"For educational purposes, we'll be ranking self-proclaimed Evil organizations through qualitative interviews.
These Shadowscythe employees have graciously agreed to share their thoughts."
[Identities have been concealed for safety reasons]
"What do you two do?"
"I'm one of the Empire's top Necromancers. That means raising the dead to make an army that'll one day conquer the world! *cackles*" - Person A
"I wear red stuff, kick losers in the stomach, and yell about who I serve." - Person B
"How did you come to join your organization? Through a friend? Family? An ad?"
"I was playing in the woods when I was seven or whatever, and it just sort of happened." - Person A
"Saw a bunch of guys wearing red during a war, and I followed them back to Shadowfall." - Person B
"On a scale of 1 to 10, are you satisfied with your work environment?"
"8, but I get to work in the Fortress, a University lab, or in my own home. [B] wanders." - Person A
"Do you feel that you and your colleagues make a good team?"
"Feels more like a competition, really. 4." - Person B
"Either kill your teammates for a promotion, or you try to kill 'the boss.' Didn't your dad try to kill the boss twice?" - Person B
"He's not my dad, but yeah." - Person A
"Is the amount of work reasonable?"
"My work is my passion! 10!" - Person A
"Idk what I'm supposed to be doing sometimes. 4?" - Person B
"How would you rate your organization's approach to diversity and inclusion?"
"I'd say 80% of us are Undead and the rest are alive-" -Person A
"Not that kind of diversity."
"Oh!" -Both
"It's mostly equal gender-wise? Me, Zio, the Empress of course-" - Person A
"Primarily human though. You'd think you'd see more Werewolves, Horcs, Drow, but I can't tell one skeleton from another. "- Person B
"LGBTQ+?"
"No." - Both
"Stop! Stop that! I was listening in! This is a ridiculous and stupid waste of time survey, but the Shadowscythe is Evil. Just not that kind of evil! We are Equal! Opportunity! Evil!" - Noxus
"Do you know anyone?" - Person A
"Wait. I'll find one." -Noxus
"Don't go anywhere [sound of furniture being knocked over]. I'm going to find one!" -Noxus
"So, final answer is 4. Somewhat diverse." - Person B
"8! We just... don't talk about it... Couldn't tell you why. [the driest laugh possible] " - Person A
"Do you get paid fairly for your work?"
"I get to live in the Fortress, and I use our monthly budget to pay for clothes, dolls, and candy." -Person A
"[Laughs]." - Person B
"Would you recommend your workplace to a friend?"
"All of my friends are already here!" -Person A
"No." - Person B
"How is workplace safety?"
"10." -Both
"That's a surprise."
"The facilities and rules are thorough. It's your own fault if you put yourself in real danger. [shrugs]" - Person A
"If you're out there razing villages, slaying Paladins, there's only so much the boss can do." -B
"Thank you for your time! Mr. B, I'll see you at the Nation interview."
"Hey [Person A]. Did your dad find one yet?" - Person B
“Skill can make a dead tree sprout, and force a flower to bloom for years.
But no one can return to a Spring that has already passed. Even if you went back in time, you won’t feel the same way you did when you were living in the moment.
Such is the motto of House Reignolds... though the common folk believe it's a cover for an axiom with far more threatening implications."
"This family used to own pockets of land here and there. They weren't in a hurry to win more. House Reignolds focused on entertaining the Noble Court with galas and balls. Petals fell like rain in Dreadhaven's toxic garden, drowning prisoners who were brought out of the dungeons to make the guests laugh. To the Drakath Dynasty's warmongers and battle mages, these Lords were little more than jesters.
During the reign of King Dethrix the first, humble House Reignolds rose to sudden prominence because its Lord defied his own motto.
The flowers in his gardens bloomed in winter, but they were already dead. Lord Reignold’s special brand of necromancy kept them beautiful."
"His King discovered his talents, and gave Reignolds the honor of becoming a Court Mage.
Though he kissed the ground Dethrix the First walked on, everyone at court knew someone as vain and cowardly as him would despise working in the dungeons. There were even rumors of treasonous intent.
When Lord Reignolds and the rest of the Court Mages were expected to sacifice themselves in some sort of forbidden ritual, he fled for the hills. It didn't take long for Sir Valen and Lady Lynaria to find him curled up under a bush, sobbing like a child.
"When Alden Alteon took the throne, Lord Reignolds begged for mercy and convinced him that the tyrant forced him to fight at his side. His daughter, Marigold, would have been harmed if he refused."
"She's all I have left! My wife passed away during the last famine. If something were to happen to me, poor Marigold would be all alone!" claimed Lord Reignolds. It moved the kind and fatherly King.
"King Alteon graciously allowed him to remain in Greenguard, but further investigation uncovered terrible secrets.
Researching forbidden magic, kidnapping innocent people to experiment on them, and creating that Vessel... Lord Reignolds needed to answer for those crimes."
"Reignolds fled to his old summer home, with King Alteon's men were right on his heels.
But in a mysterious turn of events, Reignolds was found dead at the very top of his tower. His daughter, Marigold, was waiting to be found in the cellar. No one knows who killed her father.
Though King Alteon took her in as a ward of the royal family, he was forced to keep her at arms distance. Letting her stray into the public eye would invite violence. The people wronged by her father were already embolded by jealous Nobles...
Marigold's childhood was lonely, but she was raised by the servants of Swordhaven. They were kind and patient, understanding that her father persecuted her for being unable to learn as quickly as other noble heirs. The common folk taught her how to study in her own way, and she became aware of their hardships."
"The territory that once belonged to House Reignolds was given to the Granvilles. Lady Marigold was allowed to keep her titles, but the Noble Court treated her harshly.
Studying magic and agriculture, and using it to feed the common folk won their love, but she's an easy target for the frustrations of the nobility. They believe Marigold's family's history justifies their childish actions. One prank went too far, and injured her severely. The incident almost took Marigold's life, which prompted King Alteon to call upon worthy knights."
"House Reignolds original knights were disbanded for being complicit with their deceased Lord's crimes.
Iberis, Viola, Valerian, Sumac, and Clover are newly appointed Elysian Knights who protect Lady Marigold. Three are Nobles themselves, but the other two are commoners.
They proudly wear the Datura crest and... come on a little strongly. Iberis enjoys dangling his fellow Noblemen off of balconies by their ankles. It tends to wring out truly heartfelt apologies.
Lady Marigold isn't always seen with them, fearing that she'll become as feared as her father was if Iberis and the others keep unsheathing their blades on her behalf."
"She prefers to live in Spring, and prepare the people for winter and famines.
"The Datura may be a snow white Nightshade, luring dreamers to their deaths, but Marigolds don't hide secrets. They're flowers that honor the past, and bloom to promise a bright future."
As odd as it sounded, the chilly, eternal night of Darkovia was comforting to Mi. In certain ways, it reminded them of the Garden where they used to live with their first family.
It was their second family that offered to help make tonight special. Mi took such good care of the scientists and engineers of Seabase Undine, it was the least they could do.
"Is that safe?" The Hero pointed up at the roller coaster, its lights glittering alongside the stars.
Around the towering wooden structure, other thrill rides whirred and glowed. Food stalls filled with caramel apples, popcorn, and churros served bubbly children. Their parents, giddy themselves over a chance to finally spend time together, chased after them.
"Mhmm," Mi nodded. "Everyone from Undine worked really hard to fix the Necrocarnival."
"I remembered you mentioning how an amusement park like this would actually be fun if it wasn't run by a lich. Uh…" The Moth blushed, and their antenna wiggled as they tried to find the right words. "Do you like it? I didn't expect it to get so big, but I wanted to…I wanted you to have some fun."
"Could we go on the roller coaster first?" Their Hero pleaded.
"Huh!? Oh, er -" Mi had never been to an amusement park let alone a five hundred foot tall, 90 degree drop.
"If we ate first, we wouldn't be able to keep any of it down if we hopped on the rides after."
"T-true." The Moth's knees shook and knocked against each other. They couldn't even see the top of the coaster tucked away in the dark clouds. But…
"Okay! Let's go!" Mi nodded.
Far faster than the Moth would have liked, the two of them were strapped to the front seats, driven up to the peak of the first crest, and -
"The safety bar doesn't feel that sturdy." The Hero mentioned.
"Wh-WHAT?" Mi shrieked, on the verge of tears.
"Hug me. I'll keep you from flying away."
Mi flung their arms around the Hero's neck and screamed as they plummeted back to earth.
[I picked an easy target, but you can imagine anyone in there.]
The Hero feels bile burn the back of their throat as the tip of Lascivia's tail caresses their chin. Just as it touched their lips, they backed away just before the Dragon flicked their uvula.
"What is your problem!?"
"I'm just teasing you," She laughs eerily calmly at their adorable reaction. "Besides, there's no need to charm you like the others."
"Wow. Am I not worth it?"
"Of course you are, but those toys were easy. You deserve more. In fact, I know what you want. I see the shape of your heart." Lascivia bumps her Hero's chest with her nose.
Shifting her body, she revealed a lavender cloth draped over a small box.
Fearing the worst, the Hero readied their blade.
"What's in the box?"
"It's not like that!" Lascivia gasped. "I wouldn't want you to hate me! Everyone you love and care for are safe at home. This is something much more fun."
Stepping carefully towards the surprise gift, glancing back at Lascivia (who winked and blew them a kiss), the Hero removed the cloth.
"WHERE AM I?" Drakath demanded, forced into fetal position inside the tiny dog cage. "YOU? YOU'RE BEHIND THIS? I'VE BEEN IN HERE FOR TWO WEEKS."
"Shut up!" Lasciva slammed her tail on top of the cage, making the pathetic little man inside scream. "I told you. If you want to be set free, bark. Bark like the little dog you are."
"Um, this is a little crazy." The Hero tried to look for a way out.
"Here. Try this." The Dragon passed them an electrified rod with her teeth.
"Coward! Freak! Let me out of here or I'll -"
The Hero poked the cage with the magical cattle prod without thinking much about it.
"AAAAUGH!"
"Haha…That doesn't sound like barking." The Hero's eye twitched.
"See? Aren't I perfect?" Lascivia preened, and her Hero couldn't help but smile back.
Just outside the Dragon's den, Xing and Xang shrugged at each other.
"I haven't eaten since last week. We don't have the energy for this. Let's wait until they're bored."
The Champion of Chaos grappled with the Eternal Dragon of Time. Their swords, daggers, and the concept of blades itself fell into the churning grey 'waters' of the Deadlines.
His Hero's lips were pressed together in a tight frown, but Drakath could hear them laughing at him. They were constantly laughing at how pathetic he was.
Their fist flew towards his chin, and he raised his arm to block it just in time. A cloud of dandelion fluff exploded in his face. The young Crown Prince of Greenguard flapped his arms wildly to disperse the seeds before they made him sneeze.
His Hero, barely taller than a stump, snickered as they made their escape across the meadow. Drakath yelled at them as he gave chase, and tripped over his own clumsy, little legs.
How insolent! The Prince put his reputation at significant risk by sneaking out to…check on the strange peasant child wandering the royal courtyard alone. Where was his respect?
Drakath got up, and the peasant was already next to him, brushing tufts of grass off of his clothes. Flustered, he muttered that he didn't need their help before remembering he was supposed to throttle them.
Laughing, his Hero ducked away just in time, and plunged their sword into his shoulder.
The Dragonlord demanded to know how the exiled Prince was still alive, and he grabbed the blade to keep them from taking another swing. He could feel its edge scraping against his bones.
Drakath didn't know what his answer was. Several of them tore out of his throat, desperate to be heard.
When he looked down, the Crown Prince of Greenguard was holding the Chosen's hand. They were sitting on the edge of the fountain in a bustling town. Battleon? A Battleon? He doesn't remember being a Dragon in this one.
The sun shone and the faceless masses flowed past them like they were rocks in an endless river.
That morning, Drakath donned a gray cloak and hood to make sure no one would recognize him because…it was because…
For some reason, Drakath zoned out and the Chosen reached out to check if he was okay. When the Prince scowled about being treated like a spoiled child, his Hero grinned and asked him to play his violin for them again.
Smirking, Drakath told them he'll think about it if they begged.
Underneath the swagger, he was sweating buckets. Drakath was a terrible musician. Even when threatened with death, the Kingdom's greatest tutors could do nothing.
His fingers were still swollen from practicing that one song over and over for days. His Hero was going to catch on if he played the same piece again.
Looking back to them, Drakath realized they were the Eternal Dragon of Time. The grey 'waters' of the Deadlines swirled around them as their limbs tangled together.
The Champion of Chaos managed to grab the Dragon by the head, and shoved it under the waves. They kicked and struggled and scratched and thrashed and fought and stopped moving.
Time had stopped moving.
In Soluna City, the Captain sat on top of a sterile hospital bed. Monitors surrounded them. Tubes and wires ran in every direction. Drakath's eyes couldn't follow them without crossing, while the Captain's stayed trained on a blank data pad cradled in their lap.
His hands were gripping his Hero's shoulders, and he was gritting his teeth. Drakath put him at significant risk by sneaking into the city like this. The usurpers would put him in an incinerator if they found him, but he needed to…Drakath needed to…
"Come back! Where did you go?" The words spilled out of his throat. "Don't go!"
"Don't go!" The child from the meadow sobbed loudly when the sun was about to go down.
Drakath realized he wasn't holding them anymore, and started to walk through the dandelions towards his Hero.
The Dragonlord thrust their blade towards his neck, and he walked into it, but no one was there.
Losing his balance, the Prince fell into the fountain, and his reflection fractured into thousands of different destinies. His Hero shouted something that was muffled by the howls of the Deadlines, and hauled him out by the shoulders.
Wiping his eyes dry, Drakath realized that the Captain had finally looked up at him - just as the stars began falling out of the sky.
Their bodies melted, and the universe disappeared into Chaos.
A stolen child of Chaos fell out of the surface of the Deadlines, and gasped for air.
His Hero splashed him with water, and laughed.
They laughed at a mere man who was standing with them in a stream that wasn't marked on any map. Irritated by the noise, Dr[]k[]th splashed them back so he could hear it again.
In that impossible moment, they were no one. Just two voices, unburdened by destiny.
[][][][][][][] and his Hero talked, fought, cried, and laughed about useless things that were immediately lost to time.
Love and hatred weren't words that could properly describe what was happening, what had already happened, and what was going to happen.
"I'll be in every life you live."
The Champion of Chaos washed up on the shores of the Deadlines, alone. It was over, and soon, it would begin again.
This curse brought him back to his knees, but Drakath heard that noise. That awful, blessed noise.
Laughter. His Hero was laughing at him.
All of a sudden, as if nothing had happened at all, the Deadlines went silent.
The release is live! A romantic story with a tragic end. A snugglegram never sent. A love lying cold beneath the earth. Big Daddy's having none of that, and he tasked you with delivering this shy love letter! Better late than never! What could go wrong on Friday the 13th?
Big thank you to our team for putting this HHD x F13 release together!
Warlic is a bishounen from 2008, he is clearly bisexual, and the lead in both a shoujo romance manga and the protagonist of the yaoi that is Book 2 Dragonfable
Let's do something fun for a very rare occasion! Heroes Heart Day and Friday the 13th are overlapping, and since both dates are special to me - I'm holding another Ask Corner! One fit for the occasion ~
Condition 1:
This won’t be posted in the DNs like how it was with the Birthday event. I’d prefer this to be a laid back, fun small thing from player to player (us). Obviously, none of this is canon to the story. But hey, it could be canon to your story! Do what you want.
Condition 2:
I've shot the NPC you asked about with a true love beam straight to the heart. How they'll react depends on the person they are, but in this ask column, it's true blue! No cheaping out!
Condition 3:
Separate the NPC from the staff member associated with them if there are any. Separate fiction from reality, folks.
We're here to have fun! Not to be annoying (and that's putting it lightly)!
Rule 1:
Reply to the first post with your ask. One NPC ask per person.
Rule 2:
Don't be weird. Have some sense. Asks with inappropriate requests will be ignored and blocked.
Rule 3:
Be nice to each other. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all.
Rule 4:
I'll start replying to asks on Feb 14th. Cut off time is Sunday, February 15th at 11:59 PST.
Note that I am one person doing this on my free time during the long weekend, so I may not be able to get to everyone if this does end up getting a lot of replies.
If you missed the last Ask Corner, here's a link to what we did during AQW's Birthday event:
https://aq.com/gamedesignnotes/AQW-14Oct25-10137
Since this HHD themed one won't be posted in the Design Notes, I'll compile it all in a Google doc or post somewhere.
andulkaphoto
romaincrisis
gracieabrams
2087
areudirty
