Wulfram.

Our artbattle transcends to traditional art 😆 💖 for @reddokkaebe

the only heaven i'll be sent to

happy smutty sunday, friends 🔥 @moriohpissky and i have had demon!Soul and angel!Maka on the brain as of late, so of course i had to go and write a fic about it 😜 i love putting these two into self-indulgent AUs and i also love any excuse to write some good ol' smut, so this one was an absolute blast to work on. i am so pleased to present my first fic entry for 2024 - 'the only heaven i'll be sent to' 😇😈 as with any smut that i write, please heed the tags/content warnings before diving in!

Link to read on Ao3, and full preview under the cut!

These days, he feels more like a domesticated dog than a demon.

Not that there’s anything wrong with dogs. Soul has met plenty in his time–both of the hellhound and Canis familiarus varieties–and they’ve all been fine. He's always preferred cats, but he can certainly appreciate the qualities that make dogs so appealing– loyalty, faithfulness, obedience. Fierce protectiveness. Not bad qualities in their own right.

What he takes issue with is the notion of being domesticated.

There's a lot of things in his life as of late that he takes issue with, actually– the fact that he’s trapped on Earth, stuck in the mortal realm. The fact that he can no longer feel the infernal magic of Hell that he draws all of his demonic power from, that he draws his very sense of identity from, flowing through his veins, and he has to make do with the meager, residual magic of the human world instead.

The fact that he doesn’t feel all that much like a demon anymore.

He’s a creature born and forged in the very fires of Inferno, and he ought to be spending his days the way any good motherfucking demon should-indulging in sin, reveling in the immorality of humanity's most wicked and vile, causing chaos and wreaking havoc everywhere he dares tread.

These days, though, he does none of that. These days, he spends the majority of his waking hours sulking about in an apartment that is not his, using the meager remains of his supernatural powers to cast protective wards when she isn't around to keep the place hidden, and thinking way too fucking much about angels.

One angel in particular.

Read the rest on Ao3!

This is Smut! 18+! Minors go away!

Currently thinking about: Eddie and Mika at the 4th of July carnival, boning behind the bathrooms.

Warnings: slight voyeurism, p in v, unprotected sex, creampie, dirty talk

Forged in Hellfire (Can be read as x fem!reader, name is only mentioned once)

Reblogs > Likes

"F-fuck," Eddie groans, forehead resting between her shoulder blades. His chain jingles as his hips snap into hers.

"Eddie!- aghmmm!" He shoves his fingers in Mika's mouth to silence her sudden whine. She can feel his cock filling her and slamming into her g-spot with every desperate stroke, making her nails scratch and dig into the weathered wood.

"Gotta stay quiet Songbird," His free arm wraps around her neck, pulling her back against him and murmuring in her ear, "Don't wanna let everyone here know how much of a whore you are, do you?"

She drools and chokes around his fingers, making him chuckle, "That's my girl... Take it. Take it! Just like that."

She starts clawing at his arm when she feels her orgasm quickly approaching and he pulls his fingers from her mouth.

"Eddie! Eddie I'm gonna fucking-!" She gasps when he shoves his spit soaked fingers down the front of her pants and starts feverishly rubbing her clit, "O-oh my god!"

"That's right sweetheart, cum on my cock, cum on my fucking cock," he growls. His hair sticks to both their sweaty skin as he ruts into her cunt, "Need it- need you to cum on my cock princess- Fuck- please. Please. Cum for me, cum for me, cum for me- FUCK YES!"

He sinks his teeth into her shoulder when her pussy clenches around his dick, her own teeth biting into his arm to hold back a scream.

Her legs give out as he fills her with cum, whimpering his name.

"Shhh, I've got you," he holds her up, using her to ride out their highs, "Almost done sweetheart, feel so fuckin good."

"Fuuck," he moans as he pulls out, "Such a pretty mess we just made."

She whines when he tugs her panties up against her sensitive pussy.

He presses his mouth to hers, hungry and loving, "Are you okay?"

"Mhm," she kisses him again. When he pulls away she looks completely fucked out.

"You wanna go home?"

"Mm, no." She grins up at him, "I wanna go ride the ferris wheel."

"Oh really?" He snickers, adjusting his pants and bucking his belt, "Maybe I can slip the guy a fiver to stop us at the top and I can finger my cum back into you."

"You're disgusting," she laughs as she takes his hand, "But If you buy me a candy apple... I might just let you do that."

He groans and lets her lead him towards the food, "You are gonna be the death of me girlie."

°•°•°•°

Forged in Hellfire taglist: @pointlesslygay

Eddie Munson Taglist: @ofherscarlettwitchways @canis-da-fanboy @buckymydarlingangel

WIPs from September 21st, 2023 Alright so I almost never show stuff at this stage because I'm usually too embarrassed to post something this messy, but shaking that off is precisely what this blog is for so here you go! If you've ever wanted to know what I consider a "thumbnail" for my own work then this is it lol

Especially for covers and comic page planning, I usually end up at the greyscale shading stage within the thumbnail stage before I actually commit to a composition, as I can't properly gauge if it's going in the right direction otherwise. That said though, I really like how these are turning out so far! I tend to get decision paralysis with cover ideas, goodness knows that I continue to struggle with the main cover for this series, so having these go relatively smoothly tells me I'm getting better at it (hopefully!)

I have a lot of interconnected stories within Starglass Zodiac that I want to make dedicated side comics for, so any time I have an idea for a title and/or cover for one, I'll "jot it down" like this so I don't lose it. I've had the file for The Paladin's Shadow for a while, but Curse of the Hunted is a new addition from today (well, the story idea itself isn't new but the title/cover idea is)

The Paladin's Shadow is Aries's backstory, focusing on his struggle to live up to the reputation of the prior incarnations of his constellation, cementing them as a lineage of powerful and upstanding paladins. Aries has to wrestle with both his small stature and standoffish temperament by comparison, meaning he is constantly in the shadow of his own lineage and has to somehow forge his own path despite that. Curse of the Hunted is Orion's backstory as a once infamous name on the Astral Plane prior to his adoption as Taurus's zodiac companion. True to his namesake, he was once a skilled yet relentless hunter, and had his dogs (Canis Major and Minor) at his side. Though Orion could tame them to obey his own command, he is warned by Rangifer (the reindeer), that should his dogs ever turn on him, it will turn them to stone. Orion initially dismisses this by claiming they have complete loyalty to him, and as punishment for his hubris, Orion is cursed by Rangifer and given his half-deer appearance that is seen in the main story. This makes him the "prey" for once, and thus both Canis Major and Minor chase after him, turning them both to stone as promised. The guilt from their loss and the fear caused by being the hunted rather than the hunter does much to humble Orion, and he begins his journey to redemption afterwards. I don't have finished designs for most of the characters featured here but I like where their placeholders are for now. Oh and if you're wondering about the font, it's one I'm developing for this project specifically! :D It's called SGZ Display, and is based on the lettering I did for the main logo. I'm testing it out here to see if it reads well at smaller sizes, but it still needs work all around. It'll be a long while before these or the stories they're connected to are finished, but I hope you enjoy this little sneak peek anyway :]

March - The Gatehouse, Area 1A

#dungeon23

3.1. Kennels

A wooden door, locked. On the lower-half of the door, a smaller door, about knee-height, unlocked.

Inside, a peculiar conveyor belt runs towards the back of the narrow room. On the west wall, a sealed hatch. On the east wall, a simple control panel, featuring three prominent, unlabeled buttons.

If the conveyor is activated, the hatch will open and begin churning out Mech-Canis units. 1D10 quadrupedal mechanoids will be produced, one every minute, before it runs out of components. The Mech-Canis are programmed to relentlessly attack any intruder.

E: Exits to The Keep, South

3.2. Smithy

A wooden door, ajar. Inside, the room smells of soot and steel. A large workbench rests prominently in the middle of the room. A mounted anvil is placed nearby. Barrels and crates filled with the remnants of coal and water are placed around the perimeter of the room.

In the southwest corner of the room, a simple desk, covered with blacksmithing tools. Tacked to the wall, the remnants of drawings, only their scrap corners remain.

On the north side of the room, a large forge covers the wall. It’s been cold for a long time.

3.3. Stables

Five stalls line the west wall. The floor is well trampled, made up of compacted earth and hay. Embedded into the floor, the bones of a horse, scattered across several stalls.

The Recla-Mare: The phantom of a deceased horse haunts this area. An incorporeal form of grey mist, followed by a flowing, silver mane. Passing through the mist chills you to your core, exposing you to heartless thoughts of betrayal for 1D3 hours. The mare has no love for humankind, not any more.

3.4. Tack Room

A wooden door to the east, unlocked. A wide opening to the north.

Filled with equipment used for horse riding. Hanging from the walls are an assortment of bridles and stirrups. A well-used saddle is propped up in one corner. On the workbench, spanning the west wall, hammers, nails, and horseshoes can be found, along with other tools for hoof maintenance.

3.5. Shed

A simple shed, unlocked. Inside, a broom, bucket, shovel, and pitchfork.

3.6. Armoury

A wooden door, unlocked. Inside, weapon racks line the walls, though there are no weapons in them. A small collection of crates and barrels fill one corner of the room, they too, are empty.

A partial suit of armour sits propped up in the southwest corner of the room, tethered to a display pole. The suit is antiquated, but could offer some basic protection at the cost of mobility and stealth. It clatters loudly if worn.

—-

What’s up with Tumblr not adding images sometimes?

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Canis Iron (IMS Lore Drop)

Cold-forged iron shaped under the light of the moon and treated in a mix of wolves blood, wolfsbane, and holy oil, Canis Iron has unique magical properties which only take shape in the hands of a werewolf. When in the hands of any other creature it appears to be nothing more than regular iron and so for most is an inferior choice when compared to metals such as steel or aurumite.

Most often shaped to fit over the wielder’s hands in the form of claws, or as a helmet, Canis Iron is capable of some amazing feats when used by a werewolf. Any magical item inset in the Canis Iron can be used by the wielder despite magic typically having a negative reaction to werewolves. The most common magical additions are gems enchanted to do anything from increasing speed or strength to launching fireballs but sometimes other items can be in-set such as wands or scrolls.

In addition to allowing werewolves the option to add magical abilities to their repertoire Canis Iron truly shines when a werewolf shifts into their primal form. Any of the metal they have on their person will meld with their bodies and become a part of them. Depending on the original form this change can be anything from having metallic paws and claws for a gauntlet to an iron jaw and fangs for a helmet. Some items will even take on unique forms like an iron tail with a bladed tip if the item is a sword or spear in its unshifted state.

Very few modern smiths are capable of forging Canis Iron correctly and so most families make sure to pass them down through the generations. Such items are very well cared for by their owners and are treated with great reverence, their wielders treating the item as though it were a member of their family believing that each user leaves a tiny part of their soul ingrained in the item which will eventually take on a new life of its own. The oldest Canis Iron creations are said to have a will of their own, making their wishes known through feelings sent to the wielder. Some are even said to speak telepathically with the one who cares for them.

Unfortunately because Canis Iron only reacts to werewolves it is speculated that there are many of the items still in existence which are hanging over mantles, in the hands of bandits, or being handed down through non-werewolf families. Every few years there are rumors of a forgotten Canis Iron object being discovered by some lucky werewolf, but these are usually just stories told to impressionable young wolves by parents trying to keep their pups entertained.

How Many Dog Breeds Are There? AKC, KC & FCI Figures

Researchers surveyed the owners of more than 18,000 dogs and analyzed the DNA of about 2,100 animals to see if physical traits and behaviors can be correlated with dog breeds. A group for dogs that don’t quite fit in anywhere else, the Non-Sporting Group encompasses a variety of breeds with jobs that don’t satisfy the requirements of the other six groups. The AKC originally registered dogs as either Sporting or Non-Sporting, and over time, hounds and terriers were separated from the Sporting Group while Toy and Working dogs developed from the Non-Sporting. There was eventually a separate category to distinguish Herding dogs from Working dogs. Within the very broad category of dogs, there are some dog breeds that are more popular than others. Our favorite breeds are usually influenced by our own experiences – for example, the breed we had as a childhood pet, or a dog we forged a particularly strong bond with. Others have gained in popularity due to their prominence in television programs or movies. The most likely explanation for the relatively low correlation between behavior and breed, the authors of the paper said, is that many modern dog breeds are relatively new, in the evolutionary scope of things. Are you looking for a hiking companion or a couch potato to enjoy some binge TV watching with? Just like with people, the energy level of different dog breeds varies greatly–and you and your new dog will be happier with corresponding energy levels. You will probably find some surprises in this list, such as that the Australian Shepherd is actually a breed created in the United States, while the Pharaoh Hound was not developed in Egypt, but in Malta. You will also find that France, Germany, and Great Britain are responsible for creating more dog breeds than nearly the rest of the world combined. Because Dachshunds were bred to hunt in small spaces they needed little legs, a lot of courage, and a strong hunting instinct. Humans began deliberately breeding hounds with dwarfism, because they had tenacity and a desire to hunt but also happened to have smaller legs thanks to a genetic mutation. This meant that puppies and future generations of dogs would be more likely to inherit little legs, creating a compact hunter that could squeeze in tight spaces. The breed standard for each breed of dog is a detailed description of the appearance and behaviour of an idealized dog of that breed. With big personalities, a constant need to be busy, and high levels of energy, Siberian huskies need lots of room and may not be good apartment dogs. English springer spaniels are not only playful and warm, but they grow to be about 20 inches tall, making it necessary for them to have a bit more space. Just like Siberian huskies and English springer spaniels, Brittanys can grow to about 20 inches and are high-energy dogs that often need stimulation. Genetic analysis and research has found that because of domestication there came to be a relaxation of typical selective forces of natural selection . Rather, dogs were selected for traits that, in the wild, would make them less fit for survival. Modern domestic dogs also have greater variability in their genomes than in their ancestral counterparts. Interestingly, genetic variation within the Canis familiaris is greater than variation between different species in the entire family of Canidaes . A phylogenetic analysis of 736 base pairs of the cytochrome b gene showed that gray wolves are the only direct ancestor to the domestic dog with dog-wolf sequences differing in only about 0-12 substitutions . While what dog breeds are considered aggressive and jobs of the dogs in this group vary, most are powerful and intelligent, and can be relied on to perform rescues and any other tasks to protect their families. But this move to land-based work doesn’t mean they’ve lost their ancient knack for swimming – which makes them an old-school water dog. The Havanese dog is a small, loving, affectionate dog that needs constant companionship, whether from its owner, human family, or other dogs in the home. They socialize easily and adapt quickly to any environment with enough stimulation, from large houses to small apartments. They don’t do well with long periods alone and are prone to separation anxiety. However, if they get the affection they crave, they make for good family dogs who are playful and good with children. Breed standards are the reason the breed came to be, and with those standards are key features, including form, function and fitness for purpose. The Kennel Club in the UK was founded in 1873, and was the world's first national kennel club and breed registry. The International Canine Federation was founded in 1911 as a worldwide organisation. For example, the AKC only recognizes 195 breeds, while the FCI recognizes 360 breeds officially. So there isn’t an exact, worldwide, internationally agreed-upon number, but it would be safe to say there are anywhere between 195 and 500 dog breeds in the world. Non-sporting - This group is for breeds who aren't easily categorized into the other groups. But you've probably often wondered how many dog breeds there actually are in 2021. The question can not be answered easily even by experts and varies between about 400 and 800 different dog breeds. The number of dog breeds are given differently in the different publications also because the number of designer and hybrid dogs is not considered in the fixed dog breed list. In the United States alone, the AKC's dog breed list currently includes 190 dog breeds.

Would you expand Nuclear God?

Regarding this. Not really a direct expansion, but...

.

Stars.

They seem peaceful, from far away. Benevolent. Small. Harmless. Incapable of affecting life on Earth, with its grand and ever-changing rhythms and cycles.

Even the closest, the Sun, which is relied upon, needed, and sometimes cursed for its persistence and burning rays, did not seem violent, did not seem dangerous in and of itself. It was something that nurtured, that helped, that illuminated. It was the origin of light, of life.

The Sun is a natural nuclear reactor that produces 3.8x10^26 joules of energy per second, or 3.8x10^26 Watts.

The 'Little Boy' bomb that exploded over Hiroshima produced approximately 6.3x10^13 joules. Once.

The surface of the Sun is not quiet. Sun spots, solar flares, filaments, coronal mass ejections-- The worst conflagration of the Earth is as nothing. Nothing. The Sun is destruction and ruin and violence wearing a crown of light.

In 1895 a coronal mass ejection caused a geomagnetic storm, the most intense in recorded history. It washed the sky in green light from the poles to the equator, and set telegraph wires on fire. Our world is covered in wires, now. All of them so fragile. We live at the mercy of the Sun.

Beyond the veil of the Earth, beyond the atmosphere, those who dare step into the fuller glory of the Sun face also a greater portion of its fury. One hundred times the radiation faced by those still living quietly on the Earth.

The Sun is 2x10^30 kilograms in mass. It is an average star. Sirius, also called Alpha Canis Majoris, the brightest visible star is about 2 solar masses. UY Scuti, the largest observed star in terms of radius, is between 7 and 10 solar masses. Betelgeuse, also called Alpha Orionis, another bright star, is estimated to have at least 16 solar masses. The star Westerhout 49-2 is believed to have about 250 solar masses, although there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding that estimate, and some think it has only 90 solar masses.

These stars are not considered particularly unusual.

In the heart of a city, one might be able to pick out half a dozen of the very brightest stars. Likely less. Far from any cities, a person might be able to pick out 5000 over the course of the year as the Earth marched through its cycle. 2500 in any given night. There are approximately 100 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy.

The Milky Way is one of billions of galaxies.

It is a comfort, then, that even the beloved Sun is 150 million kilometers away.

And, so, you begin to the the mistake, the error, the crushing, overwhelming hubris committed by the GIW. That they should not only seek to bind death - for death, in the end, is of the living, for no thing dies that has not lived - but to contain one who could call on the stars themselves, the forges of worlds, the things from whose dust they were made--

They thought the stars peaceful. They thought the child violent.

They thought.

A race of people made of thought and emotion and passion and desire and all the things they love called to them out of time out of space and they thought--

The child wanted this: The safety of his people, their joy, their peace. He pledged himself to fight for this.

The child wanted this: The stars and the worlds they shepherded through the bleak vastness of space. He satisfied himself with longing.

They thought one desire more dangerous than the other. They pushed him to choose one, to choose their choice.

And, so.

And so.

Standing above what could not even be called ruins is the child, the merest touch of stellar lighting that could be held in fragile dust dancing at his fingertips. He burns, he burns.

And he is no longer safe.

every clue in endless summer, explained

technically the title is kinda misleading because some clues simply have no explanation, they just are. still, there’s a lot of pieces to be put together over the three books, and there are clues found in the first book that aren’t explained till the last one. (if you’re confused about the clues, here’s the fandom wiki for book 1, book 2 & book 3.)

before i dive in, here’s some clarifications:

i’ve used mc’s default name, taylor, and neutral pronouns wherever i’ve referred to them. the endless is also referred to by neutral pronouns.

acts 1, 2 & 3 fall under book 1

acts 4, 5 & 6 fall under book 2

acts 7 & 8 fall under book 3

each act has one bonus scene, so if i’m referring to bonus scene 5, it implies to the scene shown after act 5.

ok so unnecessarily long exposition under the cut!

ACT 1

i. tranquilizer dart: found by taylor and diego upon landing on the airstrip. presumably used on the sabretooth, t'kal, to keep it docile. likely done by rourke or his henchmen, but it is also highly possible the endless tranquilized t'kal in order to keep it from killing everyone.

ii. strange creature: a colourful flying seahorse, found by quinn and taylor along the beach in a premium scene. as shown in bonus scene 1, rourke knows of the creature, as he examines it with interest through his binoculars.

iii. weird lights: lights resembling the auroras displayed at the control tower, found by taylor and jake. it is later explained in book 2 chapter 10 by grace, that the lights are caused by the doppler effect, due to the dilation and contraction of time around la huerta. the vaanti call it the lights of vaanu, said to bring them good luck.

iv. vintage wine: if taylor goes to the ballroom with zahra, quinn notes that every bottle in the room predates 1924. as revealed in book 3 chapter 7, the wedding in the ballroom was that of flora and arthur, and group arrived there due to the time anomalies of the island.

v. sharp tooth: found by grace by the pool, near the fence. according to her, the bars were all twisted. presumably belongs to t'kal the sabretooth.

vi. old note: a note found by taylor and diego in one of the upgraded honeymoon/rainforest suites. it was written by flora sullivan to eugene rosencraft, before her wedding to arthur barnaby. it also references neptune cove, where the second half of the island's heart is found in book 3.

vii. pirate coin/wolf symbol: can be obtained either by going to the waterfall with quinn, or by hiking the cliff with jake. the doubloon is probably a remnant of malatesta and yvonne's loot, while the wolf symbol could have been left behind by the endless. the symbol also matches the stamp on jake's dossier.

viii. shoe prints: a set of muddy shoeprints were found by the celestial's shelter. no solid explanation or implication towards who these belong to.

ix. gas mask: found by taylor underwater in the cavern. it looks very old, and as noted by diego, probably from the world war times. it would have probably belonged to kele, a world war ii soldier who paddled his way into la huerta while escaping from the germans.

x. padlock: the unbroken padlock to the burning hangar, which implies that the hangar was unlocked and jake's plane sabotaged. in one of the memories taylor receives from the endless, lila is shown to deliberately sabotage the plane in order to keep everyone on the island, implying she may have done it in this timeline, too.

ACT 2

i. cufflink: lila is discovered pocketing the cufflink in rourke's office, which she probably did to discover his whereabouts later on. in bonus scene 2, rourke is shown to remove all his clothing, including his cufflinks, before he steps into the containment pod. the cufflink can also be used in book 1 chapter 10, where rourke's dna on it reveals a footage video of him complaining about strange occurrences on the island.

ii. dossiers: files containing data on sean, grace, raj and estela are found in the paper shredder, intact. each of them is stamped with symbols of the constellations aquila, cygnus, centaurus and draco respectively. the symbols are left behind by the endless.

iii. whiskey notes: a note discarded by rourke in the vip lounge, referencing the satellite uplink at the la huerta observatory. this is also shown in bonus scene 2.

iv. frying pan: a frying pan embossed with the centaurus symbol on it, which raj says he feels very drawn to. this was also left behind by the endless. he also uses this pan to deflect a sedative dart aimed at taylor in book 1 chapter 16.

v. arrowhead: an amber arrowhead is found lodged inside the king crab's shell, as found by taylor and estela. as the vaanti have been shown to use amber weaponry (as well as in other ways, such as the catalyst idols), it is implied that one of them may have attacked the guardian with an arrow.

vi. dossiers: files containing data on jake, zahra and diego found in the room inside the observatory. they are stamped with the symbols of the constellations lupus, corvus and canis. symbols left behind by the endless.

vii. strange gun: a futuristic gun found by either estela or jake. in book 1 chapter 16, it is revealed to be a tachyon accelerator, used to move objects forward in time. in bonus scene 5, lila refers to the gun as a temporal perforator.

viii. star map: a holographic display of constellations, as seen by taylor and sean as they go up the pod. sean points out that the stars in the sky over la huerta don't have the usual constellations, and that the stars have not looked like this for a million years. this is confirmed in the book 1 epilogue, when aleister notes that atropo's eruption has caused la huerta to go back to the hadean eon.

ACT 3

i. dossiers: files containing data on quinn, michelle and craig found by taylor and diego by the marina. they are stamped with the symbols of the constellations delphinus, pavo and ursa. symbols left behind by the endless.

ii. rourke's ship: if taylor and lila venture into a familiar-looking boat, they will discover it is rourke's ship, the daedalus. he was seen on the ship in bonus scene 1, and he presumably destroyed it along with the other boats on the marina immediately afterwards.

iii. plastic explosive: the semtex explosive is found by taylor in the back of the boat. it's what was used to blow up the other ships in the marina, but this one malfunctioned.

iv. strange shell: a blue-purple coloured shell that repeats the speaker's words over and over. in one of the memories taylor receives from the endless, varyyn is seen tearfully listening to the shell echoing diego's voice, saying 'i'll always love you, varyyn' over and over again as it gradually fades away.

v. telepathic vision: varyyn telepathically communicates with taylor, showing them what would happen if the catalysts didn't go with the vaanti. it is later revealed to be a depiction of atropo erupting, setting the whole world on fire and destroying it.

vi. numbers: in the wine cellar, 1908 refers to a lever to the underground tunnel, disguised as a vintage wine bottle, as well as the cheat code to rourke's arcade game, most wanted 2. rourke also uses an override program on iris called the directive 1908, explained in book 3 chapter 9, which makes iris prioritise the goal she was created for -- to utilise imogen rourke's knowledge on cloning to provide an heir to rourke. another program, directive 8091, forces estela into the omega mech cockpit in book 3 chapter 10, as she is rourke's 'true' heir.

vii. dossiers: files on taylor and aleister are found inside the security centre, both stamped by the endless with symbols of constellations andromeda and serpens. aleister's dossier is newer, printed recently by iris upon discovering that he was aboard the plane to la huerta.

viii. healing plant: leaves of the plant, when wrapped around aleister's bleeding palm, heal it with unnatural speed without a trace. grace and aleister theorize this may be due to some cellular reconstructive properties the leaves may contain.

ix. necklace: worn by varyyn in book 1, the necklace is seen to have time travelling properties, as it brings back jake/estela/sean/quinn/diego back from the dead. it is unknown if the endless facilitated its use or it is associated with rourke.

x. pirate cutlass: the cutlass was forged by malatesta and was stolen from him by admiral higgenbotham, who was presumably killed alongside malatesta's crew in the flashback taylor experiences, by the vaanti. yvonne then stole the cutlass from higgenbotham's corpse, naming it chouchou. it is unclear as to how the cutlass ended up on a display case at the celestial.

ACT 4

i. hydra caduceus: a staff found in rourke's library, which when placed in the statue's hand in the atrium, turns it into a sundial. iris says that the caduceus is the only item in the library she cannot find the origin of.

ii. crimson glove: a futuristic, yet battered metal glove put on display in rourke's underground museum; taylor realises that the person's arm was probably cut off. the glove belongs to the endless, who tells taylor that they learnt very soon that 'the laws of time can be very unforgiving' with reference to their loss of limb.

iii. shotgun shell: michelle and taylor find the 12-gauge armor-piercing shell casing, as identified by jake, during the time loop. he notes that whoever shot this meant business. the shell probably came from one of the arachnids who were on the island searching for jake.

iv. snowy hills: taylor, with either jake or estela, finds snow on the hills and by the lake on a hot and sunny day, indicating time is in disarray throughout different parts of the island, much like the northern and southern parts of the island.

v. wedding ring: a wedding ring is found on the hand of a statue of a masked bride, in the valley of tombs by jake and taylor. the statue is of flora sullivan, and the ring was given to her by eugene rosencraft which she had turned down. it was after this she wrote him the note found in act 1.

vi. tattoo: uqzhaal has a back tattoo of the legend of the threshold. it is the place where yvonne finds the endless in bonus scene 5, and where yvonne, taylor and uqzhaal meet the endless after collecting all the catalyst idols and solving the puzzle.

vii. words on the wind: the voices at the singing cliffs tell taylor that something is coming across the sea, destroying everything in its path. this could either be an immediate reference to yvonne's arrival the next morning, or a vague prediction about the omega mech used by rourke in book 3.

viii. musket ball: yvonne concedes the gold musket ball at sharktooth isle in exchange for their services to find her 'treasure.'

ix. antique compass: yvonne's said treasure turns out to be an antique compass which she tries to conceal; malatesta made her walk the plank for stealing this compass, which she did in order to find the fountain of youth. the compass also leads her to the threshold in bonus scene 5.

x: oath blade: seraxa's gift to taylor for saving taari, saying that debts must be repaid in accordance with vaanti culture. she is shown to threaten the catalysts with this blade in book 2 chapter 4.

ACT 5

i. silver sap: the sap that drips from elyy'stel's tree aids the catalysts to walk in between dimensions. it is the consumption of this sap by eugene and flora that gradually turned them feral and eventually into the vaanti.

ii. deep fissure: if taylor keeps rewinding until they can't go any further, right up to the ancient sea, the catalysts witness the forming of a fissure in the ocean bed. this fissure was caused by vaanu crash-landing on the earth, and it eventually becomes mount atropo, and forms the bubble surrounding la huerta.

iii. the island's heart: one half of the island's heart, which was formed right in the crux of the volcano, found by the catalysts in the base of elyy'stel's tree.

iv. the mask maker: the masks worn by the vaanti bear the name of their maker, rosencraft & sons, 1921. this explains the masks worn by guests at flora and arthur's wedding, which also took place in the rosencraft manor. the rosencrafts were said to be bankrupt, and that the estate belonged to the banks.

v. burning shard: a burning crystal shard that glows green and reacts the same way that quinn did while possessed by the island's heart. it is one of many crystal shards scattered across the island, originating from the crux of the volcano.

vi. mansingh crater: a crater found near the chasm bears the name of mansingh transglobal tech, the company run by grace's mother, blaire hall. it is suspicious to both taylor and grace, as it implies blaire hall was somehow involved with rourke. no further explanation has been made about the crater.

vii. newspaper clipping: a scrap of an article is found by taylor in the elysian lodge, detailing the deaths of arjun and subhanu sethi due to a car accident, also killing their son and putting their daughter in a critical condition. this daughter is lila, and this article implies that rourke (or someone else) was doing a background research on lila.

viii. rourke's note: an old note written by rourke to look into the new junior researcher, as they look familiar. this is most likely a reference to olivia montoya, although it is not known where he recognises her from.

ACT 6

i. rourke's plan: out of agitation, lila blurts out rourke's plan to save the world through a machine at the masada facility. this machine turns out to be the omega mech, and rourke's plan happens to be controlling the world and its people's existence on his whims.

ii. tracking device: a tracking device is found by taylor, attached to the yeti's fur. this was placed there by the arachnid. this tracking device relays location details back to them, as seen in the military humvee by michelle, jake and taylor, where the code name for the yeti is arktos.

iii. garbled message: a distorted voice reveals the date and coordinates of jake's location, received by the arachnid through an anonymous transmission, which is how they came upon la huerta in the first place. this voice belongs to jake himself, who did so using a 'time-phone' in order to merge realities and help them escape through a helicopter from the masada facility.

iv. crashed satellite: varyyn, while talking about shooting stars, says a satellite once crashed to the ground from the skies. it is probably a stray satellite that got caught in the la huerta time bubble, or it belonged to rourke.

v. omega mech: olivia montoya demonstrates rourke's plans for the omega specimen, aka the endless, through a vr headset. she urges the viewer to understand the destruction the specimen, and rourke, are capable of.

vi. missing guests: rourke claimed that the guests at the celestial were evacuated in time at the beginning of the book, but it is shown that he had them put in containment pods. as seen in bonus scene 4, lundgren and the other arachnids were a part of these guests, but were released by rourke upon striking a deal with him to capture jake.

vii. charred skeletons: skeletons of people are found in the flames and ashes at hartfeld, proving that people did not escape the eruption.

viii. havana cigar: lundgren's cigar at the masada facility implies that he was snooping around where he shouldn't, and that he didn't trust rourke. this distrust is confirmed in bonus scene 6.

ACT 7

i. temple/ancient map: if taylor, yvonne and uqzhaal find the endless, they will give the whereabouts of no'ox naj temple to yvonne, where the fountain of youth exists. if they don't find the endless, taylor and yvonne find a carving of the la huerta map on the walls at the threshold, also hinting towards the temple. the whole group meets the endless for the first time in this temple in book 3 chapter 4.

ii. scout: a mechanical spider with a spy camera is found by taylor while they go windsurfing to win malatesta's bet. like the tracker on the yeti, this was also placed by the arachnid to track down their locations.

iii. padlock: a weathered padlock bearing the inscription, 'no land, no sea, no one will keep us apart. flora & eugene, 1920,' found by taylor in a coral reef. after turning down eugene's proposal (the ring clue, book 2), she tried to make it up to him with this padlock and by asking him to show up at neptune cove (the note clue, book 1). when he failed to show up, flora gave up on him and somehow ended up in a forced marriage to arthur barnaby a year later.

iv. pen: a tarnished silver pen bearing grace's name is found in the shrine at no'ox naj temple. it is implausible that she was at the temple, as she was under rourke's custody the whole time. it is also the same pen seen in grace's catalyst idol, returned to her by aleister and ultimately found near professor diaz's car which she had smashed up.

v. silver sap: one of the drinks served at the anachronists' party at quarr'tel is the silver sap from elyys'tel's tree. the creation of the vaanti myth, which is said to have started at a masquerade theme wedding, is that of flora and arthur's, where the former gets shot after confessing her love for eugene at the wedding. in an attempt to save her, eugene gives her some of this sap. this consumption eventually turns them into the feral vaanti.

vi. spirit's identity: the anachronist, clockmaker, refers to the faceless spirit as vaanu. in reality, vaanu is simply an alien being from another planet (the prism dimension) who crash landed on earth when its planet was destroyed. upon communing with vaanu, taylor discovers they are vaanu's creation, made for the purpose of returning la huerta to its normal state, allowing vaanu's departure.

vii. aleister's note: aleister writes a note to grace, apologising to her, and how he feels genuine remorse over his betrayal. he mentions that he hopes to redeem himself in her eyes.

ACT 8:

i. painting: at the rosencraft manor, there's a painting titled 'depiction of the divine' portraying rourke writing the ten commandments dressed in roman attire. the attire probably matches the statue of himself in the atrium, which opens up the sundial to his museum.

ii. communicator: the anachronists provide sean, raj and michelle with antique communicators which lets them coordinate the attack on cetus.

iii. path to the core: vaanu shows quinn the way to the core of the volcano, where the island's heart belongs. this core is the place where vaanu landed on earth.

iv. molten crystals: a crystal orb with claw markings in it, made by the oryctoraptor that dwells inside the volcano. referred to by varyyn as the deep guardian, it is the most reclusive of the four. it is also responsible for the orb found in the cavern in book 1 chapter 5, and possibly the orb that causes the time loop in book 2 chapter 2.

v. the endless' musings: zahra finds a diary belonging to the endless at the base of the volcano, in which they speak of how the sentience of the crystals probably drew the four guardians (cetus, king crab, yeti, oryctoraptor) to establish order on the island, but they were driven mad. the endless also believes it is possible the crystal created the creatures. this is possible, as it would explain the existence of the colourful seahorse, t'kal and furball (although they have not been affected like the guardians have.)

vi. closing words: the closing words spoken by seraxa during the handfasting ceremony, which is customary as 'it was for the first bride and her beloved.' they are the same words that were engraved in the padlock that flora made for eugene.

I must know about the Floret continent

I am so glad you asked!

{ Floretverse Continent }

The Floretverse is the name for my original superhero universe; however, it does not follow the usual lines of taking place in an alternate dimension of the world as we know it. Instead, it takes place on a made up continent shaped like a flower.

The continent has seven petals, with the center serving as the central hub. Each petal serves as its own country, but must answer to the central hub's council. For easy identification, each petal has its own signature color following the colors of the rainbow.

{ Carnis Petal }

The Canis Petal serves as one big police state, due to the fact is essentially one huge prison where major villains are sent to and corralled in. It's signature color is red.

The Canis Petal is home to Carnis Academy, a hero academy based on remedial education for children of the villains banished there.

Number One Hero: Blood Rose

{ Bladis Petal }

The Bladis Petal serves as a time capsule as the architecture is inspired by medieval times in the modern world. It's signature color is orange.

The Bladis Petal is home to Bladis Academy, a hero academy based on fighting with both weapons and genes. One is able to attend the school if they receive a nomination from the Pantheon, the top heroes in the area. The Pantheon members can only nominate two students each year which keeps a steady flow of graduating heroes.

Number One Hero: Pantheon Representative (Randomly Chosen)

{ Mythis Petal }

The Mythis Petal serves as one of the most normal petals, with barely anything notable. It's signature color is yellow.

The Mythis Petal is home to Mythis Academy, a hero academy with a written and practical exam to get in. It is also the home to the first ever idol hero, and hosts the idol hero training camp each year.

Number One Hero: Energetic Heroine Vixenfire

{ Legacis Petal }

The Legacis Petal serves as one of the most normal petals, with barely anything notable besides having the most long-standing agencies. It's signature color is green.

The Legacis Petal is home to the Legacis Academy, the only academy to be both a heroics school and a normal high school. One gets in on basic exams, as they believe that everyone should get the chance to forge their own legacy.

Number One Hero: Silverstar

{ Staris Petal }

The Staris Petal are one of the most normal petals, with barely anything notable besides having the most long-standing agencies. It's signature color is blue.

The Staris Petal is home to Staris Academy, a hero academy in which potential students must pass a series of trials in order to attend. The trials are designed to test their Will, Courage, and Intellect.

Number One Hero: Military Heroine Osprey

{ Powis Petal }

The Powis Petal serves as the most mystical of all the petals, and is home to some of the most powerful families within the Floret Continent. It's signature color is indigo.

The Powis Petal is home to Powis Academy, a hero academy based on infusing weapons with ones genes. One can attend if they are from a powerful and influential family or if they are nominated by one of said powerful and influential families.

Number One Hero: Captain Cockatoo

{ Univis Petal }

The Univis Petal serves as the most dystopian of all the petals, with a rigid gene bias that separates the peninsula separating those with Mimcry and Elemental genes from those with Enhancement, Mutant, and Manipulative genes. It's signature color is violet.

The Univis Petal is home to Univis Academy, a hero academy that is dedicated to upholding the sacred (warped) law of Galaxias. Univis Academy graduates have a big head, and tend to leave those with Enhancement, Mutant, and Manipulative genes to die in a warped sense of gene superiority.

Number One Hero: Silent Water

Dossier: Werecreatures. ( Wolf )

Notes by: Theodeous Ferein

Summary: As the most common and overlooked of the werecreatures, wolves have gained a reputation of being let off easy with their Veil. With only their eyes to be hidden during human appearance, without worries of horns or wings sprouting during their inattention, they seem to have it easy with their lives. Many do not know how much pain these people go through during transformation, like many werecreatures. Yet, their Fables carry further back than many other, and perhaps that is why they're targeted as the minority in this group of "supernatural".

The Shift is excruciating to werecreatures, no matter what their genus type. Tis only a fact.

Their Shifts can be controlled, and contrary to many popular beliefs, even Canidae Shifts aren't determined by the position of the moon; It's only that during the full moon, the pull towards animal is more prominent than most times. Man has never extensively studied the scientific, or Veil-woven, reason behind this, but most blame it on the Fables from long ago. Even interviewing these Canidae werecreatures has yielded no answers, due to their lack of knowledge why the full moon drives them to Shifting, or howling altogether. Perhaps these creatures (Wolves) are still enslaved to their Fabled origins, since rarely do true animal Canis Lupus howl at the moon in any other context than a, say, rallying cry or a territorial expression. I have witnessed this howl more often during the passing of a fire truck than the lunar event.

I am forced to believe that the dynamics of these creatures lie heavily in their roots, and the traditions forged by the Fables written by humans. An unintentional instinct, if you will.

Notes: As I've proclaimed before, the Canidae are not forced to shift during the full moon, yet it is more common than not. I have noted that many younger generations have a difficult time with this lunar event. I have spoken to the "alpha" of the local pack (Earc Sullivan, must interview young son, Beau, later) and he has informed me that the Shift is something that not many “young’uns” survive. I must assume this means children, as my studies have yielded that many werewolf children that are forced/have initiated the Shift at an age too young have perished at the transformation.

Which I do understand, after witnessing the alpha transformation. Note that this creature, man, werewolf, was well over thirty years old where his bones had time to acclimate to The Shift (see footnotes of werewolf x-rays).

I have never heard such sickening noises from these creatures, as the case has been with many werecreature. As if every ligament, every join, every muscle torn out of its place. My later questioning has strengthened my knowledge; Every part of the human body they inhabit will break and tear when the Wolf is allowed space. As we might assume, Canidae have more joints in their bodies than man ever could, and werecreature bodies will make way for these fresh additions. In the worst cases, I've heard, the bones that make space in these bodies break through skin and be fatal to those too young to handle the pain. Thus, many werekin children are subjected to rigorous physical training that most might call abuse. When entering a den, it is no rarity to see bloodies children with bruises and broken limbs, and myself, I could not remain in the premises too long before being overcome by nausea. Yet these children seem happy and excited about their first "true shift". More investigation needed.

What interests me still, is that these creatures never completely shift to their animal form. I have conducted an interview with Earc Sullivan, and I have linked the interview below. Here are the points made that aroused my interest;

Theodeous: I must ask, why is it you rarely shift entirely to your Canidae form? Earc: When the wolf is allowed full control, it takes much willpower to bring the Human in us back. Theodeous: Do you care to elaborate? Earc: It's like a lucid dream. You know you are in a body that doesn't belong to you, and you know you are there, but you can't control it. The Wolf is a part of us, and we have to keep a leash on it. Like a dog. Otherwise it will run wild. Theodeous: And if this Wolf gets free? Earc: This city would be buried in blood and guts. The Wolf doesn't enjoy this place. It doesn't want to be chained under this magic. It wants to roam free, act as it would in the wild, with those wolves who aren't chained together with a human soul. Theodeous: So it wishes to massacre, to draw blood? Earc: No. It only wishes to live free, to care for its family, to teach its pups, to protect the pack. But the magic that the Veil is, it prevents this, and it makes the Wolf anxious. Even if I am not scared nor anxious, the Wolf is, and it lashes out in whatever way it sees fit. Imagine a caged lion in the circus; are we any different? Theodeous: So if you let the Wolf take control of your body entirely, say, you entirely transform to Canis Lupus and not the bipedal alternative, you couldn't get yourself, as Earc Sullivan, back? Earc: I could, but it takes immense willpower. Have you ever been blackout drunk, Ferein? It's a bit like that. When you occasionally wake to reality and know you should sober up, but you can't. The world is a blur and you can only follow the whim of the Wolf, without having a say in what it does. Yet you're awoken to take responsibility if the Wolf allows you to return. Theodeous: I'm not sure I understand. Earc: I wouldn't expect you to. It's confusing, frightening even, when you know your limbs, but they don't listen to what you tell them to do. When your memories are only blinks in the consciousness of something that is you, but not entirely. Theodeous: I... See.

--

Theodeous: Now, I must ask; The mortality of young werewolf children. How come that is? Earc: If you're asking me if we beat our children to death, you're wrong. We care deeply for our children, and only wish for them to grow past adolescence. Theodeous: Then why is it that so many of the Veiled that, let's say, perish, are those of werecreature kin? Earc: As I've told before, and you've witnessed, our human bodies cannot accommodate the Wolf like this. When The Shift comes, our bones break into theirs, as do our muscles, sinews, blood vessels. Sometimes these Shifts are initiated or forced too early, and the children... They cannot take it. Theodeous: Care to elaborate? Earc: Have you ever witnessed a bone tear through skin, lungs, vital organs, scholar? Theoudeous: I cannot say that I have. Earc: Then I hope you never will, especially when it comes to your children.

-- In conclusion: I have witnessed even the strongest of "alpha" werecreatures, lupine in genus, shift from fully human to wolf, and his struggle to recall his human nature. I expressed interest in interviewing his mate as well, but since my very human body was nearly thrown off the Sullivan hotel window, I will no longer attempt to question her. I inquired the "alpha" of this aggression, but he claimed it had nothing to do with his lupine self, but the fact that he did not want to subject his mate to the pain of reliving the loss of her children to early shifts.

I will spend more time with this group of werecreatures, as they are the most abundant in Voit City, but I must seek other creatures of this same Fable to compare their experiences.

The Sun And Moon (And Anonymous Submission)

It was a monumental day for the Kingdom of Blessings, Halcyon. The kingdom was known for its magical blessing that was passed on through generations. A brand-new princess had received the blessing of tides from her mother, although the new heir’s blessing would be different. The blessing of tides ensured safe trade and would curse any pirates who would attempt to pillage the kingdom. Calling the blessing powerful is an understatement.

The new heir, Princess Lyria Astra Halcyon, was given the blessing of the sun. It would ensure that every harvest was massively successful, and that her people would never know famine or hunger. The people rejoiced, or almost all of them did.

Young Nox, born into the house Canis, Halcyon’s loyal wolves, was not at all thrilled about the situation. He had a perfect seat to view the princess’ squishy and pink face. ‘I am to be this tiny thing’s thrall? What a joke.’ House Canis raised the strongest knights in the entire continent, and they had been serving the royal family since its inception. Each member of the royal Halcyon family was assigned a personal guard. Nox’s father was within eyeshot of the queen at this very moment, eyeing suspiciously for threats.

Nox was only five, but the brutal training regimen had already begun. By the end of it, his stamina would allow him to give up sleep entirely in favor of light meditation so he could be on guard 24/7. His bones would be as strong as forged steel, and he’d be able to wield the iconic Canis zweihander one-handed. The impressive blades were nearly as long as the users were tall. It was perfect for the monsters in house Canis who could all singlehandedly mow down entire invading battalions. It would take years before Nox could get to that point, however.

And years had indeed passed. A lot of things had changed since that faithful day, mainly Nox’s opinion on the princess. Nox was expecting his life of duty to be an unpleasant one – one filled with the endless whining of a spoiled princess. In truth, it was the opposite. Princess Lyria was warm like the very sun. She stopped crying almost as soon as she could communicate her feelings. Tripping would prompt a laugh, or so Nox recalled between long days of training.

When he finally finished the brutal process, the Princess was thirteen, and it was then that he never left her side as dictated by tradition. He was there for her lectures, her meals, and as she slept. He was barely seen and even less heard. For all intents and purposes he was furniture.

It was the Princess’ thirteenth birthday. All of her gifts had been sent to her room in the middle of her meal. It was his duty to open all of them first to make sure there were no traps. The Princess never complained even though it was most certainly more fun to open your own presents. She made a note of all of them, and made a list of all the people she needed to thank, but then she turned to him.

“Nox,” he lowered himself to one knee. She had addressed him before to make light conversation, but he kept his distance due to his lack of warm upbringing and his lingering skepticism. “Why do you always do that? You don’t have to kneel before me.”

He rose to his feet. It wasn’t exactly an order, but he didn’t mind listening to the tiny heir. “I don’t know when your birthday is.”

“I don’t have one.” It was the truth. House Canis didn’t do trivial things like celebrate one’s birth. Their entire duty was to serve. He honestly didn’t know what day it would fall on.

“I figured you’d say that.” The princess was always observant of her surroundings, and she was pretty sharp regarding social situations. She was smart enough to avoid getting involved in anything political at this early age. There were plenty of nobles who would want to get their claws into the princess early, but Nox hadn’t needed to council her on that front. She was good enough at taking care of this herself despite her age.

“So, I figured now was as good a time as any to give you this. I’ve known you for so long, and we’re always together now. I wish to be good friends with you.” She headed to a corner of her room looking for something.

“I am but your faithful servant.” He replied. To be honest he was shocked, but his face remained unmoved like a marble sculpture. Years of training and his upbringing made him really apathetic and cold. But he never expected anything like this. Nox never received presents from others and he wasn’t sure what to expect from the princess. 

She approached Nox with a dagger of immaculate steel. It was patterned, made from meteorite. It was expensive but also practical. Daggers from meteorite were top of their class even if they looked ornate.

“You should know by now that I don’t even treat the other servants like servants.” It was true. She treated the common people like they were kin. “We’re going to spend the rest of our lives together, so try and smile every once in a while.”

“You wish to see me smile?” The warmth swelled within him threatening to consume him. This was the first request she had ever made of him. Princess Lyria extended the gift to him, and his first instinct was to drop to one knee. He remembered the princess’ words.

“More than anything.” Nox accepted the gift and braced himself. The warmth had come to a head, and he best convey what he was feeling internally for his first request. He gave her a faint but unmistakable smile. 

He would definitely enjoy protecting this one.

More than five years had passed since then. Princess Lyria had come of age and she was on her first trip outside of the kingdom. She was to spend a month in a neighboring kingdom to make acquaintance with a potential suitor. Nox was in full armor accompanying a squad of five other Halcyon knights as entourage.

True to her word, he became the princess’ closest friend and confidant. She would share all of her insecurities and fears with him, and he would advise her as best as he could. Every once in a while, she would call him into her room and they’d spend the nights talking until the sun came up. Princess Lyria would, of course, feign illness the next day, too exhausted to fulfill her duties.

By this point, Nox had fallen hopelessly in love with the princess. He had also come to terms with the fact that he’d never have her. She was the sun, and she blessed everything she touched with warmth and prosperity. He was the moon, barren and cold. They were from different worlds, destined to never share the same sky.

He glanced at the princess who seemed not to notice his gaze. She was riding alongside him in her most extravagant dress. Stars, she was beautiful, like no one else. His heart rate rose and she noticed he was looking at her. She smiled warmly, and he had smiled back until he could no longer keep his composure. He looked forward. They’d be in the neighboring kingdom by nightfall.

Or so Nox thought before a flurry of arrows fired from the forests around. His horse had fallen, as did the lesser knights. He had managed to catch three arrows in one hand, and a fourth in his other – ones that would have hit their mark. In the very same instant, he jumped from his horse so he wouldn’t be caught beneath it when it fell. Bandits on horseback leapt on to the road and grabbed the princess’ reigns before swatting the horse. The horse took off, with the princess unable to escape.

How could he have been so distracted that he didn’t notice them walking into such an obvious trap? The king would pay a hefty ransom to have his daughter back, and this was probably what the bandits were aiming for. The other bandits had fled. No one was dumb enough to attack someone from house Canis even if they outnumbered him 100 to 1. Nox took off after them on foot, but he’d lose sight of them shortly superhuman strength and speed or not.

He didn’t see any distinguishing markings so he wouldn’t be able to discern which troupe they belonged to, but it didn’t matter. House Canis had one ace in the hole that he had spent these last years preparing for. Royal family Halcyon wasn’t the only family with a blessing. As a member of House Canis, he had the blessing of wolves. This would allow him to sense the location of the person he spent the most time with. Without stopping to think, he ran after the princess.

He ran for countless miles. They were definitely off the beaten path, and without his blessing he would have never found princess Lyria. He charged right into the cave, and drew his sword. He could hear the echoes of voices from within.

“So, we only need to get her back to the king alive?” A voice said.

“Yeah doesn’t matter what we do as long as she lives.” Another voice replied.

His grip around his sword tightened. It looks like he made it just in time. He entered the main hall. “Princess Lyria, close your eyes!” He yelled.

There was clamoring, and then confusion. Countless men filled the cave, at least 80. He charged straight past the ones at the very entrance and aimed for the ones who had their filthy hands on his precious princess.

“How the fuck did he find this place? And this fast? He doesn’t even have a horse.” A voice yelled

“He must have ran all the way here. He’s probably exhausted. Kill him, it’s just one man!”

Nox was surrounded before he could reach the two he was really aiming for. With a whirl of his sword he cut the lot who surrounded him in half. Another group took their place, and another swing knocked them down. Attacking in groups was futile, but so was attacking one at a time. The morale of the group plummeted, and the rest was hesitant about approaching.

One of the bandits with his hands on the princess spoke up. “Whoever brings me his head gets the first go at the princess. Don’t any of you want to deflower the fucking princess of Halcyon” That one’s the leader, he assumed. He narrowed his eyes. The remaining bandits’ morale spiked and they all attacked in a flurry. He’d cut one down, and then crush the skull of the next. He’d kick the one after that so hard their neck broke. It didn’t matter how many came at him, he’d just kill them all.

Leaving a trail of corpses in his wake, he had almost arrived at the back of the cave. The bandit leader looked on in horror as half of his men had been massacred, and the rest had fled. Now? It was just him, the wolf, and the princess.

The bandit leader drew his knife. His hands shook so much that he could barely hold it. This man was barely worth killing – or so he’d say if he were dueling him. He was the mastermind who took the princess from him. He took a good look at her. He wasn’t worried about what the bandit would do.

The princess’ wrists were bound in rope. Her wrists were red, and her face had the faint wetness of freshly shed tears.

She cried?

She was so scared she cried?

The first time she had cried was because Nox had failed to protect her.

Nox’s eyes narrowed into a look of absolute rage, and he directed it at the bandit leader who squealed in fear.

“Don’t come any closer!” He flailed the knife wildly in the air.

Nox was considering all kinds of execution methods. Before he could settle on one the bandit leader had buckled. He stabbed himself in the throat, ending his own life.

Well bleeding out is definitely not an amazing way to go.

Nox picked up the princess who yelped in surprise.

“Fear not princess Lyria, I have rescued you. Oh, but keep your eyes closed. This isn’t something you should see.”

“Nox! I knew you’d come!” They walked in silence until they were out of the cave. Nox undid her bindings and gingerly inspected her wrists.

“I’ll put something on that when we’re home.” Princess Lyria threw her arms around him.

“I was so scared.” Yes, she was. She was scared enough to cry. Remembering this Nox bit into his lip. He felt the princess shake. Why? Was she okay?  He pulled her back to see that she was crying again with the biggest smile on her face.

“I knew you wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me. I’m so happy you’re okay. That was really dangerous.” She was crying?  She was crying because she was happy to see him.

Suddenly Nox could feel his heart hammering in his throat. And he slowly began to spiral.

The princess cried tears of happiness for him. This was a face only he had seen… He would make sure he was the only one who’d ever see this face. This was a feeling beyond simple love and devotion. It was something deeper. What would he do to keep it? Well… He’d burn the entire castle down and kill everyone in it if it meant he could be the one at her side.

Yes. That’s right. He was the one meant to be at her side. It was him and no one else.

“Nox?” The princess asked worried. He had been lost in thought. He picked her up.

“We don’t have a horse. The sun’s setting, but we’ll be back at the crack of dawn. I’ll carry you.”

“What about you?” She asked. Of course, she was more concerned about him than herself. He suppressed a shudder. Oh, how sweet she was. He took a deep breath and inhaled her scent. It was part sweat from being out in the sun for most of the day and part flowery perfume so she could be presentable. To the princess it would look like a sigh.

“I could walk for…. Hmmmm.” He playfully mulled it over. “A week perhaps without sleeping?” He flashed her a smile.

“Wow Nox you’re amazing!” Princess Lyria ran her hand through his hair. Her dainty fingers were his reward for his slaughter. She could never know about this darkness swirling deep inside of him. She would never know.

They had arrived at the castle. Princess Lyria had been returned to her room. She was sleeping on the way back, but she was very tired after her ordeal. Nox left her side for the first time since he could remember.

He was summoned by his father and grandfather.

“How could you let this happen, worthless boy? You have only one job to do, so do it right. You’re a disgrace!” It was the usual punishment, a whipping. Nox zoned out. The whips weren’t reaching him in his stupor. His mind was on the princess – her weight and form that he held for the first time. The cracking of whips filled the dungeon.

More suitors would come… probably to Halcyon to avoid a disaster like this happening again.

Should he kill them discreetly? Make it look like an accident?

That would only work so many times.

How?

Was there an answer to the question he was looking for?

Could they ever be happy together?

Do they even need to be happy?

These thoughts rang inside Nox’s head through out the duration of the whipping. There was one climactic, dark conclusion he came to.

If he can’t have her… no one could.

Congratulations, ALLI! You’ve been accepted for the role of SEVEN OF SWORDS with the faceclaim of CILLIAN MURPHY. Canis is certainly a fucking concept, whom I adore to no end. He’s got a tenacious and willful sort of attitude about him, the kind of incredulous charm and wit that lends itself to an air of villainy and danger, and I think that he fits into the Seven of Swords like one fits into a well-made boot or glove. In spite of remaining leashed like a dog, he’s got no small amount of fire in him, and I’m eager to see what (or who!) he sinks his teeth into during gameplay. You’ve brought me a real gift, dropped it on my doorstep, and I am grateful.

Please review the CHECKLIST and send your blog in within 24 hours.

— APPLICATION

OOC

NAME:    alli PRONOUNS:    she / her AGE:    twenty - one TIMEZONE, ACTIVITY LEVEL:    cst /  i  am  currently  on  summer  break  and  have  the  ability  to  be  really  active ,  but  sometimes  things  do  come  up !  i  definitely  have  plenty  of  time  to  be  on  the  dash  with  several  posts  within  activity  limit  and  when  my  muse  is  high  ( i’ll  be  honest  i’m  a  hoe  for  high  fantasy )  my  activity  is  also  super  up ! ANYTHING ELSE?:    what’s the mead sis…….. the wenches are squabbling …….

IN CHARACTER

SKELETON:    seven  of  swords NAME:   efferus  aubenet   /   “canis”  &  “the  dog”   efferus  -  of  latin  meaning ,  “wild ,  savage ,  cruel ,  barbarous” .  a  name  canis  has  long  since  abandoned ,  preferring  even  the  subtle  jab  of  “the  dog”  given  to  him  by  opponents  of  his  crew  and  the  highborn  that  look  down  on  him .  he  finds  it  just  about  as  cutting  as  a  bread knife .  no  one  except  those  closest  to  him  ( ie .  the  pack )  even  know  this  name  exists . canis  -  latin  for  “ dog ” ,  though also  the  scientific  genus  for  all  canines ,  including  wolves  and  coyotes .  meant  to  symbolize  canis  as   the  leader  of  his  pack  of  wild  dogs ,  and  a  sign  of  respect ,  a  nickname  earned  on  the  streets  and  not  given  to  him  in  tyrholm . the  dog  -  a  nickname  received  while  working  under  king  septimus ,  by  those  that  see  the  second  fangs  as  dirty ,  unruly ,  savages .  also  by  revolters  who  see canis  as  a  dog  blindly  following  the  orders  of  a  tyrannical  king.  in  any  case ,  he  still  prefers  this  to  efferus .  sometimes  he  even  barks  in  response . FACECLAIM:    cillian  murphy ,  michiel  huisman   ( he / him  pronouns ,  cis  male ) AGE:    thirty - nine  ,  born  on  the  twenty - seventh  day  of  the  twelfth  month

DETAILS:   i  always  find  myself  drawn  to  underdog  characters ,  muses  that  have  overcome  more  than  most  others  could  even  imagine  to  find  themselves  in  their  present  position .  i  believe  there  is  so  much  depth  to  backgrounds  like  canis’s .  no family  so  he  created  his  own ,  nothing  to  his  name  so  he  created  his  own  legacy .  a  moral  compass that  tries  it’s  best  to  always  point  north .  that  fails ,  because  the  muse  is  so  painfully  human .  the  irony  of  a  sellsword  who  wants  more  for  himself ?  incredible .  when  i  was  skimming  the  skeletons ,  it  was  his  that  startled  practically  writing  itself ,  this  street  urchin  turned  warrior  figure ,  so  i  spent  a  lot  of  time  picking  apart  the  biography  until  i  was  left  with  canis . i  did  a  bit  of  research  on  the  seventh  of  swords  tarot  card ,  but  let  me  tell  you  ..  i  was  so  pleasantly  surprised  and  intrigued  when  i  did .  on  one  hand ,  when  upright ,  seven  of  swords  means  scheming ,  resourcefulness ,  cunning ,  and  lies ,  all  traits  that  have  gotten  canis  to  where  he  is  today ,  however  negative ,  the  legacy  he’s  forged  for  himself  and  all  deeply  tied  to  his  work .  however ,  when  reversed ,  the  seven  of  swords  can  mean  confession ,  conscience ,  regret ,  and  maliciousness ,  which  i  think  lend  beautifully  to  this  character’s  private  struggles .  there  is  a  very  heavy  mix  of  negative  and  positive  attributes  leant  towards  seven  of  sword’s  core  character ,  someone  who  wants  to  do  right  by  themselves  at  great  cost .  when  interpreting  the  tarot  as  canis ,  i  was  drawn  to  the  maliciousness  and  the  regret  ( in  sometimes  equal  measure )  of  the  reversed  card .  i  believe  there  is  so  much  more  to  this  character  than  just  his  web  of  scheming  and  lies ,  that  canis’s  true  self  comes  from  somewhere  within ,  and  i’m  really  excited  to  explore  his  inner  conflicts.  this  man  has  so  many  issues  that  he’s  buried  and  i  think  the  possibility  of  him  becoming  a  part  of  the  revolution?  impeccable.  my  muse  for  this  skeleton ?  through  the  roof .

BACKGROUND  

I .  O’ ROMULUS  AND  REMUS ,  CASTOR  AND  POLLUX ,  WHAT  IS  ONE  WITHOUT  THE  OTHER ?   a  twin ,  you  were  told ,  though  it  feels  like  something  you  should  never  be  permitted  to  forget.  you’ve  never  felt  him there ,  not  like  a  phantom  limb  or  a  guiding  whisper.  just  a  story ,  when  you’re  feeling  ungrateful  for  your  lot  in  this  realm ,  that  there  is  only  one  where  there  once  was  two.  born  in  the  dead  of  winter  --  the  one  that  bit  at  the  napes  of  even  the  most  fur  cloaked  nobility  of  markholm ,  that  anyone  unlucky  enough  to  live  through  it  can  still  recall  as  “ceaseless”   --   and  childbirth  takes  your  mother  as  it  goes.  two  children ,  born  sickly ,  cold.  so  you  are  dubbed  efferus ,  a  savage  beast  who  can  claw  his  way  into  life ,  barely  holding  onto  breath ,  already  having  taken  a  life.   it  takes  a  village  to  raise  motherless  boys.  sometimes  it  takes  more  than  that.  your  brother  doesn’t  make  it  past  the  winter ,  but  you  keep  growing ,  getting  stronger  by  the  day ,  and  finally  spring  flowers  bloom  forth  from  hard  soil.  the  goat  farmer  next  door  tells  your  father  you  are  a  resilient  one ,  that  the  undying  smiled  upon  him.  another  miracle ,  that  your  life  could  be  a  blessing  and  not  a  curse.   as  long  as  you  knew  him ,  your  father  kept  steadfast  in  deep  religion ,  devout ,  praying  over  the  crops.  the  cattle.  the  harvest.  even  your  birth ,  a  story  he  recants  so  mystically  it’s  hard  to  imagine  you  were  there.  “we  all  bled  fer  you ,”  he  always  starts ,  like  it’s  your  fault ,  “my  son ,  my  son.  let  all  else  be  damned  fer  ‘im.”  two  lives  for  the  price  of  one ,  he  reminds  you ,  and  you’re  just  a  boy ,  but  you  still  find  it  all  absurd.  there’s  never  been a rhyme  or  reason  to  suffering.  “you  make  a  deal  with  the  undying  and  you  get  what  you  paid  fer.”  sometimes  it  seems  a  compliment.  others ..  you  aren’t  so  sure.   your  father  hath  no  mercy  for  the  weak  or  spineless ,  though  he  wasn’t  an  inherently  evil  man  either ,  at  least  not  in  the  figments  you  can  conjure  of  him.  you  plow  the  fields ,  with  hands  so  rough  with  calluses  you  can’t  feel  the  hilt  of  the  axe  you  use  to  cut  the  firewood.  you  milk  the  cows ,  so  gentle  with  great  beasts  you  start  to  forget  your  name.  you’re  skin  and  bone  and  beating  heart  ,  not  much  to  look  at ,  but  just  the  blessing  your  father  asked  for  all  the  same.  a  good  boy ,  in  that  you  were  capable  and  healthy  and  strong.  a  bad  seed ,  in  that  you  cared  for  little  and  didn’t  always  do  as  you  were  told.   it’s  your  tenth  winter  when  frostbitten  tendrils  take  first  your  farm ,  and  then  your  father.  you  make  a  deal  with  the  undying  and  you  get  what  you  paid  for ,  you  remember ,  and  it  almost  makes  you  laugh.  perhaps  it’s  not  so  funny  that  you  mourn  very  little  the  life  you  lost.  perhaps  still  it  is  a  testament  to  your  strength ,  a  boy  of  only  ten  who  shoulders  already  a  lifetime  of  death  and  decay.  who  makes  it  look  a  load  easy  to  bear.  who  are  you ,  efferus  aubenet?  and  who  will  you  become?

II .  A  MIRRORED  MIDAS  ,  IF  EVERYTHING  HE  HAD  TOUCHED  TURNED  TO  DEATH  AND  ROT .   a  street  urchin  with  no  farm ,  no  family ,  and  most  prominently  no  coin.  winters  slip  away  like  sand  through  an  hourglass ,  and  it’s  all  you  can  do  to  keep  track  of  the  time  that  folds  beneath  you.  one  year ,  and  you’re  frail  and  quiet  and  know  only  to  keep  to  yourself.  three  years  and  you’ve  developed  a  taste  for  fighting ,  scrappy  as  you  are.  it’s  just  a  game ,  in  the  beginning ,  one  the  other  coinless  children  keep  telling  you  you’re  too  good  at ,  “it’s  no  fun  fighting  a  hungry  dog.”  five  years  and  you’re  taller ,  more  meat  to  your  bones.  you’re  better  at  sneaking  things  out  of   the  market ,  extra  to  feed  your  friends.  you  learned  the  hard  way  what  happens  if  you  don’t  bring  back  enough ,  if  you  turn  a  blind  eye  to  people  who  call  out  your  name.  you  hear  it  when  you  dream ,  half  awake  in  chilled  darkness.   “i’m  so  hungry,  efferus.  i’m  so  hungry.”   you  start  going  by  canis.  it  makes  it  easier  to  sleep.   six ,  seven  years  and  you’re  so  good  at  fighting  that  your  pockets  start  to  feel  heavy.  cobbled  streets  whisper  canis  when  you  cross.  bruised  fists  and  a  bloody  conscience ,  not  all soldiers  make  it  out  of  battle  alive.  it  dawns  on  you ,  slowly  but  with  all  the  force  of  a  crack  of  lightning ,  why  the  others  like  to  call  you  dog.  maybe  it’s  because  you  were  born  from  death ,  or  because  you  know  loss  so  well  it  colors  your  eyelids  when  you  blink ,  but  it  seems  all  you’re  good  for.  you  discover  a  rage  within  you ,  one  which  you’re  sure  ( you  hope ,  foolish  as  it  is )  any  man  is  capable  of ,  if  pushed  too  far.  but  it’s  directionless ,  vile  in  the  way  it  sits  inside  your  chambered  heart.  there  is  nothing  more  universal  than  pain.  nothing  more  isolating  than  anger.  a  boy  with  a  taste  for  blood.  so  blind  to  the  way  you  snap ,  like  branch  under  boot ,  when  you  push  too  hard.  what  place  is  there  for  you  in  an  unforgiving  world ,  wracked  with  hardship?  at  whose  table  do  you  dine?   you  knew  love  once ,  it  felt  like  sharing  bread  and  blankets  and  tales  of  woe.  like  years  on  the  streets  relying  only  on  wit  and  steadfast  determination  to  survive.  like  knowing  a  person  fully ,  inside  and  out ,  as  you’d  always  known  yourself.  that  too  would  be  taken  from  you ,  like  everything  else.  for  the  price  of  just  a  single  coin ,  you  watched  your  love  take  their  last  breath ,  watched  the  thief  make  off  with  their  blood  money ,  felt  truly  and  terribly  powerless.  worse  than  losing  your  father  to  deep  winter  chill  you  lost  your  first  love  to  a  blade.  and  in  the  end ,  it  meant  nothing.     the  sons  of  argos  could  not  undo  what  you’d  done ,  what  had  been  done  to  you ,  but  maybe  you  could  give  back  tenfold.  it  starts  small ,  at  a  table  in  your  favorite  tavern ,  as  all  great  plots  tended  to  do.  an  invitation  to  join  a  company  you’d  heard  about  only  in  whispers.  you  saw  espace ,  penance  where  others  saw  a  home ,  but  that  would  always  be  enough  for  you.  it  was  intended  to  be  permanent ,  a  family  you  couldn’t  lose ,  under  a  friend  who  would  lay  down  their  life  for  the  men ,  women ,  and  children  under  their  protection.  a  life  of  adventure  to  call  your  own  and  you  didn’t  need  to  suffer  anymore.  you  had  but  one  skill ,  it  seemed ,  beyond  tending  to  the  herd  and  trimming  too  tall  crops ,  and  your  father  once  taught  you  that  skill  fed  fortune  ( though  the  money ,  you’d  find ,  would  come  later ) .  you  don’t  think  the  sons  is  quite  what  your  dearly  departed  had  in  mind ,  and  this  makes  your  smile  widen.  you’ve  always  found  humor  in  odd  places.     what  follows  is  a  career  far  short  of  extravagant ,  fighting  crime  like  a  bunch  of  vigilanties ,  tied  to  a  city  state  that  knows  little  of  its  own  streets.  you  hunger  for  travel ,  to  sink  your  teeth  into  shores  unseen ,  land  untended.  to  make  a  real  name  for  yourself  and  anyone  who  followed  suit.  “mind  your  place ,  mutt,”  you  hear  more  than  once ,  and  you  want  to  swat  the  others  away  like  flies  buzzing  in  swelling  ears.  but  there’s  something  sharp ,  too ,  like  a  cut  that  just  won’t  heal.  your  voice  is  too  loud  amongst  the  rest ,  your  name  --  the  name  you  paid  for  in  blood  --  nothing  next  to  strength’s.  the  captain  you  were  meant  to  worship  turned  to  dust  in  your  heavy  fist ,  the  family  you  forged  alongside  them  never  yours  to  call  your  own.  you  tell  yourself  they  betrayed  you ,  like  everything  else  in  this  life  they  gave  you  nothing  to  hold  onto  save  for  the  back  of  their  coattails ,  but  in  truth  you  were  never  meant  to  stay.  minding  your  place  felt  a  lot  like  digging  six  feet  down  to  lay  rest.   it’s  like  waking  from  a  dream ,  one  you  push  down  when  it  returns  to  you  in  the  night ,  leaving  the  sons  for  good.  four  winters  you  slept  under  their  tents ,  ate  at  their  table ,  and  still  you  feel  nothing  when  you  pack  what’s  yours  ( and  maybe  some  of  what  isn’t ,  but  who  would  dare  come  looking  for  it? )  and  go.  no  one  follows ,  no  one  even  pleads  your  case ,  and  when  you  see  them  playing  knights  on  the  docks  the  fire  in  you  swells.  it’s  all  rot  now.

III .  WHERE  WOULD  ICARUS  BE  NOW ,  IF  SOMEONE  WISE  HAD  CLIPPED  CURSED  WINGS?      iriebury  is  the  stank  of  unwashed  flesh ,  the  heat  of  southern  sun ,  something  to  conquer.  the  citizens  are  mean  and  the  crime  meaner.  it  makes  tyrholm  look  a  lot  like  playing  pretend ,  the  sons  seem  like  a  group  of  toy  soldiers.  to  survive  in  iriebury  you  need  your  bark ,  you  need  your  bite.  naturally , you  thrive.   it  takes  just  one  winter ,  one  warm  southern  winter ,  before  you  have  something  to  call  a  crew  of  your  very  own.  the  second  fangs ,  a  handful  of  beaten  down ,  nearly  finished  off  mutts  that  think  you  look  like  a  future.  you’ll  find  one  day ,  when  you’ve  turned  to  face  the  wrong  end  of  a  sword ,  these  dogs’  loyalty  knows  no  bounds.  and  maybe  you  do  have  a  family  after  all.  they  don’t  look  like  warriors  born  for  battle ,  but  they’re  sharp  on  every  edge  and  speak  of  you  like  you  hung  the  moon.  like  a  prophecy  spun  from  the  undying  herself.  the  queen  of  iriebury’s  no  different ,  when  you  flash  her  a  smile  and  run  a  sword  through  her  guard.  this  is  your  destiny.   with  work  and  full  bellies ,  the  second  fangs  grow ,  picking  up  more  men  and  women  the  rest  of  markholm  cast  aside ,  giving  them  all  purpose.  leadership  becomes  you ,  you’re  kind  in  places  other  captains  breathe  fire.  your  men  adore  you ,  and  maybe  this  is  why  it’s  easy  to  lose  yourself  a  bit.  you’ve  always  been  looking  for  him ,  that  voice  inside  of  you  that  has  guided  every  confident  step ,  and  you  really  start  to  believe  you’ve  found  him  at  the  end  of  a blade.     what  you  do  isn’t  pretty like  life  in  a  castle ,  it  isn’t  gentle  like  the  farm  or  humble  like  a  temple ,  but  it  suits  you.  you  find  company  at  the  bottom  of  a  bottle ,  family  inside  the  taverns  and  brothels ,  atop  dirty  cobblestone.  it  all  feels  a  lot  like  honor ,  like  duty.  you’re  known  for  your  loyalty  and  cunning  among  burdened  skill.  work  lends  to  virtue  or  some  mirrored  image  of  the  sort.  the  second  fangs  take  the  jobs  you  approve ,  not  the  ones  the  queen  hands  you ,  nails  stained  with  blood ,  and   who  knew  a  mercenary  crew  with  such  an  eye  for  morality?  bastards  that  comb  the  streets  but  speak  with  love  fresh  on  their  lips.  you’re  a  heathen  with  heart ,  of  that  not  even  the  fiercest  opponents  can  dispute.  maybe  there  is  a  place  in  this  world  for  nameless ,  coinless  men  with  a  hunger  for  something  more.  you  give  back  to  your  beloved  pack  what  they  give  to  you ;  everything ,  everything  and  then  some.  a  life  that  means  more  than  scraping  the  bottom  of  the  barrel.   you  can’t  carry  on  like  this  forever  and  survive ,  and  it’s  only  a  matter  of  time  before  real  gold  starts  knocking.  a  steady  job ,  you’re  promised.  a  lifetime  of  stability ,  peace.  you  know  more  of  the  king  of  tyrholm than  you  let  on ,  and  maybe  you  are  naive  to  trust  the  word  of  a  woman  who  did  not  raise  herself ,  but  when  you  look  at  your  company’s  worn  faces  and  tired  smiles ,  weathered  from  southern  strife ,  it’s  never  been   easier  to  bend  a  knee.     some  odd  winters ,  some  odd  springs ,  lived  with  modest  lavesty.  septimus  is  an  arse  of  a  man  that  whispers  corroded  bidding  into  your  graceless  ear.  no  one  but  the  second  fangs  knows  how  much  you  shake ,  when  the  job  is  done  and  you’re  safe  at  home.  how  much  weight  you  shoulder ,  for  yourself ,  for  your  men ,  for  the  lives  you’ve  taken.  the  lives  you  will  take.  your  crew  was  never  meant  to  become  a  rebellion.  the  glory  feels  lost ,  you’re  a  knight  without  chivalry ,  a  wolf  without  teeth.  you  hear  dog  more  than  your  own  name  and  you  bite  back  bile  when  you  look  in  a  mirror ,  but  still ,  you  think ,  you  would  do  it  all  over  again.     the  second  fangs  are  a  happy  crew ,  well  fed  and  housed  and  nothing  like  the  orphans  you  sheltered  so  many  moons  ago.  when  it  starts  to  feel  like  you  have  your  own  sons  of  argos  you  shelf  the  thought.  your  pack  looks  at  you ,  strong  and  fit  and  still  just  a  bit  withered ,  and  laugh  and  cheer.  “yer  getting  old,  canis,”  they  jest ,  when  you  stumble  into  bed.  “hunch - backed  from  all  that  gold  in  yer  pockets.”  you’ve  always  been  wiser  than  most  of  them ,  something  raw  in  your  heart  that  keeps  it  beating  steadfast.  better  you  than  them ,  you  know.  most  men  would  crack  at  what  you’d  seen.  what  you  know.     there’s  good  to  be  found ,  once  you  learn  how  to  look ,  like  the  devotion  of  judgement  ,  a  beauty  in  worship  that  reminds  you  of  all  your  father’s  useless  praying.  peaceful  in  all  it’s  absurdity.  there’s  friendship  in  odd  places ,  with  the  empress  you  serve.  you  find  it  hard  to  trust  in  tyrholm ,  unaccustomed  to  the  politics  of  a  ruling  class ,  the  society  that  never  once  smiled  down  on  a  farm  boy  and  his  widowed  father.  you  want  to  be  wise  and  cunning ,  still  sometimes  you  feel  inadequate  next  to  those  raised  in  education ,  but  the  queen  saw  your  potential  before  anyone  else  in  the  whole  retched  kingdom ,  and  that  has  to  mean  something.  there’s  the  fool ,  a  real  dog  you  sometimes  think ,  who  mirrors  your  old  captain  so  much  it  makes  your  skin  crawl.  they  aren’t  so  bad ,  but  it’s  hard  for  you  to  look  up  at  someone  who  serves  at  the  hand  of  the  king.  you  wonder  if  others  think  the  same  of  you.  fools ,  the  whole  lot  of  them.   you  know  what  the  queen  expects  of  you ,  your  word  is  your  livelihood ,  but  these  things  take  time.  for  now ,  you’re  comfortable ;  your  cup  is  full.  there’s  always  been  something  about  wars  to  come  that  feels  like  home ,  ragged  and  battle  scarred  thing  that  you  are.  and  besides ,  it’s  easier  to  put  out  a  fire  that  burns  inside  your  ribs  than  one  that  swallows  an  entire  kingdom ,  of  this  you  are  certain.

PLOT IDEAS

STRENGTH:   oh  boy  oh  man.  canis  can’t  hold  his  tongue  with  distaste  even  if  he  tried ,  and  he  definitely  doesn’t  try  with  them.  his  anger  often  gets  the  better  of  him  and  i  believe  he  would  try  to  confront  strength  every  chance  he  gets.  he  sees  this  skeleton  as  nothing  more  than  the  king’s  right  hand  ( literally  so  exciting  to  me  that  strength  is  also  a  revolter  and  i’m  sure  neither  of  them  know  they’re  destined  to  work  on  the  same  side  again?? )   and  i  think  he  reflects  a  lot  of  his  own  inadequacies  onto  this  skeleton ,  a  lot  of  his  failure.  with  such  a  tension  relationship  i’d  like  to  see  fights  break  out ..  maybe  even  between  their  own  respective  men  that  they’d  have  to  quell.  far  down  the  line  even  settling  their  differences  and  working  together  as  the  military  leaders  of  a  revolution  because  who  is  better  suited  for  the  job  than  them?  but  it  would  take  a  big  blow  to  canis’s  pride  to  share  such  a  job ,  to  ever  work  alongside  this  skeleton  instead  of  against  them  like  he  always  has.  so  all  around?  here  for  it  all. NINE OF WANDS:   canis  looks  at  them  and  sees  passion  he  once  was  sure  he  felt ,  the  sharp  thing  in  his  gut  that  once  spurred  him  to  forge  his  own  path  in  a  world  that  never  once  showed  him  kindness.  his  scars  are  internal ,  but  they  wear  their  scar  like  a  badge  of  honor ,  at  least  that’s  how  canis  sees  it.  he’d  love  to  not  have  to  kill  the  king  himself ,  even  if  he  would  never  admit  it.  it  means  a  safer  life  for  his  men ,  it  means  being  done  with  tyrholm  and  a  life  of  ease  and  travel ,  everything  he’s  always  wanted  and  never  seemed  to  be  able  to  grasp.  i  wonder  if  them  growing  closer  through  sparring  and  their  ability  to  provide  him  the  best  weapons  he’s  ever  seen  could  change  his  opinion  on  wanting  them  to  kill  the  king  in  a  fit  of  rage??  i  could  see  canis  wanted  to  strategize  with  them ,  in  the  end ,  once  he’s  done  poking  the  bear.  love  this  gift  of  a  connection  a  lot !!!! THE EMPRESS:   definite  ass  kissing  going  on  here.  canis  is  more  than  grateful  he  was  hired  by  her  and  not  the  king ,  though  i  do  think  he  might  resent  them  a  little  for  the  work  the  king  makes  his  company  do.  he  prefers  to  take  jobs  from  them ,  when  ordered ,  though  i  feel  their  relationship  at  this  point  goes  beyond  just  work  like  it  does  with  septimus.  he  trusts  them  and  it  does  help  him  to  sleep  at  night  thinking  he  could  be  serving  their  hand  and  not  septimus’s.  also  entirely  possibly  they  call  him  the  dog  but  with  them  it  doesn’t  feel  like  malice.  he  would  never  dare  disrespect  the  queen ,  especially  one  he  sees  goodness in ,  sees  his  entire  future  in.  would  be  really  interesting  if  canis  even  is  a  little  too  friendly  with  them ,  giving  them  a  hard  time  where  maybe  no  one  else  would  dare  to  do ,  an  annoying  prick  in  her  side  that  she  NEEDS  to  get  what  she  wants. THE HERMIT:   i  think  he  has  a  lot  of  respect  for  the  hermit.  in  ways  that  his  pride  keeps  him  from  seeing  his  similarities  with  strength ,  he  sees  so  much  of  who  he  once  was  in  them.  young ,  making  their  own  way ,  maybe  even  some  of  the  same  rage ,  though  canis  has  no  place  to  put  his  own.  i  feel  like  if  the  respect  was  mutual  they  could  have  a  friendly  relationship ,  canis  even  pushing  advice  onto  them  they  might  not  want  or  need.  if  a  revolution  came  he  would  back  them.  somewhere ,  he  probably  even  sees  them  as  something  of  a  good  king.  canis  doesn’t  trust  them  fully ,  but  he  could  drink  with  them ,  knows  the  second  fangs  would  treat  them  kindly  as  well. THE HIGH PRIESTESS:   canis  is  scared  of  little ,  but  he’s  scared  shitless  of  them.  he  avoids  them  at  all  costs ,  looks  the  other  way  when  they’re  brought  to  the  same  space.  he  doesn’t  talk  kindly  of  necromancers ,  though  maybe  there  is  some  envy  there  he  needs  to  address.  he’s  sure  this  doesn’t  go  unnoticed ,  not  with  all  their  years  of  wisdom.  i  think  it  could  be  really  interesting  though  if  one  of  his  closest  friends  is  killed  on  a  job  and  they  bring  them  back  as  he  watches ,  sees  this  power  first  hand ,  feels  even  a  debt  is  owed  though  none  of  the  fear  is  gone.  a  lot  of  possibilities ,  i  could  see  the  second  fangs  might  be  dying  a  lot  more  often  pretty  soon ... JUSTICE:   the  world  calls  canis  the  dog  because  they  see  him  as  filth ,  as  something  mangey  that  feeds  from  table  scraps  of  the  king ,  but  canis  sees  that  justice  is  the  real  dog.  and  he  pities  him  for  it.  there’s  little  glory  in  the  work  of  a  bodyguard ,  and  maybe  canis  wonders  how  justice  would  fair  in  his  own  company.  never  the  less ,  i  think  they  could  butt  heads  just  as  easily  as  they  could  share  a  pint.  maybe  they’ve  even  fought  in  some  of  the  same  battles ,  know  each  other  from  war  torn  lives  and  have  a  bond  because  of  this.  lots  of  potential  for  both  malice  and  comradery ,  no  matter  what  line  of  the  revolution  they  tread. THE LOVERS:   canis  sees  himself  and  more  in  them.  he  doesn’t  pity  easily ,  has  an  ability  to  find  the  strength  in  even  the  smallest  mouse ,  but  he  pities  the  lovers.  in  some  ways ,  i  think  he  wants  what  they  have ,  longs  for  something  as  fulfilling  as  love ,  and  doesn’t  want  to  see  this  squashed.  every  day  he  gets  closer  to  telling  them  of  the  war  to  come.  i  really  wonder  how  long  he  can  go  without  letting  anything  slip ,  especially  if  they  look  at  him  with  gentleness  or  show  him  great  kindness.  he  feels  they  need  to  prepare ,  like  he  is ,  for  a  future  of  destruction.   THE MOON:   okay okay ..  i  have  two  different  paths  that  i  think  might  be  interesting  with  this  skeleton  depending  on  what  gets  plotted  out.  BUT ..  i could imagine  canis  stumbles  into  their  office  after  being  badly  injured  on  the  job ,  probably  requesting  some  random  herb  because  it  HURTS  and  he’s  WEAK  and  he  needs  it  to  be  DONE  WITH.  one  path  would  lead  to  the  moon  healing  canis ,  and  once  he  discovers  this  ability  he  probably  begs  and  bribes  ( heavily.  the  man  is  too  wealthy  for  his  own  good  now ,  and  what  else  is  he  going  to  buy?  new  boots?  his  work  just  fine. )  them  to  start  visiting  the  second  fangs  around  the  city  to  heal  them  in  secret.  he’ll  do  anything  for  their  ensured  safety.  the  other  path  works  quite  the  same ,  only  with  no  healing ,  just  plants ,  and  he’d  be  very  dependent  on  this  muse  either  way  because  of  the  miracles  they’re  able  to  work  with  his  men.  really  really excited  for  the  possibilities  of  plots  with  this  skeleton. THE TOWER:   a ��backstory  plot  for  these  muses  is  calling  my  name??  like  maybe  the  tower  and  canis  had  a  deal  where  the  second  fangs  would  assist  them  and  their  men  on  voyages  and  pillages  for  a  cut  of  the  treasure  when  all  was  said  and  done ,  back  when  the  second  fangs  were  fresher  and  poorer  and  in  desperate  need  of  work.  and  maybe  one  of  the  two  betrayed  the  other  on  one  of  these  trips ,  with  greed  for  treasure  or  something of the like?  things  could  be  tense  between  them  now ,  at  each  other’s  throats.  OR  there  could  have  never  been  a  betrayal  and  they’re  actually  quite  good  friends  who  know  a  little  too  much  about  each  other’s  pasts ,  and  canis  offers  the  tower  company  amongst  the  pack  knowing  he’s  lived  through  canis’s  own  worst  nightmare.  the  terrifying  ordeal  of  being  known.  canis  could  definitely  trust  them  more  than  he  should.  this  one  has  me  really  excited  i  won’t  lie.

CHARACTER DEATH:    canis  would  quite  literally  volunteer  for  this  so  that’s  a  big  yes  from me.

WRITING SAMPLE

THE SELF PARA:  the tent is warm and the burn of the lamplight casts shadows across familiar faces. the second fangs. his pack, he always calls them, like they’re puppies and not vicious mercenaries. canis is most comfortable here, at ease, his usually pin straight posture relaxed despite the job he knows lays ahead of them. it’s not one he’s entirely comfortable with, an uprising in a poor village. always messy, always felt a bit like putting down a weakened calf at the farm. so they drink, to forget the day that lies ahead, the uncountable days behind. the faces. faces. faces, that echo like screams.   he can’t recall who speaks first, but it was likely canis himself, always a little too bold when his body buzzed with liquid courage. “that’s not what i’m asking,” one of his men corrects with a nudge of canis’s shoulder, always aggressive with each other, a pack of wolves nipping at each other’s heels. “the death’s on your hands. but it’s meant to be a good one. worth while.” and the captain’s own eyes twinkle uncharacteristically, perhaps because his inner conscious knows what his mouth does not. that the answer lies waiting at the tip of his tongue, a snarling beast of a target.     “and how much coin are we gonna get fer it?” ajax jests, but canis can see the gold flashing in front of his face, even from across the table. canis barks out a laugh, and they all bang their goblets on the table.   “aye,” in unison. they know each other inside and out, they speak a language strange and foreign. a family with many moons in their pockets. how many knights can say that?   “no coin,” canis finally adds. “no glory. no private dance at the brothel,” eying ren, and there’s another chorus of easy laughter, more aye’s.   “one of the nobles,” lawren grunts, and at first there’s just ringing silence. a paranoia that winds it’s way through the small group. they trust each other with their lives but this .. it’s like blasphemy. it’s revolution uncurling within them, more than just a job, it’s a force awakening. lawren speaks again, gentler, louder. “undying knows they’re all pricks.” and it’s easy again, more aye’s, cups overflowing with wine and ale.   but in between the laughter, he feels the wrench in his gut, the rage that threatens to flare. an allegiance of blood and blind faith  --  it reminds him so much of religion that he squirms. maybe his answer lies in a job, with wicked tendrils wrapped around his neck like a leash. the dog. how wrong would it be to bite the hand that feeds you? “i’d cut off my ring fingers and swear to celibacy to be rid of the fuck all king already,” canis growls, his knuckles white where he grips tight on his cup. and it’s quiet again. when he speaks they listen, they all listen, even the highborn in the castle, like he’s a wave crashing on shore. commanding attention. demanding it.   “you’re spending too much time with the clerics,” ren groans, with a face like a fox, her hair hanging limply in her face. he can’t tell if she’s smiling or frowning, but they’re nodding in agreement. all of them.    “what good’s that sack of shit king, anyway?” lawren chimes in, and then it’s deafening chatter. all canis can do is listen, absorb the pain of his men, the frustration, see himself reflected in their woes. say what any outsider will about his crew, maybe they are all mutts. one mind, one body, one restless spirit. tired of being used, of being chained to a cause that tries to fill deep chasms in bleeding hearts with gold. what is the price of true freedom?   “maybe the end is closer than you think, canis,” a small voice that rises above the others. a girl, mary, raised in the pack, only nearing her seventeenth summer. and she’s a legacy of everything canis has created, the family he wove with bruised and boney fingers. “we haven’t lost a battle, yet.” and she’s right, of course she’s right, whip smart and flea bitten. if there is to be a revolution, aid of the pack would be an immense advantage. it isn’t arrogance with which his men speak. it’s truth.   he has to chew on the suggestion, sharp glass in his mouth with every bite, impossible to digest, but maybe with the backing of his crew .. canis has trouble seeing the future beyond a sack of coins and a full bottle of ale. he knows little of politics, even after all his withered years serving as something of a king himself. it’s overwhelming, and he thinks his whole arm shakes when he raises his goblet. “nasty fuckers,” but his teeth shine in the lamplight, like fangs. like canines. “trying to get your own captain killed.” but when they clink glasses, it feels like a deal has been made, like he owes this death to more than just the queen, like the undying herself is watching.

EXTRAS

VOICE :   canis  has  an  eclectic  sort  of  accent ,  a  combination  of  all  of  the  people  he  met  while  living  on  the  street ,  his  father ,  the  lands  he’s  traveled  and  settled  into  with  his  companies .  he  constantly  sticks  out  as  an  outsider ,  no  matter  where  he  is .  he  doesn’t  mind  this  sense  of  otherness  because  whenever  canis  goes ,  his  family  is  never  far . canis’s  mockblog  can  be  found  HERE his  pinterest  can  be  found  HERE   ( blood  tw )

Vulpes Vulpes and Canis Lupus

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2SFC8UR

by XxXCaunwenNestrielXxX

Set in the book universe Sansa’s direwolf, Lady is still killed at the Trident, but everything changes from there. An irate and heart broken Sansa has a change of heart and reconciles with her sister, but she can not forgive Ned. Sansa and Arya run away to find Nymeria and be where nowhere will find them: The Wall. Both girls will learn about their magical heritage, forge an unbreakable bond, prove the paradigm of their era false, and reunite with Jon Snow.

Words: 2384, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/M

Characters: Sansa Stark, Jon Snow, Jon Snow | Aegon Targaryen, Arya Stark, Ned Stark, Nymeria (ASoIaF), Ghost (ASoIaF), Benjen Stark, Grenn (ASoIaF), Pypar (ASoIaF), Samwell Tarly, Catelyn Tully Stark, Bran Stark, Robb Stark, Rickon Stark, Jorah Mormont

Relationships: Jon Snow/Sansa Stark, Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, Catelyn Stark/Ned Stark, Arya Stark & Sansa Stark, Jon Snow & Arya Stark

Additional Tags: Eventual Romance, Action & Romance, Drama & Romance, Romance, True Love's Kiss, One True Pairing, True Love, True Mates, Magic, Warging, Siren Sansa Stark, direwolves, The North (ASOIAF), Children of the Forest, Alternate Universe - Westeros, The Night's Watch (ASoIaF), Banshee Powers, powers, greensight, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, jonsa, Multi-Classed Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2SFC8UR

Once upon a time... Lokabrenna

The winters were once so cold on earth that the oceans froze and the farmers died simply for lack of crops. We do not know what kind of serious offense humans committed against the gods, but apparently, Odin decreed a time of divine punishment and forbade the gods to help men.

One year, when the winter was so cold that it froze the fire in the hall, people desperately asked for help from Loki,

They asked for an imperishable flame that could warm them from the sky so that they could survive the winter.

Thus, Loki agreed, no one knows why, perhaps because he never liked to follow orders from anyone, perhaps because he wanted to earn some appreciation from humans, maybe chew on the gods ...But most likely, he really wanted to protect men.

The fact is that he started thinking from where he was going to draw a star that warmed the cold Midgard from the sky.

They say that he decided to go down to Surt's forge to ask for an ember from his great oven ... but he refused, said that the gods had closed the great gate of the forge, and that they had buried the key under a mountain, so not even the great fire giant could open the door of his own workshop ... but it is said that this was not done back to the ingenious god of tricks, and he said "if I bring the key, will I be able to take what I need? "

The great giant said that yes, he thought that even the mighty god Loki could not move that great mountain, even Thor would be almost impossible ... but Loki had another idea ... he became a mole (others say that snake) and excavated under the mountain in all directions, until after long days of hard work, finally surfaced on the triumphant surface with the key in the mouth ....

So Surt was no choice but to allow Loki take with a pair of tongs a bright ember of the great forge, and link it with a solid chain around ...

After, after transforming into a powerful eagle, I take the flight loading after Yes, the bright star of the sky.

Therefore in this way Loki put a torch in the sky, and since then and according to the men narrate, the earth was heated enough to make the winter habitable. However Loki discovered that the star was moving and did not keep harmony with the stars, and six months later, towards the end of summer, it happened that it was next to the sun (as it could be visibly noticed each dawn), and in this way the tizon began to warm the warm days.

The chain attached to Lokabrenna was melted by its heat and thus broke the anchor that kept it immobile in the sky, since it stopped being subject to a large ice mountain in Jotumheim and it happened that, while the winter nights were warming , its influence was good, since it used to let people live without feeling the cold weather and the harvests prosper, but because there was no anchorage with which Loki could remove the star once this season passed, it did not stop heating, only in the cold seasons, but it also heats the summer days and this excess of heat returns to the irascible and unpredictable people.

And taking the idea of ​​my friend @annievvv7 I wanted to represent The Dog Star, α Canis Majoris (Alpha Canis Majoris) with the image of our beloved Fenrir, the ancestor of the dog was the wolf therefore it makes a lot of sense to believe that this place belonged to him always to a wolf.

Now available as an advance PDF from DriveThruRPG: The Realm for Exalted 3rd Edition!

From the chaos of the Dragon-Blooded Shogunate’s collapse arose the Scarlet Empress, hero-tyrant and founder of the Realm.

In the centuries since her ascendancy, the Scarlet Realm has become Creation’s foremost imperial power. Kingdoms and city-states across Creation look toward the Blessed Isle at the world’s center and bow in submission to the authority of the Scarlet Throne, the might of the Imperial legions, and the doctrine of the Immaculate Order. The Great Houses of the Scarlet Dynasty, Dragon-Blooded descendants of the Empress, scheme against each other and vie for power. Now, the Empress is gone, and the Realm’s future will be forged by the deeds of heroes.

The Realm expands on the history, politics, culture, law, and economics of Creation’s greatest and most terrible empire. It details the Realm’s governmental institutions: the Thousand Scales ministries, the Deliberative, the magistracy, and the All-Seeing Eye military, and its state religion, the Immaculate Order.

It also provides an in-depth look at the lands that make up the Realm, both its heart on the Blessed Isle, and its satrapies scattered across the world.

Please report any errata here.

Also available in PDF: Adversaries of the Righteous: Ixier Who Dreams for the Dead and Hundred Devils Night Parade: Haloed Husk.

Three years ago, on the edges of a ragged Wyld patch, a gluttonous raksha feasted upon the dreams of an entire village. By the time a band of Exalts arrived to put a stop to it, the people were already empty husks. To their deep sorrow, the champions put the villagers out of their misery. 

The Exalts turned their grief and rage on the Fair One and killed it, with its belly still full of its victims’ dreams. Those dreams’ remnants leaked out along with the raksha’s blood, seeping into the soil of the village square. The heroes burned the creature’s body, buried the villagers, and departed for other adventures. 

Left alone at the center of the shadowland born from the villagers’ deaths, with the Wyld’s fingers creeping in like an infection, the alien blood and stolen dreams coalesced into something new. The entity that rose from the shadowland named itself Ixier, and declared its domain the dreams of the dying. It wanders the bordermarches, driven and haunted by the lost hopes of its victims and seeking to fulfill the wishes of those whose dead dreams gave it life. 

Sales

Scarred Lands products for Pathfinder (the Scarred Lands Players Guide and The Wise & The Wicked 2nd Edition) are upwards of 90% off from IPR and Studio 2! Both products are an incredible $5 each!

There’s only a few days remaining on DriveThruRPG’s huge May D&D Sale, which includes a ton of Realms of Pugmire and Scarred Lands content!

Kickstarter Update

Pirates of Pugmire, a supplement for both Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau, launched last week! With 489 backers, we’re already at $26,047, or 65% of our $40,000 goal!

Did you miss one of our previous Kickstarters? The following Kickstarted products are still open for preorders via BackerKit:

Dystopia Rising: Evolution: Dystopia Rising: Evolution rulebook

They Came from Beneath the Sea!: They Came from Beneath the Sea! rulebook

Trinity Continuum: Trinity Continuum (core rules and Trinity Continuum: Æon)

Exalted: Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought

Exalted: Lunars: Fangs at the Gate

Vampire: The Masquerade: V5 Chicago by Night

Chronicles of Darkness: Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras 2

Chronicles of Darkness: The Contagion Chronicle

Geist: The Sin-Eaters: Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition

Community Spotlight

The following community-created content for Scarred Lands has been added to the Slarecian Vault in the last week:

Your product could be here! Have you considered creating your own to sell?

The following community-created content for Realms of Pugmire has been added to Canis Minor in the last week:

Your product could be here! Have you considered creating your own to sell