pickpocket who might have a death wish

Trix Faustus the Patchwork Demon: A theatrical, unpredictable demon with a flair for nonsense

Nymph: falsely convicted elf with a pack of wolves and the fury of a thousand suns

Persephone Zima: Six ft tall Russian necromancer

Kingsley: Blind informant with dubious loyalty

Jadis The Serpent Demon: Rockstar and former serial killer

Locket: Half demon with the power of ice and elite marksmanship

Arryn the Dream Demon: A scythe wielding makeup artist on a mission

Johnathan: “Just a rat”

Lithith the Flower Demon: Innocent demon child

Logan Orlok: Eccentric genius vampire who chugs vinegar

Athan Orlok: Vampire from this world’s version of the Kardashians, archer with an appreciation for beer

Poppet: Stressed teen bat shifter running a cafe under threat of death

Morteus The Grim Reaper: Less than genius incarnation of death

Surgat, Master of Lies: Head of a demon legion with a knack for deal making

Siren: Fashionable Elf seamstress

Fae: Elf dream Walker on a murder quest

Nightmare Garden: The upcoming And unpredictable girl group

Clairisse The Rock Angel: Edgy angel who will kick your ass

Dolce the Sweets Angel: (In)Famous, yet Isolated baker

Jophiel The Angel of Love: angel child learning about love

Pepper Kringle: The Spirit of Merriment

Scylla: A gorgon child who wants to explore the world

The Gods

Flaga: Mad Viking Fairy

Ceries The Vitriol Demon: Um. Licks skulls and drives ppl to… terrible things

The Dracula Family

Mina Hellsing: Cross dressing vampire who lives on a bat farm

The Future Characters

Blanche Clyde: She-devil of Dawnsview, former contract killer

The Secret Service

//////////

Dangan-FuckThis

Dolly Wraith the Ultimate Emo Fashionista

Beck Jonas the Ultimate McDonald’s Employee

Zizzie Twitch the Ultimate Monster Energy Can Collector

Ben Smith The Ultimate Protagonist

Ami Yogi The Ultimate Cryptid

Tia Maxxx the Ultimate chalk eater

SuperSexyGurrl420_69 the Ultimate Fortnight Dancer

Brad the Ultimate Failing Student

Greg Glacée The Ultimate Mint Ice Cream Defender

Marion Jane the Ultimate Stoner

Ellie the Ultimate stuffed Animal Collector

Mary the Ultimate Cursed doll collector

Froggy the Ultimate YTP creator

Zee the Ultimate Bitch Face

Stephanie the ultimate klutz

Noah the ultimate Overwatch skin reviewer

Blegh the Ultimate Zombie

#fanganronpa #my art #idk

[dawnhamburger]

To get used to this Tumblr account I’ll just go ahead and repost some stuff as I go over other Prisma Witch girls. This time, Isabel. AKA Prisma Witch Isa, the necromancer. She wields a bone scythe that’s also a guitar, and she’s aided by her skeleton grandfather. Her grandfather whom also happened to be a famous Luchadore back in his day~ Isa’s also a vampire goat. I feel like that’s an important thing I keep forgetting to mention.

#art #artists on tumblr #artists #Illustration #Digital Illustration #digital art #witch #magical girl #OC #Character Design #vampire #goat #artishard

[legendary-alliance-stance]

✨✨✨

tell me about uhhhh. uhh. uhhh. one of your commander ocs, one of your charr, and, hm, one of your dragon scions, u can choose which. godspeed

oooo fun!! let's see, how about...

Commander: Runa

Runa's Reaper Shroud is quite unique!! Instead of the more traditional version where the Necromancer veils their shape in shadows and wields a scythe, Runa combines her Become the Bear form with her Shroud, becoming a HUGE bear enveloped in shadows! She can still form the shadow scythe if she wants to, but she honestly prefers to use the form's wicked claws instead.

Charr: Drusilla

Drusilla actually has a cub! It happened a while ago, when Drusilla was more involved in the general lifestyle of being a Blood Legion charr, and honestly she doesn't even remember who the other parent was.

As soon as the cub was old enough to join the fahrar, Drusilla retreated from her cub's life, having quickly realized that she wasn't in the least ready to be involved in any way.

More recently, Drusilla has since run into her now-grown cub, a scrappy Engineer named Junius Sparkstep, who helped developed a lot of the tech used by the United Legions during the Charr Civil War!

Despite the years apart, and some initial hesitation to approach her, Drusilla did reach out to Junius, and she's quite proud of what she's accomplished.

Dragon Scion: Varaak

Since I haven't talked about him much yet, let's go with my Kralk Scion!

Despite being one of the oldest of the Scions (It's possible that Nil is older than him, but it's hard to really know), Varaak only very recently became involved in.. Any of the stuff involving the Elder Dragons and Aurene.

While his sister Glint was purified by the Forgotten, Varaak slumbered beneath Grothmar Valley, close to where his father would later emerge to fly south. It was only when Aurene and the Commanders arrived in the area for the All Legions Rally that Varaak was stirred from his slumber, when Aurene re-Branded over Kralkatorrik's Emergence Zone. Aurene's magic woke Varaak, and at the same time purified him to an extent as well. While he still looks very similar to his father, he now has a small patch on him with the same prismatic crystals of his niece.

He's been a little slow on the uptake to aid Aurene and her cause, but he's not against her in the least, and that's really all that matters to her.

#eldritchfeline #OC: Runa #OC: Drusilla #OC: Varaak #i realized half way through talking about drusilla and junius that nick and i still haven't decided what junius is up to recently #or what her relationship with her mother is nowadays #OOPS #but i do know that drusilla is proud of her

[vampireantihero]

Just put this in for a contest! "This Blood that Seeps from me". I've put their concepts behind the read more. (Sorry if I went too wordy with their blurbs.)

Setting: historical fiction, in which the humans are in a religious monarchy called the Abbey. Inhuman and humanoid creatures need to hide at night in order to avoid being captured and either used for their powers or murdered by the Abbey and the human settlements surrounding them. In this world, spirits exist, but they have to be bound to something in order to inhabit the physical plane.

Characters (and backstory):

Ghost. Our protagonist, a reluctant hero. Previously human, but has been dead so long that he has long forgotten his original name. He was sickly as a human, and learned how to project his spirit from his body as a child in order to escape the constant pain he was in. One day as he was astral projecting, his body died. Desperate to find a way back to life, he contacted his family; only to be betrayed by them as they tried to capture him and sell him to a High Warlock within the Abbey. Ever since, he has been looking for a way to bring the Abbey down. His tether is the clay pot he carries, faithfully made for him and repaired by his friend, Hyacinth.

Hyacinth. Our Tinkerer/Supportcharacter. Hyacinth is also a spirit, though she died way more recently than Ghost-- having been murdered whilst praying in front of an Abbey altar. When she died, her spirit was so terrified to disappear that she inhabited a nearby gargoyle. In life, she was a tinkerer, and in death, she was is much the same -- she spends her time looking for ways to enhance her party's gear, and to strengthen both her and Ghost's tethers to their physical objects. She is the only one in the party that cannot participate in combat-- because of the nature to her tether to her gargoyle and her death circumstances, if she takes a significant amount of damage, her soul will disconnect from her body.

Silas. Our Mage/Necromancer. Not much is known about Silas. He doesn't speak much, and chooses to help because he likes the spirits of the group. At first glance, he looks like a human in a plague doctor costume, but if it's too light or you look a little too long, his mask starts to look a little too real…

Vesper. Our Tank. She's a vampire type creature from a long line of reclusive vampires. Though, her species is fruititarian like many natural bat species. Because of the expansion of humans into her family's forested spaces, her family was hunted and killed for their pelts. Devastated at their loss, she traveled to find a master who would teach her to fight and learned how to wield a scythe really effectively. She joined our squad when Hyacinth found her, injured, in the forest, and nursed her back to health. She heard what Ghost was planning, and decided to help them with their journey.

#my art #my stuff #digital art #digital illustration #concept art #character design #character art #oc #original character #original content #ip #monster art #creatures #creature design #artists on tumblr #artist on tumblr

[frenchsoda]

Dear little tumblr people,

I own a small indie game company with four friends of mine. We’re located in France and we’ve been working hard on our game Never Mourn, a fast-paced, roguelike action RPG in which you’re playing a badass necromancer trying to revive her child.

We’ve just released our teaser trailer and our steam page, and we’re hoping to get a publisher to finance the game (as of now, we can release the game on our own, but it would be small-scale). We’ve got the attention of some Big Names in the industry saying our game is very promising, but sadly before they accept to finance a project they want to be sure people will like it.

That’s why we need as many people as possible adding our game in their wishlist on Steam, so that we have some solid grounds to stand on.

Here’s the link to our steam page:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1839820/Never_Mourn/ If you could add Never Mourn to your wishlist, it would make a huge difference for us and we’d be forever grateful!

Thank you so much guys!

#she's a necromancer and she wields a scythe #fear her #love her #play her #this should be our new slogan #indie game #game dev #gaming #video games #my stuff #never mourn

[savedestroy]

Tagged by the lovely @of-elitiism ♥ Here’s the blank version if anyone else wants to give it a shot.

#Had to do this with Vex #considering she started out as my first DnD character ~ #she was a Tiefling necromancer who wields a scythe. lol. #Also some of these I had a hard time choosing which fit her best #she's... a bit complicated. but I tried. #✘ dossier / vex.

[arbiterofthedead]

In Hell....Together

“The bards will sing about how the sky pirate was caught between the one who killed his crew and a Garlean Battalion...” Valerian spat as he held his scythe close to his chest as the two were encircled by what looked like dozens of Garlean soldiers. 

“Don’t make me laugh kit...your ego doesn’t need boosting.” The half feral Xaela hisses as she stood ready to fight, her hands were akin to claws as well as her trail being plated in razor sharp spines. “Your people were weak...easy to break and devour.” She growled as her crimson orbs scanned the soldiers that surrounded them. 

“Heh...” Valerian grumbled as his own orbs drifted every which way they could to watch for any quick movements. “Then I’ll hope you are cut down first...you can warm up my seat for me in hell.” He teased as one soldier raised his pike before charging at Valerian. In a single swift motion the Necromancer side stepped to where the steel end of the pike was going to hit the Xaela, but in response her elongated draconic tail wrapped around the pike before snapping it as if it were but a twig. 

The unfortunately soldier stumbled into the woman who hastily grabbed at his throat, smirking devilishly she squeezed until she broke his neck only to toss him aside like a toy. “You can certainly wish...for it’ll be you who will stand watch over my place.” She said as she tossed the Necromancer a smirk before rushing headlong into the fray.

A subtle grunt escaped Valerian as he turned to face down two soldiers who were swiftly approaching him, one who bore a sword and shield while the other carried a monstrous axe. “Let’s see who descends to hell first, shall we?” He said to himself as he struck horizontally to cut the axe wielding man in two. As the halves fell onto the desolate earth below Valerian twirled his scythe before him to deflect the oncoming sword strike.  The Xeala on the other hand was well on her way in bathing herself in the blood of her enemies, cleaving and carving her way through heavily armed soldiers to leave nothing but mangled corpses in her wake. As the numbers of soldiers dwindled one by one the Imperials would call forth a towering giant of Magitek ingenuity. 

The ground shuddered where it walked, grabbing the attention of the two combatants for long enough to allow the beaten soldiers to flee and lick their various wounds. Valerian was the first to engage, swinging his scythe at the giant only for every blade to bounce off of a shimmering blue shield that protected it from conventional attacks. 

Even the Xaela struggled as her bloodied claws bounced off of the barrier with every single strike. In retaliation for the affront the giant would lift one of its mighty legs before slamming its foot into the earth to cause the ground to quake and break as the two were tossed backwards. Kicking up dust the Xaela and Necromancer would struggle to their feat to see the giant advancing towards them.

“This one won’t go as easy as the others...” Valerian said as he used his weapon as an aid to help him get to his feet. “You think!?” The Xaela hissed as she managed to get her own self to her feet, her tail whipping and lashing in every direction to work out the kinks in the muscle. The woman peered up at the giant, knowing there was no way the two of them could defeat it separately. Snarling she would look to him. “Today is your lucky day kit.”  Without so much as a second between movements she moved towards him and placed a claw-like hand on the top of his head. As contact was made Valerian would feel a strange burning sensation run up and down his spine until the Xaela vanished before his very eyes.

In the moments between seconds he could hear a rumbling in the depths of his head, a rage that refused to subside. Speaking as if two voices were in unison he would utter....”Let’s topple a giant...” He said as he reared his scythe, a crimson energy gathering around the blade. Once enough energy had gathered Valerian would leap into the air with his scythe behind him before raising it above his head only to bring it down upon the barrier.

Like glass the shimmering blue barrier began to crack before shattering into a thousand shards, even then the attack wasn’t stopped as the energized blade came crashing down upon the head of the Magitek giant. Metal gave way to the force exerted as the giant fell backwards with Valerian still atop of it, once it hit the ground dust would be tossed high into the air for several agonizing moments until everything settled.

Once the dust had subsided Valerian stood alone atop the colossus with a devilish glint in his eye. “Like lambs to the slaughter....”

#Story Writing #Road to Reaper #tw: death

[where-is-caithe]

What is this, writing that isn't about Rhowan or Yden? That's ridiculous.

~

Eifeld knew her by reputation only. Firstborn Trahearne’s pupil, a powerful necromancer, wielding a hefty sword, and an icy aura that caused rumors and whispers to surround her. Eifeld knew her, but she’d never once seen her, so when she returned to the Grove and spotted her across the commons, she stopped dead in her tracks, her breath leaving her.

Eifeld had woken nearly a year ago. She was enthusiastic and laughing, different than most night blooms, and the mentors told her as much. She was an open book, easy to read and willing to talk to anyone.

One thing they’d asked soon after she woke, “do you have a Wyld Hunt? Are you a Valiant?”

Yes.

“No,” she’d replied with a smile, “but I’d like to join the Wardens and protect the Grove.”

Eifeld had been looking for her for nearly a year. Pale, striped skin, a single white bloom surrounded in thick leaves for hair, and piercing green eyes. She could never forget those eyes. Beautiful, intense, like they could see right into your soul.

She was looking at them now.

Eifeld knew her.

Eifeld was not one to think through or half-ass anything. She strode across the common area with purpose, and the closer she walked to the other sylvari, the more she felt the cold. Not just cold, something like death, like the life was being drained from the very air around her, and she realized mutely that no other sylvari had stepped within 10 feet of her. As if that would stop her.

She stopped a few feet away, afraid of making her nervous or scaring her off completely. The woman was taller than her, but not many people were shorter, and she eyed her with an intense stare, her gaze sweeping from Eifeld’s head to her toes and back.

“Hello,” Eifeld said with a grin, holding her hand out, “you were in my Dream. I’m Eifeld.”

She might’ve phrased that better.

The other sylvari made an amused noise, the leaves of her hair shifting.

She took Eifeld’s hand, “Deihman.”

Her voice was deep and throaty, her fingers cold and her grip strong.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Eifeld said, her voice much quieter.

Deihman. Finally, a name to the face. A face that has been haunting her since she woke, eyes that she would see every night while she slept, reminding her that she had not yet found her.

And here she is.

“Are you in the Grove long,” Deihman’s gaze left her and she went back to watching the common area, “Eifeld?”

Eifeld felt her heart skip, “I suppose I’ll be here as long as you.”

Deihman raised a brow, “oh?”

“I think I’m supposed to follow you.”

Deihman scoffed, “I do not need a bodyguard.”

“Of course not,” Eifeld crossed her arms and gave her a lop-sided grin, “but my Wyld Hunt is you, so I go where you go.”

Her lips curled into a slight sneer, but Deihman said nothing in response.

She didn’t speak again until Eifeld saw Trahearne approach from the elevator to the Omphalos Chamber, and despite feeling like Deihman didn’t want her there, she still introduced Eifeld when he approached. Eifeld grinned.

~

“This is going to scar,” Deihman told her in her even voice, her creased brows betraying the worry she tried to hide, “you’re lucky they didn’t take your eye.”

Eifeld grinned, “ladies love scars.”

Deihman rolled her eyes with a sigh.

The two of them had been taking on Warden duties, Trahearne was on one of his Orr pilgrimages so Deihman and Eifeld were both left here. A brush with the Nightmare Court had stopped their scouting mission. Eifeld dropped her defense to go in for a hit, and the Courtier had slashed across her eye, spilling golden blood down her face and onto her clothes. And onto Deihman’s clothes. The second Eifeld had been injured, she felt a shift in the air, something cold and deadly had seeped into her bones, and the Courtiers they were fighting were dispatched quickly with a long black scythe.

It was the first time she’d seen Deihman take on her shroud.

Now she was sitting on a cot, waiting for a Mender to check her bandages.

Deihman scoffed, “now will you learn to use a weapon?”

“Why would I use a weapon when my fists work just fine?”

Another eye roll.

A week later, Deihman surprised her with a gift. A pair of gauntlets with thick metal guards on her forearms and thick plates over her knuckles. They fit her perfectly.

“Stop dropping your guard when someone comes at you with a sword.”

Equal parts scolding and affectionate. Eifeld was pretty sure she was in love with her.

~

Their second brush with the Court was not as lucky.

Deihman had been severely wounded and nearly captured. Eifeld had fought through almost a dozen Courtiers to get her back, sweeping her up and carrying her to safety. Both were exhausted and collapsed at the first safe haven they came across.

Deihman was watching her when she woke, jolting out of bed, gasping.

“You nearly died trying to get to me,” Deihman’s voice was just as soft and low as usual. “You could have left me and saved yourself and I would have been captured. And you didn’t, do you have a death wish?”

Eifeld shook her head, her eyes closed tight, “I go where you go.”

“And if they had taken me?” She demanded, her voice rising, “would you follow me unto Nightmare?”

Eifeld answered without hesitation, locking eyes, “yes.”

~

She’d gotten her to smile. Not just a soft curl of her lips, a full, face-splitting, joyful smile. Beautiful. Radiant. Brighter than the full moon on a cloudless night. Eifeld could lose herself in her smile forever.

And then she laughed, a low, throaty chuckle, and Eifeld felt like she was floating and falling all at once.

~

Deihman kissed her suddenly, catching Eifeld off guard. At most she had been expecting a brief hug, and even that was unlikely. Despite all the times they were separated, Deihman had never before initiated any physical affection when she returned, and she certainly had never kissed her.

She’d gone with Trahearne to Orr this time, he wanted to show her what they were ultimately fighting against and the horror of what the Undead Dragon could do. What not to do as a necromancer, and to feel another type of death magic.

She left Eifeld behind for this, much to her dismay.

But she was back now, and she was kissing her, with her hands cupping her jaw and her thumbs lightly swiping across her cheeks. Once Eifeld recovered from her shock, she sighed into Deihman’s mouth and rested her hands on her hips, pulling her impossibly closer. Trying not to think about how long she’d been wanting this.

“I missed you,” Deihman murmured, leaning back and swiping a hand through Eifeld’s hair. Eifeld grinned.

“Did you, now?”

Deihman hummed and hooked her arms around Eifeld’s neck.

“Next time, I’m coming with you,” Eifeld felt her smile against her lips as she leaned back in.

“Yes you are.”

~

“He’s in so much pain, Eifeld,” Deihman took a shaking breath, leaning back heavily against the barricade they sat behind. “I want it to stop. I just want it to stop.”

Eifeld took her hand, running her thumb across her knuckles before kissing them gently, “hold on for me. We’ll find him. We’ll be alright.”

Their glows mingled in the encroaching darkness, brilliant green against harsh white, Eifeld swept her thumb across Deihman’s hand again and she squeezed back. She turned to look at her, eyes glistening.

“If I were to fall... if I were to listen to the dragon, and end this torment,” Deihman paused, tilting her head to rest against Eifeld. “Would you follow?”

Eifeld did not answer for a moment, mulling the question over. She knew her answer, of course she did, but still she thought about it. An end to the pounding, painful, buzzing headache that had plagued them both since the Dragon’s awakening. A promise of blissful silence, and Deihman still beside her.

“Yes,” she said eventually, quietly, “I would follow you.

“Would you?”

Deihman’s answer was immediate, “yes, my dearheart.”

~

The sudden relief and quiet and freedom made Eifeld realize the Dragon had been slain. She nearly sobbed with relief.

Deihman collapsed beside her, sobs wracked her body, her arms tight around her midsection.

He’s dead, she kept saying, he’s gone.

Eifeld’s breath left her as she understood.

Trahearne. He died with the Dragon.

Eifeld knelt beside her, gently pulling her close, and Deihman clung to her and cried.

~

Caladbolg was restored.

The thorn glowed brightly in Deihman’s hands as she held it aloft, her eyes roaming the length of the blade with a shining sadness. The sword looked even more magnificent in her hand than it had in Trahearne’s and Eifeld could only stare in awe of her. It had been extremely difficult, Deihman had to connect herself fully to the magic of the sword, which was hard for a necromancer who had only ever used her magic to drain life away, never to grow something. Months and a long, grueling journey later had left them both exhausted, but Caladbolg was finally fully bonded to her.

Eifeld couldn’t help but smile with pride.

Deihman lowered the sword, reached an arm out and pulled Eifeld in, holding her tightly against her.

“I could not have done this without you,” she whispered against her skin, Eifeld shivered, wrapping her arms around Deihman’s waist.

Deihman pulled back, resting a hand against her cheek, her thumb tracing Eifeld’s cheekbone, piercing eyes searching hers as a soft smile played at her lips.

“I love you, Eifeld,” she said quietly, eyes gleaming, “I’ve always loved you, since I saw you in my Dream, since I woke and began searching for you.”

Eifeld smiled broadly.

She’d Dreamt of her, too.

She could barely contain herself, she rushed forward, arms wrapping snugly around Deihman’s waist and lifting her easily into the air with a spin. Deihman cried out in surprise, bracing herself with her hands on Eifeld’s shoulders as she was held and spun.

When she put her down, Eifeld pulled her into a lingering kiss.

“I love you, Deihman,” she laughed and peppered her with kisses, “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

They stood together in quiet happiness, foreheads touching, until Deihman broke the silence.

“Trahearne wanted to continue Orr’s restoration,” she said, opening her eyes and watching for Eifeld’s reaction, “but because he was the Pact Marshal he wasn’t able to.” Deihman took a deep breath, “I think I want to do what he couldn’t. I want to go back to Orr and help, with Caladbolg.”

Eifeld smiled, “we’re going back to Orr?”

“You hate Orr.”

“I go where you go.”

Deihman leaned down and kissed her.

#gw2 #gw2 sylvari #guild wars 2 #gw2 fanfic #eifeld #deihman #you know when you suddenly write 6 pages for a pair of ocs you havent thought about in at least 3 years #i sure dont #unofficial/official title: id follow you #eifeld and deihman #soulmates in a 'of course it's you' #'it was always going to be you' #kind of way #god sorry for how long this is #i know no one wants to read something this long #also sorry you dont know what eifeld looks like yet #im drawing her and deihman rn so you'll see her soon

[victoria1676]

Aight m back again! Hellllooooooo!! Anyway, m just having a little brainrot earlier and then I just come up with a theory. Since reader is the daughter of Phil, then angel of death. And then his wife, Kristin, the goddess of death. Since both of them are immortal, then m just thinking that what if reader is not wielding a sword, but instead a scythe? I mean, she got the looks from her mom yet the humor of her dad, so m just thinking that what if she's the grimm reaper? I know its not apart of the story plot ya working on but, just what if?

N m just here thinking that Kristin gave her the scythe when she was in a young age and gotten fond and use it instead of wielding a sword, n while Techno wields an axe alongside with Tommy ig?? N also Wilbur who wields a sword, then Y/N wields a scythe then, n m also thinking bout Necromancer!Y/N??

Aight m just dropping my ideas here n there but just imagine, Y/N who is a necromancer. Trained by her own mother, n uses wraiths as some assistants whilst keeping chat of course, n while Tommy being the absolute little shit he is. I just imagine him stealing Y/N's scythe in the middle of the night or early at dawn n whenever Y/N wokes up, she just finds her weapon gone. N of course she already suspects Tommy since he keeps on stealing his sibling's belongings, so I can't help but laugh my ass off of imagining Phil n the other two finding a sweating Tommy running around outside while Y/N chases him down with the help of her wraiths getting her scythe back.

K imma just gonna leave this here, here are some concept art if ya curious btw, have a good night! :

I Toffy its been a while XD i just got back after doing ballet and playing genshin to collect bad artifacts to sacrifce in the mystic box UwU

But i just read your idea and so far its very interesting especially thats what i actually aimed reader at first to have but since i tried my best to balance her flaws so that she wont be much of a mary sue on accident TwT

But yes honestly that idea is interesting since like Philza and Kristin has like four heirs and one is already taken the role of being a kind of anarchy and the blood god follower while one is just taken its role being human with the youngest child yet still sometimes shows having some powers from the parents but it rarely happens XD

Reader is a mixed of her family and despite she has more similiarites with Philza and Techno i could say she would take the role being Kristin's heir on being the next God or Goddess of Death but currently Reader is still finding her own role of who she will be XD

Reader being a grim reaper fjwmdkwnwm Minecraft players are fucked once reader is out taking their souls in the underworld to give to Hades or her Mom as a gift HAHAHAHHAHA aint no one gonna mess with her WHEEEZE

Tommy my boy you have a death wish when if someone steals reader's scythe without her permission is a signal that youe death is near HAHAHAHAHAH i feel like Philza made sure to tell all his kids not to touch Reader's scythe or their souls will either be eaten or given as a gift in the underworld Lmao.

Oh god if Reader summons like the undead or wraiths then its everyone's worse nightmares while its reader's favorite thing to do UwU also i do imagine she gotten her scythe given by Kristin as a gift and Philza knew that the moment his wife given their only daughter a scythe is gonna make everyone's day good or bad HAHAHAHHAHAHA

#MCYT #mcyt au #MCYT reader #Dream smp #dream smp reader #SBI reader #Sbi sister #sbi family dynamic #Philza #Mumza #Kristin #Wiblur #Tommy #Techno #Technoblade

[nillial]

OKAY. IT IS FINALLY HERE. NEW CHAPTER OF COME HELL OR HIGH WATER.

summary:  Taako breaks his umbrella during the Petals to the Metal race, unknowingly freeing Lup, who is almost immediately captured by Kravitz. After becoming a member of the Raven Queen's retinue with Kravitz as her trainer, she has two missions: 1) find her family, and 2) ruin Kravitz's afterlife. A story about enemies becoming friends and lost families finding their way back to one another.

in this chapter: lup goes skeleton. kravitz is tired of telling lup’s friends to PLEASE STOP DYING. lup has a chat with someone she hasn’t seen in a while

read the first chapter here!

a lil sample for you: Lup has, once again, wormed her way into working a bounty with Kravitz, and, once again, she’s convinced him to let her fight. Granted, it was easier this time than it was on the first field mission she attended— obviously, he’s seen her incredible magic skills and has come to the conclusion that she is just too amazing at what she does to be pushed to the sidelines. That, or he doesn’t want to deal with her complaining. Either way, she’s slinging spells at dead guys, so she’s happy. Kravitz, whose skeletal hands wield a scythe, is maneuvering his way through the three death criminals and their summoned helpers with ease, weaving between the enemy’s attacks. Lup utilizes spells of her own, shooting off Scorching Rays and Fire Balls and the occasional (admittedly unnecessary) Flame Strike. Her magic scorches the cloaks they wear, leaving gaping holes in the thick fabric they’re composed of. The sandy ground of the desert shows no sign of damage, although some of the plant life in the area, however sparse, is burnt to a crisp. Death criminals, she’s noticed, always pick the loneliest, most remote locations to do their work in. If Lup was still practicing necromancy— or, at least, still openly practicing necromancy, since she does do a few spells here and there just to see if she still can— she’d do her magic in the middle of town. It’s hiding plain sight, it provides a little show for the other townsfolk, and it allows multiple escape routes. Besides, it’d be easy to blend in among the crowd, provided the ridiculous robes get ditched. These necromancers aren’t even wearing cool robes. It just looks like they draped a black blanket over themselves, sewed a hood to the back, and called it a day. Why study such an inherently dramatic magic if you’re not even going to dress the part? They work in tandem to exhaust the death criminals. Eventually, they tire and slow down, which provides Kravitz with enough opportunity to swing his scythe at one of them. A light exits their body and vanishes nearly immediately through the soul-transporting portal that opens and closes at the scythe’s command. Their body slumps to the ground, vacant. Lup, too, summons her scythe, although she knows that the most she’ll be able to do is boink people on the head with it. Nevertheless, the death criminals don’t know that she doesn’t exactly understand how to reap nor take her reaper form, and the scythe is a useful intimidation tool. Besides, boinking people on the head can be useful, too. Being hit with a scythe hurts. Lup casually drags her scythe behind her, leaving a long line through the sand. Upon approaching a death criminal, she uses the blade of her scythe to corner them into Kravitz’s range, and, before she knows it, the second necromancer has been reaped. The two of them turn to the one death criminal left, who backs away slowly, magic at their fingertips. Two against one. Kravitz sighs, raises his scythe, and approaches.

read the rest on ao3!

#lup #kravitz #taz #the adventure zone #taz fic #taz fanfic #lup taaco #lup taz #kravitz taz #come hell or high water #OKAY. I AM GOING TO PLAY CATLATERAL DAMAGE NOW #also i have been watching avatar for the first time since i was a kid #i didnt watch it enough back then to know what was going on but i do remember toph my fave. she is still my fave i think #so is iroh though............ i love iroh. rowan referred to him as the 'most stannable character in media' and u know what? he's right #also does ANYONE know where i can watch korra :( im halfway thru season 2 of avatar i dont want it to END.... #I JUST NOTICED THE CLOCK ON MY LAPTOP DISAPPEARED. WHERE DID IT GO. HOW WILL I TELL TIME NOW #IM GOING TO HAVE TO USE THE SUN AND THE SHADOWS. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY. #anyways. i hope yall enjoy!!!!!!!!

[razieltwelve]

The Chosen (RWBY AU Snippet)

Weiss stumbled into the alley and slumped against the wall. She pressed one hand against her side and winced when it came back bloody - far too bloody. Nearby, she could sense the White Fang searching the area for her. She'd killed several dozen of them already, but there were still dozens more left. A stab of pain jolted through her, and it took every bit of her willpower to keep from crying out.

If she was discovered now, she was as good as dead. As quietly as she could, she hobbled deeper into the shadows. If she could get out of the docks, put some distance between her and them, she'd be able to use her magic to heal herself without being detected. Once her wounds had healed, she could regather her strength and finish the rest of them off at another time.

"She's here!" someone screamed. "I see her! She's here!"

Weiss cursed as the sound of a gunshot rang out. Instinct alone saved her as she jerked to the side. The bullet struck the wall of the alley and detonated in a blaze of magic that knocked her off her feet and threatened to rob her of consciousness. Ears ringing and body gripped with agony, she crawled toward the other end of the alley.

It was only when she'd managed to go a few feet without being attacked again that she realised the rest of the world had frozen in place. She almost laughed. Stopping time. What a ridiculous power. Even amongst the gods, there were few who dared meddle with the flow of time so openly.

Silver light filled the alley, and Weiss found herself hauled up onto her feet.

"Oh, Weiss, what am I going to do with you?"

"You…" Weiss hissed and jerked free - or she would have if not for the slender hand wrapped around her wrist. It was like pulling against a mountain.

Death chuckled. "Yes, Weiss, me."

"What are you doing here?" Weiss growled. She winced, and only Death's hand kept her standing as the pain from her injuries robbed her of strength. "I don't need your help."

"Do you remember how we first met, Weiss?" Death drawled. "If I recall correctly, you were lying in a pool of your own blood as you watched most of your family die around you. I'd already collected their souls, but when I got to you…" Death's silver eyes gleamed as brightly as stars and with all the coldness of the dead of winter. "What did you say?"

"Not today," Weiss whispered. "That's what I told you."

"The fact that you could even see me was impressive, but your words struck a chord. I saw something in you, Weiss, which is why I broke the rules and Chose you. And being Chosen has consequences." Death's red cloak stirred in a breeze nothing else could feel, a nest of bloody shadows. "You are mine, and that means you cannot die until I wish it. And in exchange for giving you the power to accomplish what you seek, you must complete the tasks I set you."

Weiss grimaced and nodded. "That was the deal, yes."

"Then why do I constantly find you on the verge of death? Even with the gifts I've already given you, you would already have died several times over." Death smiled. "You know, if I allow time to resume, you're going to die. As powerful as you are, as durable as you've become, they're going to kill you."

"I can't die," Weiss growled. "Not until I get all of them. Not until I make them pay."

"You're not strong enough, not yet. But you could be. However, there is a price, Weiss, a price for everything. You are my Chosen, but you have only begun to taste the gifts I could give you. I could make you stronger, but…"

"I'll pay the price."

"I knew you'd say that." Death pulled her closer, and Weiss screamed as the goddess ran one finger down her face. "A mark, then, to show my favour." She leaned forward and pressed her lips to the scar that had already formed. "You owe me another century of service, Weiss, and don't forget. Dying will not free you, not from me." Death let Weiss go and turned. "Until next time, Weiss."

Weiss dropped to her knees and writhed as raw, undiluted power thundered through her veins. She was dimly aware of time resuming, and she got back to her feet. The world shivered as she raised one hand. A scythe born of ice, blood, and shadows formed, and she rushed forward to greet the White Fang with her newly acquired powers.

X     X     X

Jaune glanced at Ren. "That… is a lot of blood."

The other policeman nodded grimly. "That's why they called us in. The White Fang are terrorists, but they're not amateurs. All of them are decent magic users, and they even have a few Chosen as well. To see more than a hundred of them ripped to pieces like this… even I couldn't do that."

Jaune swallowed thickly. The entire docks area was covered in corpses, and great starbursts of blood splattered the pavement and buildings. Most of the dead bore wounds consistent with a large, bladed weapon of some kind, but there were also signs of immense cold on their bodies as well. Most disturbingly of all, there were traces of a power Jaune didn't recognise, something so corrosive it simply erased whatever it hit.

"What do you think, Ren, could we have one of the Unchained on our hands?"

Ren shook his head. "The Unchained are powerful, but they're basically beasts. The White Fang would have been able to deal with one although they still would have taken casualties. Look at the terror on the faces." He gestured at the bodies. "This went beyond simple panic. Whoever was responsible must have absolutely terrified them. Given how many White Fang there were…"

"So you think it's another Chosen? But what kind of Chosen could do this? We're both Chosen, Ren, and neither of our goddesses are weak. But like you said, you couldn't do this, and I know I couldn't."

"I know." Ren's fists clenched, and the clouds above them gave a sympathetic rumble. "I serve the goddess of storms, and you serve the goddess of righteous battle. There aren't many gods stronger than them, Jaune. Yet… just standing here gives me the creeps. Nora's power… it wants me to get as far away from here as possible."

"I feel the same." Jaune shuddered. "What kind of Chosen could give off that kind of feeling?"

"I don't know." Ren turned. "We should head to the security office. If we're lucky, we'll be able to pull some footage from the security cameras."

X     X     X

Jaune remained silent as he watched the surveillance footage. By the gods… what kind of monster were they up against? All the cameras had managed to capture was a white and red blur of motion wielding a scythe. It flitted from one opponent to the next, leaving nothing but absolute devastation in its wake.

"Ren… we both know that Chosen have a tendency to manifest weapons representative of their god. I can only think of one god that favours the colour red and carries a scythe."

"Death."

"The Greater Gods aren't supposed to be able to Choose," Jaune growled. "Pyrrha told me that herself. It was a law they put in place to maintain the order of Creation."

"And the Greater Gods are strong enough to ignore those laws when they feel like it." Ren ran one hand through his hair. "I need to go to Nora's temple to pray. If we're going to stop whoever that is, I'll need more of her power. Going up against someone that Death has Chosen… we're not ready."

"I'll go to Pyrrha's temple as well," Jaune said quietly. "And I'll ask if they can bring Blake in. She's Yang's Chosen. Sure, property damage might be an issue, but against someone like that…" He gestured to where the surveillance footage showed the perpetrator cutting down a dozen White Fang in the span of several seconds amidst explosions of blood, ice, and shadow. "I don't think property damage matters."

X     X     X

Author's Notes

This is a somewhat darker take on the idea of Death (Ruby) Choosing Weiss. As you can imagine, her quest to wipe out the White Fang is going to result in plenty of corpses and conflict not just with the White Fang but also with people like Jaune and Ren who are trying to keep the peace.

If you’re interested in my thoughts on writing and other topics, you can find those here.

You can find my original fiction on Amazon here. I’ve also just released an audiobook on Audible here. It’s called Two Necromancers, a Bureaucrat, and an Army of Golems. If you like humour, action, and adventure, you’ll love it.

#rwby #fanfiction #ruby rose #weiss schnee #jaune arc #lie ren

[anistarrose]

Fear The Reaper A Lot, Actually - Chapter 4

AO3

Chapter Summary: An unlikely friendship springs from a book club, while secrecy becomes more important than ever for Tres Horny Boys. Kravitz receives a summons. Angus does a hit.

Characters: Kravitz, Taako, Barry Bluejeans, Angus McDonald, Magnus Burnsides, Merle Highchurch, Noelle | No-3113, The Raven Queen, The Director | Lucretia, misc. BoB cameos

Relationships: Taakitz, Angus McDonald & Taako, Barry Bluejeans & Kravitz, Kravitz & Angus McDonald

Don't let the Lunar Interlude-esque setting confuse you — this update's a long boi! If you can't already tell how much I love Angus McDonald, then the next few thousand words should make it pretty clear.

***

Some days, Kravitz found paperwork relaxing. Today was not such a day.

The Raven Queen was almost always receptive to his suggestions about how to restructure the forms, and happy to do what she could to minimize the bureaucracy and tedium inherent to almost any other office job. But today, Kravitz’s unbeating heart just wasn’t in his work — just like yesterday, after he’d returned from Wave Echo Cave.

So it was simultaneously a relief and a surprise when a blue glow flashed in his peripheral vision, and he felt the telltale tug of a summons from the Material Plane, specifically…

“The moon?” he muttered out loud. “What is with these people and ridiculous floating secret bases?”

The pull of the summoning spell was designedly weak, and easy for Kravitz to shrug off if needed — but he wasn’t going to pass up an excuse to get out of the office, and try to part ways with Taako on a better note this time. Maybe he could ask around, find out if anyone knew what Lucas and Noelle were up to…

In a cozy bedroom on the moon, a hissing plume of smoke emanated from a sapphire arrowhead, embedded in the soil of a potted plant. As the smoke solidified, Kravitz’s human form took shape, and instinctively scanned his new surroundings for dangers or necromantic abominations.

Two floor-two-ceiling bookshelves were stuffed with novels and encyclopedias, and glow-in-the-dark stars covered the ceiling. The bed was neatly made, but was so small it couldn’t have accommodated anyone larger than a gnome, or a halfling… or a human child.

“Hello again, Mister Grim Reaper,” said Angus. He sat on a tiny wooden chair, pen in hand and notebook open to a fresh page. “I’ve got a number of questions for you.”

Kravitz plucked the arrow from the potted plant, and the electric blue glow of the sapphire faded. “Does Taako know you have this?”

“Nope. But if he did, he’d probably endorse me breaking the spirit of the law, if not the letter — after all, you never said that only Taako could summon you this way.”

Kravitz holds up his hands. “I didn’t mean to sound accusatory. I was just… expecting to meet with Taako today, so this surprised me. But I’d be happy to answer your questions — provided they don’t take more than an hour or so.”

Angus narrowed his eyes. “Will you answer me honestly?”

Seeing no reason to lie to even the most precocious of ten-year-olds, Kravitz declared: “I swear to answer truthfully upon my oath to the Raven Queen.”

“Then tell me — why are you so nice?”

“Pardon?”

Angus glared at him. “You know exactly what I mean — why are you so helpful? You tried to reap my friends’ souls, and told them they that could only save themselves by accomplishing an impossible task! But then, you — you saved them yesterday, and even healed them! What are you playing at?!”

Immensely grateful that he’d set the terms on his own honesty oath, Kravitz told the truth with a few details omitted. “I helped them because they seemed like nicer people than most of the bounties I hunt — and in that strange sort of ‘begrudging respect’ way, I guess I’m growing fond of them.” Taako even moreso than the others.

“If you were really fond of them, you wouldn’t be trying to kill them in the first place,” Angus muttered, lowering his gaze.

“I’m sorry,” Kravitz told him, and that too was the truth. “It’s just what my job demands —”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have gotten into this line of business!” Angus screamed, wiping tears from his eyes. “In two months, I’m gonna lose three of the closest people I have to family, and it’ll all be because I’m just a kid detective who can’t track down a couple of liches — but it’ll also be because of you! I hate you, and I hate everything you stand for!”

Angus’s fist sunk harmlessly into Kravitz’s raven-feather cloak, but he staggered backwards like he’d punched a brick wall, falling to his knees and taking off his glasses to sob — but against his better judgement, Kravitz kneeled down at Angus’s side.

“Don’t count out Taako and the others just yet,” he whispered. “I’ve seen them do miraculous things — escaping from me in the laboratory, for one thing, and banishing Legion, for another. If they can defeat thousands of unruly undead souls in combat like that, then they might just be worthy opponents for even the most crafty and powerful of liches.”

“You’re sure they’ll be okay?” Angus sniffed.

“No,” Kravitz admitted. “I’m not sure. I wish I could be, because I really don’t want to send them to the Astral Plane. But they’ve got help — not just your smarts, but my scythe as well, because I don’t intend to just stand idly by without giving them a fighting chance. I… truthfully, Angus, when I offered them the deal, I wanted to bring an end to the headache they’d given me by any means necessary. But they’ve earned my respect since then, and though the deal can’t be undone, there’s no rule stopping me from aiding them. I don’t want to reap their souls if there’s any way I can avoid it, any excuse or loophole.”

Angus rubbed his nose. “Do you — do you normally like reaping people’s souls?”

Kravitz took a moment to think about his answer. “I was a human like you, once. Alive, and precocious, and always getting in over my head. When I died, and started serving the Raven Queen as a reaper, I felt like I had discovered my life’s purpose, even though it ironically required becoming undead as a prerequisite. My duty is to keep the balance of the universe — to save lives by stopping liches, necromancers, and their foul servants from upsetting that balance — but I remember what it felt like to be mortal, to have mortal loved ones. So… I don’t enjoy watching people grieve, because it feels all too familiar.”

He sat down, and crossed his legs. “I don’t tell a lot of people about this, but in a way, if I’d come to terms with death and grieved more quietly when I was alive… well, let’s just say I probably wouldn’t be a reaper today.”

Angus managed a smile. “You know, you’re nothing like the Grim Reaper in the Caleb Cleveland, Kid Cop books.”

“Oh? I know there are… a variety of misconceptions about me floating around in the world, but I haven’t read that series. Are they detective stories?”

“They’re the world’s greatest detective stories,” Angus declared, “and I own every installment!” For the first time since his ill-fated attempt to punch Kravitz, he stood up, and selected a book from his bookshelf. “This is the first one that you — well, not really you — show up in.”

Kravitz took a look at the cover illustration, which featured a child in a deerstalker hat standing back to back with a deathly pale man, dressed in tattered gray robes and wielding an iron scythe. The title read Caleb Cleveland and the Mask of Death.

“Not much of a resemblance, is there?” Kravitz mused. “I guess can’t fault them for the iron scythe, because that’s what everyone seems to expect, but iron and celestial magic don’t always get along — better than iron and fae magic for sure, but still not especially well.”

“His personality isn’t a whole lot like yours either, sir,” Angus sheepishly admitted. “This is the start of the five-book Grim Reaper arc, which starts off with the reaper helping Caleb solve murder mysteries until Caleb’s previously-struggling private detective agency — which he started after his schism with the corrupt police establishment in the last book — is renowned throughout the country. But then Caleb realizes that the reaper is just trying to bring about an era of prosperity and increased population density, so that he can kill the maximum number of people possible while poisoning the water supply! And of course Caleb disavows his partnership with Death, but the reaper spends the next four installments of the arc committing more murders as revenge — which initially felt like a little bit of a motivation downgrade, if I’m being honest, but it also led to some great continuity between books as well as some really well-written horror that unsettles without pulling on cheap shock value! So they turned out to be some of my favorite books in the series, and… I’m sorry if I judged you a little hastily because of them. You’re a whole lot nicer than the Grim Reaper I expected.”

“You don’t have to apologize. You’re hardly the first person to misjudge me for my line of work, and I don’t expect you to be the last.” Kravitz flipped through the book, which was full of underlined words and fan theories neatly written in the margins. “Actually, do you mind if I borrow this? I’ve always loved mystery novels.”

“You really want to read it?” Angus’s eyes lit up. “Uh, well, I should probably start by giving you the first book in the series, otherwise a lot of callbacks to previous adventures won’t make sense. But I guess I did kind of just spoil the whole plot of Books 21 through —”

“Don’t worry about it,” Kravitz assured him with a smile. “And I think I will take Book 1 to start out, please.”

“Alrighty, then!” Angus selected a well-worn book from his shelf and handed it to Kravitz. “Could you, um… let me know what you think of it when you finish reading?”

“I absolutely can. Oh, and Angus?”

“Yes?”

“You sound like a marvelous detective. If anyone can crack the case of these liches, I believe it’ll be you — but don’t beat yourself up if you can’t, alright? That’s a lot of pressure to put on someone, and you’re a growing kid — you need your rest.”

Angus nodded. “I’ll try to remember that, sir.”

***

Angus gave directions to the three Reclaimers’ shared dorm, but didn’t specify which individual room was Taako’s, so on a hunch, Kravitz knocked on the door of the room that smelled the most like baked goods. Sure enough, he heard Taako shout “It’s unlocked!” over the banging of bowls and cookie sheets.

“You need to look after your arrows better,” Kravitz warned him as he entered. “If someone with more malicious intentions than Angus were to steal one, then they could easily lure me into a trap.”

Taako blinked. “Whoa, what happened to your accent? I thought you were a stranger and almost chucked a bowl of gingersnap dough at your head!”

Kravitz narrowed his eyes. “Did you really? You look like you’ve got a pretty firm grip on it, there.”

“No, you called my bluff. I’m too good of a chef to just go chucking perfectly good food whenever someone spooks me — the point is, what is up with your voice, my dude?”

“It’s, um… a work accent,” Kravitz explained. “My normal voice isn’t that intimidating. As you can tell, heh.”

“Still wouldn’t want you to slice me up with a scythe, though. You gotta give yourself more credit.” Taako rolled a small handful of gingersnap dough into a ball, dusting it with sugar and placing it in the corner of a fresh cookie sheet. “And to answer your complaint earlier, Angus wasn’t as slick as he thought he was when he swiped that arrow, but I let him get away with it ‘cause I knew neither of you two dorks would try to fight each other or anything like that.”

“He actually did want to fight me for a minute or two,” Kravitz replied, “but we worked it out and now we’re apparently… book club buddies? I’m not sure, I’m no good with kids — or maybe I’m better with kids than I’m consciously aware of?”

Taako snorted. “I didn’t endear myself to little Ango at first either, but now I guess I’m his hero, and his teacher, and maybe even his emotionally adopted uncle or something? There’s just something magical about that kid.”

“Absolutely, but… he seemed stressed.” Kravitz sighed, and Taako’s expression softened. “I suppose this is partly my fault, but there’s an awful lot of pressure on him.”

“Yeah, he — he doesn’t find it so funny when me an’ the boys joke about death, I’ve been noticing. I’ll make sure he takes some time off the case to relax — you think that would help him?”

“I think that would be a good place to start.” Kravitz nodded, glancing over the sheets of oatmeal cookies cooling on the adjacent counter. “You look like you’ve been keeping busy yourself.”

“Yeah, the Director was so thrilled with my Candlenights macarons that she requested a couple batches of oatmeal-white chocolate and some gingersnaps. Guess she read my cookbook or something — ‘cause my whole cookie portfolio is choice, don’t get me wrong, but those are a couple of my top-tier baked goods after the macarons.”

“They smell heavenly — and I should know, working in the Astral Plane! Do you mind if I try one?”

“Wait!” Taako pushed Kravitz’s hand away from the tray. “I didn’t check them for — hang on, you’re already dead, right? You know what, go for it. Sorry about that.” Under his breath, he added: “It’ll be fine. Perfectly fine.”

Confused and a little concerned, but too polite to decline Taako’s offer, Kravitz took a bite of an oatmeal cookie. It was still slightly warm, and the white chocolate melted in his mouth, but he couldn’t imagine it being any less of a delight after having cooled, either.

“So, how many of these does your boss actually want,” asked Kravitz, “and how many can I take back home? They’re just as good as they smell!”

“Course they are,” Taako snickered. “Gimme a few minutes here, and I’ll make you a little gift baggie.”

“Speaking of gifts, that reminds me —” From an inside pocket of his cloak, Kravitz procured four new summoning arrows. “I spoke with the Raven Queen, and was able to arrange an exception to that… company policy, the one about summoning me for business only.”

Taako didn’t look away from his cookie sheet, but his ears immediately perked up.

“You can use them outside of emergency situations — within reason, of course,” Kravitz continued. “I don’t want to manifest in the middle of, I don’t know, a heated debate about moon bylaws, or whatever it is that you people vote on up here.”

“Actually, it turns out moon society is kinda authoritarian.” Taako finished filling the first sheet with gingersnap dough, and began work on a second. “But be honest — how much of this was actually premediated on your part, and how much is just a spur of the moment decision now that you know I’ll give you free baked goods?”

“It was premediated, but make no mistake, the baked goods are a bonus,” Kravitz chuckled. He neglected to mention that there had been no company policy in the first place, nor had there been a conversation with the Raven Queen. Part of him just wanted to give Taako his Stone of Farspeech number like he had with Angus, and bid farewell to the archaic summoning rituals altogether, but it would still be handing over personal information to an active bounty, and there were some lines even Kravitz didn’t dare cross — at least, not yet. “But as good as it is to be able to keep in touch with you, there’s something I should probably warn you about sooner rather than later.”

“Fire away.”

“I assume you were looking for Lup in Wave Echo Cave the other day. But that didn’t unveil many clues to you, did it?”

“Unveil? No matter you and Angus are starting a book club, you speak in the same detective mambo-jumbo. But you’re right, we found zilch.”

“Are you going to start looking for Barry Bluejeans next, by any chance?”

Taako made a funny expression. “Yeah, I guess that’s the plan. But, well, we also agreed that the plan should be to stay on the moon to rest and train for a couple days — ‘cause Magnus has been a bad influence, and we all rushed into the cave expedition just a day after we almost died averting the crystal apocalypse. You saw how that worked out for us.”

Kravitz nodded. “Today is the first day I’ve actually seen you without bags under your eyes. It suits you.” The last part slipped out without Kravitz thinking it through, but it prompted a wink from Taako, which Kravitz considered among the better possible outcomes of impromptu flirting.

“But getting back on topic,” he continued, “I wanted to warn you about Barry. I’ve encountered him a number of times, and he’s not exactly a normal lich.”

Taako sat down on a stool and crossed his legs. “Well, you dunno what my reference point is for liches. He could be a totally regular, run-of-the-mill lich by my standards — maybe a little spooky, but nothin’ to write home about, you know?”

“Then you’d be consorting with some pretty strange liches, because Barry is a very confusing one. Most liches are either antisocial or obsessed with grim monologues, but Barry has held a handful of coherent brief conversations with me — all of which started out weirdly normal, until he started rambling nonsense about the planar system with a genuinely unsettling amount of conviction.”

“Oh, those liches,” Taako muttered, nodding along. “Always saying the darndest things.”

“I feel like you’re not taking this as seriously as you could.” Kravitz narrowed his eyes. “To be fair, I’ve never seen Barry hurt innocent mortals, which is another way he differs from essentially all other liches — but that doesn’t mean that he’s not a threat, especially if you’re hunting him down. After all, there’s a reason I’ve spoken to him several times, but never successfully captured him.”

Kravitz thought back to one of his first and most troubling encounters with Barry, about a year after the end of the Relic Wars. They’d crossed paths by accident, in a seaside town recently demolished by a serpent of the Oculus’s creation, and Barry had exploited the shambles of the port to his advantage, hurling fishing nets and tattered sails at Kravitz as he made his escape.

“You can’t run from justice forever, Bluejeans!” Kravitz had shouted, slicing through a weighted net with his scythe. “Your kind all wind up in the Eternal Stockade eventually!”

“I’ve spent decades bracing myself for the end of apparent eternity and the exhaustion of apparent infinity,” Barry had replied matter-of-factly. “If your prison could really stay intact until the end of time, then I’d be happy to hunker down there with everyone I love and wait for this storm to blow over.”

With a flick of a spectral hand, he’d flung a half-dozen crates of rotten fish at Kravitz’s head. “But you don’t see me handing my soul over without a fight, so… I guess that should tell you everything I think about your so-called ‘eternal’ stockade.”

Kravitz had easily dodged the crates, but stepped right into the epicenter of the geyser that erupted from beneath the dock a moment later, launching him into the air. By the time he’d flown back down to sea level, Barry had been long gone.

“You know, if he still seems pretty chill for a lich,” Taako mused, dragging Kravitz back to the present, “and he’s harmless except for when you try to capture him, then… why are you still trying to capture him? Why not just let him do his thing?”

Kravitz sighed. “That’s a good question, and I’m honestly curious… why do you think I haven’t given up on him?”

“Well… ‘cause liches are illegal, right? Is this a trick question?”

“That’s the answer I was expecting, and you’re not wrong — but that’s not the entire story, either,” Kravitz told him. “I also don’t want to leave Barry to ‘do his thing,’ as you put it, because I don’t know what ‘his thing’ entails. I’ve heard him allude to needing something specific out of undeath, but I don’t know what that is — if it’s immortality, or power, or something else altogether. I don’t know if he’s just putting on a harmless facade while he waits for me to let my guard down.”

Taako nodded. “You think he’s planning something.”

“I know he’s planning something. Most liches, they’re unpredictable because the combination of undeath and their hunger for power has eroded their sense of logic and driven them insane. And at first, I thought this was the one thing Barry had in common with them — with his nonsensical grim warnings, and haphazard pattern of popping up in the last places I expect — but over the past decade of hunting him, I’ve gradually realized he isn’t insane at all. He just bases his decisions off of information that no one else in the universe seems to possess, and constructs plans that no one else in the world understands. He’s unpredictable, but not irrational — and coming from a spellcaster as powerful as he is, that honestly terrifies me.”

Taako whistled. “Guess we’ve really got our work cut out for us, then.”

“I’ll leave you with this: please, if you track Barry Bluejeans down but he seems civil, and reasonable, and harmless, you still cannot and should not trust him, no matter what he tells you. With liches, even abnormal ones, you can’t risk anything less than constant vigilance. Take it from someone who learned it the hard way centuries ago, and has been significantly better at his job ever since.”

“Aww, you’re worried about us,” Taako snickered as he placed the gingersnaps in the oven. “But I read you loud and clear — you don’t need to worry about me falling for a lich’s tricks, of course, but I’ll remind the other two goofuses to be careful.”

He frowned, closing the oven door. “Although, now that I think about it… what does Barry even look like as a lich? I don’t actually know what we should be searching for, but I’m assuming it’s not a normal-ass dude in jeans.”

“Oh, you can’t miss him. Most necromancers spring for black or gray robes, but his is bright red.”

Taako’s eyes went wide. “You know those grim warnings you mentioned him giving? Would they happen to be about, uh, the hunger of all living things?”

“You’ve met his lich form, too?” Kravitz slapped his forehead. “Were you also the best man at his wedding? Do you golf with him on Saturdays?”

“Man,” Taako muttered, “I am so glad we decided not to tell the Director about this.”

***

Angus found Noelle in the Bureau’s gym, dumping a cooler of water on her teammates as they finished an intense workout. On the other side of the room, Avi was thoroughly demolishing Brad Bradson at an impromptu game of half-court basketball, and a small but rowdy crowd had gathered to watch.

“Not gonna lie, I’d kill to be a tireless cyborg like you, Noelle,” Carey groaned, overdramatically collapsing into Killian’s arms. “I’m exhausted.”

“I dunno. If training didn’t make my arms ache, then I don’t think it would be half as satisfying,” Killian replied, wiping her brow. “Although some laser eyes to pair with my crossbow might be pretty kickass.”

“I’m enjoying the whole swappable body parts thing more than I thought I would,” Noelle said. “At first I was worried I’d accidentally fry a whole bunch of people with my arm cannon, but it turns out I can just take it off for non-violent occasions!”

“Hey, Angus!” Carey called out, waving to him. “Got any strong opinions about cyborgs and integrating technology into our bodies?”

“Um, I was actually just here to ask Noelle a few questions. Is this not a good time?”

Noelle shrugged. “Well, we just finished training for the day, so I don’t see why not.”

Angus beamed. “Great! But do you mind if we conduct the interview somewhere… a little quieter than this gym?”

Noelle raised an arm, shielding Angus from a stray basketball. “Sounds like a plan.”

Upon arriving in Noelle’s as-of-yet sparsely furnished dorm, Angus sat cross-legged on the floor and opened to a fresh page in his notebook.

“So, Magnus told me that you had a run-in with Barry Bluejeans shortly before his death in Phandalin. I’d never want to force you to think back to traumatic memories, but if there are any details you recall about him off the top of your head, that could be vital to our investigation.”

“I appreciate the concern, but it’ll be alright,” Noelle assured him. “I’ve already been thinkin’ back to that encounter a lot, ever since I learned Barry was a lich — ‘cause he really, really didn’t act like how I was always told liches would behave. See, he… he almost took a blast of fire to the chest while he was shepherding us into that stockroom, and even then, he told us to stay in there while he risked his life trying to lead the dwarf away. He was so brave, and he even got that dwarf out of the bar… but still not far enough away, I guess.”

“Was he using any spells? Magically redirecting fire? Did he try to teleport you to safety?”

“No, no spells that I saw. He threw a chair across the room to distract the dwarf at one point, but that was with his own two arms and I imagine a whole lot of adrenaline, not any sorta spectral mage hands or whatever it is that wizards use.”

“Hmm.” Angus clicked his pen. “I hate to say it, but if he didn’t cast a single spell, then it sounds like he really wasn’t trying that hard to save the town…”

“No, that’s not it. I’m sure of it. He told us not to be afraid, but he was… he was scared. Did a real good job of hiding it, but he was shaking as he closed that door to that stockroom and went back into the bar to face the fire. I sincerely believe he was doin’ everything he could to save us from the Phoenix Fire Gauntlet, and it just… wasn’t enough.”

“I wonder if Lich Barry has — or rather, had a kinder but more incompetent twin brother,” Angus mused, jotting down the thought in his notes. “It would make more sense than — wait. What did you just say about the gauntlet?”

“That Barry tried to save us from it? I guess I didn’t know what it was called back then, not until after I died and I remembered the Relic Wars —”

“Exactly! Noelle, you’re a genius!” Angus sprung to his feet. “We need to go talk to Johann!”

Noelle floated after him as he raced out of the room and towards the nearest elevator. “About what? The Voidfish?”

“Right! Maybe Barry didn’t cast any spells when he was alive because he didn’t remember that he could!”

“So when he died, the memories would’ve all rushed back to him, and he could go back to his lich-y business!” Noelle finished. “But why would the Bureau have erased information about Barry, of all people?”

“I don’t know,” Angus admitted as they stepped into the elevator and it began to descend. “Maybe he used to work with them, and went rogue? I’d ask the Director, but…”

“She’s not in on the lich-hunting secret, right. But you’ll probably have to tell her eventually, won’t you? Y’all can’t keep sneaking out forever.”

“Oh, I know. But the Reclaimers are going to be the ones to break the news to her, not me. They were the ones who lied about it in the first place, after all.” The elevator doors opened, and Angus sprinted out at full speed towards Johann’s office. “Johann, I have a question! Is there a way to check what people the Voidfish has erased?”

Johann gingerly set down his violin, and tapped his head. “You’re looking at it. I’ve been in charge of feeding info to the Voidfish basically since the Bureau got started, and lucky for you, I’ve got a pretty good memory for who and what gets erased from the rest of the world.”

He sighed. “I kinda… I feel like the least I can do is remember them when no one else will, you know? ‘Cause it’s what I hope someone will do for me when I’m gone, and… well, that got real depressing real fast. You probably don’t want to hear that, kid — so just tell me, who do you need to know about?”

“I realize now that I’m forming the question in my head that this might sound like a goof,” Angus admitted, “but have you ever erased information about someone named Barry Bluejeans?”

Johann laughed. “You’re right, that does sound like a goof! I can’t remember hearing about him before, never mind erasing him — and I’d definitely remember a name like that, trust me.”

“Oh.” Angus’s face fell. “I was so sure…”

Noelle drifted over to the Voidfish’s tank, watching the swirling galaxy patterns drift by. “Don’t give up, Angus. You might still be onto something — maybe the info could’ve gotten erased before Johann was in charge here, or maybe before the Bureau even found the Voidfish.”

Johann nodded. “Yeah, maybe. You want me to ask the Director about it?”

“No!” Angus and Noelle shouted in unison.

“Not yet,” Angus added hurriedly. “Maybe eventually. I’ll need to talk to Taako and the others about it first.”

“Okay, whatever,” Johann shrugged. “I don’t really understand what’s going on here, but you do you.”

As Noelle rode the elevator back to the roof with Angus, she asked: “So, what’s our next move?”

“I guess we should go tell the Reclaimers about the break in the case, or lack thereof. And maybe make an argument for coming clean to the Director, while we’re there.”

They made their way back to the Reclaimers’ dorm, but upon opening the door, every one of the room’s occupants jumped out of their seats in shock.

“Oh, it’s just you two,” Taako sighed, lowering his Umbra Staff. “Try and knock next time! I thought you were Lucretia coming to bust our secret meeting!”

The living room looked exactly how Angus would expect the site of an impromptu clandestine gathering to look, with dozens of papers scattered about and a corkboard lying on the coffee table. Red and blue strings connected dozens of thumbtacks, and the center of the board was occupied by a red crayon drawing of a disembodied robe.

Merle chuckled, elbowing Magnus. “You know, if you’d really wanted to keep our meeting secret, then we woulda made sure our ‘security guard’ actually locked the goddamn door —”

“That’s not important right now,” Magnus interrupted, closing the door and motioning for Noelle and Angus to join the circle around the coffee table. “What’s important is that you two haven’t let anything slip to Lucretia since the last time we talked!”

“Um, we haven’t, but…” Angus frowned. “We were actually thinking it might be better to let her in on the secret. I have a lot of questions that only she can help us answer —”

“Then they’ll just have to go unhelped!” Taako declared, magically silencing Angus’s Stone of Farspeech. “If you tell her our lives depend on arresting one of the Red Robes, she’ll go ballistic!”

Angus blinked. “I think I’m missing a lot of context here, sir.”

“I think I’m missing even more,” Noelle added.

Magnus pointed at the drawing of the Red Robe. “See this? This is Barry’s true form, according to Kravitz. And according to Lucretia, the Red Robes are all super duper evil, so she’s not too keen on us talking to them. Or interacting with them any more than we have to, really.”

“Well, what’s supposedly so evil about them?” Noelle asked. “Are they all liches?”

“No! Well, actually, they might be,” Merle admitted. “I dunno the states of all their souls, but we do know they made the Grand Relics!”

“What?” Noelle gasped.

“You know, like the Philosopher’s Stone?” Magnus added. “And the Phoenix Fire Gauntlet?”

“No, I know what the Grand Relics are, but there’s gotta be some mistake,” Noelle replied. “Barry was trying to stop the Phoenix Fire Gauntlet from going off and incinerating the whole town — and even if he was amnesiac when I met him, I just can’t imagine him ever creating something like that. It just doesn’t make sense —”

“Nothing about Barry Bluejeans makes sense,” Angus agreed. “There must be something we’re missing…”

“I’m sure there is, but one way or another, I’m pretty sure Barry did help make the Relics,” Magnus told them. “He’s popped up near almost every one of them, except for the Oculus —”

“Yeah, remember when you sensed a lich in the Cosmoscope, Noelle?” Taako chimed in. “That was Barry. He rooted through Lucas’s trash and said some ominous shit about billions of lives getting devoured. Doesn’t that sound like a guy who could be the evil mastermind behind the Relic Wars?”

“Well, why don’t we just ask him?” Merle spoke up. “I mean, it’s not like we have any trouble finding the guy even when we’re not looking for him, ha! — so next time we run into him, how about I cast Zone of Truth, and ask what he has to do with the Grand Relics?”

“That’s a great idea, sir!” Angus exclaimed, but his face fell after just a moment. “But if Barry usually just shows up around the Relics, and we have no idea where the last three are, then how will we know where to look for him? We don’t have the time to wait for another to surface randomly like the Philosopher’s Stone and Gaia Sash did.”

“Kid’s got a point, Merle,” Taako admitted, rubbing his chin. “But as long as we don’t have any other leads… I can think of at least once place it wouldn’t hurt to check, and maybe even grace with a séance!”

“Phandalin?” Noelle asked, and Taako nodded.

“Exactly! Sure, the last time we revisited an old stomping grounds didn’t go so well, but Phandalin’s just a flat circle where you can see danger coming from any direction. What could go wrong?”

***

End notes:

Some miscellaneous headcanons about the stuff in Angus’s room: Magnus made the bookshelves and chair, Lucretia provided the bed and helped Angus attach the stars to the ceiling, and the books are almost all Angus’s own. It took a while to bring them all up to the moon, but Lucretia was happy to help, and she and Taako both gave Angus a few more novels to add to his collection.

Next chapter has some exciting stuff happening, including an appearance from a certain lich that the boys may or may not be hunting, so stay tuned! I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to hold the every-other-Tuesday update schedule after Chapter 5, because long story short:

I got a part-time job that doesn’t take up that much time, but does occupy the part of the day when I’m usually in the mood to write.

I had mild insomnia for like a solid 4 nights, which I have since recovered from but not before it threw a wrench in my writing process, so that burnt through a “buffer” pre-written chapter or two.

I’m by no means abandoning this fic, but if updates slow down to more of a monthly pace after Chapter 5, this is why! Just wanted to give you all a heads-up.

#taz #taz balance #taakitz #taako taaco #kravitz taz #angus mcdonald #magnus burnsides #merle highchurch #no-3113 #lucretia taz #barry bluejeans #taz balance spoilers #fic: FTRALA #rosalia writes fic