I Did It Again, But The Cat This Time! For Whatever Reason, Narinder Is Always Harder For Me To Draw.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/49892641/chapters/167537173

The Rehabilitation of Death

Chapter 23: A Dance With Death

Narinder awakens to find The Lamb overcome with caring for their sick cult. The plague is unforgiving, and they realize that they'll need to take down Kallamar sooner than later if they plan to prevent any more unnecessary deaths, or face the potentially deadly consequences for over half the flock.

The crusade is a long one, a final journey before the Bishop's door. Narinder humors Lambert's investigative hypothesis on the crown and their issues of separation of power, and how both seemed to have gained strengthen since. The voice of Kallamar echoes from a statue adorned with gems.

Lambert vandalizes a completely different statue in the image of his brother, and learns what exactly is required in dowry for a marriage of a God.

They find Kallamar's treasury: a Ballroom, grandiose and magical. The hand of Death extends to the Lamb an offer. A dance, one that will lead to a very strange waltz, and many important, personal conversations. A dance that will lead to a heart-to-heart talk. Questioning, of one's important to another, and in what manner that might be.

They also almost drown. Keyword: Almost. (The nightmare himself finds the Lamb, and they find themselves confronted, both asleep and awake.)

Chapter Wordcount: 26,593 | Read Tags & Notes for Warnings. Thank you for reading!

(Ao3 links are not embedding for some reason)

Heavanswaed Dark Knight fit for my WOL. I always liked the simpler outfits over the big flashy suits of armor. And look, he's got a ✨scarf✨.

Call me a contestant on Hell's Kitchen that is being yelled at by Gordon Ramsay because I'm cooking up some Shit.

Making a fic about this, but to get to the existential horror we are going to have to go through some regular horror first.

Lots of people depict ascension to godhood in cult of the lamb as a horrifyingly dehumanizing thing. There are some cases where the lamb completely loses themselves or even becomes something more akin to a force of nature rather than a person. This is often foiled very well with Narinder learning how to be a person and enjoy the world around him. It results in the potential for a very interesting plot where the lamb is doomed by the narrative while Narinder can be saved by it. It does beg the question however:

What if they say no? What if they decide the story doesn't get to end that way? What if they break divinity over their knee and pull their still-beating happy ending from the open chest of the narrative? What if they never stop fighting for that life they never got to have, even if it is against the very thing that saved and enabled it? A narrative that seeks to doom them against a lamb too willful and stubborn to let that happen.

lamb

lamb

It's not something I've experienced much myself, and I am hardly a historical scholar, but I can imagine how genocide or oppression can hollow out a culture and leave the survivors with only the worst parts of it. How they only remember the way their people would run and fight and hide. How they only remember the jackboots in the streets, the insults hurled their way and the friends left to die. How no one remembers the way they celebrate because they haven't done so in so long. How no one remembers their stories because the ones who told them are dead and their books burned. How cruelty strips everything away and much of what is left must be cruel in kind.

But they still sing. They still dance. And they do so because joy is stronger than those who would see it stamped out. Because they are still here, and no amount of hate can change that.

Thinking about lambs, whose culture was joyous and loud and vibrant. Lambs who had a dance for everything and a song to match. Lambs whose caravans could be heard marching melodies across the planes. Lambs for who even a combat was done in step to a waltz.

Thinking about The Lamb, who only knows the mourning songs. The Lamb, who only remembers the dances that require a blade in their hands. The Lamb who whispers sad melodies as they walk hostile lands. The Lamb whose only connection to their lost people is in the way they would spill blood.

The Lamb who sings and dances anyway, because while everything else may be gone, they still have this.

A few reference sketches I've done for a potential cotl AU. We will see if anything comes of it, but these will probably change drastically if I continue to draw them. Still, it's neat and I put more work into it than I probably should have.

Do you have any advice for a character who has a sort of sacrificial lamb complex? A savior complex but not as in a hero to save the day, but as in they don't believe they deserve to save themselves?

How to Write a Sacrificial Character

Backstory and Motivation

Traumatic Past: Explore the character’s history. Perhaps they’ve experienced abandonment, betrayal, or loss, leading them to internalize the belief that their worth is tied to suffering for others.

Family Expectations: They may come from a family that emphasizes self-sacrifice or has a history of martyrdom, teaching them that their own needs are secondary to others.

Guilt and Responsibility: The character might feel an overwhelming sense of guilt for past failures, believing that they owe it to others to endure hardship or take on burdens.

Internal Conflict

Self-Worth Issues: Illustrate their struggle with self-worth. They might dismiss compliments or feel undeserving of happiness, using phrases like “I don’t deserve this” or “I have to earn my place.”

Desire for Connection: While they may push others away, they also yearn for connection and love, creating an internal tug-of-war between wanting to be saved and believing they are unworthy of it.

Sacrificial Actions

Small Acts of Sacrifice: Show them making small sacrifices for friends or loved ones, like skipping meals or taking on additional work, which reinforces their belief that they should suffer for others’ well-being.

Dramatic Moments: Create pivotal scenes where they are put in a position to sacrifice themselves for someone else—physically or emotionally. This can highlight their motivations and lead to significant character development.

Interactions with Others

Supportive Characters: Introduce characters who try to save or help them, but the sacrificial character resists, believing their problems aren’t worth the effort. This can create tension and deepen their internal struggle.

Small Acts of Kindness: Have moments where others go out of their way to help them, reinforcing that they are worthy of care and support. This can include simple gestures, affirmations, or sacrifices made on their behalf.

Conflict with a Mentor or Friend: A mentor figure might challenge this belief, encouraging them to see their value and fight for themselves, leading to moments of growth and resistance.

Gradual Change

Moments of Clarity: Show them having fleeting moments of realization where they understand their self-worth, possibly triggered by a significant event or dialogue with another character.

Catalyst for Change: Introduce a scenario where they must choose between self-sacrifice and self-preservation, forcing them to confront their beliefs head-on.

Life-Altering Experience: Put the character in a situation that forces them to confront their fears, such as a near-death experience or a pivotal choice between saving themselves or others. This moment can act as a wake-up call to their worth.

Acts of Courage: Have them step up in a crisis, leading to a moment where they save someone else and realize their capability and value. This can help them see that they have something to offer.

Turning Point: Create a climactic moment where the character realizes they deserve to save themselves, possibly triggered by witnessing someone else sacrifice themselves for them, prompting a realization of their worth.

Final Confrontation: In the final confrontation (with a villain or personal demon), let them stand up for themselves, verbalizing their worth and challenging the beliefs that have held them back.

Symbolism and Themes

Recurring Motifs: Use symbols that represent sacrifice and self-worth, like broken mirrors (self-perception) or shadows (their past). These can help reinforce their internal struggles visually throughout the narrative.

Redemption Arc: If they ultimately find a way to save themselves or allow others to save them, showcase this as a powerful moment of growth, suggesting that self-worth and love are intertwined.

Emotional Depth

Show Vulnerability: Allow the character to express their fears and doubts, whether through dialogue, journaling, or introspection, making their internal battles relatable and poignant.

Balance with Humor: If appropriate for your story, consider moments of humor or lightness to juxtapose their darker thoughts, showing that they are more than their complex.

This is Pyre. They not so subtly take their design from Supergiant's video game Pyre. Don't laugh, I'm bad at naming things.

(Edited my original post removing the story from it. I've posted a link to it on AO3 instead.)

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A quick question for the group, how old do you believe this man is? Trick question, not even he remembers. An odd thing to be sure, considering his mental faculties remain entirely intact. We could speculate on the rumors surrounding this man, such as his odd familiarity with ancient constructs, or the strange tools he is rumored to employ, but we shall instead focus on what we do know.

His name is Hephaestus. No surname given. He is intelligent, and he is dangerous. Already dozens of our number are dead by his hand. Engage with caution, and do not allow him to retaliate.

-Transcript of a briefing given in an abandoned Onyx Dragon headquarters, found alongside a sketch of the subject. The building was burned and this is part of what little could be recovered.