☕️ Alice’s Mad Tea Party Presents: Storytime
🫖 Alice Spills the Tea on: The Dark Court of Droskhal
Oh, sweethearts, gather 'round and listen closely, because today’s story isn’t for the faint of heart. No, no, this one is for the bold, the daring, and anyone who’s ever wondered what really happens in the dark, forgotten corners of the world.
Today, let me tell you about a place that should never have been discovered. A place buried beneath the ancient, twisted roots of trees older than time, hidden far away from the sun’s reach. This place? It’s called Droskhal—the dark court of the goblin king, or as he was known by his followers: King Odrin, the Heart of Shadows.
Oh, you think you know goblins, don’t you? Little sneaky creatures who hide in the dark and scurry about causing trouble. Cute, in a way. But what if I told you that there’s a kingdom full of goblins—not like those scrawny, dim-witted things you hear about—but ones who are intelligent, powerful, and know more about magic than you could dream? And their king? Oh darling, he is not your typical goblin. Not by a long shot.
King Odrin was no mere ruler—he was a being of pure darkness, a creature born of the shadow’s kiss and the midnight hour. His skin was the color of a moonless night, and his eyes glowed like twin embers, burning with a fire no mortal could comprehend. And as for his crown? It wasn’t gold or silver. No, sweetlings, his crown was woven from the very roots of the forest, thorned and black, like the fingers of death itself.
Droskhal wasn’t just a kingdom; it was a realm. It stretched far and wide beneath the earth, winding through forgotten caverns and twisting tunnels. The walls weren’t made of stone, no. They were of ancient, living wood that creaked and groaned like it was alive. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, decay, and something… darker. The goblins who lived there were the rulers of all things that slithered, crept, or hid from the light.
But Odrin wasn’t always king, oh no. Before the throne, he was a mere trickster—a goblin prince who played his games in the shadows, ever watching, ever waiting. He was born of a bloodline that was tied to the deepest corners of the world, where the earth’s magic pulsed like a heartbeat. His heritage gave him abilities no goblin should ever possess—he could weave shadows into reality, command creatures of nightmare, and shift form like smoke. He was a master of illusions, able to bend minds to his will and cloak himself from the prying eyes of the world above.
And so, he played his games, gaining favor with darker, more ancient forces. The Fae. The creatures of the Underworld. Even the gods who once ruled the earth before time took its toll. They whispered to him in the night, promised him power beyond measure—and Odrin took what they gave him, hungrily, until the day he was ready to take the throne.
One by one, he overthrew the old rulers of Droskhal, goblins who were too weak, too scared to challenge him. And then, with the last king’s breath still warm in the air, Odrin claimed his throne, his dark power flooding through the veins of the realm. Droskhal was now his kingdom—and with it, he could reach into the mortal world whenever he wished.
He could pull anything from the shadows: secrets, dreams, and desires—and he did. His Court was a place of wicked beauty, where time twisted like a river caught in a whirlpool. No one could leave Droskhal once they entered. Oh, they’d try, but the forest itself would swallow them whole, drag them back to the heart of the kingdom, where the goblins would feast on their memories.
One night, a brave young woman ventured into the forest. She was from the world above—a scholar, a seeker of knowledge. She thought she could outsmart the darkness. She thought she could solve the riddle of Droskhal and return with knowledge that would bring her fame. She was wrong.
She found herself lost in the shadows, drawn deeper and deeper into the heart of the kingdom until she stumbled upon the Court of Odrin himself. And there, in the flickering firelight, she saw him. King Odrin, perched upon his throne of bone and shadow, his eyes flickering with a mischievous gleam as he regarded her. He was as much a king as he was a god—a being so far beyond her understanding, yet so tempting.
He offered her knowledge, yes. But at a price. He promised to grant her the secrets of the world, to fill her mind with wonders that no mortal had ever dreamed of. But in return, she would give him her soul.
The young woman, desperate for answers, agreed. And in that instant, she became a part of his Court, a part of the eternal shadows that danced around his throne. Her name was forgotten, but her fate? Oh, that lived on, whispered through the dark halls of Droskhal, a cautionary tale to those who dared approach the goblin king’s domain.
So now, if you ever find yourself wandering the edges of the world—where the forest grows too thick, and the shadows grow too long—remember Odrin, the Heart of Shadows. And if you hear a soft whisper in the wind, a promise of power, of knowledge beyond your wildest dreams?
Run, darling. Run fast. Because the goblin king’s games are never what they seem, and once he sets his eyes on you, you may never leave… or you might, but as a different kind of being.
And remember, should you ever get too close to Droskhal’s reach, there’s always a chance that the shadows may just swallow you whole, and you’ll find yourself part of the Court... forever.
Winkingly yours,
—Alice, Queen of Ink & Lore
