#dain sundamar

[menagerie-of-monsters]

Art by Orangewatermelon93 Dain Sundamar from "Captured by the Fae Beast"

"So I'm safe as long as I don't bite you, is it?" Dain practically purred the words into my ear, with that same dark amusement. "I've been told it's very... pleasurable."

#monster romance #fae romance #fantasy romance #dark fantasy #character art #character illustration #monsters of faery #dain sundamar

[menagerie-of-monsters]

The cold light of the moon fell across the Beast as he stalked through the forest, illuminating him in silver glimpses. His long tails trailed behind him, glittering with hoarfrost, and the silken iron-gray fur of his flanks still showed the dark stains of blood and soot. He knew I was there, of course. My prince had senses to defy the imagination. The light breeze at my back swept my scent towards him, and after months spent tracking him my sweat and the oils of my skin would be easy for any beast to identify, let alone one like him. If he wanted to get away from me, it would be simple. He was far faster than the deer I traveled on, even if I could convince them to race after him. But he didn't run this time. He snarled at me once, baring his scimitar teeth and making my stag shy, but he let me keep pace with him. Perhaps after five months of dogged endurance, the Beast had realized that I wouldn't allow him to vanish into the wilderness. That I wouldn't turn back. It didn't matter where he led us, or how long I needed to spend living off the land or the frozen remnants of his meals. He was my prince, and I wouldn't leave him to the wilderness and the scant mercy of the gods. I would follow him into the jaws of Death himself. No matter what he had done. No matter what he became. I would never forget where my loyalties lay.

#monstrous may #monstrousmay #daily prompt #prompt challenge #dain sundamar #captured by the fae beast #monsters of faery #alluin xilsatra

[menagerie-of-monsters]

Dain Sundamar, the Beast of Phazikai, Crown Prince of Stag Court.

You can find his story in Captured by the Fae Beast, available in ebook, paperback, and on KU.

Artist is @orangemelon93 on Twitter - check out the full, uncensored pic here!

#monster romance #character art #monster fudger #fantasy romance #fae romance #(technically) #captured by the fae beast #monsters of faery #dain sundamar

[menagerie-of-monsters]

15 Questions: Character Edition

Thank you @ceph-the-ghost-writer for the tag! This looks like a lot of fun~

I'll tag @writerfae @vcaudley @starlit-hopes-and-dreams and @calicojackofficial for this!

Let's do Dain Sundamar, from Captured by the Fae Beast. I've been in a Faery sort of mood recently.

1. Are you named after anyone? Not as such. "Dain" is an old word meaning "haughty" or "worthy"; such things are often used for the sons of royal lines. "Sundamar" is a faery epithet referring to destruction, death, and especially the rending of things that were formerly whole into broken pieces. I suppose it's simple enough to imagine why my mother would select such a name for me.

2. When was the last time you cried? Such an odd question to open with. High emotion, even to the point of weeping, isn't a thing to be hidden, and I don't keep track of such events. I believe it may have been at my wedding.

3. Do you have kids? The idea appeals, but I would like to spend a few centuries enjoying Leah before we make such an attempt.

4. Do you use sarcasm? Who doesn't?

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people? By long habit, I assess how easily they could attack me. If, however, you're asking about physical features, typically their scent.

6. What’s your eye color? I would say yellow-orange. Leah calls it wolf gold.

7. Scary movies or happy endings? I'm not certain what a "movie" is, but as far as stories go, I certainly prefer joy. I've had enough fear and pain in my life that I don't seek such things out for entertainment.

8. Any special talents? Many.

9. Where were you born? In the Antlered Palace at the heart of Stag Court.

10. What are your hobbies? I have a number, but my favorite among them is flower-hunting. I have a great appreciation for wildflowers, and find it both soothing and rewarding to go in search of such lovely, ephemeral things.

11. Have you any pets? I have a riding stag, of course. Most small creatures don't tolerate me, but Leah's strange cat has an appalling fondness for my lap.

12. What sports do you/have you played? Would you consider combat a sport? I enjoy the practice courts a great deal, and am a deft hand at swordplay and glamor-battle both.

13. How tall are you? That question has two very different answers. Around six foot four, typically.

14. Favorite subject in school? Though I had private tutors for my schooling, I had a great appreciation for tactics and strategy, as well as a general fondness for reading.

15. Dream job? I've... never considered it. When one is born a crown prince, one's future is fairly well-set. Ranging, I suppose? I have always appreciated the opportunity to turn my strength and skills to the protection of my people, and the First Army was always a comfortable home for me.

#15 questions #character interview #dain sundamar #captured by the fae beast #monsters of faery

[menagerie-of-monsters]

THE BOYS

Dain Sundamar, Ayre Xirangyl, and Varistan Yllaxira - progressively less grumpy and progressively more trouble.

All made using PotatoLord's Persona Creator on picrew!

#monsters of faery #picrew #dain sundamar #ayre xirangyl #varistan yllaxira #character art

[menagerie-of-monsters]

Been a bit AWOL cause I'm deep in to Nano, but I'll give y'all a preview of what I'm up to 👀

Creatures from out of nightmares swept through the skies, sending flaming arrows into tents and dropping firebombs that exploded in rains of sparks. I could only catch bewildering glimpses of the things in the sky, great sweeps of bat-wings and planes of dark feathers mixed with arms and legs and tails, and my first entrance into battle left me standing helplessly in the night while those half-seen demons made the world scream. This is Hell, I thought, one drifting thought before a dark shape dropped for me. Battle-instincts I hadn’t realized I possessed roared into life. Before I could think to react, I had the steel line between me and my attacker, and the sharp clang of our swords as they struck felt as natural as breathing. I followed the motion with an attack – you must always try to cut the enemy – knowing that he would whip to the side, out of the way. His foot hit the ground where I knew it would, claws digging into soil, and he pivoted for me with strength I couldn’t hope to counter. So I didn’t try, moving with him like a dancer, with an intuitive sense of where he would strike and how that alien body would move. Where my sword went, his sword met me, and when his blade struck for me, I put mine between us. I sidestepped strikes from his long tail as he drove me across the battlefield, the firelight casting pieces of him into flickering relief. It should have been a nightmare, but now that war had found me it all felt like everything else fell away. The world was this, strike after strike like a choreographed fight, moving with my partner as if we’d fought since the beginning of time. I wasn’t thinking – wasn’t paying attention to anything other than the man in front of me and the gleaming line of his sword – and so I didn’t see it as Marion Woods came out of the darkness. But he didn’t see her in time either, his focus entirely on me, and in the last moment he chose her blade instead of mine. My swing carried through, hitting him in the side and biting through the leather of his armor. The shock of it made me stagger backwards, nearly dropping the sword, and I watched Woods smash her shield into the winged faery with blank horror. “No!” I screamed as her sword drove for him. “Ayre!”

I'm working on a companion prequel to Captured by the Fae Beast, tentatively named In the Claws of the Raven Prince! Set 80 years prior to the events of Beast, this story steps into the war between Raven Court and Stag Court and explores the events leading up to the destruction of Phazikai from the point of view of a 1940s woman rescued from death by the fae to become a soldier.

We'll get to meet Dain, Alluin, and Zhiolas during their war days, before Dain becomes the Beast of Phazikai, and take a deeper look at the risks and rewards of having a soulmate. I'm hoping I can bang this one out; if I can manage it in time, I may bump the publication of The Sorceress and the Incubus to release Raven into the world.

#captured by the fae beast #in the claws of the raven prince #nanowrimo 2022 #nanowrimo intro #dain sundamar #alluin xilsatra #zhiolas ulahana #lillian brouwer #ayre xirangyl

[menagerie-of-monsters]

MC Relationship History

Rules: briefly (or not) describe what kinds of intimate relationships (platonic, romantic, sexual, or otherwise) your MCs have had PRIOR TO THE BOOK STARTING. Have they had their hearts ripped out before jumping into your fluffy romance? Are they aro/ace and have never been in a long-term relationship before?

Grabbed as an open tag from @perasperaadastrawriting

@space-cadead @ceph-the-writing-spook Y'all might like this one!

Captured by the Fae Beast

Dain Sundamar: Not very many friends - he basically has two at the start of the book. Never had a romantic relationship, but over his century of adult life he's garnered quite the sexual reputation.

Leah Escarra: Extremely close with her family, has a broad friend base. At the start of the book she's in a relationship with James O'Malley, who she's been with for a little over a year.

The Sorceress and the Incubus

Rain Leyweaver: Has a pretty complicated past when it comes to friendship and romance. At the start of the novel, her best friend is Jace Songdog, and they've been close for fifteen years. She's got some friends-with-benefits relationships, but she hasn't been in a serious romantic relationship for a decade.

Saker: He's an incubus. No friends, no romantic partners, and a body count of well over a thousand.

The Dragonslayer's Choice

Hui-Seun Jin: Most of her friends are dragonslayer colleagues, and while she's had some romantic relationships, they've never been long-term given her lifestyle. At the start of the novella, she's unattached.

Nazaro von Leibenzhen: He's had a weird life. Friends, but nobody who'd stand by his side when he got driven out of the dragonlands. Lovers, but nobody who'd forgive his heritage and take him as a mate. Family who loved him, but who died and left him alone. At the start of the story, he has no one.

#tag game #writeblr #character bio #backstory #captured by the fae beast #dain sundamar #leah escarra #the sorceress and the incubus #rain leyweaver #deskhet'lyn re'saker'veyn #the dragonslayer's choice #hui seun jin #nazaro von leibenzhen

[menagerie-of-monsters]

Intermittently kicking my feet twirling my hair and giggling and then absolutely crying my heart out at everything Dain is-- I just found your books and I haven't been able to stop reading for hours and hours and hours, and have only resurfaced (much like this:)

to howl at how much I enjoy your writing. The emotions! The pacing! The characters! You are such a joy. I am absolutely gushing at how centered and real Leah & Dain feel and how utterly delightful their relationship is. I can't wait to devour all of your books!!! Aaaaaaaa! Sending a million tiny kisses into the sky for you. ❤️ !!

My reaction when I get messages like this:

But, seriously, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Dain tends to be the favorite (and, I mean, just look at him) but I've managed to win a few converts to the other boys xD

#fan mail #captured by the fae beast #dain sundamar #character illustration #character art

[menagerie-of-monsters]

Dain Sundamar

Dain Sundamar, Crown Prince of Stag Court, the Beast of Phazikai only child of her Majesty Nephinae Ronelis, the Stag Queen

I like to use Artbreeder as a way to visualize my characters - even the monsters - because otherwise I have an unfortunate tendency to forget the shape of their face or the length of their hair.

So, meet Dain... or, at least, what Dain looks like when he's wearing a human glamor. Even in the best of times, Dain can't pass as a regular fae without glamor, and usually he doesn't have any interest in doing so. It's not like anyone will forget he's the Beast, after all.

A few Dain facts:

An excellent swordsman who uses his unusual strength to fight with a greatsword.

Despite his temper and habit of killing courtiers, he's beloved by the army he commands.

Has forgotten how many times people have attempted to kill him, but who hasn't, am I right?

On a bet, he once tried to jump from the roof of the Antlered Palace onto the curtain wall. It didn't go well.

His tongue is forked. He knows how to use it.

Dain is the male lead in Captured by the Fae Beast, and he graces the cover in his full unglamored glory.

#captured by the fae beast #dain sundamar #character bio #character art #writeblr #original character #fae romance #monster romance

[menagerie-of-monsters]

Word Game

I got tagged by @space-cadead! My words are:

CLEAN - The Sorceress and the Incubus, Echoes of the Void Book 1

At all the edges of my senses I could always find Rain. If I felt the position of my body, I knew where I was, and that Rain was several thousand feet below me in a seated position. If I scented the room, I caught the phantom smell of pine and clean air with her every breath. When I tried to focus on the quietness of the room, I heard the sound of her voice as she spoke. I couldn't not sense her, either, I discovered, as I tried to give her some amount of privacy. Everything I knew about familiars came from the side of the magic-user, which only made sense, as the number of documented sapient familiars could be counted without moving off of one's fingers. But now, on the other end of that relationship, I discovered that it was only the mage who could control the openness of the soul-bond. If Rain wanted to block me out, she could. If she wanted to reach me, there was nothing I could do about it, save to control my emotions.

SHADE - Captured by the Fae Beast

The crown prince was watching me with one of those smoldering, half-lidded gazes that men get when they're waiting for you to notice them in a club, so they can sexily walk across the room at you and take you onto the dance floor to grind. Dain didn't do the sexy-walk-and-grind, but he definitely flicked his wolf gaze down my body, making no effort to hide his observation. He was wearing gray tonight, a deeper shade than my metallic dark silver, with silver chains linking the piercings on his ears. "Hello, Crown Prince Sundamar!" I said, falling into a voice that regrettably sounded like a TV announcer. "I did not know you were there!" "I'm aware," he said, his voice low and purring. "I didn't imagine you were walking like that for my appreciation." Dain walked towards me with his own saunter, which was more of a predatory stalk. "I did, however, appreciate it."

SLIGHT - Sacrificed to the Goddess, The Incarnation of Veskaia Book 1

"If you wish to drive me mad, that's a good way to do it," he said huskily. "My tail is very sensitive, and a daemon woman will often hold or tug her men by the base of their tails when she wants them to desire her." "Men?" I asked, doing it again with slow deliberation. "If she can afford it, a daemon woman usually has three or four, and sometimes many more," he said, with amusement on top of the obvious arousal. "Brothers, often, especially twins, but not necessarily." Arellath groaned when I slid my fingers up the underside of his tail to the join of his body, and dropped his face down to mine, his nose alongside mine and his mouth a bare finger's-width from mine. "I think I need to keep you occupied, your glory," he said, with a slight rock of his hips against me. "May I kiss you?" "Please," I answered, my voice going breathy.

ROSE - The Dragon's Rose

"A monster," he said, a shudder in his voice. "A serpent of the Devil. I was lost in the woods, and there were wolves. I… accepted its hospitality." His voice took on a tone of pleading. "I didn't know, Alisa, I didn't know what it was. I just wanted to bring you back a rose, it had so many, climbing all over the tower, and… and…" Father shuddered, and dropped his head again. "I have to go back," he said dully. "The mare will take me back. I broke off a rose and it's going to kill me." Alisa stared at him. A monstrous serpent. A tower covered in roses. That story Galen had told her about the lindworm in the woods. Father, stealing a rose. She climbed up to her pallet and picked up the book of plants, then clambered back down to Father. She flipped it open to the picture of the sun-in-the-winter roses, able to find it by heart, and laid the book down in front of Father. He looked at it with that same dead look in his eyes, as if he didn't see it. "Papa," she said, trying for gentle instead of scared and angry, and not succeeding, "Did it look like this?"

As to some words for others... how about steam, night, smart, gray?

@brynwrites @karolinarodrigueswrites @sio-writes

#writeblr #tag game #the sorceress and the incubus #echoes of the void #captured by the fae beast #sacrificed to the goddess #the incarnation of veskaia #the dragon's rose #snipperdoodle #monster romance #fantasy romance #fae romance

[menagerie-of-monsters]

"Captured by the Fae Beast" snippet... this one is coming out very very soon!!

"Leah?" Shit, that was Dain. He must have asked me something, and I'd been busily contemplating the horror of being his soulmate. But it had nothing to do with him as a person, and I wouldn't add that pain to the wounds he carried with him everywhere. I shook my head and blinked in an over-exaggerated fashion, putting on an expression of rueful amusement. "I was wool-gathering," I said, looking up at him. "Say again?" Dain narrowed his eyes, his ears leaning back. He was fae and lived surrounded by people who might want to kill him; there was no way he didn't know I was covering up something. But he didn't call me out on it, merely saying, "We're here." He wiggled his fingers against my hand, and I released him, flushing with embarrassment. Dain only smirked, one ear turning, then held his arm out so that I could take it correctly for an entrance. I did, trying to cool my cheeks, and felt Dain run his claw down along my pinkie. I didn't think he was trying to comfort me this time. I didn't think he even realized he was doing it at all, an idle gesture of physical affection. That frightened me far more than even my growing ease around him. Dain Sundamar, the Beast of Phazikai, taking off his armor for me, and forgetting to put it back on. I'd asked him to, and he'd promised to, but the outcome of that promise was so much more than I'd anticipated. He wasn't only secretly not a terrible person. I thought that he was secretly a gentle person, someone who deeply wanted to be loved and cared for, and he kept making himself vulnerable for me. I liked him. I enjoyed him. I wanted him to be happy. And he was giving me the power to break his heart, when what I wanted most of all was to leave him forever and return to my life.

#Captured by the Fae Beast #monster romance #monster boyfriend #monster x human #fae romance #writeblr #my words #snipperdoodle