spacesunderstairs
Spaces Under Stairs
The digital junk drawer of K. Mostly memes with a sprinkle of fanart here and there.
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Under the Sussur Tree, Chapter 17
Chapter 17 Excerpt: Six Stories
There was a part of him that wished to look away, embarrassed by her show of vulnerability. But another part of him– a small, weak part of him, long since repressed and shoved down deep– stared back at her, struck dumb, enchanted by some force he couldn’t name. He suddenly wished desperately that he were someone else: able to offer her hope, offer her humor, offer her literally anything else that he was sure their other companions had already given to her in droves.
Her dress dangled over his arm, a meager scrap of fabric in exchange for her pain.
Say something, you cur.
But still Astarion said nothing. Instead, he fell back to his instincts; skills honed over two centuries as Cazador’s thrall in every bar, pub, and tavern across Baldur’s Gate. He leaned in slowly, fixed his eyes on hers, before carefully putting two fingers beneath her chin to tilt her face upwards.
And then he kissed her.
He had his fair share of experience with such kisses. Cazador had never been picky about the emotional state of his victims, and Astarion had quickly learned that a sad and lonely drunk was an easy target: rarely violent and seldom missed. He felt little enough about them or any other he had seduced. It was only business, after all: a grim business, but business, nonetheless.
But as he kissed Halinae, her lips salty and pliant against his own, a new feeling began to swell within him. Small at first and then growing quickly, monstrously fast, until it was clawing at his insides and threatening to burst up through his chest and throat.
Guilt.
#under the sussur tree#bg3#bg3 fanfiction#bg3 fic#baldurs gate 3#astarion#astarion x tav#astarion x oc
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I was digging through my ipad earlier and I found this drawing I did a while back when I was in Act 2 on my solo run. I just want my tav and the girls to have a slumber party where they braid each others hair and get dressed up, is that so much to ask?
#bg3#baldur's gate 3#sleepover au#lae'zel doesn't understand this custom#shadowheart#lae'zel#karlach#tav
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Me working on this latest chapter where I'm trying to keep six POVs straight and also my car got hit by a tree--
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OC Q+A - Halinae
BASICS
Full Name: Halinae Darnruel
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Bi
Pronouns: She/Her
OTHER
Family:
Halinae is from a very minor house in Menzoberranzan, though her matron mother had lofty ambitions for them.
Father: N/A. Halinae never knew him; drow men don't matter in family units as a rule.
Mother: Matron Mother Darnruel.
Older Sister: Jhaelyrr Darnruel, heir to House Darnruel.
Younger Sister: Vierstra Darnruel, a novice cleric of Lolth training at Arach-Tinilith.
Birthplace: The Duthcloim, in Menzoberranzan.
Jobs: Halinae's was a "second-rate seamstress" and button maker at her mother's clothing shop in the Duthcloim, where she served under her elder sister's guidance. After fleeing Menzoberranzan, she became a music teacher to Arlon on the Savage Frontier near Yartar until she was kidnapped by mindflayers.
Phobias: Still a little scared of Lolth (...who isn't though?)
Guilty Pleasures: Taverns! She loves people-watching and listening to stories. She's been known to get a little sloppy when she over-imbibes on alcohol as well.
Alignment: Chaotic neutral or chaotic good.
Sins: Probably Sloth. She's prone to putting off tasks if they don't suit her, and will run away from her problems when they become too overwhelming to ignore anymore. She can also be very impulsive; which can be a very good thing or a very bad thing, depending on the circumstance.
Virtues: Halinae is generally patient, a skill that makes her a good teacher to Arlon and other children. She's also quick-witted when the situation calls for it, more prone to solving a problem with cleverness than raw firepower or brawn.
THIS OR THAT
Introvert / Extrovert -- Both? Pre-Surface she was fairly extroverted; Post-Surface she became more introverted.
Organised / Disorganised
Close-minded / Open-minded
Calm / Anxious / Restless
Disagreeable / Agreeable / In between
Cautious / Reckless / In between -- Reckless when her back is pushed to the wall, but she's cautious in her dealings with Surfacers.
Patient / Impatient / In between
Outspoken / Reserved / In between
Leader / Follower / Flexible
Empathetic / Unempathetic / In Between
Optimist / Pessimist / Realist
Traditional / Modern / In between
Hard-working / Lazy -- Halinae is only interested in learning new songs and tales. Miss her with a normal 9-5 day job.
RELATIONSHIPS
OTP : Astarion. They share a similar sense of humor and a bit of wariness about the outside world that would call them both monsters. While she finds him extremely annoying and borderline dangerous at the start of the quest, Halinae eventually develops a rapport with him that evolves into something deeper.
BroTP: Shadowheart. Shadowheart reminds Halinae of her beloved elder sister in many ways; though she's ultimately uncomfortable with her Shar worship as it's all a little too close to Lolth for her liking. The two will eventually butt heads over Shar's teachings around loss, but they come to an agreement in the end.
NoTP: Minthara. Halinae has no love of the Baenre family after leaving Menzoberranzan.
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Five Songs
Just getting back from vacation but saw this tag from @mellybaggins today! Thanks!
Five favorite songs right now (fic-related mostly, been listening to these to get in the mood for writing-- so pretty much all instrumental):
"The Giant's Call" - from The Green Knight OST by Daniel Hart.
"O Nyghtegale" - from The Green Knight OST by Daniel Hart.
"On The Nature of Daylight" - from The Blue Notebooks by Max Richter.
"Brothers" - from the Fullmetal Alchemist OST by Michiru Oshima.
"The Girl and the Birch" - Russian Folk song, I like this particular arrangement from the Anna Karenina OST by Dario Marianelli.
I am low key kind of obsessed with the Green Knight OST, I haven't been able to stop listening to it for weeks.
Also: I don't have a ton of other mutuals to tag, tumblr is still a mystery to me! >_> Need to use it more often!
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Updates for my fic are on hold until I'm back from trail. Wish me luck. ;_;
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Going to need the kudos bot going around AO3 to stop spamming bullshit kudos for FIVE FREAKIN MINUTES.
(my poor inbox)
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Under the Sussur Tree: Chapter 15 Excerpt
It had been a long day.
They had stumbled down the road to make camp only an hour ago– their dreams of beds and baths and food completely and thoroughly dashed. Well, perhaps not that last one for him: with any luck, Astarion would be getting a meal off Halinae. He deserved a little luck after today, surely; and if not, well…he’d make his own if he had to. The corners of his mouth twitched downwards at the thought as he worked to put his shelter up for the evening. Another night in the wilderness awaited them; another night spent lying in filth and dirt like common garbage.
He sighed. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to it.
Astarion had just finished driving the last stake into the ground near his tent when he felt the presence of someone behind him. He leaned back on his haunches and straightened slowly, not interested in expending any more energy than strictly necessary.
Shadowheart. She stood in front of him, something clutched at her side. He tugged a little at his shirt hem and leaned forward to smile at her.
“...And what can I do for you, darling?”
“...Here.”
She pushed something into his hand. He looked down to his palm– a few thin slivers of soap, the faded scent of lime and religious fervor just barely detectable even with his heightened sense of smell.
“Generous of you. Any reason you want me scrubbed up?”
Shadowheart only rolled her eyes. Spoilsport.
“We’re not far from the Grove if we follow the westward road, and it’s our best chance at resupplying within a day’s march. I don’t particularly fancy going in there smelling like a pig; and since it’s not just me who sweats and stinks… we’re headed down to the river. Hand some of that to Gale and Wyll when you see them, would you?”
Astarion had been planning to pocket all of it for himself, but now thought better of it– Shadowheart had a point. He nodded.
“The rest of us will be just around the bend. And if you need anything,” she paused a little, “... yell before you come wandering.”
#bg3#baldurs gate 3#bg3 fic#bg3 fanfiction#baldur's gate 3 fic#baldur's gate 3 fanfiction#under the sussur tree#fic: under the sussur tree
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Under the Sussur Tree: Chapter 14 Excerpt
Chapter 14: The Devils You Do | Excerpt
“Halinae, catch!”
She threw a hand up reflexively, just in time to catch the small locket in her palm. It glinted in the afternoon sunlight. Astarion stood up from behind the remains of a crumbling stone wall a moment later, brushing his knees off as he placed a bundle of lockpicks back into his pack. He gave her a brilliant smile.
“Do be a dear and see if that’s worth anything for Gale?”
She cocked her head at him. “No gifts for me this time?”
“Would you believe that every chest in this gods-forsaken wilderness is mostly full of practical items? Nary a flute or fiddle to be found. Do you know, I almost think they did it on purpose…? As if music-making and tale-telling wasn’t their first priority.”
“A tragedy,” said Halinae, only half joking. “Who will remember them now?”
Astarion sauntered over, his pack slung lazily over his shoulder. “No one, more’s the pity. But perhaps you could write a song about the handsome adventurer who bravely pilfered through their items to prevent the destruction of the entire Sword Coast…?”
He towered over her, still smiling brightly at her with his arms behind his back. Halinae looked up at him and pretended to consider it, tapping a finger to her lips. They had been playing this new game for a few days now– Astarion begging for a song, her refusing. It was perhaps the most surprising change since their encounter with Ethel: while he still flummoxed and even frightened her from time to time, she was quickly learning he could be quite a bit of fun when he set his mind to it.
Just as his smile was beginning to crack, she turned her head away from him to shout to Gale as he walked past them on the path.
“Gale! Astarion found something for you to eat!”
“...How many times… I don’t literally eat–” She tossed the locket to him and he only just barely caught it, flustered, before carefully bringing it up to his eye to inspect it. He suddenly seemed quite taken. “–Yes, well this will do quite nicely I think. A decent little charm on this one, might buy me a few days at least…”
He continued walking, mumbling to himself as he did so. Halinae and Astarion watched as he passed, too caught up in his own musings to acknowledge them further. She shook her head.
Wizards.
#bg3#baldurs gate 3#bg3 fic#bg3 fanfiction#baldur's gate 3 fic#baldur's gate 3 fanfiction#under the sussur tree#fic: under the sussur tree
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Reconstruction Junction: Yartar
The title of this type of entry will be workshopped. However, it is key to my history of the Realms that I start somewhere in my lofty aspirations to chronical and redraw areas of Toril.
Today, such a journey begins with the city of Yartar. Why, you may ask? Because the name is fun to say, and because I have a personal project that does, at some point, utilize Yartar as a setting.
Where, you might ask, is Yartar located? For this I will point to our most recent canonical map of the Sword Coast.
As the griffon flies, it is about 250 miles (~375 km) from Neverwinter, and 283 miles (425 km) from Waterdeep, though the actual journey usually takes a longer route.
Yartar is situated in a region known as the Dessarin Valley, which has a rich history, and information that can be found as far back as in the original AD&D books. The most information comes from The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier, a 1996 box set, in which I was able to discover so many things about this small town full of thieves and rapscallions, run by a longsuffering public servant.
Sadly, the things that 5e brought to Yartar were mostly changes for the worse. I can’t blame them for not following previously laid out details: a lot of change happens in 130 years to a town. But let’s go over some of them.
Governing Body/Person’s title: Waterbaron
The Waterbaron is so named for the three rivers that connect nearby to Yartar, and the prominence the rivers have on life there. The position is elected democratically and directly by the citizens of Yartar, and serves a life term. The current Waterbaron at any given time inhabits and holds court in the Waterbaron’s Hall.
Important details:
Population:~6,000 in 1366 DR, more by 1491 DR. Mostly human.
Alliances: Member of the Lords Alliance. Other factions operate throughout the city.
Main industries: Barge-making, fishing, trade
Factions: Hand of Yartar, Harpers, Zhentarim, and the Kraken Society, among others
Totally-Not-Petty Rivalry: The town of Triboar
The first map of the town of Yartar (I would hesitate to call it a city), appears in Volo’s Guide to the North (2), with a colored version of the exact same map appearing in the box set The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (1). The map above is from the latter.
Yartar is, first a foremost, a town with a reputation for less-than-legal dealings. As described in Cult of the Dragon, “Yartar is a caldron of bubbling plots schemes, and under-the-table alliances- but without any single unifying evil presence”(1). Previous Waterbarons, such as Alahar Khaumfros, had ties to the Kraken Society (8), while the Zhentarim always had at least a few agents to keep an eye on the place.
The Hand of Yartar is a group of young thieves that have struggled to truly form any real guild over the decades. Sources as far back as 1366 DR describe the group as being mostly young and female (7), but by 1491, the group has a reputation of being all-female (5).
Legal trade exists as well, as merchants and caravans are almost constantly passing through the town, as well as coming by water via the three rivers. The Fishyard, the marketplace in front of the Waterbaron’s Hall, brings fresh fish, crab, and eels every day to the citizens of Yartar (6,7). Several stores also surround the market, primarily providing goods and services that are in-demand for the adventurers and merchant caravans who pass through (6). The Lionshield Trading Coster operates out of Yartar, but is known throughout the Dessarin Valley (5)
It is at this point that I risk becoming a wiki page for this little town, so let’s mix it up.
There are some key features of this city that I immediately fell in love with.
The first are the Light Lasses. I don’t know if that is an official title for these girls, but it’s the closest thing I could find. By tradition, Yartar is not lit at night, except for the torches that burn around the Waterbaron’s Hall. Anyone who wishes to brave the city in the dark can either take their chances, or hire a Light Lass, who knows all the streets by heart, and carries a small light with her (6).
Though I understand that this sounds dangerous, that any thief might be able to take advantage of the lasses, I will point to the mostly/all-female thieves’ guild. My theory is that either the lasses and thieves have an agreement and help each other, or perhaps that the Hands of Yartar are (sometimes) also Light Lasses, who can pull a knife in the blink of an eye should a client try anything. That also implies that one of the Hands of Yartar could simply take a client into an alleyway (of which there are many) and mug them, then put out their light to leave the poor person blind.
Beldabar’s Rest is a lovely inn that is built almost entirely underground, which actually really helps in keeping it at a reasonable temperature regardless of the season. I have a plan of making a separate write-up on this establishment in full at a later date.
Halassa’s Waterwell & Fine Wines gets a small mention here, at risk of me getting carried away, because each day, Halassa provided one free bucket of water to each household in Yartar. There is no mention of her past 1366, but I would like to imagine that someone else has taken up the mantle of carrying out this public service.
The Wink and the Kiss is a fun and informal feast hall that I hope to one day map out. In 1361, it was owned and run by two brothers, Beldorm and Asklar, two humans that stood at 7 feet tall (6). This place was intentionally built to be a labyrinth, with secret passageways hidden behind tapestries and under tables, and many twisting corridors. Of course, in a city of illicit deals, the brothers had to establish some rules. The Wink and the Kiss has been declared a safe-ground by the Hand of Yartar, and the staff put rules in place.
The thing is, unlike a number of places that will ask you to leave your weapons at the door, or just ask you not to fight, The Wink and the Kiss in the 14th century DR required all gear and even clothing to be removed. Patrons then donned costumes provided by the establishment (changing rooms were provided) before being sent into the fray (7).
This is just the most delightful thing I can think of. I want to go to this place. I can just imagine it, the food is hardly more than mediocre, but the atmosphere? Delightful. Sure, shady dealings may go on, but also you can travel secret passageways in the funny outfit they put you in, place hide-and-seek, drink something silly and themed appropriately.
I am so disappointed that when The Wink and the Kiss appeared again in 5e, that this concept for the feast hall had been removed. At some point in the 125 years between 2e and 5e, the costumes fell out of use, and even weapons were no longer required to be left at the door. At least, this is the conclusion that I am drawn to, considering one of the encounters in Princes of the Apocalypse that takes place in The Wink and the Kiss can result in a character’s bodyguards drawing blades on the player characters (4). What I’m saying is, the old management would never let that happen.
Princes of the Apocalypse does provide something that I did not expect: an updated map of Yartar. It doesn’t cover any new area from the previous map, sadly, but it does show some of the buildings that remain.
This map is entirely lackluster. The rendering leaves something to be desired, even if this image didn’t have the warping from my scan. The Market, the Waterbaron’s Hall, the The Wink and the Kiss are the only things that are truly the same. The Cointoss, a tavern bar, seems to have been entirely demolished or merged with its neighbors, whereas Halassa’s place seems to have been merged with Winter Winds, which was a clothing store, and Beldabar’s Rest. Since the Rest is underground aside from a gatehouse, it is possible that it still exists. It is also possible that the buildings were renovated into some sort of strip mall setup, as odd as that seems in such a setting. Between Winter Winds and the Waterwell, I firmly believe that the well has remained in operation all these years, because it’s a useful service, even if Halassa has long since past on.
One Foot in the Boat, a tavern known for being noisy and crowded (7) also appears to still be standing, though whether or not it is the same business is neither confirmed nor denied. If it was as busy as it is described, I am certain that it still stands, though likely under new ownership.
To the west, just above Y2, should be the Pearl-handed Pipe, an inn that could accommodate for about 600 people a night. This business is confirmed to still be around, and to have kept its reputation as an excellent place to stay (4). Likewise, the White-Winged Griffon, a rather rickety old inn, remains standing somehow (4). It is, presumably, located north of the upper right of the new map, based on the older one (7)
The Happy Hall of Fortuitous Happenstance would be just north of the upper left corner of this map. This temple to Tymora, known oft as “Two Hap Fort Hall” or simply “Two” by the locals, often sponsored groups of adventurers, and is known throughout the valley for the festival it holds on Shieldmeet (7). Again, I will perhaps some day make a separate write-up on it, for this has gotten too long.
The Shield Tower: On the west bank of the Surbrin River, this tower is a fortress for the city guard. 150 mounted guards act as law enforcement within the city, and a militia outside of it, mostly to keep monsters at bay (7). The tower has an inner and outer wall, the former far stronger as the latter crumbles. It is said that the space between the walls is warded to conjure guardian skeletons if anyone goes there without authorization, but no one has tested it in years (4, 7). Paddocks for traveling livestock are here for public use, and there are docks built into the side, where the Waterbaron’s Barge is stored.
Other known areas:
Fields, North of Town: The Hiring Fair, held each year that Shieldmeet does not occur, is said to take place here. It is likely that these are outside of the city walls (7).
Three Rivers Festhall: Was once, and might still be, a front for the Kraken Society (8).
Dannath’s Pickles, Nuts, and Food: A provisions store, where in 1366, Dannath and his “three strong daughters” sold preserved goods for travelers. It was known to be expensive, but worth the cost (7).
Esklindrar’s Maps, Books, and Folios: A store for maps, books, etc. ran by an eccentric old human. A map of Faerûn was painted onto the ceiling, and I would kill to see it (7).
Firelust Fabrics and Tailoring: A multi-generational and highly talented family of tailors. High prices, but worth the coin (7).
Hasklar’s Arms and Armory: A collection of every type of metal armor and weapon in all sorts of sizes. No metal smith (7).
Docks, along the river(s), for the fishers.
A bridge on the west side. It is wide enough to “accommodate two wagons with room to spare,”(4).’
The Villa, a Harper base in the heart of Yartar, made from a crumbling building and with a beautiful garden behind its stone walls (5).
The Glowing Gem: An inn. This appears to be the starting point for the Gateway to the Savage Frontier video game for the Commodore 64, Amiga, and DOS. I will not be playing this game for my analysis. However, it does say that this inn was close to the western gate.
Actually, looking into this game I found a map that includes a portion of Yartar close to the western gate, as well as a number of other things. This map was put together by user MicktheMage on Old Games, click here to see the interactive version. I was going to just have this as a footnote, but forgive me, because I may have stumbled onto something.
This gives us a few more names of things to work with:
Frydhazes’ Shop of Unusual Items
Boat Rentals
The Tired Traveler (Bar)
The Yartar Armory (Shop)
The Hall of Training
Yartar Bargeworks
Because of the extremely limited constraints of this map, it is unlikely I can really base much of my final map on it, but I do appreciate the insights given, as well as the depiction of the river running through the middle of the town.
Additional known names of alleys/passages (8):
The Long Creep
Mindulspeer Lane
Dead Cat Cut
Shadowskulk
Spitting Adder Lane
And so, I begin sketching.
I’m not normally a city planner, but I do know that there are often things that are often missing from fantasy maps, usually to make life easier. These include things like chicken coops, public spaces, greenspace, livestock paddocks for residents as well as travelers, wells for water, etc.. It’s really easy to design something that looks and acts like our world today, whether that be a strict grid system or a cul-de-sac neighborhood. But people from other times and places have very different needs to ours, and a naturally growing village in Faerun is going to look much different from a small town in rural America.
Updates as the project continues.
Bibliography under the cut.
Keep reading
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"What are you thinking about"
This. Almost always this. That or the sound of a potato rotating in the microwave.
#halcali#jpop#tanaka chigai remix#strawberry#youtube#pocket dimensions#the pocket dimension is just youtube in 2010
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making art is just like showering………can’t get up and do it, can’t stop when you’ve started. you want to crawl out of your skin if you don’t do it often enough. everything in the world is the exact same
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Another quick sketch from my fic. New chapter with this scene tomorrow.
(Also I hate drawing Astarions hair. That is all.)
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Curufin being defensive of Aredhel against Eol is nice until you get to the part where he's like "I can't believe you wed her without our gift or leave!"
Like, I know what a strain this puts on you, but can you not act like a dick for *three* seconds.
#silmarillion thoughts#silmarillion memes#the silmarillion#tolkien#also he low key kinda just tells Eol which direction they went which is BAFFLING
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I desperately need to know the context of this so I can use it for other things as well.
Telling myself this every day here's a meme
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Tolkien ran so I could drunkenly stumble behind in his footsteps.
His ghost hangs over my head every night, shaming me
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Colored sketch that I did a while back, Halinae and Arlon. People who are actually good at instruments please ignore the crimes I have committed trying to draw them.
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