The libraries of the Feywild were filled with wonders and monstrosities alike. Veldarin still suffered from a wound that was caused by a book biting his arm, clearly not happy about being picked up from the shelf. And just a few hours earlier, one had sprouted wings and found an escape through a broken window. He’d need to convince Titania that sometimes accidents happen and appeal to her pride and beauty.
That always worked with the leader of the summer court.
Currently, he paged through a retelling of the childhood of some long forgotten hero. Back when the continents still were united and ruled by a class of people that are no longer remembered. He’d spend months now to better understand how the Gods brought such ruin and destruction to their world and then simply left them for a century or two. Wars waged, civilizations rose and fell, and they simply watched.
No wonder that other presences tried to smuggle their way into the heart of mortal souls.
An exasperated sigh echoed through the air and Veldarin took the volume with him to get back to the table that he shared with his the only other person in this vaste, private library. It truly never hurts to be on good terms with the courts and indulge in their politics and parties.
Arcelm sat in a high chair, back hunched and glasses almost sliding from his nose. His hair was unusually messy and ink was splattered on his fingers. Strange to see him like this, because normally he took pride in looking polished and ready for wherever adventures might lead them. Veldarin understood the frustration. They followed a rather intricate puzzle and were not an inch closer to solving it.
“I wish I could understand this better. It’s difficult to read.” He looked up and his eyes appeared red and swollen from the constant reading. They’d need to take a break from research soon and enjoy some of the markets. Indulging in some ripe fruits and souvenirs for the loved ones that had stayed behind in the normal plane. Not everyone seemed interested in setting foot back into the Feywild and the shenanigans that always happened.
Veldarin kissed his forehead. "You're the smartest person I know."
“As if…” He poked out his tongue and looked a little less tired, but annoyed by Veldarin’s words.
That earned him an impressive display of rolling his eyes. “Ha-ha. Not sure if that will help us.”
“It’s not all about bookish knowledge. Empathy matters as well.” Shrugging, he took the seat right next to the half-elf.
“Not to mention seducing a handsome, older Drow gentleman, which is no small feat after all.”
“Probably not, but I like pointing it out.” Smiling, he took Arcelm’s hand and pulled him up. The sudden movement pushed him against his chest.
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Our main DnD campaign we've been playing weekly for a lil over two years is almost at 100 sessions which is just so surreal to think about... truly blessed with our amazing lil group 💖💖💞💖💗💕💕💗💗💞💖💕💞💞💗
About 3,5 years in my campaign, I finally created a npc that I have problems playing, because he is such a huge piece of shit (and he isn't even the main bad or evil in general)
so, we had the first player character deaths last session and @kasiael asked for a little insight of what our resident God / friend / boyfriend thought while Kethra died
here you go!
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They felt the earth rumble beneath their feet and heard people scream. Buildings crumbled; streets tore open. Rannok fell on his knees and held his head, lost to some unseen nightmares. Something had changed. Their friends had broken the barrier and unleashed magic. The whole city of Ostjoll seemed to be on its feet in an instant, ready to finally take back their home from the fallen Order of Bahamut.
“Zaos?” Hella got back on her feet, swords in hands and with sharp teeth gleaming in the darkness. “Be ready for a fight.”
Nodding, he stretched his shoulders and searched for his magic but found his heart missing a beat.
Sitting amidst hams, wheat and caskets of ales, Zaos felt her die.
Kethra.
With their connection severed, anger filled the sudden void in his chest.
“I need to go.” He gritted his teeth. “They’ll not take her from me.”
He’d not lose another love to the dark Queen and her little cult. They’d taken much from him throughout the millennials, love and hope, the best of him, forced him to hide and sleep and forget and lick his wounds like some wounded animal.
And Kethra was so young, so vulnerable, so wonderfully flawed and real. She deserved to live and witness the world change around her, with or without him at her side.
Zaos fought against the panic rising in his throat and the numbness, which made it so hard to move. He tasted blood in his mouth from biting his cheeks and tongue, while trying to control the urge to just withdraw again and sleep on the silver shores of his home.
A part of him was afraid of facing his old enemy, the giant black Dragon, which wings could hide the stars.
Hella looked into his direction, while pushing fallen crates out of her way. “We should have gone with them.”
“I know.”
But with the spell broken, Zaos felt more like himself, closer to his actual power. Magic sparkled around the edges of his mortal form and his eyes held a green glow. He would save her. Her soul still lingered close, not ready to part with her body.
He felt that her brother had fallen too and Zaos also saw Felicitas’ life dripping out. They’d faced an enemy too strong, too versed in her arts and with an army of undead at her side.
Selfishly, he’d always rescue Kethra first. She’d woken emotions long hidden and forgotten since seeing her face for the first time and hearing her pray at his temple. Her voice had called for him and lured him back into meddling with the world.
He'd not let go of her.
His fingers touched Rannok’s forehead and he let the man fall asleep, without dreams for once.
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I promised @khoi-raven to write what was going through Alces' mind as Jaro died in that huge boss-vampire fight <3 here cometh the sad.
Fandom: Dungeons&Dragons homebrew
Characters: Alces Avenuris x Jaro Hawk, Flavia Avenuris
Rating: M, character death
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Alces sleep had been light. Too many thoughts about upcoming festivities and long hours of diplomatic discussion with Ellain about a pact that’d benefit both humans and the elves of A’hethyr. Sure, with his advisors at his side, nothing would go wrong, but his crown seemed heavy and his days long.
So, sleep didn’t come for a few hours and then he woke in the middle of the night, heart racing, cold sweat covering his body.
Bile rose in his throat.
Jaro was gone.
Gone.
He fell to the floor, mind reeling from his thoughts.
Jaro was gone.
He knew.
He felt it.
Their connection was lost and broken like it’d suddenly snapped.
Jaro died in Dertona. A mission that Alces orchestrated and planed, because he couldn’t leave the seat of his power, because he needed someone to broker peace between the nations and he’d send his husband to his death.
Alces tried to get up, but grabbed the edge of a blanket and managed to break the water pitcher on his nightstand with his movements.
A knock on his door made him turn around. “Your Majesty? Is everything alright?”
“I can’t … I need…” He rubbed his eyes. “I need to see my mother. Please.”
Jaro was gone.
He cowered with his back against his bed, knees up to his chest, and tears on his cheeks.
His whole body shook.
Jaro was gone.
Flavia entered his rooms dressed in a nightrobe with her reddish hair undone and flowing freely around her shoulders. She didn’t look like a former Queen but more like a worried mother.
She got to her knees and embraced him, smelling like wine and the powder she used to cover up the wrinkles around her eyes.
Her found his back and rubbed it gently. “Shht, my dear. Tell me what happened.”
“Jaro… it’s Jaro … he’s just …” Flavia’s words brought more tears to his eyes.
Alces pressed his face against her “I can’t feel him.”
“My sweet boy, you don’t know what happened. Maybe he’ll be alright. Maybe it was just a bad dream.”
“No.” Alces’ voice sounded hallow. “He’s always with me, always in my heart and now there is just this, this… emptiness.”
Alces grabbed her hand and felt coldness spread through his body.
Flavia pressed her lips against his forehead. “You can survive this. We can survive this.”
But Alces knew that that was a lie. He saw how she still suffered from the death of Tiberius, how much she drank, how much she hid away in dark corners. And she hadn’t even loved him that much and entertained many lovers throughout the years of their marriage.
@feylen asked for a prompt a while ago and here I am, slow and very late <3
Fandom: Dungeons&Dragons homebrew campaign
Characters: Arcelm x Veldarin, Alces
Rating: M (mentions of death)
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Veldarin put the communication crystal away and sighed. He felt tired and drawn out and far too emotional to face anyone right now. Alces had offered him enough space to spent a few, precious minutes with his thoughts and thankfully it seemed too late for any customer or some courtier looking at gifts for the soon to be arriving elven Queen.
He missed Arcelm.
Missed him so much that it hurt.
Accompanied by an ever-present dread and fear of losing him. Not for the first time, probably not for the last, because loving a hero always offered surprises.
Dertona already proofed to be more than a simple, diplomatic mission with Jaro proudly declaring the peaceful words of King Alces. Instead, they faced vampires controlling fallen Paladins and a revived, ancient black Dragon.
Veldarin rubbed his head. He’d have a talk with some friends about the situation and what could be done about it.
But right now, he just missed his partner.
And he wanted to kiss him.
And tell him that he loved him.
So badly.
Veldarin didn’t understand why it seemed so hard for him to form these words. Love for a Drow had always been such a strange concept and out of his reach. Every thing that you loved would be taken away from you. And you’d get punished for showing affection. He’d spent so many years on the surface and in the Feywild and still he feared those three words.
“Ugh.”
He’d watch Arcelm speak and move and found himself considering just using teleportation magic to get there. With Amalthea at his side, he could. But should he? If the desire and need to kiss Arcelm silly became even stronger, he’d seriously consider it.
Veldarin stood up.
Better to find someone to be miserable together with. Alces had shared most of his emotions and still slept badly, because he’d felt his husband die. Their bond broken by death. He’d found him a shaky mess, face red from crying and ready to send a whole fleet toward their neighboring country.
“Alces?”
“Yes?” The voice came somewhere from the second floor.
“Ready for some wine?”
“Oh, yes.” Veldarin grabbed a bottle and made his way to the kitchen. He doubted that both of them would find sleep tonight, but at least some comfort in each other’s presence.
tl:dr Arcelm’s ( @feylen ) brother Skylar has been brainwashed by a higher vampire, claiming to lead a new Order of Bahamut paladins and has become hostile and frantic and zealous. So the group wanted to kidnap and help him. Meaning to somehow lure him into a dark corner and throw a bag over his head.
Didn’t go that well.
Skylar had friends with him and with his full-plate armor didn’t get knocked out by blunt arrows.
Combat time! @tieflingbi ‘s Felicitas put on a performance as a spawn of “Satan” (lol) and got the attention of four of the attacking paladin guys. With Jaro ( @khoi-raven ) helping and playing into her lie. One of them banished her to another realm later on, which was actually good, because she could heal herself and escape.
The city is basically beneath a giant anti-magic cone, so they had to rely on their weapons and without healing or damage they quickly got the brunt of the paladin force (especially Jaro and Arcelm), while @kasiael ‘s Kethra attacked from the rooftops.
The higher vampire (a slender redhead) broke up the fight and invited Arcelm, Jaro, Kethra and the bloodhunter npc Hella to her home. Feli came back from her banishment, while everyone was leaving the scene.
At the same time @magnetklaue ‘s Dawn enjoyed a cup of tea, making dinner and petting their snow owlbear baby at their hideout, because she trusted the group to not screw up.
