Nicole "Ashrah" Hidalgo 😈🧄

@sayaashrah.bsky.social

3306 Followers 1487 Following

- Game & Book Writer 📝 - Author of #WorldWithoutLove (https://campsite.bio/nicolehidalgo) & #ChroniclesOfTheRealms (https://archiveofourown.org/series/4547401) đŸ˜ˆđŸ”„ - ⚠ Occasional Lesbian NSFW - Anti-AI - #ChroniclesOfTheRealmsArt - It's [ah-sh-RAH] đŸ—Ąïž

Aphrodite, seen from the back, half her face turned to the viewer, with a garden of rotten roses around her and a full crimson moon above her, complementing her red hair. Art taken from the cover of my book, Garden of Rotten Roses, by David Leahey on Reedsy.
Front screenshot of Alywyll with the background darkened.
A drawing by Nush (https://bsky.app/profile/nushdeco.bsky.social) that imagines Sareena, from Chronicles of the Realms, as a cat. She's mostly black with some white patches on her knees, inside of her ears, and on the left side of her face. She has the red marks across her eyes and two little horns, and her tail has a heart-shaped tip. She smiles the same naughty way Sareena herself smiles!
Black-and-white screenshot of Ashrah in Lords of the Fallen in a crouched, offensive position with energy crackling around her.
Google shitty AI Overview about the elbhyr race from my series, Chronicles of the Realms. A BlueSky link directing to one of my posts appears to the side.
A graphic with the cover for This Is How Immortals Die by Nicole Hidalgo at the centre and some key aspects related to the book: - A drunk, reclusive Priestess of Aphrodite - Love kills! - A princess fascinated by blood - Lesbians with swords (and pistols!) - Grim & Gory - Heart Magic - Aphrodite's Apocalypse - Kobo Plus
Minthara from Baldur's Gate 3.
Reptile warrior by Ben Garriga: https://graphitenightmare.artstation.com/projects/A9dXqX.
The two chosen saeriiss, each bearing a similar sword to Syzoth’s, huffed their agreement. Before they could depart, though, Kiziess cried, “Syzoth, it is an ambush!” He looked again to where the scaleless thieves had fled. All three paths offered plenty of opportunity to hide and set their traps. She was right. Which meant those invaders were more witless than he had assumed, for they forgot saeriiss could sniff them out even if they hid underwater or in the highest branches of the highest tree—especially after they stole their children. “Yes. A shame. I prefer it when they run like headless kykhyo.” “I shall go with you.” “No.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and touched his snout to hers, staring deeply into her golden eyes and the fierceness rooted in their depths. “While I am gone, you are saorossi. Your voice commands us, your claws strengthen us, and your scales protect us. Let none else defy our tribe.”
Screenshot of Ashrah in Lords of the Fallen with her fire swords drawn and standing before Damarose with her cleaver also wreathed in flames.
Frontal screenshot of Ashrah in Lords of the Fallen with her arms raised beside her waist, palms up, and wearing a helmet similar to Marvel's Hela.
The devil gazed through a window. Despite the thickness of the spear shafts blocking the view to the dusty forests of Saarvyl, Ashrah saw what had caught Ikalry’s attention: the volcanic fumes had crossed the frontier, carrying with them the clouds of Ulorzz’s wrath. “There are few perfumes more enticing than that of cooked meat and steaming blood.” Ashrah should not be surprised by the limits, or lack thereof, of Ikalry’s perversion, but in her sixty-one thousand Pulses, she had not had the displeasure of meeting a more sadistic creature. As perverse as some devils may be, they cared about preserving their dominions and would not take kindly to other devils, even their suzerains, laying waste to their lands. Ikalry not only accepted but welcomed it. “How did you learn about the artefact?” Ikalry arched a pointy eyebrow, the gemstone in her forehead pulsing a menacing red. “Blood speaks, elbhyr. Fight for me, and I’ll show you.” Her tail hissed in agreement.
Low-angle screenshot of Ashrah in Lords of the Fallen raising the Pieta's Sword above her head.
The azahnu removed its fingers, and Ashrah fell to her knees. Another humiliation. Datusha floated beside the azahnu’s head; she tried to command the sword so it would slice the demon’s head off, to no avail. “A Torch Bearer who no longer answers to the Eternal Flame. A carrier who defied the creator and still lives. You are a peculiar specimen, elbhyr.” Through the pain clouding her mind, she threw a punch— Her fist hovered a sword tip away from the azahnu’s leathery stomach, a psychic field keeping her arm away with such force she worried it would crush her bones. With a flick of its wrist, the azahnu shoved her. Weakened, Ashrah tumbled through the sand, stopping at the taloned feet of the Nether-Touched. The enemy’s odious face swam into view, and in that moment, Ashrah wanted nothing but to rip those fangs out and use them to carve the grin off her mouth.
Cover of Shaken to the Core by Jae.
Artwork by Drafru (@drafru.bsky.social‬) showing Ashrah in her natural, demonic form of an elbhyr (pronounced ele-ruir). She's a tall, thin demon (so thin we can see the bones in most of her body) with purple skin, claws, a long, wild white hair, purple eyes, thin horns, pointy ears, and two husks on each side of her mouth, one pointing up, the other down. She wears metal beacers, a chest armour, and a cloak around her neck. Otherwise, she's naked, and we can see she has no sexual or gender marks in this form.
Frontal screenshot of Ashrah in Lords of the Fallen, her two swords drawn and wreathed in fire. The background is dark, though we see some flecks of orange light behind her.
But her questions would have to wait, for a rustle drew their attention to the brambles as they shifted and fell apart branch by branch. Sareena ran towards them, not bothering to conceal the thud of her boots, a rusted box clutched in her hands. “Time to take our leaves! Aeacus won’t be happy when he realises his precious key’s missing.” She hurled the box as far as she could, and the three of them dashed past the now liberated road. Darkness receded, and in the distance, Ashrah spotted the ruins of a long-forgotten building floating above more and more heaps of detritus. As they stepped out of Luzvyr and into Ryllul, a furious moan echoed behind them.
Ashrah and Nitara artwork as my lockscreen.
Screenshot of Ashrah in Lords of the Fallen standing atop a wooden beam as she watches the enemy below, including a bunch of lizard and werewolf-sort of critters, both of which are advanced for this first level.
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.
“That’s what they don’t get about Agahmul. There’s no reward, no relief, no salvation. Suffering is the beginning and the end. When he ascended to godhood, he didn’t become the God of Hope. He became the Broken God.” “That is
 curiously insightful,” Datusha noted. Ashrah stared down at the pendant in her hand, revulsion twisting her guts where before had been the gratification of learning. If Sareena spoke the truth about this Agahmul, a being who ascended to divinity but still could not escape his cycle of torment, could not break the chains that made him a slave to vice, then his godhood meant as much as a drop of blood in a massacre.
Cover of This Is How Immortals Die by Nicole Hidalgo, made by David Leahey. It depicts the heavenly beautiful face of a woman (Aphrodite herself), a tear sliding down her only visible eyes, her hair flowing and blending in with the star-studded dark blue and purple cosmos behind her. The author's name, Nicole Hidalgo, is on top, while the title, This Is How Immortals Die, sits at the bottom. Some letters are stylised as Greek letters.
A digital illustration of Ashrah by Orlando B (https://bsky.app/profile/sarkastiklover.bsky.social). It shows her in her "Duality Form," half-human and half-demon, the latter represented by her ringed horns and the left hand in her purple demonic skin and claws, closer to the viewer. Her other, human hand, is behind her and grips Datusha. We see Ashrah from a high-angle view, her face set into a deep frown as she readies herself for battle.
Doodle commission of Ashrah by Wandering Koyote (https://www.tumblr.com/wandering-koyote). It's a low-angle shot of her looking down, as if looking down on someone in her usual prideful nature.
Full-body digital art of Kitana SuĂȘĂČng, from Chronicles of the Realms, by me. She has the appearance of an Asian woman with tanned skin, hair tied in a ponytail, and a short-sleeved blue robe reminiscent of the Vietnamese ĂĄo dĂ i that ends into a split skirt that leaves her legs bare from the knees down. On her right leg, she wears an amethyst anklet, symbol of her status as princess, and a rhododendron blooms on her left leg. She's barefoot, her feet dirty with the earth she walks on. On her left hand, she brandishes an open blue fan, and on her right hand, she summons a spell, also blue. Feathers drift around her. The rough background shows a grassy earth, some trees, and an orange sun burning bright.
Bust of Mileena SuĂȘĂČng, from Chronicles of the Realms, by Mery (@meryselda.bsky.social). It depicts Mileena in a three-quarter view, the absence of the veil letting free her large mouth filled with shark-like teeth. On her hair, half of it in a high bun and the rest loose, bloom two lilies of the valley.
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.
Full-body digital illustration of Ashrah by Sasha (@sashthesloth.bsky.social). She wears her Bound By Flame outfit, composed of a grey selendang-like garment draped over her left shoulder and arm, pinned in place by a shoulder armour with a Minotaur-like horn melded into it, an orange chest piece, same colour of a sarong-like skirt and gladiator sandals, and golden arm bracers with Infernal symbols representing strength, power, and will engraved onto them. On her right hand, she wields Datusha, her keris-shaped sapient sword, while on her left palm hovers a sphere of the Eternal Flame. She looks straight ahead with a serious expression.
Another knock at the door stopped Kitana from conjuring a foolish excuse. She allowed the servant in, an uncomfortable silence looming over the princess’ chambers as they filled two cups with the requested juice. It was Jade’s favourite, but she made no move to take the cup once they were alone again. “What are you hiding from me?” “I’m not hiding anything, I
” Kitana’s soaring frustration surfaced in the form of a heavy sigh. “I fear I’ll put you in great danger if I tell you what happened, and I can’t
 I can’t risk you.” Jade crossed the room in a blink and grasped Kitana’s hands in hers. “How many times have we stood in the path of danger for one another? I have no regrets. Do you?” “Of course not! I would march through a forest of thorns, wade through a lake of fire, and wage war against the Rot itself for you!” “Then why would it be any different now?”
Ashrah bust commission by Cay (@arcanemoon.bsky.social). She's wearing her Bound By Flame outfit (the grey selendang, the orange kemben, the rope tied around her right arm, and the pauldron with the horn attached to it), her purple eyes glowing.
A black screen with words in white, "In light, they fall."
Screenshot of Ashrah in Lords of the Fallen, seen from the back, her sword wreathed in flames, as she confronts the giant Adyr.
The chanting intensified as the entire city joined in one chorus. No stars remained in the sky, and even the lanterns hanging from houses and trees went out, leaving only the bonfires to light the ever-darkening morning. And then the sun rose. Trapped in the jaws of a curse, its rays of light withered into tendrils of darkness that cast the deepest shadows Kitana had ever seen, entombing entire rows of houses and trees in Infernal murk. Half of the sun melted into tentacles akin to those of the fiend who haunted it, and that same fiend let out a soul-numbing howl that trembled the clouds and the fire and distorted prayers into incoherent muttering. The twins sought each other’s hands at the same time, clinging to one another with a vine-like grip. A spark of regret flared up inside her, but she quelled it under the conviction that there was no turning back anymore. Shrieks and roars reverberated across the city—the demons had arrived, and thus the Nightmare Eclipse began.
Artwork by Drafru (@drafru.bsky.social‬) showing Ashrah in her natural, demonic form of an elbhyr (pronounced ele-ruir). She's a tall, thin demon (so thin we can see the bones in most of her body) with purple skin, claws, a long, wild white hair, purple eyes, thin horns, pointy ears, and two husks on each side of her mouth, one pointing up, the other down. She wears metal beacers, a chest armour, and a cloak around her neck. Otherwise, she's naked, and we can see she has no sexual or gender marks in this form.
Low-angle, three-quarter screenshot of Ashrah in Lords of the Fallen with her sword enveloped in fire. Her surroundings are dark and tinged with red, a large chandelier dangling out of focus in the background.
Screenshot of a scumbag profile named "AI ART and VIDEO."
Sareena dragged herself backwards, avoiding being cleaved in half by a hair as the steel crashed between her legs. She drove her foot into the balor’s jaw, buying her time to jump back up but not to escape a punch to the ribs. His hand reached for her head, and Sareena had no doubt he could smash it with the same effort it would take her to crush a bug. Ignoring all the pain telling her to let him, she dashed under his fist, gashed his side, and caught the sword in a reverse grip, aiming the blade at the balor’s spine. She couldn’t finish her plan before Morrgon shouldered her and seized the twist of his torso to draw the halberd free and swing it. Sareena barely had time to raise the swords before the broad blade clanged against her thinner ones with enough force to send her skidding. “[Redacted] must be truly desperate to send one so weak to do [their] dirty work.”
Medium shot of Alywyll from Baldur's Gate 3. She stands in front of a macabre, skeletal totem in the chambers of Priestess Gut, arms crossed in the "Dark Urge" pose.
Ashrah bust, commissioned from Saphnoctis (Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/saphnoctis/). The drawing is a three-quarter view of Ashrah wearing her Balance is a Journey outfit (the golden, Barong-shaped pauldrons, the purple selendang, the white collar of the white kebaya, and the Garuda-shaped pendants tying the kebaya together), her purple eyes looking to the right, and her hair done in her usual, warrior-like topknot.
An image of a white peice of crinkled paper with black text and decorative symbols over it. It is titled “A Writer Ask Game” with the words “One like, One answer” at the bottom. There are a couple decirative symbols of pen flourishes, a book, and a keyboard. It has text reading “by Theodore Snapdragon” and 75 questions. Because of the character limit, I won't write the questions here, but I'll write them in the posts as I answer them.
A Picrew of Ashrah. Her outfit is different from what her Balance is a Journey outfit, of course, but the white robe added to the purple cape on her right shoulder makes it quite fitting! She also holds a sword in one hand, while the other is a demonic, purple hand, hinting at her natural form. Picrew link: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/111486.
“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 elyenĂŒk, an elemental species native to Outworld—this one had fire for hair, making it clear to which element his soul was connected.
Close-up shot of Ashrah's face in Where Winds Meet, her purple eyes squinted and wearing a blue, transparent hat with moon pendants hanging from it.
In contrast, Taven was always walking around in opulent dresses that trailed behind him and fit snugly, almost scandalously so, around his wiry figure. His clean face and glossy orange hair, tied into a loose high bun with a braided front, gave him a much younger air even though he was only a few seconds younger than his brother. He had been Mileena’s first passion—as well as that of many other Edenians; one just needed to listen to the songs to realise that dreamy was an adjective that described Taven in more ways than one. In the following centuries, she would often wonder whether she had ever felt anything real for him or if it had been just a matter of convenience. After all, he was one of the rare creatures, Edenian or otherwise, who knew about her secret, and one of the even rarer ones who didn’t feel disgusted by it. And if the tales were true—and Mileena was certain that at least the most absurd were—he had bedded far worse than her. A match made in the Celestial Plane!
Cover of This Is How Immortals Die by Nicole Hidalgo, made by David Leahey. It depicts the heavenly beautiful face of a woman (Aphrodite herself), a tear sliding down her only visible eyes, her hair flowing and blending in with the star-studded dark blue and purple cosmos behind her. The author's name, Nicole Hidalgo, is on top, while the title, This Is How Immortals Die, sits at the bottom. Some letters are stylised as Greek letters.
Medium shot of Alywyll with a tomb behind her, wearing her General armour, but without the helmet, showing her orange curls.
Judging herself as clean as she could be, the Nether-Touched turned to Ashrah. “Appreciate the assist. I’m Sa—” Ashrah raised her sword. “Silence, half-breed, and face me in honourable combat.” “Honourable?” she scoffed, looked around the dead marrkals. “What use do I have for honour when I can have victory?” Ashrah thrust, Datusha puncturing through empty air as the Nether-Touched once again demonstrated her—and Ashrah hated to admit it—impressive agility. “Hey! Did you really kill those demons just so you could kill me?” “Yes.” Ashrah took another step towards her opponent.
Comment on Ao3: But I want you to know that your Ashrah is already the Ashrah I think of when I hear the name. You rescued them from the Abyss. Elbhyr Warrior Ashrah is *my* Ashrah. 🙂
Screenshot of Ashrah in Where Winds Meet, seen from the back, her translucent shawl waving behind her. Heavy rain falls around her, and the moonglow occupies the sky before her.
Close-up of Minthara's face with her smirk and some blood splattered on her face.
Screenshot of the tincture menu in Lords of the Fallen with the Pridebond tincture selected.
Ashrah bust, commissioned from Saphnoctis (Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/saphnoctis/). The drawing is a three-quarter view of Ashrah wearing her Balance is a Journey outfit (the golden, Barong-shaped pauldrons, the purple selendang, the white collar of the white kebaya, and the Garuda-shaped pendants tying the kebaya together), her purple eyes looking to the right, and her hair done in her usual, warrior-like topknot.
Ashrah bust, commissioned from Saphnoctis (Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/saphnoctis/). The drawing is a three-quarter view of Ashrah wearing her Balance is a Journey outfit (the golden, Barong-shaped pauldrons, the purple selendang, the white collar of the white kebaya, and the Garuda-shaped pendants tying the kebaya together), her purple eyes looking to the right, and her hair done in her usual, warrior-like topknot.
Digital painting of Ashrah, from Chronicles of the Realms, by Sunny (https://bsky.app/profile/inorheona.bsky.social). It depicts her in her white and gold and purple Balance Is A Journey outfit, with Datusha, her keris-shaped sword, raised before her, covering the lower portion of her face. Her hair fans out behind her, and she has the fierce expression of a seasoned, skilled warrior in her purple eyes.
Figuring It Out 17 books in which characters figure out their Queer/ Neurodivergent/ Disabled selves. July 12th -31st. Itchio. Covers bordering text; This Is How Immortals Die Nic Hidalgo Bad Memory MAMelby Dragon's Soul jfrcoates A Designer Magick Stefanie Carter Lucifer's Favour Tessa Hastjarjanto Countering the Hands of Crime (Sythe Series #2) Elise Carlson Bleeding Gold Niranjan The Baptism is Long but the Song is Everlasting Rob MacWolf Our Simulated Selves Nikki Null Rin in Time Immemorial L’Poni Giving in to Gravity Avery Bridge A Life in Too Many Margins S. E. Thomson What Lies Within Issy Waldrom A Demon to Save Me (Found Humanity #1) H.S. Kallinger Blood of the Gods Wren L. Rivers The Protector and the Annihilation Naila Moonsi Structural Integrity & Structural Strain Tabitha O'Connell
Doodle commission of Ashrah by Wandering Koyote (https://www.tumblr.com/wandering-koyote). It's a low-angle shot of her looking down, as if looking down on someone in her usual prideful nature.
Bust of Mileena SuĂȘĂČng, from Chronicles of the Realms, by Mery (@meryselda.bsky.social). It depicts Mileena in a three-quarter view, the absence of the veil letting free her large mouth filled with shark-like teeth. On her hair, half of it in a high bun and the rest loose, bloom two lilies of the valley.
The axe-wielding cambion charged at Alywyll. Something happened, then: she heard the beating of her and the fiend's heart, but nothing else, the roar of the dragon and the crackling of the infernal fire a mere buzz in the back of her awareness. Her fists unclenched, muscles loosening. Close to her now, the cambion brought his axe down. And when Alywyll moved, she did so without thinking, without knowing what she was doing, simply following that power coursing through her. She sidestepped the attack, and before the cambion could raise the axe again, she slapped and gripped his wrist, holding his arm down, then twisted her waist, delivering an open-hand strike to the fiend's temple with enough force for it to resonate throughout the nautiloid. The cambion slashed, but stunned by the hit to the head, the movement was clumsy, making it easy for Alywyll to step back, then forward again, bringing the edges of her hands hard against the enemy's neck. A bone snapped under her gauntlet; fear drowned the hate in those red eyes when the cambion realised he had no strength left to swing his weapon again.