#deathlord

Hello friends! I've been working on this story for quite some time, and while it's definitely not anywhere near finished, I wanted to share this massive Chapter One as a kind of 'preview' to gauge interest and see what you think of it...

It's the m. Dragon Priest x m. Deathlord x f. scholar story I teased a long time ago, and while it is set in Skryim, about ten years after the end of the game itself, you don't need to know anything about the game or the world to enjoy the story. It's just a cool, fantasy sandbox for me to play in and borrow some lore and language.

Backstory/context/wiki page for those interested (it will be covered in the story, so you don't need to know this really)

The premise of The Heart of the Temple is this:

Senna, a mage in her twenties and recent graduate of the College of Winterhold, is convinced that artefacts from the Late Merethic Era (some four thousand years before her day) are worth studying for their unique magic and enchantments, the exact weaving of which has been lost to time. Armed with nothing but her own extensive studies, a working knowledge of the now-dead Dragon Tongue, and an unhealthy amount of conviction, she parts ways with her ex-boyfriend, Nilandir, in the city of Riften and heads into the nearby mountains to find the lost tomb complex of Shearcliff Temple.

There, she completes the Trials and gains access to the inner sanctum, only to find that the temple's inhabitants are not long-dead and sleeping the peaceful slumber of death, but are in fact very much awake. While some of them are welcoming of this seeker of knowledge, others are wary and distrustful, if not outright hostile.

Invited to stay by the Dragon Priest himself, Senna begins a kind of apprenticeship down in the dark, secret chambers of the tomb, and slowly, undead hearts begin to beat once more under the lively influence she brings with her. She wins over the affable Dragon Priest, Vokunaak, easily enough, but his bodyguard and eternal soulmate, Deinmaar, is harder to crack.

And then there are the rest of the Deathlords and Draugr Wights within the wider temple beneath the mountain: Zahkrii, the aggressive and arrogant Captain, Kodaav, a warrior as big as the bear for which he was named, Ronaan, the lithe and cheeky archer who's hard of hearing and his best friend, Norok, who fights with her twin blades. Ahraan, the scarred alchemist growing potent herbs in a secret courtyard, Ruvaak, the keeper of ravens, and Kiraan, an assassin from another complex who found himself trapped there when Alduin, the great dragon they all worshipped, was first vanquished four thousand years ago and the curse of undeath descended upon them all.

While learning all she can from Vokunaak, Senna works to win them over, but her time in the temple complex is limited, and there are plenty of things that could go horribly wrong for her, even with the growing affection of the Dragon Priest himself and the protection of his loyal guard...

It will be NSFW in places, which means future chapters will be behind a paywall due to Patreon's 18+ policies, and while they're undead, they're not rotting zombies, I promise! That's not my kind of undead.

If that all sounds like your cup of tea, here's the first chapter for you. I've included a few screenshots from the game for the vibes, but they're not entirely accurate, since Shearcliff Temple is made up for this story. I hope they don't get in the way for you. It won't be a feature in future chapters anyway.

Content/warnings: cis female mage works against academic prejudice and a lack of support from her ex (but on friendly-ish terms) high-elven (Altmer) boyfriend to uncover the secrets of the past. Brief but genuine threat to life (no blood/injury), and some sentences of Dovah-zul (Dragon Tongue) with translations within the text (from Thuum.org).

Wordcount: 7927(!)

Read the whole chapter here for free right now! (Free members and up)

acherus was much better without bolvar

TW: Sexual Abuse, domestic abuse, child abuse and death

So the “interconnected-mates-theory” that has been circulating in the acotar fandom has literally blown my mind to pieces and is opening so many doors, you guys have to hear this.

CHARACTER PARALLELS BETWEEN DIFFERENT MATE PAIRINGS

If you don’t know what I mean:

Cassian / Feyre

- both had absent emotionally/physically absent parents

- Lost their Mothers early on

- had to basically fend for themselves at some point throughout their childhoods

- both lived in extreme poverty

- use humour to cope with problems

- were abandoned emotionally or literally

- looked down upon by some people. Cassian is a considered a ‘brute’ and ‘bastard born’. Feyre was the looked down upon from what her family had once been and how they were when in immense poverty, they mocked her and laughed in her face.

- both have a glowing happy gryffindor (by that I mean like the mc type beat) type of beauty

Nesta / Azriel

- had some level of a controlling (in a traumatic sense) parent

- deep rooted self loathing and hate

- Both wish they could go back and change things with a parent. Azriel would protect his mother from abuse and Nesta would try to save her father

- distant and cold

- feel out of place at times. Azriel feeling left out of the whole archeron sisters and bat boys relationship saga thing. Nesta seeing everyone move on and start healing their trauma while she feels left behind

- both have some crazy ass cold rage thing goin on

- feel disgusted by themselves in some ways. Azriel and his insecurity about his scarred hands. Nesta and her disgust in herself for letting her father die and in turn punishing herself

- dark humour lol

- both have a ‘found family trio’. Azriel has his bat boys and Nesta has her Valkyries

- both have a cold dark sharp beauty and attractiveness

- really clever, intelligent and very perceptive and observant

Rhysand / Gwyn

- Both experienced SA

- Both suffered SA to save others. Rhys saved velaris from amarantha and Gwyn saved the children by distracting the hybern soldiers

- were left with deep rooted trauma

- both had sisters who were murdered

- absent parents

- created their own ‘found family trio’ Rhys has his bat boys and Gwyn has her valkyries

- extravagantly coloured eyes, teal and violet

- both are half breeds. Rhys is half fae and half Illyrian, Gwyn is half fae and half river nymph

- both had to watch someone they loved/ oooor mates? Love someone else. Rhys watched Feyre love Tim-Tam (Australian chocolate biscuit:) and gwyn may have to watch Azriel love Elain

- Both saved from SA by their mates before any romantic interest had fully formed, basically the beginning of both of their love stories. (Gwynriel are not confirmed mates but let a girl dream ok?)

- they both have a playful and flirty presence/demeanour

————————————————————————

OK, now. What I meant by ‘doors opening’ was Gwyn and Rhys!

We’ve seen a really strong sibling bond form between Cass and Feyre that in my personal opinion, is really similar to what is growing between Nesta and Az, to support this:

I mean c’mon out of EVERYONE Azriel was the only one who gave Nesta a gift at the party. AND MISS GURL DID NOT HESITATE TO ATTACK AZRIEL with physical public affection. Like, NESTA AND AZ of ALL people, the two least affectionate characters hugging?!

*if that doesn’t support this ion know what does*

AAAAND, just because I cannot let go of this platonic nezriel thing, Nesta made herself vulnerable enough to show Az that she cared when he stood off to the side at the party. And we know the she probably wouldn’t have done that for Feyre back then.

SOOOOO

back.to.the.point :)

I can’t wait to see not only Az and Gwyn heal together, but also see

Rhys help Gwyn feel safe and comfortable around the city again. See Rhys enforce her safety, and possibly give us a little bit about Rhys’ own sister, maybe a name at least? gahdam MAYBE EVEN SOME GWYN NYX SCENES, idk maybe to emphasise on Rhys trusting Gwyn like a sister eventually:) oooo and undoubtedly some Feyre and Gwyn interactions

This tiktok fully inspired me to make this post and I adore how in depth all of her tiktoks are!! I recommend her videos if you’re obsessed with the aCoTaR Series :))