#BattlemageAskaly
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sayaashrah.bsky.social
#NovemberWorldbuilders 1. Few characters represent the colour red as well as dear daughter, Askaly ❤️💖

Fun fact: "askaly" [ash-ka-loo] means "scarlet" in Kraslan :3

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly
Full-body, digital artwork of Askaly Coliary [pronounced ash-kah-loo soh-lee-ah-roo], from Chronicles of the Realms, by Sasha (https://bsky.app/profile/sashthesloth.bsky.social). Askaly is a Blood Battlemage with red hair and red eyes, and as she smiles, her fangs become visible. On her raised right hand she carries a ball of blood, while her lowered left hand holds Slakriu [sh-lah-kryo], her double-edged dagger imbued with a bloodstone from which flows a long whip of blood. She wears fur-lined clothes, a vest, and a scarf in shades of white and red, all decorated with motifs related to her culture and personality. Her shirt extends into a cape-like piece, and she wears a fauld. On her hands, she also wears clawed gloves.
November 1, 2026 at 12:17 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#LGBTQWriteAThon 25. "Terror"

But the face she had seen bore none of those traits, overly simplistic in comparison, and yet it had inflicted a worse terror upon her than any of the paintings of the monstrous Elder God ever did.

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly #WriteSky
October 25, 2026 at 12:20 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#LGBTQWriteAThon 18.

“I-I mean, I can help you. I know rituals that can strengthen you and protect you against toxins. I can keep an eye on you—o-on your blood, that is, which I know sounds creepy, but…”

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly #Xiuly
October 18, 2026 at 11:56 AM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
... looks spectacularly cosy. It came from those same Coliary artisans, and yup, it's great for the Orasan weather! But... she, too, might go through a bit of a change in Book 2 for... reasons 👀

#BattlemageAskaly
Full-body, digital artwork of Askaly Coliary [pronounced ash-kah-loo soh-lee-ah-roo], from Chronicles of the Realms, by Sasha (https://bsky.app/profile/sashthesloth.bsky.social). Askaly is a Blood Battlemage with red hair and red eyes, and as she smiles, her fangs become visible. On her raised right hand she carries a ball of blood, while her lowered left hand holds Slakriu [sh-lah-kryo], her double-edged dagger imbued with a bloodstone from which flows a long whip of blood. She wears fur-lined clothes, a vest, and a scarf in shades of white and red, all decorated with motifs related to her culture and personality. Her shirt extends into a cape-like piece, and she wears a fauld. On her hands, she also wears clawed gloves.
October 15, 2026 at 10:37 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#SFFChat Q4. A short but, I think, properly eerie one!

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly
A soft red light bathed the buildings through the purple dome that encircled the island, a facsimile of Outworld’s sky. Yet, there was no sun or any of the rocky rings that crowned the planet, and the eerie sensation of being trapped in an illusion only grew worse as Askaly noticed how quiet, how lifeless, everything was: no animals, no rustling of leaves or whistling of wind, no footsteps left on the sand.
October 9, 2026 at 10:57 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 3. “Petal”

Grumpy/sunshine when you start melting the grumpy's heart :3

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly #XiuyingCotR #Xiuly #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #QueerWriters
Askaly glanced over her shoulder, and she smiled when she spotted a piece of the flower she had tattooed on Xiuying’s shoulder. “We’ll see each other again, petal.” Xiuying’s pale cheeks turned a bright red. “Petal?! How dare you?” Askaly followed Fujin into the portal, grinning from ear to ear. “She likes it,” the goddess said, their voice jingling like a chime dancing with the wind. “I know.” It felt good to tease Xiuying and laugh with the Protector Goddess. Askaly feared it might be long before she relished that warmth again.
October 3, 2026 at 1:12 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 26. "Observe"

To be born without wings, what a tragedy...

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #QueerWriters
Discovering the ongoing ritual, she slowed down to observe. As Askaly worked on her sketches, she stood and carefully approached the monk—not so that Sonya wouldn’t notice it, but to give her plenty of time to show her displeasure in case she didn’t want the company. Surprisingly, that didn’t happen. “So… you didn’t get lost in the woods,” Askaly said. When no answer came, she tried again, “Found any big bad wolves?” Sonya frowned at her. “Are you seriously referencing Little Red Riding Hood?” “It was the first Earthrealm story ỏma told me…” Askaly shrugged. “I didn’t understand it.” “You didn’t understand it?” “It didn’t make sense to me why the girl would walk through the woods, or why her grandma would build a house in the woods in the first place. Then ỏma explained that humans are wingless, and I thought”—she laughed, unable to contain that note of bitterness—“what a strange species, to be born without wings.”
September 26, 2026 at 12:12 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
If it's Sareena, all bets are off. I have no idea whether I should feel comforted or plead for my life.

A smile from Askaly, in this context, would be less comforting than one of her normal smiles. She is... creative, and that creativity can 🧵

#CaptainNitara #NetherTouchedSareena #BattlemageAskaly
September 22, 2026 at 10:12 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
Happy birthday to Askaly's real-life inspiration, Darya Zhovner 🥳♥️🩸

#BattlemageAskaly
Screenshot of a story from Darya Zhovner's Instagram showing her about to blow her birthday candle.
September 20, 2026 at 9:05 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 2. "Button"

I've shared most of this before, but it's such a cute moment for #Xiuly (yeah, I'm making the ship name and hashtag official!) 💜

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly #XiuyingCotR #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #QueerWriters
In that rhythm, it took Askaly around three hours to finish the tattoo; admittedly, she had worked more slowly. To better enjoy the music, of course. During that time, she was distantly aware of the gong calling for another duel, but Xiuying made no mention of standing, either, so there they remained. The cryomancer would hum along to the melodies or drum her fingers on her lap now and then, no longer flinching when Askaly brushed a finger or blew on her skin. “And we’re finished!” she announced. Xiuying paused the song, moved across other screens, and passed the phone to Askaly. “Take a picture so I can see it.” Askaly squinted at the screen. “Which button do I press?” The cryomancer frowned at her. “Don’t you have phones in Vaeternus?” “We do, but not like this, and not to take pictures. This doesn’t even have buttons!” She looked from the strange and small device to the other girl’s befuddled expression. “Ỏma has a camera, though!” “One that still uses film, I suspect.” Xiuying rolled her eyes and pointed at the big grey circle. “Just aim and click here.”
September 2, 2026 at 12:06 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 1. "Garden"

Lots of "garden" thanks to Mileena and Kitana, but I chose a different POV and a more... gloomy setting.

CW for PTSD, grief, and mention of genocide.

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #QueerWriters
But as those same years passed and Askaly’s awareness grew, she discovered a terrible fear rooted in her mother’s heart. Sometimes, she would wake up screaming and wheezing, and for days, she would not sleep again, not until she could no longer push her exhaustion away. During the month of Neʋoly, a beam of light would hang over her, and no matter how much she hid in the dark, it would not leave. Her normally confident mother would make herself small in posture and voice, wouldn’t speak when spoken to, would miss important appointments. Her face betrayed anguish; a pain that Askaly could find no medicine for. It took her years to learn, through a bitter remark from Agaeilisa, that her husband and Nitara’s father had been killed during the Bloody Year. After that, Askaly invited her mother to visit the Memorial Garden erected to honour all those who had fallen during that period, both to the plague and to the genocide. It took effort to convince her mother, but at last, she agreed. That first visit had been the hardest. Askaly knew that it had been a horrible time that still haunted nensii memory, both of those who had survived and those who inherited them, but it wasn’t openly spoken about, it wasn’t taught, and until that day, Askaly had had no idea of the harrowing scale.
September 1, 2026 at 12:22 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 30. "Soup"

Things on the Island of the Lost Sea are getting tense, but I guess at least Kano is still having a good time.

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #QueerWriters
Xiuying wasn’t in the main hall either, though Sonya said she had seen the cryomancer out and about earlier that morning. The climate in the pagoda was… tense, to put it mildly. At the Outworld table, Ko’atal ate some kind of red soup—that Askaly was relieved to attest did not have blood in its ingredients—his gaze fixed on his plate, and a new necklace around his feathery neck. Baraka’s crimson blades still protruded from his wrists, the lacerated skin having done a wonderful job at healing itself, though the war chief’s small and slow bites at his fruit pointed to the opposite of a celebratory mood. Küka continued to wear Johnny’s sunglasses no matter where he went, but the normally cheerful tarkatan now poked at a chunk of meat as if mourning the animal. Kano leant back in his chair, boots atop the table, picking at his teeth with his knife (or one of them). And people say tarkatans are gross.
August 30, 2026 at 12:16 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#BattlemageAskaly

Li Mei: Cheerful. Hopeful. Diligent.
Never: Arrogant.

Aphásiés: Arrogant. Brutal. Irreverent.
Never: Romantic.

Quan Chi: Industrious. Histrionic. Intelligent.
Never: Careless.

#LiMeiCotR #AphásiésCotR #EmissaryQuanChi
August 27, 2026 at 10:30 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 15. “Spicy”

Can't fight on an empty stomach!

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #QueerWriters
As promised, Outworld servants—slaves wearing no more than old tunics and scars of whips and blades, some faded, others fresh from the arenas—brought the food. Trays upon trays packed with food from across the two competing realms, one more mouth-watering than the other… except for the yucky blobs that the kytinn shared. Alongside the food, they brought two cups for each human (and Askaly): one filled with water, the other with wine. “Should we eat this?” Sonya frowned at the luscious braised abalone before her. This one, Askaly could answer. “Shao Kahn would never resort to poison and would execute anyone who dared sabotage the sanctity of combat.” And since she had not eaten in hours, was not immune to the allure of good food, and the idea of being luxuriously fed by her realm’s greatest enemy appealed to her bitter heart, she plucked a zongzi from a pool of spicy sauce and took a greedy bite.
August 15, 2026 at 1:05 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
My girls :3

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #SayaAshrah #CaptainNitara #NetherTouchedSareena #BattlemageAskaly #MileenaSuêòng #LiMeiCotR
Height chart (in feet) for some of the main characters from Chronicles of the Realms: - Nitara (6'8'') - Askaly (6'2'') - Mileena (5'8'') - Sareena (5'6'') - Ashrah (5'4'') - Li Mei (5'2'')
August 14, 2026 at 10:34 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#AwesomeCharacters Not a lot of jealousy going on with my characters, but... yeah, I think this one goes to Askaly 🙂

(Don't blame her, she's lonely.)

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly
Askaly raised an eyebrow. “Why does Mïn bother building all this if most of his own realm’s species don’t even use it?” Xiuying removed her headphones and stowed them in the backpack, which she then zipped closed. “It takes more mental energy to sculpt different models than similar ones. At least that’s what Ayodele said.” Askaly hummed, assuming she referred to another of the Lin Kuei disciples. But she didn’t want to pry and give the impression that she was jealous or something. Which she wasn’t. That would be ridiculous.
August 14, 2026 at 10:13 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#SumLuv 3. Here are Ashrah/Nitara and Askaly/Xiuying meet-cutes:

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #SayaAshrah #CaptainNitara #Ashtara #BattlemageAskaly #XiuyingCotR #QueerWriters
She was even taller and burlier than the others, and though her skin must have been pale as well, rage painted it in the same dark red of her hair, wings, and the long, fur-lined coat she wore. Alarun was splattered on her face and dripped from her spear and claws. Ashrah wondered if any of that belonged to Sareena, and with that thought, she raised her sword, pointing it at the concubus’ chest. Her foe recoiled at the mere sight of the purifying blade, the Nether in her desperate to escape. “Your kind imprisoned Datusha here. For your offences against this celestial being and against me, I shall kill you, and your vile soul shall light my way out of this Hell that will be your grave!” The concubus roared. Ashrah responded in kind, and they clashed amidst sliced tentacles, crushed bones, and puddles of black and red blood. But someone else entirely captivated Askaly’s attention. The young woman who walked beside the grandmaster with a bag draped over one shoulder, a twinblade strapped to her back, and headphones clasped in her hand. Her skin was ice blue; her short, shaggy hair snow white with shades of pale turquoise along the edges. Her shoulders gleamed as if encrusted with gemstones, and as she got closer, Askaly realised there were indeed ice crystals peeking out of her flesh. A natural-born cryomancer. Askaly couldn’t hide her awe. She had only ever met other born cultivators by name. How much control over her Breath did the young woman have? Could she sculpt an ice nensii out of thin air? Could she make ice cream?! Askaly had so many questions! The girl met her eyes… and scoffed.
August 3, 2026 at 1:25 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
... life so far.

Xiuying - a natural-born cryomancer trapped in her regrets. Who better to melt the ice queen's heart than a lovely sunshine? 🥰

#BattlemageAskaly #XiuyingCotR

Mileena - half-dĩn'huei, half-tarkatan princess of the Suêòng Dynasty. Much like Ashrah, her journey involves (4/7)
Full-body, digital artwork of Askaly Coliary [pronounced ash-kah-loo soh-lee-ah-roo], from Chronicles of the Realms, by Sasha (https://bsky.app/profile/sashthesloth.bsky.social). Askaly is a Blood Battlemage with red hair and red eyes, and as she smiles, her fangs become visible. On her raised right hand she carries a ball of blood, while her lowered left hand holds Slakriu [sh-lah-kryo], her double-edged dagger imbued with a bloodstone from which flows a long whip of blood. She wears fur-lined clothes, a vest, and a scarf in shades of white and red, all decorated with motifs related to her culture and personality. Her shirt extends into a cape-like piece, and she wears a fauld. On her hands, she also wears clawed gloves. Three-quarter, digital portrait of Xiuying, from Chronicles of the Realms, by me. She's a natural-born cryomancer, which gives her her blue skin and eyes and white hair. Clusters of ice crystals grow on her bare shoulders, and more float around her, demonstrating the mastery of her magical abilities.
August 2, 2026 at 12:06 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 30. “Relax”

It’s not easy to relax in the tournament…

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #QueerWriters
“Do you know who will represent each species?” Kai asked. “You have trained to brave each of them. Who you will contend with bears little consequence.” Kai hummed his assent and attempted to relax in his chair. A task that was far more complicated than the warm atmosphere and plush seats proposed. Training to fight something was fairly different from facing the thing in flesh and bones—Askaly knew well, the memory of her first and last skirmish with a dragoneir etched into the horn-shaped scar on her left shoulder. How her mother had berated her then! Speaking of which, it surprised her to find no dragoneir on the opposing table, only an elyenük, an elemental species native to Outworld—this one had fire for hair, making it clear to which element his soul was connected.
July 30, 2026 at 12:37 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
... the weather I associated with her the most is foggy. I like the "mysticism" that fog has, a sort of association with the spiritual world, and it's something Ashrah comes to enjoy, too.

For Nitara and Askaly, it has to be the cold. As in snowy cold. (2/5)

#CaptainNitara #BattlemageAskaly
July 21, 2026 at 10:16 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 21. “Pry”

No jealousy to be found here.

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly #XiuyingCotR #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #QueerWriters
“So…” she started. “I hope it’s not too unpleasant to sleep under the same roof as Faukeï.” “He mostly sleeps during the day and under the sun.” Askaly raised an eyebrow. “Why does Mïn bother building all this if most of his own realm’s species don’t even use it?” Xiuying removed her headphones and stowed them in the backpack, which she then zipped closed. “It takes more mental energy to sculpt different models than similar ones. At least that’s what Ayodele said.” Askaly hummed, assuming she referred to another of the Lin Kuei disciples. But she didn’t want to pry and give the impression that she was jealous or something. Which she wasn’t. That would be ridiculous. “Well, I’m glad he shaped the cottages after the humans, then.” She clapped, immediately regretting it as Xiuying flinched. “So, what tattoo would you like?”
July 21, 2026 at 11:47 AM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#AwesomeCharacters Askaly would be the best at the job. She has the creativity and the cunning, and the promotional art would be 👌🏽

Nitara, Li Mei, and Kitana could potentially pull it off as well, though Li Mei might be too... colourful for the story. (1/2)

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social 🫜🍂 Charlie (Chelizabeth) Delta 🦊🫜 @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · Jul 13
Tell me more about your #AwesomeCharacters

Your characters are suddenly in charge of all the marketing for your stories!

Who do you hope is taking the job, and how is it going? Are they doing well enough you want to keep them at it?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
July 13, 2026 at 10:09 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 12. “Extra”

Double Sonya snippet: here, she demonstrates a fighting style that she believes would better suit Askaly. (And if you want to see a demonstration of the Panther/Leopard style: youtu.be/zkAPWd2HSEM)

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly #SonyaBlade #WriteSky #QueerWriters
“Have you heard of the Panther style?” Sonya asked. “What is a panther?” “An animal from Earthrealm.” Assuming a different stance, the monk demonstrated a series of movements. Askaly watched closely: how she attacked with speed and precision while she circled imaginary enemies, jumping and evading their attacks. Elbow strikes, low sweeps, rapid sequences of punches—the latter delivered in an unusual way that drew Askaly’s curiosity: rather than jabbing with closed fists, Sonya curled her fingers and either struck with her knuckles or lunged like a predator with its claws. With one final blow, she came to a stop before Askaly. “That’s the Panther style. Or at least the premise behind it. What do you think?” “It’s… fast.” “And effective. I trained the basics before I switched to taekwondo, so I can’t teach you much, but I’m sure Lord Raiden will lend you a manual if you want.” She tapped on her nail. “With your clawed gloves, you could have an extra advantage, too.” Askaly would be lying if she said she hadn’t considered the same. Still… it was hard to change habits. “I’ll think about it. And… thank you.”
July 12, 2026 at 12:36 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 11. "Attack"

I had... quite a few options 😅 Decided to continue a recent snippet, so here's the first part of the Sonya versus Kano fight!

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly #SonyaBlade #Kano #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #QueerWriters
But it wouldn’t be that easy. Belying his sloppy posture, Kano blocked Sonya’s leg with an arm, and before she could retreat, he grabbed her foot, spun it above his head, forcing Sonya to turn her back to him, brought it down hard, and with her on her knees, rammed his boot onto her back. Sonya rolled away from a stomp and lashed out with a kick to his ankle, then followed with a blow with the tip of her shoe to his jaw as she pirouetted back to her feet. Giving him no time to recover, she landed a kick to the side of his knee, then to his stomach, and finally to—Kano blocked the smack to the head and lurched forward, bashing his forehead against Sonya’s. Reeling from the impact, she threw a punch that Kano easily seized in his own hand and used to twist her arm. Sonya bent down, but as she did, her leg came up and over her to smack her opponent before he could break her elbow. Freed, she aimed the sole of her shoe at his face, but he evaded. She hooked her leg, trying to clobber him with the back of her foot, but Kano ducked under that as well, laughing in a triumphant, mocking tone. He choked on his laugh, however, when Sonya uncoiled her leg, hitting him squarely in the temple and making him vulnerable for a double jump kick in the stomach. Eager to press her advantage, Sonya readied another attack. That was when Kano drew a serrated knife and slashed with the precision and dispassion of a butcher.
July 11, 2026 at 12:31 PM
sayaashrah.bsky.social
... good dancer!

Askaly is making caricatures of everyone! She's also singing in the karaoke: she's not great, but who cares?!

Xiuying is responsible for the playlist, but other than that, she's a wallflower. Until Askaly drags her into a duet.

Mileena is (3/7)

#BattlemageAskaly #XiuyingCotR
July 10, 2026 at 10:29 PM