#fun times in the shadowlands :-D <3

[artist-rat]

decided to turn this main party + durge reveal pic into a series of how they're doing as i proceed in the game :} part two<3

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #durge #astarion #karlach #wyll #oc: tavis #fun times in the shadowlands :-D <3 #i thought it was funny to strut to meet ketheric in the wrecked dark justiciar armors my point was to just look cool but it was kinda like #👁️👄👁️ Hi the past is here to haunt and maim u boi #(also i didn't change durge's looks randomly i hc her horns are growing ingame!) (due to.. totally normal and not evil reasons...)

[pheavampire]

Astarion, Cazador and D&D vampire lore

Let’s talk about D&D vampires and some lore inconsistencies in Baldur’s Gate 3.

BG3 is not a game about vampires. It was obvious we won’t get a playable character who will be 100% vampire spawn from the handbooks - the mechanical balance would be disturbed in comparison with other characters. But we can list some weird stuff and missing aspects. For fun, for fanfiction, for nerdiness.

I still wonder why Cazador even asked Astarion if he wants to be turned. Sure, he could do that, so he could say later „ha ha you asked for it!” but still - weird. Anyway, a vampire lord doesn’t need to ask - he just bites his victim, kills it by drinking its blood and boom, a vampire spawn is made. Almost made…

… because at first the victim needs to be buried and layed in the ground before it rises. That’s the next question - how the hell did Cazador make 7000 spawns? Theoretically he needed to bury them all, dig them back/wait until they dig themselves out or something and transport them to his dungeon without being noticed. His servants could do that for him, but it still is a pretty big thing to cover. Besides…

… accordng to D&D 3.5 edition: "At any given time a vampire may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice its own Hit Dice" which means it was impossible for Cazador to create 7000 spawns. Sure, Baldur's Gate 3 uses 5 ed rules, but I'm sure they didn't change this one that much. (BUT! We can interpret this rule as: a vampire lord can create as many spawns as he wants, but the number of enslaved ones is limited. That's all right in this case).

That being said, Astarion is surprised when he discovers that all Cazador’s victims are spawns now. One of his dialogue options is „I thought Cazador was feeding on you”. Well yes, he had to feed on them to make them spawns Astarion, I thought you noticed that yourself 200 years ago. But let's say I understand your confusion, 7000 spawns mean Cazador's hit dice is 3500. Lol.

As a vampire spawn, Astarion should be able to regenerate even without biting someone. To be precise, he should get 10 health points at the start of every turn until he gets killed. But ok, this one doesn’t work in the sun, so let’s say it’s justified… unless the party is in the underdark, shadowlands or other dark place. But yeah, that would be too OP.

Astarion should be afraid of holy symbols, mirrors and garlic. That would be quite irritating, as he wouldn’t be able to even get near Selune's stuff or Lathander’s temple (Lathander HATES the undead, just ask poor Jander Sunstar). But let’s say the tadpole gave him immunity.

Spider climb. Imagine Astarion climbing walls or even ceilings like a damn Spiderman - this is what a regular vampire spawn can do. If the tadpole took away this ability, that’s not very nice of it.

Claws. Astarion should be able to transform his fingers into claws at will. That’s right, it works like another melee weapon.

Coffins, graves et cetera - bunk beds in Cazador's palace are a very anti-canon idea. Because D&D vampires have really traditional weaknesses, they always have to „sleep” in the ground they were buried in to recover - just like Cazador. Jander I mentioned earlier invented an un-lifehack, as he was traveling through Faerun by keeping some of the dirt from his grave in his pocket. He was scattering it in the place he wanted to rest for some time.

A vampire spawn can be controlled or banished by clerics like any other undead. That's right, when Shadowheart casts this one, Astarion should roll the dice, or else he will have to run away from her like those zombies you banished during your playthrough.

Last but not least, vampires get damage if they are in the flowing water, for example river, but you already know this one from the early access Astarion. Shame they removed it, in was a bit irritating but I loved it. It reminded me Astarion is a vampire not only in the dialogues.

That's all I can think of now. My knowledge is a mix of 3.5 and 5 ed, do with it what you want. I wouldn't mind more lore accuarte Astarion fanfics though.

Shocked Astarion reading D&D Monster Manual. Or Libris Mortis.

#astarion #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #cazador szarr #cazador #vampire spawn #dungeons and dragons #d&d #baldur's gate 3 spoilers

[thedragonagelesbian]

Okay since your asks were so fun, I’m going to do the same for you and ask the LI classes for the dnd character class asks:

Barb, Druid, and Warlock for Cyrus

Paladin and Cleric (👀) for Yiseeril

eee thank you!!!

d&d character class asks

Cyrus (answering for pallybarb for the first two and ranger for the third)

barbarian: What makes your muse angry? How do they manage their anger? Has their rage ever led them to destroy something important?

In typical lawful good fashion, the things that make Cyrus the angriest are things like injustice, cruelty, indifference toward others, greed, etc. Above all else what makes him furious is hurting the people he cares about.

Initially, like a lot of his negative emotions, instead of managing his anger, Cyrus just kind of swallows it (unless he can easily smite its source). It's only through meeting Karlach and having her teach him how to be a barbarian that he learns how to make that anger productive, but it takes a lot of work. No matter how hard Karlach pushes him to get him to rage during their sparring sessions, he can't unlock his emotions until someone else is at risk (I usually imagine Halsin as the one who volunteers to be Karlach's prop). The first couple of times Cyrus does rage, it's very overwhelming and disorienting, since it undoes so much of the self-possession and self-control that he prides himself on... but Karlach & Halsin call him a good boy, which makes everything better.

And. You know. The dialogue option that broke Cyrus' oath was a barbarian option. So there's always that :)

druid: How does your muse interact with the natural world? Are they good with animals? Plants? Do they keep any pets?

I don't think pallybarb!Cyrus had a ton of thoughtful interaction with nature pre-game. He'd do some adventuring in the woods around Baldur's Gate and along the Chionthar, but he hadn't yet discovered his love for gardening. The Grove was a... mixed experience. On the one hand, I think it sparked a very starry-eyed admiration for druidic magics. On the other, their treatment of the tiefling refugees and Kagha's dealings with the Shadow Druids upset him greatly.

So meeting Halsin and hearing how he talks about nature and being able to help him heal the Shadowlands are pivotal for Cyrus, laying the groundwork for him to (centuries down the line) become an Oath of the Ancients paladin at Halsin's side.

As a wild heart barbarian, he can cast speak with animals and does so constantly. I think he and Halsin get some little planters going in the Elfsong Tavern in Act 3 so being stuck in the city doesn't feel quite so maddening for Halsin, and that's how Cyrus discovers his green thumb.

Re pets: Avernus isn't a. Great environment for that lol. I think Scratch stays with Shadowheart post-game (Cyrus has always had a mild phobia of dogs anyway...) and the owlbear goes with Halsin until Cyrus and Karlach return and take it on their adventures across Faerun.

warlock: Has your muse ever made a deal to get something they wanted? Is there anything your muse wants enough to broker for it? What would your muse sacrifice to get what they want?

Cyrus' preoccupation with being self-sufficient (ranger!Cyrus even more so) gives him a decent measure of resistance against temptation, but FUCK does he come close to making a stupid deal with Raphael after the Emperor threatens to make him a thrall. Raphael offers him not just a night of respite from the Emperor's omnipresence--pervasive and heavy even when the Emperor isn't exerting its will over Cyrus--but as many nights and sweet dreams as he wants until the Elder Brain is defeated... in exchange for Cyrus being Raphael's locus of control on the Council of Chosen through influencing Duke!Wyll. And Cyrus would sooner damn his soul to the Hells than compromise Wyll, so the deal is functionally equivalent to condemning himself to the House of Hope, and as panicked as he is, Cyrus is cognizant of that fact.

...And he seriously considers the deal anyway.

And even though he ultimately rejects it, he does still make the deal to trade the Crown of Karsus for getting the Orphic Hammer immediately. And it's never far from hand.

Self-sacrifice is still instinctive for Cyrus, even if he's tried so hard to break himself of that habit.

Yiseeril

paladin: What does your muse fight for? What tenets or oaths drive them? Have they ever had to break a vow, and if they have, why?

Yiseeril fights for herself, for her friends, for power, and for the bit. The closest thing to a tenet or oath that drives her is power good, but even that is. Flexible, given that there's very much a timeline where that pursuit is tempered.

I think if Yiseeril makes a vow, she either (a) is being a lying liar about it & thus breaking it doesn't hold any moral weight for her or (b) believes it with her whole irradiated chest & thus would never want to break it (i.e., her vow to Minthara that she'll stay with her & that they'll take over the Absolute together).

The one exception might be the vows she took when she became a Haruspex of Oghma. Certainly post-tadpole-ing she's stopped observing any rituals or complying with the strict mandates of her abbey or even praying to Oghma except in moments of crisis, but I think she's still following the spirit of those vows to protect, preserve, and pursue knowledge and to embody the voice of creativity.

cleric: Does your muse believe in any god or follow any religion? What drives their faith? Or, if they're faithless, why? What would it take for them to find faith in something or someone?

/big flashing neon sign that says IT'S COMPLICATED/

Nothing is so emblematic of Yiseeril's fundamental uncertainty and unmooring like her relationship to faith. She was (obviously) a follower of Oghma, raised by an order of monks called the Children of the Passive Voice who trained her relentlessly from birth to undergo the rite for which the sect was named-- one that would make her the one 'true' conduit for Oghma's divine and infinite knowledge on the Material Plane.

The ritual succeeded somewhat but left her mind broken and her divinity fallen until the tadpole returned some measure of autonomy to her, and now....................................

?????????????????????

Yiseeril hasn't had any time to grow out of the 'world's best sacrificial lamb' mindset that she was raised in, feeding an aching desire to be loved by a god any god it doesn't have to be Oghma she flirts with the Absolute's love with Shar's love with anything that will have her.

But. She is also painfully aware of how divinity has ruined her. And the only thing she hates more than Oghma--for failing her, for allowing his followers to destroy her, for not saving her--is the fact that he seems to be protecting her now. The fact that every time she reaches out to him--for spells, for blessings, for shelter in a moment of panic--he answers. The fact that everything she does feels like service to him. Her curiosity. Her thirst for knowledge. Her music and her bard magic and her creativity and her inspiration, she wants it to be for herself, but it still feels like worship.

Like the engraving you find the Chapel of Jergal: through knowledge comes atonement.

She finds faith more readily in her new friends, and in Minthara in particular (gay). It gives her something to hold onto when the cognitive dissonance of her relationship to Oghma gets too overwhelming.

#if i could draw yiseeril going down on minthara with spiritual reverence and bright-eyed devotion and worship i would #alas... #cyrus bg3 #gods least favorite princess #thank you again <33333333

[danse--macabre]

10 & 11 from general & 13 from story specific??

From this prompt list, for Tirazel:

https://www.tumblr.com/cheeky-quasit/732187789707378688?source=share&ref=spectrumcore

10. Are there any unique NPCs associated with your Tav that can show up during the course of the game?

Plenty! Tirazel has five siblings who show up at certain points (I have yet to name them and they are called A-E in my notes).

You first meet D, who appears sweet and charming, early in Act 1 - he breaks the news that her father's on the brink of death, but not dead yet, and he's the one who tries to recruit Tirazel into backing him when he pulls a coup in the crime syndicate. D is, of course, as a would-be ruler of a crime empire, rotten the whole way down, but it takes until Act 3 for that to become clear, he absolutely plays this swashbuckling knight role.

You then meet E in act 2, who's a ranger helping refugees in the shadowlands. E is Tirazel's sibling who was the scapegoat, hurt and abused by her father until they 'disappeared' when Tirazel was in her early teens. Turns out they managed to run away from whatever hell they were in. A kind soul, extremely morally absolute, a sound head on their shoulders, and absolutely not trusting of Tirazel because they believe Tirazel hasn't fully extricated themselves from her father's web yet - and is still both complicit and potentially a threat to E.

You meet Tirazel's siblings A, B, and C. A is the golden boy who has secrets and ambitions. C is the mean and cruel one, but the one who's perhaps most doggedly loyal to their father (A + C are NPCs you can choose to side with against D when you discover he's working for the Absolute). B actually refuses to do any work / be involved, spends their time drinking and writing bad poetry, is the NPC who's involved in the 'fake your own death' ending.

You meet Tirazel's ex girlfriend, Xlara. Xlara is a warlock of terrifying power who is currently imprisoned in a devil's realm, and was previously manipulative, abusive, and shitty, and exists, in my head, to flesh out the underworld we get into something more fractured, with lots of different factions and gangs outside of the Thieves' Guild loosening grip. Xlara is someone you can side with, instead of the Thieves Guild, if you want a guaranteed Bad Ending.

11. Are there any moments in the game that trigger unique dialogue for your character? (Like Gale’s anecdote about the barfight after you save the goblin prisoner) 

Tirazel is fairly tight-lipped about her future / her plans, but here are a few unique moments:

Necromancy of Thay – getting this and giving it to Tirazel, asides from opening a fun conflict with Astarion, will result in Tirazel, once she's decoded some of it, being persuaded into telling you about previous book heists (including into pocket dimensions) she's committed to get necromancy tomes, and the cost of acquiring and understanding this knowledge. She'll explain more of necromancy's unique history as a school of magic and some her opinions on how it works if you pass a few checks (compared to Gale, Tirazel is very precious with this kind of insider knowledge – she's quite secretive about the actual nature of it, and largely is more interested in just presenting as someone powerful to you).

Zhentarim – in Act 1, saving the Zhentarim from the Gnolls with Tirazel in your party will open unique dialogue where they recognise her and auto invite you to the base. Tirazel will try to urge you to kill them quickly, either before or after that conversation. If you do this, Tirazel will help you pass a check when you enter the Zhentarim base if you let her disguise herself beforehand. Any interaction with the Zhentarim without a disguise will lead to Tirazel coming clean with you about her family if she hasn't already, and a story about some of her father's dealings with the Zhentarim.

Dress Shop (forget name) at Wyrm's Crossing – You can have a conversation about disguises and masks, and why Tirazel likes to disguise herself, as well as her preferred disguise.

Thrumbo – You can actually have a dialogue with Tirazel about how she views the undead she uses - as puppets, as slaves, as people, etc. and can trigger a cutscene where she tries to converse with a zombie when she thinks you aren't looking.

13. How do they react to the PC either allowing Astarion to ascend or convincing him to spare the spawn? Read answer here [link]

(tl;dr, essentially how she reacts to Astarion's questline depends on her own, Tirazel is very ~handwave~ about morality but also a bit of a people pleaser who has been learning to stand up for herself for the past.... ten years or so? Astarion at his best can be a companion on her level, a comrade-in-arms-and-trauma who shares a similar outlook while they strive for each other's freedom; Astarion at his worst can be luring Tirazel sleepwalking back into terrible old habits that he can take advantage of and manipulate)

#tirazel #tav

[fluffleforce-mysdrym]

Iskaara Tuskarr and Maruuk Centaur for Pelagos, Grand Hunt for a character of your choice?

Iskaara Tuskarr - If your OC had to tell any story about their life to a stranger, what would it be? A tale of heroism, a funny anecdote, maybe a sad story?

For a lighter story, Pelagos (pre- or post-Arbiter) would tell of the time he wanted to write to one of their maw walker friends, but Kleia took the parchment and quill from him and flew out of his reach to do it. The maw walker in question told him that it was a very heartfelt message, but he still has his doubts

(referencing in game stuff with the quill of correspondence)

If he's trying to inspire whoever he's talking to, he would talk about how he and so many more came together to help in Korthia, and how it really made him think of what more could be done to right the wrongs of the Shadowlands.

Maruuk Centaur - What trophy/symbol of their accomplishments is your OC most proud of?

I don't know that he really has any physical trophies, so to speak. There is one thing he's pretty proud of, but I can't really talk about it just yet, because it's a spoiler for the epilogue >.>

I think his biggest trophy would be the sight of souls going to their intended afterlives.

Grand Hunt - What would be the ideal animal companion for your OC? It can be anything, from a dog to a dragon!

Liila has no specific critter she would like with her, and honestly most of the ones she has in her life are a result of happenstance, though it rarely ends well.

Piikii her undead steed, named for the odd noises its joints made as it sauntered along, was eaten by a devilsaur.

Piikiitwo, the venomhide ravasaur she befriended after she lost Piikii, was beheaded while trying to protect her by her tormentor when he led the attack on Orgrimmar pre-Northrend campaign.

Her pet jellyfish from Helheim was stolen by druids and released into the wild--surely nothing bad happened with that.

Nibbles the devourer ended up being far too sentient to be a pet. He is friend-shaped.

She had to leave her vombata in the Zereth Mortis.

Adrestes said, "Absolutely not," to bringing any crawbrats over from Maldraxxus.

Adrestes is currently baffled because she's got a 'pet' goat that keeps showing up in Devotion and chewing on the banners when it can't find her. She insists Pari the Paragon of Goatliness is not a pet, but no one knows what else to call it.

For Ta'lim, a troll hunter I do not talk about enough, it is his phoenix that he got at Magister's Terrace. Every pet he's ever had has died in some way or another (murlocs, friendly fire, etc), until that phoenix. He got it as a hatchling, and it ended up saving his life in Icecrown. Now that it's grown, he keeps it as his hunter pet. The best part is he's retired from adventuring, so now he's just a courier with a phoenix flying around with him in the Echo Isles.

Mitchell had a spider that he loved very much, but it died of old age (and possibly plague exposure) and he has sworn off all other pets. After all, he's gonna live for a very long time and doesn't want to watch all his little critters die. He does still have a soft spot though, for Fluffy, the void-sheep. People keep suggesting he get something that's undead, but he just grumbles about it.

---

Ty for the ask :D This was fun <3

#i have so much lore for my impervious ocs #it's ridiculous

[sheyshen]

My FanFic compilation

I figured I have written quite a lot over the years and especially this year, that putting together something like this, that has everything I’ve written so far in one place all organized would be a good idea! So please! Enjoy!

There’s quite a lot so they’ll all be listed under the read more, They’re all organized by series (fairy tail, swtor, mass effect, dragon age, greedfall, anthem, and smut fics) as well as by pair with a short description, starting with the first fic I wrote (fairy tail) and the latest (fictober 2020 prompts)  :D

Fairy Tail: (Leading off with this because it’s my first ever fic) -Shall We Dance, Pair: Laxus/Lucy: 38 chapters, Finished https://archiveofourown.org/works/4351550/chapters/9870611

Swtor: Main fic: -Breaking the Bad News (aka BTBN), multi-pair, main focus is shan trio: currently 70 chapters, Ongoing. https://archiveofourown.org/works/9340892/chapters/21164699

Side Fics: Kara Hawke’s Backstory(s):

Pre-Class story: -A Smuggler’s Tyr, no pairing, intro to Kara’s first crew: Currently 1 chapter, Complete (Might add more eventually)

During Class Story: -Adventure of a Lifetime, no pairing focus but will mention Darmas, meant to build on what we have of the in game class story: Currently 1 chapter, hiatus (plan to work on more with 2021)

Post Class Story: -Hawke Legacy: While Kara Sleeps, mentioned Theron/Kara, focus’s on Koro delivering the news of Marr’s ship being attacked to Theron. 1 chapter, Complete -Downtime, Theron/Kara, Post arrival on Odessen but prior to chapter 9 on kotfe, 1 chapter, complete -Desert Reunion, Theron/Kara, Introducing Kara’s dad and bringing him into the Alliance, 3 chapters, complete -A Moment, Theron/Kara, but starting to poke at the idea of Arcann being involved, 1 chapter, complete

Prompts: -Fictober 2018, day 1: Can you feel this?, Kara/Arcann/Theron, post-umbara/pre-copero so theron’s only mentioned -Fictober 2018, day 3: How can I trust you?, Kara/Arcann/Theron, post-Nathema, and a bit on the trio +kids, dealing with Theron’s return -Fictober 2018, day 5: Take what you need, mentioned Kara/Caleb (her first husband from her original crew), takes place before the class stories, short story about a job she had done -Fictober 2018, day 6: I’ve heard enough, this ends now. Kara/Arcann (sometime pre-nathema so sorry Theron’s not really in this one), bit of covering a reoccuring nightmare Kara had for a few months -Fictober 2018, day 7: No Worries, we still have time, Kara/Arcann/Theron (Arcann’s not present tho, just mentioned), little bit of the pair of workaholics +kids taking a break -Fictober 2018, day 12/13: Who could do this/Try harder next time, Kara/Arcann/Theron & Koren/Trey (Will have this in both pairs), sometime post-nathema probably, little adventure with Kara involving having to save her sons -Prompt: I Care about You, Theron/Kara, little bit of a rebuild of their kotfe reuinion -Prompt: Come Cuddle, Kara/Arcann/Theron, Short fluff story of one of their movie nights with some bad jokes -Promptless idea: Arcann Singing, Kara/Arcann/Theron, I’ve always had this idea that Arcann can sing at least as well as Senya does, so here’s a bit of him singing to kara’s boys, and also kara. -Fictober 2019, day 2: Just Follow me, I know the area, Kara/Arcann mainly, post onslaught so Theron’s involved but just not featured in this prompt. Little bit of a romantic night out. -Fictober 2019, day 3: Now? Now you listen to me?, Kara/Arcann/Theron, follow-up to the fictober 2018 day 6 prompt, and resolution to the chronic nightmares Kara was having -Fictober 2020, day 7: Yes I did, what about it?, Kara/Arcann/Theron, post-nathema, small bit of theron and kara heart to heart about a choice she made (involving Valss because I’m still bitter we didn’t get a save option for him) and both prosthetic users in the trio are sore (maybe there’s a storm moving in) -Fictober 2020, day 15: Not interested, thank you, Kara/Arcann/Theron (Arcann isn’t present for this), one of a handful of reminders that Kara and Theron are parents, connor just really wants to make his lightsaber -Fictober 2020, day 18: You don’t see it?, Kara/Arcann/Theron (post umbara pre Nathema so theron is only mentioned), something of a pep-talk from arcann.

Nora Hawke/Mikael Hawke: -That Time Back When We First Met, backstory on how my sith warrior and pub trooper met before they started their relationship: currently 2 chapters, hiatus (plan to work on more with 2021) -Fictober 2018, day 4: Will that be all?, little bit after they first met, can be considered a continuation chapter... technically

Koren Gates/Trey Hawke: -Fictober 2018, day 2: People Like you have no imagination, Koren/Trey & Shey/Torian (will put it for both pairs), little adventure of my bounty hunter squad +sith BF -Fictober 2018, day 12/13: Who could do this/Try harder next time, Kara/Arcann/Theron & Koren/Trey (Will have this in both pairs), sometime post-nathema probably, little adventure with Kara involving having to save her sons -Fictober 2020, day 13: I missed this, Koren/Trey, bit of fluff between my overly caring hunter who could use a day off and his grump of a sith boyfriend. -Fictober 2020, day 28: Do I have to do everything here?, Kara/Arcann/Theron, Arcann and Koth decide to play a co-op holonet game, with only minor arguing. -Fictober 2020, day 30: Just say it, Kara/Arcann/Theron, Kara gets a little time to herself and the trio’s weekly movie night ends up being a bit more than just the three of them.

Shey Shen/Torian Cadera: -Fictober 2018, day 2: People Like you have no imagination, Koren/Trey & Shey/Torian (will put it for both pairs), little adventure of my bounty hunter squad +sith BF -Prompt: I’m Right Where I Belong, Shey/Torian sometime post kotet, a rare time that I bring up the fact that she has amnesia and still can’t remember anything prior to about 2 years prior to the class stories starting. -Prompt: ... out of habit (kiss), former Shey/Koro mention as well as Shey/Torian, because Koro is a mess and while him and Shey have been divorced for years habits die hard. -Fictober 2020, day 8: I’m not doing that again, Shey/Torian & Kurana/Andronikos (will be under both pairs), Little bit of a fun idea of who would win in a fight, our dear pirate or mando

Kurana Knight/Andronikos Revel: -Prompt: One Falling Asleep with their head in the other’s lap, Kurana/Andronikos, I keep thinking of this prompt now and then because writing Niko being soft for his wife is a lot of fun. -Fictober 2020, day 8: I’m not doing that again, Shey/Torian & Kurana/Andronikos (will be under both pairs), Little bit of a fun idea of who would win in a fight, our dear pirate or mando

Lyra Hawke/Doc: -Fictober 2020, day 1: No, Come Back!, Lyra/Doc, little adventure on an unnamed planet that I honestly love the idea of -Fictober 2020, day 6: That was Impressive, Lyra/Doc, Another little adventure of information gathering featuring Kara’s youngest son, Connor. -Fictober 2020, day 22: And neither should you, Lyra/Doc, little bit of fluff and doc trying to get his wife to take a day off

Ren Hawke/Vinn Atrius: -Fictober 2020, day 9: Will you Look at this?, Ren/Vinn, I need to write more of them outside of btbn so this was a start to hopefully more building on my didn’t plan to ship this as strongly as I ended up doing pair.

Ava Reiner/Jonas Balkar: -Fictober 2020, day 20: Did I ask?, Ava/Jonas, Small job featuring a couple of SIS agents, and including a bounty hunter I got attached to in a hurry.

Kyri Dennan/Arn Peralun: -Fictober 2020, day 21: This, this makes it all worth it, Kyri/Arn, little build up for another pair that I didn’t expect to get attached to, featuring some implant maintanence.

Airi/Theron (one off because disaster spy/spy pairing I had to write at least once): -Admittance, 1 chapter, complete

WoW: Aulara Stormdawn/Kieran Grimmarrow: -Lunar Eclipse, (Technically my first fic but I didn’t post it until after Shall We Dance), A story involving Aulara (an orphaned night elf priestess), Koren Haven (her brother from the orphanage, a human paladin), Kieran (a blood elf noble, hunter who doesn’t have much people skills), and the friends they meet including Rokar an old orc shaman and Sen a orc huntress, that navigates through the warcraft story starting with vanilla wow. Currently 7 chapters, on hiatus but planning on picking it up again in 2021! -Fictober 2020, day 4: That didn’t stop you before, Aulara/Kieran, A quest during Legion and a bit of a flashback from one of their first quests together around when they first started fighting side by side during BC -Fictober 2020, day 25: Sometimes you can even see, Aulara/Kieran, The burning of Teldrassil and Kieran deciding he’s willing to risk everything he’s ever known to be with his wife. Koren is there to give him a hand. -Fictober 2020, day 26: How about you trust me for once?, Aulara/Kieran, early BC before they became a couple, Kieran and Aulara get a moment to talk alone in Nagrand, involves something close to an awkward confession. >:3

Shey Wrynn/Varian Wrynn: -Prompt: Are you testing me?, Shey/Varian, post WoD but pre-Legion, little walk through elwynn turning into an adventure between the king and his wife, Shey is not amused when he charges in head first. -Fictober 2020, day 2: That’s the easy part, Shey/Varian, mid to late WoD, bit of fluff while planning the push towards hellfire citadel, bit of fluff and bit of proposal.  >:3 -Fictober 2020, day 10: All I ever wanted, Shey/Varian, post-BFA Pre-Shadowlands, proof I can write at least a little bit angsty, some platonic Shey & Anduin. -Fictober 2020, day 16: I never wanted anything else, Shey/Varian, something short around late Cata early MoP involving Shey having a birthday. -Fictober 2020, day 27: Give me that, Shey/Varian, probably what I consider the most ooc i’ve written him but honestly i had a lot of fun writing them being dorks. -Fictober 2020, day 31: I trust you, Shey/Varian, sometime early Cata soon after they started a relationship. The one and probably only time I’ll ever mention Shey’s old house, and a touch on the fact that i’m 100% certain that Varian would try and sneak out of the city time to time.

Shey & Anduin (platonic, it’s always platonic/familial between them) -Fictober 2020, day 19: I can’t do this anymore, Shey & Anduin, because sometimes a girl just needs to sneak her son out of the city to give him a break and maybe check out a ruin or something.

Shey Wrynn/Aethas Sunreaver: -Prompt: By your side, Shey/Aethas. Post legion, a bit of a moment between them early BFA. I started writing them as a potential pair before settling as friends with benefits that might form into more, so this is a possible hinting at them becoming “more”

Mass Effect: John Shepard/Kaidan Alenko: -Prompt: War’s End Kiss, Shenko, Post ME3 when they’re just a couple of retired old soldiers and John’s slowly recovering from his injuries from the final push. -Fictober 2019, day 4: I know you didn’t ask for this, Shenko, Post ME3, a bit of a heart to heart between them and tending to slowly healing injuries. -Fictober 2020, day 3: You did this?, Shenko, Post ME3, Kaidan runs across some old footage of John over the years from before they met to the reaper war. -Fictober 2020, day 14: You better leave now, Shenko, during ME3, short mission against a hold out of mercs, featuring James. -Fictober 2020, day 24: Are you kidding me?, Shenko, during ME3 probably, featuring Kaidan “my headache doesn’t hurt that bad” Alenko and John “please just take a nap” Shepard. -Fictober 2020, day 29: Back up!, Shenko, during ME3, mission to clear out a cerberus warehouse including some battle flirting and James lending a gun.

Scott Ryder/Gil Brodie: -Fictober 2020, day 12: Watch me, Ryder/Gil, Post main MEA story, something short of Scott looking forward to getting out and exploring while Gil (and eventually Sara) work on the Nomad. (Sara is my pathfinder)

Dragon Age: Garrett Hawke/Fenris: -Dawning, Fenhawke, Short bit of fluff and my firt step into writing dragon age. Late or post DA2.

Lia Hawke/Fenris (a one off when I was debating on canon hawkes & romances for them): -Fictober 2020 day 5: Unacceptable, try again. Fenhawke, little bit of teasing and bad taste in books.

Rana Cousland/Alistair Theirin: -Promptless ramble, Rana/Alistair, Set during DAO with Rana reflecting on those she’s lost, worrying for her brother and realizing just how in love she’s fallen with Alistair. -Fictober 2020, day 23: Do we have to?, Rana/Alistair, set post DAO, pre-DAI, little romantic picnic between the king and queen of ferelden before she heads off on her next mission. (hints at Nathaniel being involved with the both of them.)

Greedfall: Lydia de Sardet/Kurt -Fictober 2020, day 11: I told you so, Lydia/Kurt, short bit trying to get my footing writing these two, Lydia thinks she can still climb trees like she used to as a kid. -Fictober 2020, day 17: Give me a minute or an hour, Lydia/Kurt, short bit, and Kurt not being as subtle about his feelings about Lydia as he probably thinks he has.

Anthem: Raya Auren/Matti (1 of the 3 Matthias Sumner) -Fictober 2019 day 1: It’ll be fun, trust me, Raya/Matti, Bit of an adventure involving Raya taking her favorite arcanist out of fort tarsis to see something very special. (also involving me having no clue how they transport people when there’s only one javelin and winging it)

Smut: (all of them are swtor so far) -A Moment Reprised, Kara/Arcann, takes place post-umbara and pre-nathema, and sometime late in BtBN, no plot. -Moving on, Koren/Trey, takes place right before chap 35 of BtBN, featuring my dorks of a hunter and sith setting in stone they’re serious about each other. no plot -Just a short vacation, Kara/Theron, takes place post-nathema pre-onslaught, A moment in Kara and Theron’s honeymoon at a lovely resort and the closest to taking a day off Theron will ever probably take. No plot -Welcome Home, Kara/Arcann/Theron, unlike the other 3 doesn’t have a specific time that it takes place other than post nathema. No plot

#my writing #this took forever i didn't realize i've written so much over the years #going forward i'm going to just add new ones onto this so they just stay connected without me having to redo this

[aqueenrisesintheeast]

I was tagged to do this fun thing by my very special and dear friend whom I love @madiquin

LIST YOUR TOP 10 FEMALE CHARACTERS FROM 10 FANDOMS, AND TAG 10 PEOPLE:

10) Violet Baudelaire / ASOUE

She’s everything a young girl would want to live up to I think. She’s super clever but more than that compassionate. Always looking out for her siblings even though their lives are dog shit. She never loses the goodness inside her.

9) Cersei Lannister / Game of Thrones

So as a person I hate this wicked bitch but as a character I think she’s one of the most brilliantly written women not just in fantasy but in all of literature. I don’t know why she resonates with me specifically but her story is fascinating. I GET completely why she is the way she is. She’s had a lot of bullshit to deal with but she’s still responsible for the horrible things she does. Very tragic character. Brilliantly played by Lena Heady.

8) Halliwell sisters / Charmed

I’m cheating here because I can’t pick between the four sisters. Charmed is one of my favorite shows from childhood and it still holds up today. Not much else to say except these girls gave me strong women to look up to.

7) Katniss Everdeen / Hunger Games Trilogy

Another wonderfully written lady. Katniss tries so hard to keep control of her terrifying situation and you just want to hug her. She helped me realize the world is a festering capitalist hellscape likely bound for destruction! No wonder she is traumatized at the end of Mockingjay :)

6) Selene / Underworld series

I’m sort of obsessed with Kate Beckinsale and also vampires and the way these movies portray them are great. Selene just does not give a fuck about your rules and she will fuck a werewolf/vampire hybrid then shoot you in the face after. Also she loves her daughter very much 💕

5) Tyrande Whisperwind / Warcraft universe

There’s some uh, controversy, as to what the fuck blizzard is doing with Tyrande in Shadowlands. I think they’re trying to make her crazy with power like they do to every other fucking woman in the series BUT I am going to separate her from the dudebros who write her. The High Priestess of Elune, she’s over ten thousand years old, a deadly huntress and leader of the night elves. I’ve loved her since I started playing WoW 10 years ago. Her husband is useless and whiny. I hope she learns to love herself and start dating one of her sentinels or priestesses or something.

4) Alina Starkov / Grisha Trilogy

Been a minute since I read the books. Really looking forward to the Netflix series. Alina is a really cool chick with sunshine shooting from her fingers. What else do you need!! That love triangle is yucky but what an adventure she goes on! I love her friendship with Genya 💜

3) Missandei / Game of Thrones

Sunshine in human form. This is a dog shit show that never deserved you. I miss you forever.

3) Evie / The Mummy & The Mummy Returns

Listen. I’ve grown up loving this woman. She’a everything I always wanted to be. She has: a huge brain filled with ancient historical knowledge, a himbo husband who adores her, she knows how to excavate a tomb PROPERLY, she reads and writes in ancient languages, has bravery in the face of rotting corpses and old foes from past lives. You can’t fuck with her and if you think you can go and look for Anck-su-namun!!! JK YOU CANT BECAUSE SHE WAS EATEN BY SCARABS

1) Daenerys Targaryen / Game of Thrones

My love of dany is well documented on this blog so I’m not going to go crazy here, but I’ll say that if d&d and grrm ever meet tragic and mysterious ends for what they did to her then well that wouldn’t be so bad, would it :)

I tag @sleepy-time and whoever else wants to! If you do please tag me, I’d like to read yours!

#thank you madi for tagging me this was fun!! #shut up alex #long post

[wrathion]

I’m pretty new to wow. My friend convinced me to try it and I’m a bit hooked. Where would you recommend I start if I want to learn the lore?

welcome to the wow community, anon! 

there’s a lot of entry-points for lore, so i’ll split this post into different sections so you can pick what you think works best for you. if you want access to (most) of the books and whatnot, i made a post a while ago with links to all of them. i’ll get to updating it...one day.

1. wow chronicles

the easiest and most reliable way to catch up on all the lore and important universal concepts you need to know is the world of warcraft chronicles series. it has three volumes detailing everything from the universes’ creation all the way to cataclysm.

you should start this way if you:

like looking at gorgeous art

want something somewhat concise and to the point

just want a general overview of what’s going on

you should NOT start this way if you:

find it difficult to focus on reading

especially don’t like textbook-style reading

want to get into one, specific part of lore

2. the novels

this was one of the ways i originally got into the lore! the novels, while they have their faults, are generally very fun reads. there’s a lot of them but i highly recommend war crimes (christie golden) for a general recap of important novels and events pre-warlords of draenor. and if you want to get into one specific thing there’s tons of focused novels (such as arthas, rise of the lich king for arthas/lich king + scourge lore).

if you know of one character in specific you want to follow, check out this page, it shows every character as well as every possible bit of prose you can find them in.

you should start this way if you: 

enjoy reading fiction

would rather get to know the characters instead of just the history

want a versatile starting point, where you can focus on smaller events or bigger overviews

you should NOT start this way if you:

don’t have a lot of time to spare

find it difficult to focus on reading

just want to know the basics quickly

3. fandom wikipedias

if you want everything in its most up-to-date form, as well as little community fun facts and speculation, i highly recommend checking out wowpedia! the timeline is a good general starting point, but there’s other good starting points listed here.

wowwiki is also a good fandom wiki, but it’s a bit out of date in areas. wowpedia overall is more consistently managed.

you should start this way if you:

specifically enjoy going down wiki rabbitholes

love learning weird and obscure bits of lore

want to learn all the most up to date information

want a very versatile starting point, whether it be a general overview or specific details about characters or events

you should NOT start this way if you:

hate reading big blocks of text

don’t want 20 multiplying tabs open at once

get overwhelmed by information easily

want an official source

4. lore videos

i feel like this is how most of us get into the lore, it’s easy, straight to the point, and perfect to play in the background while you’re doing other things. nobbel87 is by far the best source of these. if you want absolutely everything, check out his lore of warcraft in chronological order series (parts one, two, three and four). for a more quick start, absolutely check out this video. otherwise, you can search practically any character, expansion, event, etc. on his channel and there will be a video describing it in detail.

i’ve also heard good things about the lost codex, though i haven’t personally delved into their stuff too much.

you should start this way if you: 

don’t like/want to read

want the information in an organized and concise form

want something to just play in the background (though there’s videos if you feel like watching too!)

you should NOT start this way if you

don’t have a lot of time to spare

want to get the info quickly

want an official source

5. playing/watching a play-through of warcraft 3

i admit, i did not get into the lore this way, but i know plenty of people who have! warcraft 3 introduces all the core concepts you need to know about azeroth’s life and history. it has two installments, reign of chaos and the frozen throne, as well as nine campaigns combined in both. the storyline follows the orcs, humans, undead and night elves. 

you should start this way if you:

want an interactive way of getting into the lore

would like to get to know both the characters and relevant events

have a lot of time to spare

you should NOT start this way if you:

don’t want to buy/watch a play-through of a game

specifically hate RTS games

do not have much time to spare

6. conclusion

wow lore is pretty complicated, but it’s honestly so worth it to get invested. i really hope you enjoy your time here in the fandom though :D!! 

i would like to specifically note that reading quest text while leveling is not a good idea for starting out, at least not until shadowlands comes out. the zones all take place at different points and time through the game’s history that it all muddles together. 

don’t worry about the three separate war chiefs in orgrimmar, or how the human starting narration mentions the “missing king varian” when varian’s most definitely dead and not missing. it all makes sense most of the time i swear

finally though, if you have absolutely any specific lore questions feel free to shoot me an ask! whether it be about a specific book or comic, or a complicated character timeline, i’m more than happy to help out.

#world of warcraft #Anonymous #asks

[tempthornton]

😴 - have you ever given up on a blog and regretted it?😘 - what charectors are you currently writing?😫 - do you prefer fluff, angst, or smut?

Okay, time to sit down for a long post, doing these out of order cause... I got a list:

have you ever given up on a blog and regretted it?

I don’t really ‘give up’ on blogs. I might not be active with them, but I never give them up. The few I’ve had to delete were crackpot ideas I didn’t get to really start. I have a lots of characters, but my characters never vanish. I might have someone I wrote about once and three years later I’ll be like ‘oh! I have lore now to back this character up. Part of that is what happened with Temperance. I wanted a witch from Drustvar and started to make her. But then I made another character who took my interest and Temp was put on the side until inspiration hit.

With Shadowlands coming and the fact that Drust magic is necromantic I thought I would mix one of my favorite books series as a child to reinspire me to play Temperance. So far it’s working. It also helps I have some amazing RP friends who want to meet my innocent witch. I find if I have at least a friend or two who want to play with a character the character stays as a more active blog.

do you prefer fluff, angst, or smut?

Ummmm.... All but with different reasons. I love me some good fluff because it helps give my character times to lick their wounds. Angst is fun if I want to torture a character. Like Temperance with her crush on Laurent is all me wanting to have some angst with her, Son’Ispa, and Alexander. As for smut... I have Quin for that. Quin is my hypersexual, bi to pansexual, Dom. He’s just, just the most controlled asshole I have and man he makes writing smut fun. I don’t write smut publically and I’ll only write smut with people I know well. It’s not something I do all the time though since sex gets really boring to write if that’s all you write, but I am always good for some foreplay scenes with him and his soulmate. They are my OTP and I will never change my mind about that.

what characters are you currently writing?

*cracks knuckles cause this is going to take a bit* I play the following characters. Complete with their Tumblr names:

Malura Underchild: @maluraunderchild

Mal is my oldest WoW character, before warcraft, she was a D&D character. Malura is a half high elf Timewalker and she has done everything. The last ten years in game playing her I have had her living with the Forsaken, being a soldier, being a ranger, living with the Tauren, she was a spy, a political manipulator, a leader, and just so much more. She’s really got a lot of baggage but she plays stuff off because if she focuses on it for too long... she realizes just how messed up her life as been. But Mal will always be my main, I might not play her as much, but she’s always in my heart.

Earl Darsa Carrington: @darsacarrington

Darsa is my loud mouth half Gilnean half Lordaeronian noble. More he’s a lord of Lordaeron but his dad’s family is Gilnean. He’s a giant of a man but has a heart of silver. Darsa used to be a drug dealer until a lot of stuff happened, he found out he was a noble woman’s bastard and now has an island outside of Tirisful Glades that lets Forsaken and humans live together. He’s also a monster hunter and wants to give monsters the option of a place to live if they won’t kill people outright.

Duchess Alle Beithloch: @allebeithloch

Alle... oh Alle. Alle is based on the Grimm’s Fairytale ‘Of All Kinds of Fur’, or as I lovingly call her ‘a Lovecraft Disney Princess’. She’s a very careful woman and has her Duchy as a haven for people who can’t fit in with the Alliance. There’s a lot of homebrew lore I use for her and I normally try to warn people before they RP with her. But if you ever need something for a storyline, Alle might have it. Her family specializes in making deals, but everything you ask for will come with a price. It might be as simple as a strand of hair, or your firstborn child, you’re never going to know with this woman. I am not including them separately, but Alle lives with 10+ sayaad who she considers her family. The woman has a soft spot for monsters and demons.

Quin: @subjectragnar

Quin is going to be going through some changes this year. With Shadowlands coming he’s about to find out some stuff about how he was born. Quin was an experiment by a select group of Kirin Tor, the experiment that made him ‘failed’ and as the product of the experiment he was banished and sentenced to death as a baby. His adopted father a then High Elf found him starving in the streets of Dalaran. Quin is something most mages fear though, he’s a black hole for all magics if your skin touches his skin your magic is negated for as long as he is touching you. It’s a big boon for him but he’s always seen it as a curse. Instead of using magic to solve his problems he became an engineer and after some really messed up stuff, Quin also became a serial killer who targets slavers and other horrible people of the world. I always joke Quin is what would happen if Batman and Jigsaw had an anti-magic baby. He’s really on the top of my list as one of my favorite characters though... And he’s half of my favorite OTP with him and his soulmate Alice ( @alas-ward)

Lorcan Beithioch: @lorcanbeithioch

Lorcan is Alle’s distant cousin. Yes they have really similar names, I messed up naming Alle at first and decided when I made some extended family for her that they would have the correct name. Lorcan is my Drustvar witch... the one who distracted me from Temperance. Lorcan is more on the Drust side, he’s paraplegic and uses Drust constructs to walk. He’s a bit of a savage, but his family is all like that. They’re not... normal and are very tribal in their thinking. For the last 100 years, they were preparing for a massive face-off with another family, now that they don’t have to worry about that anymore Lorcan’s clan has been relaxing and trying to reconnect to their noble cousins. Lorcan is also Olivia Lovecraft ( @olivia-lovecraft)’s biological cousin and Lorcan is very devoted to keeping his newfound family safe. This includes his soulmate @vermilion-valentine who is right now a ghost after being murdered in front of him. Lorcan actually feels the pain of her being dead, but he’s working on getting her a new body so they can be together again.

Lord Anthion Soulshade: @anthionsoulshade

Oh Anthion. Okay, Anthion is my grumpy vampire. Unless someone else plays a san’layn or other vampiric creature I normally keep him away from people. He has very limited morals and only cares about a few things. 1. His mate Alle Beithloch. 2. His children Quin and Alice 3...... nothing else. If your character is an enemy of the people he loves, he won’t think twice about trying to hurt people. Hence I keep him away from most RPers. Now, after that disclaimer, Anthion is a massive homebody and a bit of a grump. He’s undead but has a love of beautiful things and loves being around clever people (At least clever people who don’t insult him). He loves to cook, even if he can’t eat and he would be a psychologist in our world. His old experiments were studying the mind and seeing how it could heal or be broken. Now he supports Alle while pretending to be a void elf in the Alliance.

Dr. Carl Krogen: @carlkrogen

Technically one of my ‘newer’ characters Carl is loosely based on the Hellboy character Karl Kroenen. Carl is a relic hunter who is searching for immortality. After the fall of Lordaeroon he had a mental breakdown and started to have horrible survivor’s guilt. Being a skilled doctor he replaced his heart for health reasons and slowly made himself look undead. He’s not actually Forsaken but he looks like one and lives between the factions working for whoever will pay him the best. He’s currently dating Olivia Lovecraft and I am all down for this ship cause romantic immortality is so freaking adorable.

Isola Dia: @goddessinthemachine

Isola’s real name is The Machine. She’s one of Anthion’s experiments who... well her greatest wish was to become a god. She now lives as a living island in an undisclosed location and I originally made her be able to stop Quin if he went off the rails. Well people saved Quin and made him his vigilante self and Machine was given a body that looks like a living person. She’s been using it to travel the world and collect any technology she can so she can integrate it into her larger body. She’s a fun romp into me figuring out how someone would act if they believed they were a god, and Isola also scratches my H.R Giger love... cause she’s basically body and cosmic horror.

Temperance Thornton: @tempthornton

.... I almost forgot to write down Temperance. I don’t think I need to make too many introductions, but, Temperance was me watching Penny Dreadful and saying ‘it would be funny if the demon possessing the girl was just protective but still a monster’. Son’Ispa was made to be Temperance’s ‘guardian’ and I built up a few other cast of characters that might one day get their own blogs. Like Alexander, a void entity stuck in a human body? It just sounds like so much fun to write. I love it when big horrific monsters have to be human. It just makes me smile.

I have a lot of other characters I play, but these are the ones with blogs. I am debating about making Malura’s future boyfriend a blog, but I’m still feeling that out.

((Thanks for the ask @jacobdcheshyre))

[whichstiel]

I made this art for the 2019 Dean/Cas Tropefest. (HUGE thanks to the mods, Jojo and Muse, for being amazing!) As soon as I read through the summaries, I knew I needed to try to grab the DRAGON STORY right away. I just...really love dragons, okay? This story is delightful and unexpected, with lovely world-building, rich side characters, and a beautiful romance between Dean and Cas. I really enjoyed reading it and working with zaphodsgirl! You can read Shadow & Storm by zaphodsgirl now! You’ll love it. <3

Here’s the summary:

One night, a mysterious visitor appears in young Prince Dean's bedroom, and he suddenly finds himself transported to an abandoned replica of his home in an unknown land. He learns quickly that the borders are finite, and none may leave without incurring the wrath of the guardian: a dragon the people call Storm.

Left with no choice, Dean adapts to life as the others have, tending to the animals and working the land to survive. As he grows up, the life he knew as a prince seems more and more distant, until a new person arrives that he remembers from his childhood. Shaken by this arrival, Dean’s desire to escape returns anew, and he discovers more than he wanted to know about the Shadowlands and its occupants -- especially about the mysterious guardian of the castle, Castiel.

Continue reading for some insight into the process and drafts behind the art.

Reading this story, I was struck by its lovely fairy tale vibe, which inspired me to make some kind of story-book art. I’ve always enjoyed pop-up books, so that seemed like a fun thing to try. My first step was to learn more about pop-ups. I turned to the internet for ideas, and found recommendations for: Pop-up design and paper mechanics, by Duncan Birmingham. This was a really useful book (I got it from the library - and you can too!) It gave me some basic structures and some general rules of thumb for how things fold and work when opened. I stuck with the simpler forms, given the short time period before posting.

Tools & supplies:

Cardstock paper

Watercolor paper (for the folding pages/backdrops and some stand-ups)

Watercolors, colored pencil, sharpie markers

Glue (I really like this scrapbooker’s glue pen for paperwork. Dries FAST and mostly doesn’t warp.)

Scissors, precision knife, ruler, protractor

Bone folder for pressing seams

Once I had some broad ideas of some of the rules of pop-up creation, I started to sketch out some quick ideas. I always like to start with the cover image, since that’s the main image people see when they’re browsing a story list. I did a few basic sketches on paper, but I decided the easiest way to develop these pop-up pieces would be to do what Birmingham called “paper sketching.” With paper sketching, you just...eyeball the pieces, attach it to a folded piece of paper, and cut away whatever paper you don’t want. It’s sort of like working with negative space in that way. Paper sketching was invaluable for helping me figure out things like: how tall should the mountains be? How high are the wings? What can fold together to lay flat? (Because I wanted this to be a functional book.) How long can I make that flame spout? (Not long, as it turned out.)

Here are some paper sketches I made of the cover image. A few of these were before I re-read the story and realized that the castle was built INTO the mountain. Oops. Building drafts helped me to realize that the concept was possible. Once I had some general structures under my belt, I could start to do the finer work of cutting out the final pieces. Draft work was typically done with sketchbook paper or cheap cardstock from Walgreens.

(Left: first draft; Right: Oh my god maybe this will actually work)

I wanted the cover to convey the full expanse of the lands surrounding the castle. I made my author draw me an actual map and diagram of all the agricultural lands. Thanks, zaphodsgirl! I chose black paper for the cover for REASONS you will discover when you read the story.

(Left: background watercolor progress with marker details; Right: taping in a quick test sketch to see if it will fit with the dragon and to test the angle)

Behind the scenes

For each design, I started by painting a watercolor backdrop, making note of the center where I’d need to fold the page. Watercolor paper was a pretty good choice because it’s thick and you can really crease the hell out of that middle joint - and the page stays strong. The cover is the most detailed. For the others, I went with more imprecise watercolor washes - mostly in the interest of time.

Finding a good backdrop is always a challenge when photographing art, and was a big issue for the cover since that dragon really gets lost if there’s too much in the background. I decided to go “Maria from Sound of Music” and pull down one of my curtains as a backdrop. That, plus desk lamps for light made a pretty good set.

This piece features Castiel fading into the dragon. I suffered from proportion control for this project but chose to forge on ahead, anyway. Sometimes the dragon is huge, sometimes it’s small. Oooooh well, it’s a dragon, anyway. :D The little Dean torso is intended to be a manually-opened inset, more to show his reaction than anything else. The dragon is 5 pieces - tail, head and forepaw, wings, and body. Castiel is a single piece; his fold is attached to the dragon and there’s a little paper accordion behind his head to keep him upright.

(Top left: I hate concept sketches; Top right: Cas coming together. I made him too tall! Oh well, I’m gonna roll with it)

Behind the scenes

This next piece was actually the second one I did, because it was the most complex and I wanted to get it finished so I wouldn’t fret over it. The red light is from a bicycle tail-light that I’m holding in the air with one hand while taking a photo with the other. I just really liked that little shadow claw on the ground!

This dragon was somewhat inspired by a Game of Thrones popup my author shared with me. My dragon isn’t as complex, but it still opens wide and closes flat, so I’m happy. It’s basically built as an upside down triangle, cut into a folded piece of paper. The fold is on the bottom. You can draw a line from the fold in its snout to a fold on its torso. The spines were cut out and glued on after the fact because I completely forgot to add them!!!

I was having some trouble with the wings attaching properly, so my test models had the dragon at various stages of height or angles from the ground. Too high and it would pop beyond the book pages. Too low and it might as well be sitting on the page completely. The dragon body has built-in tabs to which the wings are glued and the forest cutouts have this as well, for max strength. This is one of those cards where I went through enough drafts that I resorted to tape as a quick-hold option to figure out things like height and angle and how much dragon could fit in the folded pages. I ended up using an actual tool with (gasp) measurements to finally get the angle of the forest inserts right. Folding the test dragon into the card, I actually just sliced off the excess wing and tail that peeked out from the edges, then used that space when I was cutting out my final dragon.

For each of these, it’s best to get your pattern pieces as close as possible and then use that to cut your final pieces. The angles and length of everything needs to be fairly precise or what worked in your draft won’t fold well in the final version.

(Top left: So many draft pieces, so little time; Top right: Use math, kids!; Bottom: Dragon open and closed)

Behind the scenes

The last piece is modeled after a simple folding animal style. Its feet are glued symmetrically over the fold.

It’s essentially a folded piece of cardstock with an animal cut out of it. The head is attached separately, as are the wings and Amara. I had a star hole punch, which made it easy to add some stars to Amara’s gown as well as on the page. I’d wanted to do a big fold-out window arch here, but realized that it wouldn’t fit over the dragon or the Dean/Cas fold. Ah well. Please imagine it, instead.

(Top left: concept sketch; Top right: Paper sketching is a great reality check; Bottom: Amara astride Storm)

Behind the scenes

The final step was to turn this into some kind of book. At first, I planned to stitch the pages together. I’d never bound a book before, and I was cursing myself for putting down all those layers of pop-up inserts if I was going to have to stitch through each page. Then I looked at some pop-up books and realized that often just the edges of the pages are glued, leaving the middle to float as necessary. This was good, because it was a way easier option! (Also the dragon in the forest came out a little tight, so the float was very helpful there.)

I glued the page edges and, since they were a little curly from the watercolor and popup designs pulling at them, I weighted them with books to dry for a while.

I found an old book cover that would work (from a very outdated technology textbook). I sliced out the original pages, recovered the book with black paper, and glued in my new book pages on the front and back. It was a perfect fit!

I finished with time to spare, so I added a little watercolor and paper cut-out picture and frame to the front and back to add some flair. Please enjoy my terrible glue job. (I forgot to smooth the paper.)

I used a hair tie cut in half to hold the pages down for photographs (or display). I clipped two wedge-shaped bag clips to the underside of each tie to weigh down each side, and hold the book open at a slight angle.

This was a fun and challenging project to work on, and I’m so grateful to zaphodsgirl for all her effusive words and gifs of encouragement. You’re going to love this sweet story. Go read it now! Shadow & Storm on AO3.

(And if you feeling like tossing a comment my way, I’d love to hear from you here on Tumblr or on my art post on AO3.) 

#deancas tropefest #my art #dragons #popup book #papercutting art

[daresplaining]

not sure if you have been asked this before but how would you rate the daredevil runs from miller to soule, and why?

    It has taken literally a thousand years to answer this, and I apologize– it’s just a huge question, even skipping all of the pre-Frank Miller runs (thank you for that, by the way– maybe I’ll rank them in a separate post, because I love a lot of the pre-Miller stuff!). Every reread brings with it new insight, and so my preferences are ever-evolving. That said, here’s how I would rank the main Daredevil runs from Miller onward (I’m not including annuals, mini-series, or novels, and I’m skipping the really tiny one-or-two-issue runs for the sake of brevity):

1. Mark Waid Daredevil volumes 3 and 4 are, for me, a perfect encapsulation of everything that makes Daredevil great. It’s all there! Smirking, swashbuckly Matt pulling off badass feats to save the day? Check! Dark, emotionally turbulent Matt trying to cope as the world falls apart around him? Check! An excellent supporting cast? Check! Fantastic hypersensory moments? Check! Great stories? Stunning art? Stilt-Man? Check! Everyone needs to read this run. It’s pretty much perfect.

2. Brian Michael Bendis I’ve learned that my Daredevil preferences tend to lean light(er…), but dang, Bendis writes a heck of a noir comic. He balances intense crime drama with striking character moments, changes the status quo over and over again (in a good way), and gives Matt some of the best zingers he’s ever had. (Seriously. Bendis’s Matt is really funny.) He also gave us Milla Donovan and Angela Del Toro, and for that I am eternally grateful. And whooo, that Alex Maleev/Matt Hollingsworth art… This is a classic, enduring run for a very good reason.  

3. Karl Kesel/Joe Kelly Okay, I’m cheating here. These are two separate runs. But they happened back-to-back, had the exact same tone, and were great for all of the same reasons, so I usually squash them together. If Karl Kesel and Joe Kelly have a problem with this, they can take it up with me (preferably in person– I have a lot of comics for them to sign.) These runs are fun. The Daredevil pendulum swings from light to dark and back again, and these guys landed on the upswing, after Matt had reconnected with his quippy, swashbuckly past. They feel old-fashioned, nostalgic in the best possible way, not afraid to be a little silly while still delivering solid, character-rooted stories. And it helps that the cast of characters is top-notch. Karen is around, trying to re-start her life while juggling humorous relationship issues with Matt. Foggy’s family drama is on full-force as Rosalind Sharpe and Candace come to town. Misty Knight stops by, as does Natasha Romanov. Kathy Malpher, one of my favorite minor DD characters ever, has lots of panel time. Deuce the Devil Dog is there. And it all ends with the breathtaking DD #375, which has got to be one of my top five favorite issues of all time. If you haven’t read these runs yet, go do that and thank me later.  

4. Frank Miller Darkness is only effective when interspersed with some light, and lightness is only effective when injected with some darkness, and Frank Miller (pre-”Born Again”) hit that perfect balance. It’s noir. It’s deep. It’s intense. It’s also some of the funniest Daredevil material ever written. Please go back and read “Guts”, or “Hunters”, or the Power Man and Iron Fist crossover. Let me say it louder, because I feel like I’m alone here: I love Frank Miller’s Daredevil because it is FREAKING HILARIOUS! And it goes without saying that “Born Again” is also stunning– definitely one of my favorite DD stories. And he gave us Stick and the peerless Elektra Natchios (three different versions of her, in fact) and the world has never been the same.

5. Denny O’Neil Denny O’Neil had the misfortune of getting sandwiched between Frank Miller’s two runs, and I feel like that’s the reason he doesn’t get the attention he deserves for some truly fantastic comics. Uh… weird comics, in a lot of cases, but heck, I like well-done weirdness. O’Neil added an international angle to the comic. He sent Matt to Japan and Italy (and even- gasp- New Jersey) and brought in Glori O’Breen, a great character even with her slightly over-the-top accent. He reconnected Matt with Natasha Romanov for a few beautiful one-shot team-ups. He killed off Heather Glenn in a horrible way, but did it with such grace and style that it didn’t feel entirely gratuitous. And he’s responsible for “The Price”– one of my favorite stand-alone issues. Plus, the fact that he was working with David Mazzucchelli didn’t hurt either.  

6. Ann Nocenti Superhero comics– superhero comics writing in particular– has been a white male-dominated profession for far too long, and there are far too few women who have written Daredevil. I hate to start a discussion of Nocenti’s run with “Look! A woman!” but it’s worth pointing out because look at this list. Seriously. (And for anyone unfamiliar with the pre-Miller runs, I assure you, it’s more of the same.) Ann Nocenti’s run is fantastic for the ways it really digs into the heart of the material. She took the post-“Born Again” landscape and ran with it. This was the period that tied Matt to Hell’s Kitchen, and Nocenti made that plot point stick by showing us the fabric of the neighborhood, bringing in characters like the Fat Boys, placing Matt and Karen within the community with the founding of Karen’s free clinic, and turning the Hell’s Kitchen of the Marvel universe into a living, breathing place. In contrast, she also took Matt out of the city, and in doing so, wrote some of my favorite Daredevil stories. She wasn’t afraid to address pressing social issues. She wasn’t afraid to tell stories that were just plain weird. And her run is utterly unique and complex as a result.

7. Ed Brubaker/D.G. Chichester Yeah, okay, this is really cheating. These are two completely different runs, but they are nevertheless tied because of the same factor: I adore some parts, and dislike other parts. “The Devil in Cell Block D” (the first arc of Brubaker’s run) is phenomenal. I re-read it a lot. So is “Last Rites” (by Chichester). Chichester wrote two of my favorite stand-alone issues: “34 Hours” (vol. 1 #304) and “Just One Good Story” (vol. 1 #380). Brubaker gifted us with the awesomeness that is Maki Matsumoto (A.K.A. Lady Bullseye), and Master Izo! Chichester gave us D.A. Kathy Malpher, one of my favorite DD characters ever (bring her back, Marvel! Where did she go?)! Also, his hypersensory writing is visceral verging on gross– which, for me, is ideal. However, Brubaker’s run went downhill a bit after the first arc. I mentioned the light/dark balance in regards to Frank Miller’s run, and Brubaker went all dark. (I consider it the darkest DD run yet.) It’s great storytelling, but not my style. And while I love his shorter arcs, Chichester’s longer work– “Fall From Grace” and “Tree of Knowledge” in particular– don’t do it for me. I find them overly convoluted and lacking substance. Also, while Scott McDaniel draws my favorite rendition of the radar sense, he’s my least favorite DD artist. D.G. Chichester + Lee Weeks 4ever.

8. David Mack I like “Vision Quest” a lot more than “Parts of a Hole”, though that’s somewhat due to the artist switch partway through the latter. “Parts of a Hole” did an excellent job of introducing Maya Lopez, and has a lot of great moments, but “Vision Quest” is practically a piece of fine art. It’s stunning, both narratively and visually. I consider it more of an Echo comic than a DD comic, but it still belongs on this list.  

9. Charles Soule I haven’t had a chance to reread this run in its entirety, since it just ended, and I really need to do so because I’m having a hard time figuring out my feelings on it. There are aspects of Soule’s characterization of Matt that I disagree with. The sensory writing varied in quality, and we clearly have different perceptions of the radar sense. There was a distinct shortage of female characters– and, in fact, of side characters in general. And the mind wipe was a huge misstep, since it erased so many of Matt’s long-held friendships. In a comic that has traditionally drawn much of its power from its strong supporting casts and Matt’s dynamics with them, that decision has caused serious lasting damage. However, there’s also a lot I loved. Sam Chung, though (I feel) underused, is a great character in his own right, and he also provided the chance for us to see Matt in a long-term mentorship role– something I’ve wanted for a while now. Muse was a fascinating and terrifying antagonist. And Soule’s perspective as an actual lawyer added extra zip to many of his stories, whether it was putting Matt in the mayor’s office (finally!) or sending him to the Supreme Court in what may be my favorite law-centered DD story ever. But the real reason Soule’s name is this far up this list is because of the “Double Vision” arc (or, as I call it, “Mike Murdock Must Die 2.0″) which is sheer brilliance, and to my mind, one of the greatest Daredevil stories ever told.

10. Bob Gale “Playing to the Camera” does not get nearly as much credit as it deserves for being a genuinely hilarious superhero law-based comedy of errors, and a bright spot amid the angst-fest that is Daredevil volume 2. My major complaints are that it’s too short and I dislike the art.

11. Andy Diggle I don’t dislike “Shadowland”. I don’t love it, but it’s a cool story concept that suffered– as events often do– from storytelling spread too thin, across too many characters, in too short a timespan. (Though I need to know if he came up with the “Matt Murdock dared evil… and lost” tagline, because if so, that wordplay would rocket him right to the top of this list.) I prefer the lead-up to “Shadowland” to the event itself. But I love DD: Reborn (yes, I said I wasn’t going to cover mini-series, but it’s essentially part of the main comic because it bridges the gap between two volumes. I say it counts). I’ve always enjoyed stories that take Matt out of NYC, and Reborn is a fun adventure story that gets back to basics and serves as a great bookend for volume 2.  

12. Scott Lobdell I like “Flying Blind”. It’s quirky and unusual (which I appreciate), and Matt is written very well. I just don’t love it. It’s one of those arcs that slides right to the back of the memory and only returns to the forefront when you’re reflecting on the first time Matt ever saw Foggy, or wondering if Matt’s bad French in Brubaker’s run is left over from his SHIELD-implanted fluency. It’s a neat idea, but could have been executed in a more engaging, lasting way.

13. Gregory Wright This short run went right out of my head the instant I finished it the first time, and upon rereading it has remained fairly unmemorable. The art is hit-and-miss, and the story– while perfectly fine– isn’t anything exciting or innovative. There are some great hypersensory moments, it’s worth reading, but I don’t have much to say about it beyond that.

14. Alan Smithee “Alan Smithee” is a pseudonym used in the entertainment industry by writers who don’t want to be associated with a certain project. The commentary on manwithoutfear.com states that this run was actually written by Chichester, who used the pen name as a way of protesting his abrupt firing from the comic. I treat it as a separate run, since that’s clearly what he wanted. I always tend to group the Wright and Smithee runs together in my mind because they take place one after the other, are both very short (only 5 issues each), and are very similar in both tone and quality. I like the art in Smithee’s run more, and the writing is solid. However, the whole thing is colored for me by the horrific and unnecessary death of Glorianna O’Breen, a character I love. I’m perfectly fine with characters dying if their deaths are well-written and impactful (heck, I’ll be honest– I love a good death), but Glori’s demise just seems gratuitous, and is therefore not appealing to me.

15. J.M. DeMatteis This run is super weird, but not in an interesting way. It leans toward the religious, which is not my thing, and it relies on the dead sex worker storyline from Man Without Fear, which is really not my thing and should have stayed out of the main continuity. It’s good to read, because it’s a major shift in Matt’s life and sets up the fabulous Kesel/Kelly runs, but… eh. That said, Matt battling his different identities in a graveyard while getting heckled by Stick, and yellow suit DD running around creating mayhem, are 100% my things… so credit where’s it’s due.  

16. Kevin Smith You may have noticed that “Guardian Devil”, the first arc of Daredevil volume 2, the run that rescued the series after its cancellation and brought Matt Murdock to the forefront of the Marvel street-level universe once more…! …is rarely ever mentioned on this blog. That’s because I really don’t like it. At all. I’m grateful to Smith for bringing readers back to DD, but would be happy if he never wrote these characters again. His run is poorly paced, out-of-character, and covers themes/topics/etc. that I personally don’t enjoy. I forced myself through it because I’m a Daredevil completist, but I haven’t read it again. I probably will someday, just to make sure I remember all of the key plot points, but… not yet.  

#Daredevil #Asks #Commentary #Recommendations List

[tyleroakley-obsessed]

Happy Friday, Memphis! It’s Halloween weekend, and there are a ton of spooky fun events listed at the bottom of this post and more info in this post. Aside from that, here are five more things you won’t want to miss this weekend. 1. River Arts Fest, South Main Arts District, Friday – Sunday, free Friday night / $5 Saturday and Sunday, free for kids under 10 During River Arts Fest, hundreds of local and national artists, craftsmen and bands pack the South Main Arts District for three days of vending, music, demonstrations and hands-on activities. It’s completely family friendly, and worth the price of admission, especially for the dozens of musical acts spread out on three stages. 2. Day of the Dead Fiesta, The Columns, Friday, 7 p.m., $65 at the door, 21 and up  This fall festival is a celebration of Latino culture, food, and fun, held this year at The Columns from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Friday October 27. Your $50 advanced ticket gets you entry, apps, and plenty of live entertainment. You can also purchase a $10 or $20 bar pass for beer, wine, and liquor. Don’t wear Halloween costumes; this isn’t a Halloween party. Do wear your snazziest black and white getups. 21+. 3. Tigers v. Tulane, Liberty Bowl, 7 p.m., ticket prices vary, all ages/kid-friendly Bundle up and grab your ponchos because the Tigers are playing at home tonight! Go Tigers Go! 4. Collage Dance Collective Fall Concert, Playhouse on the Square, Saturday 7:30 p.m. and Sunday 2:30 p.m., $25, all ages Collage Dance’s fall performances feature four works, including The Two Pigeons Pas De Deux and a few crowd favorites. Get cultured with the company’s “striking choreography reflecting the company’s classical sensibility coupled with its desire to push the boundaries of ballet.” 5. Halloween parties! While there are a ton of Halloween parties, there are three on Saturday night I want to call out specifically. A) Black Lodge Video is coming back and hosting a party in their future location at 430 N. Cleveland St. B) Sinners For Saints Ball is definitely the biggest party, taking over 345 Madison + Brinson’s + Tad’s Indoor Trailer Park; the $50 tix are totally worth it with all-you-can-drink plus food from Rizzo’s, Pete & Sam’s, BBQ Shop, Stanley BBQ, live music, and the proceeds benefit Church Health Center. C) Spaceface’s Hi-Tone party will have multiple bands in both rooms, food truck and activities outside, art vendors and an art installation; entry for the costume contest is a donation of menstruation supplies to Sister Supply. All Weekend (check links for exact days and times) – River Arts Fest – Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale – Zoo Boo at the Memphis Zoo – Wicked Ways Haunted House at 160 Cumberland – HauntedWeb of Horrors Haunted House at 2665 S. Perkins – Shelby Forest Trail of Terror/Harvest Fest – Mound City Arkansas Haunted Corn Maze – Shadowlands of Fear at Jones Orchard – Mid-South Haunted Corn Maze – Boos and Booze Haunted Party Bike Pub Crawls downtown – Collage Dance Collective Fall Dance Concerts Friday, October 27 18 – Ronald McDonald House Radiothon – Haunted Happenings at the Woodruff-Fontaine House – Spirits With The Spirits at Elmwood Cemetery – Festival of Fun and Fright at Bob Hailey Athletic Complex in Germantown – Day of the Dead Fiesta at The Columns – The Witch’s Dungeon Halloween Party at 1819 Madison – Whatever Dude’s Halloween Rocktackular at Murphy’s – Memphis Tigers v. Tulane Football game at the Liberty Bowl – Halloween Bash at Young Avenue Deli – South Main Trolley Night – Halloween/River Arts Edition – Memphis Meets Detroit Music Cities Convention at Bar DKDC – Camera at the Hi Tone – G. Alston Restaurant Grand Opening – Fall Fest and Movie in Rossville – Memphis Improv & Sketch Collective Show at Midtown Crossing Grill – Dock Party Concert at Ghost River Taproom – Stereo Joe at Stanley BBQ – Halloween Party at Two Rivers Bookstore Saturday, October 28  – Millington Farmer’s Market Fall Festival – Cooper Young Community Farmer’s Market Doogie-BOO-Looza Day at First Congo – Tech Camp Memphis 2017 at FedEx Institute of Technology – Trick or Beer at Mississippi Ale House – United Way Trunk or Treat – Shangri-LaLa Fest at Shangri-La Records – Shop Small Saturday at Ghost River – Rock ‘n’ Romp: It’s Alive! at Memphis Made Brewing – Hatti-Boo Haunted Theater at Hattiloo Theater – Front Porch Series: Jana Misner at Loflin Yard – Poleuminati at Rumba Room – Le Monster! Part Boo Reception at MCA – Memphis Grizzlies v. Houston Rockets at FedExForum – Wiseacre’s Symphonic Soiree at Wiseacre Brewing – Cocktails & Conversations w/ Young Art Patrons at GPAC – Memphis Symphony at the Cannon Center – Halloween Tini-Martin Tasting at D&S Gatherings – John Kilzer at Stanley BBQ – Halloween at Celtic Crossing – Loflin (Grave)yard at Loflin Yard – Elmwood Scandals & Scoundrels Tour  – Adams Family Halloween at Victorian Village – Flick-or-Treat at the Botanic Garden –  Alice in Daisyland Halloween w/ The Crystal Method at the New Daisy – Spaceface Halloween at the Hi-Tone – Rockhaven at Snowden Grove – Frightgarten at Railgarten –  Sinners For Saints III at 345 Madison Ave. Sunday, October 29  – Brunch at the BOO-ery + Sunday Evening Slowdown at Ghost River – Brunch Happy Hour and live music in the evening at all the Huey’s – Memphis Symphony Orchestra at GPAC – Front Porch Series: John Paul Keith at Loflin Yard – St. Jude Garden Harvest Dinner – Comfortable Food Festival at Overton Square – Flashback Band at Neil’s – Hell on Earth at Bar DKDC – Goatwhore & 1349 at the Hi Tone Are you a home owner in Memphis, with a broken garage door? Call ASAP garage door today at 901-461-0385 or checkout http://ift.tt/1B5z3Pc

http://ilovememphisblog.com/2017/10/5-things-to-do-this-weekend-1027-1029/

#I Love Memphis

[thedragonagelesbian]

1 (because I think I got here late and would love to know more about Cyrus Generally as well), 5, 26, and 31

1. Tell us about your Tav! Name, class and subclass, race, pronouns. Do you have a headcanon for where they're from? Their family? Are they a Dark Urge? Or did you choose an Origin Character? Was it an easy decision?

asdfkpofjsaf i know my cyrus posting is. inscrutable at times, especially since he was originally a Dragon Age 2 character, so here is the definitive primer on bg3!cyrus

Name: Cyrus Hawke

Race: Wood elf

Class (main timeline): Paladin in Act 1; Paladin/Barbarian multiclass for Acts 2 & 3

Subclass (main timeline): Devotion in Act 1; Oathbreaker/Wildheart (bear) for Acts 2 & 3

Class (came back wrong timeline): Paladin/Sorcerer

Subclass (came back wrong timeline): Devotion/Shadow (mod) in Act 1; not sure if he'll end up breaking his oath in the same way in Act 2, but the plan is to take most of his sorcerer levels in Act 2 since the shadow sorcerer mod has some fun mechanical interactions with the Shadowlands

Where are they/their family from: Cyrus was born to Leandra Amell, the runaway heiress of a noble family in Evermeet (Faerun's equivalent of Valinor, isolationist elven paradise), and Malcolm Hawke, an eladrin warlock who had scorned his archfey patron. Because Malcolm was being actively hunted by his patron, Cyrus was born and spent his earliest years on the road.

Malcolm was killed by his patron when Cyrus was quite young (<20, baby by elven standards), and Leandra passed away a few decades after that. At the time, Cyrus was still very much a juvenile for an elf despite (in accordance with D&D lore) looking like an adult by other humanoid standards. He ended up in Baldur's Gate immediately following his mother's death and spent ~50 years there as an orphan in the Lower City.

Cyrus self-identifies as a Baldurian, but his actual relationship with his hometown is much more complicated. When he lived there, he loved many of its people and wanted to protect them, whether from the opportunism of the Guild, the overreach of the Flaming Fists, or the cruel indifference of his orphanage's headmaster. But that sense of expectation and obligation, especially to the other orphans, was often strangling. Cyrus grew quite accustomed to sacrificing his own happiness and desires to take care of them.

When he saw his first opportunity to leave the city without feeling like he was abandoning people who needed him, he took it without hesitation.

Durge vs Origin: Cyrus is an origin character. I didn't even consider going Durge for him. From playing him in DA2 and spending basically the whole summer yelling about him, he was already a very well-established character in my mind, so I didn't really want/need the extra story and world tie-ins that durge offers.

I also knew pretty quickly that I wanted to play him, rather than coming up with a new OC. This is because he is my most specialist boy ever, but also because for my first playthrough, I wanted to get into the game itself, rather than spending too much time thinking about who this person is and what their connection to the world is.

5. Do you remember the first humanoid enemy your Character killed? Was it the first person they've ever killed, in your opinion? Would they have been bothered by it?

It was the looters in the cathedral right off the beach-- he persuaded the ones outside to fuck off, but failed the roll for the ones inside the building itself, and they were automatically hostile when I had Astarion pick the lock.

I think he was bothered by that particular set of deaths just because 80% of the time, he prefers to de-escalate and resolve situations peacefully... in those other 20% of cases, though, he is quick to draw blood. Threatening his friends, hurting innocents, and being a careless or cruel authority figure are all great ways to encounter the righteous paladin fury simmering behind that affable, easy smile.

So, no, it wasn't his first kill. I think that honor probably went to a bandit who attacked him and Leandra when they were traveling alone after Malcolm's death. It was very messy, poorly executed, and terrifying, leading to the scars Cyrus has on his cheek and throat. The encounter also drove him to learn swordplay and defense so he could be ready the next time around.

26. What was your favorite enemy? Did your Character have any memorable fights or moments in combat that were ripe for headcanons and interpretation?

Even if Cyrus smited Minthara into oblivion, I am fascinated by her and her women's wrongs and her evil paladin wiles, and I look forward to learning much more about her when I do a more morally dubious playthrough.

As for the second question... god, I wish I had a better answer! Bc I love this question and thinking through the relationship between combat mechanics and narrative, but... the Act 1 combats didn't have as much personal/emotional investment as Acts 2 & 3 for me. Also, because I was playing on explorer mode, those emergent moments of super close calls and near (or actual) deaths didn't happen very often.

When I do my paladin/sorcerer run though (on regular difficulty this time), I will be very curious to see when 'strength of the grave' triggers for the first time (drop to 1hp instead of 0 once per long rest). Violently flirting with the line between life and death is sure to be very stressful for him :)

31. Does your Character have new or old phobias or superstitions that affect their story?

This is super low-hanging fruit, but Cyrus is very sensitive to how his body is modified, so the whole tadpole situation is. Immensely yikes. He tries not to ever use the tadpole powers, even in benign instances such as sharing thoughts and feelings with companions. He'll only resort to it if he absolutely has to. If I remember correctly, the only times he used it in Act 1 were to free Shadowheart and to interfere with the goblins' interrogation of the dead mindflayer.

And, of course, the Dream Visitor's suggestion that he should be encouraging and inculcating these powers is politely but firmly rejected.

#cyrus bg3 #thank you <33333333333