Yoinking stuff from our Plot Dump that we actually want to use, plus the silly planning in the comments.
ROTW[]
In chronological order.
Broken, Misfit Toys[]
I do want to do something with the concept, however, we might have to rework it a bit before we can actually use it. The point of the RP is to put strain on the more "fragile" relationships. The gang has gone through a lot of character developement, but none of they actually deepened their realtionships—they all stuck in their own little groups. We want to mess with something where they'll be pushed to actually work together as friends not as coworkers. Where they'll actually be forced to realize they all have their issues and that's okay. Notes: - Keeping members of the gang dissapearing, might scrap the PrE stuff. - Going to drag Lucas down with Storm, Gale, and Rai. -> The last three may be my favorites but I picked them specifically. Rai's the "nice one" of 2nd gen and he & Aurora help hold their friend group together. Without him, Aurora manages the group alone and she kind of only really cares about Jax. Storm is the overly nice one of gen 0, and is always trying to be there for the remaning trainees and gen 1 after Lucas died (at the cost of his own mental state). Plus his rifts have become really critical to the gang. Gale...kind of keeps them all from being killed on the spot. Hilda opted to hide all the death threats while Gale was absent but I kind want to see how the gang would deal with them if they actually Knew. -> I wanted to involve Lucas too but he's dead dead.
Cordis' Throne[]
The reason we wanted to poke at Alge chaos was because I want to give the group one final shove. The previous RP aims to bring them to the reality that friends don't put each other down so that when they go against something that can change things entirely, they understand eachother's decisions. So that they'll understand Luce's decision to leave to the void, Storm & Samantha can finally have that conversation, and so forth, because Alge's shenanigans will push them to the point of "hey, we can't fix this by just beating some guy up like last time." I really want these peeps to have some acceptance instead of just. Breaking eachother over and over because they're clearly at their limit. - Chase is relatively less punny and using age regression as a crutch. - Hope has severe self esteem issues now. - Storm's mood swings have gotten more severe and they're beginning to affect his relationships. - Sammy still feels guilty about everything that happened to Chase, Hope, Storm, etc and is pushing herself. - Aurora is NOT okay. - etc
The Plague Doctor[]
Anyhow after previous chaos and actual character developement, I just want a casual RP exploring their significantly healthier relationships. :3 Haha no. I'm going to crush and destroy them. In all seriousness I do want a lot more fluff in this one but I do want to kill off Rai. Oh. Did I say that? Uh... Anyhow, now that they actually work as friends towards a goal (which Lucas always wanted), I want to give them a problem they can't fix. I want to let them know what it's actually like to loose something. And I feel that frankly, I think it'll be a good ending for ROTW. Yes you heard that right, I want to end ROTW. ROTW started as a happy world with underlying dark themes and now it's full on dark. Why? Because it explores real world issue in a twisted fantasy. And there's one real world issue they never addressed: having to give someone up for the greater good. Whenever someone dies, it can easily be fixed. It has no value. Immortality is within a rift's reach. But life isn't like that. Yes, Lucas died and is staying dead, but that wasn't a choice the gang made. I want to give them a choice: Kill something they love so everyone can live, or choose to die for that person so they'll be fated watch each and everyone die off at their own hands. I want to give them that descion so they can realize how much they've actually grown, how they've learned that caring...is sometimes letting go.
Twisted Warden[]
A scream of frustration tore across the sparring hall, fist colliding with the wooden floor and denting the planks with a resounding crack. Pain shot up the responsible's arm as a result of a broken wrist, but the tears that followed soon after had little to do with it.
Why do I always have to fail?
If they didn't get this right they would have to pick a trainee. They would have to hand the mantle of Wardenship to them, and they would finally be the useless, incapable little fey everyone was convinced they were.
They couldn't keep failing.
*****
“Rai…maybe you should—”
“No.” The words were laced with anger, a blue gaze frozen cold as they met a softer pair.
Aly sighed as she splinted her son's hand, tail flicking restlessly. She knew he had some bizarre determination to prove himself but it was beginning to become…too much. Every day he would storm in unbelievably angry at himself, at best—if she could say that seeing the former Warden would lash out at anyone who happened to be in the room—and be injured at worst.
“...I understand that this is important to you,” his ear flicked, showing his immediate annoyance at hearing that set of words, “but you're only making things worse for yourself. This isn't the first time you came back worn for worse and I'm worried—”
“YOU'RE NOT WORRIED.” The words slipped without thinking, roiling with the fury that's been building up over the day, “Worry is when something’s wrong and it concerns you. But when things were wrong with Dad you were never worried. You just think I'm useless and should just quit already!”
A long pause, shock written across the woman's face, “Rai…you never acted like this before…I think I'm allowed to be worried about that, even if I failed to before.”
Silence.
“I'm going to my room.”
*****
It would take her a bit to realize he hadn't eaten yet. Curled up on the bed, he watched one of his sister's spiders scurry across his dresser, the pitch-black tarantula paying him no mind. Sometimes he wished one of the more venomous arachnids would come over and bite him, end it all so he wouldn't have to try anymore.
Yet it wasn't that simple.
Death was one of the worst ways of giving up. Proving them right by being weak, and dying one of the most pathetic deaths possible.
He didn't like being like this, but going back to being ‘innocent little Rai’ who cried over everything was something he wasn't going to do. He hated feeling helpless, watching everyone around him having to throw themselves into the fray over and over while he stood on the sidelines because he couldn't handle it. His Vision glinted from atop the dresser, startling the tarantula into raising its hairs.
He hasn't used the thing in ages, determined that the next time he uses magic, that it'll be his own and not that stone's. Yet as he kept trying, he kept seeing his magic being twisted against him, never meant to be used.
He was born useless.
*****
He was beginning to get used to the Ice Wing being empty. It took him a while to stop expecting Ashley to come barging down the halls with Peregrine in town, only seeing the latter twin on occasion, quietly reading a book and watching everyone judgingly. It took him a while to stop expecting a flash of his father's thoughts, peering into memories and dreams that the Ivory kept carefully hidden.
He knew the man cared about him, and that he had nothing to prove to him.
It took him a rather long time to realize that, even if he was able to see into his thoughts. Even if it was right in front of his face, it took until Gale was gone to realize it.
He wasn't gone for good, simply…separated from Aly. It was a bit too easy to figure out what soured between them.
His parents weren't the reason he pushed himself anymore, it was himself. He kept looking and seeing each and every flaw, seeing them as things to move past.
It was better than the alternative.
*****
Acid melted away the floor once more.
According to the professors in the Water Tower, it was one of the most difficult things to pull off with Water Magic, aside from freezing it as a non-Ice user. But to him, it came at ease.
His plants wilted and died, corrupting with illness and rot. It was the opposite of Earth Magic—instead of nurturing, it took, like the flames of the Fire Tower.
He just couldn't use magic normally, only their broken counterparts. He should be glad he could use magic now, but it simply wasn’t enough.
As he sat there, inspecting his now-healed wrist and listening to the acid hiss away, he couldn’t help but remember.
“You want real water magic? Try this.”
The water around them pooled and changed color, soon melting the leaves off the trees with a hiss.
“That’s acid right there. Try that, fairy.”
Mira.
*****
A fist knocked against wood, sapphire eyes deadset with determination. He normally hunched a bit, to avoid intimidating others with his height, but now he stood tall, planning on going through with this.
So when the wizard opened the door with the most “Really” face possible, he tried his best not to deflate.
“What do you want? Challenge the tower? I hardly think you’ll be able to make it past the first floor in your state.” The bluenette smirked, “Hei still drops by from time to time—a Warden who can’t even cast a spell. That’s just goes to show how weak the Academy really—”
“I didn’t come here for you to taunt me.”
An arched brow, “So why did you come here?”
“I know the last time I saw you I wasn’t interested in learning all the elements, but—”
“What makes you think you can learn them now, Fey?” The last word was spat like poison, the woman staring at her the way she stared at Hei. The way she stared at a failure.
Maybe he was wrong about this. Maybe Mira couldn’t help him at all and he was making a fool of himself. Maybe—a deep breath.
“At least let me show you.”
*****
A spar.
This was the best he could come up with.
He held back a groan of annoyance at his own stupidity as Mira studied him, crystals levitating in the air around her.
“Any regrets, Fey?”
“No!” His gaze flicked frantically, taking in the space. The crumbling wall provided some footholds in case he didn’t fey step, good for maneuvering behind Mira seeing she’ll probably go for his wings first. Shapeshifting was out of the question as it made him vulnerable—claws would do nothing against Crystal Magic if he were to do so, even if it would enhance his senses enough if she were to darken the space with Shadow Magic. And—
“Then make the first move.”
A pause.
Nor damned—
He planned on going defensive. His magic was way too…untamed to use on the offensive as it neutralized itself. Out of all his attempts to improve this had to be the stupidest one.
Ice Magic, that can’t go wrong. It does the same thing every time anyway.
The second he attempted the spell it exploded, shards of ice violently flying towards Mira—and him. He didn’t flinch as fragments sliced his face, grazing it like claws. It wasn’t the first time, and the pain wasn’t too much for him to handle.
A laugh, “Is that all?” The woman practically giggled, the crystals forming around her and serving as protection, “I honestly considered going easy on you, seeing you had the nerve to challenge me.” Her gaze gleamed with Shadow Magic, essence wisping around her, “But that was pathetic.”
Mira cast Royal Roar.
*****
What do I do? What the hell do I do?
He couldn’t dodge—he expected to have to take a hit or two but not this early on. Thankfully he challenged her as a fey otherwise he wouldn’t have the time to think at all—he couldn’t understand how a human could manage this, but that’s all the more reason why he couldn’t mess this up. He needed to be able to defend himself.
Think Rai, think—
She’s using Shadow Magic, you use Astral Magic to counter that.
An internal hiss.
But your Astral Magic just fizzes out into—
Darkness.
It fizzles out into darkness.
Rai cast Starbit Blast.
*****
The wizard blinked once, twice as the Astral Magic consumed itself, darkening into Shadow Magic. The Astral Fairy was undoubtedly still using Astral Magic as the essence sparking about him miserably was still a sickening shade of yellow, but the spell was undoubtedly not. It tore through the center of the Royal Roar, pulling the shadows away from him and colliding as a Shadow Shock at the far wall.
It wasn’t impressive, she wouldn’t be impressed by something like that, but it was… surprising. Most struggled with the idea of twisting an element to control it, but this fey was pulling it off like it was nothing. Perhaps, scarily so, it was nothing to him.
Mira cast Overgrowth.
*****
This was easy to counter. He didn’t try to steal control of the Earth Magic, just added to it. He allowed his weak amount of essence to feed into the spell. He allowed it to fester and corrupt, to rot and wilt. He allowed it to infect until all the strands dried up and shriveled, creating a haunting molding overgrowth in the room. His eyes were closed as he felt the magic travel through the dying mycorrhizal network, simply existing within the moving roots.
And then he heard it.
The shaky, undoubtedly sound of Mira’s voice.
“Do it again.”
Mira cast Shrubbery Strike.
*****
What Rai was doing wasn’t Earth Magic.
It became more and more apparent as he corrupted every spell he came in contact with. There was a certain point where she stopped tossing Earth Spells and sent those of different elements. Water became acid—a feat she was capable of but this was different. Storm clouds carried infection, the droplets itching at her skin and melting rivulets as they dripped to the floor. Fire only fueled it, creating sickening heat that triggered nausea. It was as if the fey had created an element of his own, a twisted element that brought only ailment.
And as she realized the fey’s essence had turned a dark maroon, she realized he had.
Plague Magic.
…she might just train him after all.
The Doctor[]
Pale hands folded black robes, their pitch-black absorbing all light.
According to Mira, she awarded worthy wizards a set of robes when they completed her challenges, but he received something…special. Thick rubber gloves with metal tips, made to slide with his claws while keeping them perfectly covered, a dark black cloak with the same level of elaboration as his old one, but threaded with dark reds and greens rather than golds. The fabric was weighted, keeping his wings and tail well hidden but magically threaded so it would still be light, preventing it from negatively affecting him in battle. Sturdy boots made to lace up halfway to his knees, heel elevated to accommodate the difference between his and a human’s foot. To a human, it would feel like wearing high heels. To him, it was a nice padded difference to walking nearly barefoot, flexible enough to grant his usual degree of dexterity. Finally, what was most intriguing was the mask. Like the doctors of old, it was designed to filter out contaminants, but to a degree that the air would be more akin to the air of the upper atmosphere, the air fey were used to.
After placing it all gently in the false bottom of his satchel, he inspected the small room he’d been occupying with a bittersweet smile. The small crystals he collected and lined on the windowsill, the well-used notebook recording his learnings. The bookshelves crammed the many things he obtained from the Whispers of the Dark for Mira, allowing her to broaden her study greatly. He could only hope she would remember to put them back in the right order.
He’d taken great care to clean the room, taking extra time to ensure that nothing would become a hazard. He left a couple of the potions he developed on the top shelf, however, just in case.
He left the Dark Tower with a smile on his face, feeling oddly…liberated. He finally achieved his goal, and it was unbelievably enthralling as he strode through the town, tail flicking beneath his usual white cloak.
The walk to the chasm didn’t take long, and it was around then he pulled up his cloak enough to fly up, before noticing the spores that had drifted onto his trousers. He was used to finding his clothes full of mycelium—the fungi seemed to quite like him—but it was beginning to become a bother to peel the thin white threads out of fabric. So, while telling off the younglings out loud, he gently dusted them off his clothes, sternly informing them to grow amongst the trees as they should. It was a much more nutritious environment for them, after all.
With that taken care of, he opened his wings and shot himself into the air, strong strokes to break into the current of the winds before slowing down into more gentle flaps, drifting in the updrafts like the gentle moth. His tail provided the necessary air resistance to turn into an upward spiral, guiding him up to the entrance of the grand building, lungs liberated for the briefest moment before he sighed, being forced into human’s preferred air quality as he took to foot. The magic that changed the rich nitrogen into oxygen, which was still breathable to fey, just took a bit more work. He eyes the familiar structure, trying to make note of anything that might’ve changed as he steps forward, hearing the voice long before he sees the responsible.
Rai!
Hello Glace.
An internal chuckle at hearing his sister.
How’s Axel?
Refusing to take a bath. Mom’s furious about you leaving.
Another step, heading deeper within the halls, catching the occasional stare from the passerby. He waved, and the onlookers quickly tore their gazes away.
Does she not understand I’m an adult now?
In her defense…you left your Vision. She honestly seemed worried for once.
Gasp? Mother? Worried about me?
He heard her laugh.
You didn’t have to say it like that. Anyhow, did you visit Dad or…?
No, I just needed some time away to practice.
Practice? …did you improve at all? The words were tentative as if she was afraid to ask. She most likely was. The last thing she ever wanted to do was upset him, even though she always acted the opposite.
I did. Turns out I’m not half bad at Shadow Magic.
Shadow Magic? Is my little brother trying to challenge me for Wardenship?
This time he laughed out loud, earning looks before he dove into the private common room.
You wish. Got better at controlling what I can do too. And learned a bit of Alchemy while I was at it.
On your road to being the favorite child.
Glace!
Kidding. A long pause. Rai…your Karma is…
“—different.” The Shadow Warden stared at her sibling, looking him up and down with an unreadable expression.
He lost his smile, but nothing in his behavior indicated anything being off, “Well…I haven’t been the best person lately. I honestly owe Mom and Peregrine a few apologies, not to mention I ran off without a word…”
“Yeah, you’re… probably right.” A frown was written across her face, but she quickly dropped it and ruffled his hair, a habit they both picked up from Storm over the years, “I promise I didn’t touch your rock collection.”
“You better not have,” he replied with a laugh.
As she watched him merrily pad off to his room, her gaze narrowed as she observed the karmic strings tied to her brother, along with their new coloration.
Infection.
Doctor.
Killer.
The whispers’ endless chant had taken a turn.
—————
Rai was in the garden.
They used to see him go out here all the time, tending to the plants and practicing his Earth Magic by encouraging their growth. Yet something was…different. The garden seemed to be dying. That was expected, seeing the Astral Fey wasn’t present to nurture the plants and pull back at the weeds, but the death only seeped where he had stepped, which the fey seemed to have noticed as he was apologizing to the plants. Perhaps he hadn’t gotten his magic under control nearly as much as he claimed, unintentionally killing the life about him. It was…disturbing in its own right, how death came so easily to someone who seemed much too kind for it. Someone much too gentle. Of course, there was a period of time where his heart had hardened but he was back to himself. He was back to being the old friend they knew.
So why was the rot spreading?
It moved away from the unhealthy plants, tackling the weeds and causing them to struggle against the vicious magic before dropping dead to the ground. The weeds, too rapidly, decomposed, fungi springing up and breaking it down into soil to feed the plants. It was a cycle, a cycle all gardens should have, and Earth Magic embraced it. But this was off.
And Earth Wizard wouldn't turn their element against itself, would they?
He gently plucked one of the mushrooms, inspecting its lovely shade of colors. Mushrooms were normally dull but these were quite vibrant, normally a sign of being poisonous. Still, he twirled it in his fingers like a child fascinated with a flower.
Perhaps by gaining control of his magic, he meant he found other uses for it. Like weeding, apparently. Yet spending nearly a year away just to learn how to tend to the garden didn't sit right.
As the fey turned to face their direction they all scurried away, hiding within the bushes and hoping he would think it was the creatures who lived within the grounds. If he noticed, it seemed he was too distracted to care, as he stopped and peeled something off his clothes.
A thin, white sheet of gentle tendrils, resembling roots. He sighed, saying something out loud that was caught by the wind, drifting away from their ears. Soon, the fabric-like sheet was released as well, dancing in the breeze before catching on some branches, like a spider's web.
It was almost distracting enough to keep them from noticing that Rai was wearing thick rubber boots.
But almost is never enough.
—————
A tail flicked as a shirt was carefully pulled off, folded, and placed on the bed. He was changing into his darker set of robes, intending to go out for the night. Besides, he was itching to use them, the crystals on the accessories containing familiar energy. His energy. It had taken quite some time for him to form relic stones from his magic, but it was worth it in the end, allowing him to craft lovely adornments for the black leather satchel he'd been working on, along with some utility additions to his belt.
There was now a pocket for his Vision, in the event he would need it, along with secure clips for potion bottles, all carefully brewed by him. It was not only handy but would give him a boost in spell casting, thanks to his hard work on the crystals. With a hum, he slipped the attachments onto the belt before catching sight of his reflection, visible in the mirror a pair of silverfish were sitting atop of.
The young man looked deathly pale, sickly, even, but simultaneously healthy. It was a perturbing paradox, feeling almost unnatural. His hair was well tended to, but it looked dull, causing his formerly bright shade of ginger to become dark, almost brown but orange enough to be distinct. His hair had grown out, tumbling down his shoulders and being pinned in a low ponytail with one of Gale's old ribbons, the few that had been left behind, that is. It was tied up in the way sailors of old used to, and with the dark robes he pulled on, he seemed to belong in that time period. His spindly body made him seem malnourished, but he was eating a reasonable amount, contributing to his ghastly, unnatural appearance. By the time he put on everything but the mask, he was surprised to see he looked…human.
His hair—with how long it became—covered the tips of his ears, causing them to appear round. His now duller gaze drew less attention to his slitted eyes, making them look normal. His shows cast the illusion of flat, human feet, and his cloak kept his tail and wings concealed perfectly. The gloves kept his claws from being noticed, with the steel extensions seeming to be an accessory choice, and the more he picked apart his appearance the more he realized he was unrecognizable.
His family and friends, surely, might spot him as long as he didn't wear the mask but anyone else wouldn't think twice. They wouldn't put the two and two together.
And that was…oddly exhilarating. The thought of being so easily able to pass off as someone else was entertaining, even. Perhaps…it might be fun to try it. See how many people he could fool.
He lifted his hood, placed the mask inside the satchel, and grabbed the map and wizard watch off his dresser.
Mira seemed to have had the robes made with the intention of him pretending to be human, as she had also packed along the items in the box. It made sense. After her time fighting in the war, even if she didn't care much for it, she did realize that people would find any excuse to brand fairies as evil, even if it was just one person having magic they weren't used to. But if a human seemed suspicious, they would simply put up a bounty and go along with their day.
It was better this way, and he would enjoy it.
He just needed a name.
And so, he sat down on the bed, glad for the cloak's cushioning to prevent pain from sitting on his tail, and proceeded to register himself with the wizard watch.
The first name was simple. He heard Storm mention “Ivo” meant archer once, and he had taken up the short bow as his staff relied on his Vision. It also gave him away a little too easily. He didn't quite like the sound though, so he went with “Ivor” instead. It was a unique name, enough that most wouldn't have heard of a person with that name before. It also wasn't remotely similar to his, much to his advantage.
As for the last name, it took him a bit of plundering before he settled on “Redsmith” before hesitating. He could get a bit more creative but it wasn't worth the risk.
He tested the name in his mouth, mumbling it a couple of times before finishing registering it on the device, before promptly sliding it closed and tossing it in his satchel. Opening the map, his gloved fingers hovered over it, debating the location before selecting one.
Ivor Redsmith — Firefly Forest I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but some of the monsters here are behaving oddly. There seems to be some new species, or at least variants. I wonder why they appeared.
Ivor[]
Heels clicked as one foot swung in front of the other, shining black boots catching the glint of light from the setting sun. In the dark, the reflection would appear to be the spots of moonlight cast on the ground, but in the day, it was unwelcomingly flashy. Nothing he could do about it, he supposed. The potion bottles at his hip produced a satisfying clinking noise as he walked across the cobblestone, smiling slightly as the moss grew more feverishly near him. He’s grown to like the little lichens, having a few fruticose variants potted on his windowsill back home, thriving within the rocks and stones he placed in it for them.
Whistling a tune to himself he strode up to Teleporter Stone, running two fingers along it to activate it while, with a skilled motion, six runes were tossed into their respective flames. Eyes narrowed to block out the following flash of light, to which upon its dimming radiance, the young fey found himself in the home of the elementals, casting a glance at the preoccupied stone god before walking towards the individual he was looking for.
It wasn't too hard to find them, all you had to do was head towards the dark.
“Hello Shadow,” the greeting was cried out a few paces before the black-robed figure had fully approached.
A glance, the she-demon staring in mild interest, “I didn't expect you to come here. After your last visit, I thought you’d never come back.” The elemental had been seated on the floor, relishing in the shade of an old twisted willow tree. Its delicate tendril-like branches drifted in the cool breeze, carrying the refreshing scent of the nearby pond.
He internally sighed at the goddess recognizing him immediately, but it’s not particularly easy to fool divinity, “Well, that was entirely my choice. I can’t blame you for that, can I?”
“Most would,” she replied with a shrug, getting up and brushing the dirt off her dress…along with some spores, which resulted in an arched eyebrow as she looked up at the figure, “You have something on your—”
She didn’t get to finish her observation as the man sighed and pulled the fungal roots off his garments, something he visibly dealt with regularly. “Sorry about that, I work with a lot of fungi.”
“...I can see that. What is it that you want from me?”
“Am I not allowed to visit my stepmother?” The words were light, the smile on his face and the genuity of it causing the elemental to stare at him, emotionless in a way that made her shock all too evident.
“You don’t call me that.”
“But it is true,” the fey sat down on a nearby rock, staring in interest as both crustose and foliose lichen spread upon it almost instantly, nestling a finger against the fruticose sprouts that blossomed between the growths. “Anyhow, I have a question for you.”
“Being?” The amethyst being asked the question almost instinctively, looking away and inspecting the branches of the tree, which had already begun to wilt, bright orange sulfur shelf mushrooms bursting from splintering bark.
“What happens if someone creates a new element?”
Her violet gaze snapped to him, “You?”
“Why do you think I’m asking?” He replied cooly, his deep blue stare meeting hers.
“...if you’re curious that an elemental might form, the truth is, I do not know. It took Void centuries to form, with Sun and Moon taking even longer.”
Spots on the branches swelled as the wood tried and failed to fight off an infection, the bark shuddering off to the floor as mycelium spread, small, fuzzy white clusters popping up as red spots spread across the few intact leaves, the tree twisting as the dryad spirit recoiled in agony. Within seconds, an ancient tree shriveled into an empty husk, spores drifting off to carry their infection.
“Rai…” The dark elemental lowered her hand to her side, her tone unreadable, “...what did you do?”
—————
He barely paid heed to his tail anymore.
The individual was perched upon a stool in the tavern, swirling the contents of his glass. His encounter with the elementals had been…a disappointment to say the least. All the well-known ramblings of how with every new element there had to be a balance and that he didn't understand what he was messing with.
The only gain from the conversation was that there couldn't be monsters aligned with Plague without an elemental.
Taking a sip from the rather disappointing human beer, ‘Ivor’ hummed to himself, taking notes on the small, non-magical map he had pasted into his notebook. According to the mess of deities, once gaining consciousness, a naturally occurring elemental would reside in space they deem their own. There they would start to expand—or convert—the land to serve their purposes. As he's seen no sign of that by far, he can assume they're not conscious yet. Or if they are, they have a realm of their own like Void. Yet that was unlikely.
There's also the chance that they just haven't found a place to settle yet.
A place to lay down their roots and spread.
Idly, he circled the spot where he first spotted a plague monster. It was some sort of Trip-Trop, or at least the long decayed corpse of one. Its body was held together by mycelium and outside of bone, it held no trace of being a Trip-Trop, with the fungal roots only casting the illusion of skin while lichen mimicked fur. It had pits for eyes, and had seemed quite distressed by it before the lichen stemmed two feelers, pinned against its skull as it picked up every vibration.
For something so morbid in creation it had actually been rather cute and was passive enough when he approached and soothed the little thing, guiding it to a fallen log so it could set root and rest, the magic coursing through it continuing to adjust its body into a much more suitable shape.
While sketching the creature from memory, he was suddenly tapped on the shoulder, causing the ginger to sigh thinking it was yet another drunk lass trying to swoon him. However, he blinked in surprise to see Abner's familiar stare.
Ah… I forgot he runs Lamplight.
“Can I help you?” He replied to the man's presence in the most polite way possible, doing his best to avoid revealing any recognition.
The wizard's ever-eerie stare looked the black-robed figure up and down before he offered a weak smile, “I'm sorry, I thought you were someone I knew.”
“That's a first,” the words were casual, but carefully chosen, “I'm often told I look rather unique.”
A laugh, “You'd be surprised—I'm Abner, by the way. I thought you were an old friend’s son.”
“Ivor,” he offered up in response, swirling the contents of his glass before taking another swig.
The Astral Warden repeated the name to himself to test it out, before piping up once more, “So what brings you to Lamplight?”
“I'm trying to obtain my Alchemical License. Have to show up at an exam tomorrow.”
“Oh? An Alchemist?”
A hum of acknowledgment, “Well we Alchemists are known for being reclusive. I've been out in Firefly as it's easier to get ingredients there. I look quite out of place here, don't I?”
“No, I've seen shadier here,” the blonde sat down on the stool next to the figure, with the grouchy old hag only casting him a glance before nudging the man's usual order in his direction, “I know every usual here, plus no sane person would walk into a town wearing that. You look like a plague doctor.”
He couldn't help it, Ivor broke out laughing, catching the attention of the passerby, “You're not far off. I'm an Apothecary—so I work with ailments more often than not.”
“Any cures yet?”
The words were teasing, fleeting even, but the alchemist couldn’t help but finger one of the bottles at his hip, feeling the cork against his thumb. After a moment, he downed the rest of his drink and stood up, casting but a brief glance at the older man.
“Only one.”
And with that, he pulled the cork.
—————
The fey slipped back inside his room through the window, sliding it shut as quietly as possible. Peeling off his clothes he could practically hear his wings screaming to be unbound, pressed tightly against his back with bandages. Although he’s been numbed to binding them, it was relieving to sit there and at least flutter them a few times before going to bed. If there was even a bed left with the ecosystem that started to form in his room.
His sister’s pets honestly started the insect and arachnid population, but now with his magic out of control, he’s been unintentionally providing a habitat. Vines tumbled out of cracks and mosses grew on the cobbled floor, creating a somewhat natural carpet as he navigated the space. Meanwhile, in a corner, fungi sprouted and decomposed, infecting some of the plants to keep the flora population in check while the fauna took care of themselves. Lucky for him, this meant he had everything he needed for his alchemical shenanigans. Unlucky for him, this means he can finally add, “I need to prune my room,” to his list of chores.
His tail lashed feverously as he grabbed a fresh set of clothes and clutched the Academy Amulet hanging off his neck, using it to teleport into the Earth Wing of the private common room. No one had the key beside him since Jade’s retirement, so he often made use of the shower in there. It was a necessary precaution, as he needed the time to properly disinfect himself before finally having the privilege of going to bed. He was always having to sterilize every place he went to, to the point he had to make the potions release as a gas—a clear one to prevent drawing suspicion. It was odd, having to make a cure for himself, but the reality was that he didn’t have a choice.
It was the only way to keep being Rai.
Rai[]
“Hurry up, we're going to be late!”
Rai breathed a sigh as he forced himself sit up, still exhausted from his late-night wanderings. How Abner pulled this off was beyond him, but if it was possible for a human…then it's most definitely possible for a fey—or at least, most of the time.
As he strapped on the sock-like shoes the individuals of his family had a preference for, he sighed at seeing the fungi had spread mycelium on his bed. The fungi themselves hadn't sprouted on it, it was almost as if they were spreading their roots to cocoon him. He wondered—
RAI.
He nearly jumped out of fright as his sister very expressively got his attention, reminding him that he had things to do.
As it turns out, Gale temporarily moved out of the old cabin and was living with the Dreamchasers, to which Raiden offered to bring them over as the house wasn't particularly…accessible with the sheer amount of doors one had to get past. It’s been a while since they’ve last gotten to visit, so quickly sprung upon the opportunity—with him having a multitude of reasons to do so.
I need to ask if he still has his notes, the fey stood up, grabbing his cloak off the hook, I just can’t get this brew right, and with my exam being tonight…
He held back a groan at remembering his obligation. The test would be the last session of the day, and even then, he needed to find an excuse to leave early. Not to mention even if the older fairy did let him borrow the notes, there was no way Ashley would leave him alone long enough to study.
There was a bang at his door, and he flinched in surprise before scooping his black set of robes into the satchel, freshly cleaned for the evening. Moving to open the door, he remembered the potions he’d prepared for today and hissed under his breath before swiping at the top of the dresser and tossing them into the bag with one, swift movement. Closing his eyes, he focused on one of the silverfish, listening to one of the wolf spiders creep up on its prey. Planting his feet on the floor, he could practically sense its movements on the fungal web, knowing the exact moment it lifted its forearms to strike and sink its fangs—
“Are we going or not?”
The Astral Fey smiled cheekily at his sister, having placed a hand on her shoulder just as she moved to knock on the door again—or more accurately, knock it down to see if he somehow expired in his sleep. The blue-haired woman whipped around to face him, a punch being launched instinctively and narrowly being avoided.
“You really need to stop doing that,” she snapped at him at realizing who it was, tail lashing behind her and catching the light. Although it wasn’t fully scaled, the black keratin reflected things quite well, complementing the dark blue fur hanging off it.
“Hey, it’s fun getting my skull nearly smashed to bits!”
His tone was cheery, but undoubtedly dripping with sarcasm with the utterly dead express of his. When she scoffed, he turned away, hands behind his back and tail flicking in satisfaction.
Glace rolled her eyes before padding after him, stretching as she walked, “So…are you going to confess to Raiden today?”
“You wish,” the words were automatic, a response he used every other time she brought it up, “I don't think Raiden wants to have a relationship like that. Or a close relationship with anyone. Plus, you know how the last few attempts ended—”
“—she didn't even realize you were asking her out?” She cut in on cue, knowing all too well how the Astral Fey had given the girl flowers only for her to believe he dropped them. Not only that, she went through the bother of returning then without once remembering that it was Valentine's Day—and that was just the first of many failed attempts.
“Exactly. If she ever realizes I have feelings for her…I'll be waiting.”
“Hopeless romantic.”
“At least I acknowledge I'm hopeless.”
Glace stopped, staring blankly at her brother, “Rai…” Her tone was unreadable, but in that blank stare of hers was a lingering concern. However, it seems whatever comment she had in store would have to wait, as Raiden was inspecting the old bookshelf and flipping through an even older book.
“Early bird as usual?” Rai piped in greeting, acting as if the two hadn't been discussing anything on the way there.
“I liked it better when you woke up early instead of sleeping the day away,” Raiden replied bluntly, shoving the book back on the shelf.
Another much too cheery response, “At least we're here now!”
An eye roll was all his words were met with before the young borg tore a rift, leading them to a familiar area in Skywatch. It was of being met with the sight of the garden, which Storm has spent quite some time expanding. There was actually soil on the ground now, with a path leading up to the front door of the multi-story house. The railings were taller now, a necessity with the number of chores he had running around on the daily, most of them being the descendants of the orphans he cared for during the war. To make them less encaging, the borg had planted vines alongside them, and they had long since grown and began to tumble over the other side—who knows if they'd ever reach the ground. From here, Rai could even see that the Storm Warden had carefully tended to rainberry trees, the otherworldly woods circling Griff’s area to give him his own little personal forest. Edging said forest were grape vines, which the many Zip-Zaps of the area had gotten into.
Amongst the playing children was Ashley, who immediately perked at catching sight of her older siblings.
“Glace! Rai!” The girl ran up to them, tail wagging happily as she grinned at them.
As Glace acted indifferent and took a step away, Rai offered her a grin, “How’re you doing, Ashley?”
“Great! Uncle Storm’s really nice and there are lots of people here to play with and—” The Astral Fey held his hands behind his back as he listened to her ramble, offering her a caring smile. However, when she shut herself up at the mention of their father, his expression turned into a frown, tail curling comfortingly around his younger sister.
“What’s wrong with dad?”
“You’ll see for yourself,” Raiden interrupted while walking past, tone as dead as ever.
The trio exchanged a glance before stumbling after her, with the youngest lingering near the back and requiring much more effort. Whatever had happened, she was visibly avoiding it.
Upon Raiden opening the door, they—surprisingly—were hit with the scent of Souh Douh cooking. As they stepped inside, Rai caught sight of their former babysitter leaning on his crutch and stirring the contents of the pot, and it smelled…rather good for someone who was known for outrageously bad cooking. The dish itself was also a pleasant surprise, enticing the senses.
He clearly heard them walk in as the man cast a glance in their direction, a slate blue eye fixing on them, “Good morning, it's good to see you two.”
Swallowing unease at seeing the burnt portion of the voidwalker's face—something he never fully got used to—and the Astral Fey quickly offered up a response, “It's good to see you too. Why are you…making Souh Douh so early in the morning?”
“That,” Wattage hopped off his shoulder, taking over cooking so the Storm Wizard could limp over, “Is because I'm a people pleaser. Your Dad likes it cooked a certain way and it ever so happens to take longer. So I started early so I can get the old clutz to eat some lunch for once.”
“I heard that.” The voice was meek and raspy with ailment but it was undoubtedly Gale's, coming from behind the bookcases closing off the living room.
Is he…sick?
…seems so.
I didn't think that was possible—
Rai cut himself off as the subject of their conversation walked out from behind the shelves, gripping the wooden fixture as if his life depended on it.
…honestly, it might've.
The Ivory was heavily bandaged, his leg splint and bruises blossoming across his face. His tail was fixed at multiple points, held still to keep whatever injuries he obtained from worsening.
Glace was the first to react, “Dad…?”
“What…happened?”
“Noth—”
“He didn't fight back,” Storm supplied, knowing all too well the former Academy Keeper would deny anything happening, “Messed with the wrong people and they showed up to mug him. He let them.”
A blink, “Why—”
“I think it's been well established that I can't risk things anymore,” Gale responded with a sigh.
“Says the man who continues to illegally practice Alchemy.”
“Storm.”
“That's ‘Thee Cripple’ to you Sir Sick-a-lot.” He replied playfully, before making his way over to one of the chairs and popping down.
The fey shoke his head at the borg, but oddly enough…there was a smile on his face, a nice change of pace from his grim existence back at the Academy.
It was…odd to see the two get along well, but after what Rai saw them go through together, he honestly wasn't too surprised. He was happy that they were company to each other, frankly, it was good for them.
Gale rolled his eyes at the Warden before turning his gaze to his eldest children, determined to keep standing despite his state, “So, am I allowed to know the reason for the visit?”
“We just wanted to visit. It's been a while and Mom stopped…mentioning you at all so we thought we might as well—”
“Actually—”
“Rai?” The look of betrayal on Glace's face was quite priceless, really.
He looked away, continuing his statement, “I was hoping if I could ask you about Alchemy? But if you need to rest I under—”
“I don't mind,” the man replied gently, looking at his son in interest, “the question is does the Cripple mind?”
Storm let out a laugh, “If Rai's the one handling the burner and you find a chair? Then no, I wouldn't mind.”
“...very well.” The Ivory replied with a dramatic sigh.
Rai smiled.
It was a real smile, not the fraudulent ones he put up for everyone else.
For once in a long while…he felt happy about something unrelated to his magic. He felt…happy.
He was really Rai again.
But it wouldn't take long for him to return to being Ivor.
—————
Time tends to fly quickly.
Rai sat down at a stool in the kitchen bar, the kids Storm looked after having long since been picked up by their parents. It was…odd to see the effects of the war first hand.
Many of the kids' parents still had scars obtained during the short but tedious battle, and even more so, were clearly still struggling to make a life for themselves. Regardless, it seemed Storm was helping them out, watching over the little ones as if they were his grandchildren and packing up bags for them to take home, filled with whatever necessities they needed at the moment and a container of Souh Douh. Frankly, a few of them even called him Baba—which apparently meant grandparent alongside parent.
It wasn't hard to wonder what would've happened if Juniper let him adopt them all back when they were kids, maybe Storm might've been a lot happier knowing he meant something to someone. He clearly meant a lot to them but…it seems the Storm Warden wasn't able to see it.
The fey thanked the aforementioned man for his bowl of Souh Douh, blinking in mild surprise as Aeron sat next to him, the youngest Dramchaser appearing to have been absent all day. Frankly they were avoiding his gaze, swirling their finger in circles on the counter.
When he shot Storm a questioning look, the Borg simply sighed with a crestfallen expression, shaking his head to indicate it wasn't worth asking about as he passed Aeron a bowl.
The former Earth Warden bit his lip in concern, knowing all too well what had happened between Aeron and Grace.
When Storm finally sat down himself, Gale immediately shoved his bowl at the gray-haired man, tail flicking, “I'm not eating until you eat.”
“Oh come on—” The man attempted to shove it back, only for the Ivory to stop it with his palm and arch a brow.
“I can do this all night.”
A smirk, and the bowl suddenly vanished, being returned to its position when he first put it down.
Raiden rolled her eyes, “Baba, I think that's cheating.”
“It's not cheating if I let you remember it,” he retorted, and it took a minute for Rai to realize what exactly Storm had done.
He had apparently reset time to move the bowl back, which would've wiped all their recollection of it. Games being games, it seemed he managed to work around that.
“Do I need to feed you this myself?” The Ivory learned forward, tail flicking behind him in a slow manner, one hand one his cheek and tilting his head slightly, a well practiced giggle at the end of his words.
With that, the borg froze, flusteredly blinking at Gale and staring like a deer in headlights.
Wattage hopped off his shoulder and padded over to the fey, pushing the bowl over to Storm, “We're not doing that again.”
Glace and Rai couldn't help but exchange a glance.
That was new.
The former Academy resumed his former position, chuckling, “Always works.” Casting a glance at Rai, he prompted, “Aren't you going to eat? I don't recommend taking an exam on an empty stomach, especially this late. A full stomach will keep you awake.”
With that, the Astral Fey nearly choked on his food, trying to figure out how his father knew he was going to—
“Of course, you might've just been using that old exam book as a reference. I'm not sure Lamplight still offers Alchemy slots at this hour. I took mine in the Academy after all.”
Ah. That's how.
However, the ginger didn't feel rather reassured as he ate, feeling unnerved as the older fey kept their amber stare trained on him, only looking away when Storm finished eating and he finally got a bowl of his own.
Perhaps Gale did him a favor.
No one questioned when he left suddenly that night.
Yet he had a feeling he couldn't risk things around his father again.
Not if he wanted to go undiscovered.
New Series?[]
FL> A group of timetravelers hunting for lore regarding their world suddenly finding themselves fighting to preserve their timeline as something appears to be attempting to wipe/alter the past, present, and future. Pros: - Vibin has fun - More timetravelers = Cameos from the other series - Entity shenanigans?? Cons: - Libra Scale/Genesis event
Prologue here
δ> Instead of making a new world, start a series involving the first wizards of ROTW world and have fun with the shenanigans of humans learning magic, potential witchhunting, and the other species' mixed opinions. Pros: - Lore ✨ - Sillier/Lighthearted theme Cons: - Might be a bit limiting
Prologue here
FL> Wizards in space RP δ>I guess Storm started a space program/silly Pros: - Space Cons: - Space
AR/AUs[]
Ending ROTW doesn't mean we can't mess with ARs.
Divided[]
Because! I like the concept! Made some changes to the lore and did some world-building.™
My Dear Children[]
We and lloyd have had to much fun not to do it with the sheer amount of scenes we have:
Brothers (?)[]
Basically ROTW but the Trainees (with the exception of Greenie and Abner) are the same age as the gang. Sibling shenangans and friend group wars ensue.
Faen War 3[]
Please finish it I'm begging you