#(basically a Great One is a powerful Elder Dragon who rules and protects)

[akaluan]

Dragon Quincy AU Part 2

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | ????

((And so it continues taking over my life.))

Erich hovered just beyond the wards he’d found, head canted to the side and eyes narrowed; whoever lived here on the edge of Seireitei had quite an impressive schema. If he could manage to slip /through/ those defenses, he would have a relatively safe place to hide and heal the young Quincy.

He closed his eyes to get a clearer image of the schema, then began to carefully weave an opening with his mana, inserting himself into the protections. The moment he had a gap, he folded his wings and dropped, settling on the ground near a few trees.

Erich lifted his head and scanned the area, noting the house in the distance. He couldn’t sense anyone within the wards, however; it seemed as if he was alone for the moment.

(Good. Time to take advantage of that breathing room.)

Setting the boy on the ground, Erich glanced around once more, then let his draconic form shimmer and fade away, replaced by his more compact, anthropomorphic war-form. Another thought brought up a mage-shield around them for added protection.

“Let’s see what we have here,” Erich murmured, crouching next to the sleeping boy and resting a paw on the boy’s chest. He reached out with his senses, checking the extent of the damage, and breathed a sigh of relief; he’d reached the boy in time, it wasn’t yet too late to easily heal.

Erich set to work, spinning out thin threads of mingled reiatsu and mana that sank into the boy’s body. He ignored the signs of damage and strain; time and care would heal those wounds, and he was no healer to urge it along. Instead, he focused on what he /could/ handle: the block beginning to form around the boy’s soul. Allowed to harden, it would cut him off from all but the barest traces of power until his body was strong enough to wear away the block.

And even then, Erich had known Quincy who never quite recovered their strength. Never regained — or /gained/ — their ability to transform.

(He’d carefully looked away when they put on the glove once more. Said nothing when they never came back.)

(Sometimes, being Clan Head meant knowing when he could do nothing to help.)

He would not allow that fate to befall this young Quincy. Would not allow the boy to potentially lose his heritage like that.

Erich brought his strength to bear and the forming block shattered like glass under his power. His mana dissolved the fragments before they could spread to cause problems, then settled around the boy’s soul in turn. A block, but a kinder one. One Erich set to slowly dissolved over the next few days, as the boy’s body healed from the strain put upon it.

He swept his power through the boy’s body once more, checking to be sure there was nothing /else/ that stood out. But beyond signs of stress and intense training, everything seemed fine.

Relieved, Erich pulled his senses back and straightened up, tail swaying contentedly. He’d need to double check in a few days, but he doubted the boy would lose his powers or his heritage.

“Incredible,” a voice breathed.

Erich darted to his feet, wings mantled and lips curling back in a snarl. “Shinigami,” he growled.

A man stood just beyond his shield, wearing the traditional Shinigami garb and with a blade at his hip. His long white hair hung free in a blatant sign of danger; only the skilled could afford such long hair, much less to keep it unbound. Even his mate Alexis had kept her human locks bound in a braid whenever she fought as a human.

The man raised his hands in faux surrender and took a single step back. “Peace, Great One. I mean neither you nor the boy harm.”

Erich growled and snapped his jaws closed on empty air, the blatant threat winning him another retreating step from the Shinigami. “Then go.”

“Please, at least hear me out, Great One,” the man said, tone gentle. “I am Ukitake Jyuushiro, the owner of these lands, and the Captain of the Shinigami who is to be executed. Who /they/—” he indicated the unconscious boy at Erich’s feet, then flicked a hand towards Seireitei— “are trying to rescue.”

He narrowed his eyes and cocked his head, examining the Shinigami more closely. He couldn’t scent any fear from the man, nor the odd pile of scents that humans — and Shinigami — tended to smell of while lying. “What does that matter?” he asked, though he suspected he knew.

(He knew how it was, to have his hands bound by rules and regulations. To have to work within a system that restricted his actions and punished him for a truth that he knew but others would not accept.)

“They are doing what I cannot,” Ukitake admitted easily enough. “And until just now, the invasion was chaotic but not /deadly/—”

Erich growled and let tongues of blue-white flame spill between his sharp teeth. Ukitake’s eyes widened and he took another step back, the first acrid traces of fear leaking into his scent.

“That monster earned his death,” Erich rumbled, rustling his wings and digging his hind-claws into the ground. “He threatened /mine/, a /hatchling/ too young to change without aid. A hatchling I found in his war-form!”

Ukitake swallowed and visibly gathered himself. There was a sick understanding in his eyes; he knew what Erich meant, understood the weight of what had happened.

Understood Erich’s restraint.

(Understood how thin a line Ukitake was walking, speaking with a Dragon who had not completely Destroyed that which had threatened a claimed hatchling.)

“He’s your son, then?” Ukitake asked, then frowned in puzzlement when Erich shook his head. “I… see. But he’s yours— so the others..?”

“His,” Erich said. He let his flames die and his wings relax, then tipped his muzzle into the air and scented, searching for other hidden Shinigami. Not that they could easily reach him through the barrier that remained around him, but he’d rather not be surprised.

Ukitake appeared to be alone, though.

(Foolish Shinigami.)

(Foolish or confident, and both as dangerous as the other.)

“I’m clearly missing something,” Ukitake murmured.

Erich snorted. “You are.” He wasn’t about to get into the nuances of hoarding with a Shinigami. “Is it so strange that a Dragon might care for those who are /not/ Dragons?”

“Ah, no, no, that’s not what I meant to imply, I’m sorry.” Ukitake smiled sheepishly at him, then inclined his head in a shallow bow. “Please, forgive any insult I may have given, Great One.”

“Tch.” Erich folded his wings and gave himself a shake, ridding his body of the tightness that had begun to settle. “You never gave a clear answer, Shinigami. What is it you want?”

“I want to help you,” he answered.

Erich blinked slowly. Canted his head. Examined the Shinigami.

He must have heard wrong.

(But this was more serious than a bloodthirsty hatchling, wasn’t it? Ukitake couldn’t just aim his problem at his enemies and pray, could he.)

(His problem was entirely different.)

“You… want to help,” Erich repeated slowly. “Invaders and two Dragons, and you… want to help.”

“A collection of youths and an elder trying to protect them,” Ukitake corrected gently. “And beyond that, there is something… wrong about what is happening. It’s too quick, the verdict too strict— I cannot allow this to continue, but I need help.”

“Then gather your help amongst your kind, Shinigami.” Erich shot the man an unimpressed look. “You and your insular people have cast aside all attempts at alliances before, and yet you expect me to ignore that history now that /you/ have a need?”

Ukitake winced and looked away. “I know,” he murmured with regret, scent shading towards shame-exhaustion-unhappiness. “I’m not… asking for much. Just… let me aid you. The youths are trying to rescue Rukia because they care for her. Let me help you — them — towards that goal.” He took a breath and looked back at Erich, shoulders squared and a stubborn edge to his stance. “I can’t ask more than a few Shinigami for aid. The more who know, the more likely it is that we’ll /all/ suffer, and I refuse to be the cause of that.”

“At the price of your subordinate?” Erich prodded.

“I will save her /alone/ if I must.”

Erich narrowed his eyes and let an unhappy rumble build in his chest. The idea of working with a Shinigami was unthinkable. He was a Dragon, his people hunted down and slaughtered for the crime of /being/ Dragons, from Elders down to newborns. No mercy. No quarter.

And here was a Shinigami, one of his people’s killers, asking to help? Asking him to /work with him/? For a goal the Shinigami wanted and Erich could not care less about?

(But the boy’s hoard did, and thus the boy did as well.)

(He would not see the boy or his hoard in pain if he could help it.)

He snapped angrily at the air, instincts and gut reaction at war with the Human strategy pounded into his head. He wanted to say /no/, to declare that he and the others could do this without aid. Yet the war he’d lived through said otherwise; it was always better to have a man on the inside. To have intel and supplies and /aid/ from a native, even if that aid was potentially suspect.

So long as he kept his head, the chances of an ambush or betrayal were slim.

(Ukitake smelled like the officers he used to know, resolved and determined to follow through.)

“Fine,” he spat, tail lashing the air in his fury. “But if you betray me — betray /us/ — I will not stop at simply killing you, Shinigami.”

“I understand,” Ukitake said, inclining his head. “Thank you for giving me this chance, Great One.”

“Tch, don’t thank me yet,” Erich muttered. “And stop calling me that. It means something specific to my kind and I don’t qualify. If you must call me something, you may use Rerugen.”

“Thank you, Rerugen-san. Is there anything..?”

He grimaced and tilted his head to examine the boy at his feet, hoping that they hadn’t woken him from his rest just yet. The boy needed sleep more than anything else, and he also didn’t need to witness Erich’s fury any more than he already had. “Food, if you can. And perhaps blankets.”

Ukitake nodded in agreement. “I’ll bring those out to you in a moment.”

Erich watched the Shinigami dart off, then carefully settled into a crouch at the boy’s side. He would give the man a chance.

(But only one.)

[kagrenacs]

Explaining the Iceberg #4

I covered most things in this, but not everything. Every previous post I’ve made describing the tes iceberg I found on google image search can be found here x

Lorkhan’s purposeful failure: Lorkhan was the first spirit to go beyond the universe to see the tower, but didn’t achieve CHIM. He likely did this on purpose to show others how not to do it, and to demonstrate that it was difficult for et’ada to achieve this state because they simply don’t have the boundaries (such as death) that mortals do.

The World-Egg: The universe and the 12 previous Kalpas, everything within existence

The Khajiit Tower: this reddit thread https://www.reddit.com/r/teslore/comments/3oh7wf/the_khajiit_tower/ for everyone’s sake i’ll spare you the details of Jungian psychology, TL;DR the khajiit are a ‘tower’ made to hold up the universe and aspects of this

The Grabbers: Mentioned in the 36 lessons, a race of people in Lyg who are said to ‘have never built a city of their own’ there are theories that these are in fact Magne-Ge, due to their connection to Lyg by Mehrunes Dagon

AE: ‘is’ in ehlnofex, can be interpreted as a state of being

Shezzar became Akatosh: The only solid reference i could find was this thread, that immediately discusses how this is probably incorrect http://www.gamesas.com/could-lorkhan-have-jyggalag-t74581-25.html

The Monkey-Truth: Markuth’s teachings, also a website of tes fanfiction writers and roleplayers 

Red Moment: The potential Dragon Break at Red Mountain

The Provisional House: Mentioned in the 36 Lessons, called ‘a space that is not a space’ that Vivec observes the events of Nirn from. It may possibly protect Vivec from dangers associated with this.

Alandro Sul: The Shield-Companion to Nerevar. Sometimes called ‘the immortal-son of Azura’. After being blinded by Wulfharth, he went to live with the Ashlanders of Vvardenfell and is credited with spreading the idea that the Tribunal killed Nerevar

CHIM: To put simply, the process and state where a person realizes their place within the universe and is able to manipulate the laws of the universe as they see fit. Often associated with the concept of ‘Love’

Skaal Secrets: Discussed in the Dragonborn DLC, it’s unknown what their secrets are, but the Skaal report that they’ve kept them a secret from Hermaeus Mora for generations

The World’s Teeth: Mentioned in the 36 lessons of Vivec, sermon 17. Vivec takes Nerevar to the edge of the world, where they see ‘the bottom row of the world’s teeth’ as Vivec states. This may possibly reference a glitch in Redguard. (as a side note: The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, a game that’s confirmed to have taken inspiration from the Elder Scrolls, has an area on the map, near the edge of the world with a row of spikes similar to what’s described here. This might be just coincidence, but I sure enjoy it)

Dagoth Ur’s Endgame: Speculation on what Dagoth Ur’s final plans actually are. He speaks of his desire to remove the Empire from Morrowind, and unite the Dunmer under the 6th House, but beyond that there’s little to go off of.  Ultimately this is just speculation and theories, mostly on what he plans to do with the Anumidium, and how that could possibly have adverse affects on reality.

Pelinal Cyborg from the Future: Another bit of obscure MK lore that’s not implemented in-game. This derives from the description of Pelinal having a ‘left hand made of a killing light’  ‘PELIN-EL [which is] "The Star-Made Knight" [and he] was arrayed in armor [from the future time].’ and his survival of being decapitated. While the text directly states he is from the future, there’s no ingame canon text stating he is a cyborg.

Reymon Ebonarm is Reman: The thought that Ebonarm, a God of War is the same person as Reman, emperor of Cyrodiil. There’s several theories dedicated to this, with different variants on the specifics.

The Enantiomorph: Directly tied to the concept of mantling and the Fourth Walking Way. Put simply, there are three participants in this. Two combatants who are very much alike and trying to become the ‘Ruling King’ and an observer who determines who wins, this observer usually becomes maimed as a result of this. 

The Third Moon: Two different things, a metaphorical or literal secret moon important to the Khajiit that only appears when Masser and Secunda are aligned, preceding the birth of a Mane. The second option is the Necromancer’s Moon, the godly form of Mannimarco.

The Walkabout: A concept in Yokudan religion. The process of spirits surviving one Kalpa to the next, facilitated by Tall Papa

White-Gold Doomsday device: I remember reading this theory a few years back, unfortunately I cannot find the exact page for the life of me. The Tl;DR on this is the White-Gold Tower is a weapon of mass destruction, either literally or in metaphysical terms (being connected to Akatosh and it’s status as a Tower). The closest thing I can find to it is this thread which describes the motives of Umbra in the novels, and how it could potentially take over Tamriel using the White-Gold Tower http://www.gamesas.com/doomsday-scenario-t69430.html

Jiub was the Nerevarine: Self explanatory, headcanon that Jiub was the Nerevarine, similar to a headcanon on tumblr that stated Teldryn Sero was the Nerevarine

House Dwemer: Mentioned as a House within The War of the First Council (which is written by an Imperial for Western Scholars) and The Lost Prophecy (written by a Dunmer) This could be interpreted in a couple different ways. A) The first book was certainly written for western readers, while there is no evidence for this being the case for the latter, it can’t be ruled out. ‘House’ is used as a simplification B) The Dwemer were considered a house, but perhaps not in the way we would initially think (being on the Great House Council)  They were grouped into a singular entity, rather than distinct clans within a cultural group (either during the First Council or posthumously) 

When Dead Gods Dream: https://www.imperial-library.info/content/when-dead-gods-dream referencing this thread. Discusses the mechanisms of Dagoth Ur’s godhood, the thread explains it better than I can here, TL;DR Dagoth Ur is not alive, but he is within the realms of gods and therefor is able to ‘project’ himself onto Tamriel and the minds of his followers.

Khajiit ended the Metheric Era: Nothing found for this

Parabolic Kalpa: A parabola is a symmetrical U-shaped curve. This theory essentially tries to explain why Skyrim is so low magic, compared to it’s history or even ESO. The thought is that as time goes on, the world becomes less connected to Divinity. Towers are destroyed and the gods are gone, but eventually things will begin to kick off again, and there will be a rise in magic, technology and the connection to these beings. Essentially tries to explain why C0da and Loveletter from the 5th era are more high magic compared to the actual games. 

Sithis: Secret Lesson from Vivec: Connects the both Sithis with the 36 lessons by terminology (The Sharmat, false dreamer ect.) and proposes Vivec may have written the book

Bendu Olo: Colovian King, may have been related to Olaj Olo, nordic demigod of mead. Also used as a placeholder name for the player character in Oblivion and the name of the dev’s test character in Skyrim

Trinimac still lives: An ESO lorebook states the Ashpit, realm of Malacath, extends into Aetherius. Some orcs also believe Malacath is nothing more than a demon presenting himself as the remnants of Trinimac. A r/teslore theory states that Malacath wears two faces. While I assume this is the Iceberg author’s sole reference, I propose this could (should) refer to another theory. (Another theory is similar to this on teslore, proposed around the same time, but this one connects the dots)  https://boethiah.tumblr.com/post/621058598373588993/tsun-is-the-shield-brother-of-shor-and-trinimac 

The Aedra are Dead: Seemingly a common topic on teslore. A basic concept in tes, the Aedra gave most of their powers to Mundus to stabilize it.  Their bodies remain as planets, and they can only have limited interactions with Nirn. 

Divayth Fyr was the Hero of Battlespire: An old theory that looks at artifacts in Divayth Fyr’s possession and ties them back to the tes spinoff Battlespire. There are holes in this theory (Divayth Fyr was a seasoned mage at the time the hero was an apprentice)

Three Talin’s: The default name given to the Eternal Champion is Talin, a character creation scenario proposes that their father was also named Talin, and finally Uriel Septim VII’s general was named Talin Warhaft.

Pelagius I was killed by the Underking: The Arcturian Heresy states that the Underking appeared as an advisor to Pelagius I, who was assassinated by the Dark Brotherhood. This theory is a possibility considering the amminosity between Tiber Septim and both components of the Underking. 

Tsaesci Goa’uld: Goa’uld are a species from Stargate that are parasites towards humans. This theory proposes that the Tsaesci are similar, explaining the inconsistencies of their appearance within the lore.

Lunar currency: The thought that the Aedra and Daedra use mortal souls like currency

Historic Star Inconsistencies: Possibly referring to the variations of the number of days within the year in Arena, not sure about this one

Mnemoli/Star Orphans:Mnemoli is either a specific Magne-Ge (spirits that fled the creation of Mundus after Magnus), or a group of them that only appears during a Dragon Break (often nicknamed the ‘Blue Star’) MK states that they’re the writers and distributors of the physical Elder Scrolls (however this contradicts ingame books, so take it with a grain of salt). Star Orphans may or may not refer to Magne-Ge as a whole. Vehk’s book of hours state's them as a ‘group or tribe’ regardless, Mnemoli falls under this secondary classification (along with Merid-Nuda and Xero-Lyg, I have my own thoughts on this which would be better explained in another post) 

Bosmer Hircine worship: Seemingly referring to a thread on 4pleb, I will not be summarizing this theory here because I’m smart and not going onto 4pleb of all places. But from canon content, Bosmer do not worship Hircine, and consider him a force that goes against Y’ffre and wants to return everything to it’s original state of chaos before the earthbones (Y’ffre being among them) stabilized things 

Septimus Signus Zero Sum: The theory that the aforementioned zero-summed at the end of Discerning the Transmundane in Skyrim. Essentially Septimus is in a fragile state, delving into the secrets of the universe and is being pushed by Hermaeus Mora, who may see him as a lab rat, into discovering things he isn’t meant to handle as a mortal, and consequently Zero-Sums. There’s holes in this, namely Zero-Summing supposedly removes all trace of existence. 

The Soft Doctrines of Magnus Invisible: A very obscure text by Douglas Goodall, discusses the binding of various gods

Abnegaurbic creed: An overly fancy word basically meaning religious beliefs, seen in Nu-Hattia Exerpt 

Dunmereth: A Nordic term for the area of Morrowind, during their occupation of it

Fifteen-and-One Golden Tones: A Dwemer term, possibly referring to the spheres of the Daedra, counting Sheo/Jyggalag as a singular entity. Also, the Dwemer swear by these 

Ideal Masters are God of Worms remnants: As Mannimarco is often said to be the first Lich, the existence of the ideal masters seems to contradict this (similar story with Azidal) this tries to rectify this by proposing that the Soul Carin is the Necromancer’s Moon, and the ideal masters are remnants of Mannimarco. This theory doesn’t hold up when examined, but is cool nonetheless. 

Sermon 37: Found in ESO, an extra sermon to the 36 lessons, ties in concepts present in c0da like amaranth. (interestingly on this list Sermon Zero is never mentioned, despite it being older and more interesting imo, but to discuss that would require lots of work)

Flying Whales: Mentioned in Aldudagga. A now extinct species. The bone bridge of Sovngarde could potentially be a reference to this.

Joy-Snow: It’s cocaine 

Mankar=Tharn: A theory that Mankar Cameron is Jagar Tharn, doesn’t hold much weight and relies mostly on the connection of Mehrunes Dagon

Sharmat: A term used to describe Dagoth Ur, an opposite to the Hortator, a force uniting people for evil. Implied to mean or be associated with ‘the False Dreamer’ a person whose view of the universe is similar to someone whose achieved CHIM, but sees themself as the center of it all, rather than a droplet in the ocean of the universe.

Pankratosword: A forbidden Yokudan sword technique that could ‘cut atoms’ similar to our modern day Nuclear Fission. A bit of etymology here, ‘Pankrato’ seems to refer to the word ‘Pankrator’ meaning all-powerful or almighty. 

Landfall: A concept from MK, a future event where Nirn is destroyed by the Numidium, and the people remaining relocate to the moons. 

Cylarne: The oldest ruin in the Shivering Isles, rumored to be the original capital. Home to the Cold Flame of Agnon

[emsartwork]

Oh, could you tell us about specific festivities or holidays each planet has? Like, are they significant to events or locations, are they based on legends or mythos, that kinda stuff!

They’re based on all kinds of things! 

below the cut this is hella long

Starting with the basics, Day of the Rose is a reference to a famous lady magic user(Lesya) who focused on caring for outcasts in society, she used a mix of Fairy transformations and Witch style magic but her title is Mage of Roses. When she died, thousands of people placed roses over her grave, and started giving roses to women who were similar to Lesya and the flower itself became a symbol of honor and respect for compassionate and inspiring women.  It originated on Magix but is celebrated Dimension wide. Mothers are the most common recipients of roses, but anybody can give a rose to any woman they want to show appreciation for.  Magix city has a large parade with floats and dancers and street food and carnival games, other parades vary.

Hala, or, The Storm Celebrations. Andros has a a lot of rain in general, but early spring is monsoon season, boats don’t go out and people stay inside unless absolutely necessary. Hala is both a celebration of the rainy season which brings life afterwards, and a ceremony that is supposed to ease the potential damage from the storms. Always held on a full moon, Hala is celebrated with feasts, traditional/ceremonial dances, and large bonfires in the evening(with more dancing and food). Hala also includes a commemoration of Queen Nephele, who protected the capital city from a record breaking storm for more than a week(she survived but had lasting health complications due to over use of magic). Aisha is pictured here in Hala ceremonial dance wear, featuring a headdress, braided cords, shells, and fan leaves. 

The most practical of Holidays, Zenith “celebrates” the end of winter with a few days off and a relieving breath of fresh air. Zenith technology keeps the most bitter cold out of communities, but the difference in air temperature can lead to the snow melting and re-freezing at the boundary. Eventually this leads to a build up of packed ice creating a “zenith snow globe” as its jokingly called. Once the temperatures rise enough that the dome won’t reform, the dome is shattered and the ice packed up and shipped out for various purposes. The shattering of the ice dome is considered especially beautiful to off-planeters, but zenithians consider it a matter of necessity.   

Solaria has the Summer Center Festival, held twice a “year” when the planet is in the center of it’s orbit. It a huge, three day party, Solarians feast, dance, drink, and decorate themselves, their hair, and literally everything else with ribbons gemstones and glitter. Each day is supposed to represent one of Solaria’s suns, the Dawn Star, the Dusk Star, and the Second Sun of Solaria(not a real sun, a magical power source), but much of the distinctions between each day have been lost as the festival has gotten older. Another holiday on Solaria is a much less popular one called Iahlayculi (ee-ah-lah-koo-lee, don’t ask its a mash up of like three words and languages) or the Night of Many Eyes. Its celebrated once a year, whenever the most moons will be around the planet (calculated with astronomy and physics and shit). It’s much more somber than The Summer Center Festival, and is considered a time of great self reflection and magical potential. Practitioners wear a loose draped dress, a wreath around their head, and craft a lunar lantern(usually magic but sometimes by hand). The wreathes are burned, and the lanterns released to the sky as offerings to the moons of Solaria. This celebration is a favorite of witches(especially Mediums and Psychics) but the general population views it as a little too occult. 

Firefest is held at the height of summer. There isn’t really a central location for the celebration, though the capital city is known for it’s fireworks display. Each community puts together it’s own local festivals featuring a large bonfire, large and small fireworks, and food/game booths. The Firefest honors the first king and queen of domino, Volenae(queen) and Zaphiric(king). They were also the first holders of the Dragon Flame and Phoenix Flame.  They aren’t a married couple but siblings, sharing a joint reign over Domino and eventually creating two bloodlines for the dragon and the phoenix to flow along. Volenae’s symbol is antler like horns, and Zaphiric’s symbol is a black feather, both of these feature prominently in folk art and Firefest masks.

Celebrated in late summer, The day of the Singing Whales is the one time a year the whales surface for a breath of air. It is unknown if the Whales are Natural Animals, Fairy Animals, or Ethereally Blessed beings. While the Whales only surface in one specific bay, music festivals are often held inland, and everybody participates in fireworks and festival type games after sunset.

The day of Returning is an odd holiday for non-Lynpheans. While Lynpheans are known for their nature preservation and association with living plants, the Day of Returning celebrated the ever present death in nature. Lynpheans are very familiar with death, and don’t view it as a “bad thing” most of the time. Untimely death or unwarented violence is frowned upon but Lynpheans understand that death follows life and life follows death. In fact in some Lynphean dialects, “death” is refered to as “returning” (ex: Old Uncle Bush returned peacefully in his sleep last may.)  Mushrooms are the central icon of “returning” being organisms that live off of death in a very tangible way. The Common Lynphean Green Cap is the most popular to use. The cap of Green Cap contains psychedelic substances that can very often result in death. However, the stalk of the Green Cap contains the anti toxins. When taken alone the cap results in severe hallucinations and eventual death. When the stalk is taken alone it clears the body of toxins and has pain relieving effect. When taken together the cap and the stalk produce a mild euphoria, sometimes with (usually auditory) hallucinations(basically its kinda like acid). On the Day of returning Local Temples/Sanctuaries open up the use of the mushrooms as a way to come in to hear the voice of nature and connect the spirit with the physical manifestation of death. These Mushrooms are easy to get addicted to, and are a controlled substance limited to ceremonial or pharmaceutical use, but possession isn’t criminalized and the Lynphean community is very involved with addiction recovery programs.

A Lady I’ve mentioned in passing a few times, Reagis the Cruel, Fairy of Lace. When the Anscestrals first started looking for the Dragon Flame, they placed a Fairy on the throne of Eraklyon as pawn, “blessing” her with their power and tying her core magic to the planet itself. Reagis is Eraklyan, and reigned with an iron fist. She had no empathy for basically anyone, but hated men especially(bad childhood and lots of trauma combined with a superiority complex and power equals big yikes), placing them lowest on the social status and promoting women like her above them. Compassion was a social sin, an act of kindness towards another could lead to public censure and imprisonment, and the people of Eraklyon started to abandon each other emotionally. Sky’s Grandfather and Grandmother, Oris and Edra(along with a young Erendor), resisted and became anonymous figures who helped people in trouble. Eventually they had enough of a following to hold a proper rebellion. Oris and Edra lead the charge and Edra(a warrior) fought with Reagis while Oris(a magic user) worked on disconnecting Regis from her power sources which revived her every time Edra did manage to land a blow. When Reagis was finally un-linked her magic core freaked tf out and Edra landed one final blow with her spear to make Reagis’s magic go completely berserk and burn her up. Edra unfortunately took too much damage and passed after that. Oris was crowned king, established New Earklyon Day, and ruled for a few years before also passing away (due to complication in his core magic because of the way he un-linked Reagis’s from the ancestrals and the planet), and Erendor took the throne. New Eraklyon Day is celebrated with a parade in the capital city and is a national holiday(ie, day off work). Street fairs along the parade route are also common. Reagis’s reign is partially why women aren’t trusted in positions of power or the emotional realm of decision making, and are instead usually pushed towards physical fighting and enforcement.

Vaonaa celebrates the Festival of Threads! The festival is to honor the Ethereal Fairy known as The Threaded One. The Threaded One is unusual for Ethereal Fairies, in that they have regular, benign, interactions with a specific people at a specific time in a specific place (ethereals are usually much more unpredictable). But for whatever reason, The Threaded One seems to enjoy the Festival of Threads. The Festival is centrally located at the Woven Temple, but smaller scale local festivals are also common. The event happens over four days, with a different activity and group each day. The first day the grass fibers are gathered by the youths in the community, this is preformed as a game with kids leading lines with a flag and running/ducking in a pattern across fields to grab the grasses. The second day the adults preform the spinning dance, rotating and using drop spindles to spin the grass fibers into threads. The third day is when the elders groups together and weave the story of the year into the textile in a mix of group chants and oral poetry. The fourth day is for everybody, and the fabric created for the ceremony is burned in a hug bonfire as a sacrifice to The Threaded One. The bonfire is usually when The Threaded One publicly appears but some years they appear periodically through the other four days.

(psa: Vaonaa is very heavily based on Navajo native american culture, I very loosely based this festival on some of the four/nine day healing ceremonies, but ultimately I didn’t want it to just be a weirder version of a religious and culturally significant ceremony so I changed and added a lot. As always, please let me know if you have issues with this im always willing to listen and learn.)

Another practical society, Zhen’s featured festival is the Spring Shear. Just as winter is ending, local communities on Zhen start a flurry of activity. The domestic herds of Argali are sheared, and the wild herds are searched out and counted, hunted, selected for domestication, or moved to a different location. While Argalis do produce a wool like substance, they do not absolutely need to be sheared the way our sheep do. Their wool is shed or scrapped off by the sheep naturally, and it comes off in fluffy chunks, but the Zhen people find it useful and easier to shear their herds for a clean fleece. The fleeces are carded, spun, and wound onto spools in huge huge amounts, a lot of weaving is done at this time as well but its not the main focus. After the majority of the work is done, Zhenese relax and eat/drink/play in a fair like environment, usually held in market squares of estate courtyards. 

On Koyu, the Koyuvian Silk Moths are an iconic animal. Uniquely adapted to it’s environment, the Koyuvian Silk Moths are one of the only creature to live in the outer reaches of the Tangles, feeding off the radiation and burrowing into the living fungal limbs. However, the pupal stage is too fragile to survive the outer Tangles, so the moths travel inward to lay their eggs. The caterpillars eat a the leaves of a luminescent plant called Naemtaj, and eventually produce a silk strand cocoon and transform into the moth. After the moth wiggles out of the cocoon, they’re wings begin to glow and they begin to flock together to travel to the outer Tangles. This is the signal for the Koyvians to begin hunting for the cocoons when begin to give off a faint glow as they deteriorate with out the moth’s body chemicals to keep it intact. The Koyuvians must move fast and usually have several locations in an area with a boiling pot to stabilize the strands as they hunt for the cocoons. Eventually the searching dies down and the silk strands are brushed and wound onto spools for future use. The anticipation before the moths are born is buzzing with energy and bets are placed on who can find the most cocoons. After the work, the Koyuvians relax with food and drink. 

[rosietheechidna-roleplay]

Rosie the Echidna Profile

"Martial arts have shaped me to who I truly am.  I fight to give strength to my friends and the helpless."

~*Basic Info*~

Name:

Roselia "Rosie" Flora Shaolin

Alias:

The Shinobi of Aura

Alignment

    Rosie's morals and resolve fall within the Lawful Good alignment. She always tries to help those in need, follow the rules of the area she resides in and speaks out against evil. She aims to use her power for her friends and the good of everyone.

Age

    Rosie is currently 16 years of age.

Species

    Though Rosie may appear as an average Mobian Echidna, she is actually a bit different from that, for she is a Hidden Emerald Dimension Mobian, or HED Mobian, born from the Hidden Emerald Dimension of Mobius, a sub-world deep within the planet the provides the world with energy.

Gender

    Rosie is female though can sometimes be mistaken for a boy, due to her tomboyish appearance and personality.

Physical Appearance

    Rosie is four feet and seven inches tall, weighing approximately seventy-four pounds, making her slightly shorter and lighter in comparison to Sonic the Hedgehog. Her fur is entirely pink, with several long quills at the back and sides of her head and shorter quills at the front of her head. She has a yellow muzzle surrounding her mouth, a small black nose and is bipedal, standing on two legs. She has five-fingered hands, three-toed paws, and a short, bent tail. She has a yellow spot on her belly, which is normally slightly-revealed when she wears her blue tank top.

Attire

    Rosie can be seen several different outfits, depending on either the occasion or the mood she's in. No matter which outfit she's in, however, she is always seen wearing a white headband. She usually never takes it off under normal circumstances. The main attire that she is almost always seen in is a light blue tank top, revealing the lower area of her belly, white bandages on each arm, loose, blue sweatpants and green sneakers, white at the tips.

Whenever she's practicing martial arts or sparring with a friend, she wears a navy blue martial arts uniform called a gi, consisting of a kimono jacket and pants, with a black belt tied at the waist to symbolize her expertise as a martial artist. She also has a recently-made, black, sleeveless, Taekwondo-style gi that she tries to wear more often. In either uniform, her shoes are off, revealing her bare paws.

When about to partake in a serious mission, whatever it would be, she usually wears her ninja attire, given to her by her family. It is a light blue ninja garb, with dark blue trim around the front edges, and pants with dark blue knee pads on each leg. Both the jacket and the pants are snug around the openings of the arm and leg sleeves and she wears a same-colored shirt underneath. A dark blue sash is worn around her waist, along with a same-color scarf, made from a special material called Crystal Leaf, is worn around the neck but can be pulled up, over the muzzle, to conceal part of her face. Also, when over of Rosie's muzzle, it filters the air she breaths, making it cooler and cleaner and allowing her to a lot longer without running short of breath or breathing anything hazardous. Finally, she wears sturdy, white Tobi socks on her feet, as sturdy and waterproof as a pair of shoes yet soft like a normal pair of socks, which helps minimize the noise she makes when running or landing from the air.

Dimension of Origin

    Hidden Emerald Dimension; a mysterious sub-world territory within Mobius with a setting similar to a Japanese culture.  The sky is green, the grass and plants are light blue, leaves on trees are in various colors and the inhabitants are mostly martial artists and warriors.

Personality

    Rosie is a peppy, athletic and energetic echidna girl.  She loves to train her body and build friendships through fun, hand-to-hand sparring matches.  Being tomboyish, Rosie normally isn't too interested in things that most girls are into, such as dresses and jewelry. Even though she's a bit pugilistic, Rosie also a caring, compassionate individual that always tries to be there for those who are in need or alone.  She often shows the positive, cheerful side of her, wherever she goes though she can have a bit of smart-aleck side to her as well.

Likes

    Rosie's number love is martial arts. She enjoys observing and learning from many different styles, offensive and defensive, and even learn from hands-on sparring. Especially the hands-on sparring. As a warrior, she especially loves to forge friendships and friendly rivalries through martial arts, bonding with others through fun, heated sparring matches. Also, when she comes across a warrior who has less experience than her or a friend that is interesting of gaining strength to protect themselves and their loved ones, she happily teaches them what she knows and trains them in martial arts if need be. She enjoys being a hero and a caring sensei for others, as well as acting as a 'big sister' figure for as many people as she possibly can, especially being inspired by Sonic the Hedgehog.

When the time comes to wind down and relax, Rosie enjoys calming meditation sessions and even laying down under a night sky to stargaze. When she was still a struggling warrior, she often looked to the stars as a source of strength and motivation to keep going on her mission to becoming a better warrior.

Dislikes

    Not being able to use her martial arts skills is a major pet peeve for Rosie, being a warrior who loves martial arts with all of her being. Also, through her childhood years of being constantly defeated and ridiculed by the other warriors in her home dimension, she doesn't like having to feel weak or useless and uses this as a drive to become as strong as she possibly can. With that said, she can't stand the sight of bullies torturing the innocent and dampening their spirits for their own personal pleasure. That would be one of the few occasions Rosie would become seriously mad.

Bio

    Rosie was born in the Hidden Emerald Dimension of Mobius, where its inhabitants worship culture revolving a deep fondness for martial arts, as part of highly-respected, all-female clan of warriors known as the Shaolin family. They were the main heroes and elite fighters of the Aura Forest, which lied within the Forest Territory, one of the three regions in which the dimension was divided over. Their mother, a veteran ninja, would train her daughters in the art of Ninjutsu before they would go off and seek their own favorite styles and develop themselves further as warriors. As the youngest, Rosie worked hard in her Ninjutsu training nonstop as a child, without ever giving up, but she often struggled as a warrior and lost in sparring matches all the time. She was also born with the inability to reach her True Potential, the main trait that allowed warriors in the Hidden Emerald Dimension to enhance their physical performance and gain attributal powers, on her own, putting her at a great disadvantage against other warriors in her hometown. She was well known, around her hometown, for having endured one hundred consecutive defeats against other warriors. Thus, she was ridiculed by the other warriors around and, in addition to being the only echidna in her family, was tagged the title of the 'bad egg' of the Shaolin Family. To make things worse, she was constantly targeted by several members of a rogue dojo group known as the Shadow Superiors, led by a grey fox named Kurai, a well-known bully who often found pleasure from crushing the spirits of struggling warriors through constant bullying and forced fights. Every time Rosie would lose a sparring match, Kurai and her group would almost always be around to mock her and discourage her. She would often come home to her sisters, bruised, beaten and in low spirits but, no matter how many defeats she went through, they always treated her with love and compassion. They refused to give up on her, which strengthened her resolve to continue her training and push herself to be the warrior her family would be proud of.

    Through all of the derision from her fellow warriors, Rosie often sought strength by visiting a tall, mystic altar at the northern-most part of Aura Forest. There lied a large jade emerald known as the Elder Emerald, an ancient relic that supplied the Hidden Emerald Dimension, along with the main world Mobius, with mass amounts of energy. She was aware of a historical legend, associated with it, that the Elder Emerald altar was created in honor of the Elder Dragon, a light green, female omnipotent being and legendary martial artist that was solely responsible for shaping the entire dimension into place and giving life to it. Rosie was fascinated by the ancient legend and climbed to the top of the altar, every day before going home, to visit the Elder Emerald up close. She felt connected to the energy given off by the emerald, thinking that Elder Dragon was deep inside it, watching over her, and often viewed it as the only friend she would ever have. She would kneel down to it in prayer, disclosing to it her personal daily experiences and deep thoughts and wishes, hoping that the Elder Dragon would hear her call and give her the strength to turn her life around. She would even perform made up katas, using her learned Ninjutsu techniques, at the base of the altar, in honor of it. Every time she would go through with this daily routine, she would feel a glimpse of hope, further strengthening her willpower to go on as a martial artist.

    However, after Rosie was traveling back home, after visiting the Elder Emerald once more, the Kurai and the Shadow Superiors suddenly ambushed Rosie, several yards away from the altar, and mocked her for her constant visits to the altar, saying that the Elder Dragon would never waste her time on a worthless 'bad egg.' They then proceeded to gang up on her and force her into a fight, using the fact that she was outnumbered to overwhelm the warrior and beat her down. Rosie overwhelmed by on the massive onslaught and was defeated instantly, battered and bruised from the group's merciless attacks. Before the confrontation could escalate further, Rosie was rescued by a Winged Regal Dragon named Raptor, who noticed the scene from above and swooped down to scare the offenders off. The dragon brought the warrior back to her family and her injuries were treated, bringing Rosie back to full health. However, the attack on her left an emotional toll and Rosie was brought to a depressed state, nearing the verge of giving up on becoming a warrior.

    Not wanting to her spirit remained crushed, Raptor met up with her family and discovered that Rosie couldn't achieve her True Potential on her own. This gave him an idea that involved the family to draw forth and combine a bit of their attributal energy with his magical power to jumpstart the energy within Rosie and awaken the power she was meant to have. They agreed and Raptor went on with the procedure, condensing the combined energy into a small, misty orb for Rosie's body to intake. Once he, along with the rest of the family, confronted Rosie, in a depressed state, they surprised her with the conjured ball of attributal energy and Raptor dispersed into the young warrior's body, saying that neither of them would ever give up hope on her, no matter how many times she failed. The forged energy inside her body, along with the positive influences of her family's love, reacted within her and transformed her from the inside out. Her birth defect was eliminated from her system, allowing the warrior to achieve her True Potential at long last. Rosie's pure white fur changed to a vibrant pink hue, her physical abilities were enhanced and she was given the ability wield control of the aura energy inside her. When she sensed the change in her body and the growing energy within her, she found a new glimmer of hope. She felt a renewed shred of confidence within herself and was motivated, once more, to go on with her training as a warrior. It was that moment on that her whole life began to change. Rosie was no longer the weak little fighter she once was and became the Kunoichi of Aura.

    With her newfound abilities, Rosie was able to excel in her Ninjutsu training and perform at the same stride as the rest of her family, which strengthened her spirit even more. Her sisters were surprised by her improvement and even more astonished when she wowed her fellow warriors by winning her very first sparring match. Everyone in her hometown was taken by complete surprise and instantly began to respect her as well as apologizing to her for calling her a 'bad egg.' She was even able to teach Kurai's group that she wasn't easy pickings anymore after they tried to ambush her again to shatter her new hope, which ended up failing. Afterward, Rosie completed her Ninjutsu training and taught herself Taekwondo, due to her fondness for kicking techniques and using her legs and feet in a fight. Her family even took part in teaching her bits of their own fighting styles and battle philosophies, to help Rosie develop further as a warrior, as well as allowing her to spend time with each of them. Rosie became a formidable martial artist and forged a team known as the Wonder Warriors, consisting of Raptor and her incredibly strong little sister named Vanill the Squirrel. She had everything she could've asked for but still didn't have a goal in life. That's when she found out about Sonic the Hedgehog. After reading about him, from a book in the Hidden Emerald Dimension Library, she became fascinated by his heroic actions and strength to conquer evil. Rosie starts to idolize Sonic and wanted to meet him in person.

    Rosie explained her discovery to her family and elaborated on her newly found goal to meet her blue hedgehog idol. With her family's blessing, Rosie bid a temporary farewell to her family and beloved teammates and set off on a journey to main world Mobius to meet her hero, Sonic the Hedgehog. Hoping that, one day, she'd be ready...to fight him!

~*Social Info*~

Affiliations

     Primarily, Rosie leads her own group of heroic fighters known as Team Wonder Warriors.  The team's main goal is to give strength to those who need it most and protect the inhabitants of the land they serve from any hostile villains. The main founding members include Rosie, as the leader and fastest member, a purple Winged Regal Dragon named Raptor, serving as the main head of intelligence and source of long-distance transportation through the air, and orange, young, Mobius-born squirrel named Vanill, serving as the main powerhouse amongst the three.

Family

    Rosie was born into a popular and well-received family, known to almost everyone in the Hidden Emerald Dimension as the Shaolin Family, a ninja tribe of an elite martial artists who are the main heroes of their home area, and are among the greatest fighters in the dimension. The family was raised by a single mother, a blue Chinese dragon named Aerolina, also known as the Shinobi of Wind. She did have a loved one at one point a time, a black echidna named Harima, and they created a total of six eggs together but he been afflicted with a terrible curse that corrupted his heart and turned him evil. He threatened to destroy Aerolina, along with the eggs, but she was able to defeat him in battle and drive him away from the area before any harm could befall upon the eggs. Eventually, all six of the eggs managed to hatch safely and a combination of dragon and echidna offspring were born into the world.

    The oldest of the of the children was a red echidna named Shaolina, a hot-headed fighter who takes her martial arts training seriously

    A year later, the next to hatch was an elegant, green Chinese dragon named Spearmint, the Shinobi of the Forest. She is a kind-hearted warrior who likes to stay calm and collected and is often seen as a rival by her eldest sister, due to her great defensive fighting skill that greatly combats her vast strength.

    Another year passed and the third egg hatched, bringing a black Chinese dragon named Hazel, the Shinobi of Shadows, into the world. She is the most intelligent of the family and loves to seclude herself in dark, quiet areas often, for meditation.

    Two more years went by before the fourth egg hatched, giving birth to a blue Chinese dragon named Aurora, the Shinobi of Water. Aurora loves getting herself wet and is known for her emotional adaptability to many situations, as water adapts to its setting. She always tries to 'go with the flow.'

    Another year later, the fifth and final egg, before Rosie's, hatched and a yellow echidna named Maya, the Shinobi of Lightning, was born. She is the most energetic, wild and hyperactive of the family and loves to find many ways to have fun, including fun play fights with her sister, Aurora.

Relationship Status

Rosie is single, not in a relationship with anyone yet.

Love Interest

    During her time in the main world, Rosie began to take notice to Knuckles the Echidna as they had more and more encounters with each other. She was impressed by his great strength and deeply admired the fact that he was a fellow martial artist. This made her want to spend more time with him, which led to him getting to know him more, including his adventures with Sonic, and even occasional sparring matches. Eventually, she felt herself becoming increasingly comfortable being around him and growing feelings began to blossom forth within her. Every time she saw him, she wanted to spend more time with him and loves every chance she gets to spar with him. She hopes that their friendship will eventually bloom into something more and that he would eventually share the same feelings that she has for him.

~*Combat Info*~

Powers

Aura Manipulation

After achieving her True Potential, she gained the Aura attribute, giving her the power to wield positive and negative aura. It can serve many purposes including means of attack, healing and filling allies with energy. She could also sense other means of energy near her, such as living things since every living creature has an aura. The more Rosie pushes herself by training and concentrates on positive thoughts, the stronger it gradually grows, eventually enabling her to keep up with extremely powerful foes.

Shaolin Ninjutsu Techniques

Many years of Ninjutsu training as a Shaolin clan warrior enabled Rosie to be able to perform basic and advanced ninja moves and tactics, such as invisibility, substitution, teleportation and short-term cloning. She can also make clones that burst into large puffs of smoke when hit, that can make opponents dizzy. When combined with her aura abilities and martial arts skills, Rosie can be quite the tricky opponent, with plenty of techniques to keep the opponent at bay

Spindash Capability

Like a select few Mobians, Rosie is able to curl up her body and perform the Spindash and Spin Jump. She taught herself this after being inspired by Sonic and now knows how to apply this move in a few of her other techniques. While in a curled up stat, Rosie's body is a lot more sturdy and allows her tank certain attacks much better. It also proves very useful for evasive tactics and attack follow-ups, making this a versatile addition to Rosie's move pool.

Skills

Martial Arts

Her knowledge and skill in martial arts is Rosie's main talent, one she loves to develop and exercise. She's is highly skilled in several different forms of martial arts, making her a highly formidable opponent in hand-to-hand combat. Her fighting style is similar to a hybrid of Kickboxing, Taekwondo, and Ninjustu, as she loves fast movements along with plenty of high-speed kicks and sudden counters. She often likes to balance out her striking power according to her opponent's condition, focusing more on speed for her attacks and adding in more force to her techniques when she finds a sure opening to exploit.

Quick Reflexes

After many years of martial arts training, Rosie can react to attacks at a fast rate. Also, after taking a moment to calm herself and take a deep breath, Rosie can use abrupt movements to slip out of a trap hold or grab, even if she's on the ground.  Thanks to a lot of practice, she can pull this off in a split second.

Espionage

Through her Ninjutsu training, Rosie knows how to use the environment to her advantage and apply stealth for spying on others and for sneak attacks. She normally doesn't resort to ambushes, except for surprising a friend with a playful sneak attack, but if she did have to get the jump on an enemy, she'd know what to do.

Cooking

Rosie learned how to cook from one of her older sisters, Hazel, who happened to be a well-received culinary expert in their hometown. Although she is no master chef, Rosie is capable is making tasty dishes on her own, which was important for living on her own in the mainworld.

Strengths

    Rosie has well-trained reflexes and incredible reaction time, allowing her to react to incoming attacks and fight back with abrupt speeds. She also wields great strength in her legs and a lot of endurance and stamina for lasting in long, close-range fist fights.

Weaknesses

    Rosie has trouble withstanding Lightning-attribute attacks, a common attributal weakness that was passed down from her mother who possessed the Wind attribute. Although not a drastic vulnerability, she can be more easily harmed by electrical attacks and has more difficulty enduring them. Also, despite her fighting ability, she's not completely flawless when it comes to close-ranged combat. If her opponent is quick and skilled enough to keep up with her moves, she can be caught off guard and even overwhelmed.

Invulnerability

Being an inhabitant of the Hidden Emerald Dimension, Rosie was born with completely impenetrable, sturdy skin, along with an indestructible skeletal system. This means she can take bullets, blades, sharp objects and explosives from anywhere at her body without getting pierced, cut or badly burned and can tank harsh blows that would normally break one's bones or can crush others, making her a sturdy fighter.  She can still feel the pain but the feature helps her avoid bloody fights and being suffocated or choked from potential tight grips around her neck.  Her inner aura completely embeds her entire body with potent, positive vibes, protecting her from negative influences and abnormalities that may happen around her, to her body, mind and soul/spirit.  This renders mind control, telekinesis, soul/energy drain, time stopping/slowing effects, such as those from the activation of Chaos Control, unnatural immobilization effects, harsh vibrations and dark or demonic energy attacks useless. The best way of taking Rosie on is a good, fair hand-to-hand combat fight!

Transformations/Forms

Dire Transformation/Holy Aura Form

Whenever Rosie's inner aura energy grows to a fever pitch, either from a super intense battle, charging her aura long enough, or reaction from dire or dangerous situations, she can focus the energy and tap into a newly acquired form. A blue aura flare appears around her and increases in intensity until her body starts to glow white, signaling the activation of her Dire Transformation. A bright flash goes off as her fur turns all white and her aura energy becomes positively supercharged. Her power, speed, and physical strength increase significantly as she shrouds herself with extremely positive aura, fully shifting into her Holy Aura Form.  Due to this new power and heightened aura, Rosie has access to advanced aura techniques and can even tap into another person's aura, whether it is to fill them with energy, seize control of their body or even drain their energy. Upon activation, Rosie's body begins to sparkle, granting her a thirty-second invulnerability period to help protect herself from any drastic attack(s) that might come at her as she attempts to transform. At full strength and spirit, Rosie's power can even slightly exceed that of a Super Form. The only flaw with this form, overall, is that it's not completely invulnerable so if Rosie takes too much damage and is unable to keep fighting, the form will disappear.

Dark Transformation/Negative Aura Form

Rosie taps into her inner rage and allows her aura to react to it, converting from positive aura to negative aura as her anger is concentrated into raw power. She transforms, with explosive force, into a dark form, concentrated with negative aura energy. Her fur turns dark pink, her hair grows a bit longer and her arms grow two white spikes. Her overall physical strength is heightened and her aura energy attacks become brutally powerful and destructive. Since she has been able to mentally balance her negative and positive emotions, the form does not cause Rosie to lose herself in her own rage. However, if she maintains it for too long, the form starts to hurt her due to her body not being used to the negative energy.

~*Other Information*~

Ideal Voice Portrayals

·         English: Jessica D. Stone

·         Japanese: Makoto Tsumura

Ranking Quotes

S: "WOOHOO!  THAT WAS AWESOME!!"

A: "Osu!  Looks like all my training paid off!"

B: "Not bad!  A satisfactory result."

C: "Phew!  Just barely made it..."

D: "Hmm...  Maybe I should train a little bit more..."

E: "Aww...  That was sloppy!"

Theme

Rosie's main character theme is "Take a Chance" from the Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal anime (www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVbyUh…). It fits in with her rough past of as a martial artist without her True Potential, being knocked down again and again from enduring a shockingly long losing streak as a child. Yet, she refused to give up and kept on pressing on. Her dreams wouldn't die as long as she 'high fived the sky'!

[sanjuno]

BloodRaven Actually Does Something

What if the resurgence of magic was more drastic?

(By which I mean I re-read The Great Northern Alliance on a03 and it’s hilarious and brilliant and I couldn’t stop imagining stuff about it)

Like, imagine that the children born after a certain point (perhaps BloodRaven saw all his remaining relatives go nuts/start getting kicked out and decided to tip the scales a bit) start manifesting magic traits and potential. The highborn have been selectively breeding themselves and accidentally keeping the magic blood strong, but there’s also a lot of small folk, either descended from bastards/demoted families or just genetic luck, who get “tricks”. Like a pair of twins who can share their senses with each other. Or a toddler who’s dolls move. Or a little boy is attacked by his drunken father and his bottle shatters against his glass-glimmer skin.

But the focus the instigator has is on the people he actually wants to have strong abilities-everyone else is just from a ripple effect- aka his relatives (Targaryens) and the Houses who will actually prepare for winter (Major Northern Houses). Starks actually fall into both categories, and so basically all the children from Roberts Rebellion onwards in Winterfell-shire can do something weird. (And in the free cities there are rumours of unnatural children being born, and a Dornish girl hisses to snakes in the shadow of the Tower of Joy).

Stark children “talents”. I’m thinking they can all warg, at least a little. It’s the baseline manifestation of magic. Not a lot, but as the talent ripples out it becomes a boon to sending messages.

Robb picked up his “template” from the far ancient intermarriage the First Men had with the Children of the Forest. Roots climb up his boots if he stands still too long, plants flourish under his gaze. The weirwood trees whisper to him, and let him give them new faces and children. It’s not particularly useful in a fight, but an army under Robb Stark will never go hungry. And if he has a slight green tinge to his skin, and eats a little less than he should, who will know?

Jon Snow may look like his mother, but his many times grand uncle made sure that it was his father’s blood that shaped the awakening magic. The Valerians had children with their siblings do you really think they wouldn’t try and weave the dragons in there somehow as well? Jon doesn’t burn, has never been hurt by heat, and when his rage builds so does the fire in his lungs. Scales sleep under his skin, ready to protect him. No blade seems to do more than well up a tiny amount of blood when Jon Snow wades into battle.

Theon Greyjoy was an accident. An accident that turned out for the best, but still an accident. He came into his abilities late, it taking a year or so exposed to Brynden Rivers’ best efforts before there were results, and even then it wasn’t noticed till Theon dived into a river to save a Bran that was too young to know how to swim. The first Greyjoy took a mermaid to wife, and her blood resurged in her descendent. Water is like air to Theon, and no matter the depth to which he dives, pressure will never be a problem. Less useful is understanding the creatures of the water. That doesn’t mean obey, and they cannot understand any human other than Theon. It does help his claim to heirship when he returns to the Iron Islands with a pod of kracken.

Sansa Stark is a … difficult case. The White Walkers are tied to the Starks, in ways that only they know. But Sansa can walk barefoot through the snow, and haarfrost forms on her fingertips when a presumptive Southron sees a pretty Northern maid travelling to meet her mother’s kin. When the Northern armies cannot win, they fall back into the deep forest, and Sansa Stark steps onto the field, ice woven like lace through her blood red hair, and her Tully eyes burn bright. The Heiress to the Night King smiles like her wolf as every dead man on the field stands up.

Arya Stark actually pulls from her mother’s line. The Tully’s are Andals, and have been devout every since their first crossed the sea with a seven pointed star on their sails. Now a way has been opened for the seven-who-are-one and this child has the potential for any of their faces. Arya Stark can pull on one of the faces of her patron(s), and gains almost impossible skill in that concept. If one did not know how old she was, it could be attributed to a lifetime of study and practice. Arya Stark dislikes stepping into her mother’s sept. The light and statues that turn to face her draw too much attention. The travelling Septon bows to her on the road, and he doesn’t know why he listens to her arguments.

Bran Stark has two Uncle Bryndens. One of them isn’t actually related to him, and he’s never met the other, but they are still his Uncles. Bran has been drifting from mind to mind since he was four, and has been the apprentice to the Three eyed Raven for almost as long. Every creature could have him hiding behind its eyes, listening. Everything ever spoken near a weirwood tree is ready for his perusal. When the North goes goes to war, Bran makes sure his Brothers know everything. And their enemies never think about the rat crouched under their chair. Listening.

Rickon Stark is still young, but his talent for learning languages is already catching attention. Things he writes in the surviving words of the Old Tongue seem strange somehow. Things become much clearer when he recreates a miniature of the Wall from snow, paper, and bloodied ink. His first project is a war table for his elder brother, with the everfrozen ice taking pride of place.

(I have more for other Northern Houses, “wild” talents for the small folk, and what’s happening with and around Viserys and Daenaerys. Also does anyone know where all the Sand Snakes were prior to Oberon picking them up and training them to kill?)

The first idea with much crazier powers could be a ton of fun, but at a glance I worry that it’s too skewed in the North’s favor. I get that it’s Brynden influencing the people he thinks will play the greatest role in the War for the Dawn, but it feels off to have so much of the powers concentrated among characters who already get so much in the fanfiction community. I really dig the Seven being at play with Arya, and I’d probably just take that further to other gods and faiths. Have some of the Rhoynish stuff in Dorne, maybe have Shireen with Rh'llor powers. If the Lannisters have any sort of magic blood, then naturally it would be strong as hell in Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen, since they’re inbred beyond the norm.

Maybe have him focus on the Ruling families, the Strong families (plus his)? or have it as a ripple effect down from whatever cave he’s huddling in, spreading South? Admittedly I do like giving the North a little help, and in universe Brynden would Want the vanguard against the Others to be strong. And I’m focusing at the characters theatre common in stories because they are the ones I know well.

But you’re right that other post rebellion children should have “talents”. What if Shireen and all Roberts Bastards all have variations on weather magic, while Cercei’s children all take after the Lannister mind manipulation or stone singing?

Anyway. I’m thinking there are baseline abilities before the quirk that ancestry or environment gave them. These were set up last time magic spread across the world. Those of First Men blood can warg a little, to a single close animal at minimum. Those of Andal blood may use Septon blessed boundaries to slow or even stop those who are against them. Valerians are fireproof, or at least resistant. And the Royinar ( nowadays Dornish) heal faster, to a varying degree, when in water.

Magic in a person is another tool of survival, and though it may be shaped by ancestry, in manifestation and power, what the wielder needs to survive, to live, is what shapes it. A starving child becomes capable of eating rot without ever sickening, an abused one skin hardens to steel. A child who is fed to the point of vomiting learns to burn fat into bursts of incredible speed and strength and thought .

[paladin-andric]

11/11/11 Tag

Tagged by @corishadowfang! Thanks, this is a long one but I always have fun blabbing on and on!

Rules: Answer the 11 questions, make 11 of your own, then tag 11 people.

1: Do you have a favorite WIP? Tell us about it!

Blackheart for sure. It’s the only one finished (first draft), and I’ve put way, WAY more work into the lore, setting, characters and world than I have with any other project I’ve ever worked on. Not that I’ve ever completed anything else, aside from one I scrapped a while back...

I really, really fell in love with the characters. Everyone’s great, and god damn I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to meet them.

2: What’s something you’re looking forward to writing that you haven’t gotten chance to yet?

Party conflict/Suspected traitors in the midst. Not in Blackheart, but that’ll come into play in Stay the Night, a sort of slasher-horror-mystery thing set in the same world about a group of five that find themselves trapped in a mansion with a murderous cult and a highly suspicious owner.

3: Do you have a clear idea of what your OC’s look like?  Show some pictures!

Alright, I’ve actually been having an artist friend draw the cast of Blackheart and they’re turning out amazing! Keep in mind these aren’t finished yet, some things may change. Also, this is only about half the cast, we’re still working on the rest!

Knight Alexander:

Cleric Leianna:

Senci, Andric’s Son Protégé:

Tourthun, the Dragon of Havel:

Razorwing (Half finished):

Paladin Andric:

4: What animals would your OC’s be?

Huh. Never had good answers for these, but I’ll try.

Alexander - Lion (Courage)

Leianna - Honey Badger (Don’t mess with me fool)

Lexius - Bee (Diligent, hard-working)

Senci - Uhh...alligator? (Dunno, just kinda resembles an animal version of him?)

Tourthun - Do dragons count as animals??? (Komodo Dragon???)

Wurie - Wolf (He’s literally a bipedal wolf? Something about loyalty too)

Razorwing - Eagle (See above, but an eagle instead of a wolf)

Paul - King Cobra (Dangerous, keep your distance!)

Charles - ...dragon? (He’s half-dragon, half-human...maybe jaguar cause he’s a loner?)

Andric - Some breed of dog (Brave and protective of others)

5: Is there any trope that would make you put a story down immediately?

The everyone’s evil/chivalry’s dead thing. Also the no happiness or good endings sort of story. I like having hope in my stories, and constant misery and edginess without anyone standing against it just makes me groan. If no one’s redeemable or even the least bit likable why should I even bother following this group of jackasses?

6: Coffee, tea, or something else?

Coffee’s alright, but I take it light and sweet for the taste. Caramel makes it great too. Basically I like coffee when it doesn’t taste like coffee. Maybe soda or water?

7: What’s your WIP’s aesthetic?

Misty cities, ruined buildings, twilight and darkness, lone figures standing against the hordes.

8: What’s one piece of writing you’re really proud of?

This isn’t from Blackheart, but from a short story set in the same world, but in the future. Dragons call a council to discuss what to do about humanity as their power grows and the dragons’ dwindles. To do this, they use telepathy to meld all dragons’ minds so all of them know each other’s positions, stances, and can hear everyone else’s arguments in seconds.

It felt as though a hook was lodged into his brain, then began to pull violently. Then another. And another. Now, it was as if his mind was being pulled in hundreds of different directions at once.

He reeled, feeling disorientation and confusion wash over him. He felt a palpable degree of fear as well, until at last he understood.

He was not only in his own mind…but in the minds of others. Just as he was being pulled in all directions, it felt as though his mind had lodged itself in hundreds of others and pulled at them as well. With this equal force, the feeling of pulling, of vertigo and confusion faded. There was balance.

Now, he was not just at the front of the crowd…he was in the back. He was in the middle. He was left and right, up above and down below. He was everywhere and nowhere.

Patriconius at last understood. The telepathy of the elders was nothing like the standard affair. They had brought their minds together, instead of merely making them able to hear one another. The red dragon felt revulsion, fear, joy, determination, hopelessness, confidence, love, hate, anger, fearlessness and boredom. He recalled memories that were not his own, heard thoughts that did not belong to him.

In these moments, all dragons were one.

“State your cases.”

The Speaker’s voice reverberated from all directions, for as she spoke to each dragon’s mind, Patriconius’ mind, abiding in all the others, heard it each time.

9: Favorite character archetype?

A combo actually. The Tragic Hero combined with the Classical Hero. Someone who has suffered misery and heartache, sometimes to a horrifying degree, but refuses to be broken or changed, still unwavering in their morals and standing for what’s right no matter what. Something about that is just so heartwarming and inspiring, I just absolutely adore those kinds of characters. Dunno if there’s a name for that.

10: Do your OC’s have any unusual hobbies?

Charles usually loves reading, but he’s actually gotten a bit into knitting and tailoring because of Merjim, the Seemstress of the Guild of Dragonoids. She taught him how to weave and modify his own clothes! She does this for other half-dragons because of how costly it is to have clothes modified to account for dragonoids’ wings and tails!

11: How did you first come up with your WIP idea?

Just randomly started writing. Alexander and Senci came from some other unfinished story from middle school, though their characters were so massively transformed they’re nothing like what they used to be. They’re basically the same in name and profession only. I remember wanting to make an actual fantasy story, and, fresh off of being inspired by Demon’s Souls aesthetics, came up with the corrupted, ruined city. Everything else got fleshed out way later.

As for my 11 questions...

1: What’s the most important key to improving your writing, in your opinion?

2: Would your characters have the discipline and nerve to handle high risk, high stress jobs? S.W.A.T. or Air Piloting for example.

3: Do you have any scrapped stories or ideas?

4: Favorite number of characters to write in a group or scene? (Duo, Group of 4, Solo, etc.)

5: Listen to music what writing? What kinda stuff?

6: Favorite mythological creature?

7: Have any Rookie/Veteran dynamics going on?

8: Which RPG stat would each of your characters have the highest in? (Strength, Charisma, Dexterity, etc.)

9: What’s something that’s in most of your work that makes people say “Oh yeah, this is definitely by _!” ?

10: Something your characters REALLY hate/find stupid

11: Hands down, your favorite thing to gush about your own work?

Tagging @lady-redshield-writes, @oceanwriter, @urbanteeth, @paper-shield-and-wooden-sword, @homesteadhorner, @sheralynnramsey, @dragonauthor, @nightskywriter, @dreamywritingdragon, @elliewritesfantasy, @elaynab-writing

As usual, no pressure! Feel free to skip if you don’t want to do this.

[fireeaglespirit]

@beyond-far-horizons​ as promised, a short summary on my Orion, he takes a lot after the mythology of the constellation but not completely as you’ll see... I’ve done some homework ^^

I’m writing a larger post for one reply to Vivi concerning this all and it involves much more characters so I summed it up here for yah:

There’s probably some new things here so I’ll try to be slow.

Basically, Orion is a legendary guy who originated an entire dynasty under his name, the Orionis. In the story we have two main characters with this surname: Lyra and Procyon the sibling dragon-slayers and their dad, the King Sirius. There’s also another character with this surname in prequel timeline, called Adhara, so you can see he is quite important as ancestral figure for all these people...

Basically my Orion is the archetypal heroic figure and a legendary human warrior. He was the first king and one of the founders of the kingdom of Novencia. He’s quite the dude!! 

So, this is my dude Orion (made on Azalea dolls):

I meant for him to look a bit like an older rugged version of Procyon, he’s more buffed and I kinda imagine him like early 2000′s long haired Hugh Jackman with gray eyes, lmao. The creator is limited but just imagine that.

This is his tale, more or less: 

“The legend tells that Orion was a common man born in Vraen’dur, yet he managed to led humanity to their uprise against their dragon lords.

Orion grew up as a Zunak (some sort of dragon servant) and witnessed the heart of Balauria from inside and vowed to protect humanity from the dragon’s cruelty, even if at the cost of his life. It is said that the goddess Astraea heard his prayers and saw his bravery, and she wept… observing from the skies she judged him worth and sent one of her own stars to aid him in his quest…  from the fallen star’s material several weapons were forged, powerful like no other and said to even surpass the avian mythical swords according to the lore of Novencia.

Orion managed to fulfill his dream and free his kin, even so, with all that power, he paid a great price to his deed. The legendary warrior died a few days after taking down Antares and namely founding the new city of Lindefal upon the ruins left from their battle. The great dragon managed to rip the hunter’s abdomen with the tip of his enormous tail before going down, like the iconic scorpion of the greek legends… despite the dragon’s size, the wound was minor, but it somehow festered as if he was poisoned and not the best healers of the time could intervene. Fate seeming claimed the hunter, ending the cycle..”

From an old post to Vivi. 

Note that the story completely erases any interference from other historical figures on Antares’ downfall, so its certainly not reliable… but Orion is nowadays seen as a savior among Novencia and his descent is widely respected and loved, not without a reason… but its not the complete story.

And this is Antares, the big bad red dragon. His arch-enemy:

First of all, I choose Antares name because he is a huge red dragon. 

Just to place you what exactly Novencia means, it was the first human kingdom founded after an uproar against evil dragons (the old empire called Balauria whose ruler was Antares, the eldest, most powerful dragon and asshole in charge). This uproar was historically attributed to Orion as he was a central figure in the war and he died tragically little after that so everyone remembers him as the savior of mankind, but actually tons of people fought in this including some avians and early draconians, such as Galatea (Eltanin’s younger sister) and even dragons such as Antares’ own siblings Polaris and Ishanur were fundamental to the red dragon’s downfall... anyway.

Orion is the spirit of mankind and their pride, no less, this is why people are so proud of him and they love his descent. Antares is the heart of the Scorpio constellation, which was faced by the hunter, Orion, this isn't very different in my story, because my Orion kills Antares but he dies afterwards from a wound in his chest caused by the dragon’s tail striking him slightly as he fell to his death... kinda ironic and scorpion-like, I did as a homage to the ancient tale.. so they kinda destroy each other.

The Scorpio kinda represents the monster defeated by mankind, also which is very interesting, as Antares wasn't originally a monster.

Its impossible to talk about Orion without talking of his arch enemy. I don’t know how much you know about this all, so just for refreshment: my dragon Antares is the elder brother of both Ishanur and Polaris, the black and white dragons respectively. 

To sum it up, Antares was magnificent and the most powerful dragon that probably ever existed, he challenged his predecessors with the intent of freeing himself and his siblings, however he eventually got addicted to POWAR and control and he left it corrupt it badly, he was overly proud and unbearable. He basically became which he swore to destroy, a tyrant, and the ancient kingdom they founded became hellish, so someone needed to take him down.

Anyway, random facts about Orion: 

Orion was born and raised in Vraen’dur (the old dragon city), I don’t have details but I imagine he was born among the Zunak (dragon servant family) and his father was serving directly under Antares himself so Orion must have had a closer look at the injustice of this system and he certainly had personal beef with the dragon Antares. The zunak are early ‘dragon priests’ but they didn't commune with the dragons power as Antares would never share it so they had just political advantage..

Orion’s lineage is called the Faelany, they could trace back to Astraea herself (the human turned goddess). Eltanin and Galatea belong to this too, they’re likely his cousins. All Faelany have black hair and gray eyes and ability to withstand colder climate easily, they also have the dreamblood (innate ability to access magic and use astral weapons (’weapons forged from stars’)), however this is not very important for now.. just linking this together to the draconian ancestors so you get an idea of the timeline, nowadays this name is mostly forgotten and everyone calls them the ‘Orionis’;

Orion’s legendary astral weapon was named Rigel. It even has the blue color of the real life star but I haven’t decided if it is really an arrow-like weapon as the mythology suggests (you can help me on that);

The astral weapons are thus human weapons unlike the solar/lunar weapons who are always meant for avians and draconians.. I always name them with names of stars belonging to constellations I align with my human people, such as Orion itself;

Rigel and most of his weapons were lost forever and they’re holy grails to the dragon slayers as it was told they have been forged from the heart of a fallen star, and so they’re regarded as one of the few things in existence able to kill or seal a true dragon… even if temporarily (they can be revived but it corrupts them). Dragons are known as creatures of the stars and only similar power can harm them properly;

Orion had a friend called Regulus, the founder of house Leonis and he was king after him. The meritocratic ruling system and laws of Novencia were established by Regulus, actually. One way or another, Orion was a cool guy and he wanted to free humanity from the shackles of slavery, there’s was never an intention to rule or anything but he still ended up as the most famous king ever even if technically he barely ruled at all, Regulus honored his memory afterwards; 

He was the one to give the final, decisive blow to Antares. I choose this for several lore reasons but he wasn't alone in that feat;

The Orionis dynastic name was not created by him or Regulus either, it was Adhara, his young kin who crowned herself after his name as Adhara Orionis, giving birth to the tradition of human houses naming themselves after the founders... p.s.: she is something else as she caused a lot of problems for early Novencia which would make Orion cringe, but that’s for another story.

I think this is it! This is all I know about him right now.. I’m writing a complex post on early Novencia so this will cover some of Orion’s story and how he rebelled against Antares and his friendship with Regulus, etc.. I love that guy, he is great!

[pomrania]

Mindflayer discussion

Below the cut is the transcription of a Discord conversation between @eyeloch, @absolxguardian, and me (Jan). I think we came up with some pretty good ideas about Underdark society and economy, although most of it was accidentally turning illithids into a combination of something like the Matrix, and vegans. I might take the ideas and make it into a neat post, later on, or I might not.

Excerpts:

Jan Okay, so when someone's at rock bottom, there's three "traditional" options. Selling your body (really unsavoury prostitution), selling your soul (fiends), selling your mind (illithids).

AbsolxGuardian for the last one, you would have to have hit super rock bottom, since you'd need to be in the underdark as well

*

Eyeloch Drow also provide spiders spiders are vital for the economy

AbsolxGuardian oohhh, what if that's the function of the elder brain in this world (because i hate hiveminds with rulers. that doesn't make sense)

Jan Elder brain, is that mindflayers?

AbsolxGuardian yep although i also like the idea of it being the server room of the hivemind

Eyeloch !!

Jan Okay. I don't think of that so much as a "hivemind with ruler", it's more like... the elder brain IS the "mind".

Eyeloch CLOUD COMPUTING

Jan Ooze computing.

Eyeloch THE ELDER BRAIN IS A SERVER FARM

Jan And then mindflayers are like black hat hackers?

Eyeloch hehehheheh ooooh

AbsolxGuardian .....mindflayer colony that's mining bitcoin

Jan YES

Eyeloch psychic bitcoins

Jan OH, and you can only use them when you're "plugged into" the brain server farm!

Eyeloch mindflayer shopkeeper that's cordial to PCs but only takes bitcoin assures them that any brain can generate them

AbsolxGuardian yes!!!

Jan Honestly, I think this Matrix-esque mindflayer concept is a lot better than their official lore.

Eyeloch I'm reminded of Logopolis, the last Fourth Doctor story

Jan And like, they don't so much EAT the brains for physical nourishment, as they extract it for future use as processing. ...which would then imply that a mindflayer vomits out a brain once it gets back home.

Eyeloch where block-transfer computations can literally affect reality as they're solved

AbsolxGuardian yeah! the brains could be doing calculations for psionic magic to generate things like food

Eyeloch like ants that collect leaf cuttings to farm fungus, but they collect brain cuttings to farm psionic energy

AbsolxGuardian they don't eat the brains, they use them as magic computers (i guess a naturally psionic species/being would be able to do it while remaining conscious) they could just be casting food generation spells

Jan Oh, and like a living person COULD like "loan" their brain out for a while, with it still being in their head... but they'd definitely be incapacitated during that.

Eyeloch malware left in brains

Jan Would probably take some psychic damage too, depending on how careful the mindflayers were.

Eyeloch and now I'm horrified

Jan And yes, the possibility of stuff like that being left in one's brain. Which means there's only two situations in which somebody would do this: a) they really trust the illithid in question b) they're desperate Now I'm imagining this as like, one of the last-resort activities people get up to, like certain forms of prostitution, or knocking over fantasy gas stations.

AbsolxGuardian ......wait so does that mean that the gith are just a matrix sequel (although I assume you would just be unconscious)

Jan And it's all technically legal. They know, getting into it, that it'll hurt, and they might not survive.

Eyeloch "Over time, overmind. . .over time, overmind. . .over ti-ti-time, overmind..."

AbsolxGuardian because standard lore says that after dragons and giants, it was the mindflayers that ruled the material plane

Jan Okay, so when someone's at rock bottom, there's three "traditional" options. Selling your body (really unsavoury prostitution), selling your soul (fiends), selling your mind (illithids).

AbsolxGuardian for the last one, you would have to have hit super rock bottom, since you'd need to be in the underdark as well

Eyeloch ...if you're an adventurer, selling your body may mean roughing people up

Jan Rock bottom LITERALLY heh.

Eyeloch but much the same

Jan Although, there's nothing stopping a mindflayer from being on the surface, aside from that it's far from their normal habitat. OH, maybe that's why it wants to borrow people's minds: because it doesn't have the normal "computing power" of an elder brain. It's running mobile instead of desktop. And there's a whole bunch of bipedal wifi stations walking about.

Eyeloch "Well, this is kind of. . .well it isn't an elder brain. More of an adolescent brain. It still helps, though!" omg parallel core computing = multiple mind psionics

AbsolxGuardian i can't believe both of my dnd sessions have bitcoin cause my dragonslayers one has spell slot based arcanecoin

Jan This reimagining could also make illithids feasible as allies, I think. If they don't require the DEATH of sentient beings to function, that could also put them at Lawful Neutral, with Lawful Evil tendencies because it's hard to view "humans" as "people" since they're so different.

Eyeloch this is amazing

AbsolxGuardian also they don't have to only eat psionic food, it's just the most practical in the underdark

Eyeloch together, we've made some great concepts

AbsolxGuardian heck, they're probably the breadbasket of the underdark

Jan Maybe illithids are strict herbivores when it comes to nourishing their physical forms. And "eating brains" doesn't have it go down the digestive tract, just to another internal place for storage.

Eyeloch oh gosh, talking about how they're vegan, while literally stealing brains :joy:

AbsolxGuardian YES!! now i'm thinking about the underdark economy, and i'd imagine duergar provide weapons and raw mined material. deep gnomes provide more precise and detailed products. mindflayers provide food. and drow provide slaves and "protection"

Jan Pffft, "You actually have to eat MEAT to FUNCTION? I'm going to take your brain, and you probably won't even notice that it's missing, you're already basically an animal."

Eyeloch Drow also provide spiders

Jan I love how we managed to turn mindflayers into both hackers and obnoxious vegans.

Eyeloch spiders are vital for the economy

AbsolxGuardian (in all seriousness, a tamed giant spider is basically a beast of burden)

Jan Even smaller spiders, there's spider silk. And if you can communicate with them, you can get stuff woven to order I suppose.

Eyeloch you could potentially make garments with almost no additional stitching required

AbsolxGuardian yeah, they provide fabric!

Jan Thinking of mindflayers, there was an idea I'd had a few months ago. Where they like, provided protection to a community, in exchange for a few brains once in a while. Kind of like an organized crime gang, I guess.

Eyeloch protection racket

Jan And there was also, like, you know Intellect Devourers? Those things like brains on legs? A smaller version of them, that were basically used for recreational purposes. To turn your brain off for a bit, like getting drunk. To clarify, this is what the humans in town did. Heh, I don't know whether it's sad or impressive that like, three nerds, talking over maybe fifteen minutes, can turn the Underdark into a functional economy, when Wizards of the Coast hasn't.

Eyeloch hello and welcome to the town of mindfuck

AbsolxGuardian i mean, they see the civilizations of the underdark as a lot more evil. we went in more of a "creepy harsh life"

Jan Yeah.

AbsolxGuardian although it is funny that the economy is in such perfect balance, because "conquer the surface and crush others underfoot" are on the long term priority list of drow and mindflayers now i'm imagining a vetinari-like drow having to reign in warmongering drow

Eyeloch the alignment of Stupid Evil can stifle effective ability to actually do evil

Jan Oh, the illithid-protection-racket idea: there's no beggars around, because they all get approached with "if you lend us your brain for a bit, and you survive, we'll make sure you have what you need to be set up afterwards". The people who don't take that offer, they're creeped out enough that they leave the area.

Eyeloch I love it OH HELL

Jan And like, there's a lot of visceral "this is horrible" reaction.

Eyeloch i d e a "Server farm"

Jan But the people who complain most about it, it's not like THEY were doing anything to help the beggars.

Eyeloch which is like battery hens, but with people with "useful" brains though, honestly, some mindflayers probably think that's wasteful since enrichment activities slow the degradation of the hardware, don't'cha'know

AbsolxGuardian oh are we going with each hive being a full hive mind and more of a single enity or just very community focused telepaths

Eyeloch hmmm, IDK

Jan "Enrichment", oh that's good. The latter idea would work better. And like, a strong enough mind can subsume all the others into it.

AbsolxGuardian that makes sense

Eyeloch corporate merger

Jan Oh, how about like there's some ideological splits along that line.

AbsolxGuardian so each elder brain is their internet server

Jan Whether it's better to have every body under one mind, or just have each body connected.

Eyeloch "Mindflayers. When you talk, we listen."

AbsolxGuardian yeah there might be a few all hivemind groups

Jan There's no real conflict between the hivemind vs non-hivemind groups. Maybe some verbal sniping, or "oh that's what you get for using that form" when one of them suffers damage.

Eyeloch just some passive aggression?

Jan But a pro-hivemind illithid doesn't work well in a non-hivemind group... and an anti-hivemind illithid will make the hivemind less functional, if forcibly added.

Eyeloch so much telepathic noise, and all the tiny disagreements stressing the hive-mind fan more and more for self-evident reasons!

Jan That's probably the biggest philosophical divide in mindflayer society. And like, they all feel that they're superior to other life forms, and the world would be a better place in charge. Just every mind has a different idea on how to do that, and if it should be done. Some think that non-mindflayers are enough of a mess that you shouldn't even bother with them, it's like cleaning out a stable with a dining fork. Don't try to take them over; even if you manage, it won't be fun.

Eyeloch "elves, gnomes and those others lot are fine to do their thing.  Just I wish they'd go do that stuff somewhere else, you know?"

Jan Frick, what if illithids see "humans" (by which I'm including other humanoids) as animals, with all the variety that entails. As beasts of burden, as nuisances who need to be driven away, as scenery, as pets.... Most feel like it's not right to go out of one's way to hurt a humanoid, but if a few humanoids end up suffering to achieve illithid goals, it's not a big deal.

Eyeloch tie it back into the vegan thing from earlier!

Jan There's a few who actively try to protect humanoids. But they still see humanoids as "lesser" beings than illithids.

Eyeloch some would rather not see humanoid suffering, or directly benefit from it but in a kind of

Jan "I would NEVER extract a human's brain personally, but I'll buy one at the store." "Awww, look at those cute little dwarves, carving out a dwelling for themselves! It's almost like they're people!"

Eyeloch "we are superior beings, so we shouldn't sully ourselves with inferior creatures" vs "we are superior in every way, and humanoids are simply too inferior to realise the honour it is to help us in mind or body."

[earthnashes]

A long post to answer a bunch of worldbuidling questions for the Slayer!AU. All of these are from @gastredner uwu

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Are the dragons living in Zebrica and Equestria part of the same, overarching dragon culture, or was there a rift between them sometime in the past? Like, for example, a number of dissenters leaving during the war between the alicorns and the dragons for other, non-involved countries?

No, the dragons don’t really have an overarching culture aside from a traditional “meetup thing”, basically the Great Dragon Migration. Dragons from all over the world meet together in what they all believe to be the place of their ancestors, the dragons they all originate from. This is always neutral ground: no matter what conflict is occurring between each tribe, they must be peaceful on these grounds or they risk breaking the most sacred of rule and will forever be banished from these lands. 

Their cultural differences is natural, not so much because of the war that happened between equine and dragons. I’ll probably even go so far to say that this war pre-dated mortal civilization and was exclusively moreso Alicorn vs Dragon, two of the longest-living species in the world. Hence why you don’t see many alicorns or dragons anymore.

How much of the dragon culture from before and during the war still exists?

I’d say quite a bit of it. Aside from the additional vendetta and general demonization of equines in some cultures, they maintain a rather “traditional” cultural structure, or in their case, it still remains a Chiefdom among nearly all dragons. Each clan has a Chief, warriors, healers, shamans, hunters, and civilians. These clans range in size and how social equality is handled, with some tribes seeing everyone as equals and others using social equality to herald power amongst themselves.

Does Zebrica have problems with marauding dragons? Who deals with such problems, the zebra or the local dragons?

Zebrica is one of the few places in the world where dragons and mortals of all kind (not just equine) co-exist peacefully. Outside dragons can, and have indeed tried, using this to their advantage in taking over territories and clearing said lands of anyone already living in it, believing these peaceful inhabitants won’t fight back. They often forget that the dragons there can, will, and have actively protected their smaller neighbors from unfriendly invaders. I’d assume that it’s through this repeated action that dragons eventually became revered by the inhabitants of Zebrica.

How did zebras end up revering dragons, anyway?

It isn’t just zebras, though I do believe I answered this question with the previous answer.

How did Twilight meet Zecora? Did she have the same problem as in the show, as in, a huge amount of magical power and insufficient restraint for that, and went there because Zecora is seen as some kind of luminary on dragon magic?

Twilight does still have that issue: her magic grows faster than her ability to control it and she had to seek out help in learning how to control it, and that eventually led her to Zebrica: the dragons there are said to be the ultimate masters of magic, having learned and exchanged techniques with the locals that better their control over their power. Zecora is old, too, old enough to remember the great war, so she is revered even among dragons. I’d wager she’d be what is known as an Elder Dragon. So, Twilight meets Zecora during one of the Great Migrations and she is told to meet her again in her homegrounds, Zebrica, in which Twi spends years among the locals learning everything there was to be learned. Thanks to Zecora and the tribes of mortals there, Twilight has a greater grasp on her magic (she even learned how to disguise herself as a pony from Zecora). Twilight still sometimes does something she used to do in order to control her magic: overextend her usage and cause magic exhaustion. This is not a safe way to handle magic and can be very harmful (and terribly painful) to the individual. She no longer does it on purpose though, now having better control of her magic, but sometimes she forgets her own limits and causes magic exhaustion.

Also, what is their relationship like? Is it comparable to the relationship between Twilight and Celestia from the show,? Is it like that, but more relaxed? Or something completely different?

I think it probably be a bit similar to how Twi and Celestia are in show but definitely far more relaxed. Twilight might have once revered Zecora because she’s an Elder Dragon, one of the highest ranks that all dragon clans acknowledge, but that near-worship dynamic dissipated the longer she spent time with her. They’re closer to friends for sure, but there’s style the master/pupil dynamic there.

How do dragons live? You already stated that they live in clans, but how, exactly, does that work? Do they share cave complexes? Does every dragon get their own cave at some point? Do they have pony homes in place, to pass themselves off as ponies when needed? Or are there actual ponies, living around them as their public face?

It entirely depends on which culture, species, and which clan you look at. Some clans live entirely underground, some underwater, some make their homes on the highest peaks of the mountains. Sometimes their homes are cave systems, but sometimes they build their homes, using tools and magic to construct huts and structures they use for their lives. Not all dragons know how to cast the transformation spell (it’s a very uncommon practice; many would see it as a disgrace, parading yourself around as anything but a prideful dragon) and most dragons don’t even have the ability to maintain the spell since it takes a lot of magic to maintain in the first place. Most dragons, with the exception of Zebrica and a few other countries, live away from mortals. They don’t try to use them as public face though I’m sure some have actually come to an agreement to do such a thing in Equestria.

Is there still some kind of overarching dragon society (and possibly government), or is it every clan for themselves?

This sounds a lot like the first question, but no there is no overarching dragon society or government. Every tribe is for themselves, they govern themselves and they take care of themselves. I’m sure there are alliances and such that happen between them but overall, nah. The only thing that even resembles some overarching governmental body are the Elder Dragons.

There aren’t many, but Elder Dragons are dragons far older than a few thousand years. These dragons have seen the world change several times over, some are even date back as far as prehistoric times. They generally live in the ancestral grounds all clans go to for the Great Dragon Migration, and they are the ones who hold the clans accountable for their actions should said action be severe enough for their intervention. They were there for the great war: many of them died in it, hence why there aren’t many of them left. I’d like to think Zecora is one of the highest ranking Elder Dragons, and so even among her own kind she’s something of a god-like figure.

[bookofjin]

Biography of Tao Kan, Part 2

[From JS066]

Soon after, he moved to Dragon Galloping General and Grand Warden of Wuchang. At the time Under Heaven was famished and wasted, many of the mountain barbarians [yi] cut off the Jiang to rob and plunder. Kan ordered the various generals to pretend to construct merchant ships to thereby entice them. When the plunderers as a result arrived, [they] emerged and captured several people, being the left and right of the King of Xiyang, Yang.

The plunderers as a result arrived [?], [they had] captured alive several people who were the left and right of the King of Xiyang, Yang. Kan immediately dispatched troops to pressure Yang, ordering them to set out towards the traitors. Kan deployed the columns at Diaotai to be the rear connection. Yang tied up and sent off 20 people from beneath his tent. Kan beheaded them.

From this water and land was respectful and peaceful. With the roads overflowing with drifters and the lost returning home, Kan exhausted his wealth to succour and supply them. He also established barbarian markets in the east of the commandery, greatly harvesting their profits.

Then the Emperor sent Kan to strike Du Tao [JS100]. He ordered the General who Rouses Power, Zhou Fang [JS058], and the General who is Broad Martial, Zhao You [JS057] to accept Kan's rules and measures. Kan ordered the two generals to be the vanguard, and his elder brother's son Yu to be the left flank. He struck the traitors and routed them.

At the time Zhou Yi [JS69] was Inspector of Jing province. He previously headquartered at Xunshui city, the traitors plundered his Liangkou. Kan sent his section general Zhu Si [JS081] to rescue him. The traitors withdrew to defend Lingkou. Kan spoke to the various generals, saying:

These traitors will surely change to walk towards Wuchang. I ought to return to the city, [we] can arrive after travelling day and night for three days. Do you Sirs know how to be able to endure the starvation and fight?

The section general Wu Ji said:

[I] require and desire ten days to endure hunger. In daytime [I] will strike the traitors, at night disperse to catch fish. Sufficient thereby to aid each other.

Kan said:

Sir is a sturdy general.

The traitors as a results increased their troops and came to attack. Kan sent Zhu Si and others to confront and strike. They greatly routed them, captured their supply wagons, and killed and wounded a considerable multitude. He dispatched the Army Advisor Wang Gong to announce the victory to Wang Dun [JS100]. Dun said:

Suppose [we] had not Marquis Tao, [we would] readily lose Jing province. Boren just now entered the frontier, and readily was routed by the traitors. [I] do not understand how [he] became Inspector.

[Boren was Zhou Yi's courtesy name.]

Gong replied, saying:

This lowly province just now has affairs and difficulties.. Without Dragon Galloping Tao it is impossible.

Dun agreed, and promptly petitioned to designated Kan as Envoy Holding the Tally, General who Soothes the Far-off, Colonel of the Southern Man and Inspector of Jing province, to command Xiyang, Jiangxia and Wuchang, headquarter at Dunkou, and also move to enter the Mian-Jiang [region].

He dispatched Zhu Si and others to punish the traitors of Jiangxia, and killed them. The traitor Wang Chong called himself Inspector of Jing province, and occupied Jiangling. Wang Gong turned back, and came to Jingling. He fabricated Kan's instructions, and used Du Zeng [JS100] as Great Controller-Protector of the Vanguard, advanced the army to behead Chong, and comprehensively took the surrender of his multitudes.

Kan summoned Zeng but he did not come. Gong also feared [he would be] sized for the crime of fabricating instructions [?]. Thereupon he and Zeng raised troops in rebellion. They struck Kan's Controller-Protector Zheng Pan at Dunyang, routing him, and also defeated Zhu Si at Miankou. Kan desired to withdraw and enter Yunzhong. The section general Zhang Yi wanted to be second [?] to Kan, and deceptively advised, saying:

[For] the traitors to arrive and then act, [is for] the multitudes surely not possible. [?]

He misled him so hid did not advance. No matter what [?], the traitors arrived. As a result he was defeated by them. he traitors hooked the warship Kan was sailing. Kan was hard-pressed and in a critical position, and fled to enter a small boat. Zhu Si fought with all his power, and only then obtained escape. Zhang Yi in the end ran to the traitors. Kan was convicted and dismissed from office. Wang Dun petitioned to use Kan as an unranked commoner to lead his post [?].

Kan again led Zhou Fang and others to advance the army and enter the Xiang. He sent the Chief Commandant Yang Ju to spur on ahead. He struck Du Tao, greatly routed him, and garrisoned the troops to the west of the city. Kan's Accessory Clerk explained the achievements to Wang Dun, saying:

Provincial general Tao sent [me?] to you Lord to uniquely basically specially establish, accompanying unassumingly to reach visibility, merits of loyalty and fairness [?] being had as result [?]. He set out to help the Southern Xia, assisting and aiding Conquers the South Liu. First coming across Zhang Chang, later during Chen Min, Kan used sideways travel to alone take on the great bandits, without conquest and no vanquishing, the crowd of detestables were routed and exterminated.

Recently, Wang Ru made chaos to the north, Du Tao straddled the south. Two conquerors ran and fled [?], as one the province in starlight hurried, its remaining commanderies and counties, in them the ground ruptured [?]. Kan summoned and pulled along using the rites, embraced the distant using virtue. The multitudes of the sons that came, from beginning to end amassed extremely [?].

He received and inherited taking responsibility for the conferral, alone defending imperilled and endangered. People departed [but he] did not move. People left [but he] did not disperse. In past years he directed and supervised, directly preparing the cities of Xiang, with ambitions to climb the clouds and skies, divine impetus alone pass judgement.

To no avail, due to the army having few provisions [and being] isolated, he did not as a result offer up a victory. As such Du Tao was afraid and scared, he came and turned back to Xiakou. He had not yet passed through two nights in the same place, [when] drifters of Jianping welcome the traitors to rebel together. Kan immediately turned around the army and sailed upstream to weed out the barbarians and detestables. Reaching making the Western Gate unbarred, the borders of the Hua without worries, the merits of Kan.

The Enlightened General sympathized with these Jing and Chu, saved [their] fate from mire and charcoal, and sent Kan to govern and lead the the remnants of the destitute and withered, during the cold to clothe them, during famines to feed them, house by house congratulating each other, having in the same way squeezed the floss silk [?].

The Jiang's banks are uniquely dangerous [?], the ground has no major narrow points. It is not possible for a single army to alone be able to protect and solidify. For that reason [he] moved to come to Gaoji, thereby avoiding its thoroughfares. The traitors' light and rash arrived first, the great multitudes were after. Kan resisted in battle through the day, killing their famous leaders.

The traitors made use of dogs and sheep to join each other [?], and with equal strength came to attack [?]. Kan used the composure of a loyal subject, righteously without retreat or looking back, put on tough [armour] and carried sharp [weapons], personally undertook acts of war. Generals and soldiers strove to strike, and could not but obey the instructions. The dead during that time could not be counted.

The traitors' multitudes were arranged in fives, alternately resting and fighting. Kan due to the solitary army [being] a single unit, its strength not alone holding out, measured when proper to cut off or maintain [?], thereby waiting to later raise up [?].

Yet the master calls Kan to account, to honour and promote or demote and scrape off [?] Kan is by nature humble and modest, when the deed is complete he personally withdraws [?]. Now in receiving acceptance for turning back [?], [he?] only fears to delay and tarry.

As such, so-and-so and others of little account truly fear management be neglected in the interior, affairs will fail outside, the mistakes of presumption administration will be brought about in a thousand villages [?], cause the Man蠻 of Jing to turn aside and depart, the western mountain crooks undefended. With the lips gone the teeth are cold, invasion will pressure without limit.

Dun hence petitioned to restore Kan to office.

Tao's general Wang Gong with 3 000 spirited soldiers set out for the Wuling Jiang, and enticed the Five Creeks barbarians. He used a naval host to cut off official transports, and went straight towards Wuchang. Kan sent Zheng Pan and the General who Prostrates the Waves, Tao Yan, to hasten by night Baling. They hid the host to ambush them while unprepared, greatly routing them. They beheaded more than 1000 and took the surrender of more than 10 000. Gong escaped and turned back to Xiang city.

Among the traitors [they were] leaving from hopelessness. Du Tao thereupon suspected Zhang Yi and killed him. The multitude's feelings were increasingly fearful, those who surrendered grew more and more. Wang Gong again challenged for battle. Kan from afar spoke to him, saying:

When Du Tao was Inspector of Yi province he robbed and used the treasury cash, his father died [but] he did not run to mourn. Sir originally was a talented person, why are [you] following him? Rather than Under Heaven [you] would rather have white headed traitors! [?]

Gong began with sidewise feet atop the horse [?]. When Kan had finished speaking, Gong composed his features and put down his feet, his expression and appearance were considerably amiable. Kan knew he could be moved, and again ordered and explained to him, cutting off his hair as a pledge. Gong thereupon came to surrender.

Then Tao was defeated and ran. [Kan] advanced and overcame Changsha, he captured his generals Mao Bao, Gao Bao and Liang Kan, and turned back.

[medicus-mortem]

afailedkingsheart​:

❧ The threat of the scholar came with a jump as claws reached up to cover his already curtained eyes as the heavy copper handles of his scroll clattered to the ground. The parchment unfurling to reveal his current homework assigned to him by the lich. Learning to use souls as a conduit for energy. The young prince an apprentice to the dark magic, though not exactly necromancy itself. 

His little form shook with fear at disrupting his elder as he reached down to hurriedly collect the mess he had just made. The veil of his crown pooling at the floor along with his royal garb as he attempted to avoid looking further into the room. 

Coming to the lich originally to ask for further tutoring regarding some of the more extraneous spell formulaic makeups. It was incredibly difficult for the young prince to understand, being ungifted as his elder twin who had almost picked up the art naturally. There was an obvious divide in who the scholar favored when it came to all of this. 

Being born dumb, he made an attempt to display his apology with claws only for the scroll to slip from his small arms once more. The sound pounding into the quiet hall as he scooped the scroll with his tail to stagger away from the heavy door. Letting it roll across the ornate rug before clutching it in his arms to prevent any more interruptions. 

For as long as he could remember, this lich had always been in service to his family. Before he was born and before the idea of remembering their wings became a thought to the royal line. An incredibly ancient and wise sorcerer had found his way into their service and was granted the protection of the ruling line to commit any heinous act he desired. In trade of teaching the new heirs his knowledge of the forbidden arts. It was scarce now to find those with powers as widely understood as his since the Great War and the Don Quixote’s spared no exception from obtaining just that.  

He was crucial to their existence, but Rosinante was not quite aware of that reality yet.

   The child reacts in fear, as he should. The Lich flinches at the sharp clanging now disturbing the silence of his laboratory, arms rising to cross over his chest. He watches with dispassionate features as the little dragon tries so desperately to signal a likely apology at him only to once again drop the scroll he was once holding. There is a low groan in his throat, gaze going skyward to beseech some higher power for patience but such an act is pointless. There are few powers in this world higher than his.

   Thankfully the prince’s bumbling knocks the scroll and him out of the lab and into the hallway outside his purposely heavy door. Law follows the child as he goes after it, using his tail to catch the rolling object. During the stumbling the Lich caught a glimpse of what the now crumpled parchment showed. Evidence that at least this runt was trying to learn what he is compelled to teach them. How to draw on the power of souls to empower either objects or one self. The basic magic necessary to begin the process of becoming a Lich. Which isn’t their goal but in a sense the principle here is the same.

   Finally the child manages to get his hands on his scroll again and Law unwinds his hands. He turns to grasp the handle of his door and tug it closed with a heavy thud. With a swirl of his dark robe the Lich spins on his heels to once more turn his attention to the dragon hatchling. He leans down to latch onto the back of the boy’s collar, lifting him into the air and snatching the scroll from his clumsy hands.

   “How many times must I warn you away from my lab before it gets through your thick reptilian skull?” he snarls, glaring at the child dangling from his hand.

   Law strides down the hall, moving to create some distance between his lab and the prince. As he does he scans over the homework he needs to complete. A deep frown furrows his brow, the Lich noticing a few major errors here. The boy is struggling to understand the theory. How can he ever apply the soul siphon to a living subject like this?

   “I see you’re still confused,” he continues, sighing heavily. Law drops the child, not caring if he gets hurt in the fall. “I have half a mind to tell the King and Queen you’re a lost cause.”

[tipsycad147]

Isis - Goddess Of The Throne

(The Egyptian words Ast or Aset, mean 'Throne or Seat'. Isis is an onomatopoeic Asianic word, Ish-ish, meaning 'she who weeps'.)

Isis, was for almost 3,500 years, the principle Goddess of Egypt. She was the wife and sister of Osiris and the mother of Horus, and the personification of the faithful wife and devoted mother. Isis is the Mistress Of The Words of Power and the Goddess Of Nature. She is the embodiment of nature and magic. The lap of the Goddess Isis was regarded as the royal throne, while her breast poured forth the nectar that conferred the divine right to rule.

Isis, is often depicted crowned with a throne or later with a disc and two horns. The Sycamore tree was sacred to Isis, and she is associated with the planet Venus, Copper and the colours emerald and turquoise.

The story of Isis.

The Sun god Ra ordered Shu (Air) to separate Nut (Sky) from her brother/lover Geb (Earth), he also declared that Nut should never have children in any month of the year. Thoth, the god of wisdom, won from the moon, in a game of draughts, one seventy-second part of its light. It was during these days, that belonged to no month, that she bore Osiris, Horus the Elder, Set Isis and Nephthys. Osiris and Isis fell in love and mated while still in Nut's womb and became man and wife, her sister Nephthys married Set.

Together with Osiris, they ruled Egypt and taught the people all the basic skills of civilisation. Set, however, was envious of his brother, and conspired to kill Osiris, nailing his body in a coffin and throwing it into the Nile. Isis traced the coffin to Byblos in Phoenicia, where the currents had carried it. However, a tamarisk tree had grown around it, and King Malacander had built the trunk into his palace. Isis, in disguise, first became the nurse to the kings son and later his queen. Isis revealed herself to Malacander, who granted her a ship to take the coffin back to Egypt

On her journey back to Egypt, she hid in the Nile Delta marshes near Buto, to conceal herself and the body of the dead Osiris, with whom she had become magically impregnated. Set, however, discovered the body and tore it asunder casting the fourteen pieces throughout the kingdom. Isis, undertook a journey to recover the disembodied parts of her husband/lover. At each place, as she found one of the parts, she performed a burial ritual and set up a stela marking its place, hoping to deceive Set into thinking that all the parts were buried in separate places.

In time, Isis recovered all the missing parts, except the phallus of Osiris, which Set had thrown into the Nile and had been eaten by a crab. Isis was able to fashion a new one, and magically restored Osiris's body by anointing it with precious oils. She was thus to become the inventor of embalming. Osiris, now fully immortal, became the King of Amenti, the realm of the dead, while Isis in due course gave birth to Horus the Younger.

Invocation Of Isis

I, Isis, am all that hath been that is or shall be, I, who made light from my feathers, The wind from my wings, No mortal man ever hath me unveiled! - Until now.

Isis and the Seven Scorpions

The god Djehuty or Thoth to the Greeks realised that Aset (Isis) was in great danger from Set. Set was her brother, but also the brother of Wesir (Osiris), to whom Aset had been wife. Set had murdered his brother, to take the throne, and now sought for Wesir’s son, Heru (Horus), whom Aset yet carried in her womb. Djehuty rescued Aset and advised her to go into hiding until her son grew of age. Aset set out for the Delta intending to hide herself in the papyrus thickets and marshes. Accompanying her were seven scorpions, the leader of which was called Tefen.

During their journey Aset and the scorpions came to the town of Per-sui and asked for refuge of the house of a wealthy lady named Usert. But Usert slammed the door in Aset’s face, so the scorpions gave Tefen all their venom and he crept under the door and bit her son.

Meanwhile a poor little fisher girl offered shelter to Aset.

Tefen’s venom caused Usert’s son extreme agony and Usert ran into the town calling for help but was ignored. Aset felt sorry for the innocent child and decided to cure him, calling Usert to bring the child to her so she could magically expel the poison. Aset put her hand on the child and recited, “O poison of Tefen, come forth and drip onto the ground. May the child live and the poison die.”

Usert was stricken with remorse and sought to make amends by filling the poor little fisher girls hut with possessions from her own home.

Aset continued on her journey and came to Khemmis in the Delta, where she gave birth to Heru, Heru Avenger of his father. She tied her girdle around the baby for protection.

There was no one to feed Aset in Khemmis, so eventually she was forced to leave Heru alone and search for food, disguised as a beggar. She wandered all day with no luck, and returned to find Heru lying still on the ground. The marsh dwellers came running but could offer no help, Aset feared this might be an attack by Set. Thn a great learned lady came and said Atum had decreed Set should not enter Khemmis and perhaps a scorpion or snake had bitten Heru. Aset smelled Heru’s breath and detected poison of the scorpion. But this time Aset was unable to expel the poison of the scorpion and her cries brought Nebt-Het and Serqet to her side. They combined their voices and reached Ra in his Barque of Millions of Years, causing the boat to stand still so that darkness descended upon the earth.

Djehuty alighted from the bark and recited the healing spell of Heru.

“Come back, Oh Poison. You are exorcised by the spell of Ra himself… the Barque of the Sun God wil stand still… until Heru recovers – to his mother’s delight. Fall onto the earth, Oh poison… darkness will cover everything… wells will be dry, crops will wither… until Heru recovers – to his mother’s delight.”

To the delight of Aset, the spell of Djehuty cured the son of Aset, Heru – Avenger of his Father and Ra and his Barque of Millions of Years was allowed to continue its journey.

Correspondences

Animal: Man, Woman, unicorn, sphinx, ram, owl, lion, eagle Colour: Emerald, turquoise Day: Wednesday, Friday Festivals: Advent of Aset - January 2nd, July 17th, Oct 30th - Nov 2nd Flower: Amaranth, cypress, willow, lily, ivy, snowdrop Gems: ruby, star ruby, turquoise, sapphire, pearl, amethyst, peridot, beryl Minerals: Phosphorus, silver, sulphates Perfume: musk, myrrh, civert, cedar, dragons blood, narcissus, onycha Tarot: Twos, Threes, Fours, Tens, The Emperor, The Hermit, The Hanged Man Weapon: Lingam, Inner Robe Of Concealment, Yoni, Magic Circle

http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/the_goddess/isis_-_goddess_of_the_throne.asp

[royalnovels-blog]

SW Chapter 84

Chapter 84: Dream of a swan In the evening, the last round of today’s competition finally begun. The result of drawn lots quickly came out, it was Black Cauldron Sect versus Cloud Mist Sect, and hearing this announcement, Elder Tu of Five Style Sect secretly sighed in relief, and the complexion of Black Cauldron Sect’s Sect Master Tuoba Xiong nevertheless became gloomy. “Go, call Hong Lie to come here!” Tuoba Xiong gave an order in a lowered voice. This battle was extremely important, so after thinking for a bit, he decided to send the most outstanding younger generation disciple of his sect, Hong Lie for this match. As the Big Disciple of Black Cauldron Sect, the latter should also answer the call of duty. Very quickly, Hong Lie arrived in front of Tuoba Xiong, then bowed, waiting for orders. Thinking about the situation, it was very likely for him to have a decisive battle with alarmingly powerful, millennium genius of Cloud Moist Sect, Nan Tiandu. Thinking this, he was somewhat excited as well as somewhat unsettled and perturbed. “This is God King Armor, and this is Blood Lance, Hong Lie, take them.” Tuoba Xiong gave two treasures to Hong Lie, then said in a lowered voice: “Kill, no matter who enters the arena from Cloud Mist Sect, kill him for me! If you win, then these two pieces of treasures will be yours, but if you lose, then you will have to step down from the position of sect’s Big Disciple, and give it to more capable junior apprentice brother or sister!” The first half words of Tuoba Xiong made Hong Lie overjoyed in his heart, but the latter half made him sweat profusely. And the gazes of the surrounding disciples of Black Cauldron Sect looking at him began to become somewhat strange, sympathetic, gloating and even more were burning hot while glaring like a tiger eyeing its prey. Unlike Cloud Mist Sect, the Big senior apprentice-brother of Black Cauldron Sect was not selected on the basis of how long they had entered the sect, rather judged on the basis of strength. Whoever was strongest, that person would become Big senior apprentice-brother, and do whatever they like among the disciples. This kind of rule was somewhat abnormal, fell short of human logic, but this also made the younger generation of Black Cauldron Sect to train harder and emerge as a wolf and tiger. If he was unsuccessful then he had to die for a righteous cause, this vastly increased the pressure on Hong Lie all of a sudden. Sect Master Tuoba Xiong always had words of enormous weight, and in Black Cauldron Sect, no one dared to contradict and defy him, but after the command, Hong Lie strangely didn’t answer immediately, hesitating for a moment, he mustered his courage and looking at Tuoba Xiong, he said: “Your Excellency Sect Master, if disciple win, disciple doesn’t want any treasure, only has a request.” “Oh, speak!” A trace of surprise flashed in the eyes of Tuoba Xiong. “If I lose, then no matter how Sect Master punishes me, I, Hong Lie will not complain at all. But, if I win, then this disciple hope……, hope that Sect Master will allow junior apprentice-sister Xiaoniao to marry me.” Hong Lie gritted his teeth and propose a marriage in the presence of all. As a sect’s Big Disciple, his status was far above the ordinary disciples, and his potential was also infinite, but he was short and small, and was nothing special to look at, even to the extent that his appearance was somewhat wretched, still he had persistently, secretly loved Tuoba Xiaoniao who was just like a delicate endearing little bird. But, although he had done everything to please her in this period of time, he wasn’t able to obtain the favor of Tuoba Xiaoniao, so he was endlessly worried. Within Black Cauldron Sect, everybody knew the wish their sect’s Big Disciple Hong Lie had in his heart, but practically all of them were not optimistic. No need to look anything else, Tuoba Xiaoniao’s appearance was too outstanding, and Hong Lie however was almost exactly the opposite, his appearance was too ugly. They two were basically not well matched. But even though everyone was not optimistic, Hong Lie himself however didn’t admit failure, the more he couldn’t obtain, the more persistently he wanted to obtain her. All said, a toad cannot eat the swan meat, but he didn’t believe in this. If young and beautiful endearing little bird Tuoba Xioaniao was a swan, then not only he wanted to eat only one bite of swan meat as a toad, he wanted to eat many more bites, then soaring in the sky, he and Tuoba Xiaoniao would become a pair of swans! Just like, an ugly toad also had a dream of a swan, Hong Lie, this thin and small, wretched fellow had a very big dream. Normally, his wish was even harder than reaching the heavens, but now was doubtfully a rare chance. As long as Sect Master Tuoba Xiong agreed to this in the presence of all, then even if Tuoba Xiaoniao was unwilling, she would have no other choice. “You……, you want to marry my daughter?” Tuoba Xiong sneered. Hong Lie toughened his scalp and nodded his head, “Yes, Your Excellency Sect Master, please help me achieve this!” “Good, good, it is not difficult to marry my daughter, you just need to be capable. Go, win this Great Competition, and kill the people of Cloud Mist Sect for me!” Tuoba Xiong gave an order in a lowered voice, neither agreeing nor declining him. “Thank you, Your Excellency Sect Master!” Hong Lie bowed respectfully, then wearing God King Armor and holding Blood Lance, he jumped onto the life and death arena with surging battle intent. This match was not for the sect but for himself! Who was Tuoba Xiaoniao? Not only was she the most beautiful female disciple of Black Cauldron Sect, she was also the beloved daughter of Sect master Tuoba Xiong. If he married her, no need to mention about getting to embrace a beauty, even his status would be incomparably consolidated, and it would practically be certain that he would become next Sect Master of Black Cauldron Sect! Although Hong Lie was short and small, but his ambitions were lofty, and was far higher than anyone of his peers. Although God King Armor and Blood Lance were very rare treasure, but his sight was by far not limited to such things. HuHuHu! After jumping on the life and death arena, Hong Lie used his strength to brandish the Blood Lance in his hand, giving rise to a fine blood mist. And that blood mist quickly condensed into a blood-red dragon. This dragon hovered around his body and let out a loud roar, instantly causing sand flying about and stones hurtling through the air above the life and death arena. And with God King Armor on his body, Hong Lie immediately looked as if he truly was an incarnation of a legendary immortal general, who was impervious to sword, spear and techniques, giving people a kind of undefeatable feeling. “What’s that? Five Style Sect’s killing weapon Blood Lance, wasn’t that the treasure of Elder Tu, how……” “What is Big senior apprentice-brother wearing, isn’t that Sect Master’s God King Armor which is impervious to swords and spears?” ……… The people off the life and death arena was greatly shocked. Blood Lance and God King Armor, one of these treasure double the strength of their user, and another treasure completely protects the body, so who can be his opponent now? Furthermore, these two were the killing weapons of Five Style Sect and Black Cauldron Sect respectively, so how could they suddenly appear on a single person? These two great sects had joined forces to not give even a slim chance of survival for Cloud Mist Sect! Everybody quickly understood what was going on here? The heart of fatty Zaho Dazhi, Zhu Sijia and others become heavy and they felt aggrieved. They had finally won two matches with great difficulty, but Black Cauldron Sect and Five Style Sect were clearly joining hands to deal with Cloud Mist Sect. They were truly shameless! “Big senior apprentice-brother, this won’t do, this is unreasonable, isn’t this obviously bullying us?” Fatty shouted. “Why won’t do, what rule of Great Competition did they violate?” Ye Chuan answered to fatty and others who were feeling aggrieved, but he nevertheless didn’t care. In his eyes, Hong Lie who was making a show of his strength with a dense fighting intent on life and death arena was merely a clown that had taken the stage. “Big senior apprentice-brother, then what should we do?” Zhu Sijia asked. Looking at Ye Chuan, she couldn’t help but recalled that scene of him hugging Liu Hong in the mangrove forest, so she got angry, but she was still deeply worried about the current situation. The cultivation level of Black Cauldron Sect’s Big Disciple Hong Lie was outstanding, and now, with God King Armor and Blood Lance, these two treasure, among the younger generation disciples of three great sects, who could be his opponent? Zhu Sijia frowned, if even Nan Tiandu also lost, then their Cloud Mist Sect would completely lose this entire Great Competition. And at that time, the prestige of their sect would suffer the damage and moreover Big senior apprentice-brother Ye Chuan have to immediately cut off his own arm personally in public. So how could she not be worried? “Junior apprentice-brother Tiandu, how much certainty do you have?” Ye Chuan didn’t answer Zhu Sijia immediately, rather looked towards Nan Tiandu and asked. When people were shocked and feeling aggrieved, Nan Tiandu was silently standing just like a javelin as before without any change in expression. “30%!” Nan Tiandu remained silent for a little while, then spat out two words. Zhu Sijia, fatty and others instantly became pale. Even Nan Tiandu had only 30% certainty, one could well imagine how dangerous this match would be! “Haha, good, good, that’s enough, 30% of certainty is enough!” Ye Chuan laughed, then taking out several things from his bosom, he squeezed them in the hands of Nan Tiandu, then instructed something in whispers. Nan Tiandu was somewhat doubtful, then his eyes gradually shone and burned with fighting intent. After that, bowing towards Ye Chuan, he casually held a flying sword and leaped onto the life and death arena, facing the overbearing Hong Lie.   Previous       Main menu      Next Click to Post