#arcana unbound
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The Journey of The Tarot Haiku
XV: The Devil - Bound, Unbound
It's kind of funny that we have gone from me talking about the practical aspects of the book project in earlier posts, to entering a world of abstracts and states of mind later on, but it honestly reflects super well on how the Major Arcana itself goes from the more tangible to the abstract and beyond. Today's post is also in this more abstract domain, because there are aspects of this process that stuff like Tarot or self-publishing guides won't cover, such as how it feels to genuinely release something into the wild, out of your hands, how hard it can be to grapple for control in an environment that you have little to no control over, and how much effort it takes to let go of the urge or compulsion to do everything by yourself.
First, the release of the finished work. I actually did not have as much trouble with this one as I thought I might, but I'm a perfectionist at heart and I bet there are perfectionists out there who keep holding onto their finished manuscripts, tweaking the smallest things day by day desperate on making it all perfect and in the process only growing more anxious and wanting to hold onto it until it is practically gathering dust because... what if it's not good enough? What if you are not good enough? That is basically what's at the heart of it. We can be too hard on ourselves and nitpick ourselves to pieces where others might simply take a deep breath and let go. So to everyone who is holding onto something they know in their heart is finished and waiting to be shared: go for it. You know you have put enough care and careful consideration into it already. Have faith. Pull a Tarot card if you have to.
Second, the online world is vast and you do not have control over the grander processes and especially other people. Even when you follow the advice of the successful and advertise the "right" way in the "right" places, build up your brand and your presence and sell your soul on social media or whatever else is expected of us, you have no control over whether people will actually give you a chance, let alone give you money. And if you're like me and feel desperate because life has been hard enough, maybe you're sat there anxious and thinking, if I just make one more post, if I edit one more image and do this and that and the other thing minute by minute, maybe something will budge. Not to be cheeky and referential here, but that is literally the Devil talking. You don't have nearly as much control as you think, and trying to micromanage everything when the macro processes are nigh untouchable will drive you insane.
So, you have to let go somehow. And this is where I have been desperate enough once again to just give a listen to anything that could get me there. I found the following things helpful.
1) Joe Dispenza's book and meditation Breaking The Habit Of Being Yourself. I have already read most of the book a while ago, but now I tried the meditation, and it felt really liberating. Basically he talks about really sitting with bad habits like worrying, letting anger or resentment stagnate, identifying what these feel like in your body, and then consciously replacing these habits with a strong feeling or gratitude. It gave me a lot of food for thought and made me conscious of how I can help my body get out of panic mode.
2) The question "What if?" I got this from Sheevaun Moran. As soon as you start worrying about say, worst case scenarios, and I worried about those quite a lot, ask yourself, "But what if..." and put a positive in there - because the thing is, you don't know yet what is coming, nothing has happened yet, so channeling your focus towards a positive outcome not only feels better but lessens the anxiety. Example - "They might hate the book or not care at all..." "But what if they love it so much they want to do an interview about it?"
3) Drawing a daily Tarot card to take action. This one is from Leeza Robertson, she suggested that when you draw a daily Tarot card, you should sit with that card for longer and think of three actions you could do today based on that card's message. I used to do daily draws, but most of the questions suggested for it, such as "What do I need to know about today?" or "What is the energy of today?" simply didn't compute to me, so they weren't helpful to me personally. This one however, gave better direction and I want to keep doing it.
4) Literally just look at new things. Listen to a new video, try something different. You never know where inspiration or useful tips will come from. Not all of it will be useful, don't expect every new thing to bring you tremendous insight and enlightenment, but give different things a chance to see how they resonate. Keep an open mind, because open minds embrace freedom. This way you're also not just sitting there desperately waiting for developments, you are engaging with the world and enriching your soul.
5) Trust the universe. This is part of that meditation I mentioned, too. Remember that you are one person, and you don't have to do everything by yourself. Leave some of that background work to the universe. Do your little steps every day and allow the energy to work for you and move things for you. Trust that there is love in this world and that there is a Source that loves you dearly and wants you to succeed, and keep fostering that feeling of gratitude that also helps you cement the idea that there are good things happening right now, and there will be more. Trust the universe and let it do the things you cannot touch and control by yourself. If you can get to this point, it literally feels like weight coming off your shoulders.
Love you all. Take care. Be free.
Buy the ebook
Buy the paperback
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Skeppy AKA Zak the diamond troll.
CR 16 N Humanoid Native Outsider
XP 76,800 (if used as npc for encounter)
Oread (Gem soul) Sorcerer 16 (Deep-earth bloodline)
Chaotic Neutral / Evil Medium humanoid
Init +3; Senses Perception +18
AC 24, touch , flat-footed (+3 Dex, +5 armor, +1 natural +5 Deflect)
hp 112 (16d6+48)
Fort +13, Ref +13, Will +24
Speed 20 ft.
Melee Staff of mithral might+10 1d6+2, Touch spells.
Ranged Light Crossbow+11 1d8+0, Ranged Spells
Racial Native outsider, Darkvision 60ft, Color spray 1/day CL16 DC20, Acid resistance, Earth affinity (gem magic), Cristal skin.
Traits Tight bonds (BadBoyHalo), Attached.
Class features Eschew materials, Bloodline powers (Tremor 12/day, Rock-seer 30ft, Cristal shard 1/day, Earth glide 16 minutes/day), Bloodline arcana, Bonus feats: Blind fighting Still spell. Bonus spells: Expeditious excavation, Darkvision, Shifting sand, Stoneskin, Spike stones, Stone tell, Repel metal or stone.
Spellcasting CL16 DC19 spells per day 9/8/8/8/8/7/6/4
Spells known: 8-Prismatic wall.
7-Mage magnificent mansion, Project image.
6-Chain lighting, Dispel magic (Greater), Veil.
5-Mage’s private sanctum, Shadow evocation, Telekinesis, Teleport.
4-Invisibility grater, Hallucinatory terrain, Dimension door, Black tentacles. 3-Fly, Lighting bolt, Water breathing, Fireball.
2-Hideous laughter, Rope trick, Mirror image, Blur, Scorching ray.
1-Shield, Grease, Ventriloquism, Magic aura, Magic missile.
0-Read magic, Detect magic, Ray of frost, Disrupt undead, Mending, Prestidigitation, Ghost sound, Acid splash, Open/Close.
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 28
Base Atk +8; CMB +10; CMD +23
Feats Quicken spells, Extend spells, Silent spells, Steadfast determination, Maximize spells, Empower spells, Craft wondrous items, Brew potions.
Skills Appraise +6, Bluff +20, Craft(Gems) +13, Fly +7, Intimidate +13, Knowledge (Arcana) +15, (Dungeoneering) +6, Profession (Miner) +3, Perception +18, Spellcraft +20, Stealth +14, Use magic device +20.
Languages Common, Draconic, Terran.
Combat gear Staff of mithral might, Rod of cancellation, Wand of Obscuring mist, Wand of web, Wand of bark skin, Ring of protection+5, Bracers of armor+5, Necklace of natural armor+1, Robes of scintillating colors, Cloak of major displacement, Bag of holding type I, Pearl of power type I, Headband of alluring charisma+6, Belt of physical might+2 (Dex, Con), Ring of chameleon power, Skeppy’s cubic facade(functions like a veil fleeting glances and a mask of stony demeanor), Various gems used to empower spells via gem magic worth 3000gp, 4 Potions of cure critical wounds, Light crossbow, 10 bolts, Dagger, Sorcerer kit, 50gp.
Special If BadBoyHalo is brought at 0 HP his body and soul will enter Skeppy like a spell Trap the soul without hindering his movements. In this state, Bad is stable but incapacitated. If Skeppy performs a 10 minute-long ritual and sacrifices a spell slot of 7 or higher, BadBoyHalo is resurrected as if he is subjected to a Resurrection spell but without the requirements of materials or loss of levels. This ability can be used a number of times a week equal to his Charisma modifier. After using this ability Skeppy is considered exhausted for 10 minutes. This effect occurs even if the two are separated across the planes but if the soul is prevented from leaving, the effect is interrupted until the soul is unbound. If both Skeppy and Bad are dead, they can be resurrected via spells normally but they must be resurrected simultaneously.
Background Skeppy arrived in the land following his partner for life and lover BadBoyHalo and immediately built his house where he thought he could live a pleasant life with his beloved. However, everything changed when he got exposed at the corruption of the EGG and his mind became engulfed by the dark being. He emerged from the shell clad in ruby-colored skin, a literal zealot of the EGG. One day he was atop the egg, in a deep connection with his dark master, when he felt something that could be a threat to his crimson lord. He immediately called Bad to his support. However, something odd occurred: Skeppy felt his companion’s presence disappear but it wasn’t like the other times when he “died”. While he had his arguments with him recently, he could not allow his only partner to disappear so he jumped to see. However, as he advanced the world shifted and so did his body and equipment. He found himself atop a hill with Bad close by as he felt free from the grasp of the egg. “Bad! are you ok?” He came running to see if his friend was ok and he found he was also slightly different. “What the fudge just happened?” They looked around but the place was unfamiliar. “You have freedom now. If you want to keep it, pass my challenge: come find me, if you can.” A voice echoed in the air. “Wait, what the F*** does that mean?” Skeppy shouted. Bad looked at him furious and of course he yelled: “LANGUAGE!!!!!!!” In the meantime, in a different place atop a stony ruin in the middle of a jungle two figures clad in red stood up and received a similar offer. A crimson-clad BadBoyHalo and Skeppy looked around “Well, well, well, a new world fresh for conquest. We have just to find this guy and we can bring the egg here. What do you say, partner?” The crimson Skeppy looked around with empty eyes: “Yes, this is a good plan. Let’s go.” And they headed into the jungle.
Link for the image https://www.tumgir.com/tag/skeppy%20fan%20art
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Blade, known as "Brute" in the metaverse wields a battle axe, as well as throwing hatchets. Her arcana is the Hunger arcana, also known as the Lust Arcana, and the Jester Arcana, one of if not the only arcana not to be in P5. It symbolizes the danger of losing control, of being consumed by power.It's also a card of strength, but not in a good way like the Strength arcana (Blaze's arcana), but instead strength through dominance and the bliss of abusing power...pretty fitting for someone with the codename "Brute".
Both her personas relate to this theme of her arcana. What exactly the Demogorgon (which is an actual mythological creature, not just a DnD creature or Stranger Things monster.) does is kind of a mystery, though it is believed to derive from a mistranslation of an old Greek manuscript. It is commonly cited as a powerful deity or demon of the underworld who antedates the gods of Greek mythology, who's name is taboo to say or even spell out...at least that comes from Percy Shelly's "Prometheus Unbound".
Mashhit is known as the "Destroying Angel" and is from the Hebrew Bible, who is sent out by YHWH on several occasions to kill the enemies of the Hebrews.
Version without background and info:
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@unbound-lust
Aamon had decided that he wanted Gorgon. Of course, the servant was so overwhelmingly powerful that there was the issue of what might happen if she turned him down... and so, the Incubus had come up with a plan. Suffused with the darkest, most powerful arcana an Incubus could muster up, he waited until he was alone with Gorgon to spring his powers on her.
“Hey Gorgon, what do you want for dinner? My treat.”
The moment she opened her mouth to answer, the Incubus was upon her - claws gripping her asscheeks as he locked lips with her. A sudden surge of demonic energy coursed through her, amplifying her sensitivity as his lengthy, dexterous tongue shoved a pill full of something down her throat. After a moment, not wanting her to bite his tongue, he pulled back and took a step away from her - where Gorgon would immediately notice a few things.
For one, just how unbearably hot and needy she’d suddenly become, and more startling... the fact that she couldn’t make her body strike the Incubus as bad as she wanted. He gave off a devious smirk as he spoke with venom coating his every word.
“Good~ Who needs command seals anyways? That pill should have you ovulating soon.... undress for me, Gorgon. Shake your ass too once you’re naked, like a good little whore~”
And now, worse than her inability to attack him, she could feel her limbs moving on their own to do as he asked - no matter how badly she wanted to do anything but expose herself to the Demon.
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//mun to mun question-
Opinion on Arcana Xerath? :0
I think it's fine, overall. I know there's a bit of controversy about turning Xerath into a pretty boy, but unlike Unbound Thresh, the skin isn't canon to the main League universe. In that respect, I think the design is pretty cool; if anything, I find it genuinely impressive they found a way to turn the mass of energy into a person, and I adore his big energy claw hands.
It's not my favorite Xerath skin, but as a whole, I don't hate it.))
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Fool ~ Anna Maria d'Onofrioh Tarot
The Fool is the harbinger of new beginnings. When this card appears, the forthcoming life path is one of unbound potential and beginnings that come with a deeper spiritual meaning. The white sun represents power and a strong, vibrant aura emanating from the Seeker, but the Seeker’s power has not yet created worldly substances of value. It is about power, but no product. Compare: Key 1, The Magician, a figure who can harness power constructively (or destructively, when in reverse). When The Fool appears in a reading, it is about a point in the Seeker’s life when the next step could either send the Seeker flying into the air over that cliff with impressive accomplishment or falling down hard from naïveté.
The temperament of The Fool is one pure in spirit, openhearted, and like a child, innocent and naive. There is a Peter Pan mentality—boastful, careless, a bit arrogant, and possessing a willful refusal to take responsibility or be mature. Yet the Seeker is a beautiful, creative soul—perhaps someone with the foolish belief in the attainment of impossibly beautiful goals. There is a trace of swagger and flamboyance in The Fool. He is a swashbuckler. The fanciful style of the Fool’s clothing suggests one who is attached to superficiality, a Seeker with great pride in his or her attractiveness.
The Fool card can also mean that a choice is being offered, one of great significance. The choice before the Seeker may seem minor, but it is a choice that could affect a lifetime, so tread with caution (otherwise the Seeker might fall off the edge of the cliff). Compare: There are cards in the Minor Arcana that also indicate presentations of choice before the Seeker, such as the Seven of Cups or Two of Swords. The Minor Arcana choice cards indicate matters of immediate concern, from day-to-day life. When The Fool is drawn and represents a choice being offered, that choice will have a profound impact on the entirety of Seeker’s life or the progression of his or her spirituality. Compare: Key 6: The Lovers, which can also suggest a choice being offered, though in The Lovers card, the choice often has ethical undertones. With The Fool, the choice is not over ethics or morality; it is a choice between two forks in the path. One fork will lead to attainment (flying, transcending the cliff) and the other will lead to likely demise (falling off the cliff).
The Fool or Trickster is a universal archetype found across many cultures, such as Robin Hood, a skilled archer with a heart of gold, but who is vain, naive, and indiscreet; or Puck, the spirited woodland creature of English folklore; Kitsune, the clever fox of Japanese and Chinese myth, a mistress in the art of deception, yet she loves deeply and demonstrates unwavering loyalty; or the Chinese legend of Sun Wukong, the tender-footed Monkey King with supernatural abilities who defies the laws of heaven and hell. When The Fool card appears in a reading, the Seeker is embodying the characteristics of Peter Pan, Robin Hood, Puck, Kitsune, or Sun Wukong. The Seeker displays a naive disregard for rules, but because of his or her extraordinary innate abilities, can get away with such defiance.
Traditionally The Fool card is unnumbered. Some systems, such as the Rider-Waite-Smith, assign “0” to it. Other systems assign “22” to the card and place it behind Key 21: The World, or, without numbering it, simply order it at the end of the Major Arcana. The Marseille-based Trumps shown in Appendix I provide an example of an unnumbered Fool placed at the end.
The element of Air governs The Fool, so the attributions associated with Air will represent the external forces at play in the Seeker’s situation. In The Fool, yang energy is dominant. The number eight may be relevant.
Benebell Wen . Holistic Tarot An Integrative Approach to Using Tarot for Personal Growth.
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VTV: Lore
The Elements;
Natural forces that make up the foundations of the very worlds that exist with in reality; even if some worlds may lay some elements in their inception, due to the Elemental Gods' decision or otherwise, These very Elements are what makes the Worlds what they are.
Continuation under the cut.
The names of the Elements have changed over time as the years ages passed;
The Shaman Age named the elements in an echo of Primordial, in their own primal echo of that devine language of pure understanding; the names had a certain rhythm to them, as they were often called upon in rhythmic ritual, song and/or dance
In the Medieval Age, Alrach Draegborne, the first Mage, was the first to truly grasp Magic properly, seeing that one didnt need to sacrifice any trinkets or or recite full hymns to cast the elemental powers; one only needed to speak the right language.
In modern times, this Arcane Tongue is still utilised - but why speak the spells aloud, when one need only Think it? Thus, with utilizing the Mystic Element, all Magic has been made easier to cast. Though, there may still be some strength in casting with words, than mere thought alone...
The Elements are as follows;
🔥Ogin | Pyros | Fire🔥
The Glorious, beautiful, Sun; Comforting Warmth for some, Unbearable, Deadly Heat to others.
❄️Snez | Frost | Ice❄️
A Cooling solace to those who deserve it, or a Freezing Hell to those not strong enough to withstand it.
💧Voad | Aqua | Water💧
The Memory of the World; Able to give life, or drown it; What it brings, it takes away.
⌛Tzas | Chrono | Time⌛
Endless, Ceaseless Ticking; The footsteps of Father Time's Endless March forward.
☁️Povi | Vento | Air☁️
A free breeze, uncaring, capricious; will gently guide you on your way, or take you with it without a second thought.
🌩️Pior'u | Electro | Electric🌩️
Thunderous power, one to inspire fright; Quick, Loud, and blindingly Bright.
💎Geos | Geo | Earth💎
The ground beneath your feet, every rock, stone, and crystal; Strong, and Blunt.
🏜️Pias | Amos | Dune🏜️
The gentle comfort of dry ground; able to shift to a sinking abyss.
🌟Svia't | Valo | Light🌟
A Warm, Comforting Sliver, and yet, The Unbearable, Blinding Light.
👿Siem'n | Mrok | Dark👿
A Cool, Comforting Shade, and yet, an Unbearable, Unknowable Dark.
🔮Magi | Arcana | Magic🔮
The Shifting Change, Sparkling with endless possibility; a chance to become something far, far more... or something far, far less.
🧠Ment'a | Ego | Mystic🧠
Sentience. Contradiction. Kindness. Cruelty. Pure, Unfiltered, Unbridled Thought.
🌱Ziva | Vida | Life🌱
All that is Green and Alive; The Trees, The Plants, The Grass beneath your feet; Able to spread it's life to others, and just as easily, take it away.
💀Smie'r | Necro | Undead💀
The Desperate Wish to escape the cold embrace of Father Mortis; The Deal to keep living despite your corpse rotting away.
⚙️Mekk'i | Mekano | Tech⚙️
The Unstoppable march of Progress; The inevitability of Metal and Innovation; and all the good, and bad it brings.
🤢Impu'r | Venom | Toxic🤢
Chemicals and Toxins; both those that may heal your wounds, or harm it - but those that will alter you all the same, Strongly or otherwise.
🩸Krev | Ichor | Blood🩸
Your Flesh, Your Blood, Your Chitin; All things natural, Alive, and Devine.
🌌Kosm'a | Celest | Cosmic🌌
The Beauty of Stars and Worlds beyond; The Horror of the endless Expanse beyond; The Sublime.
🎶Zvie'k | Sonar | Sound🎶
The soft call of a bird's song, the rustling of leaves on the wind; and the scream of unbound emotion, vocal chords bleeding; Sound of all kinds that can Aid or Ail.
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Arcana Unbound—The Beach Part 3
Four thousand years ago gods and magic shaped and ruled and were plentiful in the world. Man and all the creatures were shaped and marked by it.
Then things began to change. Gradually those things of magic diminished and the things of science took precedence until magic became a myth tucked away safely in children’s fairy tales and skilled entertainer’s parlor tricks.
It’s been a thousand years of progress unmarked by true magic.
Things are about to change.
This fic is part of a collaborative AU created by my talented friend @innerpostmentality , and myself. This part was written 50/50 by myself and @innerpostmentality It is an immediate continuation of ‘The Beach – Part 2’
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Pixelberry, except for our OC’s, they are our precious babies and we claim them as our own.
Word count: around 3600
Warnings: this section contains erotica and mentions date rape. Please do not read if you are under 18 or bothered by these themes.
Calais took Xiphos by the hand and led him further down the path they had taken earlier. The path eventually became quite overgrown and narrow, they had to walk single file and duck under branches keeping a close watch to stay on the path. After what seemed like quite a distance they could hear rushing water and then they pushed through the last bit of underbrush and came into a clearing.
“Wow, this is amazing.” Xiphos looked at the waterfall in front of them. It started at least twenty or thirty feet in the air and crashed into a small crystal clear pool at the bottom.
Calais turned to him and with a sexy smile she pulled her sweater over her head and unbuttoned her jeans. Xiphos raised an eyebrow as he took off his shirt. “Oh are we really gonna skinny dip?” Calais nodded as she slipped off her bra and underwear and stood before him completely nude in the mottled sunlight.
"It's the only way to keep our clothes dry" She quickly dove into the pool and grinned as she surfaced to watch him. "When we were little occasionally Aeneas and I would sneak down here to swim when we weren't supposed to."
Xiphos grinned as he took off his pants and followed Calais into the pool. He dove in head first and surfaced right in front of her. “You mean Aeneas actually did something he wasn’t supposed to?” He raised an eyebrow at her. “I find that hard to believe.”
She nodded and looked seriously at him. "When we were six. I'm not sure that swimming here really violated his sense of what a king was or wasn't supposed to do. We knew that dad and mom came swimming here. So I think it was a grown up king thing in his head."
She giggled, "I'm blaming your sister for this. She picked out my outfit. And put me in skinny jeans." She chuckled.
He wrapped her in his arms and looked into her dark eyes. “You would look great in anything.” He flashed her a sexy smile. “Don’t worry, skinny jeans won’t keep me from something I really want.” He kissed her softly at first, then deepened the kiss.
Calais moaned her desire softly into his mouth as her tongue stroked his. Her fingers carefully, gently stroked his neck and shoulders. When she came up for air she whispered. "Follow me" She took his hand and swam for the falls. Behind the waterfall there was an alcove where the water was shallower. "Xiphos, I want you so much."
“My god Calais, I can’t even begin to describe how much I want you.” He pressed his body against hers as he kissed her again. She felt his arousal press into her pelvic bone.
She stroked him with shaky fingers. Then kissed him again as she sighed his name. She took his hand to her hot center. "Love me. I need you so much."
Xiphos sunk a finger inside her as he crashed his mouth on hers. He felt her trembling against him as he slid his finger in and out of her wet heat.
She moaned her desire as her inner walls contracted around his finger and she stroked the steely velvet of his arousal in sync with his ministrations.
She was flushed and panted as he skillfully wound her passion tighter and tighter.
Xiphos closed his eyes to restrain himself as he felt Calais come undone in his arms. He pulled himself out of her grasp, not wanting to go over the edge just yet. He held her tight as she rode the waves of her climax. “You are so amazingly beautiful. I want to feel myself deep inside your beauty.” His voice was hoarse and filled with need as his emerald eyes locked on hers.
Calais shook and wept in his shoulder, overcome with the complexity of her emotions. She wished in that moment so badly that his gentle lovemaking was all she had ever known.
She looked in his beautiful eyes, "Xiphos…. Oh Love.. I need you so much."
He gazed into her eyes lovingly as he positioned himself at her entrance. “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere. I’m yours for as long as you’ll have me.” He kissed her softly as he entered her gently. He moaned as he thrust slowly in and out of her as tension built inside him.
She sighed and curled her hips in to welcome him as she matched his movement. "You are in my heart Xiphos." Her eyes were soft deep pools still bright with tears as she held his gaze. Love and joy in their union radiated from her as she wrapped herself around him.
Their breath matched as their passion built.
“Oh Calais, I love you so much,” He panted as he started to feel her walls convulse around him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly as he thrust one final time and held her close, losing himself in the feel of her as he felt his release.
She arched her back and tightened around him as she felt him release so deep in her. She kissed him softly. "I love you Xiphos. I do. I know it's so sudden. So new. So precious. But I do believe in us."
Xiphos nodded, his breathing heavy, unable to form a coherent thought. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly to him. “Calais I.....you....” he sighed and shook his head in frustration.
She held him, loving his warmth and strength. She kissed him and stroked his cheek then she smiled. "You asked me earlier if there was something I wasn't good at. I'm pretty bad when it comes to math. I manage but Math is hard."
"I love you." She grinned.
Xiphos giggled. “I happen to be a math whiz. So we compliment each other well.” He kissed the top of her head. He sighed. “I guess there’s lots of things I’m good at. I’m a pretty good dancer. I’m a black belt in three different forms of martial arts. I’ve been trained to handle any kind of weapon you can think of. But you are so gifted Calais. I wouldn’t say I’m gifted.” He smiled at her and stroked her cheek softly. “Unless loving you is a gift. I promise to love you with all that I am.” He kissed her gently, then with more passion.
She responded to his kisses as she savored the taste of him. "Do we have to go back?" She grinned at him. "Now I long to wake up with your arms around me. We fit together so perfectly. I love being wrapped in you, Love.”
Xiphos smiled down at her. “Waking up with you in my arms everyday would be like a dream.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “But I fear if we don’t return soon our siblings may send a search party to look for us.” He raised an eyebrow at Calais. “What do you think they’re doing?”
She grinned, "I don't know. Maybe riding on the beach. I think your sister is trying to get in my brother’s pants." She lifted her brow in mock seriousness then giggled.
Xiphos chuckled. “Well, when Sarissa wants something she goes after it. She’s pretty relentless. I’m afraid your brother may be powerless to her charms.”
She kissed him again then stroked his cheek with a very serious look. "Xiphos… I.. I need to tell you something. And I don't know how."
Xiphos looked deep into her dark eyes with a serious look on his face. His voice was gentle as his brow furrowed. “My love, please don’t ever be afraid to tell me anything. What is it? I want to help.”
She shook her head. "Not here. I don't want to bring that here." She held his hand and led him back into the pool then swam over to where they had left their clothes. She got dressed still looking distressed. She waited until he was dressed and they were out of the pool clearing, back where the trail widened before she stopped and slipped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. Her voice was shaky and so soft it was hard to hear her.
"There... there are pictures."
“Pictures?” He wrapped his arms around her protectively. He didn’t know what she was about to tell him but he knew it wasn’t good. He could tell she had been hurt. His blood already began to boil at the idea of someone hurting this beautiful creature. He kept his voice calm and soothing as he took a deep breath to push his anger down deep. “Honey, just tell me. I can’t help you if I don’t know what you’re going through.”
She took a shuddering breath and fidgeted. "I was at university. Guys never pay attention to me Xiphos. Because I'm a princess. Or because I'm so marked. They just don't. They never have. But.. well... there was this guy who was in a couple of my classes. His name was Rene. And he started talking to me. And eventually he asked me out. He seemed... I thought. I thought we were friends. I thought he liked me. Then one evening there was this … It was a big party. And he asked me. And.. "
She burst into tears and silently wept for a long time as he stroked her back before she got enough control to continue. Her voice was flat like she was reciting from a script about someone else. "He gave me a drink that had something in it. I don't remember much but waking up sore. I had lots of bruises where he or maybe it was more than one person had bitten me, passion bites. He.. they had taken pictures of him taking my virginity... He.. he said if I ever told they would put it up on the internet. Give it to the media. So, so I came home. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." Tears coursed down her cheeks as she apologized to him.
Xiphos wrapped her in his arms, his green eyes flaring bright in anger. He took some deep breaths as he held her close and kissed the top of her head gently as he spoke in a low voice cracked with emotion. “My love, my sweet princess, I am so sorry that happened to you.” He pulled away from their embrace to look in her sad eyes. He smiled softly as he brushed the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. “You have nothing to apologize for. You did nothing wrong.” He pulled her close again as he wrapped his arms around her. He balled his hands into fists behind her back and clenched his teeth. “I promise to always keep you safe my love. Have you told anyone else about this?”
"Sarissa. But not, not so much. I just. I'm sorry. I don't want you to see that someday. I.. wouldn't have. I just need you to know why. Why sometimes I'm not strong."
Xiphos struggled to contain his anger. He knew his anger was futile. He would never convince her to tell him who it was. Which was probably a good thing because if he knew he would probably hunt him down and kill him.
He enveloped her in his arms and whispered softly in her ear. “You don’t have to always be strong. It’s ok. I will be your strength, my love.” He pulled back and gazed into her eyes determinedly. “I promise I will never let anyone hurt you again. Ever. Do you believe me?”
She nodded and held him as she found another level of peace in his arms. She felt lightened somehow with him knowing the horrible secret she'd held for so long. Her voice was whisper soft and she looked at him with wonder, gently exploring his face with feathery touches, "I want to share all the beautiful brightness of the world with you. Sunsets on beaches, catching raindrops on our tongues, morning roses when their perfume is like a caress on your heart, all the things that would make you smile I would give you."
“You’re so very sweet, my love.” He smiled at her. “There is nothing in this world that would make me smile more than you.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly.
Calais took Xiphos’ hand and murmured, "I know we have to go back... Just... I don't want this to be a thing. I'm sorry I had to tell you. But I didn't want you to someday see..." She dashed at her eyes and squared her shoulders and slowly met his eyes. "I need it to be behind me. Not this thing I'm so afraid will ambush me."
Xiphos wrapped his arms around her. “Your secret is safe with me. I will do whatever I can to help.” He kissed the top of her head and laced his fingers through hers. “Come on, let’s head back.”
She was quiet as they walked the rest of the way back to where the path emerged onto the beach. She stopped as the water of the bay came into view and looked up at Xiphos, "I feel so much better when I'm with you. It doesn't really make sense when I think about how long we've actually been together. But I know, like a truth in my soul that I love you."
Xiphos smiled lovingly as he gently brushed a stray piece of hair out of her eyes and behind her ear. “And I love you, Princess Growling Tummy. I hope to be your Prince Charming.”
"Well you are at the top of the list." She swung their hands and giggled as they made their way back up the beach toward the fire. Where they found Aeneas and Sarissa missing along with Lancelot.
Calais went to the picnic basket and started digging in it.
"It's getting dark enough I think they'll be back soon. But there's a chicken sandwich in there that is calling to me.”
“Mmmm that sounds good. Got one for me too?” Xiphos approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Or maybe you could feed me some strawberries?” He asked with a chuckle.
She laughed and handed him one of the chicken sandwiches. Then looked for a bottle of Chardonnay which she handed to him. Then she murmured, "Strawberries are for dessert."
He chuckled as he opened the Chardonnay. “I’ve always rather enjoyed dessert.” He poured two plastic cups and handed one to her, then took a bite of his sandwich. “Mmmm. I love chicken salad.”
They finished their sandwiches and Calais was snuggled against Xiphos’ side as they fed each other strawberries and orange slices between kisses when she shushed him. "Listen."
On the breeze coming in from the sea faint but clear there was singing.
"I think they're coming back."
Xiphos giggled. “They’re singing? Oh they definitely both have it bad.” He looked into her eyes deeply and brushed the hair from her face. His voice was low and soft. “I have it bad too, beautiful.”
She sighed softly as she smiled, lost in his emerald gaze. "I guess I'll just have to keep kissing you to try to make it better." She leaned in to kiss him deeply and was lost.
A few minutes later Xiphos broke the kiss as Lancelot was nudging his shoulder. His reins were loose and Aeneas was sitting on him holding Sarissa across his lap kissing her, oblivious to where Lancelot had brought them.
Xiphos chuckled and cleared his throat. He reached up to rub the side of Lancelot’s snout “Hey dog. Who’s a good boy?”
Sarissa pulled away from Aeneas with an apologetic look. Her face flushed red as she stammered, “Oh, sorry, we didn’t realize you both were here.”
Aeneas blushed and shifted his grip on Sarissa and carefully turned to lower her to the ground on the opposite side of Lancelot from Xiphos and Calais trying to preserve her modesty. "We should have realized that rather like a carnival pony Lancelot would bring us back to the picnic basket and the carrots."
Calais giggled, "And rather like a lap dog he thinks he needs to be in the middle of everything people are doing."
Calais grinned at her brother. "Did you have a good ride?"
If it was possible Aeneas blushed even more. But his voice was deep and soft as he looked at Sarissa. "It was spectacular thanks entirely to my breathtaking companion."
It was Sarissa’s turn to blush. She was silent as she reached into the picnic basket and fished out two carrots for Lancelot. Xiphos giggled and grinned at his sister’s blushing. “Hey, there’s no need to feel embarrassed. We’re all friends here. Actually we’re family.” He gazed deep into Calais’ eyes as he said ‘we’re family’
Calais blushed and nuzzled into Xiphos' chest. "Sarissa can I keep him? Pretty Please?"
Aeneas smiled at Sarissa then lifted her chin and kissed her softly. He stroked her blushing cheek with his thumb. Looking in Sarissa's eyes he answered Xiphos. "I am in complete agreement. We're family."
Sarissa smiled and wrapped her arms around her prince to pull him closer. Then she turned to Calais. “You may keep him. He doesn’t listen to anything I say anyway. As long as I get to keep your brother.”
"Maybe it's a brother thing. Aeneas doesn't listen to me unless I don't want him to actually hear something."
Calais stretched up and whispered in Xiphos' ear. "I love you." She pulled back and grinned at him as she cocked her head.
"Of course sometimes I think they may just like making you repeat yourself."
A wide grin spread across Xiphos’ face as he shot a glance at Aeneas. “I think they may have discovered our secret.”
Lancelot lipped gently at Sarissa's fingers as he begged for more carrots.
Aeneas chuckled and kissed her nose. "I'm all yours. But if we don't tie my horse he's going to wind up in our laps trying to get more carrots. And I have a great desire to feed you some of that delicious food that you so carefully packed."
Aeneas let her go and grabbed Lancelot's lead and took him over to secure him with the other horses. He returned a few minutes later and settled next to Sarissa on the blanket she had spread out earlier.
Calais got up and went over and picked up her guitar and strummed it thoughtfully as she walked back over to Xiphos and smiled softly.
"Aeneas and I were pretty little when dad first started teaching us to play. This song is so old. It was old when our parents were young. But… well, you make me want to play it." She sat down on the blanket facing Xiphos and started to play and softly sing to him as she looked in his eyes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR6L_C0Ii6s
Sarissa gazed into Aeneas’ eyes as she fed him strawberries and listened to the words Calais sang to her brother softly. She leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth lightly. “This song is appropriate. And romantic,” she murmured softly.
Aeneas took Sarissa's hand and kissed her knuckles as he looked in her eyes. "I wish I could stop time. Just stay in this moment with you. But then I think I really want all those tomorrows with you." He leaned in and kissed her gently, softly before he brushed his fingers through the silk of her hair. He pulled back blushing. "I'm sorry. I can't seem to control myself around you Sarissa."
Sarissa smiled as she gently stroked his cheek. Her voice was a soft whisper as she touched her forehead to his. “You don’t have to control yourself around me. I am the one person you can lose control with.” She pressed her lips to his again, slowly parting his lips with her tongue.
Calais leaned over as she finished the song and kissed Xiphos.
The world fell away as they kissed and finally the obstacle of her guitar between them brought them out of it enough they pulled back flushed and wanting.
"Um.." She grinned and whispered. "Xiph I want you so much right now I don't think my legs are going to let me stand."
They were interrupted then by Aeneas’ guard Evan who carefully approached the intimately engaged couple. He looked at his toes as he cleared his throat. "Your Royal Highness... Your Royal Highness please forgive me. But your father is asking for you. There are some arrangements that must be finalized, Sir."
Aeneas broke the kiss but not his eye contact with Sarissa.
"Thank you, Evan. Please tell father I'm on my way."
He closed his eyes to control his breathing with effort as Evan bowed to them and walked back down the beach toward the palace.
"I'm sorry, Sarissa." He leaned in and sipped another brief kiss before he stood and offered her his arm. "I have to go. If you would like to come with me I will arrange a car."
Calais sighed in frustration. "Aeneas do you want us to take Lancelot back to the stables? I'm sure Xiphos and I can manage to get them all back."
Aeneas smiled at Calais, "Thank you, Calais. Just remember if you keep Sarissa waiting too long she has my leave to send Evan after you."
Tags: @darley1101 @gardeningourmet @speedyoperarascalparty @hopefulmoonobject @bobasheebaby aby @carabeth @riseandshinelittleblossom @kennaxval @stopforamoment @furiousherringoperatortoad @indiacater @sirbeepsalot @alesana45 @museofbooks @furryperfectionlover @ao719 @blackcatkita
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Arcana Unbound The Beach-Part 2
Four thousand years ago gods and magic shaped and ruled and were plentiful in the world. Man and all the creatures were shaped and marked by it.
Then things began to change. Gradually those things of magic diminished and the things of science took precedence until magic became a myth tucked away safely in children’s fairy tales and skilled entertainer’s parlor tricks.
It’s been a thousand years of progress unmarked by true magic.
Things are about to change.
This fic is part of a collaborative AU created by my talented friend @tornbetween2loves, and myself. This part was written 50/50 by myself and @tornbetween2loves. It is an immediate continuation of ‘The Beach – Part 1’
Dramatis Persona:
Aeneas, son of King Liam and Queen Hyclea, twin brother of Princess Calais, Crown Prince of Cordonia
Calais, daughter of King Liam and Queen Hyclea, twin sister of Crown Prince Aeneas
Xiphos, son of Duke Bastien and Duchess Olivia Nevrakis-Lykel, brother of Sarissa, Heir to the duchy of Lythikos
Sarissa, daughter of Duke Bastien and Duchess Olivia Nevrakis-Lykel, sister of Xiphos
Featured Pairings are Aeneas X Sarissa, and Xiphos X Calais
Many thanks to our betas, @stopforamoment, @kennaxval, and @hopefulmoonobject who give us much needed encouragement and feedback!
Disclaimer: all original TRR characters and references belong to Pixelberry, however we are claiming their beautiful children as our own creations.
Word count: 2900 +
Warnings: This is Erotica. Some future parts will also be erotic and deal with some serious problems and mature themes.
Tags: @darley1101 @gardeningourmet @speedyoperarascalparty @hopefulmoonobject @bobasheebaby @sawyeroakleyscowboyhat @riseandshinelittleblossom @kennaxval @stopforamoment @teamtomsato @furiousherringoperatortoad @indiacater @sirbeepsalot @alesana45 @strangerofbraidwood @museofbooks @furryperfectionlover @ao719 @blackcatkita @tornbetween2loves
Aeneas carried more wood over dropping it next to the fire and grinned at Sarissa. "You seem to be quite adept at that." He blushed and looked in her eyes, "You certainly always make me feel warm."
Sarissa smiled as she gazed into his violet pools. “You make me feel warm as well. I’m not sure why we even need a fire.” Her voice was soft and sultry. She stepped closer to him. “My dad took me and Xiphos camping a lot when we were kids. I learned a lot of survival skills.”
He poured more wine into their cups and settled back on the blanket. "Do you sing Sarissa? I would love to sing with you."
Her face flushed as she smiled at Aeneas. “I sing, but not very well I’m afraid. I’ve never had any actual training.” She giggled. “I do like to sing in the shower. What would you like us to sing?”
He grinned lifting a brow as visions of her in the shower captured his imagination, "What do you sing in the shower? I think it's about to be my favorite song." He took her hand and turned it over to plant a soft kiss in her palm.
Sarissa’s cheeks turned bright red. “I couldn’t possibly tell you. You would think it’s so silly. It’s just a Greek lullaby my dad used to sing to me when I was a kid.”
Aeneas stroked her flushed cheek then leaned in close and softly sang one of the lullabies that was sung to them as a child looking in her eyes the whole time. “I remember my mom singing that to Calais and me when we still shared a crib. Don’t be shy.”
“Aeneas, I could listen to you sing all day. It’s almost like I can feel you sing.” She blushed some more as she sung a few lines of the lullaby Kounia Bella.
Aeneas was enchanted by her. His desire burned in his eyes and his voice was hoarse and shy as he confessed, "Sarissa… I find myself... torn." He nuzzled her hair delighting in the fiery silk of it.
She looked at him with concern shining in her dark eyes. “Why are you torn? How can I help?”
He looked in her eyes a long moment... "I only sing for family Sarissa. And I love singing for you. With you. I told your father that I would always respect you. And I do. But I would.. I want to..." He was blushing and looking at her mouth. "I would so love to please you. For you to teach me how to please you. If you want.. that is.."
Sarissa smiled at him, desire building in her core for this sweet man who was so respectful and considerate. Her eyes grew dark as she crashed her lips on his. After a few minutes she pulled away, breathless. She stood up and straddled him, her eyes locked on his as she reached up and slowly pulled her white lace thong down to her ankles then kicked it to the side. She sat back down in his lap with her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck. She could feel his arousal through his jeans and she kissed him again deeply. She moved from his lips across his jawline to his ear and whispered, “Take off your pants.”
Aeneas trembled with passion, pupils blown wide, stunned as he watched her pull down her thong. Never in his dreams had he imagined she would come to him like this so beautiful and sweet. The fire behind her turning her hair into a glorious halo like an angel of desire come to claim him.
Then she straddled him and kissed him and he felt her heat searing though his jeans and he was aching for her.
He finally barely managed a low whisper, hoarse with desire her name fell like a soft caress, "Sarissa… I never want you to regret a moment spent with me." A deep moan escaped him as she kissed him again. "Oh God… I need… want, to touch you so much. I am yours if you want me; but you must be certain."
He took her hand and kissed it then looking in her eyes pressed her hand to his hardness and the fastening of his pants.
Sarissa quickly unbuttoned his jeans then pulled her dress over her head, leaving her in just her white lace bra. She took his hand in hers and brought it to her lips. She locked eyes with his, filled with need for him. “I could never regret anything we do together. I want to show you how to touch me. Can I show you?” She scooted back slightly, creating some room between them. Not breaking eye contact, she took his hand and spread his fingers out then placed her hand on top of his. She slowly guided his hand down between them, taking his fingers and guiding them in circles across her nerve bundle. Her breath hitched at his touch and a low moan escaped her lips. She guided his hand down a bit further until his fingers were between her wet folds. “Can you feel how much I want you Aeneas?”
He was shaking, gasping as he tried to control himself and savor every moment. "Sarissa," he whispered her name. "Slow, Love... You are so..." He trailed off blushing. A low moan escaped him even as he focused on her, stroking her with infinite care bringing her wetness up and gently, gently running the pad of his finger over her swollen bud. Watching her reaction, "Is this good?"
Sarissa closed her eyes and bit her lower lip as she nodded her head. Unable to speak, she moaned softly, his touch sending pulses through her core. She opened her eyes and kept them locked on his as she slid her hand into his pants to slowly stroke his hard length.
He gasped as she wrapped her hand around him. He was extended beyond his foreskin, the tip weeping his need as she stroked him. His violet eyes were black with desire only a thin luminous violet ring around his wide pupils as he met her gaze.
"I... " He was panting and shaking trying to focus on her and making sure she was pleasured and he wasn't getting too rough as she drove him into a world of need for her.
A low primal groan was coming from him and he was short thrusting into her hand unable to control himself. But his fingers were insistent and still gentle as he stroked her. "Can I.... " His finger swiped tenderly around her entrance. "Sarissa, I want..." He struggled to manage words as a raging need to join with her shredded his tenuous control.
Sarissa nodded as she released her grip on him and stood up.
His eyes went wide with confusion and vulnerability plain on his face as he watched her.
She pulled his pants down to his ankles fully exposing him. His cock had a distinct curve toward his navel; and she realized he also had a port wine birthmark that extended down from his navel and curved around his hip. Not as large as Calais' and easy enough to keep covered with little effort.
He got very focused and serious as her intent became clear and she straddled him again, his hard length pressed at her wet entrance. Her eyes were dark pools of desire as they locked on his.
"Love... are you certain?" he managed then closed his eyes as a deep moan he thought came from the center of his being was pulled from him as she lowered herself onto him in answer. Her breath hitched and she was still for a long moment; just feeling him inside her, taking time for them to savor how their union felt. She kissed him softly then propped herself up on his chest. He opened his eyes and fell into her smoky gaze. Keeping her eyes locked on his she slowly rocked her hips back and forth.
He closed his eyes again locking his jaw, struggling desperately to keep from just instantly losing it and cuming as her tight heat slid up and down him giving him such exquisite pleasure he was weeping. She felt him pulsing inside her and the curve pressed his tip perfectly against her g spot as she rocked gently on him.
Sarissa moaned as she felt his tip hitting her g spot with each stroke and she realized that this was not going to last very long. She could feel him struggling to maintain control and increased her pace. She closed her eyes as she came undone, her walls pulsating around him. Her voice came out in a soft, hoarse whisper. “Oh my...my sweet prince.” She felt his release just then as his body grew stiff beneath her. “… yours. All of me… is yours, Sarissa.” he gasped even as he consummated their union.
Aeneas wrapped his arms around her pulling her tightly against him as their breath settled. He kissed her forehead then put his finger under her chin and kissed her soundly. He whispered softly. "Thank you, my sweet jewel." His eyes locked with hers for a long moment. "Are you okay my love?"
She smiled at him and nodded. “I am better than ok. I am exquisite.” She stroked his cheek softly. “Are you ok?” She looked at him tentatively. “How do you feel? I hope I wasn’t too forward for you.”
He blushed and smiled and kissed her. "It wasn't what I planned. But it was perfect." He trailed kisses down her throat and collarbone. "You are so beautiful. I cannot look at you without wanting you. I dreamt of you last night. And I think forever more my dreams will all be of you my love."
Sarissa smiled at him. “Sometimes the best moments are unplanned.” She kissed him softly. “I love being the girl in your dreams. But I also want to be your reality.” Her eyes shifted downward as she sighed deeply. “I am perfectly content here with you, right now, in this moment.” She laced her fingers through his and brought his hand to her lips. She looked up into his eyes again as she spoke softly. “I-I think I’m falling for you already, my sweet prince.”
"Sarissa," his voice caressed her name his violet eyes held hers, "You are my reality. I love you. I love you with everything I am or ever will be." He held her face and tenderly stroked her cheek, smiling softly, honest amusement in his eyes. "Love, you have me bare assed on a blanket on a beach with my pants around my ankles. I'm so completely fallen for you I'm not even embarrassed." He pressed his forehead to hers as he chuckled. "I promise to catch you, I'm already there."
She chuckled. “Perhaps we should get dressed. Xiphos and Calais could return at any moment.”
He held her tightly to him for one more moment, reluctant to break the first union of their bodies that felt somehow sacred to him. He kissed her softly, smiling gently in her eyes as he lifted her carefully off him.
She looked around for her dress and slipped it back over her head as Aeneas pulled up his pants. She grabbed her thong and gave Aeneas a mischievous smile before she shoved them into the pocket of his jeans. “I want you to keep these. For when we’re not together and you’re missing me.” She kissed him softly as she stroked his cheek lightly.
Aeneas grinned and raised his brow as he examined the lacy bit of nothing that passed as underwear. He shook his head and chuckled as he shoved them back in his pocket.
"Would you like to go riding? Or I can feed you more strawberries and watch you giggle.... What was that about anyway?"
Sarissa blushed and giggled as she grabbed a strawberry. She raised an eyebrow at him. “Now this comes from your sister’s dirty mind, so don’t judge me.” She held the strawberry out to him, grasping it from the stem. “What does this look like to you?”
He lifted a brow and smiled at her then looked down. He frowned for a bit as he tried to figure it out. Then finally, finally his eyes flew up to hers and he blushed. He cleared his throat. "I think you will have to feed me grapes. I'm saving all the strawberries for you."
Sarissa broke into a fit of giggles. “I’m sorry to ruin strawberries for you my love.” She took it and bit into it sensuously, her smoky eyes locked on his.
"I'll just have to enjoy them another way." He pulled her to him and kissed her and ran his tongue over her lips to taste the strawberry. He smiled as he broke the kiss.
He stood offering her his hand. "Come on Love. Let's take advantage of the little bit of light we have left to ride on the beach. I want to see you with the waves and the sun setting behind your beauty. And Lancelot needs to carry us around a bit for interrupting us earlier."
She took his hand with a smile and he pulled her up. She ran her fingers through her hair, smoothing it down and swiping it behind her ears. They walked over to Lancelot hand in hand grinning. Aeneas began saddling him while Sarissa stroked his snout and spoke softly. “Who’s a good boy?”
Lancelot snorted and lipped at her fingers rolling his eyes as he did his best imitation of an overgrown dog.
Aeneas laughed at him. "He's such a clown. He will roll over for carrots. That's Leo's work. He loves to train horses. Has a real connection with them." He laced his fingers together for her to step in to help her mount. Then with practiced agility he vaulted up on Lancelot behind her and reached around her to hand her the lead lines. "Just lay them against his neck and he'll go. If you squeeze your legs he'll go faster. Give it a try." Aeneas wrapped both arms around her and nuzzled her hair.
Sarissa laid the lines on his neck and Lancelot began walking down the beach. She guided him close to the surf then squeezed her legs and he began to move into a slow trot. She leaned back into Aeneas’ warmth as they rode along the shoreline, watching the sun set slowly on the horizon.
He was drawing gentle circles on her stomach where he was holding her. His voice was a silk caress low in her ear. "You are more beautiful than the sunset. And I love the way you smell, like joy and sunshine and passion." He chuckled low, "Dangerous woman. You have kidnapped all my thoughts. After this morning all I could think of was your hand on my thigh." He slid one hand down from her stomach to her thigh and splayed his fingers there. "I had an ambassador talking to me about an art exchange and I swear I could feel you drawing circles on my thigh." He kissed the back of her head. "And now... All I can think of is... what I have in my pocket. And if I were to just slide my hand up just a little I could find heaven."
Sarissa pulled back on the lines, slowing Lancelot to a stop. She twisted around in the saddle sideways so she could look at Aeneas. “I find it hard to believe we only really started to get to know each other yesterday. I feel like we’ve been close our whole lives.” She laced her fingers through his and brought his hand to her lips. She feathered light kisses across his knuckles.
He looked at her hand in his thoughtfully. "We both had our barriers. But since we have known each other all our lives... " He shrugged and smiled. "It makes it easier to trust. I think in my heart I have always know you my love.”
*** To be Continued ***
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maze runner secret santa guesses!
in the order of the works posted. i focus mostly on textual analysis, and draw on formal hints (notes, tags etc) where the guesses were harder to make.
the guesses:
<3 Lena: Major Arcana ✅
<3 Momo: Body Pillow ✅
<3 Dee: draw me a heart in the snow (because my love is a blizzard) ❌
<3 Clod: to hell with you ✅
<3 Snick: so like, stop me if you've heard this one... (Three Cryptids Walk into a Bar) ✅
<3 Juliette: christmas glader drawings
<3 Crest: these truths unbound and ripe for burning ✅
<3 Fabs: Knocking on Your Heart, Could You Let Me in? ✅
<3 Saph: we were together, I forget the rest ❌
(very) elaborate (2.3 k words, you have been Warned) explanations below. enjoy <3
Major Arcana - Lena, @nachoupala
i am 100% sure of this.
thominewt
lena likes merlin
slow burn
long, chaptered fic
newt has long hair
sitting on a bed + leaning against each other
hands in hair
generally intimacy between friends described in a way that makes you go hnghhhh and feel soft inside til you're just a puddle of happy yearn-y pin-y feelings
everyone going 'hmm i sure love 2 people wish there was a sOLuTioN for this' until lena hits them over the head with polyamory
newt's monologue on how love isn't exclusive to one person is very Lena
i mean y'know just generally the polyamory and friendship feels ygm
epilogue
and this is maybe random but: epilogue that takes place at a vantage point where there is not only a plot-overview, but it takes place at a physically 'higher' situated place where they can see over the city (in broken promises) or the surrounding city and countryside (major arcana)
this is all based on 'broken promises and how to fix them'. marvelous fic.
Body Pillow - Momo, @thominho-incorrectquotes
again, this is a 100% sure guess.
the book scene 'if i don't see you on the other side' is mentioned
momo loves bookverse
momo loves that scene
hc for that scene is that minho was serious when saying he loved thomas, and really hurt when thomas laughed it off
thominho being best friends, and them being the most important people to each other is really important to momo
cuddling and sleeping in the same bed
minho characterization is just Momo.
misunderstandings, build-up, dramatic moment (in flower fic is was minho nearly dying of that disease, here it's thomas' breakdown), love confessions
they've always loved each other
both thought the other didn't love them
i repeat: beautiful love confessions
ending that makes you feel Peaceful, like big time, and you know thominho are always going to be together
generally, if you liked this fic i highly recommend momo's thominho flower-disease fic.
draw me a heart in the snow (because my love is a blizzard) - Dee, @graeae
this i am less sure on, mostly because there's not that much of dee's writing i have been able to read. (some of their fic explores themes which are too heavy for me) also if you wrote a newtmas fic dee, i probably haven't even laid eyes on it yet i'm sorry.
but. i have read that nalby ficlet, and. yeah. here's what i've got:
the main thing is that this fic made me *puppy eyes* all over, and that's what nalby ficlet did to me.
nalby. need i say more. hilarious and amazing charcterization, newt's a little shit and alby's all Grown Up. they make an amazing couple
introversion/social anxiety. well described, and it goes away when minho feels comfortable
what i didn't know where to place were mentions of prague (don't know if dee's got any feelings on prague), and that thomas uses a french word for humor. i think dee knows a little french, but was under the impression that portuguese is the main foreign language they know?
"formal clue" (from the notes):
dee is relatively 'new' to thominho, and the notes, of this fic bringing them closer to thominho, makes sense under that aspect.
if you liked this fic, you'll like dee's nalby thunderstorm ficlet bindweed and clover
to hell with you - Clod, @un-ah / @manako-no-yami
this i will say i am... fuck it. i was gonna say 99% sure, but i'll give this one a 100% as well.
no one whumps gally like clod does
beautiful thomally characterization. this had me thinking of crest (@crestfallercanyon ) in the beginning, but that adds up bc clod and crest talk similarly about thomally. lot of beautiful tumblr posts out there to prove that
a Bad Guy that turns out not to be as clear black and white bad
humand are Complicated and their relationships hurt
this leads me on a tangent. as i said i at first thought this could be crest's piece as well. apart from the fact that my gift was uploaded later and i'm, again, 100% sure that it's crest who wrote it, this made me think of the differences in clod and crest's writing.
in crest's writing, bad stuff happens, but it always gets *better* with human connections.
in clod's writing, it's the human connections that hurt. not to go all pretentious but what clod does reminds me too much of it to not mention it: the french play 'huis clos' (engl. 'no exit') by sartre.
in that play, 3 people are locked inside a room and told that they're in hell. at first, they're not sure how this can actually be hell, but as time goes on and they tell their story, it becomes apparent that they're trapped with each other because each of them needs something from another person present (love, approval, forgiveness), while another one needs something from them that they're not willing/inclined to give. and that makes the play end with those famous words (i *think* it's the ending lol, maybe it's just a quote but whatever):
l'enfer, c'est les autres
[engl. 'hell is other people']
and yeah, i think that's what happens in clod's writing and what she manages to do over and over. okay sidetrack over, let's go back to the List.
thomas' attraction to gally is open and borders on pathetic which we love to see hmmmmm
an ending that's not a happy ending (this is actually quite cheery if you know the rest of clod's writing alskdjflas)
no one makes me cry and hurt over fic like clod does.
and no one does that in a way that leaves me begging for more, and where i'd let her do it again in an instant
so yeah. it's clod. hi bb <3
so like, stop me if you've heard this one... (Three Cryptids Walk into a Bar) - Snick, @persnickett
this one i'm less sure on. there's 2 main reasons for that:
i haven't read all newtmas fics
there's a lot of people who write newtmas, and i am familiar with almost none of them. unlike with authors for eg thomally and thominho.
so this was a harder one to guess, and if i'm wrong, this will just be a list of things that i like about snick's writing that showed up in someone else's writing.
writing:
brackets. FUNNY brackets.
mention of newt being cold in like the first few paragraphs, when it's the think gel and snick bonded over (consult Hot n’ Cold (or: Sweaters) [headcanon] on that)
newtmas have a major PDA problem (consult airport fic on this)
the word PDA. i know other people use it, but snick uses it, too, and i know that bc i had to look it up when she first used it lmao
generally the newtmas feels very Her. nuzzling into each other like there's no tomorrow (get yourself some snick newtmas nuzzling in catfic )
frequent mention of kink lololo
minho characterization. very Her.
gally characterization. very Her.
used words i had to look up. from the authors i read, that only ever happens to me in snickfic.
generally: language. rolls off your tongue and guides you through the story lightly and like a rolling boat, if that makes sense.
puns. loads of other people picked that out, too, but again snick's the only one who thinks puns are funny i've seen use puns in writing (consult: coffeeshop fic)
long 1 chapter fic
i wanted to keep reading
sweet scene breaks, i see that being her
gally‘s eyebrows even made it into a tag for snick‘s 2019 minally fic so their ample description in this fic could check out
the pining/describing minho‘s attraction to gally and all the little things he notices and how gally feels like *home* and feels *safe* are also super beautiful in both that 2019 fic and this one. so beautiful. minho and gally. my heart. 🖤 (gally's stormy eyes make an appearance in both fics i think?)
bc this was a harder guess, i'm going to include 'formal hints' in this one.
the title, 1) funny, 2) long, 3) brackets
the notes, happy cryptid-mas lmao
2nd time snick wrote a gift for gel, first time around there was a long personal message, this time she tried to keep it short and not let on how well she knows her wife.
formal thing: i first thought 'raise the black' could be snick, then scrolled through rachel's writing bc some people guesses it was hers, and it turns out rachel places periods outside of brackets also when they're full sentences, like so:
(words words words).
while snick does it
(words words words.)
cryptid fic does it the snick-way.
the notes, 'For the maze runner secret santa (tmrss21)', snick has used a variation of that each year. ('This was written for The Maze Runner Secret Santa 2019 (tmrss19)' in 2019 for example)
tags: i know no one else who posts fics with as little tags as snick does. these 2 tags, just specifying the universe.
the drawings of chrismtas soniet and tha gladers around the campfire - Juliette, @ohbluesky
i loved her piece on vulnerability for thominho week (admire it here), and instantly knew this was her. i'm not good at art so i can't say more on that, i just Knew. and just as thominho week art, these drawing made me feel super Soft inside, especially the soniet one, it's just so beautiful!
these truths unbound and ripe for burning - Crest, @crestfallercanyon
100% sure guess.
the campfire. the drinking. the friendships.
gally's brew.
generally, i caught major vibes of crest's first ever (Beautiful!) maze runner fic
safe haven (crest has 3 safe haven thomally fics and so is very comfortable writing them, and i daresay she likes the setting.) (to build a home is one of them)
bookverse. this is a bookverse fic, and crest loves bookverse. she read the books growing up, and they've felt like home to her in way that's unique to this day. she also knows those books intimately and by heart, so she feels very comfortable writing in their setting.
Minho Is A Good Friend
apelsin references. crest knows apelsin, crest loves apelsin, crest has written a fucking continuation of apelsin. additionally i think crest knows i love apelsin.
minho/sonya reference!!! (other people could know that, too, but crest definitely knows of it and she'd be thoughtful enough to include it <3)
has some vibes of sha's ( @hoesaekyoongi ) writing as well, and i know crest has read that (it's great, read it here)
the attraction
the beautiful characterizations
the words. the fucking WORDS. crest takes words and makes things with them i don't even know how to say it.
gally. he's holding back, he's There, he's so much, he's guarded but ready to be loved.
thomas. he's careful, he knows his flaws, he likes gally a lot, even if it takes him some time to realize it.
thomas' and gally's past isn't just pushed aside. thomas forgives gally, there's a sense for the things they've done, the guilt, and the way they cope with it is just so palpable, so Real.
generally, the Thomally! they're maybe even 'reluctant' at first, there's a lot of potential for misunderstandings, and there's rough edges, and it all takes Time. the time spent besides each other, the slow understanding that creeps in. the appreciation.
the way they both come to appreciate each other's company, the way that the other fills a... Place inside of them in a way that no one else quite can
i know this isn't supposed to be a liferead, but that kiss. that kiss man. it killed me. a lot like he goes down easy for me which i love to death. this is how crest writes attraction, physical contact up until s*x. it's SO fucking real, the emotions are just There, and you want to sink into this moment and never reappear again.
i'll end this by saying this fic made me feel the way crest's writing makes me feel. it makes me feel peaceful, it makes me feel whole, it makes me feel happy in a way i didnt' know i could feel.
if you liked this fic, you'll love: he goes down easy for me and those heavy hands aren't sure
Knocking on Your Heart, Could You Let Me in? - Fabs, @go-catch-a-chickn
this guess has the same problems as snicks guess:
i haven't read all newtmas fics
there's a lot of people who write newtmas, and i am familiar with almost none of them. unlike with authors for eg thomally and thominho.
it would be insane luck if i'd spotted both of my newtmas friends' fics, so i'm totally aware i could be wrong here. let me list the reasons why i think it's fabs anyway.
hair porn. need i say more.
pining. fabs likes them to pine. it's what she thrives on, i'm telling you.
fabs likes stargazing and dates
formal clue:
german quotation marks. i didn't see them in other fics, but they could have snuck in all the same. i know my word sometimes changes from english to german quotation marks randomly.
we were together, I forget the rest - Saph, @onceuponabluemoon
this one is mostly based on ~vibes~ to be honest. same as with dee, i haven't been able to read all of saph's writing because of some of the heavy topics. the one's i've read though i loved, you know that. (that scallison ficlet hmmmmm <3)
strong on environmental descriptions. i loved saph's piece on the greek village in summer that demonstrrates this perfectly, read it here)
dark, but also Good
formal:
end notes explain and give reference to the title, just like the end notes of solid ground say which songs were used.
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those were my guesses, kudos to you if you made it to the bottom of this post lol <3 it was amazing to parttake in this event, and see all of the stunning fics that were written for it. so much love for the maze runner fandom hnghhh
#maze runner#the maze runner#tmr#maze runner secret santa#tmrss#tmrss21#thomally#newtmas#minally#thominho#momo#lena#dee#clod#snick tag#juliette#crest#saph#guess#guesses#tmrss guesses
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hi! do you guys know any urban fantasy or supernatural book where the dark mysterious creature is the woman and the protagonist who falls for her is a man? thank you :)))
Sadly we haven't read books with that exact characteristics. But I can point you to similar ones. Some of the girls in this books are magic users instead of actual monsters, and they are the protagonists.
Urban Fantasy books:
Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews (adult, post-apocalyptic) he is healer, a warrior and most important: mortal, there is a BIG gap in magic with his Love Interest, and she is in fact a monster. Dual pov, the man is the MC. (a secondary relationship also fits your search)
Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning (adult, post-apocalyptic) the second main character has a common human as LI, they are not end game, the romance happens in one of the Final books. CWs for sexual assault.
The Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole (young adult, post-apocalyptic) love triangle, one of them is a boring human. I (Isabel) personally don't recommend this books.
Big Bad Wolf by Suleikha Snyder (adult, semi-erotica) two of the three relationships perfectly fit your search. MANY povs.
Gumiho by Kat Cho (young adult)
A Master Of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (adult, UF hybrid with steampunk) F/F but it's exactly what you are looking for.
Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews (adult, paranormal-scifi) the guy is not human, but he is clueless about the world/universe, this book may contain the tropes that you are looking for.
High Fantasy books:
Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf (young adult) she is an actual monster.
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo (young adult) Dual pov.
Dragon by Midnight by Karen Kincy (young adult) she is a dragon, guy is a mage.
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin (new adult) somehow if fits the theme. Dual pov.
A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet (adult, Greek myths inspired)
Curses by Lish McBride (young adult, beauty and beast retelling, girl is the beast) Dual pov.
Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven (adult, cw for sexual assault) Dual pov.
Here is a goodreads list for "human male mates".
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Encountober - Villa
As part of @catbatart’s Encountober, I present:
Master of the House - (a Dungeons and Dragons Encounter for 4 characters of levels 2-4)
Ruined Lar, in the colonnaded garden of the villa. If your players do exceptionally well, consider having Eroan use a lair action to animate four or more twig blights (Monster Manual, pg. 32) from the twisted weeds of the garden.
The Dreadful Mire is studded with abandoned and ruined villas, relics of the Kingdom of Calamar that once ruled over the land in the days before the supernatural disaster that created the Mire. These fine houses were once the country homes for the half-elven nobility and may still hold riches and secrets worth the effort of exploring them. They are also frequently lairs for a wide range of dangerous creatures.
The party has cause to search one such ruined villa, the House of Amriel, located a half-days travel from the village of Sodden Hope. Perhaps they are pursuing the person who impersonated one of their band and looted the church of the village, perhaps they are merely seeking to uncover the riches that the Amriels are rumoured to have hidden within its walls. Regardless, they will be confronted the last inhabitant of the decrepit hall: Amriel Eroan, the grief-madden household spirit.
Household spirits, commonly called lar (plural lares, pronounced 'lair', 'lair-reez') by the Calamareans, are small fey spirits that occupy particularly old homes or houses were they are accorded special honour. This occupation binds them to the building and its immediate environs, and is believed to help protect the families that dwell within from more mischievous types of fey, who are bound by the rules of hospitality to respect the lar. Unfortunately, if some great disaster befalls the home and the lar is not unbound from the house, they become twisted into a malevolent shadow of their former selves, which is made more powerful by the potent grief that drips from their fingertips like poison. Characters may be familiar with this lore if they succeed at a DC 12 Arcana, Nature, History, or Religion check.
Amriel Eroan is a such a shadow. Formerly much respected and lauded by the Amriel family, he loved them in return and their hurried abandonment of the villa torn out the little fey's heart. He now spend his days lurking around the ruins, particularly the large colonnaded garden, now overgrown with weeds and woody shrubs, although his tremorsense means he is typically aware when intruders arrive. He will Hide (DC 13 Perception check to avoid being surprised, roll Stealth +3 if you prefer), wait for someone to step into sight, and then start to pelt anyone he sees with chucks of the ruined structure. He will switch to melee when people approach him or if an opponent appears to prefer non-spell-based ranged attacks, in the latter case Eroan will misty step to the ranged attacker and unleash a melee Multiattack on them.
The entire time, Eroan will be ranting and screaming invective at his opponents, upbraiding them to leave the ruins. In particular, he will keep referring to an unnamed recent female visitor who warned him to expected looters and robbers. He will insist that she is an Amriel, returned to collect him and take him back to the family, and that she had worn the signet ring of an Amriel heir.
If reduced to 20 or less hp, Eroan will misty step away to elsewhere in the ruins to try and set up another ambush. He will be raving about how his Amriel visitor had said she needing the family sword so that she could cut him free of the ruined villa (Arcana DC 15 to recognize this requirement as false, the family head could simply un-invite the lar) so he showed her the maps that lead there, and that he just needs to hold on a little longer. So that she can return and save him.
He will fight to the death.
Afterwards, a search of the ruins will uncover a secret compartment in the floor of the dining room, that has been left open (it would normally be a DC 15 Investigation check to find it). It is empty of any gold or relics, aside from 3 old gold pieces that are clearly part of a larger, now absent hoard. What it does contain is several tomes describing the lives of the Amriel family and the history of the Kingdom of Calamar, which will be worth 100 gp to an antiquarian, collector of rare books, or historian. One tome in particular, which bears the crest of the House of Amriel, should be pointed out as important: It contains maps. A hour's study of this tome will provide the party with directions to the Tomb of Amriel, where the impostor has gone to next.
A typical lar, dressed in the typical Bloodwood fashion:
An example of a Calamarean villa. Replace all references to Romans with half-elves, and we're good 🤣.
(Art source 1, Tam Turtledove by Tony DiTerlizzi, from Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide via the Spiderwick Chronciles Wiki.)
(Art source 2, artist sadly unknown, image originally from Great Empires: An Illustrated Atlas by Stephen G. Hyslop and Patricia Daniels)
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The Winning Hand
Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)
This Item defies normal convention when it comes to the ways of the arcane. This item is an unbound wizards spellbook that transforms into a deck of playing cards. This tome contains spells from the wizards spell list and the wielder can add new spells to the book. For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. The wielder makes an intelligence (Arcana) check equal to 10 + the spells level to transcribe the spell. if the wielder is attempting to use a spell scroll to add a spell then they make a intelligence (Arcana) check with the DC being 10 + the spell scrolls level.
The tome in deck form has 20 cards in it which are comprised of the spells prepared by the wielder each day at dawn. The wielder prepares six 1st level spells, five 2nd level spells, four 3rd level spells, three 4th level spells, and two 5th level spells. The wielder can use their bonus action to turn the tome into a deck of cards and draw up to 5 cards from it, you do this by rolling a d20 for each card drawn, reroll any matching rolls. The wielder can then use the cards as individual magic items that only the one attuned to this item can use and relative actions to use the cards are tied to the casting time of the spells on them.
This tome also has spell slots equal to a 10th level wizard and all spells cast from this tome have DC 16 or have attack rolls of +8 to hit and uses a +4 modifier for spells. When you cast a spell from the card you roll a d6, this determines the level of spell slot that is used when you cast it. here is an example;
You cast Haste from the deck, you then roll a d6. Since Haste is a 3rd level spell, if you roll a 1-3 then the spell is cast as a 3rd level spell. If you roll 4 or 5 on the d6 then you have to cast it at 4th or 5th level spell. If you roll a 6 on a d6 then you get to choose what spell level its cast at.
Every time you cast a spell using the cards it expends a spell slot from the tome, if you attempt to cast a card and it ends up being a spell slot the tome is out of, the spell fails.
These cards and their magical effects remain for one hour and then disappear. Once you draw a total of 5 cards you cant draw more until the next dawn.
#d&d#5e#d&d 5e#Dungeons and Dragons#Magic#item#magic item#spellbook#spells#cards#deck#very rare#Wondrous Item#wondrous#requires attunement#wizard#luck#gambling#draw#hand#winining
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No Two Alike - Making interesting combat encounters
Hullo, Gentle Readers! This week’s Question from a Denizen ties in nicely with another article I wrote recently. AN Anonymous readers asks, “ So I'm wondering, have you ever done any articles on interesting encounter design? Not just the creatures involved, but also the environment and the running of (particularly combat) encounters so that they become more interesting than simply a repetition of 'I attack him. Again.' statements from players?”
Well, Anonymous, hopefully you recently read my article at https://dmsden.tumblr.com/post/646002547172179968/keeping-pace-ways-to-speed-up-combat. Although the original query was about speeding up combat, I ended up talking a lot about making combat more interesting so that you wouldn’t need to speed it up. I think that answers some of your question, but I’m going to follow it up with some advice about making encounter design interesting. (It’s almost as if I’d decided to put these articles in two adjacent weeks...huh!)
Beyond making your combat descriptions exciting and keeping the action fast-paced, you can make encounters interesting by making sure there’s something at least a little different about each one, so that the challenge of each will be unique. I read something in an RPG I purchased recently called Worlds in Peril, where they mentioned that each combat can be thought of like a puzzle that needs to be solved. In superhero comic books (the genre of Worlds in Peril), it’s rare that the villains can be defeated through a straightforward toe-to-toe fight. If that were the case, Superman would simply win every time, because of his awesome strength. Instead, the foes are often presented as a puzzle that Superman has to solve.
For example, I recently watched an animated movie called Superman Unbound. In it, Superman faces Brainiac for the first time. He discovers that, while he can physically overcome Brainiac, Brainiac’s ship is, essentially, an extension of him, so any defeat is largely temporary; his ship helps keep his little world completely sterile and contained. Superman finally realizes that he can only win by luring the central Brainiac out of the ship. Brainiac’s need for control over his environment short-circuits him when he’s forced to deal with Earth’s mud and insects and chaos.
Keeping this idea in mind, you can add elements to combat that make each one like a challenge to be solved rather than simply overcome by brute force. I’m going to look at terrain and enviroment, monster mixtures, if/then combats, and alternate challenges.
Terrain and environment are one of the easiest things to vary, and they can really affect the feel of a combat. You could have a combat with five orcs using boulders and rocks for cover, and it’s going to feel very different if the fight happens on a narrow bridge over a lava flow. In one, PCs and monsters will be moving around a lot to try and take advantage of the natural cover, difficult terrain, high ground, and so on. In the other, the PCs may be concentrating more on keeping themselves safe from falling, or maybe concentrating on attacks that push their targets, trying to bring a swift end to things.
Early in my campaign, my PCs encountered a Gauth in a hall full of mirrors. I had the Gauth using its eyebeamns through the mirrors, allowing it to attack from many different angles. Once the PCs discovered they could cast spells through the mirrors, too, it made for a very interesting and surreal combat. You can do something as basic as setting a combat underwater, or you can make insane combats where the fight happens in a raging river while being swept downstream, in the middle of a forest fire, while plummeting through the endless skies of the Elemental Plane of Air, or anywhere else you can imagine.
When you do create a combat in an unusual environment, think about how the environment will affect normal combat and how the PCs and monsters can use the environment as a tool or weapon. While underwater combat gives significant advantage to creatures with a swim speed, a druid might be able to use control water to create disadvantages for them. A combat in a forest fire might allow PCs to knock enemies into the flames, to kick burning embers into their opponents’ eyes, or even to knock a burning tree into their opponents for an area of attack. If the PCs don’t take advantage of the environment, have the enemies do it to give them an idea of what’s possible.
Monster mixtures are a lot of fun to play with. Given the XP budget, I’ll tend to have 2-3 kinds of monsters in a fight. If I have a choice, I’d rather have a couple of orc fighters, an orc archer or spellcaster, and a pet giant boar or something than just a group of straightforward orcs. The different kinds of attacks and defenses of the variable monsters make for a more interesting fight, and you can exercise even more creativity in describing the various attack. The orcs can slash with their scimitars and axes, the boar can brutally gore with its tusks or trample with its hooves, an archer can send arrows whistling through the air, and an orc cleric could fill the air with profane magics.
An if/then combat is one that really is like a puzzle. There’s some kind of condition that must be met to either end the combat or make it much easier. If the necromancer is slain, then all of the skeletons collapse, leaving only the two wights to fight on. If the enchanted shackles are struck from the statue of Bahamut, then the priest of Tiamat becomes vulnerable to all attacks instead of resistant. If the enchantment on the Eladrin Bladesinger is broken, then she will aid you against the Hag and her Tree Blights. You could allow skills like Perception, Insight, Arcana, History, Nature, Religion, and the like to be used as a Bonus Action in combat to give clues as to how to change the battle, or automatically tell characters if you think they should know. A Grave Cleric, for example, could automatically recognize that cutting down the Necromancer is the way to end this battle more quickly. An Archfey Warlock might have their Patron whisper to them to aid the Bladesinger to free them from the Hag’s curse. An Acolyte might remember a holy book about shackling a statue to a God, and so on. This rewards the players for their choices during character creation and gives them a moment to shine.
Alternative challenges are something I’ve talked about before, and they form a more detailed version of the If/Then combat. I use the 4E mechanic for skill challenges to allow PCs to affect combat through means other than making attacks. This is a great way to allow characters like a bard with a lot of knowledge skills to make a big difference in combat. For example, in my campaign, an Arch-Fey was captured by the Briar Hag Auntie Mengybone, making her more powerful, immune to all damage except cold iron, and allowing her to raise plant monsters to do her bidding. When the PCs confronted her, some of the PCs took the time to use Detect Magic and saw bonds linking her to the Arch-Fey, who they’d thought to be dead. Several of them then spent their combat rounds using Arcana to disrupt the magical bonds, which ultimately freed the Arch-Fey. Auntie Mengybone was then returned to normal and attempted to flee before being stopped and destroyed by the others.
Anonymous, I hope that, in conjunction with my previous article, this gives you some solid ideas about making combat a lot more than “I attack” every round.If you get your players to RP more in the middle of combat, give them meaningful choices and alternatives, and generally make combats more lively and interesting, I think you’ll find that things will be a lot more fun when they happen.
Until next time, Gentle Readers. May all your 20s be natural.
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After a long day of truly cursed thoughts, I’ve come to the determination that the Cerberus Assembly can act as a sort of Exandrian analog of our world’s Silicon Valley, and I hate it. I hate hate hate it.
The more I think about it, the more it just sort of melds into my mind as fact. I can’t escape it. This is where I live now.
You’ve got this collection of self-proclaimed super geniuses, unbounded by modern social mores and determined to invent a new sort of ethics, with an intent on shaping history and sagely guiding the world into a better future. This is despite the fact that most of the ideas they have inevitably end up making the world worse, and the only thing “new” that they really bring into the world is a bunch of actually very old ideas coated in fresh circuitry/magic.
But let’s dig a little deeper and start getting specific.
They both have these images of fiercely independent, creative bodies desperate to remain free from government control, and sometimes even as a check on that very government. The heads of the Cerberus Assembly outright say their intent is to act as a check on the Crown, and are known to have many secrets the Crown is, to their knowledge, totally unaware of.
Tech companies, particularly in America, have this outward facing very libertarian outlook on things, saying they don’t wish to interfere in the very important process of democracy and free speech, while simultaneously feeling it is their responsibility to fact check those in power and hold them to account, with their “serious vetting” of political ads and the like on their platforms. They also lobby heavily against any and all regulation of their various products and services, preferring to let the “invisible hand” of the market provide the service of keeping them in check, much as the Cerberus Assembly prefers to handle its own problems internally.
But when you really dig into the details this is all bullshit. The Cerberus Assembly, for all intents and purposes, IS the Empire. They run the secret police, for goodness sake. The two are so interconnected, and the Assembly as an institution is so dependent on the infrastructure and manpower, and of course money (because the fancy clothes, giant towers, and expensive sets of material components don’t pay for themselves) of the Empire to accomplish its goals, it can’t serve as a real check on Imperial forces possibly “overstepping”, and it also has no material interest in doing so; the more power and control the Empire has, the more power and control the Assembly has; the less freedom the citizens have due to authoritarian “safety” measures implemented by the Crown, the safer the Assembly itself becomes to pursue it’s morally dubious work and experimentation.
The same goes with Silicon Valley and the various tech companies that fall under its ethos. They will expound continually on the necessary freedom from government control they must have to truly change the world in the ways they think are best, but the primary source of money for most of these companies are governments. They either primarily contract with governments for most of their actual profits or to use its already established infrastructure, as is the case with Amazon, or depend heavily on publicly funded research for their innovations, which is everyone from Apple to Google to Microsoft and dozens and dozens of smaller companies besides. They then even get to patent these publicly funded innovations and hold a monopolized stranglehold on their use. This is not even to mention the starter capital necessary to form many of these companies in the first place itself was provided by governments, with the rather, shall we say “morally questionable” Kingdom of Saudi Arabia being among the top contributors to such start ups.
Even when either of these groups claim to be self-made, it’s all bullshit. So many of our famous tech overlords that supposedly built themselves from nothing started at the upper reaches of society, with more than enough capital and connections to insure they were never at any real risk of failing in the first place. Most even went to the same elite institutions of learning that provide the vast majority of the political leadership of the United States, institutions they had access to due to their wealth and familial connections, not their brains. Elon Musk’s family owned an emerald mine in Zambia for God’s sake, one his family would have never owned without the British Empire being a thing.
The same can be said for the Assembly. The upper classes of the Dwendalian Empire are lousy with mages and magic users. If they don’t have a place to climb among the nobility, they work for the Assembly, and hope to climb there. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the only poorer mage recruits we know anything real about all were sucked up into the service of the Scourgers, one of the few arms of the Assembly known to regularly interact with societies lower reaches and not so positively at that, and had their familial identities obliterated in the process. Both of these groups are of the upper reaches of society and serve the upper reaches of society, and we should never think anything less.
And this brings us to the ideological framework both of these groups think with. They are both full to the brim with people who are individualists to the extreme. They all believe they are singular actors in the great tapestry of history, who got where they are by hard work and dedication, and anyone who isn’t there just didn’t do enough. The folks living in the tent city outside Zadash? lazy layabouts who simply have not applied their mind to be something greater, or perhaps their veins are just full of bad blood. Poor former factory workers in Detroit whose jobs have been moved to places where labor laws are weaker and wages are lower? If they’d only taken their education more seriously, they could be where I am! Or maybe they just never tried to be an Uber driver or delivering for Grubhub, because that’s how you really pull yourself out of poverty.
Meanwhile, most of the groups consist of people who have never once known real adversity and certainly not the hardship of poverty nor the lack of social and political power that position entails. They are blinded to the reality of most people in the world outside their rather small one, and thus have no understanding of the material hardship that most people experience during their everyday life.
You see this most clearer in the manner in which they try to solve what they see as societies great problems, with no clear thought put into the consequences of these particular solutions. In our world, this is particularly obvious. Uber is painted as an innovative means of transportation on a budget, when in reality it’s just a fleet of untrained, underpaid, non-unionized taxi drivers using their own personal vehicles at their own expense. Elon Musk is seen as this super genius when his solution to LA traffic wasn’t a more robust public transportation system or slowly reconstructing the city to be more pedestrian friendly, but instead to build a massive network of single car elevators under the city to zip cars to key hot spots faster in a manner people less anxious than me would still call risky at best. I mean most of these people think the key to ending poverty is teaching people to code or giving them STEM education, even when in a capitalist economy the only thing a sudden flooding of new coders and STEM educated folks would insure is that the jobs that require those skills will see a sudden massive drop in pay and benefits as the pool of prospective employees becomes over-saturated and individual workers no longer have any bargaining power to protect their once rare jobs. You already see this in animation and video game design, and you’ll certainly see it elsewhere.
For the Assembly, despite being praised as the brightest arcane minds of Wildmount, seem to get most of their ideas either by stealing them from others or digging them up out of the ground. But this is just the nature of empire; it’s always easier for an empire to consume than it is to create. So as little as they think of the Dynasty, they are eager to steal every little bit of knowledge they’ve discovered about Dunamis, and without the faith and moral sense the Luxon-based religion imposes, they will never be forced to put the use of this rare and dangerous magic into perspective. Imagine what harm they can cause with gravity and time magic when they don’t have that religious pressure to consider the value of life and choice. But this makes sense when their main sources of inspiration are the wizards of the Age Of Arcana; you know, the wizards whose hubris nearly destroyed the entire world and spurred an apocalyptic war that sent society into a dark age in which the gods themselves abandoned them? A+ inspiration material if you ask me.
Even the culture of these two groups in regards to how they regulate themselves is so eerily similar. Think of Delilah Briarwood. Member in good standing of the Cerberus Assembly. Also, worshipper of Vecna and talented necromancer. Only expelled from the Assembly after involvement from the Cobalt Soul, even when you know every other member of the Assembly almost certainly had loads of information on this lady.
It just makes me think of all the weird, right-wingers and Nazis who occasionally get expelled from the heights of Silicon Valley whenever some journalist exposes them, and how quickly their colleagues are to condemn them even when so many of them either knew this person was this way well before they were exposed or actively agreed with them and still do. I mean, think of how protected Bill Gates is, because of how much his philanthropist image has served to insulate and protect the gross consolidation of wealth and power in the hands of so few, even when his fortune was built on stolen ideas, military funding and research, and a hardcore software monopoly for well over a decade or two. Also, his philanthropy has done nothing to help African people build their own institutions of power independent of European and American influence, and have help distract us from the damage really caused to the entire continent by earlier colonialism and later capitalist imperialism.
This is to say as bad as our world is, I now definitely don’t want to live in Wildemount. I don’t want to live a world where Mark Zukerberg can cast Disintegrate. Not ideal. I guess I’ll just have to work that much harder to fix this one and not depend on learning Dunamancy to just put us on a different path. Bummer.
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Fool. Weiser Tarot. (Waite. Smith)
The Fool is the harbinger of new beginnings. When this card appears, the forthcoming life path is one of unbound potential and beginnings that come with a deeper spiritual meaning. The white sun represents power and a strong, vibrant aura emanating from the Seeker, but the Seeker’s power has not yet created worldly substances of value. It is about power, but no product.
Compare Key 1, The Magician, a figure who can harness power constructively (or destructively, when in reverse). When The Fool appears in a reading, it is about a point in the Seeker’s life when the next step could either send the Seeker flying into the air over that cliff with impressive accomplishment or falling down hard from naïveté.
The temperament of The Fool is one pure in spirit, openhearted, and like a child, innocent and naive. There is a Peter Pan mentality—boastful, careless, a bit arrogant, and possessing a willful refusal to take responsibility or be mature. Yet the Seeker is a beautiful, creative soul—perhaps someone with a foolish belief in the attainment of impossibly beautiful goals. There is a trace of swagger and flamboyance in The Fool. He is a swashbuckler. The fanciful style of the Fool’s clothing suggests one who is attached to superficiality, a Seeker with great pride in his or her attractiveness.
The Fool card can also mean that a choice is being offered, one of great significance. The choice before the Seeker may seem minor, but it is a choice that could affect a lifetime, so tread with caution (otherwise the Seeker might fall off the edge of the cliff). Compare: There are cards in the Minor Arcana that also indicate presentations of choice before the Seeker, such as the Seven of Cups or Two of Swords. The Minor Arcana choice cards indicate matters of immediate concern, from day-to-day life. When The Fool is drawn and represents a choice being offered, that choice will have a profound impact on the entirety of Seeker’s life or the progression of his or her spirituality.
Compare Key 6: The Lovers, which can also suggest a choice being offered, though, in The Lovers card, the choice often has ethical undertones. With The Fool, the choice is not over ethics or morality; it is a choice between two forks in the path. One fork will lead to attainment (flying, transcending the cliff) and the other will lead to likely demise (falling off the cliff).
The Fool or Trickster is a universal archetype found across many cultures, such as Robin Hood, a skilled archer with a heart of gold, but who is vain, naive, and indiscreet; or Puck, the spirited woodland creature of English folklore; Kitsune, the clever fox of Japanese and Chinese myth, a mistress in the art of deception, yet she loves deeply and demonstrates unwavering loyalty; or the Chinese legend of Sun Wukong, the tender-footed Monkey King with supernatural abilities who defies the laws of heaven and hell. When The Fool card appears in a reading, the Seeker is embodying the characteristics of Peter Pan, Robin Hood, Puck, Kitsune, or Sun Wukong. The Seeker displays a naive disregard for rules, but because of his or her extraordinary innate abilities, can get away with such defiance.
Traditionally The Fool card is unnumbered. Some systems, such as the Rider-Waite-Smith, assign “0” to it. Other systems assign “22” to the card and place it behind Key 21: The World, or, without numbering it, simply order it at the end of the Major Arcana. The Marseille-based Trumps shown in Appendix I provide an example of an unnumbered Fool placed at the end.
The element of Air governs The Fool, so the attributions associated with Air will represent the external forces at play in the Seeker’s situation. In The Fool, yang energy is dominant. The number eight may be relevant.
Benebel Wen
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