Tumgik
#the Misfit Caravan
ironwingedhawk · 3 months
Text
Tumblr media
42 notes · View notes
Text
The titles of the next TWO books in The Tarot Sequence have been officially released!!!
The fourth book : The Misfit Caravan
The fifth book : The Dragons Rise
ALSO,
The Eidolon, a novella following Max, Quinn and Anna in a tie-in adventure from The Hourglass Throne has been officially announced!!
https://twitter.com/TheTwoGayGeeks/status/1533229994092158977?t=jt-UpzDalHZUstbuJC983A&s=19
Tumblr media
110 notes · View notes
themisfitthrone · 2 years
Text
Tumblr media
It's been a week since the release of The Hourglass Throne... which means book four is already taking up my entire brain. I made a little collage of vibes I'm anticipating for The Misfit Caravan.
27 notes · View notes
orpiknight · 11 months
Text
**Spoilers: The Hourglass Throne (+ the series thus far)**
So with Lord Tower gone and his seat vacant, there's a bit of a void in power. Can you imagine if his son, Dalton, comes back to try to fill it. If he has Arcana heir potential? He's not going to let his father's business and assets just sit there either, is he?
Did he care about his father? How is he as a person, now? He probably has a grudge against Rune and Brand. Especially Brand, who beat tf out of him and permanently damaged his face. Is he going to have an opinion about his father "going soft" or something in recent years? That the Tower admitted to feeling like a father to Rune and Brand? And to feeling that their [Sun Court adopted] kids were his grandchildren? He was making macaroni noodle art with Corbie, even.
Dalton's father, Arcana Lord Tower of the Dagger Throne, the ruthless interrogator and magnate? Macaroni art?
KD Edwards mentioned that Dalton was going to be a part of the series in the future. And I can see him as a potential problem.
Oh, the possible painful delicious conflict to come~
18 notes · View notes
sorchathered · 1 month
Text
Tumblr media
As you wish
Summary- Bob, Mickey and their girlfriends go on an adventure to the local renaissance faire, but how can Bob be expected to keep his hands or thoughts to himself when you look like the fairy princess of his wildest dreams?
Pairing- Robert “Bob” Floyd x reader
Warnings- language, drinking, smut, knife play if you squint.
Tumblr media
It was probably the hottest day of the summer, but that hadn’t deterred any of you from gearing up in your painstakingly hand crafted costumes and caravanning down the highway to Escondido for the Renaissance festival. Fanboy and his girlfriend and you and your newly minted fiancée Robert Floyd had been playing dnd with a group in Coronado for about 2 years now, that’s how all of you had met. You were putting signs up for the new campaign at the library, and Bob happened upon the prettiest girl he’d ever seen, feet carrying him to the bulletin board before his brain caught up with what he was doing. He’d been shy but charming, and you had enthusiastically convinced him to join your group later in the week to try it out. He’d never played before but he new for sure that Mickey had, so with a little (a lot) of begging and promises to buy his beers at the Hard Deck that weekend, the both of them turned up at the community center in Coronado to join the band of misfits they would soon call a second family.
It had turned out to be the best decision he’d ever made if he was honest, the two of you had gone out for coffee after the first meeting and had been inseparable ever since. Two years later and he would follow you anywhere, you were quite literally like a fairy, full of bright energy, quick witted and downright ethereal with your wide shining eyes and angelic features, he truly didn’t know how he had gotten so lucky. You’d kept your costume a secret all month, carefully curating little bits and pieces and as you crossed the threshold into your bedroom he had the thought to just stay home and ravish you all day. A beautiful green peasant dress was split at the hip, the skirt frilly and flowing down past your knees, with a beautiful laced up corset starting at your waist and pushing your cleavage impossibly high on your chest, he was definitely salivating and couldn’t seem to snap out of his trance until you skipped over and tapped his nose. “Hmm? What? I’m sorry baby, what did you say?” He wasn’t subtle at all and you giggled as you leaned into him to pepper kisses along his cheeks and slotting yourself between his thighs. “I take it you like what you see my strong, powerful warlock…buuuut I don’t think we have time for what you have in mind so get dressed handsome it’s time to go!” You say with a laugh as you step out of his arms and skitter down the hall with a cackle. Good Lord, he was going to lose his mind watching you all day, as he heaved himself off the bed he heard you holler down the hallway, “oh and baby just wait until you see my wings!” He groaned again at the thought and trudged to the bathroom to take an ice cold shower, grumbling about his temptress fairy princess and how he’d rather stay home.
You couldn’t have had a better time if you tried, somehow you and Mickey’s girlfriend Lana had convinced the boys to dress up as well, and you both had to admit there was something to be said about watching them walk around in billowy shirts looking like they’d just stepped out of a Tolkien novel. The boys were having the time of their lives, drinking ale from giant wooden tankards and consuming their weight in turkey legs, while the two of you girls bought glittery potion bottles and crystal necklaces from the local vendors. Finally heading home as the sun went down you peeked through the rear view at the drunken rogue and warlock passed out in your backseat and giggled, you just hoped Bob would be alert enough for what you had planned for the evening when you got home.
After safely depositing Lana and Mickey at home, your knight in shining armor clambered into the front seat, bright eyes full of mirth as he looked you over, his fingers had been itching to loosen your corset strings all day and if he was honest he was a little hard at the thought of letting you ride him with nothing but your fairy wings on. You fortunately were on the same page, impatiently ushering him through the doorway and down the hall as you groped at him and sucked on his tongue, you’d always wanted to role play as your characters but had been too scared to ask, but now looking at Bob’s flushed cheeks as he toyed with the laces of your corset you knew he was absolutely into this.
“Can I help you handsome? See something you like?” You said as you turned in his arms, looking up at him through your lashes and rubbing your body all over his. “Fu- I- I see a lot of things that I like my lady, think you should show me what’s hiding under this gown, can’t be too careful can I? Fairies are known for their trickery.” He says as he leans in to suck a mark behind your ear and begins unlacing your corset, tantalizingly slow as he continues to nibble at your neck and collarbone, nimble fingers untangling the laces and smoothing over exposed skin as your dress begins to loosen and slip from your frame. “I don’t know what you mean sir, we fairies are a peaceful lot, I would be a fool to try and get the upper hand on such a strong, powerful warlock such as you” you say with a cheeky grin, sliding the dagger you’d bought today from your thigh holster and pressing it into his side. “Hmmf, exactly like I said, tricky business dealing with fairies” he huffed out a laugh and raised his hands, letting you lower him to his knees in front of you. You switched to your normal voice as you lifted his chin, stroking the stubble that you always loved him to have on the weekends. “What’s your color baby?” “Green, so so fucking green, You’re a dream come true you know that?” He said as he smoothed calloused palms across the back of your thighs, taking your thumb into his mouth and sucking it, drawing a whimper from you as you nodded furiously at him.
“If you wanted to check me for weapons all you needed to do was ask, but since I have you on your knees, why don’t you put that smart mouth to task on something useful” you said you hooked your leg over his shoulder and pulled him close to your core, as fun as the banter had been you were wound up and needed him to touch you. He ran his nose along your underwear, teasing you with little nips to the side of your thighs and pulled back to look at you again, disappointment crossed your features and he chuckled and pinched your ass from under your skirt. “I think you might want to roll for persuasion sweetheart, I could draw this out a little longer if I’m honest, but I wouldn’t be opposed to you begging for it.” You blinked down at him a little stunned, that cocky son of a bitch, he knew exactly how to play you. “Oh- oh that’s mean. Fine. Give me your dice then, I know you bought new ones today.” He definitely did buy a new set today, and he would be lying if this wasn’t absolutely hilarious to him so he pulled them from his pocket and placed them in your hand, throwing his head back and laughing at the irritated look on your face as you shook the dice and tossed them at his feet. “Ha! D20! You heard me Warlock, put that silver tongue of yours to good use or I’ll cut your throat where you stand.”
You feigned irritation but you’d get what you wanted, you both knew he’d never tell you no anyways, he ran his hands over your thighs again and began to slide your underwear down your legs, letting it dangle off the leg hanging from his shoulder and set to work, licking a stripe through your folds as he looked at you with his piercing blue eyes. Fuck he was always so good at this, eating at you in earnest as you ground against his face and tugged his hair, making out with your cunt and moaning into you like it was the best thing he’d ever tasted. “Oh, oh fuck I’m there just like that” you breathed out and came hard on his tongue, he didn’t stop until you were overstimulated and pushing at him to stop, wiping his mouth on his sleeve and pulling himself up to grope your chest and kiss you. “What do you want my sweet fairy princess? I’m at your service my love.” “Want you to fuck me, need you inside me, claim me.” He was pretty sure you were trying to kill him, it wasn’t even his birthday and you were giving him his wildest dreams, he pulled the rest of your dress and corset off as you clawed at his shirt and pants trying to strip him down to nothing. Finally free of clothes his eyes roamed over you, you were perfect in every way but he still couldn’t get that one thought out of his head so he stepped around you to grab the wings you’d dropped and held them in front of you. “Can’t get it out of my head, what do you think baby? Ride me with the wings on?” He had the gall to look a little sheepish as his cheeks heated up, you’d never get over just how damn cute he was, he could be downright filthy but this is somehow what caused him to get shy on you. You slipped your arms through the holes and shoved him backwards into the bed climbing onto him and sliding his hard cock into you, rocking slowly with him as he sucked on your chest, pulling a nipple into his mouth as you cried out, oh God were you close again already? Shit maybe you two needed to start doing this more often, you felt like you were buzzing with electricity with every thrust, the small thatch of hairs at the base of him grazing your clit deliciously as you came hard for the second time, sending him tumbling over the edge with you as his teeth sank down into the juncture of your neck, painting your walls with his spend.
He made to roll you onto your back but you made him wait, your wings were expensive and you didn’t want him to crush them, so you slid them off and let them hit the floor, rolling him on top of you as you continued to kiss lazily. “Damn this could be a problem” he said with a grin and you looked up at him puzzled, “how am I ever supposed to go to dnd on Fridays with you when all I can think about is you rolling a d20 so I’d eat you out.” You both couldn’t stop your giggles, and when Friday rolled around and your DM suggested Bob roll for persuasion, you couldn’t help but giggle and wink at him, thinking about taking him home and donning your pretty wings for him again and how it should definitely become a regular event.
————————————————————————
Divider by- @strangergraphics
Tagging- @attapullman @mamamaystbr @mamachasesmayhem @bobgasm @roosterforme @withahappyrefrain @floydsglasses @sebsxphia @pinkdaisies9285 @hangmansgbaby @sugarcoated-lame @teacupsandtopgun
146 notes · View notes
thisisnotthenerd · 4 months
Text
and the other half of round two, the sidequests!
feel free to give reasoning/propaganda as you like!
the intrepid heroes poll
quick episode descriptions:
volcano of violence: all of the lotr parallels in one place. leiland being a cringefail after casting circle of death. markus negotiating with an eagle. the combination of grasping web and reverse gravity. balloon elf. sokhbarr raising the lava mog. the concept of galfast hamhead. efink facing her father and husband and beign conflicted
the great chase: caravan chase, mad max style on the teenager's bed. ti wants to blow up the boy. car-go and bean are remarkably effective. boomer is a boarding party. jizz balloons. lots of toy vehicles. car-go transforms with felix inside.
the horizon beyond the squall: marcid attacking a chimney. you wrote a whole song just to be mean to me. cheese, prince bitch. no kings for this captain. nat 20 medicine check to revive myrtle. destroy undead. beating a motherfucker with another motherfucker. bob's inflict wounds. ending with cheese getting a ship and the buccaneer buddies sailing off.
unfinished business: splitting up to resolve the mystery. buckster's legendary nat 20 persuasion to give advantage on stealth. daisy and the vicar sneaking in. sylvester failing at climbing the tower. lars killing the constable and pretending to be a ghost for lucretia. gangie and the vicar undulating. daisy and sylvester simultaneously arriving. shitting out of a window to "provide a cushion". daisy getting her story with sylvester's help. gangie falling into mrs. molesly's room. sylvester almost dying but getting a nat 20 death save with buckster's help. a wedding and bacchanal.
we're the heroes: one of these things is not like the others. collecting the bag of socks. jammer crying about weights. sam and philtrum. dates at the questing beast. the tournament. dream's cinderella moment. where did those mice get lithium. you don't get wet fire. i disavow you. what do you want me to tell your family. he had enough. blast him to the underworld. you can gps a phone. my girl just glinda'd your ass! that's some american magic, bitch! evan and dream lock up tallulah's wand in an orb.
i fucking love you: no one is surprised. incendiary cloud. OSTENTATIA'S DIVINE INTERVENTION ON A 19. god wants a bag from ostentatia. antiope will not submit. penny texts i'm in. nta 20 counterspell on finger of death. nonna wallace approves. katja trips a snake. i didn't even know you could trip a snake. antiope's incredible action surge turn that ends with showing her ass. sam is power word killed. that's my sister. danielle channels anima. revivify. bringing talura through the doorway in death. ending with graduation and 'take us to the book!'.
waylaid by werewolves: the werewolves are girls. zarb mini with six buttholes. chewing gum mist. fifi. shooting through the flamethrower. losing dracula. drago was the star. fifi becomes a werewolf. reading a letter in the middle of battle. florina under the carriage. enraged frenzy. i've heard of a cat scan. i make the horse fly. something seems very familiar about her. the dog is my wife! izzy holds with disappointment. a monster has been eating my letters to you.
duel on the southern lawn: rumor phase. rue writes the letter and commands wuvvy to burn it. i drank tea and went to bed. letter to wrackingspelt. rue's assistant. hob getting clocked by rue. wuvvy demanding satisfaction. andhera demanding satisfaction. wet wrestling. this is the biggest stretch of a fuckin' lifetime. nat 20 to be a slippy boy. hoisting andhera up by his taut cotton pants. accepting the hand of friendship.
yonder where the fruit do be lyin': quichei. deli's perception roll. raphaniel as a youth pastor. giant radish head. colin is covered in blue. extremely realistic fake orange. rick perry, you dog. silence. queen's losing it. raphaniel gets the orange down. banana boat guy. come on provolone! deli attacks queen pamela rocks. subtle spell shatter in the carriage. brennan kills pamela rocks again. you died for nothing. chasing and murdering the mushroom guy.
in the heart of death: brennan walks jujubee through an optimized turn. 49 damage immediately. troyánn slips. keekee starts falling. scorching ray. the devil works hard, but d20 works harder. buddy bear shoves zaria into the pit. lightning javelin in the titty. fireball. princess does like 70 damage and pushed kerwyn into the abyss. troyánn goes down. princess gets keena. nat 20 counterspell. twyla crits on morgan to end the battle.
case closed: the party converges on oblongata station once more. they're facing down the don and madam loathing, who can turn them against each other. imelda and dan flash the gangsters to wildly differing results. ivana rolls a 59 on hunch and he still comes back. elias punches his boss. dan goes down. the fix eats the key. conrad rolls a 57 [the number of heinz varieties] to bring down madam loathing. elias steals a birthday cake and runs out into the street, gets a date and reconciles his childhood trauma as he goes into witness protection.
evolution & revolution: warning the populace. pitching scam calls. driving the truck. phoebe is jaegering dr. wenabocker in a very gross maxi. the ground collapses. revenants are charmed. viola is very efficient. thorn calls lightning. tula attacks her son for 67 damage. ava attacks the groun for 109 damage and a long rest. jaysohn gets phoebe. lila fireballs. viola crits twice and kills one guy with paladin/fighter shenanigans and then kills the rest by kicking the trigger of a gun and hitting a gas tank. tula heals jaysohn, lukas, and herself a little bit. battle is over in 1.33 rounds.
82 notes · View notes
logarithmicpanda · 4 months
Text
24 in 2024
@asexualbookbird tagged me, thanks!
I'll just do a neat 8-8-8 hehe
Physical backlog
New releases
Library books
A Restless Truth by Freya Marske
All the Hidden Paths by Fox Meadows
The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard
Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah
The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard
Shadow Baron by Davina Evans
The River of Silver by Shannon Chakraborty
Ombria in Shadows by Patricia McKillip
Mislaid in Parts Half Known by Seanan McGuire
Oathbound by Tracy Deonn
The Misfit Caravan by K.D. Edwards
The Brides of High Hill by Ngi Vo
Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco
The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black
Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland
Lake of Souls by Ann Leckie
In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune
A Garden Half Built by Ruthanna Emrys
Thornedge by T. Kingfisher
Starless by Jaqueline Carey
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
Next Year For Sure by Zoey Leigh Peterson
God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert
Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons
Tagging @the-lightbulb-and-the-octopus @blueberreads and @howlsmovinglibrary if you feel like it!
20 notes · View notes
dailyoriginalcharacter · 10 months
Text
Tumblr media
Once a member of a ragtag group of misfit pirates, Eror awoke on the shore of a mysterious land without his right eye and with a gray streak in his hair after what was assumed to be a massive storm wrecked his ship. Upon searching for his lost friends, things took an unexpected turn when he discovered no one can recall them.
Learn more about Eror at @teamyell and his page on my OC website
Born into a family of wealthy executives, Eror’s life had been meticulously planned for him long before his conception. Both his parents were devout believers in the ideal that one’s destiny is laid out for them from the moment they are brought into existence. Needless to say, it was a shock to everyone when their only child was proclaimed to have been born under a “black star”, an eclipse; an unmistakable omen of ill fate.
With the burden of taking over their family’s business loomed above him at all times as well as a lingering reputation as a walking bad luck charm, Eror struggled to keep up with their family’s sky high expectations. For their entire childhood, this inadequacy was constantly thrown into his face and used to try and pressure them to do better. But all Eror dreamt of was a quiet life, where he could simply exist in peace without all the rules and obligations.
As much as Eror tried to be the perfect child, they found that from the start they were always doomed to fail. As this became clearer to him, his faith in the gods began to wane. Eventually, things reached a boiling point during a particularly heated argument with his father. Years of pent-up rage rose to the surface, resulting in a blinding burst of light which rendered their father unconscious.
Panicked, they fled the estate, taking refuge in a trading caravan headed towards a port city. There, he found himself spontaneously recruited into a crew of pirates. Finding himself able to live freely for the first time in their life, Eror slowly warmed up to his newfound family as they taught him the ropes.
One day, tasked with smuggling a strange artifact to a specific location, an eclipse shadowed the sky as the ship was sunk. An unknown period of time later, Eror awoke on the shore, where he discovered no one could remember him or his crew.
eror is a character i created a couple years ago with the intention of playing him in a dnd campaign! while i did get the chance to do so on a miniseries that was livestreamed, i keep coming back to them because i LOVE their backstory and design so much.
Tumblr media
the inspiration behind his entire concept is the tarot card The Tower. The Tower typically represents a very strong force of change uprooting you and sending you for a loop. essentially, the “tower” of comfort and protection you’ve built up around you crumbling to pieces.
i also designed their pirate crew too!
Tumblr media
SOLANE:
The supposedly no-nonsense captain of the ship. Once you are around her for a little while, it becomes clear that she’s actually softer than she looks. She’s fond of taking in underdogs, so her crew is typically known for being a ragtag group of weirdos.
KHES:
Solane’s second in command, quartermaster and gunner, she’s the one that keeps everyone on task at the end of the day. Doesn’t speak much (if at all) but those muscles speak for themselves.
JERICHO:
The navigator of the ship, he’s fascinated by the stars and the night sky. You can catch him gazing through his telescope most nights. He dreams of being a world-renowned astronomer someday. The others like to poke fun at him for being the (physically) weakest crewmember. 
MATTHEW:
The carpenter, they are of the mindset that actions always speak louder than words. They have a very “work hard, play harder” sort of attitude, and can be weak to the vices of the city. (Mainly women and drinking.)
17 notes · View notes
ironwingedhawk · 3 months
Text
People in The Tarot Sequence I absolutely don't trust going forward:
-Queenie
-Warren Saint Anthony
10 notes · View notes
luminarily · 11 months
Text
I'm conspiracy theoring but:
1. Queenie has no personality, we don't know where she comes from, it's interesting that two struggling guys afford a live in housekeeper
2. Queenie is addressed in eidolon (tbr once i figure out kindle)
3. KDE mentioned that there is a major plot point that is mentioned in eidolon that will be coming down on rune soon in misfit caravan
4. There is a female voice who talks to rune during his arcana majeure timetravel, and a female person who talks to the tower at his wake. To be able to do the first means tht they have power to access rune, the second means that either they're powerful enough to be unnoticed or they're supposed to be there
5. If Queenie comes from nowhere and is just. Accepted. Then it's possible she is powerful enough to influence people, the way lady time could
Which draws me to my conclusion: Queenie (female, unknown origins, allied with Sun) and the Female Voice (female, unknown origins, not hostile to Sun) could be the same person.
Further speculation i did think that dead mom is a really interesting cliche move to pull for someone so invested in wellrounded and kickass characters of all genders, and i do wonder what happened to her. I originally thought that the female voice was the mom tbh.
20 notes · View notes
silvery-bluish · 7 months
Note
I have bg3 brain, so if it inspires perhaps “20. bandaging/stitching up an injury” for Ris?
oh wow it's been almost two months since u asked this huh. whoops. official First Publicly Placed Ris Prose, still working out character voice for both My Guy and how to write the canon characters!
Wordcount: 411
Contents: Early Act 1. Wyll and Ris, getting to know each other. Local College of Swords bard incapable of staying out of the front line.
20. bandaging/stitching up an injury
“You’re more inclined to jump into the fray than most bards I’ve known,” Wyll says, and Ris laughs. 
They don’t quite need the slice on their arm cauterized, so Karlach wouldn’t be much help, and Astarion had absented himself. Well. Whatever. Wyll’s willing (hah) enough to give them a hand. Cleaning it with gentler hands than they’d expected, damp cloth coming away red before he moves to pulling out bandages. Not a deep enough cut to need stitches, luckily.
“I don’t exactly see the point of hanging back,” Ris says, with a shrug. “I’m handy with a blade, I’m not fragile. Another scar to the collection isn’t the worst thing. Might as well put myself where I’m needed.” 
A smile at that, and, “I can understand that.” A longer pause, as Wyll winds pale cloth around their arm. Striking against the purple of their skin. “You’re no stranger to a fight, though, even before this whole adventure.”
“Oh, no. I know I said I was born in Baldur’s Gate but. I’d left long before this whole mess. Worked as a sailor, at first, then a caravan guard.” Ris glides over the in-between and the timeline, for now. Stories for later. “Blade and song has served me well, and my bard training has been a little slapdash, I suppose, but I’m of the opinion that I’m pretty good at it.” A rueful smile. “Tadpoles aside, we haven’t quite managed consistent teamwork yet. But we’ll get there.”
“It’s been a while since I worked with a team,” Wyll admits, as he’s tying off the bandage. “Not as more than a temporary situation. Traveling with a group hasn’t been the lot of the Blade, so far.”
“Lucky for you that I’m great at that,” Ris laughs, testing the motion of their arm. Good enough, and it’s their offhand anyway. “Worked with a few… mismatched personalities, over the years.”
“Certainly a skill we’ll need, with this group.” They’ve pried a smile out of Wyll, too, sweet and sincere. He’s been a steadying presence, with this group of misfits. They’re grateful for it. 
“We should get going, though. This’ll hold until we get back to camp,” Ris says, raising their arm slightly, and they rise, offering Wyll their other hand to haul him up too. “Want to go see what the others got into?”
“May as well,” he replies, taking their hand, and they share another smile before heading towards the distant sound of Karlach’s voice.
8 notes · View notes
razzberrydazz · 5 months
Text
Time to ramble on about my Durge OC Ranarox's backstory of before and after they became the head of the Bhaalist cult! Content warning for death and violence obviously, this is the child of a murder god after all. I enjoyed writing this out finally. Also, mild DurgeTash mention, I love that sleazy man.
TW for mentioned animal cruelty and death, blood and gore, suicidal ideation, dissociation, BG3 spoilers, listen this is a Bhaalspawn they are not gonna have a nice happy backstory. DLDR.
The Bhaalspawn was found swaddled in a basket in the middle of a dying forest fire, the flames miraculously having not scorched the poor child (in fact it appears as if the flames originated From the child in how those flames spread). Though smoke choked the several unfortunate souls who stumbled upon the child, the babe slept peacefully through the smoke and ash. They looked just old enough to have been weaned, with no sign of possible parents. There is no note, no mention of family, no sign of where this child could have come from.
Not wanting to leave the child for dead, those that discovered the basket carried the child away from the fire and the forest and back towards their caravan. They were a traveling circus troupe - The Raucous Rooks - made up of adventurous misfits and runaways who lived on the road and lived to delight the crowds they attracted.
After unwrapping the babe and cleaning the ash off their face, they determined the child must be a drow. Strange. Usually they'd assume drow would just kill a child outright instead of leave it to die in the wilds like this, but it's not completely out of the question. Luckily there is one drow in the troupe, a seldarine drow, a kindly woman called Rox La'Rouge who took it upon herself to raise the child as her own. She named the babe Rana, an easy name to say, for ease of calling for them when they're needed.
As Rana grew old enough to walk and speak, Rox and the rest of the troupe taught them various skills to perform in the circus - juggling, balancing plates on sticks, cartwheels, tightrope walking, the like. Rana basked in the praise they got from every stunt they successfully pulled off. All Rana wanted was to make Rox and the ringleader Rook happy, and every time they displeased their found family they felt like scum of the earth. The ringleader was hard to please.
They were a courageous kid - perhaps overly so - as they always wandered into places they shouldn't be and got scrapes and bruises from climbing to where they shouldn't go. Rox had to save Rana from being the troupe's pet displacer beast's dinner on more than one occasion. Rana was convinced they could make the kitty like them enough to let them pet them, despite it all.
When they were old enough to confidently walk the tightrope, the ringleader Rook Haven added them to the official circus act, and with each subsequent performance their stunts got more dangerous. From tightrope walking, to sword swallowing, to juggling flaming clubs, to running across red-hot coals without burning their feet.
Rox La'Rouge the acrobat and Rook Haven the ringleader were the closest thing to parents that Rana had.
Rana was a daredevil and delighted in the challenge, though their adopted mother Rox worries endlessly something would go wrong.
Something went wrong all right.
The circus had stopped just outside of Rivington - where most circuses stop to perform near Baldur's Gate - and Rana was preparing to do their most daring stunt yet. Only 12 years old, and they were planning to do a trapese act through flaming hoops and land on the back of Chewy the Displacer Beast and ride her onto a rolling ball to balance them across some red-hot coals then land safely on the other side. Turns out Rana did succeed in befriending the beast.
There was a fairly new recruit to the troupe, a brash high elf man called Pirello who worshipped Shevarash and looked down upon Rana due to them being a drow. For months he taunted and bullied and antagonized Rana for their perceived heritage, wishing death upon them but just out of earshot of the ringleader so as to not get in trouble. His ire made Rana's blood boil. It awakened a deep bloodlust in them that they hadn't fully felt before. They don't remember that as a toddler, they were caught and scolded numerous times for hurting small animals they found near their camp, or for their brief fixation on ripping wings off of bugs, or that their affinity for sharp objects is why they were always delegated to balancing stunts instead of more dangerous acts like knife-throwing.
During Rana's first attempt at their latest act in front of a live audience, Pirello sabotaged it, and the ball Chewy was meant to land on rolled away before she could get onto it. The beast howled in pain as the coals burned her paws, and Rana fell off her back as she dashed off the platform towards the exit flaps of the tent. The crowd broke out in panic and screams as the distressed displacer beast growled and roared at anyone who got close, and Rana screamed out in agony as they fell onto the glowing coals. Their skin sizzled, smoke searing their eyes, Rana forced themself to their feet and with all their strength jumped off the platform and dashed to get to Chewy.
"Chewy, please, it was an accident, I'll get your paws healed I promise! Chewy-"
Rana's pleas to calm the beast are interrupted by its claws lashing out and clawing them in the face, piercing their right eye enough that it oozed dark blood and strange blackness down their face. They were not a normal child. The scleras of their eyes turned black as the red of blood rage and death consumed them. The overlapping stampede and yells of the absconding crowd deafened any reason left in them as they made eye contact with Pirello, grinning cruelly at them from across the tent. Then all black.
Rana didn't realize what happened until they were blinking the blood out of their remaining good eye and realizing they taste blood on their tongue. They were definitely in shock. As their vision cleared, what came into focus was their hands and arms covered in blood and half-submerged in that damned half-elf's chest cavity. His face brutalized, eyes gouged out with little fingers, small nails clawed through his skin, childish teeth had tore through his teeth and neck. The blood was still gushing from his exposed artery, though it was clear he was no longer alive. Rana felt the sickening squelch of flesh and sinews in their hands, and looked down to see they had torn his ribs and heart apart. The gleam of the blood and guts hid the still hissing burns on their hands. Their heart was pounding in their head.
Dimly they heard screaming, clearly directed at them, but they for some reason did not care. The scene felt so far away. This can't be real. This has to be a dream, right? They look over to see Chewy, lying dead, having been impaled by a guard's spear for attacking the audience. The blood pounding in Rana's head drowns out the surrounding sounds again, the red is creeping in. This has to be a nightmare. This can't be happening!!!
Numbly, as if they were watching themself act in third person, Rana got up from kneeling beside Pirello and pulled their hands out of his chest. Metal gleams in their bloodied hands. A knife? When did they find a knife? Ah, Pirello's sheathe on his belt is empty, it was his knife.
Rana blankly walks towards the slumped body of their beloved Chewy, paying no mind to the screaming and adults waving to get away or brandishing weapons to threaten them. Rana sees themself point the knife at chewy, then at the guard now pointing a spear at them and yelling for them to freeze, then in a blur they're running at the guard with the knife - someone runs to intervene! The knife finds purchase with taut muscle and supple flesh, blood sails through the air in a glittering symphony of pain. The knife found itself in the belly of not the guard, but of Rana's mother, Rox. The scene comes in and out of focus as Rana stares dumbly up at Rox, who clutches at the dagger and falls to her knees and reaches to grab Rana's shoulder, her mouth open in a silent scream. Pain, confusion, betrayal, and agony cloud her teary eyes. The blood soaking her blouse is such a pretty shade of red.
In the back of their mind, Rana is screaming at themself to move, act, do something to stop the bleeding, to save their mom from this fate of bleeding out. Please. Please don't die!!!
But that is not what their body does. No, instead, their hand finds the grip of the knife again and pushes further, deeper, tearing more flesh and pouring more blood onto their sinful fingers.
Their mother's face contorts in agony, she doesn't know why this is happening, why is her happy daredevil child doing this to her?!?! She never gets an answer. Rana's teeth meet wailing flesh and bury deep in the contorting muscles of the neck, the hot bright water of life gushing onto their face and pooling in their torn right eye socket. It's horrifying. It's thrilling. It's disgusting. It's....familiar. The red. It seeps deeper into their vision until it is all they see, all they feel. Red. Blood red.
-
Laughter breaks them out of the bloodlust stupor, then slow clapping. Rana uses their sleeve to wipe the blood out of their eye to see the scene has shifted, time has passed, the guard and ringleader and the rest of the troupe lie dead in the tent, their hands missing and in a pile all at Rana's feet. Several shrouded figures make their way around the perimeter wearing decor of blood and bones, bone-wrought daggers glinting in their hands. Emblazoned on their chests and backs is a bloody symbol of a skull surrounded by blood droplets.
The clapping comes from a peculiar imp-like man, with a hooked beak of a nose and strange hat with a snake skeleton clinging to the rim. A gross, disgusting, vile creature, spittle clinging to his thin lips as he smiled at the both horrified and rage- numbed child. "I was wondering when you would finally wake up, master! Oh, it is so good to finally meet you! Of course I will make all the arrangements for your room and board, your father is so happy you have finally realized your potential!"
"My.....father.......?" Rana's voice feels foreign in their blood-slick throat. Scratchy, low, gravel, the innocence of their youth lost in an instant. Still they yell in the back of their mind fruitlessly as they watch their body shuffle towards the imp man, bloodied knife still in their hands. No matter how hard they try, the red has taken over, and they can't swim out of it back to their own body again. What manner of being is this? Are they a puppet to some murderous guile? To some Dark Urge that bewitches them?
The imp hums excitedly as he leads them away, the other shrouded figures falling in step behind them reverently.
"Yes, your father! He is very happy to see you, to see you've finally made contact with your most unholy lineage! Your father Bhaal, of course! You will do well to please him, my lord! You mean the world to him!"
Nothing is making sense. Bhaal? The Lord of Murder?!?! Rana thought they had no true parents, they were abandoned in a forest! Their 'father' was Rook, and Rook was dead with the rest of the troupe! Their parents were dead....by their own hand. Even though they don't remember all the events, they inexplicably know They did it. Oh gods.
Revulsion and nausea coil up in their chest, and finally the red cleared enough for them to move without the strange puppeteering violence-fueled numbness. Rana throws the dagger away and falls to the ground clutching their head, their body wracked with sobs.
"Nononononono! That's not my father! Get away from me! Get away get away get away!" Rana screamed in vain and the childish pitch of their voice returned. The imp merely tutted in disapproval, and with a cry of dismay and fear Rana found themself being carried off by the two shrouded men behind them.
"Tut tut tut, I should have expected it would not be so easy. No matter, in due time you will see life through your father's eyes. Murder runs in your veins, dear one, and you will do well to embrace it!" The imp leads the shrouded men off, as Rana writhes and squirms in vain in their vice grip.
-
Forced down into the bowels of the earth, into the temple of Bhaal, where Rana was kept as its captive and its caretaker. They refuse to forget their family, or what they had done. Named themself Ranarox La'Rouge, to forever hold vigil and memorial to their mother whose life they stole.
Daily did the imp appear, and command Rana do unspeakable atrocities, and daily did Rana reject his suggestions or enact violence on the imp to shut him up. Even after ripping his bony arms off and cutting his tongue out and pounding the imp into fleshy mulch, he would reappear fully intact the next day to tutor the unfortunate Bhaalspawn. Each day the red would skirt around their vision, threatening to take over, and each time Rana would fight the red with all their might and send the pain below.
Each day the fight got harder and harder, and their resolve grew smaller and smaller. Until one day the red never left. They learned to relish the blood and gore they left in their wake, the pain and agony they caused, even the agony they felt when punished for disobeying their father's wishes. Pain became home. Blood was their only respite.
-
Rana met Gortash in their thirties, after they had made an accomplished assassin and brutalizer of themself in Bhaal's name. The voice of little daredevil circus troupe Rana had slept dormant for years after the red took over their vision. But something about this sleazy, dark haired man makes that small voice stir. The red fades ever so slightly when they talk to him, when they plot with him. They might not see clearly entirely, but they see clearer than they did before. The fog lifts much like it did when they escaped from a misadventure in Barovia several years prior.
He told them he'll fashion them a new eye to fill the empty socket in their head, as a token of his affection. He told Rana that they would rule the world together. Rana told him they would save him for the last, they would cherish his presence until the very last moment. They had forgotten what love felt like, but perhaps they almost felt that for the dastardly Baneite that stole the Crown of Karsus with them. They certainly held no love towards the other Bhaalists, who either prostrated with blind reverence or plotted their death in jealous envy.
Rana knew Orin was jealous, was plotting. Rana did not care. The red had seeped away from their vision enough for them to see, after Gortash gave them a new eye, and they saw the horrors they had unleashed. They were better off dead than causing more death.
If only Orin had actually finished the job instead of letting them live in their idiotic state.
-
Eating the Noblestalk bought from the Bonecloaks shop, didn't bring everything back, but it brought enough. The red was chased away from the edges of Rana's vision to be replaced with astonishing clarity. And horror. They've done so, so many horrible things, and enjoyed it. Even now they still find pleasure in pain. Though with the red gone, it is more their own pain they delight in, less so the pain of others. They deserve to bleed for what they have done.
Astarion is more than happy to use them as his blood bank, but that's not enough. Rana wants every last drop of murderous blood in their veins drained. They want nothing to do with that lord of murder that burned away their childhood and willpower.
Lucky for them, renouncing him at every turn rewarded them with such. Oh how they craved sweet oblivion, only for that damned scribe to bring them back. Dammit! They feel like a little kid again, having accidentally trapped themself in Chewy's cage during cleaning time. Chewy isn't here anymore, but the blood and detritus must be cleaned from the cold metal bars. They must clean up the blood soaked bars of their own life or die trying. For their sake, for their dead troupe's sake, for Shadowheart and Astarion and Lae'Zel and Karlach and Wyll's and Gale's sakes, for all their new friend's sakes, for Baldur's Gate, for the world.
Rana may not think themself a hero, but by the hells, they're trying to be.
(AO3 version below)
4 notes · View notes
pixeljade · 10 months
Text
Of course if Bethesda hired ME, i could write them the greatest Fallout game of all time, set in the midwest (around Ohio/Detroit area), an area known as the Cornwastes, about 40 years after FO4. The region has been, since the Great War, basically unliveable due to deadly radioactive tornadoes, but those have begun to die down, and settlers from the East have begun to reclaim the region. Your only character story is that youve come along on a caravan, and you get to choose if thats because you're seeking a fortune on the new frontier, running away from a past, etc. The main story would actually change based on what you choose at the start, with a secondary villain based on that choice.
There would be a faction of ghouls who survived the deadly weather in the region, who claim it as their own land that smoothskins are taking from them. Many of them have taken to violence to control it, calling themselves the Ghoul Liberation Fronf. There's also a group of sapient mirelurks to the north, by the great lakes, who live in a tribal, agrarian society, which seems almost idyllic...but not very fond of outsiders. Of course the settlers have their factions as well; a group of Synths who would like not only to settle down in a place thats bigger than their previous hiding holdouts, but also hope to find a new technology to shape their future. There's a merchant guild from around D.C. wastes which has plots to establish a trading path with the west coast, but who seem to be exploiting their workers. Then there's the raiders, who have finally begun updating their playbook after success at Nuka-world and The Pitt. Now they have something close to organized crime, and they're working directly with the laborers moving into the area.
There's also of course a burgeoning government...a confederation of different regions across the east coast, who have allied with the leaders from the Cornwastes, with little more than power plays keeping it intact. Each region has their own laws, and their own military, but must allow free travel and commerce amongst the citizenry. This results in a lot of friction between the sectors, with military from each sector often exploiting other sectors citizens near the borders. The actual confederated government does nothing to stop these scuffles, being led currently by the same man who founded the Merchants Guild, whose only goal is his own enrichment. Overall, the three factions you see out of this government in the Cornwastes are the militarized Commonwealth Army, which is formed of remnants of both the Minutemen and the Brotherhood, and claim to fight for the good of all citizens (an idea which locals find questionable); the secretive and threatening Capital Coalition (Think like G-men, except with power suits backing them); and the Appalachian Militia, who are made up of some of the biggest misfits in their entire region (including several friendly Super Mutants, who have calmed down since FO4 due to new advances in biomedical engineering.)
Each of the three C's of Ohio and Detroit would be accessible. (hey, if FO4 can have most of Massachusetts we can have a bigger map this time!) There's gouges across the landscape caused by the erosion of the extreme weather, though, making transportation largely happen over bridges, which factions control as chokepoints. There will be a dynamic "sector control" system where you can aid factions in taking new bridges and acheiving their goals bit by bit. Once a sector has been taken by a friendly faction, you can build over the entire sector like you do with FO4 settlements. Of course, each of those sectors have various resources worth acquiring as well. There are, of course, some limitations; sometimes a faction wont want to expand into a sector, because they are allied with the faction controlling it, and there are some points which are considered shared ground. Also, sectors arent just gained through combat...you can take sneakier routes, sometimes even just talking a faction out of their claim of a sector.
As for the main storyline, once you get into the region and finish setting up your character, you get caught up in a tense altercation between the government and a group of armed labor workers blocking the path. Just before the Commonwealth Army threaten to "put the workers back in line", the Ghoul Liberation Front attacks both of them. You as the main character are swept away by a mysterious woman from your caravan who hides you with a stealth boy, and hands you a letter and a key, before dying from a wound. The slaughter ends with the leaders of the three factions falling back to regroup, and the letter leads you to a nearby town. Its there that you end up swept into a larger plot: the key has been passed down for generations, kept safe in one of the vaults, and evidently unlocks a deadly pre-war weapon that was being developed in Detroit. You then go on a story which involves the fate of the entire region, weighing the implications of history as well as simple citizen lives. Will the locals remain in power, or will the settlers take control? Will the government stabilize, and if so, who will be in control?
As for gameplay, much of it will be similar to FO4 with the added sector system, but also, you can actually get synth limbs and implants which are moddable as you progress. This adds one more layer to FO4's already robust modding system, as well as playing into the ever-present Fallout theme of 'what is a human anyways?'.
Anyways Bethesda if you wanna hire me i graduated cum laude with a degree in narrative arts back in may, and have a handful of accolades under my belt. I can give ya a resume and a portfolio if you want!
5 notes · View notes
rjshepherd · 2 years
Text
rambelling about the dark purveyors
so i wrote this last night in like 40 minutes before i went to bed, then tumblr wasnt working on desktop so i couldnt post it lmao
Uhhhh so im still on my lollipop chainsaw bender and i'm stuck making au’s for the dark purveyors and such . but also i kinda wondered what jobs they would have had if they'd lived? Hell maybe they could have jobs in the rotten world, who knows
Zed
So for some reason I can see Zed having a medical job. Maybe not a Doctor, family medicine or general practice but maybe a surgeon? I can def see him taking an interest in cutting people up and just being like “well i GUESS i can fix them while i'm at it.'' I can also see him just blasting misfits as his operating. Failing that, lab tech? Still science and biology, maybe he still works in a hospital as a nurse or phlebotomist? I could maybe even see him working as a crime scene tech or a crime scene cleaner? He's not squeamish and I imagine he’d love to tell people gross stories from his job. Something science or medicine based is up his alley.i don't think he cares for cops but he seems like he might like working shit out like a detective, so maybe a medical examiner? Being punk is fun and all but it doesn't pay the bills. 
Vikke
Another medical job maybe? Perhaps not with human thought. I feel like Vikke is maybe an animal whisperer. I could see him working in a Zoo, obviously he loves the bears most but he can look after all the animals. Maybe he could work in a rescue centre that takes exotic or farm animals ? I can see him as a vet very easily but I could also see him as an animal trainer, maybe for movies and such? Stays on set to help them film, all the other dark purveyors are jealous because he gets to hang around with animals and actors all day but he's pretty humble about it. I know he has Yumil as a pet/poncho but I also think he has a little ratty teacup dog who is the most vicious headbanger you've ever met. It's probably called Thor or something. Vikke puts bathory on his home sound system before he goes to work so the dog doesn't get lonely.
Mariska
So she works in a dispensary, obviously but it's more like a dispensary/cafe? I think maybe she's doing a little cooperative thing : half the store is a dispensary and is run by the growers, half the store is a cafe that Mariska runs. She makes space cakes and sews weed themed bags and things like that. It's definitely a favourite hangout for the others, they started going for the free coffee and cheap weed but it's honestly such a chill place to hang out they started buying things to keep the lights on so they'd always have a place to go ( also mariska wouldn't stop banging on about supporting local shops, threatened to play nothing but go ask alice until the bought something). She organises craft days and live music and workshops for people wanting to learn to write or who need help with their CVs or people who want to learn a new craft like knitting or macrame. She even goes out to the farmers market on Saturdays with one of those little portable coffee shop caravans. Honestly, homegirl is living her best life and I love that for her. 
Josey
SO josey is the only one who still has a job in the music field. I can see him owning a record store or maybe some sort of promotion agency? He decorated the fulci fun centre, i think he might have a bit of artistic talent in him. Maybe he does the art for artists' posters? Set up the flyers and do the t-shirt art for the concerts? He seems tech savvy so i could also see him doing DJ gigs. Actually as i was typing this i remembered; if you go to the chain link fence in the fulci fun centre where you get a nick ticket, you can see a neon sign that says Josey’s arcade. Maybe he runs his own gaming place. Given his uh….personality, i can see it being more adult focused, slots and pachinko machines, old r18 arcade cabs of DOOM, maybe some vr headsets with questionable games installed? I feel like he’d also do parties but less kid parties and more 21st parties with booze and strippers and pacman, bachelor parties with pole dancers when you win. If you get enough tickets from skee ball you can get a lapdance, that sort of thing. 
Lewis
Ok hear me out: i think lewis would be into robotics. First thought was he works in a garage that specialises in fancy mods and detailing and while I can totally see that as a practical job, I imagine he has a side gig doing animatronics, fancy rigs and elaborate custom toys for grown folks and maybe movies? Maybe he works on the same sets as Vikke occasionally. Ellyphant was pretty cool and I know it was probably magic but Lewis would have had to think of the design, maybe even on the fly as Juliet sliced it in different places . That's creativity, that's engineering, that's out of the box thinking ! He'd make a good contestant on robot wars is all I'm saying. Day to day he does work on bikes and cars. It's fun giving people their dream ride but what he enjoys more is taking a pos scrap car or bike and restoring it from just a shell and some wheels to something amazing that is worth thousands. I don't think he likes telling folks about his side thing because it's nerdy and he’s still got that greaser tough guy image to protect. 
Swan
Ok swan was definitely the most difficult to choose because like. He's not in the game enough to get a gist of him and his skills. He's a necromancer, bad at sports and needs to talk to a therapist but that's not going on his CV. in the au im making, swan is a reaper : basically while juliet is killing alive monsters, Swan is killing dead humans, people who cant or wont pass on . I like the yin and yang thing between them, swan having to grow up by seeing how many people don't want to die, don't deserve to die and knowing he wasted his life on revenge. Totally stole this idea from Kuroshitsuji, the reapers there are people who are people being punished for taking their own lives, so i thought it fit well with swans story. 
But this isn't that au im talking about, these are just hypotheticals, I'll talk about their reaper au stories some other time. For grown swan i thought a few things: he's a “geek” so he's obviously smart , he's good at planning (world domination notwithstanding), he's good with explosives (well good might be a stretch but he knows how to use them) and he's good with languages ( he speaks latin (or an approximation of latin) while summoning the dark purveyors)) so here's my potential job list : teacher or someone in academia, he's clearly smart, i don't think he could do highschool again but college might be fun for him. 
Linguistics tutor/researcher: Latin is a dead language, being able to translate it for research, for history or even for medicine would be a good choice for him. He hasn't got the greatest social skills so something involving people long dead seems like a good choice. 
pyrotechnician/demolition expert: ok this man is smart, patient, good at planning and has previous explosion experience. Tell me you wouldnt like to see this goth fuck rock up someplace with 12 tonns of c4 to an old ass building, level it then quietly just air drum the opening of down with the sickness???? If you say no I'll know you're lying. 
26 notes · View notes
cross-of-my-calling · 8 months
Text
Tumblr media
Excerpt from Part 2 of Episode 1: Island of Misfit Toys
“First order of business,” Bobby says, and points out the side bay, where an older model topless Jeep sits nose to nose with the Battalion truck. Buck’s car, he assumes. “You need to move that. Staff parking is around the back.”  The Jeep stalls when Buck tries to start it, making a horrible grinding then lurching against the handbrake. Buck flushes bright red, the pink tinge making the mark above his eye stand out more strongly.  “Problems with the clutch,” Buck says, barely audible over the sound of the car coughing as he tries again.  Bobby stands, clipboard folded under his arms, as Buck reverses a little before carefully navigating around the Battalion truck. The Jeep certainly looks like it has had a lot of wear, the blue paint sun-bleached, the make older than Buck’s driving permit would be. Rust creeps along the edges of the bonnet. A CB radio is clipped on the dash, the kind long haul truck drivers or caravaners might use. Buck’s hands settle into worn down indentations in the steering wheel. But as he finally rolls past, Bobby can see how the wheel wells are clean from a recent wash, the panels smooth from wax, the side mirrors bright. Cared for. Bobby only hopes it doesn’t end up too unreliable.
read the rest on AO3
2 notes · View notes