#alaunius

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

Alaun as Mortal Alaun as Angel of Vengeance Alaun as Angel

¡!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its Him!!!! You did him so well! The small smile as mortal!!! I don't know how but he looks right!!

Thank you for doing his possible paths as well! Thank you for doing this full stop!

This has made my day! No, my week! Thank you so much!!

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

woo! my progress on the alaun piece. finished for tonight, but will p finish in the morning, so happy with the rendering, especially the skin.

based of Spyridonia's model of Alaun

clisk for better quality

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

a conversation in the caverns between wenduag and alaunius[my commander] a missing conversation that would have happened if alaun was 5% less lawful good and voiced to wenduag exactly why they were short with cameillas father. still not 100% on the stoic-ness level of alaun so this is semi cannon. also i finished the maze but that was a few hours ago, this is more script than fully fleshed out prose and ive only played 4.5 hours so eh on characterization.

-

wenduag: "your one of the soft uplanders, thinking holy powers will save everyone. takeing hits for us poor poor lower dwellers. as if we dont know how to take them"

alaunius: "the young ones shouldent need to. take hits, that is"

"…"

"why are you saying this wenduag?"

"you seemed short with the posh guy. i havent known you long but i know your type. i though everyone deserved kindness."

Alunius's long paces slowed. "nobels.." they sighed. "well, they tend to be on the wrong end of things"

"your happy having the rich girl along though" hands demonstrating crudely why she though they wanted cameilla along.

"shes skilled. her father on the other hand…" a glance to check the others were out of earshot "…is the type to throw gold at all his problems"

"and you took that gold. should i call up your goddess and tell her you broke your stupid rules??"

"we already needed to get out. those 'stupid rules' of mine dictate that i would need to help him indirectly anyway so what should i do. let us all rot down here to spite him? the fact that coin will be used to help people and not stashed away in his coin-purse is enough spite for me"

"your a rather bad paladin if your being spiteful."

"he has enough money that attacks on character and nonphysical comfort arn't part of the holy care package"

"they sure taught you long words in the mountains"

"… in essence as long as hes alive i dont care. he can deal with discomfort"

"you know i think your not so bad. for a paladin"

alaunius kept his eyes on the path ahead "of course. for a paladin"

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

the finished commander portrait for Alaun! thank you to everyone for your kind words with this piece! reference used was Spyridonia's model

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

After his waking conversation in the inn, Alaun turns to introspection. [A further look into the paladins head and his reasons for following the code]

-

Surrounded by unknowns in a city once filled with life, the inn was a place of rest and small comforts.

The latest paladin to walk through it's doors had finally woken, tension bleeding out of his body, not once it was confirmed he was safe, but when his hesitant offer to stay and protect was refused.

It's like Seelah and Wenduag said, paladins are crazy. Allthough they meant it very differently.

Alaun was a paladin, but first he was a soldier. He had an underlying practicality, and understanding of people. The so called 'naivete' of paladins was less ignorance on his part, and more shoving your hand into what you know is a deadly trap and praying to whatever god can hear you that you can defuse it before it takes the limb.

He probably wasn't the only paladin like that, calculated recklessness is par for the course and just because you believe and follow your oaths doesn't mean you don't know better.

Blind faith in people is hard to come by in the world wound, so hard it almost comes back around to trust. The place is so bleak and your chances alone are so slim, what does it matter if you die to a centerpede or a blade in the back. Dead is dead. Well mostly.

A long way of saying he knew wenduag was not entirely on their side. That the hope she would stick around was doomed to wither- or die to locusts and hellfire. It made him all the more a fool he supposed. But he had been a fool for a long time, and he would be for much longer, gods willing.

He did believe in helping people, in walking with an outstretched hand, in making what little good you can in this world.

But he had woken up entombed by the corpses of his comrades, woken up to flashes of traitors opening the gates to the demonic hordes that had been laying seige.

He woke up to a broken city drowning in corpses.

With him alone, shimmering with Iomedaes light, alive.

He would not let this city share the same fate.

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

alauns thoughts shortly after the whole falling down a hole business. a phone ficlet and possibly the first pwotr thing i wrote. probably waiting for the bus.

Seelah leads the ragtag group through the cavern's. From the few interactions it's clear she's a good paladin, a good woman. Unafraid to take the lead, to be the first to enter the monsters sight.

Thanks to her, the few healing spells prepared can be saved for harder fights.

Still, there's an… Undercurrent. Like recognizes like and all that. She's not lying, but you can't be that positive without knowing what falls on the other end.

It's reassuring, in its own way. She probably recognized it in him to. It's surprising how many who follow the light with such devotion have witnessed so much of the darkness, but to fully appreciate the light you must know it's lack.

The noble half elf is her own mystery, something preventing his analytical eye from fully understanding her. Useless trinket, his ass.

Still she's entitled to her secrets, till it blows up in all of there faces.

He's not a hypocrite. And secrets can take many forms of danger when exposed. And even if that danger is little, it doesn't mean you want it out in the open.

All he hides is a broken city and the stench of rotting meat. Not like to cause death and destruction, but it's superstitious times. And of course questions about why he of all people survived. He's not a hypocrite. Both can keep their secrets.

He can only pray he can keep his.

But now to concentrate on swinging the great sword, slowly getting more used to it's weight, sending it smashing through the monsters that litter the caves.

Concentrate on mapping the area.

File away Camellia's searching eyes, the deftness in how she wields her rapier. How no nobles daughter should be able to so casually pick up whatever items she's finds, half elf or no.

An interesting group. Let's hope it doesn't get too interesting

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

i was tagged by @spyridonya thank you for the tag! please ignore its friday rn.

my recent pwotr wips are... glorified notes. at best. so have a phone wip of Alaun meeting Woljif and his thoughts [i know woljifs like. early 20s but. baby.]

A kid. The teifling chained behind bars is just a kid.

Hungry times lead to plenty of wandering fingers, and compassion retreats to people's close circles.

A crying shame the young teiflings in the city arn't in anybody's circles but their own.

He doesn't say he will help right away, he'd rather leave the prisoner at a maybe, then talk to the commander.

Hope is hell of a drug and thinking you scored your next hit when it's false hurts like hell.

He was careful not to say anything stupid, to not let the walls snap up with a jokey counter.

The shadow was interesting, a glorified parlor trick, but it will have got him through some tricky spots.

What a group. He would fit right in. Him and camellia would be like oil and water, so Alaun will have to make sure not to drop any matches.

im sure a lot have people have already been tagged and this is two days over due so if you want to share your wips feel free to post them and tag me on this wip wednesday friday

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

the commander and Seelahs conversation at the end of the league of the inspiring cart quest.

most of the dialog is transcribed from the game, but some of the commanders dialog has been slightly edited, Alauns inner monologue is mine apart from a few directions

He took care in his words, but let them flow from the heart, it was a line of thinking that dogged his steps, maybe she would believe his words they way he struggled to believe his own. The way she may also struggle to believe her own.

"Don't lose your trust in people Seelah, its one of the greatest skills you have. so what if you misjuged a few people, its no reason to give up on kindness and second chances. someone has to show people there's a better path, and give them a chance to take it." -a soft smile took the place of the impassioned frown-" and i cant think of a better person to do that" Seelahs expression brightens, Iomedae's rays returning to the paladin once more, outshining the sadness "thank you, my friend. i needed that support"

exert cause the first bit is mostly transcribed dialog. the full thing under the cut

Turning her face to his as he walked over, he noticed Seelah looked sad and pensive, "its good to see you commander. get this - Jannah, the one who ran away when we were attacked by demons, never went back to her unit. she was seen running towards Numeria. looks like she deserted"

Seelah moved the subject on, "since our raid on the houndhearts camp, I've had this sinking feeling that i made a mistake. dragging you into this, i mean. i should have known that a raid along the edge of the Worldwound wouldn't be so easy"

Alaun frowned, preparing to refute her statement-

She sighed, getting saddened by the word, disappointment bleeding through, at her- or those who hut her? "but mostly- i was wrong about a lot of people. about Jannah, who lost her nerve and abandoned her friends. about Curl- i knew he was a thief, but i really thought he'd turned over a new leaf and deserved a little compassion and trust. and Elan. i thought we were kindred spirits, friends through thick and thin. but it looks like i was wrong about him too"

Seelah looked closely at Alaun.

He took care in his words, but let them flow from the heart, it was a line of thinking that dogged his steps, maybe she would believe his words they way he struggled to believe his own. The way she may also struggle to believe her own.

"Don't lose your trust in people Seelah, its one of the greatest skills you have. so what if you misjuged a few people, its no reason to give up on kindness and second chances. someone has to show people theres a better path, and give them a chance to take it." -a soft smile took the place of the impassioned frown-" and i cant think of a better person to do that"

Seelahs expression brightens, Iomedae's rays returning to the paladin once more, outshining the sadness "thank you, my friend. i needed that support" she sighs with a rueful smile "thanks for listening to my grumbling, and for helping me get to the bottom of this."-her voice becoming steadier and more convinced of her path as she spoke-" im not going to leave things as they stand. if i get the chance, ill track down Jannah and see if i can talk some sense into her. and find out why Curl did what he did"

A minute tilt of his head in agreement, and a smile at her renewed determination. he would have to make sure she would have time to do so, maybe even accompany her, moral is important after all- especially that of the person taking the most hits. its easy to tell himself he would do it for any other person under his command- he has. but he would be lying to say hes invested in her quest no more than any other commander and friend.

"I cant stop thinking about what Elan told me in the end. i really became more powerful than paladins who are far more experienced and selfless than me. Theres something not right about it. a servant of Iomedae should gain their powers through dedicated personal effort. its the only way to make sure they'll use their powers for good. our journey so far- its all wrong. and it means i need to be three times as hard on myself now"

Elans words had weighed heavy on her heart, the houndheart managing to slip through her armor. And make no mistake- she was no fool- her heart may be on her sleeve, but its under chain and plate. He should have tended to the wound earlier, but respecting her wish to have time to think was the right thing- for all it let the wound fester.

And who was to say Iomedae want rewarding an experienced and selfless paladin? a mile in the dark is worth a hundred in the light- fancy words for years dont make experience, experiences make experience, and there are so many of them to be found in the worldwound. would you rather a solider at your back who was stationed at peace post for decades or a contested border for years?

More pretty words to say that he valued Seelahs experience as someone who pulled herself out of the darkness, and iomedae would be a fool not to. a preacher who doesn't understand the lives and suffering of those he seeks to help cannot help. Seelahs experience made her valuable, did she not see how her kind words and companionship weight so much lighter on Woljif than the words of other who did not understand?

He tried to meet her eyes again, to reiterate her worth, but hers had wondered. the conversation was over, as he walked away he could only pray he would not regret leaving it there.