NW39

"Feral Soul": The call of the heart is wild and fierce but to Theran his heart is uncontrollable. His magic unpredictable, his inner wild Druid magic deadly to all who surround him be they friend or foe, and all he yearns for is to be free of the chains that bind him body, heart and soul.

The Mind Flayers may have pulled him from that pit of death, but it remains an ever constant presence, his control one crack from shattering and letting loose tortured death on the world.

Can Theran find the end of the storm with his newfound friends and dare it be said romance with the enigmatic vampire Astarion or will he be lost to the wild tortured magics that burn his soul and heart?

Inspired by the lovely and amazing story "Naturae Ferox" by Dr_Acula121

"Bloody Soul Shadow Moons": Set after the events of Baldur's Gate 3, we pick up with Shadow roaming the world. A redeemed yet haunted Bhaalspawn, the fight with Orin and the Netherbrain having healed the wound that Orin dealt that buried his memories.

His soul fragmented, cracked, and tearing apart as the edges of madness claw at his mind, the Urge a jagged whisper in the dark. Will Shadow find his peace or will he succumb to the madness that claws so hungrily at his mind?

Lost within, Shadow fights not just himself. The world sees only the darkness.

Shadow fled Baldur's Gate and his beloved Astarion's arms, fearing he would only bring him pain, yet the fates draw him back into the storm.

"Foggy Dusk" (Pt 1 of Foggy Dusk and Shadows series): Telra's redemption story during the Absolute Crisis.

"Foggy Shadows" (Pt 2 of Foggy Dusk and Shadows series): Starting seven years after the fall of the Netherbrain, this story begins with Telra an Elven Rogue with no memory past waking up trapped. She doesn't remember friend or foe, her memory a foggy shadow. Yet forces of darkness await to devour her, but will she survive or succumb to the madness?

"Storms, Black Velvet, and Bloodied Lace": Nerinysa or Neri as she preferred had always been used to being unwanted. Yet when she had been kidnapped by a Mind Flayer, she had met Astarion. A Rogue who charmed and flirted yet their adventures had brought his mask down. Yet Neri had kept hers on, after all who would love the real her?

A dark tale weaving through danger, intrigue, political games, poisonous ambitions and caught in the middle is Neri.

"Weeping Shadows to Bloody Wings": Ash, the Dark Urge Bhaalspawn, has lost to her sibling Orin and achieved victory against the Netherbrain, but has since disappeared from Baldur's Gate. Only word of her deeds reach Baldur's Gate which is presented with its own challenges in rebuilding especially with Orin still skulking in the dark fulfilling Bhaal's mad plan of world destruction. Will Ash return or is her story at an end?

Broken Melody of Twisted Darkness (Pt 1 of Lullaby of Twisted Darkness and Blood): Twins torn apart by fate and their hidden dark heritage, Kai and Tali are thrust into their soon to be shattered paths. Yet as Kai's path weaves into shattered and bloody darkness, he clings to hope even as the many hands that wish to pull him deeper away from it.

Choir of Twisted Blood (Pt 2 of Lullaby of Twisted Darkness and Blood): Twins torn apart by fate and their hidden dark heritage, Kai and Tali are thrust into their soon to be shattered paths. Yet as grief tears Tali apart, he finds a new family amidst fire and blood, but is it truly a family or a twisted slaughterhouse of lies and death?

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Hells or the Fiery Detour to Friends, Romance and Tadpole Curing: Bad luck to no luck, Mavrius aka Mav has managed to scrape by living, but being a fugitive in the Hells certainly makes things interesting. Even more so when he's snatched by a nautiloid and ends up crash landed with a ragtag lot of weirdos including a Ranger named Torsyra aka Tor.

Least the female Tiefling is cute.

So the month of May was pretty busy, chaotic, and a mess with a side of loss. I put my four legged baby boy down on the 19th so I really appreciated the tags I had in my activity log a lot even if I couldn't respond until now to them <3 Upside aside from a few boxes, the majority of things have been unpacked and I am settling into my new place with my gran.

I have been very busy in the last week or so with writing as well with my brain running amok in Ellipsus though soon I'll be editing some pre drafted chapters soon and releasing them <3

Without further ado though here's a sneak peek at what's to come and some of the WIP bits I've been working on including an AU sort of what if fic where the main character ends up in a bit of a mess. Fair warning there is minor spoilers here so will put it under a keep reading line <3

My piece for the Gale of Waterdeep May event is now live albeit late but if you're interested in seeing what shenanigans Gale gets up to with Halsin, link below!

Read here!

Part 2 will commence next week and I will be aiming to get internet soon as I can but it may be June.

I wanna say thank you to all who've tagged me recently, I see you, I appreciate you, I've just been super busy packing up and getting ready to move in two weeks. I'll return to tags eventually just going to be a minute is all but I will return soon <3

Despite being exhausted, this move is sorely needed as it will hopefully bring about change in my health that is positive and helpful and a much more supportive environment as well.

The next chapter of Weeping Shadows to Bloody Wings is now live with the debut of @shandoratheexplorer's Rashaan arriving as a Rogue teacher!

Yeah it's Thursday but I'm trying to keep on top of my tags best I can with a health flare trying to wrestle in on top of all else I'm dealing with right now. Thank you @optimisticgrey and @the-font-bandit for the tags here is a yet to be named chapter of the fic Weeping Shadows to Bloody Wings that's coming tomorrow and debuting @shandoratheexplorer's handsome fellow Rashaan as well as a teacher.

Lightfoot has zero idea what she's in for LOL

In process of making edits, but the snippet is below the cut for those who don't want spoilers.

No pressure tags for @shandoratheexplorer @strixamans @tynithia @alrendriablaze and @andromedaancunin

I unleash day 4 of Cozy December hosted by @optimisticgrey with a different approach to first snow in the form of a prequel fic that gripped my brain in a fit of madness. Enjoy <3

Conversation 1: I wonder if transmasc Karlach makes people feral?

Conversation 2: *learning bout bards and realizing they're the epitome of "looks cinnamon roll but will in fact kill you if push comes to shove"*

Well I am finally full sending and have decided to put up some of the tags I've been tagged in to good use. Some of these will be no context and it will be fun to see who spots them when their chapters come out eventually!

Thank you to @the-font-bandit @shandoratheexplorer @tynithia @alrendriablaze @chaushaus for the tags over the last almost month you all are amazing <3

First up a little sneaky peek with zero context from one of my fic drafts

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I tugged my tunic lightly, feeling quite out of place amidst the throngs of glitter and gold, being from more humble background in Silverymoon. 

"Not quite into such parties young man?" and I looked to see a high elf with a crimson and gold trimmed doublet, a face that looked like it could curdle milk, oily black hair and strange crimson eyes. Guess he was part Drow and didn't get the good looks.

"Not really er?" I started,

"Lord Szarr." the man spoke coolly and I arched a brow, the name not sounding familiar.

"Lord Szarr. I come from more humble backgrounds, but the Grand Duke invited me so I felt...obligated." I finished and Lord Szarr chuckled as he looked out over the throngs, his hands clasped behind his back in a way that made me take a half a step back. I didn't know what it was about this man that made me feel...unclean, but he did. 

"Obligation hmmm?" Lord Szarr asked,

"Well it is the Grand Duke, even being from Silverymoon with parents from humble backgrounds, it would be rude to say no Lord Szarr." I replied and Lord Szarr chuckled.

"Well at least your mother raised you well." Lord Szarr spoke amused and I furrowed my brow before the Grand Duke appeared.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Second again no context (not wanting to spoil but all I have are spoilery things XD)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Gods damn it come on! You're far too damn young by the look of it to go anywhere." I growled under my breath and gripped the magic fiercely as I focused and spoke the words for Cure Wounds, my hands glowing as pain ripped through my hands and my head throbbed, but I ignored it as I focused. Footsteps started echoing and I heard a shout.

"Here! In here Jaheira!" a voice called,

"Khalid!" another cried and grunts sounded.

"Let the man work." the first grunted,

"Little fiery cub no!" a third cried and squeaking sounded before heavy footsteps sounded and the man under me finally stabilized and I dropped back, panting, my vision blurring as footsteps sounded before hands gripped me and my eyes snapped back open to see a man in adventuring gear as he quickly let me go catching my fist.

"Easy. I'm not going to hurt you." the man soothed and I relaxed as I panted, wiping my nose and realizing it was bleeding. I looked over to see the man I had helped unconscious but alive and a young half Elf in Harper gear holding him and cradling him. Her eyes met mine and they were full of tears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Third more no context hehe ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I looked around the ruins of the temple. It had once been a grand place of Bhaal, now it was home only to ghosts, echoes of sweet sweet torture and grisly murder, the stones oh the stories they could tell of the souls claimed for Bhaal. A shimmer caught my eye as I turned and watched Sceleritas form and he looked positively irritated.

"What is wrong brother?" I asked and Sceleritas growled.

"Bhaal is none too pleased that I have not made progress with my Chosen, yet is the one who made it so their command we must obey. What can I do exactly when I have been told to not appear until beckoned? Sit and rot is what and when Bhaal deigns it, tortured for my failure to report any progress. The others are not like him so it is far from enjoyable, it is just pointless. Ohhhh the way he mastered such skills so quickly. It was sweet music and I had no issue being his instrument to practice with." Sceleritas spoke quietly and put his hands together eagerly with a little grin and evil chuckle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fourth ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was sweating, bloody, bruised as the fight with Myrkul had gone horrendously wrong from the word go. Trying to get past the scythe was difficult and we were all exhausted. Karlach was raging and I saw the scythe twist as it cut back towards Karlach. My whole world slowing down as I ran for Karlach, not even thinking, just moving as I hauled. I slammed into Karlach and sent her down with a nasty pop and crack echoing from my shoulder, turning as I came to a halt- as the scythe slashed me hard and sent me flying.

I slammed hard into the wall, dropping harshly to the ground and blacking out briefly before coming to in time to see Myrkul finally fall and Karlach rushing over to me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And the final one for now (few repeat tags I'll get to later when I have more bits to share hehe)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I reached the Thorm mausoleum in the graveyard and tucked my wings away, slowly pushing the door open and entering. Despite the growing oppressive air outside of whatever Ketheric was involved in now, in here it was quiet and peaceful. Generations of Thorms laid to rest here, passing by the ones with faded busts and plaques though it was clear that someone was still caring for them. I reached a large open room and to my left was of a woman who looked like Isobel, the plaque reading "Melodia Thorm, Mother and wife, taken too soon" and ahead was a new one without a bust, but it had a plaque. I slowly approached and read "Isobel Thorm Nightal 20 1364-Elient 29 1390, Beloved Daughter" and I bit my lip as I touched the stone coffin.

"I hope you are enjoying Selûne's Grove my moonbeam. I miss you so much it hurts, waking up every day without you in my arms hurts, the bed is never warm enough anymore, I miss your radiant smile, the way your hair had a mind of its own even when you wore a circlet with the moon to keep it somewhat tamed it was always ending up in your face. I miss the way you laughed, the small ways you tackled each day that were uniquely you, and I hope that you will return someday as you have a hundred times before and a hundred times more. Each life stealing my breath and my heart in a way only you can. I love you my moonbeam, forever through the ages and I swear the day you return to my life, I will kneel and refuse to look upon you until you lift my face up to look upon me first. Til next we meet my moonbeam." I spoke softly and leaned over as I kissed the top of the coffin gently before turning and heading for the door, pausing at Melodia's resting place and silently thanking her for the beautiful soul that had been Isobel before continuing on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tagging back @chaushaus @shandoratheexplorer @tynithia @the-font-bandit and @alrendriablaze and adding new tags for @optimisticgrey @goodgirlgonebard @tavyliasin @strixamans and @andromedaancunin