Chapter 22: Incubation

In his recurring dream, terror spurred Kaspar into flight. On all sides, the noises of beasts approached, screeches of rage, or ecstasy, or both. Sharp thorny branches reached out to tear at his skin, but the shrieking grew louder, so still he ran. He tripped over carcasses already stripped of flesh, too late to see who or what they had been. The fear surged through him, incandescent and blinding as he dodged past trees and vaulted over their massive roots. He could not maintain this pace forever. His lungs burned from gasping down air, and his legs felt as though they would soon give out. Was something gaining on him through the trees? The underbrush was dense, but he thought he saw glimpses of something. Massive clacking jaws. Bloodstained talons. The chaos of the hunt, of hungry rage and deathly terror, crushed him. It was all-consuming. Ahead of him, the trees shook with immense steps like an earthquake. A low, gravelly voice, as big and as old as the world, began to speak. It was so loud that it filled his mind, drowning out even his ragged breathing. But the voice was alien, incomprehensible, and he could not understand what it said, if they were words at all.

As the party investigate the ancient druidic ruins of Ceo Grove, they are ambushed. Kaspar pays a costly price for his heroics. The rest of the explorers gather reinforcements from the ship and execute a rescue mission with the hopes that they can find their botanist before something terrible happens to him.

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Raza’s flowers are poppies: sleep and dreams, imagination, and a touch of magic. It’s been too long since I drew this cute wizard.

For Florian’s floriography (hah) he’s probably more Narcissus—vanity, obvs—but neither Gildivel nor I are particularly keen on the look of those flowers. (No offense to daffodil lovers.) Instead we went with the equally-suitable Calla Lily: magnificence and beauty.

I did a little tweak of their faces so I think this warrants a reblog

Blessed oracle Florian and cursed ranger Kaspar, opposing ends of the divine-corrupted spectrum.

These handsome fellas are characters in our story, Matrica! Read it these places:

Read on the Matrica Wiki | Read on AO3 | Read on Google docs

Next in the floriography lineup, Kaspar gets obviously gets dill: passion/lust

Was thinking about Victorian floriography and which flowers represent everyone. Maybe white carnation for Yufi (sweetness, innocence, and purity)

Sieger and his visitor. Idk dudes. I’m trying my best.

“Sheesh, Vangelis, is this another spicy drawing?” you, innocent viewer, might ask.

Listen. I can only draw what my heart moves me to, and lately that’s the boys getting some action. If this is not your thing, skip this one and tune in for other non-sexy art next week.

To the rest of you— if you can bear to see scantily-clad elf men making faces of ecstasy, there are some tumblr-testing crops below the cut. 💚💛

As usual, I put the full-size version in our Super Secret Google Drive that only adults can access. (Using the honor system. Here.)

Reblogged with a closer crop cause tumblr image compression destroys my damn details.

Yufi has a hard time moving on.

Yufi has a hard time moving on.

I drew a smutty Book Club. And yet, even though this place is awash in porn ads, I can’t share a silly drawing of a wizard getting railed by his tiefling boyfriend, because Tumblr hates dicks and fun.

Anyway for those of you of Fine Taste, I’ll post some careful crops under the cut. Pray that the puritan scanner bot doesn’t come for us.

If you want to see the full thing and you promise that you’re over 18, all the spicy drawings are here. It’s mature content, use your own judgment and shit. I’m not your dad.

Chapter 21: Family Values

“Have you not slept?” Florian’s instructor stood within the ornate doorway, her posture rigid with shock. The Starborn let his hands fall away from the harp strings as he turned, but before he could say a word she shouted, “Your fingers!” All night he had practiced the sonata, and when his fingertips grew chapped then bled, he accepted it as a fitting punishment for his continual failure. Rivulets of red streaked down his wrists, staining his white silk sleeves. “It’s nothing,” his exhausted voice croaked and he spun a lattice of healing magic. It was not his intention to be seen like this. He had lost track of time. The Starborn’s instructor assumed a different motivation. “Is this a new tactic to defy me?!” she cried. “Holding your well being hostage?” “No! I—” “You’ll be telling the matrons I did this. Is that it? You would ruin me—” “Mother, listen!” Florian screamed and rose to his feet. To his surprise, she gave him enough silence to speak. “I can’t do everything the family wants. I have limits. I’m mortal, and I have limits!” The woman regarded him with icey disdain and rested her hand upon the doorknob. “I will not have two insolent children, Floriene. Clean yourself up, change back to normal, go to bed, and we’ll continue practice in the evening.” With that, she stepped out of the room and slammed the door.

Disrespected and disgraced, Florian suffers through some uncomfortable vulnerability with Kaspar. But after a revelation, the Starborn's confidence in himself and his mission is restored, and he leads the exploration team on their next land excursion.

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[Yes, we persist making our stupid art in the face of the aipocalypse and increasing meaningless of posting anything anywhere. Rage rage against the dying of the light, etc.]

Just felt like doodling these fellas. Maybe they’ll get to kiss one day

Wish I could say more about who this fella is but… it’s all spoiler territory for a Matrica chapter way in the future.

In the meantime, enjoy a handsome dude with some vaguely villainous vibes

Read on the Matrica Wiki | Read on AO3 | Read on Google docs

Happy Valentine’s Day from Vangelis and Gildivel! Have a canonical Kaspian kiss 💚

(Sorry, still no context for why Kaspar is green here. Promise we’ll get to posting this chapter soonish)

For the uninitiated: Matrica is a novelized ttrpg actual play that has been veering slowly from adventure to adventure-romance. There’s world building! There’s danger! There’s horny elves! Read it and we’ll love you forever.

Read on the Matrica Wiki | Read on AO3 | Read on Google docs

The trauma buddies are having a bad time. Maybe its time for things to turn around for them

Oops, long time no art. I’ve been having a bit of a dry spell so I figured I’d try some different brushes to get out of this rut. Not sure that it worked, but I guess making something is better than making nothing.

Anyway Yufi got another class revamp— switched him to a fighter multiclass and gave him a two-handed weapon instead of a shield. I figured as a mechanic, he’d probably just have a big-ass sledgehammer rather than a dedicated weapon of war. (Also I made his shirt really tight. You’re welcome.)