Tumgik
#adventures in monster hunting.
dailyadventureprompts · 8 months
Text
Tumblr media
Scragglmop the Destroyer
Once feared throughout the land, a great and terrible dragon grew tired of being endlessly hunted for his hoard and faked his death with the aid of a glory-hungry gnomish bard. Living on for centuries in the guise of a street cat, the dragon is now a hair's breadth from resuming his rampaging ways after the bard's descendants have lost the fortune he gave over to them for safe keeping.
Adventure Hooks:
A series of unexplained fires has wracked the city in recent weeks, which has both the guard and the populace on edge. Rumours swirl blaming arsonists, saboteurs from a rival kingdom, even an illegal duelling society of mages, but none have yet put it together that all of the workshops and businesses were all patronized in one way or another by the famed Candlebright noble family.
Coincidentally, Hignatta Candlebright, young head of that same noble house has sent an invitation to the party to join her at a famed teahouse to discuss a delicate matter involving the retrieval of stolen property. Hignatta has all but taken over the teahouse and its guestrooms since her own family home burned down near the start of the panic, and the party might begin to draw a connection when half way through their meeting the teahouse begins to fill with smoke, panicking patrons, and a booming, sourceless voice that demands "WHERE IS MY GOLD, CANDLEBRIGHT?!"
If you really want to mess with the party, consider introducing them to the fluffy street cat completely independently of the arson plot, making a nuisance of himself in the market while they're trying to shop, or catching mice in their store-room should they have acquired a residence in town. Have them befriend the cat as they might any bad-tempered stray, only to realize after the adventure is half way through that the mice he catches are always somewhat charred. Also imagine the looks on their faces the moment the party's home is broken into by an enemy and their housecat incinnerates a wave of intruders for disturbing his nap.
Background: Everyone knows the story about how the legendary hero Gailen Candlebright saved the realm from the tyrannical dragon Slaggrath, a beast known to devour whole armies and raze kingdoms in search of treasure. It's the ubiquitous tale against which all adventurers are measured against, made all the more ubiquitous thanks to the fact that the deed is memorialized in drinking ballads, children rhymes, and even a few folk operas. Gailen was a troubadour of not insignificant skill before he became a legend, and he had little trouble using that skill and hardwon fame to ensure his deeds would never be forgotten.
As with many tales told by the bards, Gailen left out quite a bit of the truth when concocting his tale: It was a late night in a roadside tavern and the young Candlebright was approached by a sourfaced man with a tangled beard and clothes that might have once been quite fine. Gailen had sung for his supper and then some, his hat was overflowing with tips from a long night's work and a greatful crowd, and the old man wanted to know how it was exactly that the Gnome hadn't yet been robbed; The roads were full of all sorts of rough types who thought that their strength entitled them to others' wealth, bandits yes but worse yet kingsmen, who took what they wanted sure that that they were above any kind punishment.
Seeing that the old man had fallen on rough times, likely having been robbed himself, Gailen spoke from the heart: He'd been robbed a few times yes, but he got by looking like someone that no one would bother to steal from, dressing in his fine clothes only on days he'd perform, and keeping most of his riches in the safe keeping of others, such as the caravan masters he frequently traveled along with.
The old man considered Gailen's words and the two sat up drinking through the night debating the merits of the Troubador's duplicity. Was it not better, asked the old man, to defend what was yours with strength and reputation, That everyone might learn from the failure of those that had trifled with you before?
Gailen looked at the many scars the old man bore and countered that fools never learned their lesson, they just thought themselves better than the last fool who risked it and they'd keep risking it till luck won out or they went to join all the fools that had come before.
It was dawn when the two parted ways, Gailen tottering off to bed thinking he'd given council to a reformed bandit chief, the old man slipping out of the inn and taking to wing thinking he'd concocted a brilliant scheme with the help of his newest, and perhaps first, friend.
i was a week (and one pants-shitting revelation over the old man's true draconic nature) later that the legend of Slaggrath came to an end: Gailen walking into that very same tavern bloodied, burnt, and with the broken off horn of the great wyrm held above his head as a trophy. The news spread like wildfire, the name Candlebright ascended to the shortlist of the realm's great champions, and not a soul questioned when the newly knighted Gailen comissioned the construction of an elaborate series of vaults beneith the castle he'd just been awarded. The bard had everything he wanted, and in return he and his family would hold the dragon's horde in trust, not touching a single copper and adding a little to it each year out of respect for the wyrm's generosity.
Future Adventures:
Even before he charmed his way into unexpected riches, Gailen was an ardent follower of Garl Glittergold, god of ambition, wit, and wariness. Genresavvy bard that he was, he understood that this fabulous windfall wasn't just some gift from his god, it was a test, and that to keep his good fortune going he'd best abide by the exact deal he'd struck in that tavern. Gailen kept Slaggrath's treasure under lock and key all his life and made sure his children did the same despite never telling them where he got it, in accordance with his pact with the dragon . Feeling that the Candlebright family has sat on its laurels for far too long (especially since practical and buisness minded Hignatta has been increasingly questioning why her late grandfather insisted on keeping a giant pile of money in their basement and never spending it), the god has seen fit to shake things up, ensuring that some long lost blueprints for the vault have fallen into the hands of a group of thieves, who broke in and cleared the vault though the very same secret passages Slaggrath used to pop in every decade or so and make sure the count was up to date. The dragon is pissed, convinced Hignatta has reneged on her family's deal.. and all the while the thieves get closer and closer to escaping.
Depending on how the party handles it this situation could break bad in any number of ways: The dragon could give up on being Scragglmop and go on a rampage forcing the party to put him down, they could intercede on Hignatta's behalf and ensure the treasure is returned possibly earning themselves a cushy position as retainers of house Candlebright, perhaps most dangerously they could earn the attention of Garl Glittergold himself and end up being singled out for their own unstable blessing.
In addition to being motivated by the prerequisite desire to get rich, the thieves were hired by an ambitious mage who has long desired to get his hands on Gailen's Horn, the draconic trophy the bard thereafter used as the sigil for his house and hollowed out into a heavy instrument through which he channelled his most showy magic. The mage has designs on the horn as the centrepiece of a ritual drawing on the object's history of power and triumph. Given that the horn is in fact the centrepiece of a giant con it's going to bring some very unaccounted for variables into the mage's ritual which is liable to set off its own chain of problems down the line.
Art
604 notes · View notes
cozy-fish-crow · 11 days
Text
thinking out loud here, cause all i've seen is a few chapters of the manga and up to Ecosystem Aha Moment in the anime, but i wonder what happens that makes people experiencing Dungeon Meshi go What at ep 11/the Red Dragon
cause i'm already going What at random things here and there akxhsmdn
THE CASUAL DEATH!!!
everyone is so numb to it! like yes Laios is wary around Living Armor (special interest override is so strong here ajchsjdb love) and Chilchuck is traumatized by mimics cause of their first or repeated deaths, respectively
bUT THERE WAS A WHOLE ROOM OF PEOPLE SLAUGHTERED BY ORCS AND THEY WERE NERVOUS BUT NOT HORRIFIED. THEY EVEN BROKE BREAD WITH THE ORCS (literally. as someone who was in AP Lit, i'm enamored by actually using bread for the Breaking Bread trope) AND IT WAS MOSTLY FINE
wait backing up, in like almost every scene they encounter death (esp now with Kabru's party, poor folks wtf) and they set them aside for the corpse collectors (which are giving me the vibes of a Corrupt System and i wanna explore that so bad) with a solemn but ultimately "This is Normal" air
so... like i may have seen some art of my dear Marcille with a skull, and i'm pretty sure Falin lives, therefore i have a guess what that's about. but if the What Thing is like, a revival circle for their dead comrade, that wouldnt be surprising cause these people refuse to accept death as anything but temporary. it's pretty well established.
MORE FUCKED UP TO ME THO IS WHEN SENSHI WAS BETRAYED BY THE KELPIE 😭😭😭😭😭😭
when he was like "This is Anne! She hangs out with me when I fish. I've always wondered if I could ride her across the water."
and i was screaming "NO SENSHI, THE KELPIE WILL DROWN YOU, THAT IS THEIR MOTUS OPERANDI" (Kasper will tell you that sleepy Milo said "status quo" but i meant motus operandi akxhsjdh gods but kelpie are so pretty, i get tryna ride them. i did fucking lose it laughing when Laios said smth like "why are people so relaxed with the mammal monsters" akxsbxjxb we are closer related to them after all. Laios is reminded about Feelings so i think he may have figured it out with Chilchuck's refusal to eat the fish people)
AND THEN SHE TRIED TO KILL HIM. HE WAS BETRAYED BY SOMEONE HE THOUGHT OF AS A RESPECTFUL FRIEND LIKE HE DOES THE GARDEN GOLEMS. AND HE WAS BETRAAAAYEEDDDDDD T-T
and then also skinned her and prepared her for eating, also for Marcille to make soap out of Anne for Senshi's hair, cause tbh it'd be more disrespectful to not use Anne after she tried to eat Senshi. imo
31 notes · View notes
ichimakesart · 4 months
Text
Your past choice - here
Tumblr media
The circle. Illuminated by the moon and stars, from the hole in the stone ceiling.
They shine like pearls.
Tumblr media
Sharp spikes grow from the ground like grotesque mushrooms.
Tumblr media
Arranged in the shape of the maw.
You can't help but shudder.
Many from your village met their end to it.
Tumblr media
Some of the teeth are visibly stained with blood. Fresh blood.
Saddness grips you. You couldn't stop the Beast from feeding again.
But maybe it is a good thing.
"The Beast...is full? It won't wake up soon, right?" Some of you remark.
You might have time.
You ponder the teeth.
"What are we waiting for? Lets pull them out and run!"
"This can't be that easy. Lets look at them closer."
67 notes · View notes
ishdaj · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
Pactposting again.
Happy holidays to all 11 of us in the fandom 🎄🐦🧜‍♀️
twitter | instagram
Tumblr media
Bonus sketch of the the Right boi and Johannes. I feel like Johannes would point out various angel stuff to Faysal during Christmas to annoy him.
385 notes · View notes
sylvrndoodles · 1 month
Text
Tumblr media
rassa ( ˙꒳​˙ )
20 notes · View notes
galacticgraceart · 2 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Had to make my fav vampires lol Team Undead n Bratty
23 notes · View notes
azuremliam · 2 months
Text
Tumblr media
Mentioned before that Liam's eyes glow in the dark even more when they get older- well, they also intensify a lot in their glowing when riled up! Also, Scarab's so clearly seen because that's Liam vision (they're looking right at him debating if they should call him over) vs Scarab vision in the dark heh Another fact about Liam, is that they can sort of sense when a Beast is nearby- not accurately, but just enough to know that's something is VERY dangerous in the the area they're in. And a vague sense of the size of the Beast.
It is like a magnet though, the closer they get to one, the more intense the feeling of anxiousness they get. Until they're right next to it and the anxiousness changes into something else. (Depending on the size of the Beast- it's usually pure fear when its the massive ones) What Liam slayed was a very young Beast that was trying to hunt them down; but they turned the tables on it. A tidbit of story underneath the readmore this time! :) (Heads up it does go into detail of how Liam hunts and slays the Beast)
The moment they all started setting up camp for the night is when Liam felt it.
An intense sense of unease.
That familiar cold shiver up their spine. The way the hair on the back of their neck stood on end. And that irritating, strange, nonstop tickle in the back of their head.
...
Just like that time when that Beast took Chiron and Vale away from them.
Liam clenched their eyes shut and bit at the inside of their cheek. 'This isn't the time to be thinking about that.'
Besides, the feeling was bad- but it wasn't as anxiety inducing as the energy that colossus had them feel. Even that bird Beast that snapped up Scarab couldn't compare. This one was even less than that foul feathered fiend. Which meant-
It was a small one.
They stopped fixing up their sleeping bag and stood up straight and tense, scanning their surroundings and watching for any sudden movement in the dense clovers.
All they saw were their brothers and Scarab leaning against the roots branching off the flower they were sheltering under.
Finn and Jake were completely unware of the odd energy they felt in the air. Much to Liam's relief. Their little brothers were already settled in for sleep. Finn tucked away in his sleeping bag, snoring the night away. Jake was nestled right beside him, ever the faithful guardian to his little brother.
The two wouldn't notice them slipping away into the dark- they wouldn't- couldn't follow them on this lil trek they were planning.
That just left Scarab.
Liam gnawed at the inside of their cheek again when they turned to look at him.
The God Auditor was staring right at them, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.
His usual pose for analyzing a situation, or person, they've come to recognize.
He had already noticed how they tensed up, how they gazed wirily at the foliage surrounding them. As if anything could jump out at any moment. For a moment, Liam wondered if he could sense the foreboding energy as well. He was a Cosmic Being after all.
Them glancing at him spurred his questioning. "Is something the matter? You look nervous."
Excuse! They needed to think up an excuse! "I just-" Liam's eyes darted back to the cloves. "I-" Their face heated up as they thought of a decent excuse. It was embarrassing, but it was one Scarab would probably believe. Them almost always being flustered under his gaze helped too, much to their dismay.
"I was looking for a spot where it wouldn't be in your eyesight for me to use the restroom."
They weren't looking at him, but they heard him make a rapid clicking noise and the sound of shuffling. He had turned around they realized.
"Go on then." Scarab waved his hand at them, as if shooing them away, "I'll keep an eye on your brothers."
Liam felt bad for lying, and just knew they'd get an earful for it later. But they feared he might not let them hunt it down if he knew.
They've done this before, before he was even journeying with them. They'd be fine.
"Thanks, I'll try to make it quick."
-
They, in fact, did not make it quick.
Liam frowned. 'By now Scarab must be suspicious.' From what they'd learned of him from their recent travels together, was that he'd be on their trail without a doubt by now.
He stuck by them like pine resin to an unfortunate burrower.
It'd still take him a while though, with the pace they were going.
Liam had swiftly wandered far from their makeshift camp, following the sensation of growing anxiety grating at their brain.
When it was nearly overpowering they slowed their pace.
It was close.
The sense of unease slowly ebbed away, like a calm settling in before the storm.
They crept cautiously amongst the undergrowth in the moonless night. Mindful of any breeze, any sound, any movement that felt off. Their mom and Gramps had taught them how to hunt, and how it felt to be hunted.
Caution, vigilance, how to wait for the right moment to strike and defend. So when Liam heard leaves crunching underneath the weight of something, they froze.
And listened.
The heavy steps were coming just a little ways to the left of them, walking away from where they were.
Heading towards the camp they realized.
Liam held back an angry hiss, instead focusing on kneeling down and practically crawled their way towards the noise.
It didn't take them long to spot it.
Its four golden eyes glowed in the dark, tongue flicking out and tasting the air in the direction of where their brothers and Scarab were. The lizard Beast was indeed small, slightly smaller than them- but still large enough to cause serious damage to a resting group.
Liam unsheathed not their sword, but their hunting knife, quietly, as practiced hundreds of times before when training with Gramps.
The Beast wasn't paying attention to its surroundings.
'Too focused on the hunt,' Liam thought to themself as they crept closer and closer, hilt of the blade between their teeth. 'Too fixated on the other's scent to realize I'm here.'
Their feeling of unease was replaced with something akin to hunger.
A sign they could take this Beast on. A sign they'd win.
They didn't know why their body reacted like this when in the presence of a Beast, but it was useful sometimes. Especially now. Liam was close enough that they could reach out and touch its tail now if they wanted to.
But they waited.
...
The Beast had paused in its march to the camp, taking another moment to smell the air.
It turned its head left, one flick of the tongue. Right, two flicks. Left again, three flicks.
Its eyes all blinked together as it raised its front up in the air, just barely noticing an extra scent.
They carefully positioned their knife in their hand- watching- holding their breath-
It flicked its tongue one last time, refocusing in the direction of the camp. The same scent was coming from there. Confused, but not disturbed, the Beast lazily lowered itself back to the ground.
...
And that's when Liam pounced. (It's very brief but skip past this part till you get to the other - marks if reading of details of stabbing makes you feel uneasy)
- - - - - -
The screech it let loose when they landed on its back made their ears ring. But they paid no mind to the discomfort- they had to do this fast!
Their legs and arm not holding the blade wrapped tightly around Beast's neck-
It screeched again bucking its horned head back- Liam hissing as some horns grazed across their cheek and hand. Its eyes were frantically looking in every direction, tail thrashing against the ground and limbs tensing to rear back up-
Liam bit down at the back of the screeching Beast's head and drove their hunting knife into the hide of its neck.
Another garbled screech and loud snap of teeth on nothing but air. Like how Vera taught them- they twisted the knife and pulled it out before plunging it back in- once, twice more!
...
It twitched and then stilled, but Liam still hung on tightly as it began to slump over. Their breathing was heavy, their eyes wide and their body shook from the brief but intense hunt.
They removed their blade one last time, and flicked the golden blood off the knife.
- - - - - -
Liam released their hold finally, ignoring the metallic taste in their mouth as they hefted themself up and away from the fallen Beast.
They didn't feel that foreboding feeling anymore.
'Good.' They thought, 'That means this was the only one.' Had there been more...Liam shook their head.
Best not to think about that either.
Taking a deep breath, recomposing themself, they looked down at the creature before them.
…It was a waste to leave good meat behind. The Beast would be good trade material too, for the next Hive they were going to visit.
It'd take them a while, but they'd drag this back to camp and properly prepare it. Without further ado, Liam wrapped their arms around its neck again, and with a grunt began to drag it back.
-
Finally nearing the vicinity of their small camp, Liam wasn't surprised when they saw a familiar flash of red in the dark.
Scarab had been certainly looking for them.
They bit the inside of their cheek again, nervous now for a different reason. He was just a little ways from where they stood past the bushes, and Liam heard him calling out their name.
For a moment they debated just sneaking by him, but in the long run that'd make him more upset. Liam winced, time to face the music. "Over here."
Scarab turned to them instantly, "What are you doing out so la-" He was interrupted by his own surprise at the sight of them. And what they were hauling with them.
Before he could question them further, Liam was quick to answer, hefting the creature's head up, "There was a Beast nearby." They dragged it over to him, "I've hunted small ones like this a lot already- before you were with our group- so I knew I could handle myself."
Liam was staring down at the beast in their arms, speaking quickly, and not noticing how Scarab was looking them over. "It was heading to the camp- I had to deal with it- small ones like this can be more tenacious than the big ones when it comes to hunting- so I-"
Their ramble was cut short when his hand grabbed their face and made them look right at him. His red eyes were trained on the cut on their cheek, "You lied about your reason for leaving."
Right to the point. Liam swallowed dryly.
"I thought you would stop me if you knew... Sorry."
"I would've." His thumb wiped off the dribble of blood on their cheek. Liam blinked- a bit stunned. This wasn't the reaction they were expecting from him at all.
They had expected shouting like how he screeched at and threatened the mantid brothers when the two almost stole their supplies. He was clearly upset still, they could tell that much.
"You can be very reckless. It makes more work for me," Scarab grumbled and his eyes narrowing back to slits, "and sometimes its very tiring to work with you." Liam was about to retort when he released his hold on them, and surprised them by snatching the Beast from their grasp.
"So next time you hunt one down-" He slung the Beast over his shoulder and turned back towards the camp, "I'm going with you."
22 notes · View notes
lady-wallace · 6 months
Text
Whumptober Day 12 - Hunter's Moon (JJBA Vampire Hunter AU)
More Vampire Hunter AU for today's @whumptober fic! This one can be read by itself, but if you are following the series, there will be spoilers for anyone who has not read through "Humanity and Eternity"
Bucciarati and Abbacchio decide to go on an easy hunt to ease into Bucciarati's new vampiric condition, however, their quarry proves more dangerous than they thought, leaving Bucciarati gravely injured, and Abbacchio with a choice to make.
~~~~~~~
Prompts Used: Red, (alt. prompt 8. Hunting) Fandom: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5 Character: Bucciarati
~~~~~~
Excerpt:
Bruno was shivering violently by the time Abbacchio finished cleaning up, washing blood off his hands. He moved Bruno away from the wet hay and tried to make him comfortable, helping him put his shirt back on to offer a little extra warmth.
"Are you cold?" he asked lamely.
"Mm," Bruno murmured. "Seem to be."
Abbacchio pressed his lips together firmly, and took his own coat off, wrapping it around the other Hunter who glanced up at him gratefully, huddling under the warmed garment.
"I doubt I'm really…going anywhere," Bruno murmured. "So…if you want to chance it alone…you can go. I'll be fine."
Leone glanced down at him skeptically, pressing the back of his hand against Bruno's forehead and finding it extremely clammy. "You really are cold," he said in surprise and sat down next to Bruno, pulling him in against his side in an attempt to share his own body heat. Bruno grunted in protest at the jostling, but huddled closer appreciatively.
"There's no point in running into the woods for it," Abbacchio muttered. "It knows better where it's going in there. "We'll wait to see if it comes out again tonight and then shoot it."
Bruno sighed, opening his eyes to look up at him. "I'm sorry, I should have been more careful."
"It surprised you, we should have stuck together."
Bruno tensed briefly as a wave of pain went through him before he said tiredly, "I'm still…I'm trying to find the happy medium between knowing I'm physically stronger now, and actually utilizing that in a way that I am not continuously throwing myself into harm's way."
"Oh, so it took you until you become a damn vampire to figure that one out?" Abbacchio asked, not without a little exasperation.
"I suppose that is what got me into this situation in the first place," he replied, then let out a soft moan, curling further into himself. "God."
Leone watched helplessly as the injured Hunter shuddered in pain, breathing through his nose as cold sweat beaded on his brow.
"How bad?" Abbacchio asked quietly.
Bruno let out a shuddering exhale. "Feels like…'m still being ripped…apart." He swallowed hard, eyes squeezed shut as he curled further into himself, heavy against Abbacchio's side.
Leone hesitated slightly before he reached out to rub Bruno's back, trying to soothe, but he knew the other man had to be in a hell of a lot of pain right now.
And he wasn't going to get better this way either. He wouldn't be able to heal himself when he was already so weak. Which…left a question Abbacchio really didn't want to think about, but it needed to be addressed all the same.
"You need blood, don't you?" he finally asked.
Bruno let out a wry, helpless laugh. "It would help. It's hard…to think of that still." He cringed, swallowing down another whimper as he pressed his face into Abbacchio's side. "Blood should help me heal faster though."
"You know you shouldn't feel bad to ask for it," Leone said, though he couldn't keep the discomfort out of his voice. The thought that Bucciarati literally needed to drink blood to survive was still a lot for him to grasp. But he was sure that it was even worse for Bruno so he tried not to let it show.
Bruno looked up at him, red eyes clouded with pain. That was still the hardest thing for Abbacchio to get used to. The fact that he would never see his friend's blue eyes again, evoking so much emotion, either compassion or steely anger. But maybe all of that was still there. He just…didn't like to spend a long time searching.
"I think the farmer might owe us a sheep for our trouble." Bruno replied with a light chuckle that turned into a cringe. "We could say…the dog got it."
"You're going to try to wrangle a sheep in your condition?" Abbacchio asked. "Buggers kick, you know."
Bruno was silent, seeming to consider it. "I don't see another option," he said quietly.
Abbacchio felt a twist in his stomach, because the obvious answer was right in front of them. This was literally the last thing he wanted to suggest, but wasn't it kind of part of the job?
Bruno shifted to try and find a more comfortable position, a choked gasp escaping him. He pressed a shaky hand to his stomach, before pulling it away with fresh blood coating his palm. Leone's heart sank. He was still bleeding, and the more blood he lost…
He took a deep breath weighing his own discomfort against the discomfort the other man was obviously feeling. And coming to the conclusion that he was being a damned idiot. If he could offer any aid to his friend right now, then it was Leone's job to do so.
"If…" he hesitated, biting his lip briefly before he forced himself to continue. "I don't mind," he finally spat, then forced himself to clarify. "If you need to drink my blood."
~~~~~
Read on the whole story on:
Ao3 FF.net
Check out my Whumptober Masterpost HERE for more stories!
If you want to follow me on other social media or ask about commissions, find my info on My Carrd
11 notes · View notes
musicalchaos07 · 6 months
Text
Jonathan and Nancy would go looking mothman btw
12 notes · View notes
king-carnivore · 19 days
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Death by Crotchshot: the Series
2 notes · View notes
astaldis · 11 months
Link
Tumblr media
Chapters: 1/3 Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion, Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach & Geralt of Rivia, Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach & Jaskier | Dandelion Additional Tags: field medicine, Whump, mediwhump, Short of Breath, loss of consciousness, Myriapod, Friendship, Geralt of Rivia Whump, Jaskier | Dandelion Loves Geralt of Rivia, Alive Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach, Witcher Cahir, Hurt Geralt of Rivia Summary: Geralt and Cahir go on a monster hunt together where they meet an old friend. Unfortunately, the hunt is not as easy as expected ...
They can hear the song even before they open the door of the little tavern. Geralt's eyes grow wide with surprise. This cannot be possible, can it? What are the odds of running into Jaskier by sheer accident, and here of all places? It must be somebody else who is performing his friend's most popular song. But the voice, he would recognise it anywhere, Geralt is sure of it. It sounds exactly like the bard's, his bard's. Nobody could cover the song so perfectly, could they? Not unless it is a doppler. Would a doppler pose as Jaskier to profit from his fame, Geralt wonders. It is not impossible, but why on the continent would a doppler choose to do so in this out-of-the-way place? Only few people populate the remote mountain region, and they are not exactly famous for being rich or generous. He would not have bothered taking the contract for the myriapod if he were only interested in the - pretty scant - payment. No, he wants to find out if it is another one of those monolith creatures, like the last myriapod he slew, and somehow connected to other spheres and to Ciri. Plus, according to what the mayor has just told them, the monster has eaten dozens of sheep already and come dangerously close to the village. So far, no human has been hurt, however, it might only be a matter of time before things get ugly. Better to take care of the beast now.
"Anything the matter?" Cahir asks softly when Geralt does not make a move to press down the door handle but remains rooted to the doorstep listening to the music.
"Don't know yet," Geralt mutters, a little puzzled by the question, but then he remembers. Cahir has not seen Jaskier or heard any of his songs since he lost his memory. The snippets of the melody and lyrics that waft through the open window would mean nothing to him. "We'd better be on our guard," he adds. "Something fishy going on here." Or not? Perhaps he is just a little paranoid. There might be a simple explanation for this remarkable coincidence. Well, only one way to find out. Determined, Geralt opens the door and enters the tap room, Cahir following close behind.
Continue reading on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47067388
@witchermonstermayhem​
11 notes · View notes
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Villain:  Lord Idric Lenzalla , Threadpuller
Oh what a Tangled Web he weaves
Setup: A penniless footman moves to town after inheriting his grandmother’s cottage, disgraced and socially ruined after being caught nicking the silverware. Looking for things to sell among the clutter of his new domicile he ends up stumbling across his grandmother’s loom and in the process of repairing and cleaning it he feels drawn to see if it still works. He works through the night and awakens in the morning to find that not only has he produced a tapestry summing up the events of his life, the most recent edge of it shows him being hired to work among the local lord’s staff and Lo and behold the tapestry has come true, granting the footman second chance at life. Or he would have, if he hadn’t been rejected after propositioning a maid servant and he began to think what else he might be able to change with the miraculous loom, at which point the contraption breaks just as Idric is weaving in his encounter with the maidservant and no matter what part he tries the loom will not be fixed, forcing him to live with his mistake half mended.
That is until a week or two later when he finds a dead cat in his yard, a bone protruding from its body that looks like it would be a perfect fit for the loom’s mechanisms. Thus we begin Idric’s decent into darkness, as he seeks to undo each new hiccup in his life, and each time requiring a greater and more grisly sacrifice. Salvaging dead animals turns to poisoning his neighbor’s pets and butchering their livestock, which leads to graverobbing as Idric vies for a promotion in his lord’s house to head valet.  It’s not until he’s sitting down with a fellow servant, an concomitant bumbler and tattle that always made more work for him, that Idric got a sense that the man’s restlessly bouncing thigh would make a great replacement for one of the loom’s treadles that had just given out, and that he should invite the sot over for tea some time and show him his grandmother’s pride and joy. 
The hand of Lolth is at work in Idric’s life, having sighted in the young man a seed of ambition and cruelty that she hopes to nurture into true monstrosity. Each time he uses the loom to enact his fantasies, going so far as to unweave events of his life to ensure other events later down the line, Idric lets more of the lie-weaver’s influence in, as represented by more and more spider imagry entering the tapestry over time.
Hooks:
The party is drawn to town by a request from Halthorn, the local lord, as the rumors of rampant deaths have spread along the trade road, and now the whole settlement is in need of some heroes to help solve the matter. When the party get to town however they discover they are in the company of one lord Lenzalla, who doesn’t remember inviting any sellswords to his court but will gladly sup with them before sending them on their way.  In the fortnight since Halthorn dispatched the message Idric’s ambition and jealousy grew great enough to weave himself in his employer’s place, taking both his pretty wife and his estate for his own. Hearing tell of the party’s adventures over dinner however will give lord Lenzalla an idea: there’s an old ruin in the forest nearby, what if he weaved a fabulous treasure there and sent the party to find it, only after signing an agreement to split it fairly of course. Such an alteration will require several days of effort and the lives of three of his subjects, but he’s been stockpiling them in his dungeon for just such an occasion.
No matter what Idric says, there’s still a killer on the loose and the party’s stay on his estate and in town will give them a chance to question the locals about the killings and the mysterious missing lord Halthron. As it turns out, editing him out of everyone’s recollection didn’t stop them from  noticing all the murders he performed in order to work his enchantment, or the old lord from actually existing, as he now dwells  in a cluttered cottage (once belonging to an old weaver woman) as a memory addled hermit.
When Idric weaves, he sometimes feels as if he has multiple arms working in concert, as the spider queen works through him to create a false reality which adheres to his ambition’s design. The tapestry that serves as an anchor for this distortion now coils over itself, still affixed to the loom as it dominates an attic room the new lord Lenzalla has quardened off for his work. Should the Tapestry ever be damaged, Idric’s enchantments will begin to unravel, and should it ever be destroyed he will suffer a gruesome fate, transformed into a fateless creature all spiderlimbs and dead possibilities, which must be hunted before it can attempt to build a new loom from the corpses of innumerable victims.
The Raven Queen ( or other local god of Fate) will have quite a lot to say about Lolth playing around with such reckless causality, and will doubtless play a key role in snipping this loose thread through the use of omens and a few decisive interventions.
531 notes · View notes
themasthead · 2 months
Text
Unsettled: Episode 76
Holding a large suitcase in each hand, Nick Woodman stood alone in the empty room on the seventh floor of Excalibur Hotel and Spa. He put down both suitcases and walked over to the window. Moving the window shade a little to one side, he looked over the park to the spot where Willoby would be giving his speech. Near one of the larger oak trees, a small boy was playing Frisbee with his dog. With…
Tumblr media
View On WordPress
2 notes · View notes
adorafics · 10 months
Text
Tumblr media
RinHaru | Fantasy AU | M-rated
Written for Unleashed Blue @thenightpool
Summary:
Rin, a tenacious Blood Elf hunter, finds himself stranded in the perilous underwater realm of Vashj'ir, driven by the pursuit of a cryptic treasure map. Amidst these treacherous depths, he crosses paths with Haruka, a mystifying Night Elf druid who appears to share his quest. As they navigate through daunting threats, unearth long-forgotten secrets, and confront elusive enemies, they come to learn that not all that glitters is necessarily gold. (A Free! adventure in the fantasy world of Azeroth, prior knowledge of the lore is not needed!)
12 notes · View notes
carabas · 1 year
Text
.
13 notes · View notes
yisanged · 11 months
Text
i completely forgot about the like 500 games i bought for ten bucks for the fundraiser bundle thing a while ago. if anyone has interest in largely gay indie ttrpgs hit me up i have uhh. $3168 dollars worth
4 notes · View notes