#seascarred

[hellgloom]

@seascarred | Oras & Kaeya

It's as if the heavens tear themselves open, flames erupting from fresh wounds to streak across the darkening sky, a spattering of vivid orange that makes the navy blue of the sky above look somehow bluer. But there is peace among the stars and peace on Earth, at least so far, and so the spectacle of color above draws awe rather than alarm.

The sun dipping toward the horizon signaled the normal passage of time—and the thick of happy hour, and the local tiki bar enjoyed its busiest time of day as even those patrons with less money to spend were more willing to spend it when a discount was waved before their eyes. Slashed prices in bright-yellow chalk upon a blackboard positioned right outside the bar was the bait and hook, and even Oras found himself compelled to tolerate overly-friendly beach people for a mango margarita.

Not a drinker of alcohol, he thought it'd be a mild choice; and being a demon, he thought he was made of stronger stuff. Such a young fool.

"I said get off me, you drunk bastard," he hissed as he shoved a man who had been in quite a stupor, half of his body off the barstool as the other half all but rested over Oras' shoulder. There was little bite to Oras' bark, himself having downed one full drink and now being right in the middle of taking his chances with a second. His words were almost slurred; and if his filter was off before, it was entirely out of reach now.

"Shit bar," he grumbled freely, taking one more sip before removing himself from the bar with glass in hand. He wasn't drunk just yet, but maybe a little more than tipsy. It was a nice, sickening feeling, disorienting and cushioning—like he was surrounded by cotton and his footfalls were airy. Nice. He hated it. "Shit town," he whined to no one in particular as he stood at the mouth of the boardwalk (and having made it there on foot without incident), wishing he hadn't just spent his remaining disposable income on margaritas. The sea breeze was not good for his hair, which he'd had the foresight to tie into a ponytail before stepping out for the evening.

[eraba-reta-unmei]

@seascarred sent: "Well now, that was certainly a punch. I think you sent them flying through the wall. Although, do you even have the money to cover repairs for this place?"

" Ah ... " There is a long moment of silence for the broken wall. Indeed, while the person sleeping outside was deserving, the poor wall was innocent, and the person responsible for fixing it was—a cold breeze runs through them. As well as all the other patrons.

" ... " She indeed did not have the money for this.

[dailycharacteroption]

Serpent-Fire Adept (Monk Archetype)

 In past entries, we’ve talked about the chakra subsystem and the feat chain tied to it, together which allow a character that combines psychic power with the spiritual power of ki to draw upon a raw flow of ki from the earth below to unlock the chakras briefly to gain supernatural power.

It’s a very cinematic interpretation of the chakras, but then, so is the monk class in its interpretation of ki.

While any character that both has a ki pool and either psychic spellcasting or the psychic sensitivity feat can make use of the chakra subsystem, today we are focused on an archetype that trains specifically to do so, seeking enlightenment and greater power and understanding through opening those gates within.

These serpent-fire adepts, so called for the name of the special ki they call from the earth, can unleash their power like many others that learn the art, but can do it for much longer and improve the resulting abilities like no other can.

 As part of their training to become serpent-fire adepts, these monks unlock their psychic potential early in their careers, and rapidly train to learn all the various techniques associated with improving how well they can open and maintain their chakras, including bolstering their reserve of special ki for that specific purpose.

Training both their bodies and minds, these monks can open and maintain chakras much easier than most. Furthermore, they can sustain the flow much longer on the same amount of ki, reducing their overall expenditure requirements.

Like all those who unlock their chakras, they eventually learn to use the sacral chakra to fly. However, as they grow in mastery, they eventually increase their top speed when doing so.

As they master their chakras, they learn the technique for keeping lesser chakras open when they stop channeling their ki, learning to incorporate it with their technique for drawing out a single iota of that energy.

With a surge of will, greater masters of this art can unlock multiple chakras at once, but doing so requires a greater expenditure of action and time.

Once they acquire full mastery, they can use the ability to harness several chakra powers at once even with their previously mentioned ability to go without maintaining ki for a few seconds. Furthermore, their pool of special ki used specifically for their chakras only grows with their mastery.

If you read up on the chakra subsystem and were itching to try out a character that uses it, this archetype gives you the most bang for your buck out of it. You lose some customizability, but the fact they can go so long without running out of ki helps make up for it. Regardless of build, I highly recommend you build for having a large pool of ki.

 This archetype, and indeed the entire chakra subsystem screams of all those times a martial artist character unleashes their true potential, which can be a super iconic moment in a character’s story arc. However, the power they gain is hard to control, and I can imagine some monks find the practice worrisome.

  While all kundalini flows from the same source, there are some, like the monastery of The Flow, who refer to it as an ocean of ki, and claim to be able to channel it best when over water. Many of the monks who study there are seascarred skinwalkers, also known as wereshark-kin, whom view the art as a way to direct and channel their ferocious instinct.

 While the Monks of the Nocturnal Wing use a dire bat as their symbol, it is more a matter of symbology than any connection to the beasts physically. To them, the bat’s hearing is symbolic of the ability to sense what is beyond normal senses, which they try to hone when developing the art of opening chakras.

 To the undead known as psychic vampires, serpent-fire ki is a rare delicacy. Because of this, a coalition of the soul-sucking undead seek to find a way to infiltrate the God-Serpent Temple, supping on the students and masters alike.

[sarahboev]

Rough sketch of one of my newest DnD characters! Quin-Fyn is a shark skinwalker. Their default form is a spritely half-elf rogue. When transformed though they’re a bit of a brawler shark! 

Website - Twitter - Redbubble

[undvine]

the bar area is a bit subdued compared to the rest of the casino, it breathes out a certain calm ( before the storm ), something heavy yet addictive. the drinks the currency with which the patrons would gamble away their fortune and the promise of certainty. beauty before death. and so they remember: the familiar faces and the new faces. they remember because it's important for business ( for them, their desires and their needs ).

the ones that have been ensnared by the serpent carry a certain scent, something twisted wrapped around their heart, a thread connecting them to the proprietor of ouroboros. and the ones not yet fallen for his sweet trap are but an empty canvas ready to be painted upon. so too this stranger. this new visitor that seemed to belong underneath the opulent lights. jiang offers them a dulcet smile of his own, rose - kissed lips carrying a faint gloss that shimmers underneath the light and before he speaks he allows soft laughter to fille the space, a gentle melody.

❝ well, you are, aren't you ? ❞ there is a glimmer within pale gold eyes as the proprietor of the casino takes a seat next to @seascarred. slender digits carefully slide the glass properly over towards them. gaze is kept. heavily. ❝ consider this my treat, for giving my humble place of business a chance. ❞ and perhaps ... for never leaving there. who knew what the future would hold after all.

a letter, send unprompted, ready to be opened: "Hm, offering me a drink? I can't help but to feel a little special." Kaeya's voice is light as he speaks, a faint smile on his face. Casinos aren't really his usual haunt, but he can certainly appreciate the vibe of this place.

[proxiism]

"How are you this evening, my dear?"

Kaeya brings his water to his lips, smiling as he looks at Belle. The lounge was winding down for the night and he was content to rest at the counter for the time being. It's always nice to see a familiar face in the crowd and perhaps it makes his songs feel just a bit more alive.

"Take a seat, it feels like it's been a while since we've talked." - @seascarred

𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡   𝐭𝐡𝐞   𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠   𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡   𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠   𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧   𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡   for   her   to   pay   much   closer   attention   to   the   remaining   audience,   belle   was   easily   able   to   pick   up   on   kaeya’s   invitation   &   eagerly   accepted   without   hesitation.   she   slipped   onto   the   vacant   seat   beside   him   &   settled   herself   with   a   poise   of   someone   who   had   grown   comfortable   enough   to   be   recognized   as   someone   other   than   just   another   face   in   the   crowd   by   the   much   popular   singer.   it   didn’t   make   her   feel   slightly   more   important   than   others   (   slightly   ),   but   it   did   bubble   up   a   sense   of   acceptance   by   someone   whom   she   had   been   listening silently to from   a   distance   since   she   first   heard   his   wonderful   voice.

now   she   was   capable   of   sharing   a   seat   with   him.

❝   i   figured   you’d   be   somewhere   signing   autographs,   mister   heartbreaker.   ❞

𝐭𝐡𝐞   𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭   𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞   𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝   𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧   𝐚   𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞   𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞   as   she   studied   him   for   a   moment,   teal   eyes   absorbing   the   pristine   handsomeness   that   radiated   from   the   singer   at   a   more   prominent   level   than   simply   watching   him   from   across   the   room.   kaeya   had   become   one   of   those   unusual   constants   that   drifted   in   &   out   of   her   life   without   warning   ⸻   not   close   enough   to   know   everything   about   her   but   close   enough   to   where   they   could   easily   pick   up   conversations   naturally   as   if   no   time   had   passed.

❝   i’ve   been   doing   okay.   just   the   usual   scuffle   that   comes   with   owning   a   business.   don’t   tell   anyone   this   but   some   days,   i   wanna   punch   the   shit   out   of   a   customer   that   asks   for   a   manager   when   the   slightest   inconvenience   happens   to   them,   &   i’m   like,   ‘bitch,   i   AM   the   manager.’   ❞

belle   let   out   an   exasperated   laugh   in   between   a   sigh   as   she   readjusted   herself   within   her   seat,   tilting   her   head   slightly   as   curiosity   brightened   her   expression.

❝   but   what's   new   with   you .ᐣ.ᐣ   you   know,   besides   becoming   even   more   famous   since   the   last   time   we   talked   ~   ❞

[pouppet]

It's not exactly uncommon for the tenth harbinger to be found hovering around the sixth, but today, Kaeya has a purpose for pulling the other somewhere relatively quiet. The two don't really have a label for whatever this is supposed to be, but Kaeya is a jealous person and he suspects that scaramouche likes setting him off. Either way, it's obvious that Kaeya has to leave more than a few marks, as sharpened teeth sink into the sixth's neck, a hand tightly gripping his waist.

he had felt kaeya's lingering stare for some time now. scaramouche had caught on quickly to the other harbinger's jealousy and enjoyed toying with him. he would typically dismiss anyone attempting to hold meaningless conversations with him, but whenever kaeya was in the same room, he would entertain the idle chatter from a lower ranked member — all while pretending not to notice kaeya's intense gaze from across the room.

the teeth sinking into his neck the second they're alone doesn't come as a surprise — in fact, it's expected — but that doesn't stop him from letting out a gasp as razor-sharp teeth dig into the side of his neck. ❝ i was wondering how long it would take for you to start showing your jealousy . . . ❞

[gildstar]

@seascarred said:

"loosen up, quit being so serious all the time."

“Any compromise on that front would have me devolving into someone of your CALIBRE.”

It was an accusation lacking in gravity, more of an off-handed dismissal than any expression of true distaste.

Winter had come and settled over the Palace like a wyrm into a comfortable hollow, stretching out its grey-scaled hide, turning the idle air to some amalgamation of gale and frost. The parapets and struts creaked beneath the weight of snow and the carved masonry of the brickwork was hardly distinguishable beneath the accumulated layers of ice.

Though the Palace was kept relatively warm, any venture towards the windowpanes would instil a quick and UNSHAKEABLE reminder of the hostility of the temperatures beyond. Aether swept the length of his coat out of the way and crossed his arms, leaning back against the doorframe, watching the snow flurry beyond the windows that stretched ceiling to floor.

“Besides, I’m working. Shouldn’t you be?”