☽Evune☾

I drew my durge companion oc Rowan after having the sketch in my WIPs for like a year lollll round of applause for me, I originally drew her with a staff but it looked so weird I got rid of it rip staff gone and forgotten by everyone but me

I haven’t done a full render in a long time so I kinda forgot how to do it

Rowan had gone completely still. She replayed Dammon’s words in her head, turning them over and looking at them from every angle to find something that said she had misunderstood. That he only meant there was no way to fix her for now with his current equipment, she didn’t suppose a random barn had the widest array of tools for engine maintenance. Or maybe there was something else he needed, some magic item that made frost or magical motor oil. Or that it was simply her being silly again- that he hadn’t just told them that Karlach was going to…

To…

But there was no sign of reprieve in her words or his expression. What kind of infernal mechanic was he if he couldn’t make Karlach’s engine that wasn’t made to function outside of Avernus function out of Avernus anyway? There had to be something he hadn’t thought of, that some other mechanic would be able to tell them.

Big before she could start to berate him for it Karlach told her to give him the iron. She couldn’t see the full extent of the distress Karlach held, she could tell she was taken aback but not further. Rowan figured it was probably best to have him fix it the best he could before questioning him anyway, so she did. She handed Dammon the infernal iron they had been collecting,

“Here. Do as she says.” She stated with no room for argument before stepping back to let him work.

As he turned around, the metal was still glowing from the intense flames - not that it would bother Karlach in the slightest. "There you are... You'll have to install it yourself, just like last time." He instructed as Karlach, yet again, sliced open the very thin, extremely scarred tissue along what would have been her breast bone and opened the seal to the infernal engine. It took a little poking and prodding, since she couldn't exactly see and had to judge by touch, but eventually it clicked into place. The feeling...wasn't as instantaneous as she expected.

Her skin cauterised together once again, as it always did. So she was still hot enough for that... "So...did it...work?" She asked, tentatively. As if scared of the answer. As if Dammon was going to look upon her worried. "Only way to find out." He smiled, instead. Surely that was a good sign, right?

Rowan historically hadn’t the biggest fan of touch, that was a known fact about her by now. If someone was near her she could practically feel their proximity radiating off their body, a buzzing that would quickly turn into an electric spark that would writhe just beneath her skin if they were to make contact.

And yet she craved it at the same time. She was an odd paradox of touch adverse yet touch starved; longing for the connection that touch brought but hated the closeness required, wanted the comfort yet hated the stimulation, the emptiness in her chest to lift only to be replaced by an unwanted shiver creeping up her spine. That’s how it used to be anyway. The thing was: the closer she got to the others the less defensive she found herself becoming. She still didn’t care for surprises, but if one of them brushed up against her she wouldn't jump and instead of feeling like she had insects crawling on her when someone touched her shoulder she felt the warmth of their hand.

When they made eye contact Rowan couldn’t help but feel a rush of affection for Karlach; that, in a moment of joy or excitement, she didn’t just throw her arms around her without thinking. More than that, Rowan wanted to hug her. Not just to make Karlach happy either, she wanted to do it for herself too. It was an astonishing revelation, she wanted a hug? Her? Rowan? So before she lost the nerve she stepped forward and opened her arms,

“Bring it in?” She asked though her smile betrayed a bit of shyness.

You can do whatever you want though just some ideas 💃

"YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!" PROMPTS

Since entering the city once again, Karlach had been far harsher, deadlier and determined. She was so close to taking down Gortash she could taste his blood in the air. All her work getting the group to trust her throughout the forests and the shadow curse was coming to a head. Karlach could feel her strength returning with every step and soon enough she won't need them, should they choose to step away.

She needed not just to destroy Gortash physically, but ruin everything he had worked towards... She wanted to eviscerate every memory of him in this city. It was the least she deserved.

One of the largest dents in his operation was blowing up the Foundry. They worked their way through it, destroying her descendents - the Steel Watch - and any Banite in her way. The Gondians pleaded for help...but they assisted Gortash. They let themselves be caught in Gortash's trap and built him an army.

Karlach felt nothing when the Foundry blew up - alongside every single one of Gortash's helpers... Not a single one will survive to make another Steel Watcher using her engine again.

Evune had not given much thought to Karlach’s changes since they reached the city, she had thought it was simply the emotions of being back and being so close to the man that harmed her, being too overwhelming for anything but determination. Oh, but what a fool she was. A fool whose naivety now carried a body count, whose naivety was being snuffed out like the lives of anyone remaining in the factory before it blew.

She was on lying on the ground in some rubble from the still burning explosion, though she had escaped, the force of the blast had knocked her over and sent her flying to the ground. As soon as she had air in her lungs was when she cried out the question in an anguished voice.

She looked up at Karlach, her friend, as she heard her response. If she hadn’t been watching her face and saw her lips move as she spoke Evune couldn’t have believed Karlach had really said it. This wasn’t who she knew, was it? There must be some mistake…

“They- the gondians- they- they did not serve Gortash willingly! They were enslaved!” She shouted back yet there was a tremble in her voice as she got to her feet. She winced as she rose, the fall must have twisted her ankle in some odd direction, but she continued “They were victims, they were used just like you were. How can you not see that?” She was practically pleading for some kind of explanation that would ease her soft heart, some confirmation that this was the Karlach she knew. That it hadn't all been one big lie. She truly was a fool.

“The collars around their necks are proof… were proof…” she trailed off. She could only hope some had fled before the factory was destroyed but the Gondians had said something about their families being held captive somewhere, they wouldn’t have fled if it meant their families would pay the price.

“Oh- oh gods their families,” she trembled. With the workers dead there was no reason to keep their families alive anymore, they had doomed them as well.

“We have doomed them all, haven’t we?”

She let out a sobbing sound and wrapped her arms around herself, fingers digging into the opposite arm. Soon after, her torso collapsed in on itself, she bent forward with her elbows pressed against her stomach as she hung her head.

It took a few more anguished noises before she regained her ability to speak,

“But you are right… I should have done something,” She took a sputtering breath, “I should have… Mielikki forgive me…” She sniffled before rising again, feeling the heat of the flames behind her.

“But I will not allow something like this to happen ever again- do you understand?!”

Unprompted Ask - @eclipsedevune

Stunned silence.

Khalid watched as his daughter, who had noticeably been missing through the whole night and only had just returning in the morning, had something definitely alive in the bag she was holding. Should he… tell her off? Sneaking out at night wasn't exactly something she should be doing, and bringing back wild animals was dangerous, but at the same time, he was way too tired to deal with this. Not to mention the many time's Jaheira had done something similar, he was used to stunts like this. If Jaheira cared enough, she would scold the girl when she saw her.

"I saw nothing." Khalid mumbled, turning away and re-occupying himself with preparing breakfast.

Evune grinned,

“Thank you and have I mentioned you are the greatest of all fathers as of late?”

She said as the bag moved again. “Don’t worry little guy, you will be out of there soon.”

she whispered to the creature inside before backing up towards her tent.

Even though she was tired from being out all night she knew she didn’t have time to sleep before they would have to get going again, which was a good thing since she was sure the people she stole it from would be looking for it.

She had almost backed all the way into her tent when a pointy horn pierced through the fabric of the bag and now was stuck. In an attempt to free itself the creature tore the bag even more before Evune freed it from its prison of loose threads. There was no longer any concealment of the creature, it was an Almiraj: a rare creature from the Land of Fate: Zakhara.

After a long pause, and a twitch of the Almiraj’s nose, Evune finally spoke

“…isn’t she cute?”

It’s both her in universe birthday and her creation day

As a character she has officially existed for 2 years for when I made her for my bg1 playthrough 🥺I never intended on getting so attached to her but she wormed her way into my heart and her own AU that exists as canon to me

prompt from ✨ First Times ✨ - @eclipsedevune

A few stolen glances, that was all Khalid could afford to give their mysterious new allies. He hadn't been there at the bridge, nor when Jaheira had sent them up to visit Isobel — and well, he certainly didn't have time to talk to them during the fight that broke out. Even now, he was too busy tending to the wounded and counting the casualties to go introduce himself. But then. Why did he feel so compelled to? Why did he get such a strong sense that he needed to speak to them— no. Not even all of them, just the one.

He finally caught a glance of her, and just his luck, she was just leaving. Hopefully, just out to the courtyard, and not on any mission Jaheira had sent them on. He gestured to one of the Harpers, having them take over the bandaging of one of the injured, and hurriedly grabbed two glasses from the bar before catching up with the druid before she left.

But when he finally reached her, got her attention, there was a familiarity that made him stop dead in his tracks. He stared for a concerningly long time, his brows tightly knit together as he tried to comprehend why he was feeling this way. He did his best to shake it off, holding out a glass to the woman in front of him.

"S-Spare a—a-a moment?" He suggested, glancing back at the bar as if to gesture to it. He had no idea where he was going with this, but his instincts were telling him that he needed to talk to her.

First that woman and now him.

Rowan turned towards him slowly, giving him the most blank stare she could manage. Just like Jaheira had, this man had drudged up a well of sadness within her for no apparent reason. Why did she want to cry when she saw him for the first time? Why did he fill her with sorrow? How did these emotions come on so powerfully but then be gone again in the next instant? There were no answers to any of her questions she could think of, and perhaps none existed at all.

She considered if she had known them prior to her memory loss, she didn’t know why she would feel as if she had lost something dear if that was the case. He had stared at her for a while as if trying to place where they he had seen her before so perhaps he did know her.

Her next option was it had something to do with one of the voices in her head, but the tadpole was still and considering she wasn’t thinking about killing him the urge was silent. There was the dream guardian but she knew their voice, and they couldn’t influence her emotions as far as she knew. As for the fourth… Well she didn’t know much about her.

“Oh, you…” She said before taking the glass. She supposed this couple communicated through drinks, which was fine by her; free drinks after all.

“Sure, I’m not heading anywhere important.”

She followed him to the bar, they had to fetch their own drinks as the tiefling child who Jaheira placed in charge of the bar was understandably a bit traumatized after seeing Mol get carried off by a winged horror. She took a sip of her drink.

“So, what is it?”

Khalid watched Rowan with an intense stare, examining her every move as if it would help him recognise her. It didn't. And he soon realised what he was doing, correcting it with a clearing of his throat as he began swirling the wine around in his glass.

"I-I thought it best I introduce myself, since we shall be working together from now on." That wasn't all of course, he wanted to find out more about her— interrogate would probably be the right word, but he preferred not to call it that. He was hoping it would be more of a friendly exchange.

"And— ah, I-I apologise for my Wife's actions when you a-a-arrived. But you understand we must be cautious, yes? W-we have little room of error out here." He took a sip of his wine and tried to subtly look her over, as if looking for any rashes or injuries. It was so strange, but he felt an almost protectiveness for her. He couldn't for the life of him understand why. Everything about the woman next to him was surrounded in an air of unknown that made him feel uneasy.

Gods, and he'd been so distracted trying to place this woman, that he'd forgot to introduce himself — the thing he'd claimed to bring her over to do.

"Oh, I forget my m-manners. M-my name is Khalid." He held out his hand for her to shake, placing a very carefully crafted smile on his lips.

“Khalid...” She repeated as she took a sip of her drink, trying to commit his name to her fluid memory. “I hope you won’t mind if I forget your name occasionally: memory issues. I’ll get it down eventually.” People got strangely upset when she didn’t remember their names so she had started telling people up front, she met so many people these days she didn’t know how they expected her to remember even if she didn’t have brain damage.

“And there’s no need to apologize, I understand the need to make sure this place stays secure,” a bit of sawdust fell onto the counter causing her to look up at the hole in the ceiling, “…well, relatively secure. Don’t know how much information Marcus leaked; luckily, he won’t be able to report back about my group,” she turned back to him,

“I’m Rowan, but you probably already know that, and I assume you have some questions you want to ask me… though,” she made direct eye contact with him, “I hope this time there will be less Klauthgrass, I’m not eager to get my drink spiked.” She had grabbed an unopened bottle and poured the wine herself, she insisted on it, so it was unlikely anything was slipped into it but she didn’t want him getting any ideas. If she claimed she was unbothered by what jaheira pulled it would be a lie, all she could say is it was lucky she hadn’t realized what had happened until after the interrogation or it would have gone much more poorly. Something about something being slipped into her drink, even if not harmful, made her skin crawl and want to let her urge slip out for a moment. She wasn’t sure why, something about being unable to fight back as she-

Her train of thought stopped. She? Who was she?

She tried to hold onto the faint memory but it slipped through her fingers again.

Who was she remembering…?

She realized she had completely zoned out from the conversation,

“Oh, sorry. I got lost in thought for a minute. What did you want to ask?”

Khalid made sure to listen closely to every word Rowan said, almost as if he was hoping she might say something that would reveal her identity to him. But, even after the mention of her name, it sparked no sudden recollection. This worried him, what could have him so worked up about this woman, that he couldn't even place the emotion he felt when he saw her, when he had no clue who she even was? It was troubling.

"You need not worry, my methods are far less…. b-blunt than my Wife's. Even then, this i-is not…" His words trailed off as he noticed the druid had lost focus in the conversation, his eyebrows scrunched with concern. He placed a gentle hand on her arm, hoping to get her attention and bring her back from whatever had caused this sudden dissociation.

In truth, he had no questions for her, he'd acted on feeling alone and with no plan to fall back on, so he distracted from that by asking simply, "Are you okay? You did not hit your h-head during the battle, I hope."

She blinked, “hit my head…?” She asked before remembering that this man wasn’t acquainted with her eccentricities.

“Oh no, I didn’t hit my head- I just have brain damage.” She said, knocking on her skull, “my head got ripped apart and I can’t remember a thing about my former life,” she lifted some of her hair and showed off her many scars that indicated her head had been priced back together like a demented puzzle. The hair in those areas was short like it had only recently started to grow back, making the stitching even more pronounced. As she smoothed her hair back down it became clear that the reason her hair was cut very unevenly, was not due to careless trimming. It was actually very carefully cut to cover the scars.

“Rowan isn’t even my original name, I have no idea what that is, I gave it to myself,” She continued, “So I forget things and tend to dissociate, nothing unusual.” She waved her hand dismissively.

“I do occasionally get a sense of… Deja vu in some situations, like just now. For some reason I feel as if we’ve met before, I don’t suppose you recognize me from anywhere?” She asked.

She had the feeling that if he did recognize her from her prior life they wouldn’t be on good terms considering how the butler described her.

Whatever Khalid was expecting to hear in response to his question, it wasn't that. He appreciated the straightforward answer at least, even if it was… concerning. And it only got worse the more she talked, what she described was traumatic, yet she spoke as if it were nothing! Khalid wasn't sure if he should be sared or impressed… he was certainly leaning towards the prior. Even so, to go through something like that, and come through it, not only still standing, but fighting as well? That took strength, something Khalid knew well from experience and respected wholly.

"I-I'm sorry to hear that… i-i-it cannot be easy, being a-a s-s-stranger to yourself..." He paused, contemplating.

He thought it had been strange to begin with that he had recognised her in some way, but to now hear that she got the same feeling from him was uncanny. It made him feel tight in his chest, uneasy.

"No I— I- I do not recall ever meeting you…" Khalid's words trailed off, his mind clearly occupied with deep thought he wasn't expressing.

He was correct in that it wasn’t easy not knowing who she was, especially since she was probably some kind of criminal who likely made an assortment of enemies that she was now completely unaware of. However, she didn’t tend to ruminate on who she was anymore, she had the urge and tadpole to worry about which took precedence over any former identity.

“It’s not too bad, I’d be okay if I never found out who I was before.”

Now Rowan was not the expert at reading body language or social cues but even to her she could tell Khalid wasn’t telling her the entirety of the truth. She did not think he was lying about not meeting her before per say, he seemed honest enough when he said so, but his thoughts seemed occupied elsewhere. She was hesitant to push him on it, she was not looking to make one of the people securing her place in the moon dome upset with her. On the other hand she was an important asset that the Harper’s couldn’t afford to lose over petty squabbles.

“What’s on your mind?” She asked casually, taking another sip of her drink. If he didn’t respond to casual inquiries she was intent on pushing forward less casually. 

“You know, if you tell me the chances are I won’t remember it anyway” she lied. Chances were she’d remember and remember long enough to write it down if not.