Six Sentence Sunday

18 Aug 2025 12:12 am
ermingarden: JRRT's heraldic device for Finwë. (tolkien: finwe)
[personal profile] ermingarden
For Six Sentence Sunday, albeit slightly belated, here are a bit more than six sentences of something I originally started for [community profile] tolkienekphrasisweek - my first attempt at a reembodied Maedhros. (I thought it woulld be a short little ficlet...it got away from me.)

"At last the lady Vairë came to me, and asked me, if I would not leave the Halls, still to accept the gift of embodiment, and to come and work under her direction. 'For,' she said, 'it is not in the thought of the One, nor is it the wish of His servants, that anything should be wasted.' And so I acquiesced, and was embodied, but dwelt still in the halls of the Weaver as the living among the dead. And I worked, and I saw that the work of my hands was fair - that my hands, whatever else I had done with them, might still be turned to fair work."

Indeed, his hands were moving on the loom even as he spoke, threading wisps of cloud across a pale blue sky.

But why, I almost asked - and though I bit my tongue, perhaps he perceived the question in my face, or else his thoughts ran this way already.

"I know not why she came to me," he answered my unspoken question. "It was not for what craft was in me, for though I learned to weave in my youth, and liked it well, I did not then come to mastery - and in Beleriand my hand never touched the loom. Perhaps it was for love of Fíriel, her cherished handmaid, though she herself had never known me. What is certain is that it was not because I deserved mercy. I did not. I have never deserved any of their mercies - but they have been merciful to me regardless. Merciful beyond telling."

I could think of nothing more to say to that. His hands, the fair and the marred, kept moving smoothly on the loom, passing the bobbins in and out, in and out.

Lilith Faire: Day 1

17 Aug 2025 11:56 pm
bookblather: A picture of Yomiko Readman looking at books with the text "bookgasm." (bookgasm)
[personal profile] bookblather posting in [community profile] rainbowlounge
Hello, everyone, and welcome to our annual Lilith Faire challenge!

Lilith Faire begins today, Monday, August 18th, and runs through Monday, August 25th. Every day, I will post links to three songs by female or nonbinary artists. Write a story based on one of those songs. You may write three stories every day, if all three songs catch your fancy or spark something. One to 500 words will get you one novelty bead, and so on for each additional 500 words. There may also be special bonus novelty beads for completing all three stories each day and for completing all stories.

Stories are due one week after the songs are posted, from whatever the timestamp on the post is. I'll try to get them up as close to midnight EST as possible.

Any questions? Ask them here!


Today's songs:

Main Stage: Criminal, Fiona Apple
Second Stage: Most Girls, Hailee Steinfeld
Village Stage: Teach Me to Be Bad, Thea Gilmore
justmarriedmod: (Default)
[personal profile] justmarriedmod posting in [community profile] justmarriedexchange
The assignment deadline has passed! Thank you to all our creators so far. If you currently do not have a gift, your creator may have an extension (or, if you were a pinch hit, they may have had a later assignment due date).

Post-deadline pinch hits will be posted within the next day.
pedanther: (Default)
[personal profile] pedanther
Morning's impending
It is still dark now
I'm just pretending
Day has begun

Sleep is elusive
There's no distraction
Should I get up and
Get some things done?

(after Eleanor Farjeon)

3 DC Universe Ficlets

17 Aug 2025 06:22 pm
senmut: All five Justice League members standing in a circle (Comics: JLA YO)
[personal profile] senmut
Peace, After Knowing (100 words) by Sharpest_Asp
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Smallville
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Lex Luthor
Additional Tags: Drabble, Introspection
Summary:

Lex's world is not peaceful



Peace, After Knowing

There's solace in not knowing, they say. There's peace in shutting your eyes, turning away.

They're all wrong.

Lex hasn't had a moment of peace since the meteor. Not from his father, not from life, and not from him.

That day, when Clark Kent crossed his path and saved his life, has only amplified the chaos inside of Lex. He aches to find the truth, to see what was hidden, to hold that knowledge as his own.

Clark is his keystone, could be a foundation to lay his peace on, if he can ever decipher the clues.

He'll keep trying.



Up Above (100 words) by Sharpest_Asp
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Superman (Franchise)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Clark Kent
Additional Tags: Drabble, Introspection, +Modern Age (1986-Present)
Summary:

Clark has a way to deal with his choices



Up Above

There are nights when Clark just hovers, high enough up to be unseen, eyes sweeping over the city beneath him. It's a way of choosing solace without going so far away as to risk losing precious time to help others. He can still listen, still see, if he chooses to.

The peace of the cool air, the muting of other distractions — all of it allows him to settle his choices into place. He is only one man, and choices have to be made. He makes peace with where he could not be, then returns to his home.

He keeps choosing.



Helpers of Hope (100 words) by Sharpest_Asp
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Batman (Franchise)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Bruce Wayne
Additional Tags: Drabble, Introspection
Summary:

Bruce reflects on what fans his hope.



Helpers of Hope

A wise man had once said 'look for the helpers'. Bruce has been doing it since before his parents were killed. Maybe it's because they both gave as much of themselves to others as they did to him. Maybe it's Alfred's teaching and example.

Maybe, it's because the ones that reach out and help give him hope.

He goes out, he stops what he can of the relentless tide of corruption and danger for his city's people.

In turn, they reach out to one another, make different choices, raise each other up.

It's enough to make him try even harder.

[personal profile] paradoxcase posting in [community profile] rainbowfic
Name: A Delivery
Story: Tales From the Neighborhood
Plot Thread: Michael, Robert, and Stephen
Colors: Warm Heart #18: Favour
Styles and Supplies: Vaudeville, Life Drawing, Gesso, Embroidery, Feathers (August 17, 1998: Bill Clinton opines on what the meaning of 'is' is), Modeling Clay (this image prompt)
Word Count: 894
Rating: T
Warnings: Swearing, Discussion of casual sex
Characters: Michael Wolf, Stephen Bren
Summary: Stephen has a favor to ask.
Notes: Remember what Alex Upsnott said he did with the cowplant?

A Delivery )

Gesso Notes (822 words) )

Sim Pictures and Notes (365 words) )
flareonfury: (Scott/Rogue)
[personal profile] flareonfury posting in [community profile] 100ships
Title: Gloves Off
Fandom: X-Men: Evolution
Pairings: implied/pre-Rogue/Scott
Rating: PG
Warnings/Spoilers: Post-Series.
Summary: Rogue's first Danger Room session since Apocalypse.
Notes: Written for [community profile] xmen100  prompt power(s)[community profile] 100ships  prompt ruby for [community profile] uc_xmen  drabble-a-thon prompt "X-Men Evolution - Rogue/Scott - touch starved, memories, powers, control, training". Okay so I miss Scogue so much, I've been dying to write them again - and technically I don't get them together quite yet in this... well maybe next time. It's been a little while since I watched the series, so I'm just going off MY memories so if things don't match up, feel free to ignore them. 
[...Table....]

ExpandRead more... )
littlefics: Three miniature books standing on an open normal-sized book. (Default)
[personal profile] littlefics posting in [community profile] pinchhits
Event: Seasons of Drabbles is an exchange for the creation of drabbles and drabble variants. The minimum is 100 words.

Event link: Dreamwidth | AO3 Collection

Due date: Saturday, August 23, 11:59pm Eastern Daylight time (Countdown).

Pinch hit link: Please view the details and claim it at this post.

PH 4 - Fireworks (1947)/Succession (TV 2018), O Fantasma (2000), O Fantasma (2000)/Succession (TV 2018), The Sergeant (1968), Succession (TV 2018)

I hate this timeline

17 Aug 2025 09:41 pm
elisi: Living in interesting times is not worth it (memes will save us)
[personal profile] elisi
“This is our last hope”: Bisan Owda issues urgent call on x to stop occupation of Gaza city

abyss_valkyrie: made by <user name=narnialover7> (Default)
[personal profile] abyss_valkyrie posting in [community profile] perioddrama_ic
Thank you for the entries. It's time to vote for Challenge eighty:Icon Maze. Please choose 1-3 icons in each set and 1 best set.
Voting ends on 20th August, 2025.


Set A:

12345

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1 (100.0%)

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0 (0.0%)



Set B

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Poll #33501 Set B voting
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1 (100.0%)

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Set C
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Poll #33503 Best Set
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fadedwings: Leverage OT3 together, hiding behind something (Leverage: OT3 in action)
[personal profile] fadedwings posting in [community profile] fan_flashworks
Title: too much twinkle
Fandom: Leverage
Characters: Eliot Spencer, Alec Hardison, Parker
Length: 200 words
Rating: Teen
Warnings: none
Summary: Parker’s tree might have a little too much twinkle.


too much twinkle )

Challenge 28: Going in Circles

17 Aug 2025 06:59 am
luminousdaze: Paddington Bear (live action movie) (Movies #1)
[personal profile] luminousdaze posting in [community profile] screen_icons
Challenge 28
theme challenge
Going in Circles
⭐ 📽️ ⭐

Hello members! I hope everyone is doing well. I finally have a new round for us.
For this challenge we can create icons that somewhere on them show at least one circle shape. Use frames, decorations, backgrounds, brushes or characters that are circle shaped, like Otto!

Please use the supplied screen caps from the posts at [community profile] capspiration listed below.
Post dates for this challenge:
Start at 20 November 2024 and stop at 21 December 2024.
The [community profile] capspiration mods made 80 posts in that time.
In the archive monthly view page of Capspiration, you can view a list of the posts and subjects for those weeks.
Monthly post subjects/titles page view:
November https://capspiration.dreamwidth.org/2024/11/
December https://capspiration.dreamwidth.org/2024/12/
Please, remember to only pick your images from between the start & stop dates I wrote above, November 21st, 2024 (My Adventures with Superman) until the last post from December 21st, 2024 (You've Got Mail).
All the LJ community posts were imported to the DW.

Rules & Directions for Entering... )

Interesting Icon Examples and Inspo for You... )


tentaclemod: (Default)
[personal profile] tentaclemod posting in [community profile] pinchhits
Event: Rare Male Slash Exchange, a gift exchange for rare male slash pairings, creating fanart, podfic and fic. These are post deadline pinchhits, the exchange reveals without delays on August 30th.
Event link: AO3| DW
Pinch hit link: Post Deadline Pinchhits
Due date: Sunday 24 August at 20:00 UTC. You can view a countdown here.

PDPH 1 - [All Fanart, Some Fanfic]Crossover Fandom, Naruto (Anime & Manga), 新世界狂歡|NU: carnival (Video Game)

PDPH 2 - [All Fanfic] 英雄伝説 閃の軌跡 | Sen no Kiseki | The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel Series (Video Games), 英雄伝説 黎の軌跡 | Kuro no Kiseki | The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak Series (Video Games), Star Ocean: The Second Story | Second Evolution, 찌질한 서브공이 되었습니다 | I Became the Lousy Side Top (Webcomic), Ensemble Stars! (Video Game), Original Work, Chrono Trigger, 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime)

PDPH 3 - [All Fanfic + Podfic] Biggles Series - W. E. Johns, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Labyrinth (1986), Sime~Gen - Jacqueline Lichtenberg & Jean Lorrah, Devil Went Down to Georgia - Charlie Daniels Band (Song), Original Work

PDPH 4 - [All Fanfic, Some Fanart] Top Gun (Movies), The Pitt (TV), Stargate Atlantis, The Expendables (Movies), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Teen Wolf (TV), Call of Duty (Video Games)

PDPH 5 - [All Fanfic + Fanart + Podfic] The Expanse Series - James S. A. Corey, The Expanse (TV), Frankenstein - Mary Shelley, The Idylls of the Queen - Phyllis Ann Karr, Jaws (Movies), Mesopotamian Mythology, Moby Dick - Herman Melville

PDPH 6 - [All Fanart + Fanfic] NoPixel (Web Series), 鴨乃橋ロンの禁断推理 | Kamonohashi Ron no Kindan Suiri | Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective (Manga), 文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs, 吸血鬼すぐ死ぬ | Kyuuketsuki Sugu Shinu | The Vampire Dies in No Time (Anime), Runescape (Video Games)

PDPH 7 - [All Fanart + Fanfic + Podfic]人渣反派自救系统 - 墨香铜臭 | The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 大梦归离 | Fangs of Fortune (TV), Original Work

PDPH 8 - [All Fanfic] 六爻 | Liu Yao: The Revitalization of Fuyao Sect - priest, 余污 - 肉包不吃肉 | Remnants of Filth - Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat, Green Creek Series - T.J. Klune, 时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon), 魔尊也想知道 - 青色羽翼 | Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know - Cyan Wings, 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 莲花楼 | Mysterious Lotus Casebook (TV), 天官赐福 - 墨香铜臭 | Tiān Guān Cì Fú - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, All For The Game - Nora Sakavic, The Locked Tomb Series | Gideon the Ninth Series - Tamsyn Muir

PDPH 9 - [All Fanfic] Dishonored (Video Games), BioShock 1 & 2 (Video Games), Revenge (1990)

PDPH 10 - [All Fanart + Fanfic + Podfic] The Slow Mo Guys – RPF, Inside No. 9 (TV), Star Trek: The Next Generation, Black Mirror (TV), Our Flag Means Death (TV), Severance (TV), The Thick of It (TV), Palo Santo - Years & Years (Music Video), Star Wars Original Trilogy, South Park RPF

PDPH 11 - [All Fanfic] The Game and the Candle - Eleanor M. Ingram, Lucifer's Wife - Eleanor M. Ingram, Don Estevan's Honor - Eleanor M. Ingram

PDPH 12 - [All Fanfic] Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Leverage (US TV 2008), The Librarians (TV 2014), The Librarians: The Next Chapter (TV 2025), Star Wars Original Trilogy, Crossover Fandom, Crossover Fandom, White Collar (TV 2009), DCU (Comics)
doreyg: Thrawn From Star Wars: Rebels looking straight ahead into the camera with a confident expression ([Star Wars: Rebels] Thrawn)
[personal profile] doreyg
Every Pure Intention (4922 words) by DoreyG
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars: Rebels
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Hera Syndulla/Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo
Characters: Hera Syndulla, Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo, C1-10P | Chopper
Additional Tags: Bondage, Handcuffs, Femdom, Woman on Top, Xeno
Summary:

“I merely was going to suggest that we meet in a place of your choosing. You get to bring weapons, while I get to bring absolutely none and will submit to a scan from your spaceship before you even set foot on the planet… And, I am willing to be tied up.”

[art] Krobus at a picnic

16 Aug 2025 10:52 pm
quailfence: A drawing of the TARDIS from Doctor Who in colored pencil (Default)
[personal profile] quailfence

Made for[archiveofourown.org profile] Oz_Writes as part of the 2025 round of [community profile] battleshipex . Tag claims: Aromatic Asexual Character, Nonbinary Character, Picnics.

 

sdv001.jpeg

Image description: Traditional art of Krobus from Stardew Valley, done in colored pencil and artist pastels. He is smiling, and wears a tie in the colors of the aroace flag, and a bow in the colors of the nonbinary flag. Next to him is a red and white checkered picnic blanket. On it is a picnic basket, a pumpkin, void mayonnaise, and a horseradish. The piece is signed Quail Fence, and it is dated 2025-07-15

m_findlow: (Jack sad)
[personal profile] m_findlow posting in [community profile] fan_flashworks
Title: When the lights go out
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,161 words
Content notes: None
Author notes: Written for Challenge 488 - Twinkle
Summary: Jack sees the stars in a completely different light.

Read more... )
ermingarden: various polyhedral dice (dice)
[personal profile] ermingarden
Some absolute geniuses (Isaiah Tanenbaum, Rob Casimir, and Dan Iwrey) at the NYC Conflict of Interests Board have created what I feel confident in calling the greatest employee ethics training tool ever created: A D&D 5e oneshot called Escape from the Dinkins Building which was emailed to all 300,000 NYC employees back in June. (It's freely accessible to everyone else at the link, too.) It! Is!! Glorious!!!

I ran Escape from the Dinkins Building for [personal profile] fiona15351, and we had an absolute blast! I highly recommend it. It's designed for parties levels 2-5; we ran it with two PCs at level 6, one rogue and one paladin, and that worked fine. The setting is modern-day NYC, but magic and typical D&D fantasy elements are real and an acknowledged part of society. As adventurers, your characters are city employees in some capacity.

Here's the summary:
Having fallen asleep during a mandated training, the party awakens to find themselves trapped in the haunted basement of the Dinkins Building. To escape, they must face a series of challenges and find the sign-in sheet that proves they attended, lest they be cursed to repeat the training, forever.

As the summary suggests, it's a very funny adventure, although some of the jokes may be too obscure if you don't live in NYC, and many appeal primarily to city employees and other people very familiar with local government bureaucracy. (Fiona was forced to consult the Wikipedia pages for Fiorello La Guardia and Staten Island Chuck.)

There is a hilarious special mechanic, which I am going to discuss behind a cut. If you think you are likely to play Escape from the Dinkins Building as a player, don't read this; it's supposed to be secret from the PCs! Read more... )

The adventure is designed to take four hours, assuming the players and DM are experienced. As I recall, it took us less than that, and there are suggestions for what to cut if you don't have that much time. The module is clearly written, with a good amount of detail (and good maps!), such that I think it would be a good choice for an inexperienced or even first-time DM. It's ideal for players interested in roleplay and social encounters - this is definitely not a pure dungeon crawl - but the fights are solid as well. Overall, it's just a really fun oneshot and definitely worth playing!

I cannot say that I ever expected to use my dayjob tag on a post about a TTRPG, but I am so, so happy this exists.
senmut: Drizzt and Guen in front of a faded image of Malice (Forgotten Realms: Drizzt and Guen and Ma)
[personal profile] senmut
Curse of the Faerie King (16004 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 7/7
Fandom: Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Vierna Do'Urden, Zaknafein Do'Urden, Drizzt Do'Urden, Nalfein Do'Urden
Additional Tags: Mostly Gen, Eventual Relationships, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Ensemble Cast, but with wide divergence
Summary:

Vierna was startled the first time her sister was a brother. But she wasn't going to let that stop Dreeza growing up strong, no matter what strings she had to pull.



Entire fic linked above, or read just the new chapter at AO3.

Curse of the Faerie King: Chapter 7

Being summoned by the Matron of the House was never a good thing in either wizard's mind. Gromph had more than enough trouble as Arch-Mage of the city. Nalfein, juggling the responsibility of raising Gromph's hidden child against teaching in Sorcere, merely hoped the mind-flayer wasn't present. He enjoyed being free to pursue his studies, teach the bright girl, and have Gromph satisfied with saving his life.

That the meeting was held on a walkway above a holding pit for slaves, full of filthy duergar was almost intriguing enough to offset Gromph's irritation. What was Yvonnel up to now?

"Both of you are to learn all that these wretches know about where they came from," she said without preamble. "All the ways in and out, and what sent them scurrying into our patrols."

Gromph scowled. "Enlighten us as to why duergar would know anything worth your time, Mother?"

Nalfein recognized the strategic familial title as a tactic he had once used against Malice's scheming. It was good to see some things remained the same despite changing Houses.

"Haerinvureem has been killed, and I seek vengeance for old business," Yvonnel told him, more forthcoming than Nalfein had expected. "Dwarves now hold a strategic location that I will possess. See to this task swiftly -- or else!"

"Yes, Matron," and "As you wish," overlapped. Nalfein surveyed the filthy lot in disdain, before the woman left them to it.





Nalfein itched in his robes the more the tales poured out of the duergar under his and Gromph's interrogation. There could not be two such drow in existence. He wasn't certain, but he also needed to learn for himself. If Matron Baenre was intent on conquest of the dwarf hall, and it was Dreeza, Nalfein had a wish to not face her in combat.

She had been Zaknafein's heir in all ways, after all, and the way she melded magic to her combat had proven deadly to at least one experienced wizard after all. And if she survived, did that mean the other two did? Could Nalfein find a way out of Menzoberranzan by putting his sister in his debt during the invasion?

Or because of it?

A slow, sly smile crossed his lips, enhancing his sinister opinion as he selected his next victim for the questioning, building a more complete picture of the Hall, its fighters, and most especially of the purple-eyed drow with two scimitars.





Gromph settled a plate of seared fungi between he and Nalfein, in the latter's rooms, and set the tangy sauce in its bowl above the plate. Nalfein noted it was his favorite, and had his unseen servant pour liquor from the bottle behind the usual blend.

"You got distracted. Luckily, Vendes doesn't pay close enough attention to men to notice," Gromph said.

"Considering this move to more openly have a resource close to the Surface, pondering the ramifications," Nalfein said idly, taking a bite afterwards to give himself time to think.

"You mean wasting resources on something when we have other means of gathering all we could ever need from above?"

Nalfein's eyes went wide to hear Gromph be so critical, so openly. The Arch-Mage tapped a certain ring he wore, reassuring the younger man that all was hidden, for now.

"It seems this would be more a move for her than to glorify Her," Nalfein said very carefully. "So many things could go wrong, even."

"Hmm, but how to insure the correct things go wrong?" Gromph asked, considering plans and contingencies.

"We make contact with the drow involved." Nalfein knew this was a risk, but had weighed and measured where Gromph stood, was certain Gromph himself had been why Baenre took him in instead of ordering his death when Malice fell.

"A drow who fights by dwarves is no ally to ones like us, my dagger-wand."

Oh, he had Gromph intrigued if the endearments were coming out.

Nalfein smiled, a dangerous one, and nodded. "Except. I believe the drow is Malice's last child, and I did all I could to keep that one friendly with me."

"That one, is it? The daughter that was never schooled?"

"The child," Nalfein corrected, "that could never pass through school because of the Curse of the Faerie King."

Gromph's expression shifted rapidly through several emotions, before he returned the smile. "Nalfein, you keep being useful to me."

"Good. You keep me supplied with books, after all."

They both laughed, tabling the talk of their treachery for now, as it would take some time to work out the angles. One way or another, they were going to twist Yvonnel's desires for the dwarven hall into her downfall.





Nalfein shut his eyes as he slipped into his room for the night, a headache pounding from being under constant low light elsewhere in the city. He'd only just started to remove his outer robes, taxed by teaching Lirael a more advanced potion, stretching her ability yet again. He did not want the knock on the door, or the fact it was a specific rhythm to tell him Gromph was there.

At least the man knocked. In the early days of his assignment under Baenre patronage, the man had often just walked in, to make the point of who Nalfein needed to keep happy. He shrugged the robe back into place, made sure his favorite wand was in place, and let the unseen servant open the door.

Gromph, and the mercenary leader known as Jarlaxle entered and closed the door back.

"Tut, tut, no lights?" that dandified drow asked in a flippant tone.

"Shut it, Jarlaxle. Nalfein has more than earned the relief from them."

"Ahh, a good little pet."

Nalfein refused to bridle, showing nothing but contempt toward the unsettling man.

"What brings you with him, Arch-Mage?" he did ask politely, fixing his main attention on his superior.

"We have the beginning of a plan, to see about threads we may pull," Gromph said. "Jarlaxle, stop needling Nalfein; I assure you he works far more efficiently on a peer to peer level than being reminded of the past."

Jarlaxle swept his hat off, dipping in a bow with it over his chest to Nalfein. "Apologies, good saer. It's so rare that I get to meet the ones Gromph squirrels away, as if he fears I would poach your services for my own small pursuits."

Gromph did not actually growl, but there was an impression of it — and Nalfein relaxed further. This strange man was someone his friend was comfortable with, to a degree, and that meant it was safer to show ease in the situation.

"How may I assist in pulling threads then?"

"How's your penmanship?" Jarlaxle asked in a jaunty tone. "I may be able to have a letter delivered, to your unusual contact through a third party."

Nalfein looked at Gromph, who nodded. "Such a letter would add one more step of plausible escape for myself, after all," Gromph said. "And Jarlaxle knows how to keep his balancing act in place."

"I've managed so far," the man cheerfully said.

Nalfein acquired his writing materials, made himself remember which version of the longhand writing Dreeza had been taught, and nodded, hastily writing the letter that was needed. He was a little surprised when Jarlaxle added a few details in his idle conversation with Gromph, ones that had not been known to either of them, and he wondered just who the mercenary actually was in the scheme of things.





Nalfein was surprised to learn that the svirfnebli were to be the messengers. He listened to the threat and dismissal exchange, as clearly choreographed as if it were a performance, but obviously built from long association, as he sized up the shaman with the other deep gnome. He could not recall ever seeing them this close before, not even in his youth as a common fighter for House Do'Urden.

"Any betrayal!"

"Of course, dear Firble, of course." Jarlaxle then walked away, looking purposefully away from the other three. Nalfein was still uncertain as to the extent of the mercenary's involvement in House Baenre, but Gromph had been specific. Nothing said at this meeting could be heard by the mercenary, once Nalfein was the speaker.

"I will need to provide a hush over us, so that my ally can remain free and clear of what is said, as it deals with drow of a House that no longer exists," Nalfein told the pair.

"We are watching you, and you will die if you use trickery to foul us," Firble promised him.

"I can almost respect your tenacious hold on those threats," Nalfein told the smaller gray man.

"Go ahead, drow," the shaman said, and Nalfein pulled up his particular version of silence, coupled with a non-detection that obscured them from sound or sight. He'd kept this spell for himself ever since an accidental casting of it, finding it useful against clerics.

"I have a letter. It is for a drow who allies to the dwarves in the Hall above, the one Jarlaxle gave you a map to. The letter must go to this drow, to avert certain plans that could damage all of us in this section of the Underdark."

"How can we trust you to not be setting the dwarves up for betrayal?" Firble demanded.

"Because that drow was — is — my sibling, and once my student. I am of House Do'Urden, and so is the drow. I have interests in making sure my student stays alive, safe, and not mad at me."

He could not admit to wanting to be out of Baenre's House, to wanting a measure of vengeance for the fall of his own, but that much might appeal to their sense of family ethics.

"Give us the letter," the shaman said. "We will renew our ties with the dwarves, now that the Living Shadow is dead. And if the drow chooses to listen, it is done."

Nalfein pulled the letter out, passing it over, and inclined his head. "Until we meet again, some day perhaps. Peacefully, even."

Firble made a rude noise, but then Nalfein dispersed the magic, and both parties went their own way.





"ELF!"

Drizzt had been told the king wanted him right away, and he had come as soon as he could, canceling a holiday with Alustriel. That was often their lives; one or the other would be needed elsewhere.

"I apologize for how long it took me; none of the Tall Ones were in the city, and I did not want to bother a wizard," he said as he came over.

Bruenor counted on his fingers, then glared at his friend. "S'posed tae be five days 'twixt here and there, not three!"

Drizzt laughed, then they clasped hands in true greeting.

"So what has happened?"

"Deep gnomes, asking for the drow named Do'Urden," Bruenor said. "Been getting by, but hard tae speak proper with nae words in common."

Drizzt frowned, then gestured for Bruenor to guide him to the guests. "I cannot imagine why deep gnomes would wish to speak with me, but at least they usually have some Undercommon." No message would come all this way from his father or sister via gnomes; they had more direct means. Vierna had insisted that her little sister always have the sending stone on her, and could ask for the spell from her god anyway. Zak would send messages through Vierna… so Drizzt was at a loss.

"Do'Urden?" one of the three deep gnomes asked even as Bruenor led him into the guest suite that had been hastily made in the Undercity.

"Yes, and I promise I am not like other drow," Drizzt said swiftly in Undercommon, noting the stiffened postures. "May I bring up faerie fire? Bruenor is not able to see in this low a light, and I have lived under lights more than not."

"Polite," the shaman said, all three relaxing, before the first one nodded at Drizzt's request. The purple faerie fire settled above them, centered, and Bruenor relaxed some as well, not having liked being in the dark so fully.

"Need the light, anyway," the third one told him. "We have a letter, from one of your House."

Dinin, maybe? Which opened new worries, as Dinin might know of a threat to his family, given Jarlaxle and Zaknafein being so obviously fond of one another.

The first pulled out the letter, and Drizzt immediately forgot about Dinin. The way it had been puzzle-folded was Nalfein's doing, completely.

House Baenre. That was where Drizzt's wizard-brother had wound up. Which made him hold his hand over the letter for a longer moment, seeking if it held magic.

Once he determined it wasn't a magical trap, he did take it, and moved to lean against the wall, carefully unfolding it to avoid damaging the writing within.

After deciphering the words, he closed his eyes, and looked at the svirfnebli. "My gratitude for being the messengers, and I offer a warning. Pull your people in, until Menzoberranzan retreats." He then looked at Bruenor and switched languages. "We need to ready for war, my friend."

"Thought as much, me elf. Well, so be it."





The only reason Vhaeraun allowed His cleric to go aid dwarves was because those dwarves had killed a drow nemesis in the form of Shimmergloom. Zaknafein had not been certain at first, but knew ways to defuse whatever part Bregan D'aerthe was forced to play in the invasion.

With the warning, the Hall was prepared for the invasion, and Menzoberranzan was going to be licking its wounds for some time. All drow captives who surrendered were turned over to Vierna to be sifted out to her Lord's cities for new lives.

Except one.

Nalfein woke with a headache, stripped to his skin save a rough long tunic, and his sibling sitting across from him. Her — their? his? — face was still swollen from a whip-bite, and one arm was in a cast, but Dreeza looked at peace.

"Sorry we had to strip you down," Dreeza told him. "We didn't want anything you were carrying to be a 'return to sender' charm, and Vierna wanted to be sure you had a choice."

"So our sister does live, and I thought I glimpsed the Weapon Master," Nalfein said, nonchalant about his current state, even as he shifted on the cot he had been laid out on. "Thank you for listening to the letter. Care to tell me the end result?"

"One Matron escaped the party of them with the enslaved dwarf king. He, his descendant, myself, and father accounted for the rest, their attending junior clerics, the mind-flayer, and a handful of other drow that stupidly got in the way."

Nalfein was betting it had been Oblodra, but didn't ask. Dreeza would have said in Baenre herself had been the escapee. "What now, little sibling?"

Dreeza lit up at that casual acceptance of being different. "I mostly go by Drizzt these days, and have more control over the change. Vierna will always call me Dreeza; she's a possessive wean-mother/big sister."

Nalfein chuckled. "She had her peculiar ways."

"As to you? You can either 'escape' us and flee to Menzoberranzan, if that is where you wish to be, or you can take up an offer to go very far away, with a letter of reference from Vierna, to attach yourself to a temple of Vhaeraun as a wizard."

Nalfein's eyebrow arched at that, and things clicked further into place. "Is she there to help me figure out the ways of it?"

Dreeza nodded. "And father, who has grudgingly said you were tolerable all the years he knew you."

"Abyssal stones, but I remember how jealous every fighter was that he got the spot for Melee Magthere that year," Nalfein mused. "I wasn't yet officially an apprentice to the House Wizard of the time, but I was just as glad to not be dodging that many murder attempts."

"Oh you'll have to tell Vierna stories about what you remember!" Dreeza said in delight. "If — "

"Oh I intend to take her offer. Gromph is a comfortable associate, but he is still very drow and I could become useless or a liability to him at any time." Nalfein shrugged. "Never cared for Lloth, probably won't care for her god, but if I can keep learning the arts, I will go."

"Good." Dreeza stood up, still graceful even with the aftermath of the battle stamped on them. When his sibling sat beside him, Nalfein decided to keep currying favor, having noted the value of clothing and armor alike marking Dreeza — Drizzt — as still high-ranked in their new life. He slung an arm up over the shoulders, careful not to jar the broken arm, and looked over at Drizzt.

"Is starting over hard?" he asked.

"Not when you choose it. Not when you want freedom that much."

"Glad to hear it, little sib." He squeezed a little. "If I tell you which items I know were mine and untouched, can I have them back?"

"Describe them, and I will sort through. The rest of them will have to be checked over by a stronger wizard — wait, you said Gromph. I might have to ask my Lady to visit, then, so it is another Arch-Mage checking them over."

Nalfein threw his head back and laughed, hearing his strange sibling admit that level of a relationship.

"Dreeza, no, Drizzt. I am so damn glad Vierna managed to save you, and that Mother listened to me and her about how best to use your presence in the family."

"I am too, Nalfein, and I'm actually glad you survived," Drizzt admitted, leaning into him. "House Do'Urden, ancient house of Daermon N'a'shezbaernon, represented by a Vhaeraunite cleric, best swordsman ever, a canny wizard, a fair enough lizard riding fighter, and me! Pretty sure some cosmic entity is laughing over the change of fortunes."

"Yeah I guess… wait, Dinin?!"

Drizzt settled in to fill in the gaps, about their other brother, and life since the city for them all.

Round 174: Astral Projection

17 Aug 2025 05:19 am
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