Red rose even in the gloom
Today's Document
RMH
Keni

Andulka
One Nice Bug Per Day
tumblr dot com
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Alisa U Zemlji Chuda
NASA
Sade Olutola

#extradirty

izzy's playlists!
🪼
Peter Solarz
styofa doing anything
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
Cosimo Galluzzi

if i look back, i am lost

roma★
PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH

seen from Malaysia
seen from Malaysia

seen from Malaysia

seen from Malaysia

seen from Türkiye
seen from United States

seen from Indonesia
seen from United States

seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia

seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States

seen from United States
seen from France

seen from Malaysia

seen from United States
seen from Türkiye

seen from United States

seen from United States
@valedor-chronicles
Red rose even in the gloom
A world in ruins
Memories of a gloomy world
Vampyrmoon
Even the heavens whispered of the coming blight
Candles flicker, shadows chase.
What I said: ok, so for my political intrigue we need a web of relationships between the noble houses
What I meant:
Map of my fantasy setting (Valedor).
Made using Azgaar's fantasy map generator, looking pretty awesome I think!
What do you all think?
A quote from my WIP
check this out
Did a new cover for the first book of the Valedor Saga (renamed the Valedor Chronicles) using Canva! what do you think?
The Night You Met the Serpent King
In which the reader, visiting an ancient lair, gets to meet a mysterious striga known as the Serpent King
TW: Mentions of Snakes
Featuring one of the characters from my story
Striga Lore #5 - Dracula, the First Striga
A/N: This is headcanon I made up for the version of Dracula that exists in Valedor
WHO IS DRACULA IN VALEDOR'S HISTORY?
Dracula is known as the first striga, hatched from an egg in the Otherrealm (a spirit world)
His parents, Inferna (the cosmic blue phoenix) and Sephales (the dragon monster) cast a spell on him, slowly transforming his original batlike appearance into a magnificent human form
He is said to have been incredibly handsome in human form, but utterly monstrous in batlike form
He is remembered (and sometimes revered) as the one who spread the curse of the striga, creating dozens of monstrous turnlings that devastated the city of Telothis
AN ACCOUNT OF THE FIRST STRIGAE (ACCORDING TO THE BOOK OF THE LOST)
"They came from the darkness, from caves and holes in the ground. Their faces brought much terror to those who gazed upon them, being as bats, or ashen ones that once lived under the surface; they were grey as a storm-struck sky, and carried wings like sheets of stretched fabric.
They snarled and hissed, speaking no known language; and possessed no hunger or thirst save for that of ichor. The sun drove them away, sealing them in the night; the moon rose them to be as wild beasts that raged forth.
And chief among them, was one called DRAGHUL, or DRACUL, or DRACULA, the Fanged One. Though his visage be that of a man, whenever the thirst struck, the bat's face came over his."
POWERS AND ABILITIES
Every single one of a striga's powers and abilities came from him. However, a few extra were also noted:
Soul/Total Consumption - Not just ichor, but souls were devoured whenever he fed, leaving empty (often severely aged) husks behind
Mist/Bat Transformation - He was capale of turning into a mist or bat at will
Sunlight Immunity - Sunlight did not diminish his powers in the slightest
Total Striga Control - His psychic control over night creatures extended to the very strigae he sired, able to summon and command them effortlessly
Psychic Linking - He had a psychic link with his brothers, Faeran (King of Reptiles) and Apollion (The First Watcher), making him invulnerable whenever he was near them
HIS IMPRISONMENT
Following the failed Second Rebellion, Dracula was finally captured
His soul was bound into an obisidian goblet and locked away deep underground
Known as the Bat Chalice, it is said to be found "in the deepest cave, across a bridge over a boiling sea of ichor".
The ichor sea is designed to distract and lure in any strigae or mortals that may try stealing the goblet
However, there is a legend that suggests the Bat Chalice was used to create the current strigae in Valedor today (explored in the Valedor History series)
More to come in part 6! If you liked this, feel free to comment below, like and share!
Tenyari Lore #1 - The Tenyari
WHAT IS A TENYARI?
Tenyari are descendants of the Guardians with fox-like traits. Unlike Lykans, Tenyari fox forms are strictly astral-based, capable of appearing only during intense displays of magic.
GENERAL APPEARANCE
Pointed ears, often with a light, downy coating of fur
Occasional flashes of fox eyes, whether slitted (active at night) or round (active during the day) pupils
Short claws, barely noticeable
A fox-shaped shadow
During magic displays, flashes of long fox tails
When astrally projecting, ghostly translucent foxes with glowing fur and eyes
POWERS AND ABILITIES
Sigil Magic Mastery - Being the first group to truly master sigil magic, Tenyari mages are feared throughout Valedor for their huge range of sigils they can unleash during a battle
Psychic powers - such as appearing in dreams, clairvoyance and psychometry
Astral projection - Tenyari souls appear in the form of a fox
CURRENT TENYARI SOCIETY
Tenyari society is made up of Rings (groups of powerful Tenyari) and Chains (made up of linked Rings)
Currently exists underground, away from the crushing grip of the Obsidian Order's rule
The Obsidian Order is the largest Ring above ground, and has total control over everything on the surface
In the tunnels of the Undergrounds, Rings and Chains fight for influence and control over the new trading routes that smuggle vital supplies throughout the subterranean cities
More to come in Part 2
Striga Lore #4 - Becoming a Striga Part 2
MARKING (THE PAINFUL PART)
Accounts taken from those who have survived a marking vary, but it is described as:
Red-hot searing pain, described as two sharp scratches, felt on the neck or upper arm
Intense heat that flows through the bloodstream
A sweet, tarry odour (like modern antiseptic)
Tingling and paralysis that follows the fiery sensation
Light that fills the target's vision
The pain then slowly fades, and the target passes out
MENTAL TRANSFORMATION
The striga forms a sire-turnling psychic link
The striga transmits vital information directly to the victim, effectively imprinting it onto the victim's very mind
This information comes from either their previous sire or books such as the Art of Marking
The victim, when they wake, will instantly have access to all this info
This bond is strongest in the first 72 hours
After this, though the striga and victim can have mental conversations, mass information transmission become much harder
PHYSICAL TRANSFORMATION
The striga stays awake for a while longer after marking, before finding a suitable place and falling asleep
The striga focuses all their mental power on converting the victim from mortal to striga
This conversion occurs within the first 72 hours, and is exhausting for both
Sometimes, the victim awakens mid-transformation, experiencing sweating, chills, high fever, hallucination, severe aches and pains (especially jaw ache) and delirium
The transformation, once complete, is permanent
The victim awakens with the physical characteristics (fangs, same eye colour, pallored skin etc.) of a striga
At first, their whole body aches, and they feel a little drowsy, but it quickly dissipates
They become hungry rapidly, and must go out in search of prey
Thus begins their new life in the shadows
More to come in part 5
Iconic Species of Valedor #1 - Dragons
WHAT ARE DRAGONS?
Dragons are huge, sapient winged serpents. They have four legs and a long whipping tail.
THE VALEDORIAN DRAGON
Their scales glow in the dark, pulsing with rippling patterns
In the wild, they raise their hatchlings (called wyrms) together inside large cave systems
They build huge nests out of treasure such as gold and precious stones, as it is most comforting against their scales
Teenage dragons (called drakes) are notoriously moody, frequently getting into fights
They come in many different colours, from red, blue and green to purple, black and grey
They have huge frills, which they spread when becoming enraged or threatened
They can spit fire with many different effects (from freezing to acid) or lightning
DRAGON FLYING
Dragon flying (also known as dragon flying) is an intensely difficult skill to master, requiring the building of trust between trainer and dragon and the mastery of flight
Dragon flying is mainly practiced by strigae
It begins when a striga naturally affiliated with dragons hatches an egg and the wyrm snuggles up in their arms
Over time, as the baby dragon grows, they form a tight bond of friendship
Once the dragon is old enough, the rider will fashion a bridle for it and carefully place it atop the dragon's head
The two will then practice together, gaining experience
Some of the strongest striga-dragon pairings are capable of destroying castles and wiping out entire armies in minutes
Others are capable of targeting and fighting other dragon flyers in the air
More to come in Part 2 of this new series!
Lykan Lore #2 - The Lykans
WHAT IS A LYKAN?
Lykans are descendants of the Guardians (powerful ancient beings) that were capable of shifting into wolves.
GENERAL APPEARANCE
Softly glowing green or amber eyes, sometimes with colourful flecks (irises expand to fill entire eyes before a shift)
Their ichor glows as well as it absorbs lunar energy, tracing the path of their veins
During a full moon, the glow spreads over their entire body, and flashes brightly just before shifting
They have short claws
LYKAN SHAPESHIFTING
Lykans can shift at any time, not just the full moon (though the full moon is easiest to shift during)
Their ichor absorbs a critical amount of energy at that time
Only when a lykan is completely calm can the shift be smooth
The shift occurs in a brilliant pulse of light, transforming them into a large wolf
They can only hold this form as long as the lunar energy is in their veins
Some lykans can shift multiple times in a minute
Lykans remain fully clothed the whole time
OTHER POWERS AND ABILITIES
Telepathy - Especially during battles. Lykans are capable of incredible coordination, which is why their military strategies are feared across Valedor
Super Strength - Lykans are incredibly strong
Sigil Magic and Alchemy - Lykans have mastered the art of alchemy (transmuting elements) and are constantly experimenting to form new materials and delve deeper into magic
More to come in Part 3!