Luniidae - Lunide - Tumblr Blog

~ Of Gold and Blood ~

~ How it started... ~

Chapter III

Note: Hi everyone! While I was re-writing chapter 3, I realized it was so long that it ended up being a whole new chapter... So, here we are! Now I need to update the chapter's numbers 😂

You can now read it on AO3 ✨

              Luvia had become an inhabitant of the House of Hope, and the least we can say is that the weeks that followed were the most exciting of her life. 

For the first time the young girl lacked nothing. She had a roof over her head, a huge room just for her, enough to eat morning, noon and evening, and no one to mistreat her. She was even taught to read and write, both common language and the Infernal one, and everything was going well.

             The years spent in Neverwinter had been rough for her, but according to Raphael, it had been a blessing in disguise. They had made Luvia a particularly obedient child due to her strong instinct for self-preservation, and she never complained about anything, unlike the mortal offsprings he saw from time to time when he visited the material plane. How annoying they could be...

Besides, the devil didn't remember having ever heard her ask for anything, not even the slightest toy. So one day, as if to reward her for her diligence and good behavior, but also to make her even more dependant, he gave her a stuffed mouse that she almost never took off.

               An entire year had passed since her arrival, and Luvia had caught up on the most basic knowledge that any child her age had. She had gotten her bearings and was following a routine that couldn't be simpler: every day, spread over several hours, Luvia studied languages, conjugation, sciences or mathematics with the Archivist.

Then she learned to awaken her magical potential with Korrilla (whom she really liked). She then had a few hours of free time during which she tried out the organ which was in the archives room, to the great dismay of its occupants.

Her attempts were very clumsy, but her stubbornness aroused something akin to affection in Raphael (in his own way, of course). Pride perhaps? Still, he took the trouble to show her the basics so that no one would risk losing their hearing in the future. Over time, he even ended up teaching her some melodies, and even the art of poetry.

               Although the presence of the young girl was easier to bear than he imagined, he didn't lose sight of his objective. As adorable and strong-willed as she was, Luvia was just a tool, another soldier in his gigantic army, maybe even his future right hand after Korrilla, who knows? If she continued to be this docile and efficient, then perhaps he wouldn't even need to break her to make himself obeyed.

She would carry out his orders without asking the slightest question and would perhaps even be ready to sacrifice herself if it allowed him to achieve his objective...

The thought left him dreamy... Having someone so blindly devoted on hand was something exhilarating. A Dracanist at that... If the stories he had read about them were accurate, then she would be an essential element in his plan the day he took control of Avernus, the Hells, and then the rest. .. Raphael almost shuddered, already imagining himself reducing to silence all those who could have disrespected him, overthrowing the other Archdevils one by one and showing the whole world that he wasn't just a simple Cambion.

                But in the meantime, the Dracanist was still only a little girl and her abilities were far from being sufficiently developed to consider such designs. And anyway, he was missing a much-needed element: the crown of Karsus. An artifact that, combined with others he already possessed, would be powerful enough to allow its wielder to rival the gods themselves.

Raphael knew where the crown was: safe in the archives of his father, Mephistopheles. The idea of knowing it so close and so far away at the same time was almost unbearable. How could it sit there gathering dust like a common museum antique? Such a work, such a power had to be put to good use, and who better than himself to take charge of it... 

              Sitting at his desk, elbows resting on the edge of the furniture, the devil pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to concentrate on other things. He had already spent enough time being angry with his sire, and brooding like he did wouldn't get him his hands on the precious crown any faster. So he decided to direct his attention to his next clients.

His eyes landed on a few notes, details of desperate people he had met recently, or was about to visit. Among this pile of paper there was a letter, given by Korrilla, written by a woman and addressed directly to Raphael.

Aware of his nature, she begged him to help her brother, a man for whom the term "hypochondriac" was a mild euphemism. She explained that he was terrified of dying. He distrusted everyone and everything and, paradoxically, was on the right track to meet the fate he so feared. The Cambion chuckled, this one promised to be fun, he thought...

               William was a human in his forties who lived as a recluse in his home in Waterdeep. All the shutters were closed, leaving very little room for daylight, and the floor was littered with various blankets. The place seemed almost deserted but not neglected.

The man spent most of his time on his bed, only leaving it to go to the amenities. His face was marked by fatigue and his silhouette, hidden by clothes that had become too big, suggested that he had eaten almost nothing for a long time. 

                 Suddenly, a smell of sulfur, smoke and cherry filled his nostrils. Alert and anxious, he cast worried glances in all directions, trying to find the source. Could his house catch fire? No, impossible, he hadn't used a candle for a while for this exact reason. William examined himself, a little panicked, checking his ribs, looking for the slightest clue, the slightest sign. But he was interrupted when a blazing glow appeared in the middle of his room. A humanoid figure emerged and the man screamed like he had never screamed before.

“Calm down…”, replied a voice that was intended to be reassuring. But the forty-year-old didn't seem very cooperative. He then heard a snap of fingers followed by an annoyed sigh, "I said, quiet."

For a few seconds, no sound came out of his mouth, which, at the time, made him panic even more. He was prostrate on his bed, his eyes filled with fear and riveted on this stranger who had just burst into his home.

He was a rather tall man, dark-haired, with a tanned complexion and an intense gaze. Exasperated, the latter continued...

"I am here at your sister's request. The poor thing seemed desperate and worried...", he glanced around, "...and rightly so, it seems"  There was almost a note of disdain in his words. 

The man on the bed tried to answer him, but he could only make a muffled noise. A bit like he had a piece of cloth stuck in his mouth. 

“Oh, yes…”, the mysterious stranger snapped his fingers again and the words came back to him.

"W-who are you?", William asked under his breath, "You came to kill me...?"

His gaze was full of apprehension as he waited for a response. The other man chuckled warmly.

"Where have my good manners gone" he said curtsying, "My name is Raphael, and no, I'm not here to kill you. Consider me more of a potential... Friend"

"How do you know my sister? What do you want from her?"

“Oh but she’s the one who came to me” he paused, as if for dramatic effect. “You see, she told me about your condition and thought I might just be the solution to a problem that is slowly killing you”

"A... A problem? What problem? I don't have a problem! And I'm not dying! Or maybe I am... No, I don't need any help. She’s worried for nothing, as usual. And you’re wrong too!”

“Oh really?”, resumed the Cambion in disguise, a mischievous smile on his face, “Yet I heard that you no longer even allow her to bring you food, for fear that it will be poisoned or rotten. You have spread these blankets on the floor because you are afraid of hurting yourself with a rusty nail, but you rarely leave your bed because you do not want to risk getting your feet caught in these same blankets and having a bad fall. You're also hiding in the dark for fear of... What again?" Raphael asked with a knowing look.

"... The sun... I'm afraid that the sun's rays would burn my skin...", his interlocutor mumbled shamefully.

"Ah yes...", he laughed, "No, but listen to yourself, do you think you're a vampire? Add to that the fact that you stopped sleeping for fear of never waking up, and you'll soon find yourself in the lead come face to face with what you have tried so hard to avoid"

William remained silent for a few moments, considering the words of his unexpected guest. He had to admit that he wasn't completely wrong... No, to tell the truth, he was completely right. He had been abusing his own body for days. If he continued on this path, he would eventually give up for good. 

"What.... What do you suggest? I can't get out, it's impossible. Believe me, I tried but it's too much for me"

“Nothing is impossible, my dear friend”, replied the devil with a confident look,

“I could make your life more pleasant with a snap of my fingers” he said, matching his words with his actions. 

The poor guy's eyes almost seemed to sparkle despite the dim light. The prospect of leading a life devoid of all fear seemed surreal to him, but also terribly attractive. 

"I'll do anything you want! Absolutely anything! Anything! Just tell me..." William exclaimed. 

"Come on, there's no point in rushing. Your case may look hopeless but you still have a few days ahead of you" Raphael replied calmly, "Let me think about our little arrangement and when I've made up my mind, I'll come back to you"

With these words, and despite the pleas of his new future client, Raphael disappeared in a whirlwind of flames, once again making the man scream who thought he saw his house burning.

              Back at the House of Hope, Raphael considered his options regarding William's case. The poor man was obviously ready to do anything to return to a somewhat normal life, and it was a safe bet that selling his soul was part of that. It wasn't a particularly complicated or interesting case.

In fact, the devil was almost tempted to let him languish in his pitiful room, but he had made a pact with the latter's sister and he felt in the mood for honoring his end of the bargain. 

As fate would have it, young Luvia walked past the open door of his office at that moment. It only took a few seconds for an idea to cross his mind... 

“Luvia” he said in an almost authoritative tone.

The sounds of small footsteps stopped, before starting again, and the little girl appeared in the doorway, her stuffed mouse in her arms.

“Come closer” he said with a wave of his hand. The young girl complied.

She stopped in front of his desk, her big red eyes fixed on him. Raphael stood up and placed one knee on the ground in front of her to put himself at her level. His gaze rested on the two bony growths that adorned her little head.

He remembered reading that the Dracanists' horns were the source of their regenerative abilities. He pinched the tip of one between his fingers, feeling again that kind of magical flow he had felt the day she arrived at his abode. Perhaps the writings were true? After all, he had also read that some people were once willing to do anything to get one... Absolutely anything... Blindly everything. But there was only one way to find out...

"Luvia, my dear... You have always been a good girl. You follow the instructions and you progress quickly. I admit that I have never had anything to reproach you for. You are... almost like a daughter, you know", he restrained himself from grimacing at his own words. For her part, Luvia couldn't help but look at him with a bit of admiration, waiting for his next words, "So I have a favor to ask you", he began, "You see... I would need this” he said, tapping one of her horns with the tip of his index.

               Luvia wasn't a very expressive child and it was sometimes difficult to guess what she was thinking or feeling, but this was the first time she frowned. She seemed a little worried, as well as not understanding why Raphael would suddenly need her horns. Noticing the confusion on her face, he hastened to add...

"You see, I meet a lot of people during my business trips... Sometimes desperate people who are looking for help. Help that I am usually more than willing to offer. But you know...", he stared at her, "Today I'm faced with a particularly difficult case... And to solve it, I need all the help I can get... Your help, Luvia", he insisted. 

The young girl seemed flattered. Was he really asking for her help? Hers, and no one else's? Really? This was a challenge she was ready to accept to make him proud. She simply nodded, trying to contain her enthusiasm to look more... "Professional". 

"Good" he said with a satisfied look, "Well, these horns are very special. They have incredible powers, they can heal, help... I only need a little bit of it anyway"

“Will it hurt?” the little girl asked.

“Not at all” replied the Cambion, “I would never do anything that could hurt you”

Luvia considered his words for a few seconds, and with a nod, she agreed.

                 Two days later, Raphael returned to William who seemed relieved to see him again. 

“Have you thought about it? Our arrangement?” the man asked in an almost desperate tone.

Raphael chuckled, "Well, yes... I think I found what you need", he presented his hand, and opening it, revealed a small piece of horn. His interlocutor seemed a bit surprised. 

"Wh... What is that?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"This, my friend, is the key to your new life. A Dracanist horn, an object as rare as it is powerful... Carry it with you at all times and you will no longer fear the slightest injury"

William looked skeptical for a few moments, "Oh?... I've never heard of it... Are you sure it works?"

                The Cambion pretended to be offended, "Are you trying to wound me, William? Do you know what I had to do, what hostile and unfriendly lands I had to visit to hope to find the rare pearl? If you are so reluctant to accept my gift, I can offer it to someone who will appreciate it at its true value... Which is priceless"

The man seemed to panic, trying to catch up with the situation, "No, no, no, that's not what I meant! I was just a little surprised. In... In the good sense of the word, of course! Haha, at least it won't take up too much space in my pockets...", he tried to calm down and caught his breath.

"Maybe you would need a little proof?" The Cambion approached and gave him the horn. Then he made appear a knife and handed it to him, "Cut yourself"

William stared at him, hint of worries in his gaze, "Wh... What? Why would I do that?"

"Do you want me to do it for you?"

"N-No, it's... It's okay", the man took the knife and reluctantly cut his own flesh in a painful expression, he was too scared to refuse anyway. The wound was nothing but a scratch, but a few seconds later...

"Is... Is it closing... The wound, it... It disappeared?!", he exclaimed.

"Of course it did"

"Okay... What do you want in return?"

Raphael smiled, "I just told you, it's a gift. You see, I've been feeling in a particularly generous mood lately. That said, I'm afraid I still have to inconvenience you with the paperwork"

"I'd sign everything and anything at this point", the man answered.

"I'm sure you would... But before that, tell me... What is your favorite fruit?"

The forty-year-old's eyes widened, "I'm sorry...?"

“You heard me”

"Um... Well...", he thought, "Mirabelles, I guess", he replied, still confused, "But I must admit that I don't really understand where you're going with that"

"Oh, just curious" the devil replied before making a parchment and quill appear in front of him, then the whole thing floated towards William, "You see, it's in my nature to set conditions, but since you already have enough suffered... Let's say... That you're going to hate mirabelles" he chuckled.

                His interlocutor frowned, trying to understand what was happening. All this made no sense, but the poor man was in such a state that it was impossible for him to reason properly. He shrugged his shoulders and signed quickly. He would gladly stop eating mirabelles if that meant to live normally.

“Excellent, William... The horn is yours. Don’t forget to keep it carefully with you, and don't tell anyone about it. This will be our little secret”

The latter took the horn and examined it, he then looked at Raphael, "Thank you... For everything"

"The pleasure is all mine..."

When Raphael returned to the House of Hope, he promised Luvia that her horn had served a purpose, that it had helped someone, had made this someone's life better...

At least for a while.

He will not tell her that William, a few days after finding the courage to go out, had gradually felt a visceral hatred for his sister, Mirabelle. He will not tell her that in a fit of rage, he had killed her, and that upon realizing his terrible mistake, he had ended his life by throwing himself into a river, taking the horn with him into the depths. 

Two contracts, two souls, two birds with one stone...

To be continued...

The re-writing of chapter 3 is so long that I need to make a whole new post/chapter... And change all the chapter numbers :")

At least, it is almost done!

EDIT: Here it is! Enjoy!

[COMMISSION: Tav]

The beautiful Tinùviel, thank you for trust and patience 🖤

Commission info here ✨

Squirm, squirm, for now down here come the claws! 🎶🎶

I just realized I never posted this, the silly laptop wallpaper I drew a few months ago 😆😆

here it is, Disney villain Raphael's musical number and some close-up of his smug face(s)

Mystery Tav asked: Hi! Can I ask which country shipping will be from? I know how expensive it can be and am hoping to budget accordingly if I know where it’ll ship from when you get to that stage ❤️

Hi!! Our Finance and Production team is based in Europe and will ship from there. We‘ll try our best to keep shipping as low as possible, but with what we have planned it may be hard! We‘ll announce prices as soon as possible and highly appreciate you planning so far ahead! ❤️ [Smile or comment on the answer here](https://retrospring.net/@BG3TarotDeck/a/113124183842728201)

Thank you @firlionemoontav for the tag! 🥰

This looks fun!

EGGS: Scrambled eggs 🥚

STEAK: Medium rare or Rare 🥩

MILK: 🐮

ALCOHOL: Red wine 🍷

HOT DRINK: Chocolate 🍫 (but I like it cold)

I'll tag @avani-telvanni @winterhartarts @callmesimplyflo @nyda-the-tav and whoever wants to try 🖤

🍂Autumn!Raphael🍂

My favorite season, my favorite character ✨

I was too tired to draw Luvihael and Luviaarelp... But it doesn't matter, it's been a while since I drew Raph alone 🖤

🍁As my favorite season is around the corner... I want to draw a cozy autumn Luvihael/Luviaarelp... Or even Haarluviael 👀 🍂

Ok and now thanks to @avani-telvanni , I can't stop thinking about a Halloween illustration.... 👀 🎃

TAG GAME

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑢𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒: 𝑔𝑜 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡, 𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ "𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒 + 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒,"

𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑠𝑖𝑥 𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑎𝑔 𝑠𝑖𝑥 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒.

Thank you @firlionemoontav for tagging me ! 🥰✨🥹

Here is what I got for Luvia core, I love it 🖤

I tag (but no pressure ✨) : @avani-telvanni @winterhartarts @adevilyoudo @alwachart @belzebuth-s-crown @callmesimplyflo

I started to consider RPs....

Since I followed some cool RP blogs recently. I just need to find the courage to interact, haha.

I even started to write a bio and made a banner! Simple but I like it.

Dunno if that's a good idea tho 🥴

Yeah I wanted something soft today... And a bit different. I needed a hug today.

Ok guys, on my way to add more stuff to chapter 3 🖤

Here's Dis for the Nine Hells fashion series ✨✨

I had quite the hard time coming up with an idea for this one honestly, so I went with something simple: lavishly dressed Raphael parading a defeated Archdevil/favorite debtor/whoever you want to imagine at the end of that chain for a walk around the city 🤣

Let me tell you a little more about Luvia's nature. As a reminder, this absolutely does not follow DnD lore (Sorry in advance for the long post. It's not very interesting but I wanted to add some Luvia lore 🖤)

Luvia is therefore a Dracanist. We don't know if this word designates a species, a rank or even a magical specialization, but the fact remains that this term was used to define an entire people. A very ancient and long extinct people.

Dracanists were described as horned humanoids with pointed ears, red eyes, and predominantly pale complexions. Sometimes confused with Tieflings, one could however note the absence of tail or angular and pointed physical features specific to the race. As far as we know, the Dracanists were not related to the inhabitants of the infernal planes, although easily influenced people might have believed it. Their appearance, however, was linked to other creatures that we will see later.

They were not known to be particularly vindictive, preferring to work apart from other civilizations, but they were not a peaceful people either. If they were challenged or disrespected, they were able to retaliate in a fairly dissuasive manner.

Indeed, the latters were the only ones capable of mastering blood magic, a powerful, dangerous and above all unstable power if used in any way. (In fact, some believe that their fall was precipitated by a few individuals corrupted by their own magic)

But it doesn't stop there, because they also possessed the ability to transform into a blood dragon. Terrible scarlet and winged creatures whose breath gnawed away the flesh and left only bones. However, although all Dracanists possessed this potential, not all were necessarily able to transform. Some managed to achieve this feat more easily than others who could very well never transform.

In any case, it is unknown whether the Dracanists were related to blood dragons, like the Dragonborns and their draconic parents, or if it was simply an animal form that they could take, a bit like a druid who transforms into a bear for example.

Another little subtlety specific to the species: the horns. The Dracanists possessed regenerative powers. This did not prevent them from sometimes being seriously injured, but it allowed them to recover more quickly than ordinary mortals.

And this famous power came from their horns. Why? How? No one knows, and the main parties involved have never revealed anything on the subject.

Still, these bony appendages could represent an object of desire for anyone crazy enough to try to obtain one, since it was enough to carry a Dracanist horn on oneself to benefit from its effects.

Today, there is no longer any trace of these creatures. Some believe that they have definitely disappeared, talking about them as legendary creatures from some fairytales. But others are convinced that a handful of individuals may have survived, living recluse and hidden from the rest of the world (their life expectancy was estimated at nearly 1000 years).

A few "fun" facts about Luvia:

Although Luvia uses coconut and vanilla scents to perfume herself, Raphael and Haarlep find that she smells like "honey and blood"

Her regenerative abilities mean that she never manages to keep a tattoo, the ink keeps coming out after a while.

Luvia's eyes glow when she uses her magic, making her pupils disappear. But it also happens when she feels a strong emotion like anger or love.

Luvia gives off a certain aura that can appear threatening or uncomfortable to some people. But the young woman can't do anything about it.

Luvia's potential and uniqueness were the reasons why the Devil took interest in her in the first place.

The perfect frame for my perfect husband 🖤

Art by @CerealismTattoo ✨

Here is my gift for my dear friend @avani-telvanni 🖤 Happy birthday again!

Jesmyn and Luvia are out with the kiddos and husbandos 💃

Who would guess that these two tiny beings would end up evil... 👀

When lawful evil turns chaotic

~

I don't draw suggestive things. They're hugging.

Luvihael: They're both jealous and possessive, but also ambitious and passionate (like very passionate sometimes). They share several common points and complete each other by their differences. They love chasing each other and pushing their buttons until it drives one of them completely mad, but they also can be extremely romantic. With a good diner and a fine wine 🍷

Luviaarelp: Despite Haarlep's nature and the beginning of their relationship, it ended up being soft and tender... Their encounters are not always about carnal pleasure only and they occasionally meet to simply snuggle together. Also, Haarlep loves listening to Luvia's voice and she could easily read anything to them.

Thank you @octarinecat for the tag 🥰

I tag whoever wants to do it 🖤 no pressure!

@avani-telvanni @winterhartarts @adevilyoudo @belzebuth-s-crown @bitethedevil @callmesimplyflo

Here is the blank version ✨

I love your Of Gold and Blood story! I am enamoured with your Luvia and I am excited to see where the story is going!

On another note I wanted to ask you, out of a suspicion, are you French? There is something in the pacing of your sentences that feels... linguistically familiar 😁

Oh my, really?! 😭🖤

Thank you so much! It means a lot to mean, truly 🥹 Especially since I felt a bit "insecure" about it recently... This is why I am sooooo slow. I'm delighted ✨

Haha, touché ! Indeed, I am French 🥐🤭

~ R A P H A E L ~

[1/1]

I totally forgot I had those screenshots for months. I did the same with Haarlep (2 & 3) tho.

🍒 Chérie 🍒

Uncensored version here as always ✨

(Even if there wasn't a lot to hide 🫥)

This is the Nine Hells fashion collection, first piece of the serie:

Avernus, featuring Raphael and Zariel

It's time to make good use of all the fancy costume designs I sketched for Raphael 😆

Commission for @dontbegreedy of the beautiful Celeste and Rolan.

Thank you for your trust 🖤

Commissions info here ✨

Heeeey I'm happy to announce to you that I am part of this wonderful project 🥹

This is so exciting and I can't wait for you to see more of it, and to show you the card I'm working on with @attackofthefangirl 🥰

You can find us on Tumblr and Twitter!

✨🔮 meet our contributors 🔮✨

Up next in the spotlight is @/lunidae from instagram who's joining us as an artist.

Within the coming weeks, you can expect us to pull more contributors from the deck. But for now, please show Lunidäe some love! 💜