Grimoire of the Grove

Rian C. Stone / 33 / Author | Pronouns: she/they/not picky riancstone.com | AO3/Bluesky/Reddit: @riancstone TT: @unholyempire | Insta: @unholy_empire

[riancstone]

Some say Dracula needs no tragic past, that Stoker’s monster was never meant to be loved, and that giving him a tragic backstory “misses the point.”

I disagree. If you read the novel closely, you’ll see there is an ache buried in a few, haunting lines.

I couldn’t stop wondering who he lost, and what it cost him. So I wrote it—The Burning of Saint-Gilles, book one of Unholy Empire.

Not a modern romance or a parody, no teen angst, and certainly not a Ninaship. Just a grounded, beautiful love story set in Medieval France.

[riancstone]

What Your Favorite Dracula Says About You - Part VI

Part Six. The LAST one. for now.

[riancstone]

What Your Favorite Dracula Says About You - Part V

Part five of SIX!

[riancstone]

What Your Favorite Dracula Says About You - Part IV

Part four of SIX! Things... got a little out of hand over on TikTok

[unheardoracle]

writing is such a strange hobby because sometimes you’re like

“wow I created something beautiful today”

and sometimes you’re like

“oh i just spent 4 hours researching whether this character would realistically bleed out under different circumstances”

[riancstone]

Okay that hit hard ngl 🤣🫠

[riancstone]

What Your Favorite Dracula Says About You - Part III

People on tiktok are eating these up, so I was forced (via doe eyes and pouty bat faces) to make a part III. Hope people here like them, too! 🙃

[riancstone]

Back by popular demand! What Your Favorite Dracula Says About You — Part II

including some reader-requested Draculas courtesy of @anneelliotscat, @18thcenturythirsttrap, @riverance, and @nemonclature.

Part II brings in more heartthrobs, more oddballs, one walking red flag, one unnecessary slab of 2004 muscle, and Morgan Freeman for reasons that remain between him and God.

We’ve got Frank Langella, George Hamilton, Louis Jourdan, Duncan Regehr, Caleb Landry Jones, and Dominic Purcell for the especially shameless among you; Marc Warren for those truly beyond help; and Carlos Villarías ready to charm anyone who thought Bela was the only game in town.

[riancstone]

🚨🔥 NSFW below🔥🚨

Astarion gets Fiodhan right where he wants him.

Shots from that scene.

Grimoire of the Grove

Fiodhan & Astarion sneak off before the goblin camp raid

🔥 Read on AO3

[riancstone]

🔥🚨 NSFW ALERT 🚨🔥

If you’re into bad decisions and hot guys, this week’s for you Grimoire of the Grove & Rewrite the Stars are both heating up this week—Clara’s making questionable choices, Lalo’s not even pretending to behave, and Astarion has Fiodhan exactly where he wants him.

Grimoire of the Grove: Fiodhan & Astarion sneak off for some 1:1 time before the goblin camp raid. Rewrite the Stars: Clara pushes Lalo's buttons, and gets exactly the reaction she was looking for.

If you’re curious, they’re both up on AO3.

[riancstone]

So...

If you've ever looked at Lalo Salamanca and thought “this man would absolutely ruin my life”

you’re right.

I just shadow dropped the first 10 chapters of my Better Call Saul fic Rewrite the Stars — a cartel thriller-romance centered on everyone’s favorite charming menace.

it features:

• Lalo Salamanca being charming in ways that are frankly unfair • a very stubborn gringa who refuses to behave sensibly around him • two people who should absolutely not encourage each other • cartel politics, manipulation, and terrible judgment • Mike Ehrmantraut silently judging everyone • desert highways, tequila, and extremely bad ideas • the kind of chemistry that makes good decisions impossible • a romance that no one involved is handling responsibly

if you’ve ever thought “someone should absolutely not fall in love with that man”

good news. someone did. 🙋🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

if you read it, come scream at me about Lalo in the tags.

📖 A03

🎧 Spotify Soundtrack

Vamos.

[riancstone]

Grimoire of the Grove (A Baldur's Gate Romantasy)

Hey Galemancers, Gale lovers, and Astarion girlies— a lot has happened in Grimoire of the Grove since we last talked.

Chapters 13–18 are now live on AO3, and they’re packed with some truly delicious moments for both Gale and Astarion.

Chapter 17 marks Astarion and Fiodhan’s first bite

Chapter 18 delivers Gale’s long-awaited bombshell confession

Plenty of smaller moments are woven throughout, and things are officially starting to heat up for our heroes.

Check it out on A03: https://archiveofourown.org/works/67374904/chapters/194376411

[riddlerosehearts]

posting the photo i took for this post on its own to make it easier for me to stare at 💜

[magicphrog]

BG3 is such a great game it has

1: Very gay character who is helpless without you

2: Very gay character who is helpless without you

3: Polyamorous Bear

4: Very gay character who is helpless without you

5: Very gay character who is helpless without you

6: Woman who can and will beat you to death

7: Very gay character who is helpless without you

8: the single dumbest and most lovable idiot you have ever seen in your entire life

9: Very gay character who is helpless without you

10: Gorgeous old woman

and somehow they trust you, a very gay character who is helpless without all of them, to lead them to victory



[riancstone]

**Baldur's Gate 3 AO3 Fic**

Chapter 12: Waking Nightmares

The party learns their dream visitor was just the beginning & Fiodhan gets jealous of Gale's dream guardian and her "unparalleled beauty" 🙄 (while his looks a little familiar...)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/67374904/chapters/194373341

ICYMI: Chapter 11—The Archdruid of Emerald Grove was posted last week. Our wayward druid finally meets Archdruid Halsin: https://archiveofourown.org/works/67374904/chapters/186799311

[thedeathofthelamb]

it's quite unsettling sometimes like. what in the prince of heavens was he?

[bladesingerlily]

Seriously, how is a girl supposed to get anything done, with him RIGHT THERE, looking like that.

[riancstone]

Chapter 10: Between Madness and Valor

Chapter 10 of my BG3 fic has been posted—this is the first place I deviate greatly from the game. Fiodhan infiltrates the goblin camp to rescue Halsin with an extremely chaotic (and fun) use of wildshape.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/67374904/chapters/186762231

Gale and Shadowheart are none too pleased with Fiodhan's recklessness, but they have his back nonetheless.

This version of the story also answers the question—how does a Level 20 archdruid manage to get captured by goblins??