Explore the Dungeon, Become a Hero by Kai Delmas

Explore the dungeon, they said. Slay the monster, they said. Become a hero, they said.

Published in our August 20, 2022 newsletter. Full story is under the cut.

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Explore the dungeon, they said. Slay the monster, they said. Become a hero, they said.

And that’s exactly what I was going to do. I spent half my life training at the Academy for Potential Heroes of Dargon. I was fifth best in my class. All I needed was to slay my first monster to become a hero.

I thought I was ready for anything, but nothing could have prepared me for you.

The moment I saw those dazzling petals blooming from your head I knew that I had found something I hadn’t even known I was searching for. My soulmate.

I wondered what our future would bring. We wouldn’t have to move if you didn’t want to. This was your dungeon after all. I could learn to live with the slimy walls and sludge covered floors.

Maybe some scented candles would help against the smell and brighten up the place. Sunlight would be better, of course, but I wouldn’t want to harm your delicate, pale skin if you preferred the dark.

There were so many things I didn’t know about you. For example, why your beautiful flowers were wilting and why your tentacles were wrapped around me so tight.

I didn’t even know you had tentacles.

Next, I noticed the stink of your breath as you opened your maw and showed me rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth.

That’s when your charm upon me ended and I discovered being fifth best was not good enough to become a hero.

Kai Delmas loves creating worlds, magic systems, and drabbles.

You can find him on Twitter @KaiDelmas

Teaser for tomorrow's TPiaG update:

Long Twig

Tableskills: Making a Game of It

Recently I learned a bit of an unspoken truth that I'd brushed up against in my many years of being a dungeonmaster that I'd never seen put into words before: If you want to liven up whatever's going on in your adventure, figure out a way to engage the players in some kind of game. It's simultaneously the best way to provide a roadblock while making your player's victories feel earned.

This might seem redundant, since you're already playing d&d but give a moment of thought to exactly what portions of d&d are gamified. Once you learn your way around the system, it becomes apparent that D&D really only has three modes of play:

Pure roleplay/storytelling, driven by whatever feels best for the narrative. Which is not technically a game, nor should it (IMO) be gamified.

Tactical combat with a robust rules system, the most gamelike aspect.

A mostly light weight skills based system for overcoming challenges that sits between the two in terms of complexity.

The problem is that there's quite a lot of things that happen in d&d that don't fall neatly into these three systems, the best example being exploration which was supposed to be a "pillar" of gameplay but somehow got lost along the way . This is a glaring omission given how much of the core fantasy of the game (not to mention fantasy in general) is the thrill of discovery, contrasted with the rigours of travelling to/through wondrous locations. How empty is it to have your party play out the fantasy of being on a magical odyssey or delving the unknown when you end up handwaving any actual travel because base d&d doesn't provide a satisfying framework for going from A to B besides skillchecks and random encounters (shameless plug for my own exploration system and the dungeon design framework that goes with it).

The secret sauce that's made d&d and other ttrpgs so enduring is how they fuse the dramatic conventions of storytelling with the dynamics of play. The combat system gives weight and risk to those epic confrontations, and because the players can both get good at combat and are at risk of losing it lets them engage with the moment to moment action far more than pure narration or a single skill roll ever could.

I'm not saying that we need to go as in depth as combat for every gamified narrative beat (the more light weight the better IMO) but having a toolbox full of minigames we can draw upon gives us something to fall back on when we're doing our prep, or when we need to improvise. I've found having this arsenal at hand as imortant as my ability to make memorable NPCs on the fly or rework vital plothooks the party would otherwise miss.

What I'd encourage you as a DM to do is to start building a list of light weight setups/minigames for situations you often find yourself encountering: chase scenes, drinking contests, fair games, anything you think would be useful. Either make them yourself or source them from somewhere on the web, pack your DM binder full of them as needed. While not all players are utterly thrilled by combat, everyone likes having some structured game time thrown in there along with the freeform storytelling and jokes about how that one NPC's name sounds like a sex act.

A quick minigame is likewise a great way to give structure to a session when your party ends up taking a shortcut around your prepared material. Oh they didn't take that monster hunter contract in the sewers and instead want to follow up on rumours about a local caravan? The wagon hands are playing a marble game while their boss negotiates with some local mercahnts, offering to let the party play while they wait. The heroes want to sail out to the island dungeon you don't have prepped yet? Well it looks like the navigator has gone on a bit of a bender, and the party not only need to track them down but also piece together where they left the charts from their drunken remembrances as a form of a logic puzzle.

Artsource

release the list

(i feel like i should mention these are all games ive personally played so if any of these make you go "why isn't [GAME] on here it's probably cuz i haven't played it. anyway)

(obligatory mention to hades/disco elysium/omori since they're some of my favorite games but im sure everyone already knows about them. they are lovely games and you should play them 👍)

darkest dungeon ($25) - turn based roguelike where you recruit mercenaries and send them on dungeon explorations and make sure they don't die of stress or starvation alongside the regular monster attacks. notoriously difficult. imagine bloodborne but turn based

ftl: faster than light ($10)- real time roguelike where you control a small crew and pilot a spaceship on the run from a rebel fleet. manage power and weapons on your own ship while targeting critical systems on the enemy

loop hero ($15)- a roguelike where your character will automatically walk in a loop while you use cards to add terrain with different effects such as spawning monsters to give you loot or increasing your healing. very unique with a beautiful pixel artstyle and banger soundtrack

moonlighter ($20)- a roguelike rpg where you go dungeon diving and try to bring back as much loot as you can so that you can sell it in your shop

shadows of doubt ($20)- early access. a first person sandbox detective simulator where each case is procedurally generated. randomly generates a town with npcs that all have names and addresses and relationships. put together clues from a crime scene and try to catch a killer before they strike again. work odd jobs between cases to keep yourself fed and housed

ultrakill ($25) fast paced first person shooter with a style system ala devil may cry. you play as a robot fighting through the layers of hell. mankind is dead. blood is fuel. hell is full

crypt of the necrodancer ($15)- a rhythm based roguelike dungeon crawler where you and your enemies are only allowed to move on beat. banger soundtrack goes without saying

everhood ($10)- a rhythm based rpg where you play as a red doll who had their arm stolen and is trying to get it back. battles involve moving between 5 lanes to avoid enemy attacks. if you like undertale you'll like this

spiritfarer ($30)- management and adventure game where you play as a spiritfarer who needs to care for spirits on her boat before leading them into the afterlife. incredibly charming and touching game. you will cry

let's school ($20)- management sim where you build and manage a school and help students graduate by setting up different courses. addicting and has a very cute artstyle

let's build a zoo ($20)- management sim where you. well where you build a zoo. a very silly game that includes a morality system where you can choose to be eco friendly and help repopulate endangered species or you can exploit your animals for their meat and produce. also has an animal splicing mechanic. haven't you ever wanted to make a giraffe with a duck head

the wandering village ($25)- early access. a city builder with the twist that you live on the back of a giant wandering beast named onbu. you help care for onbu as he wanders though different biomes that force you to adjust your resource production as some things become unavailable (such as water in a desert)

frostpunk ($30) a survival city builder where you build around a central core and try to prevent everyone from freezing to death in progressively colder temperatures

monster sanctuary ($20)- a metroidvania style creature collector with a unique combo meter that will continue to build and increase your damage based on the number of "hits" you can perform (healing buffs and shields also count as hits) and each monster has different skill trees that you can upgrade and customize

coral island ($30)- farming life sim with a unique underwater area where you can live and farm and raise aquatic plants and animals. you work to help restore the island after and oil spill ruined the surrounding ocean. i should mention that although this game is technically not in early access it is still unfinished and missing large chunks of gameplay/interactions/story. however there is still a healthy amount of content and is still a fun game as it is

apico ($20)- a beekeeping sim where you keep bees to make and sell honey while also breeding and releasing them to help restore their numbers in the wild

spirittea ($20)- a management and life sim where you manage a bathhouse for ghosts and help the townsfolk who think they're haunted (they're right). basically a cross between stardew valley and spirited away

cloud meadow ($20)- early access. this is a porn game ⚠️ a farming sim where instead of regular animals you have anthro characters and you can breed them either yourself or with each other and have them help in combat or on your farm. very cute artstyle and amazing animation work

Everyone go ahead and thank @final-girl-lorde for this one! I am SO sorry it's taken so long, thank you for your patience.

Title: Deep Cavern. Words: 4064 Kinks: body transformation, breeding, eggpreg, minotaur, tentacles, drider, adventuring idk. Summary: Max has spent his whole life training and being a hero and adventurer. But now he's determined to explore the one cave nobody has ever come out of.

It wouldn’t be false to say that Max was pretty well known around here by now. He had been an adventurer for a few years; focusing his whole life into heading down into the various deep, dangerous places in this world. He had honed his body since he was young, realising that what he wanted was to be a hero. And there was definitely money to be made, although he preferred to do what he could to help those who may have lost things or been endangered – it still came down to getting what money he needed to live, after all. So here he was, staring into the entryway to yet another dungeon.

Max cut an imposing figure. Tall, broad shoulders, the leather and mail armour he wore all added to the effect. And Max was proud of it, too; he’d been working out for such a long time, and each dungeon increased his skill and prowess. Now, facing down the entryway, he slipped the small vial of potion out of his pocket, holding it up and tilting it up in the light. It glittered, softly translucent, blue and glimmering. This small drop had cost him nearly all the treasure he’d managed to snag in the last journey he’d taken, and Max was hoping it would be worth it.

Whitehold Cavern had been a dangerous place for a long time, now. In years, no adventurer had emerged – many had tried. Of course, so many. From powerful wizards to other burly beefcakes like himself, and yet there was never another person who had come out. The rumours of what existed deeply inside – not just the monsters and beasts of darkness, of course, but the treasures that had been snatched away and taken down over the many years – that would be what had driven most of them there. Magical artefacts, gold, even bones of the beasts within…

And now it had come down to this. He was ready, confident, determined. Max was going to enter those depths, gather gold and riches, find what was hidden away, and be the one to make it back. And this potion was going to be the feather in his cap that was going to guarantee his name going down in history. All the money that he had gained and then spent in order to get here – every penny would be worth it. The seller had been oh so determined that it was exactly what he needed to survive, thrive, and become a legend. So here it was. Peering down into the depths, past the unassuming entrance of the cavern – apart from all the signs and warnings scattered around – he girded his loins, popped the lid on the vial, and tipped it into his mouth.

The fluid was strangely thick, for how it had moved in the vial, but it dribbled out into his mouth. At first, sweetness flooded over his tongue, flourishing and spreading a strange, tingly numbness. And then heat, like the spiciest orc chilli he had tried, burning and spreading. No matter how he swallowed, it wouldn’t clear away. Exhaling sharply, he adjusted his armour just slightly, a little looser, cooler. Then – doing his very best to ignore the increasing amount of people who seemed to be coming out in order to observe another fool going to their death – he tensed his shoulders and began the walk down.

After about ten minutes of steady clanking, he was feeling disappointed.

Nothing had yet come for him. There were sloping walls, a faint smell of damp and moss, but – no great monster had struck for him. Was there a sudden drop? The light was fading quickly, so he reached back to strike against the runestone on his hip. A soft blue glow began to spread into the space around him, a subtle but steadily increasing source of vision. A gift from a mage he’d saved in another town, that had been endlessly useful to him. Muscles were great, but he’d always had a smartness that so many others didn’t have, at least as far as Max considered himself. This would be fine. He let go of the sword on his belt, relaxing just a little – and kept walking.

There was no sudden drop. He wasn’t going to starve any time soon. And still that heat was suffusing from his mouth, now spread through his muscles. Liquid heat in his legs, all of his joints – it must be the power that the potion was giving him. Max pulled the armour away from his neck a little more, revealing a touch of flushed skin, exhaling sharply. Wrapped up in the adjustments, he missed the patch of moss underfoot – and slipped. Foot going out from under him, the warrior landed heavily, finding himself slipping and sliding down – shoulder cracking against the stone wall, and something shifting below the plates.

“What -?” awkwardly, managing to pull himself up, he pressed a little more force against the wall. There it was again – a movement, in the rock. A foot against it, now the boulder began to properly move, revealing a concealed passageway in the wall. Peering back the way he’d been walking, a sense of smugness settled onto Max’s shoulders. Of course, it was fated! And so he crouched, wriggling through the hole – and as he emerged into the cavern on the other side, he almost missed the movement ahead.

The blue light from his rune shone over something slick, wet – brow furrowing as he straightened, the tentacle reaching for him caught his eye. In a moment, his sword was loose, and there was a screech as the severed limb fell to the ground in a pool of blue blood. His eyes seemed fixated on the twitching tube, dripping in fluid, and that heat rushed straight to his groin. Shaking it off, his eyes came up just in time to see the beast heaving itself toward him. The next one wrapped around his leg, and another, a flurry of tentacles as his sword snick-snicked, but it was heading towards overwhelming him as he stumbled away, looking for a vantage – and the squeezing around his legs wasn’t helping with that burning.

He could feel himself – dripping, inside. And that was insanity, sure, he’d heard of some strange adventurers who may seek out a tentacled beast like this, but they were as likely to kill and devour you as anything else. As he lunged at the main body, more slender tendrils drove themselves under his mail, leaving cool-hot slick on his bare skin – and he skewered it, feeling the last squirms of it’s searchers as it died.

It took time to clear the goo off his skin, and the air in the cave felt better against that burning. After a moment’s hesitation, he shed a layer of leathers; leaving them piled next to the oozing carcass. It was strange, they felt – tighter, and more than just the sweat. He would move easier without them. Wiping his neck, Max exhaled sharply, heading down deeper. Pausing, listening, he carefully avoided a nest of Viper-strikes, and found another hidden tunnel – sword thrust and ready, but no tentacle beast awaited here – and paused to take a drink. Time was hazy, hours had most likely slipped away as he traversed…

And the cave had to be getting hotter. His armour was feeling tighter, stranger, by the moment. As he hefted his sword up to his shoulder again, it didn’t move quite as easily as before. He’d never hit fatigue this early – a magic must lay over the cave… or the energy from the vial was fading. But the sorcerer had insisted it would last for as long as he’d need it, deep down here…

“Whoa.” it came out as a sharp little breath, stopping on a natural ledge, awkwardly dropping to a crouch as he stared down into the pit a half-dozen feet below him.

Webbing was strung over the space; judging by some shapes that were left in it, animals – god, he hoped they were animals – had been caught and wrapped. Adjusting, he began to cautiously edge down the natural holds in the wall, careful not to ping any of those webbing lines. The monster that belonged in it wasn’t currently visible – he had to make sure not to summon what beast it was. He was going to best the cave, find it’s treasure, and he wasn’t going to pick a fight where there wasn’t one… feet found the floor, and he edged, ducking, catching – oh, no – a rough edge in the floor – a clatter as he landed on the ground and froze.

“Oh, little one.” a voice hissed from above. “Aren’t we trying so very hard? I can smell you from here.”

His blood ran cold. It wasn’t the first time he’d faced a drider, but instead of his body arming, ready to fight, that heat was flourishing deep inside him again. God, how good would she feel, deep inside him? What? No! No, he didn’t… fuck, his head felt strange. What the hell was going on? Stiffly, he managed to get up, doing his very best to avoid the web strands – wouldn’t do to get caught, even as he reached for his sword…

“Don’t worry…” she slipped down from the ceiling on a strong, thick white line, the pale skin looking near translucent in the light from his rune, six eyes fixated on his form as she adjusted to walk on those lines as if they were thick planks and not the shockingly delicate web. “I’m going to help you, now… with all that heat in you… and then you’ll be a perfect little reward for my kind act.” He looked down. His hand was trembling on the blade. It barely seemed like his hand. All he could think was how good she would feel inside him, but the threat of death lingered, a heavy weight pushing through the heat in his crotch.

She was upon him, in a shockingly fast motion, chitin legs reaching down, grasping at him – mouth open, venom glittering on her fangs – he released the strap on his shoulder plate, dropped down, rolled, swung his sword – severing the webs she was on. Her body crashed to the floor, front legs still clutching hold of the armour he’d released. Unwilling to think about how desperate his body was to bare itself for her, Max ran, clattering down the path he could see, urgently – he was making too much noise, the light on his hip swinging wildly, and despite the weight now missing, he didn’t feel any lighter.

When his legs came to a stop, he wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but he couldn’t hear the drider behind him. This cavern seemed narrow but empty, and he sat down heavily on a rock, swigging from his waterskin and taking off his helmet to wipe at his face. “Shit, what was that?” his face was soaked in sweat. All of him was, his linen shirt the last protection on his shoulders, and he wiped his face on that. He tapped his chestplate; sitting a little strangely because of his lack of pauldrons, only the strap felt – tight. Slipping off the arms of his armour, he stared at his flesh. Different. The muscle definition was fading. Softer, less – powerful. What the shit was happening to him? His strength… less intimidating. More breedable.

Max blinked at the ground. What the hell was going on in his head? He’d gone too far to go back, now. And the idea of abandoning this idea, when he could finally get filled by something wonderful – no, no – honour and glory, right? Honour and – he jerked on his arms again, stumbling onward. He had to keep going. He had to. And so he kept moving, into the next cave, and along; searching for more secret passageways. A strange musky smell was drifting up as he clamboured up some wall holds to a narrow gap that looked suspicious, driving his hands into it, and – yes – there it was. Another passageway. This time there was a – slide? He was so sick of sliding into the unknown, and yet here he was, and heading deeper, and oh the smell was overwhelming – but it was hard to fit into the gap. Cursing, he released his chest plate, tucking it onto the ledge below and sliding down.

The pit he ended up in rattled. Bones on the floor. Not good. A great huff, and a shadow turned towards him – backlit by a low fire. The heat was stifling, not just the temperature but that whole burning in his skin suddenly overwhelming. Great curved horns that nearly hit the ceiling. Wide ears, strong legs, a clip-clop and oh, shit, that was – a bull. With a chest that was greater than even his, but as Max glanced down, that strange disorientation hit again. Because his muscles were near gone, now – still strong, but no abs, just soft flesh. As the bull man grabbed ahold of him, for a split second he feared death – and then his legs were spreading as it huffed and sniffed his neck. A hand – monstrously large – forced his crotch-piece away and slipped into his underthings, pressing against his near-liquid, aching flesh.

“Fuck -!” he cried out, as it slipped in, pressing against his cock, throbbing against it’s immense finger. He bucked, and it snorted, as if amused, pulling away and leaving him trembling. This wasn’t supposed to happen! Why the hell was he losing his mind, right now, in this cave? His body – his body – it wasn’t acting like his, he’d never wanted to be bred like this – and there was the minotaur, hard, member so thick and long – and he wanted it – and his hand itched to his sword – and so he stumbled from the wall, and past it. Astounded, distracted perhaps, the minotaur was slow – and as he tripped and kicked the fire behind him, Max was out, and now the minotaur was running – he had to go, go, go, not fall, not present, there had to be something else here that he was looking for – and then he was falling, falling -

The ground never hit, but the world sure did go dark.

When he came to, his body was throbbing. Struggling up to his feet, Max inhaled sharply. His rune had gone out – the room was lit, somehow. Stumbling towards the light, he tried to think. Every inch of him was now aching, adjusting the swordbelt on his waist, the linen shirt that was hanging open. As he stumbled into the crack in the wall ahead, all he could think of was the need to pack his dripping, throbbing hole again. His belly was aching, hot, as his whole skin felt aflame. He was still strong, of course he was, but his body felt nothing like it had before. Max wasn’t sure he cared, about all the work that was lost now, because it didn’t matter. He had no intention to fight, not any more, all that mattered was that his body needed to be filled, bred, used… the glittering piles of gold and magical items that he wobbled past were unimportant now. He didn’t give a damn about them. Heat and faint smokey smells were drawing him on and on into the dark depths.

And as he fully made his way into this cavern, he saw it. A glow rising from somewhere deeper and further ahead, he realised there was a huge, heavy head lifting from the ground. Deep red shimmered; acid yellow eyes were opening. The jaw was as long as his entire body was tall, and the mouth was starting to part, hot fetid breath drifting over his half-bared body. The creamy fangs, the deep pink of the tongue – all of it sent a shiver through him that settled right in his aching core. Everything that had come before, had stretched and prepared him, leading to this – none of it had mattered really. Because right now, all that mattered was the way he was falling to his knees in front of the beast.

It moved forward, nostrils flaring, sniffing against him. The rough scales of the snout pressed into his chest, and Max leaned his hands forward, running them, trembling fingers that they were, over the large, hot flesh in front of him. He could feel each bump, the slightly rough and uneven edges, the gusting of the in and out breaths disturbing both skin and fabric. The intelligent eyes were fixed on his form, as the tongue slid out of it’s containment. The pointed tip – as thick as Max’s wrist – slipped it’s way between his legs, and drew up, over his throbbing dick, his lips, and over his painfully empty belly.

Apparently pleased by what it tasted in Max’s body, it huffed, moving back – a gust of hot air from both nostrils, and he slid back just a touch. Swarming shapes were appearing now, smaller than Max’s form themselves, scales and tails, a wave of colours – kobolds, he thought, distantly. They helped pull away the last of the clothes, ill-fitting on his new softer shape. They chucked his sword into the pile of metal in the corner, chittering and fascinated, a dozen small sharp hands pressing into his skin. The last few bits of armour were taken, peered into, but his focus was more on the fascinated, draconic creatures that were exploring him.

“What..?” he mumbled, distracted. They had realised there was saliva on him; got to work licking it off, spreading him, one trailing it’s tongue over his dick as he gasped, grabbing onto a horn, not sure what he wanted only that everything was throbbing and this was right, this was good, he would be the dragon’s toy, his soft body perfect to carry it’s heavy eggs – and so the beast appeared again. A low growl, and the kobolds dropped back, blinking up with love filled, round dark eyes at their master. It sniffed deeply of Max, nuzzling into his chest again, gently sealing it’s mouth around him. And whilst he could feel the immense power, the deadly teeth, he didn’t panic as it lifted him; moving him tenderly, gently, and laying him on something – soft. A pile of musty furs and fabrics, part of it’s hoard, and releasing him there. Shock, or perhaps something more, knocked him clean off his feet, landing heavily on the pile. He leant back, breathing heavy, exhilirated by the danger, the thrill, and the trust. And now the dragon pressed it’s muzzle deep.

It didn’t hesitate to slip it’s tongue inside his soaking body. He cried out in raw pleasure as the heat thrilled through him; not sated yet, the potion still burning, but he had reached dthe end, and this was it, his reward; his gift; to become part of the dragon’s hoard, after all. And it would be bliss, he was sure, as his cock convulsed and he tensed and cried out, flopping back again into the furs and bucking it’s hips. There was no doubt the dragon was pleased, pulling away, eyes sparkling as it growled something almost like a laugh at how easily he went. And as it drew back, sitting up slightly, a paw went down to palm at it’s cock. As long and thick as his forearm – Max was sure he’d never be able to take it. The beast sniffed at him, as if contemplating the same, then turned away. It’s wings shuffled, tail lifted, and he saw the heavy balls hanging between it’s legs… thought of all the seed packed away and twitched hard, halfway to cumming on just that thought…

When the beast returned a few moments later, it lowered it’s mouth and opened it above him; a perfectly round, softly glowing crystal, smooth and gorgeous. It huffed slightly, as he took it – and felt the warmth within it. A magical artefact… more powerful even than his glowing rune. A gift? But the dragon’s eyes met his, and he understood, the wonderful creature – the lover – able to communicate more by the moment. And so he slipped it inside himself, gasping at the sensation, the pleasure. His body gripped, pulled, and he squirmed, moaned; then the tongue was back, and it was pushing deeper and deeper. No pain, only warmth, pleasure. A faint pop – and when he looked down he could see it glowing, deep inside him, before it steadily faded. This was nothing like the spicy heat from the potion, but a settling warmth, changing him from the inside out. Now he looked at their cock, and laid back, spreading his legs again.

As he climbed over Max, the cock hung low, drooling thick pre. Ridged, shimmering and – beautiful. The tip was pointed, and tiny spines hung off the eddge of the head, as if it was designed to go in but be unwilling to come back out. Fuck, it looked – so good. With trembling fingers he stroked and then led it down, leaning his body up, as it made the first kiss with his entrance. A deep, old curse growled from his lips. Then inch by inch, he spread around it. Cursing turned to panting. Pain never came, but instead bliss at just how hard his body worked, the magic inside him doing it’s work. He knew he’d be able to always take his lover’s cock, now, and lay any egg, no matter the size, and what a thought, to fill him with such a deep joy that he came. Clenching hard, howling, and his partner laughed, and began to rock. In moments they settled to a rhythm, Max’s mind a foggy mess, soft body rising and falling. He placed a hand on his tummy, feeling when each thrust went to it’s deepest point… time became a foggy mess of pleasure and drooling.

When his master began to pick up the pace, Max rocked with him, rasping words of encouragement, of pleasure – feeling the swell, and the push, and then – oh, fuck, so tight – pushing the boundaries of the magic in his flesh – and pumping. Gods, the pumping, each twitch so powerful, a firehose of cum blaring inside him. Twitch and pump and pulse, and he could feel his belly swelling, breeding, gasping and groaning, as his body went entirely lax and all he could feel was being filled. He rubbed the lump as it went from a grapefruit, to a melon, to a greater size than he could quantify. There must be at least a barrel of potent, burning dragon cum inside him – and finally, easing the ache the potion had left in him. A dozen more aches to take it’s place, but for now, he was limp, drooling. The dragon adjusted carefully, holding him safe, as it rested, still driven deep into his body. He felt like a toy. It felt like bliss.

When the movement started again, Max’s brain was floating. He couldn’t quite believe it. The knot had slipped down, just enough for Mechaus to start moving again. When they struck deep, his belly sloshed, and it made his head spin all over again. Time slipped by, lost in a haze, lost in pleasure and fullness and bliss. And when the dragon began to speak, clear in his messed up head, it was words of love and hope and everything he could have helped…

-

‘You can do it, my love.’ whispered the deep rumble in his head. He groaned, wrapping an arm around their neck, lifting him with great difficulty to his feet. The clutch was unbelievably heavy – he was sure some of his back muscles were coming back in. Although Mechaus insisted he liked Max just the way he was – perfect for supporting the clutch they were going. “How much longer?” he grumbled, huffing between his teeth. ‘Not long. Do you know, my Kobolds spotted something earlier?’ the dragon whispered into his brain. ‘Another intrepid explorer coming on in. They happened to visit a little shop on their way down… one of my acolytes owns it.’ and the dragon rumbled a laugh, and Max huffed. “You’re incorrigible.” he muttered, even if he was smiling slightly. “They won’t make it down here. Nobody ever gets this far.” ‘Only one.’ Mechaus whispered, and Max rolled his eyes, then gasped. “Oh.” he whispered. “Think we’re out of time.”

Around a Cooking Pot

The first thing that Link learned after coming out of the Shrine of Resurrection was how alive the world was. Rolling hills and winding rivers greeted him, beating to the beat of his own heart as he adjusted to the blinding light outside the cave.

The second thing he learned was how to roast an apple over an open fire.

Quickly after that, cooking became second nature. He could coax a smile out of a sad friend with a fragrant mix of fish and butter, conspire with his friends in Kakariko Village after offering a couple pieces of honey candy, or boost his strength before a fight with the help of a meaty skewer.

He often got weary travelers to open up and share their stories over the soothing refrain of a simmering hearty soup, quietly delighting in the satisfied sighs of his unsuspecting guests as they tried a warm meal for the first time in days.

He once even made a cake for a Princess, who refused to share a piece even as she sniffled and stubbornly wiped tears from her eyes at the familiar taste of sweet berries mixed in a luscious rich cream in between layers of fluffy white sponge.

It was no surprise then, that when he set off on a journey with eight heroes of courage, he became the group’s official cook at the sight of the simple stew he made on their first evening together, camping on the forest of the Hero of Time’s era. Link often wondered how his brothers had survived their own adventures going on little else than hardtack, milk, and the occassional friendly monster teaching them the recipe for an unexpectedly delicious soup (which was more likely than one would think).

Sure, most of them had some frequent access to towns, merchants, or their own homes, but adventuring meant spending days at a time on their own, fighting hordes of monsters, exploring the most untouched parts of the land and crawling through long forgotten dungeons, and yet his brothers had been rather helpless around a cooking pot except for the most basic of recipes.

Now, the act of cooking was almost as nourishing as the food he prepared. The rancher had told him once, with a grin and a bump of his shoulders, that it looked like he was in a trance. And sure enough, once he really got into it, he felt as if he merely had to toss ingredients into a pot and watch them bounce, becoming meals in an instant as he hummed a little made-up song and lost track of everything around him. Of course, in reality cooking takes a lot more patience and care, and he likes to take the time to make every detail just right.

It had been almost three years since he separated from his brothers and stopped using the name “Wild”. As he sat around the fire making his new favorite recipe - one he hoped he could one day share with the men who had become his brothers - Link once again lost track of his surroundings, this time to the soft hum of a now familiar tune he had learned from the youngest hero on the team.

He sat on a trunk in a nameless island in the North Akkala Sky Archipelago - whoever named the Sky Islands had clearly gotten bored after the masterpiece of Lightcast Island - preparing a pizza, a brand new recipe he created with Koyin after helping her recover the recipe for cheese. The rancher had introduced him to cheese before, and he sometimes missed the soft, pillowy Ordon Goat Cheese, but the more fragrant version they made in Hateno melted perfectly over the disk of soft bread and thick, herby tomato sauce.

He had already tested a few different toppings to place on top of the pizza, trying to find the perfect companion for the savory cheese. Strips of roasted vegetables where a sensible option and offered a fair variety, but Link didn’t get to where he was by playing it safe. Today, he was testing thin slices of cured meat, and although the result was quite satisfying, he found himself wishing he had saved more of the sweet-and-tangy fruit that grew in the warm islands of the sailor’s world. The pineapples would complement nicely with the rich, fatty tones of the meat.

Have You noticed that Gregors E.G.O.s (With possible exceptions of AEDD) are more his semi-sentient arms E.G.O.s. They all either require sloth, or are sloth EGO, representing him letting the arm do whatever it wants. It also ties in with how both Lantern and Legerdemain corrosions are arm overtaking the body. And here we also have exception of AEDD which doesnt involve sloth, and in which corrosion its clearly gregor who's in control while corroded instead of his arm.

Alright, so, I'm going to take this opportunity to ramble about Gregor's bug arm in general. Not just how it related to his E.G.Os, but also in his other Identities and the main plot as well.

Strap in, cause this is likely going to be a more of a ramble than a proper guided analysis. Though, I will try to split these into sections somewhat.

Gregor's arm in the main story

Let's start by exploring what we know about Gregor's arm from the main story content. I'll be mostly focusing on Canto I, since that's where we get most of our info about Gregor, but I'll also dip into other Cantos and base Gregor ID's voicelines as I see fit.

So, Canto I. The Outcast. We learn a lot about Gregor's past here, about his trauma from the war, the way he and the other soldiers were treated after the war ended, and the way other veterans see him as a deserter and traitor due to him (arguably) being able to reintegrate into society better than the other soldiers.

We also learn where exactly his arm came from - a procedure performed on all G Corp employees and soldiers, some of which were actual children at the time. From the flashback we see of Gregor after the procedure, we see that he let himself cut the apple on the day of his fifteenth birthday, meaning he had the procedure when he was fourteen. A procedure that his mother performed on him, no less.

The Canto 1 dungeon itself takes on a rather interesting form. The first few encounters directly tie back to Gregor's past, with him being faced with other veterans who recognise him, and a Head Manager that Gregor himself recognises.

A Head Manager who is still stuck in that military mindset, still believing he's in the middle of a war because he's still struggling to survive just as much as he did during it. It's only when Gregor reveals that he was struggling just as much when he tried to become part of society does the Head Manager realize that Gregor wasn't the utter traitor he thought he was.

Things get interesting when we go further into Floor 2 of the Dungeon, where instead of a direct callback to Gregor's past, we get to learn about Yuri's story, having it directly parallel Gregor, as the two are both people who had to run and abandon their peers to survive a horrible event. It's an experience Gregor greatly sympathizes with, and I believe is one of the reasons why Yuri's death hits him as hard as it does.

However, the part I really want to focus on is the final floor of the Dungeon, the fathoms of Gregor's ego. We see one scene play out over and over again, each time details becoming skewed and more exagerrated. The aging bomb changes from aiming for a soldier's outpost to aiming for a Nest, going from only targetting the enemy to also hitting innocent civilians. Tomah goes from acting professional if a little energetic, to outright manic and obsessive over Gregor's status as G Corp's hero.

This, I believe, is extremely important to Gregor's character. The whole bottom floor of his dungeon is a symbolic representation of his PTSD. How he's constantly reliving his trauma over and over again, with his memories of the actual events being unreliable and more so driven by his recollection of how he felt during them, rather than objectively remembering what happened.

And this is where I go back to his arm, as I believe it too is a representation of Gregor's PTSD. The way Gregor describes his arm as a seperate entity, as something that acts on its own without his control or input, reminds me of how some people describe their experience with PTSD and trauma as the feeling of always being afraid of a monster that could creep up on you at any moment.

We see that Gregor is somewhat capable of hiding his arm, as shown in the flashback CG of him on the subway, where he hides that arm under a sleeve and behind his back. Most of the time, he can hide his trauma and live as normal of a life as he can, joking about the propaganda posters his face is still on.

But all it takes is one small thing. One small trigger. And just like that trauma comes crashing back to him, his arm goes out of control, attacking whatever or whoever triggered it as if it were still on a battlefield, fighting for Gregor's life. Just like Dante's words throw Gregor into a traumatic flashback, the seemingly kind act of a stranger at the wrong time threw his arm into a frenzy.

An important part of that is revealed in a Canto II cutscene, where Gregor admits he doesn't know what exactly could trigger his arm to "rage out of control", as he puts it. For all he knows, the stimulation caused by dancing could be enough to do it. It also might not. The fact that something as seemingly innocent and neutral as dancing could be a trigger, and the fact that Gregor himself doesn't know all of his triggers, both further point to this metaphor being intentional.

Plus, there is the motif of Gregor's arm regrowing no matter how many times it's cut off. Just like one can't just get rid of one's trauma and PTSD, Gregor can't get rid of his arm. It's something he has to learn to live with. Like he says in one of his Chatter lines, he had to accept he's stuck with it, like it or hate it.

Gregor's arm in other Identities

So... an interesting thing happens to Gregor's bug arm in his alternate Identities. Other than G Corp Gregor, who'd still have gone through the procedure as he did in the main world, all other Gregors all lack that arm, having a prosthetic in its place. And likewise, the arm means something different to each different Gregor.

We already discussed how LCB Gregor's arm is a metaphor for his PTSD, a symbolic, physical manifestation of his trauma.

G Corp Gregor's arm is actually quite interesting in this regard. It comes from the same source as LCB Gregor's, and has a similar role of serving as a physical reminder of sorts, but it's the details of what it reminds Gregor of that is different here. For G Corp Gregor, his arm is a reminder of why he's fighting in the war in the first place - because he didn't want to helplessly watch from afar. While he's aware it and the other side-effects of the augmentation won't let him return to civilian life, he claims he doesn't regret it.

It's a twist that makes sense considering his situation. Whereas LCB Gregor is a Gregor who left the war with the arm being a grim reminder of what he had to do during it, G Corp Gregor is a Gregor still in the middle of it who uses his arm as a way to remind himself why he's in this situation in the first place.

Now, we got to our first prosthetic arm Gregor - Liu Gregor. Here, Gregor has an almost utilitarian view of his arm, seeing it as a source of fire for his cigarettes and as something that helps him in combat. He specifically points out how his prosthetic arm can't feel pain, calling it outright invincible because of that fact.

It's a fascinating subversion to how LCB Gregor and even G Corp Gregor view their arms. Whereas for them their bug arms have an almost sentimental value in a way, being reminders of their trauma and the reason they're fighting respectively, Liu Gregor's prosthetic arm is almost like an afterthought to him. Just something to light a fire and fight with.

Though, I do think the way Liu Gregor seems to focus on the fact his prosthetic arm feels no pain specifically is important. Considering his Core Sin of Sloth and how much Liu Gregor seems to try to shirk his work, claiming that straining himself is a good enough excuse for a whole week of rest... There's something to it, I think, though I can't quite put my finger on it just now.

Chef Gregor is an interesting Identity when talking about Gregor's arm, because it has the least importance out of all the Gregor IDs. All we learn about Chef Gregor's arm is that his mechanical one can get sore (implying it's of high-enough quality to feel pain, interesting when you contrast it with Liu Gregor's prosthetic), and that his old arm is implied to have ended up as an ingredient (though how much of that is the truth and how much is Gregor fucking around with Dante is unclear).

If Liu Gregor's arm is an afterthought in his eyes, then Chef Gregor's arm is a joke to him. There's a level of casualness and levity to the way Chef Gregor talks about his arm, to the point it just feels like just another ordinary part of his life... as ordinary of a life as being a cannibal chef can be.

Honestly, it's kind of refreshing to see his arm be treated as just another part of him and nothing more than that. As much as I love digging into every single dialogue line and design choice for deeper meaning (and I appreciate just how much this kind of reading is facilitated by the way Limbus Company is written), sometimes a prosthetic arm is just a prosthetic arm, no strings attached, and I think that's great.

Rosespanner Gregor is up next, and here we get to see another interesting take on Gregor's arm. For this Gregor, his prosthetic arm is actually of his own creation. His invention, his to-be workshop product, a machine he created to facilitate his dream of leaving Rosespanner and starting his own workshop.

It's probably the most unique interpretation of his arm that we see thus far. It's not a reminder of the past like it is for LCB and G corp Gregor, and it's not just part of his everyday life like Liu and Chef Gregor. No, for Rosespanner Gregor his arm is an accomplishment, a path towards a more successful life. I don't know about you, but I personally find that very interesting.

Finally, we got the most recent Gregor - Zwei Gregor. Similarly to Liu Gregor, Zwei Gregor sees his arm as an asset, a trump card he hides under a glove to reveal when his client is in danger. In fact, his prosthetic arm is shown to be strong enough to not only wield a zweihander without the help of his other hand, but also to stop a strike that could have bisected a person.

Zwei Gregor never actually talks about his prosthetic arm directly, only alluding to it due to him hiding it as a sort of surprise tool that will help him later. However, I believe it does show that this Gregor views his arm in a purely utilitarian manner, similarly to Liu Gregor. An interesting connection, and I suppose it fits with them both being Association members.

Gregor's arm in E.G.Os

That's right, we're finally talking about the thing the ask was Actually about. I'm so good at answering questions in a clear and concise manner. /s

Starting off with Suddenly, One Day, something about it immediately caught my eye. For all the other base E.G.Os, the striped "prisoner" garb is worn by the Sinner in question (Faust included, while she doesn't wear it in the illustration, she does have it on in the attack animation), however in Gregor's case, the striped cloth is wrapped exclusively around his arm.

Notably, it doesn't look like it's some actual piece of clothing that Gregor could have worn but just didn't, no those are actual wrappings specifically for the arm. It's a fascinating visual when you think about Gregor's arm as a representation of his trauma and PTSD. It's not the Gregor everyone sees that's a prisoner, it's not the person he acts as while living in a society, it's his traumatized self he keeps hidden that's the actual prisoner to the trauma he's endured.

As for the Library floor symbols on those wrappings... Yeah, I have no clue. The only connection I can make is that Gregor is Jewish and the symbols also represent the different Sephirot from the Tree of Life, so it could be a reference to that.

The attack itself involves the arm bursting out of the prisoner wrappings and attacking against Gregor's will. While this could represent how his arm can go into a frenzy out of Gregor's control, there's another interesting interpretation I just thought of.

Each finger of Gregor's frenzied arm in this E.G.O takes on a different form. I don't know what the common theory is on those, but I believe these are meant to represent the factions that Gregor fought on the side of during the war. The bug-like finger represents the old G Corp, and the smoking red finger could represent the old L Corp, the source of the smoke during the Smoke War. In Outis's Uptie story we're told E Corp and F Corp also fought on that side of the war and could potentially be represented by two of the fingers, but since we don't know how canon that is to the main world, I'm not going to try and guess which of the fingers represent them.

With all that said, I believe in this way Suddenly, One Day's arm could also represent the war itself, specifically the side of it Gregor has found himself on, how he was effectively made the leader figure of that side against his will, and how despite being the face of the war he himself never had any real control over how it went.

...Okay that was a lot, I'm going to hopefully speed through the other E.G.Os because I'm not gonna fully analyze those (and I already analyzed AEDD anyway), so.

Legerdemain has Gregor's arm take on the form of an apple on a stem, the roots of which are spreading all over Gregor. Gregor seems to have some control over his arm here, but he does seem to somewhat struggle with it, having to hold onto it with his other arm and hesitating before attacking.

Like you mentioned in the ask, the corrosion here involves the branches (and now also maggots) completely taking over Gregor, with the maggots within the apple being the ones controlling his actions here.

I think Gregor's arm here is interesting to interpret, as it seems to generally represent himself, or rather how he's viewed by others. During his Awakening, it's shown as a golden apple, representing the golden poster boy that Gregor was seen as during the war. However, in the corrosion it becomes rotten and overtaken with maggots, showing that despite his seeming priviledge and higher status he was seen as just as much of a rotten pest as the rest of the soldiers.

Next up, Lantern. Here, Gregor's arm takes on the form of a branch and a fairy, the only visible part of the Abnormality Faelantern. In the Corrosion, Gregor becomes overtaken by the plant, specifically becoming caught by the underground portion of it, the true core of Faelantern that uses the branch and fairy as a lure.

In this case, I believe Gregor's arm is meant to represent the propaganda he was involved in creating. The "tales" his fairy is reading are the tales of old G Corp's victories and the honorable soldiers fighting in the war, trying to bring more people willing to fight on old G Corp's side. However, his Corrosion shows that he was just as caught up by the source of that branch as anyone else captivated by the propaganda, he was suffering during the war just as much as everyone else.

Now, onto AEDD. I already made an analysis on that E.G.O right here, but to summarize: AEDD represents the abuse Gregor went through at the hands of Hermann, and it shows him acting out because of that abuse in a way that mimics her, with him fully putting himself in her role when he Corrodes.

In this way, I think Gregor's arm while using AEDD represents something similar to the one in Legerdemain - it represents Gregor himself, though in this case it represents how Hermann sees him.

Just like you also pointed out, Gregor is fully in control if his arm in this E.G.O, and yet it's the one E.G.O where his arm is most clearly a seperate entity - taking on the form of a full shock centipede. I think to understand exactly what it means, one should interpret that arm centipede as Gregor, while the Gregor using AEDD should be interpreted as a representation of Hermann.

This, I think, makes the AEDD arm make a lot more sense. The reason why the arm appears to be a fully seperate entity, yet is completely under Gregor's control? Because it represents how Hermann had full control over Gregor, seeing him as another bug in her army of pests, yet special enough to dedicate more of her attention to.

Perhaps that's why the AEDD Corrosion involves both of Gregor's arms turning into centipedes, with one of them glowing with electricity. Hermann's bug soldiers are her weapons, her arms in the war, but Gregor is a special one. A pest that got to glow a little bit brighter than the rest.

To summarize...

Man, Gregor's arm tells us a lot about his character and themes, huh? From being a symbolic physical manifestation of trauma, to a reflection of how other people view him, to just being your everyday prosthetic arm. And I think it's Really Fucking Cool, so I hope you all do too.

Headcanon:

Unlike in the main series, Pokemon don't eat other Pokemon in PMD. Their main source of protein are instead Seeds, due to their frequency within dungeons and how easy it is to grow more, which they tend to use frequently in their cooking. Plain Seeds are a common ingredient, though Heal Seeds are well liked due to their healing properties, as well as rarer seeds such as Training Seeds, providing a much needed boost to those that need it.

As Pokemon started becoming more interconnected with each other and a society started forming, it became less and less justifiable to go out of your way to track down, hunt, and eat others, especially as agriculture began to boom and diplomacy amongst each other became increasingly important. Pokemon, especially by the time of the games' events, view life as sacred; explorers are trained to faint enemy Pokemon rather than kill, and if possible, to avoid unnecessary injury. To take a life would be unthinkable to the average Pokemon, and to eat the corpse afterwards, an unforgivable sin which not even the most morally bankrupt individuals would entertain. It's only when there's no other option, such as the dark future in PMD2, in which such an occurrence becomes common. Witnessing this contributes heavily to both Explorers!Hero and Partner's trauma.

Heroes who ate meat as humans struggle with the culture shock.

yes, all of this, absolutely, 100%, love it

Something not Warhammer-related: Revro, the professional Imman-player.

In Germany, the role-playing game system DSA ("Das Schwarze Auge" - "The Black Eye"), now also forty years old, is more popular than D&D. It has much more complex rules (both blessing and curse) and is more geared towards building a character that fits into the incredibly detailed world and interacting with the creatures and circumstances there. The power level is lower and the characters rarely become overpowered heroes. On the other hand, there is the opportunity to explore all kinds of well-developed areas, cities and political contexts and you can easily be a travelling blacksmith, a cartographer or a wonderfully useless, incredibly nerdy mage. Or a trader, a mercenary who is actually a cook (or vice versa) or a tattoo-artist.

Of course, this also means that an average DSA adventure is not a dungeon crawl.

Which led to our game master "gifting" us an NPC who is a celebrated Imman player in Havena the not very mage-friendly town we are currently involuntarily staying in. Imman is a very popular team sport, distantly related to hurling. Revro, that's his name, plays for the Havena Bulls and has developed a crush on my clueless mage. Much to the continued amusement of the rest of our group.

Doesn't matter - my mage is happy. Finally, someone who is willing to listen to his elaborate explanations of old-puninian number magic!

And because I had so much fun with Revro, I sketched him and hope we can keep him.

So... I was half asleep and thinking about what cool types of Pokemon mystery dungeon explores of sky hero could be... and well.. this happened

Me:Huh I wonder which Pokemon would be cool

Brain: Phantump

Me:Oh that’s be cute

Brain:Because they died when falling through the time stream

Me:...

Me:...wait

Brain:They were lost in the time stream and so their soul latched on to a stump and became Phantump

Me: Wait stop!

Brain: Imagine when Grovyle realizes their partner died, died when they lost them

Me: NO!

Brain: Or they could a Yamask, what if Duskull and Grovyle recognized the face on the mask-

Me: OK YOU NEED TO STOP RIGHT NOW.

Brain:...

Brain: Or they could be Sandygast because they landed on the beach

Me:AHHHHHHHHHH

And now I’m just imagining them not turning into a Pokemon but dying and becoming a Pokemon and my brain is full angst.

MHA FIC REC LIST

Because apparently this is a thing that people do; so, I’m going to list the best fics I’ve ever read as well as why, exactly, you should read them. It’s a very varied collection, but you’ll find a lot of dimension/time travel, as well as Todoroki-family centric fics here.

Dragonborne — Ojiro/Shinsou. Set in an AU where Ojiro’s quirk isn’t just Tail, but something insane and awesome, actually. This fic has incredible writing and a very compelling plot that gets PERFECT around the middle of the story; if you are someone who likes either Ojiro or Shinsou for no good reason, this is the fic focusing on them that you’ve been looking for. 125k, complete.

Mild-Mannered School Teacher/Adrenaline-Junkie Vigilante — Fuyumi/Miruko. Fuyumi becomes a vigilante and runs around vigilanting with Dabi, without realizing who he is; she gets a girlfriend along the way. Check this one out for a peak f/f ship and lots of Todoroki drama; funny and emotional at the same time. 136k, complete.

Back To Me — no ship. A story about Kurogiri finding Shirakumo, or maybe about Shirakumo finding Kurogiri. Either way, it’s a rollercoaster; mental conflict abounds as the man of mist tries to figure out who he is, and villain-hero conflicts aren’t exactly making doing so easy. 214k, in progress.

Quirked — Erasermic. Izuku travels to a parallel dimension where no quirks exist, and manages to bring a quirk along with him. Despite not having had one before. What else to do than to become a hero? This is the vigilante Izuku story to surpass ALL vigilante Izuku stories, full of fresh and interesting ideas as well as a carefully evolving plot. 133k, in progress.

Cracked Glass — no ship. Essentially a Promised Neverland AU, but it takes place in a dimension parallel to canon; when said dimension collides with canon, it begins the first chapter of a brilliant disaster. Ojiro stans, this is another fic just for you. If you’re not an Ojiro stan, read this anyway and become one. 192k, marked incomplete, but it more or less is finished.

Dermabrasion — Dabihawks. This is a world where Shouto goes looking for Touya, and wouldn’t you believe it, he finds him! Naruto is vaguely involved. No, that wasn’t a typo of Natsuo. SO MANY GOOD TODOFAM FEELS. God, this fic is excellent; really explores the dynamics of everyone in the family in wonderful detail. Yes, everyone. All the Todorokis get screentime here. 410k, complete.

make this feel like home — Tododeku. A story about the three younger Todoroki siblings trying to get along over the holidays; eventually, they drag the oldest brother in too. Short but sweet, funny, and hits you right in the heart. 26k, complete.

Cair Parallel — Shinsou/Kaminari. If you don’t ship them (as I do not) you can simply ignore that part; and it is beyond worth it, for this fic’s magnificent story. It’s gotta be one of the most creative things I’ve ever read. Modern no-quirks AU, but the gang plays dungeons and dragons; so many varied character arcs, all developing with an equal amount of focus, and so much humor alongside the complex relationships. If you’re of the opinion that Iida needs more fics where he’s a main character, well, I am too, so come check this out. 590k, complete.

Artificial Parenthood, Affectionate Brotherhood — no ship. If you read only a single fic on this rec list, read this one. It’s metaphorically every single chaotic Dabi-gets-deaged fic you’ve ever read, but combined into a vaguely coherent narrative that’s glued together by innovative word usage, that good old Todoroki angst, and Bakugou. There’s also time travel. There are so many thoughts in this story, and they’re all condensed tighter than a steel rope. I can read this again and again and again, and I still don’t know if I’ve found everything this has managed to express. Probably not. If I had to say the story was focused on anything, I’d say Dabi, Bakugou, and the escalating terror of existence. 208k, in progress. (the other fics in the series are worth a look, too.)

The World Ended Before It Could Begin (Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds) — no ship. Shinsou time travels back from the Nomu apocalypse to save the world, and runs directly into a pre-Dabi Touya. Events proceed with a lot of confusion from there as Shinsou tries his best while trying not to rope his friends into danger as well (he does not succeed) and with no intention of gaining a family (he gets one anyway.) Lots of family feels and humor here; Touya goes undercover as Dabi at one point, which is hilarious. Also: duck feet. 72k, complete.

Lost In The Darkness — no ship. Shigaraki kidnaps Bakugou at Kamino, but instead of the events we all know, there’s an earthquake, and they both fall in a pit and die. Okay, they don’t die. They do become besties, though; a hero-villain team up that’s determined to change the world and recruit each other to their respective sides, Bakugou and Shigaraki are like a pinball machine that wrecks everything else around themselves for the better. The League attempts redemption, Midoriya and Kirishima try their best, and the Todoroki brothers get dragged into the situation one after the other. If one thing’s clear, it’s that no one’s life will ever be the same again. 394k, one chapter left.

Ignite to the Call — no ship. The dimension travel is premium here, my friends. A group of UA students wake up in a world that’s both similar and different to their own; where reality could have gone, if one thing had changed. What is that one thing? Surprise, no one knows! Featuring Izuku as Shigaraki’s little brother, Dabi as a guy who wants to know why Shouto froze him in an iceblock, a collection of teenage runaways and dangerous animals, one or quite possibly two ghosts, A Great Escape Plan, and copious amounts of kidnapping. 600k, in progress.

Bakugou Bewitched — no ship. I can think of no better way to describe this fic than the term Platonic Bakudeku; the friendship is strong in this one. In summary, Bakugou is inflicted with the curse of obedience from Ella Enchanted. (I’ve never watched Ella Enchanted.) It makes his life increasing flavors of difficult, and the relationship between him and Midoriya is the most twisted spiked thing, and also stronger than the hardest steel. These two are inseparable—to Bakugou’s great distress. If you want a fic that treats the Bakugou-Izuku relationship like the insane shard of intensity that it is without once touching the line of romantic, this is the one. There’s also lots of neat Bakugou family content, which I don’t see often. 155k, complete.

sunshine in the library — Shinsou/Izuku. A vampire AU with the most beautiful feels, this fic is coming for your heart, and dragging a new OTP along with it. The plot is best described as a bundle of awesomeness with Shindeku the main and magnificent focus. Featuring: Izuku as a guy way in over his head, Shinsou as the brooding vampire who needs some light in his life, and Iida and Uraraka as vampire hunters who are rather unhelpfully misguided. They’re trying their best. The plot that’s planned out for this fic is fifty two forms of brilliant, and I can’t wait to read it all. 46k, in progress.

Where your love has always been enough (for me) — Enji/Rei. Endeavor time travels after his death to twenty years in the past; to a time before he broke his family. He doesn’t break it this time. Endeavor redemption arc, and a Todoroki family where only the father holds the weight of what he had once done. Where sometimes there’s a second chance. I dunno, but maybe the Todorokis need a little less angst inflicted on them, every now and then, and positive emotions, instead. You’ll definitely feel positive emotions reading this. 160k, in progress.

This Is Why We Have The Rules — no ship. Kirishima makes an entire chapter worth of accidental innuendos, Iida almost becomes the overlord of UA out of sheer exasperation plus a lack of sleep, and Ojiro is the only normal student in class 1A. That’s it, that’s the fic, and it’s one of the funniest things I have read in my entire life. 8k, in progress.

Soulmates and Wormholes — Kiribaku, Tododeku. It’s a modern AU featuring the well-loved soulmates trope; but with a twist, and that twist is parallel universes. This fic is consistently hilarious throughout and tells a compelling story that only gets more and more interesting every chapter, and I cannot wait to see where it’s going. It’s excellent. 76k, in progress.

And that’s all for now! Thank you for reading!

...did Twig and Dusknoir ever play that game of catch

Yes, they did!

Technically it was less of a game of “catch (the ball and toss it back and forth)” and more of a game of “catch (the wanted fugitives and execute them)”, but they did play a game of catch eventually!

:)

Wilderness: The Secret of Grist Ridge

Taking its name from the its centuries old owner, the rolling highlands known as the Domain of Daldivain still bears the scars from when it was vast salve farm that fed the armies and granaries of the old empire. Since the empire's fall the people of the domain have maintained small settlements and scattered villages, herding over the the valleys and rises their debt-bound ancestors once toiled to cultivate.

All is not as peaceful as the picturesque vistas of the domain would suggest; cloud drakes, once a rarity and folkish sign of good fortune have become invasive in the region, beginning to prey on livestock and even lone travellers as their numbers swell.

After having several of their homesteads savaged by the beasts, one of the villages has sent for the party: The majority of its residents including the majority of its elders want the party to hunt the beasts back to their lair, but their wisewoman claims to have had a vision that points them to Grist Ridge, the old ruins that lay at the heart of the old autarch's domain. Most have no idea what the mushroom addled crone is talking about, but there is some rumour of treasure in the old mill that may make it worth checking out.

Adventure Hooks:

Early in their journey our heroes encounter a band of warriors led by Haltri Drakesbane, a woman who sees herself as the protector and future leader of the domain's people. Already having proven herself by slaying the beasts that preyed upon her kinsmen's land and several other villages, she's more than happy to ally with the party and split the glory if it means driving the drakes out for good. Her offer is not without caveat: Haltri hopes to leverage strength of arms into a unifying authority over the scattered peoples of the domain, and her detractors (including the village elders who sought the party out) fear what her ambitions may lead to if she goes unchallenged.

Feeling an inexplicable desire to wander, the journymage Enilo (along with his fluffy familiar, Cloudchaser) has sought out the ruins at Grist Ridge, spending days exploring and journaling about his experience. Enilo doesn't know it yet, but he's been called by the goddess of sky and enlightenment to receive a revelation that may change the future of the domain, provided the party's willing to have him tag along during their exploration and later defend him when Haltri shows up sometime midway through the delve to take the ruins for herself.

Though a number of the usual dungeon denizens have made their home in Grist Ridge, there is something malevolent skulking around its deepest reaches, filling the tunnels between the old windmills with the echo of scraping chains and a distant grinding sound that unsettles to the bone. It leaves handfulls of corroded coins from the old autarchy in places where others may find them. The locals know not to touch these, as it seems accepting the gifts of the lurking horror means inviting it to follow you home.

Background: One of many such sites left over after the fall of the old Autarchy, the ruins today known as Grist Ridge once surveyed a vast domain of slave farms owned by one of the old empire's richest men, Lord Daldivian, who's mark on the region endures even centuries after his death.

The old lord bought up the debts of hundreds and dragged them off to work in his fields, grinding them down much in the same way his mills ground down the grain they cultivated. Because he didn't need to pay his workers he was able to sell grain for less, bankrupting score upon score of the region's old farming families and creating people desperate enough to sell either their ancestral land (expanding Daldivain's domain) or themselves into bond slavery for fear of starvation, swelling his workforce from hundreds to thousands.

Daldivane was of course using lives as grist for his ambition long before the first mill was built: The region that came to be his was originally open wilderness along the Autarchy's border inhabited by worshipers of the goddess Yithini, who the old empire considered heathen and thus worthy of extermination. Lord Daldivane used his in with the imperial military to raze their homes and shrines, sowing his first fields with meal ground from their bones. He also used this military connection to hunt the endemic species of drake near to extinction, both because the beasts were sacred to Yithini and because they threatened to impede his expansion.

Further Adventures:

Enilo's observations of the region and the ruins (built on the space of Yithini's demolished temple) will eventually lead him to a series of revelations: The drakes aren't invasive, they are merely returning to their natural population levels after being culled. The environment is healing because of the return of its natural predator. There were people who lived in the domain before who's existence and subsequent elimination Daldivane concealed, who lived in harmony with the drakes through their worship of the now forgotten sky goddess. Unexpectedly finding himself a prophet, Enilo will return to the people of the domain and begin expounding on this secret history, reawakening the worship of Yithini in what was once her sacred land and sparing the people from further clashes with their draconic neighbours.

Haltri does indeed have ambition, taking the exactly wrong lessons from the stories of Daldivane she imagines herself as a new, kinder, autarch, seeking to reclaim the mills of Grist Ridge and rebuild the economic engine that made the old lord one of the richest men in the known world. This will of course require the denizens to be put to work in the fields once again, but in her opinion its the least they can do to repay her for driving the drakes away and keeping them safe. Its up to the party to uncover these ambitions, or perhaps look aside for the sake of their new, increasingly powerful ally.

The thing stalking the foundations of Grist Ridge is a demon born of Daldivane's pittiless greed and the sorrow of those he enslaved. Stalking around the lowest reaches of the ruins and emerging only at night, it resembles a man dressed in tattered finery of the old autarchy with his legs fettered together and his arms bound to a yoke. Where its face should be there is only a cracked millstone, grinding forever and ever over its bleeding and lipless lower jaw. Most disturbingly of all It hungers for bones: placing severed limbs or whatever stray mice it can catch in its mouth and grinding them to powder, sometime after its meal coughing up bloody autarchy coins the way an owl might a pellet. Though it does not speak or perhaps even really THINK the demon of Grist Ridge believes in fair commerce, as any who feed it are due a compensatory amount of treasure just as anyone who takes from its offerings owes it in some way.

Art

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

So, here we are. It's been over three years since the last PMD game, and almost 8 since the last one that wasn't a remake. Where does this leave us? Will we ever get another new PMD game? I don't know. Personally? I have hope that the series isn't dead. That one day, we will get another. But I can't say for certain. But even if this is the end…what a legacy PMD has left us with. Five lovely games, each with their own story to tell, their own joys to be had. Sure, some may be better than others, but they all carry the spirit of PMD within them. Rescue Team is a story about finding yourself in a foreign world, of finding home in the unlikeliest of places, of how even when the rest of the world is against you, you'll always have some people who believe in you. Explorers is a story about overcoming impossible odds, of staying true to oneself, of shining bright at world's end, of how if your legacy is still remembered, in a way, you'll still be alive. Adventure Squad is a story of finding joy in the little things, of how even simple acts of kindness can turn around the hearts of a whole village. Gates to Infinity is a story about holding onto hope even in the most desperate circumstances, of friendships that never truly die, of kindness begetting more kindness, of changing the world for the better, one step at a time. Super is a story of learning who you truly are, what makes you yourself, of how negativity is a necessary part of life, of globe-spanning friendships, of entrusted hope, of how you can do amazing things, of how it's ok to need help. Each one has its own, unique take on PMD. Each one has its own themes, its own joys it wants to share. Each one complements the rest, and all together? They make something truly wonderful. While it's possible that PMD might never return, that attatchement we have to it? That love we have for our partners? That joy we have when we remember our favorite moments from it? That will never truly fade. It might be buried, might be forgotten, but it will never truly die. It will always be there, waiting to return. In a way, PMD will never end. Like Special Episode 5 of Explorers teaches us, if our legacy is remembered, then we're still alive, in a way. Our spirit still shines bright, still affecting others. As long as we continue to cherish PMD, it will never die. I'm crying so hard as I type this all. I love PMD. I love it with all my heart. I think a good way to show why PMD will never truly die is to take a look at the fanworks made for it. There are hundreds, if not thousands of fanworks created about PMD. Comics, fanfics, askblogs, and more, all telling their own stories about PMD. All created because of love for PMD. Silver Resistance. Victory Fire. Hands of Creation. Warped Skies. Quenched Torch. Legends Legacy. Shatter. Daily Life in Pokemon Paradise. Flake-N-Rudy. Askanotslownotking. Free Fiction. The Dreamstone. Places We Call Home. Galaxies Above. On Borrowed Time. Fledglings. Liberators of Fate. Sierra 10. Flowerbeds. Irau's Journal. Psychic Sheep. Zero the Hero. Path of Valor. Even those of us who aren't telling full stories, those of us who make fanart, those of us who make fanmusic and remixes, those of us who just gush about PMD. We're all keeping PMD alive. To everyone who has ever made any sort of PMD fanwork, discussed their love for the series, or even just recommended it to a friend. To anyone who has ever helped keep PMD alive. Thank you. Even if we never get a new PMD game, it will never truly die, as long as we continue to cherish it. Thank you all so much.

I have my own PMD fanworks, if anyone wishes to check them out.

Eternal Shadows, a PMD story taking place post-Super, about a human-turned-Oshawott who wishes to return home.

In Tandem, a hybrid PMD and trainerfic, about a PMD Tropius who wishes to become a trainer in the human world.

Then, Then, and Now, a hybrid Rescue Team and Legends Arceus story, of a protagonist who goes through both.

A Comprehensive Guide to Items, a guide to items in the PMD world, and how they work, written in-universe by the Rescue Team partner.

A Way to Reunite, a Gates to Infinity oneshot, about an alternate epilogue if the Worldcore didn't exist.

Day of Heroes, a oneshot celebrating the four main PMD games. The protagonists and partners of each game celebrate a holiday dedicated to them, together.

I also have a variety of PMD askblogs.

@ask-team-searchlights is an askblog for the cast of Eternal Shadows, and @ask-world-savers-council is an askblog for the cast of Day of Heroes. And @adventuresquadharvest is a new askblog I started today, for giving love for Adventure Squad.

If you decide to check out any of these, I hope you enjoy.

I'm also always available to chat about PMD! I have a bunch of headcanons and worldbuilding about the series that I'd love to talk about more! Feel free to either approach me in DMs, ask me on this blog, or contact me on Discord! My username there is ifbench, same as here.

I hope you've all enjoyed my PMD rambles. Thank you for listening.

I got a question. Why is Shadow your favorite character?

That's something I haven't really thought about. Usually, when I declare a character my favorite, it's kinda like a gut feeling - I see X Character and I instantly know they'll be my favorite. Nevertheless, I'm sure you'll probably want a more in-depth explanation.

Shadow the Hedgehog definitely fits the character archetype I tend to gravitate to, which I tend to describe as Troubled, But Cute (put a pin on the ''cute'' part tho), Anti-Hero or Anti-Villain type of character with a tragic backstory, who has an intimidating or untrustworthy presence, or is just a jerk, but deep down, they are sweet and/or genuinely care about the other characters in their own way.

If you want more examples, here is a list of my favorite characters from other franchises:

Impmon/Beelzemon from Digimon Tamers, initially a mischievous Digimon who caused trouble for the main cast, his traumatic experience with his own Tamers and his desire to become stronger led him to a path of destruction, followed by one of the most incredible and heartbreaking redemption arcs I've seen.

Bass.EXE/Forte.EXE from Rockman.EXE/MegaMan Battle Network/MegaMan NT Warrior. Bass is a Solo NetNavi who had been created by Dr. Cossack to improve internet security, but was betrayed by the humans when the internet at the time, Alpha, went berserk, causing Bass to be mistakenly blamed for that chaos. Believing that humans are monsters, Bass has set the goal to become the strongest and destroy humanity once and for all. He is also MegaMan's strongest rival, and I especially love how their relationship is portrayed in Ryo Takamisaki's MegaMan NT Warrior manga, where they both show deep respect for each other and it is acknowledged that MegaMan is the first person Bass allowed himself to bond with. Huh, when you think about it, Bass and Shadow are kinda similar, especially when the latest chapter that focused on Bass had him finally make peace with his past.

Darkrai from Pokémon, specifically Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky. To quote the Pokedex: ''Folklore has it that on moonless nights, this Pokémon will make people see horrific nightmares.'' Darkrai is a Pokémon who is capable of causing horrible nightmares, but the truth is, he cannot control this ability and isolates himself on Newmoon Island. In Rise of Darkrai, he is portrayed as a misunderstood anti-hero who wanted to defend his home from Dialga and Palkia, and in PMD: Explorers, he is a maniacal tyrant who wants to plunge the world into eternal darkness, and these two different portrayals are one of the reasons why I adore Darkrai so much. And yeah, he definitely isn't the conventionally ''cute'' type, but I always had weird tastes.

Félix/Chat Noir from Ladybug PV, who I consider to be a different character from the CGI show. Having been cursed with bad luck, Félix needs to find ways to convince to Ladybug to kiss him while working together with her against the main villain and also dealing with Ladybug's civilian form, Bridgette. I'm certain that, if his character had been developed further, we would see a different side to him, show that there is more to Félix/Chat Noir than what is on the surface.

Azalin Reviews: Darklord Eli van Hassan

Domain: The Endless Road Domain Formation: 690 BC Power Level: 💀⚫⚫⚫⚫ Source: Dungeon Magazine #174 (4e) In 4e the Headless Horseman became the victim of Eli van Hassen who in turn became the Darklord of the Endless Road, a more developed version of the Winding Road. 

Eli was your classic big fish in a little pond type who wanted to be a large whale in the ocean. Though, he wasn’t much more than a minnow in a puddle. He had no titles, no legacy and the only reason he lorded over the hamlet of Tranquility was because he happened to have the most wealth and property in the area. That isn’t saying much, considering his “rule” was over a handful of people with next to nothing to their name.

Eli spent many days looking down on “his” people in disdain, believing he was meant for more. He hated those that courted Talitha, his only daughter. He saw them as attempting to take the one person he cared for away from him. 

Tranquility came under the siege of a hydra and the small village could not handle it on their own, so Eli sent people out to find help. Help came in the form of “the Horseman” and his soldiers whom, after weeks of battle, slayed the beast. 

Talitha became quite smitten with the Horseman and he returned her feelings. Eli, however, looked upon the couple with rage. This so-called hero did not deserve his daughter’s affections and so, being a very obedient child, Eli convinced Talitha to bring forth false accusations against the Horseman. Talitha’s love for the Horseman must not have been too great for her to go along with this plan. Regardless, she followed through with her father's plan and convinced the villagers that the Horseman had assaulted her. Akin to modern day research into political issues on social media, her accusations resulted in mod mentality and the villagers descended upon the Horseman and chopped of his head without considering a formal trial.

That night the Mist surrounded Eli’s estate and took him, Talitha, and a number of their servants into Ravenloft, making Eli the Darklord of the Endless Road. Eli’s estate changed. Buildings stood in different locations or were gone completely, his garden was wilted, and the property’s fence that was once wooden was now made of wrought iron. And most noticeable of all, Tranquility was gone. 

If Eli leaves his estate to explore the Endless Road, he loses all the powers so kindly gifted to him by our Tormentors and is hunted by the Headless Horseman. The Endless Road expands ever on. It is similar to the Winding Road in that it can appear almost anywhere. The main difference is there are actual towns and sites associated with the Endless Road and not all who find themselves upon it are beheaded by the Horseman, instead many become lost upon the road and seek shelter among what few settlements there are upon it. These people are called “The Lost”. 

The Endless Road contains the open grave of the Headless Horseman, where he is said to rise from once more if he is defeated. He is much the same as he was before (though now with an actual history that makes him a victim), a man seeking vengeance upon the road while an entourage of heads from his past victims follow in his wake.

Eli is one of the most pathetic Darklords. He cannot leave his estate because the Horseman is far more powerful than he. This is his so-called torment - to rule a single estate instead of a grand empire as he once dreamed. Talitha is there with him, but she is a mere shadow of what she once was.

Eli’s “powers” essentially all equate to being able to make people trip (e.g., slow them down while they're on the Endless Road). So, he cowers in his estate and trips people once in a while. Pathetic. The Horseman is the real power here and the only thing anyone fears. Eli..just exists in the Horseman’s world. This little lordling is not even worth the cost of a blade that could easily cut him down. 0.5 skulls.