#wyh rambles

[thefrostyshepard]

Continuing my introductions, tonight's OC is Tabitha.

Tabitha started in an old text-based forum RP site, a Wanderer who followed a path that led to a multiversal Inn. Over time, she became my OC of choice whenever a setting didn't lend itself to magic. Tabitha blossomed in Fallout - diverging a bit from her original canon, yet staying true to her core self.

In Fallout 76, Tabitha was a piano prodigy - gifted to where her mother used her to gain entry into Vault 76. After emerging from the vault, Tabitha questioned every choice she made - should she help the old Responders? And what about the Raiders holed up in Crater? Or the settlements? It took several months (and several near-death experiences) before she was confident enough to forge her own path, building a Cabin deep in the Mire, using Berkeley Springs as a base of sorts. Learning the fate of the Mistress of Mystery, and those who followed her, inspired Tabitha to take up the guise of the Starlet Sniper - her two-shot exploding lever action doing much of Tabitha's talking.

She stops at every piano and organ she finds, taking a moment to coax beautiful music from irradiated keys.

Tabitha's art by the ever-wonderful @charomiami !!

[thefrostyshepard]

There are days when the depression screams in my head. This is one of those days..

[thefrostyshepard]

Yesterday I decided to do a series of posts formally introducing my main OC's. Tonight, I'm featuring my Vampire: The Masquerade Daughter, Melody Herzog.

Melody is a Daughter of Cacophony - a bloodline with clouded origins who wield their powers through song. At first glance, many think her Toreador; those who look further think her more Malkavian - and she's not one to clarify, given that Daughters are often looked upon with suspicion.

Melody was born in rural Minnesota around 1918, the youngest child of a stern mother and distant father. A sickly child, she was often left to her own devices, spending time in nearby fields when her strength allowed - where an old Piskey took pity on her, becoming the lonely girl's "imaginary" friend. As she grew older, Melody's musical gifts emerged, and her singing captivated audiences. One such fan, known in music circles as Tante Sophia, made a point to attend every event where Melody sang, watching from the shadows. Sophia followed her from city to city, state to state - finally revealing her true nature, Embracing Melody into the life of a Daughter.

Daughters are plagued with a constant Song in their heads, and Sophia made it her mission to isolate and nullify that Song. To that end, Sophia invested in a music studio in the heart of Hollywood, and recorded the top stars of the late 1960's, mixing and arranging the tracks into endless layers, but the effort proved to be in vain. Sophia ultimately succumbed to the Fugue - a state where the Song overwhelms a Daughter's senses, making them erratic and prone to violence. Though Melody tried her best, she couldn't save Tante Sophia from herself, and her Sire was slain in a Hunt after a ill-timed frenzy.

In Baldur's Gate 3, I made Melody into a half-elven Bard, to reflect her Song and her Fae Affinity. Sophia is her Dream Guardian. And thanks to the CC, I have visuals for both.

[thefrostyshepard]

I've gotten some new followers (hello there!), and realized it's about time I (re-) introduced my main OC's.

First OC is the one from whom all others spring, the one who started it all, my OG OC Wyheree.

She comes from the old B/X D&D rules, back when Elves and Dwarves were classes, and "magic user" was the only option. When I discovered the free-form gaming forums on AOL, I reworked her into an Ice Mage - one that gained her power from an interplanar teleportation spell gone horribly wrong. Through the years, she has never left my head, telling me her lore over time. Now, Wyheree is the Queen of Ice and Winter - power, elegance, and grace, who can and will snap-freeze your face (just ask the vampire she once froze to a couch 😁)

Wyheree's art is by my wonderful friend @charomiami !!

[thefrostyshepard]

Today's OC hails from one of my all-time favorite games - Mass Effect. Wyh Shepard was my first Shepard, and though I've played the trilogy many, many times with many different Shepards, Wyh is my canon.

Shepard's father named his only child after a favorite character in an obscure favorite book, gifting her his copy before he left on what would be his last mission. Hannah Shepard threw herself into her work, leaving Wyh to navigate her teen years and unexpected biotics on her own. Mother and daughter barely spoke after Shepard took over command of the Normandy, neither figuring out how to breach the awkward tension between them.

On the fateful Eden Prime mission, Wyh was paired with Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko - and immediately realized her biotics resonated with the LT. The pair made short work of the geth - Kaidan throwing whatever Wyh lifted, the snap-hum of Kaidan's barrier reflexively making Wyh activate her own. Despite Alliance regulations against fraternization, Wyh and Kaidan grew closer - consummating their feelings the night before Ilos.

Kaidan forever held her heart, and that love never wavered - staying true even after Horizon. No one ever saw Wyh Shepard the way Kaidan saw her, and no one ever took his place.

(Canonically, Wyh Shepard has bright white hair - another mark of her biotics. Unfortunately, bright white hair doesn't exist on console, so she's platinum blonde in screenshots.) Art again by @charomiami !!

[thefrostyshepard]

A new friend for a new diagnosis: Plushie Dreadfuls POTS rabbit. The health issues I’ve been having for over 2 years make so much sense when viewed through the POTS lens. Hopefully further testing will nail down the diagnosis and provide clarity… but that won’t be until May (I’ll be pushing for a sooner appointment - I’m a scheduler, I know the game).

[thefrostyshepard]

Tonight it's Selene Trevelyan's turn for the spotlight. Inquisition came out during a particularly dark time in my life, and I am ever grateful for it..

Selene is the youngest of five children - three siblings born close together, then 10 years passed, then her beloved brother Keith and her. Her mother grieved when she saw Selene's eyes, for they were silver - and silver eyes meant magic. Selene's magic manifested in little lightning streaks when she was five, and she was sent to the Ostwick Circle. Her father made it crystal clear that Selene would always be a Trevelyan, magic or no - going so far as to appoint a guard for her for when she attended the large Free Marcher functions with her family. At no time did she feel forgotten or abandoned.

The destruction of the Conclave shook Selene to her core - not only was the entire Ostwick Circle contingent killed (including the First Enchanter), her long-time guard, Ser Girard, also perished in the blast. But there was never time for grief - not with refugees looking to the young mage for direction, and certainly not with clerics looking for answers.

Cullen proved a steadying influence for Selene - someone who understood where she'd been, and what she'd lost. The pair became fast friends, to where one was rarely seen without the other. Not a single soul was surprised when they married.

Selene reluctantly traveled to Minrathous, ultimately realizing her duty to the Inquisition would never end while the blighted gods roamed across Thedas. Though her sight was clouded due to the Anchor, her drive and determination remained undimmed. And with Cullen at her side, Selene knew she wouldn't fail.

[thefrostyshepard]

@cactus-117 is right - there’s something quite pleasing about ponytail/braid curls..