#A Beginner's Guide to the Afterlife

[kissmypoets-hp]

Fanfic Classics Series ⏳🪐🌌 This batch of fanfiction deals with the multiverse!!! Time travel!!! Imminent thoughts about life and death!! Past lives and dreams of a future together — get ready to witness a love for the ages.

the earth from a distance by spqr

A Beginner’s Guide to the Afterlife by mcsyndrome

Us, infinite (unfortunately) by @thecouchsofa

"An Emerald In The Sky" by @corvuscrowned

In Every Universe by @skeptiquewrites

Our Little Life by @tackytigerfic

Dwelling by aideomai

there will be time, there will be time by @amywaterwings

Harry Potter and the Future He Doesn't Really Want, Thanks. by orphan_account

Everything is Relative to You by @thehoneybeet

The Star Splitter by @oflights

art credits + some cover commentary under the cut :)

I had a lot of fun finding/using artworks with circles, lines, and shapes to symbolize different worlds/universes and/or the passage of time...

Artworks used, in order:

"Several Circles" by Wassily Kandinsky (1926)

"To all appearances, it was a hand of flesh and blood just like my own" by Odilon Redon (1896) — A ghostly hand that fits the plot. The artwork's title goes with the fic so well too...

"(#2) (from series, Quantum)" by Garo Antreasian (1966)

"The story of the sun, moon, and stars (1898)" by Agnes Giberne — inspired by the summary "Somewhere along the way, Draco realizes he's been thinking in lines, when he should have been thinking in circles." The original artwork comes with a caption 'Stars whose distances are well-known'... I really feel that it fits since Draco was named after a constellation... Also, the star-circles have numbers on them, which could be interpreted as H/D through different ages...

Max Brückner’s Collection of Polyhedral Models (1900) — Exploring different parallel universe versions of yourself... the more things change, the more they stay the same.

"Construction (SM lg71)" by László Moholy-Nagy (1924) — some mild spoilers for the fic! inspired by the phrases "...plot a path through the many universes such that he would never die." / "flickering through timelines? Just getting glimpses, really" .

"Fish Magic" by Paul Klee (1925)

"The Terrace at Saint-Germain, Spring" by Alfred Sisley (1875)

"Arrival of the Normandy Train, Gare Saint-Lazare" by Claude Monet (1877)

"Charing Cross Bridge: Fog on the Thames" by Claude Monet (1903) — referenced in the fic. i try to pay attention!

"Boy with Kite" by Candido Portinari (1947) — Harry is a precious little lamb. more elaboration here

i’ve been making penguin classics-style covers for fics i have saved on my kindle, as inspired by zeziliazink and bubu0h’s works!

[aspeccharactersoftheday]

Gabe from A Beginner’s Guide to Mistakenly Summoned Demons and Other Misadventures is demisexual/reciprosexual!

[melaniem54]

Review: A Beginner's Guide to Ghosts, Fallen Angels, and Other Afterlifers (Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures Book 8) by Shannon Mae

Rating: 4.25🌈 Cassius, the coffee shop running oracle and the wounded grey angel Kushiel get their romance and journey to HEA finally. It’s full of the other characters we’ve met, a terrifying, heartbreaking mystery, a lovely nosy family ghost, and a plot that is extremely complex in layers. The best part is the characters here. Cass is a great character, with his well defined personality and…

[darthteeth]

HOW TO(KILL YOURSELF) PERFORM DIVINE FEMININITY-nina andrej

transcript:

HOW CAN I BE A GOOD TRAD WIFE?BECOME THAT GIRL A WOMAN WHO PRIORITIZE WELLNESS, PRODUCTIVITY, BEAUTY AND MINDFULNESS 20 WAYS TO LOSE TEN POUNDS!FACIAL HAIR REMOVAL GUIDE BEGINNER FRIENDLY 

WAYS TO TAP INTO YOUR DIVINE FEMININE AND YOUR TRUE GODDESS SELF WAYS TO KILL YOURSELF!HOW TO KILL YOURSELF HAVE YOU CONSIDER THAT THE ANSWER LIES IN THE AFTERLIFE?HOW TO KILL YOURSELF KILL HOW TO PERFORM DIVINE FEMININTY HOW TO PERFORM  FEMININTY FEMININTY?HOW TO PERFOM

how to perform blasphemous masculinity:

step 1)get a knife

step 2)realize you have your mother's teeth but your father's bite

step 3)patricide 

step 4)get a bigger knife

step 5)try to use it 

step 6)fail

step 7)try again

step 8)become friends with addicts they are your brothers in arms(not optional)

step 9)become an addict yourself(optional)

step 10)wear the stupidest thing you can find

step 11)don't shave

step 12)shave your head

step 13)find god

step 14)lose god

step 15)get heavy boots.you will never outrun them,you will never outfight but you can always break their fucking noses

step 16)fuck everything that moves

step 17)wear a mask 

step 18)wear a fucking condom

step 19)matricide(optional)

step 20)become lightweight

step 21)find salivation in her body 

step 22)give away your last dinar 

step 23)ask for someone's last cigarette 

step 24)always have a lighter on you

step 25)curse your grandfather's existence 

step 26)find a new god

step 27)build yourself new saints 

step 28)realize your father is all bark and no bite

step 29)kill yourself to build yourself

step 30)get an ax and with your shaky hands kill your father,kill your grandfather,kill your great grandfather,kill your bloodline,for we are not mere men we are writers we are faggots we are great whores we are cunts and bitches we are vultures we do not deal with fiction of fathers we deal with the naked truth we do not deal with honorable masculinity,we are all bite and no bark,

now take the hand that fed you nothing but scraps all your life and bite it off 

[salmonight]

Free Title Ideas Pt.2

And here is the second part with more mostly likely less titles but enjoy!

(I still cant categorize so take them with apinch of salt)

Low Mood:

Who Mourns an Adonis?

Sinking Sand (Castles)

I Carve(d) These Letters Across My Chest

Smoking Roses

Whispers of the Forgotten

Perfectly Tainted

I Like Dead Things (They Cannot Hurt Me)

A Melody of Misfortune

Echoes of Loss

Crack:

Fake It ‘till You Make It

Honk if You're Scared

Live Fast Die Hot

I Know What I’m Doing — and Other Lies I Tell Myself

True Tales of Bodies(Mostly Mine)

Pinatas are Jerks

Food: A Love Story

You Are Old: Sobering Affirmations for Your Rapidly Disappearing Life

Paranoid-in-Chief

Surviving Your Stupid Stupid Decision to [insert activity]

How to Defeat Your Own Clone and Other Survival Hacks

Learning to Outlive Your Friends and Other Tales of Immortality

Hey, Coffee

Smoking 101: A Beginner's Guide

From Starbucks to Hell: The Demonic Coffee Cravings of Everyday Joes

When Your Summoning Circle Turns Out to Be a DIY Project Disaster From Hell

From Door-to-Door Sales to Demon Summoning: Unexpected Career Paths for the Ambitious

Demonic DIY: Home Improvement Tips for the Dark Side

Delving into the Depths of Dorkness

The Great Demonic Cacophony: A Symphony of Summoning Shenanigans

A Demon Summoner's Guide to Mayhem: How to Summon Chaos and Confusion

Demonic Diversions: When Summoning Turns into Side-Quests

From Grounds to Gateway: How to Open a Portal to Hell with a Cup of Joe

Starbucks, Satan, and Specters: A Caffeine-Fueled Guide to Demonology

The Dark Side of Caffeine: How to Summon Demons and Make the Perfect Latte

Coffee and Demons: A Match Made in... Purgatory?

A Demonic Grind

Romance:

Words Getting Worthless (Love is Wordless)

Honey Without Time

Heartthrobs With A Cheeky Smile

Cause in a Sky Full of Stars, I Saw You

Out of All the Stars in the Sky, I Choose You to Light My Night

At Peace With Stars, in Love With Fireflies

The Love Triangle of Doom

Death:

Phantoms Of The Undead

Shelter In The Graves

Catacomb Without Flaws

Dancing With Your Ghost

Ecto-static

Death Sucks, but the Afterlife is a Blast!

Gods:

Deranged Divinity

Worshipper's Rue

Mystery:

Failing Of The Fog

Stranger Of The Past

Construction Of Twilight

Tree Of The Lost Ones

Rat In The Mist

Giggling Crypts

A Face By Any Other Name

Speak the Truth in Every Sense, Bury It With Innocence

Fantasy:

Forsaking The Elements

Heroes Of The Void

Song of Ice

Lightning in a Bottle

Adrift in the Realms

Fae-n-tastic

Gathering Magic

Three Lullabies of Extradimensional Guides

The Birthday Wish that Sparkled with Magic

Enchanting Birthday Rituals

The Wishing Star Ritual

Destruction /Unhinged:

Sleep as the World Burns

Life is Just a Game (and I'm Playing for the Win)

Inception Of Infinity

Feathers of Chaos

Wingspan of Terror

Burning Brighter Than Hell

Let This City Burn, Burn, Burn

Good Vibes

Shoot for the Moon

Starry Night Skies

Age of Wonders

Streaks Of Laughter

A Lady's Luck, A Robin's Flight

Pt. 1 |

[ancientcraftnoccultism]

Beginner Class - Moon Phases

Introduction to Moon Phases & Lunar Magic

___

By KB

Introduction

Welcome back to class everyone! Today we're going to have a small introduction to lunar magic & discuss the Moon phases! The Moon has been significant in myths and customs all around the world from the beginnings of human civilization. It has been used as a light source and a chronometer for ages. Similar to the Sun, it has been associated with a variety of deities all throughout the world. This heavenly body has always been connected to many fundamental aspects of human existence, including love, passion, fertility, mystery, death and rebirth, and the afterlife, in both myth and magic. The Moon continues to play a significant role in Wicca and other contemporary Witchcraft and Paganism practices.

Briefing of the Moon

The Earth has its own energy, which is separate from the energy it receives from the Sun, according to scientists. The Moon also gives off a faint yet distinct energy. The energy of the moon is feminine and receptive as opposed to the masculine, projective energy of the Sun. Anyone who has experienced the Moon's physical pull can understand why its power is frequently described as magnetic. At the Full or New Moon, some people who are especially sensitive really experience a physical tug in their bodies, while others merely have a heightened awareness of everything around them.

The feminine, receptive, and magnetic energy of our own intuition is perfectly suited to engage with lunar energy. This is the most important mode of perception when it comes to magic, often known as our sixth sense. Therefore, when we intentionally connect with Moon energy, we are creating a channel for that energy to help bring about the necessary changes in our life. And we can actually increase the power of our magical activity when we do this in conscious sync with the energetic rhythms of the Moon's cycle. This is so because each moon phase offers unique energies that can be tapped into for special magical purposes.

Working With The Moon

Moon magic is the practice of enhancing spellcraft by utilizing the power of the moon and its cycles. You undoubtedly already know that spellwork and rituals are frequently performed during the full moon by magical practitioners. It's simple to use the moon for your intended purpose because it is at the peak of its metaphysical potency. However, depending on the kind of spell work you wish to conduct, all phases of the moon offer strategic advantages.

Lunar magic is a type of sympathetic magic in which practitioners align their spells and witchcraft with the moon's cyclical phases. Lunar magic users interpret the moon's changing phases as having characteristics that are helpful for various purposes, sorts of spells, or rituals. Each phase, from waxing to waning, has a magical correlation that guides a witch's work. The connections come from humanity's long history of using the moon as a calendar, navigational aid, and fertility symbol. The moon has traditionally been associated with masculinity by many civilizations, but in the modern West, the moon is frequently associated with femininity and is connected to women, fertility, and feminine cycles.

Now, all of this may seem historically complex and even scientifically oriented (and it certainly can be! ), but working with the moon is a flexible sort of witchcraft that allows for "choose your own adventure" thinking. It can be as intricate and challenging as you wish, or it might just be about interacting with the natural rhythms' exquisite beauty. You can focus all of your magick on lunar living or you can just perform a ritual for the new or full moon whenever it is convenient for you. Don't be afraid; the moon is not erratic and is always present. Simply get in and give it a go however seems appropriate to you.

Moon Phases

Witchcraft practitioners frequently use the moon's phases and their corresponding rituals to give their spells and rituals a little extra strength or to just serve as a reminder to focus on different things throughout the month. Although I'm here to offer inspiration and suggestions for how to use the moon in your magical life, how you work with it is distinctly particular to you, so this post isn't the be-all and end-all of lunar magic.

Here are the fundamentals. In witchcraft, we frequently add a ninth phase before the new moon, which scientists would regard as the same. However, there are eight moon phases every month according to science. The lunar cycle begins with the dark/new moon, increases or waxes until it reaches the full moon, then shrinks or wane until it reaches the dark moon, when the cycle resumes.

9 Moon Phases

Dark Moon

New Moon

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Full Moon

Waning Gibbous

Last Quarter

Waning Crescent

The intents, spells, and rituals associated with each of these stages include banishing, abundance, shadow work, manifesting, times of release, and times that attract things toward you. It is claimed that aligning your magical activities with the moon's phases can help you tap into their energy and encourage the results you want.

Dark Moon

The moment has come for destructive magic. Not necessarily "harmful," but now would be the ideal moment to cast a curse or hex. The optimum time to perform magical work to eliminate or banish strong spirits, addictions, or illnesses is during the Dark Moon. Do not waste this opportunity. It is advisable to use this time for something that presents a real threat. Also a fantastic time for divination and soul-searching. The black moon phase is all about the unconscious mind and is most frequently employed as a period for dream work, ancestral remembrance, and divination. Take advantage of this stage to really explore your inner thoughts. Turn inward, meditate, and consider your course of action. Simmer your soul in a hot ritual bath, or have a deep-tissue massage to release accumulated trauma.

New Moon

Moon mapping practitioners assert that the new Moon is a good time to reflect on significant issues or make broad plans for the next lunar cycle and beyond. The new Moon is focused on concepts of attraction and invitation. As a result, the majority of new Moon rites focus on sowing seeds for the future, which makes sense given what's going on in the heavens.

Waxing Crescent

The waxing moon looks to be expanding. This period's magnetic energy aids in bringing things out. The optimum time to work with beneficial magic is during this full waxing phase. This is the ideal moment if you want to develop a more optimistic outlook or greater patience. This is the moment to cast spells for self-improvement, such as enhancing psychic talents or learning information about a new class.

First Quarter

The First Quarter Moon is all about appeal from the outside world, whereas the New Moon is all about going within and bringing out. It is the best moment to do any type of magic that involves luring something in—whether it's a person, success, money, or anything else. Additionally, now is a great opportunity to return lost items.

Waxing Gibbous

The Waxing Gibbous Moon's energies, which are still in the 'constructive' magic phase, are excellent for giving anything you've been working on that may have stalled that extra push. Use these energies to give you a boost and help you resist temptations if you are having trouble staying motivated to complete a task or maintain a routine.

Full Moon

The Full Moon phase is the most potent of the cycle, making it the best time to deal with any pressing problems or difficulties you may be experiencing. Concentrate your rituals and spells on issues that are most crucial to your life. Additionally, this is a perfect time for magic and meditations centered on psychic growth, spirituality, and divination. The Full Moon is the time you would use for increased power when you are confronting really challenging problems, even more so than the Dark Moon. Full Moon magic is designated for those significant aspects of your life that require significant changes or boosts; it is not only for small jobs. It is best to focus on priorities during this period.

Waning Gibbous

Working on spells to banish is an excellent idea at this time because waning energies repel rather than attract. During the fading phases, minor banishings can be carried out. The ideal time to clean everything in general, including your house, yard, office, personal items, magical instruments, etc. It is best to end everything during the Waning Gibbous period, whether it be a commercial endeavor or a romance. Self-reflection is also an excellent thing to do at this time. Think on your past and inwardly rather of focusing on the future. Perform spells and rituals during this phase that are intended to perform minor banishings and cleansings. Now is a great moment to reflect and identify anything that is no longer in line with your goals.

Last Quarter

This is the ideal time to go through any challenges you've had to face while working toward your objectives. Use charms to help you overcome obstacles that might encourage you to give up. The same is true for whatever transitions you may be going through; take advantage of these energy to iron out any kinks and make the procedure move more smoothly.

Waning Crescent

The energies are more suited for larger banishings, including getting rid of anything that has been depleting your energy and stealing your joy. Work with the energy of this time to eliminate anything from your life that you wish to just get rid of. Focus your spells and rituals on the intentional dumping of anything that you no longer desire, whether it be quitting a fruitless project or ending a damaging acquaintance or relationship.

[tarotenvelhecida]

pick a card– which book speaks to your soul?

You read something which you thought only happened to you, and you discover that it happened 100 years ago to Dostoyevsky. This is a very great liberation for the suffering, struggling person, who always thinks that he is alone. This is why art is important.

—Conversations with James Baldwin.

this is my love letter to all the bookworms in the tarot community— pick a pile & i'll give you a list of genres + book suggestions carrying important messages to you.

I. THE FIRST

To the daydreamers and the escapists; to the ones that need to rest before following what you need follow.

RELEVANT GENRES & CONCEPTS– fiction in general; romance; fantasy; fairytale; poetry; ‘happy ever after’ endings; hopeful endings; fantasy; magic; dreamy.

AUTHORS – Ursula K. Le Guin; Louise Gluck; Mary Oliver; Jane Austen.

BOOKS FOR YOU–

‘The Paper Garden: An Artist Begins Her Life’s Work at 72 – Molly Peacock'

‘Good Bones – Maggie Smith’

‘If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho – Translation by Anne Carson’

‘Owls and Other Fantasies – Mary Oliver’

‘Dog Songs – Mary Oliver’

‘Emma – Jane Austen’

‘Howl’s Moving Castle – Diana Wynne Jones’

‘The Little Prince – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’

‘Death Comes for the Archbishop – Willa Cather’

‘Sonnets from the Portuguese – Elizabeth Barrett Browning’

‘The Hawk and the Dove – Penelope Wilcock’

‘The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll: The Search for Dare Wright’

‘The Ink Dark Moon – Ono no Komachi & Izumi Shikibu’

‘Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll’

‘The Letters of Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf’

‘Little Women – Louisa May Alcott’

‘Anne of Green Gables – L.M. Montgomery’

‘Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins – Emma Donoghue’

II. THE SECOND

For the ones that carry the ache to learn and know everything; to the ones bored with life's commodities & seriousness. For the ones that question everything around them – as they should do.

You do not need to fit in. Don't change yourself for other people. If they want to see you this way, then become the proud witch in the edge of the woods.

RELEVANT GENRES & CONCEPTS– books on 'niche' knowledge; science; philosophy; true crime; drama; scandalous romances; adventure, magical realism; YA thriller & horror; comedy & sardonic comedy; ‘controversial’/'weird' books.

AUTHORS– Carmen Maria Machado, Kate Moore, Grady Hendrix.

BOOKS FOR YOU–

‘My Sister, The Serial Killer – Oyinkan Braithwaite'

‘The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales – Oliver Sacks'

‘St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves – Karen Russell'

‘Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife – Mary Roach’

‘The Hitchhiker Guide to Galaxy – Douglas Adams'

‘Inferno – Dante Alighieri'

'Magic for Beginners – Kelly Link'

‘Lace Bone Beast: Poems & Other Fairytales for Wicked Girls – N.L. Shompole'

‘Severed: A History of Heads Lost and Heads Found – Frances Larson’

'The Woman They Could Not Silence – Kate Moore'

‘The Dictionary of Lost Words – Pip Williams'

‘She Kills Me: The True Stories of History’s Deadliest Women – Jennifer Wright’

‘Anatomy: A Love Story – Dana Schwartz'

‘Pretty Dead Queens – Alexa Donne'

‘I’m Glad My Mom Died – Jennette McCurdy'

'Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus – Bill Wasik'

‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina – Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’

III. THE THIRD

You need to put your sadness somewhere. If you can't, remember that someone has done it before – and transformed it into a story. Let the words you'll read be the resting place for whatever you're feeling right now; let yourself remember that not even your pain is lonely in this world.

RELEVANT GENRES AND CONCEPTS— poetry; gothic horror; thrillers; murder mysteries; tragedies; cathartic stories; biographies.

AUTHORS– Shirley Jackson, Osamu Dazai, Clarice Lispector, Sylvia Plath.

BOOKS FOR YOU—

'The Year of Magical Thinking – Joan Didion'

‘The Dead – James Joyce'

‘What The Living Do – Marie Howe'

‘The Hour of the Star – Clarice Lispector'

‘Why This World: A Biography of Clarice Lispector’

‘Some of Us Did Not Die – June Jordan'

Somewhere Towards the End – Diana Athill'

‘We Have Always Lived in The Castle – Shirley Jackson'

'Heaven: A Novel – Mieko Kawakami'

'Journal of a Solitude – May Sarton'

'Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte'

'Grief is the Thing with Feathers – Max Porter'

‘Carrie – Stephen King'

'Of Dogs and Walls – Yuko Tsushima'

'Frankenstein – Mary Shelley'

'The Stepping Off Place – Cameron Kelly'

'Letters to Milena – Franz Kafka'

‘Beloved – Toni Morrison'

[peterstamatin]

The Beginner’s Guide to The Void

(by caspiancomic)

The Void is my favourite game that I’ve never played.

Released in 2008 under the name Tension, it’s the second major release from Russian studio Ice-Pick Lodge, following 2005′s Pathologic. If you are familiar with this foreign indie art game, you are probably full to bursting already with indie gamer snob cred, but I implore you to help yourself to a bit more. If you’ve gone so far as to play it, you’ve got more snob cred than even I, so congratulations on that. For those of you interested in experiencing it, which will hopefully be all of you, it is available to PC users on Steam, but for the rest of you, I recommend CannibalK9′s spectacular Let’s Play.

Let me repay my debts right away. In this essay, I hope to open your eyes to some of the thematic through lines of The Void, encourage you to experience the game yourself, suggest that in the future you think more fully and deeply about the thematic core of your chosen games, and maybe expose you to a beautiful, little understood, and criminally under appreciated diamond of a video game. But if all I accomplished with this essay was CannibalK9 reading it and learning how much his LP affected my ability to read and appreciate games, media generally, and life, I would still consider it an unqualified success. CannibalK9 speaks beautifully, a trait I admire in others and seek to cultivate in myself, and he has a great deal of knowledge and wisdom regarding this game. Many if not all of my own ideas are indebted to his observations of and reflections on the game. If you know him, or are in contact with him, send him this way. I’d love a chance to thank him for everything he’s done for me.

And before we get down to it properly, one last thing. Ice-Pick Lodge is, at the time of writing, running a Kickstarter to fund their next game, called Knock-Knock. If you’re a fan of either The Void specifically, or atmospheric horror games generally, I’d highly recommend chucking them a few bucks. They’re only looking for a modest $30 000 to fund the game, and even a tiny donation gets you access to the finished game, so please do go check that out.

But enough sentiment for now, eh? Let’s get down to it.

Once, when asked what Neon Genesis Evangelion is about, I cherished the opportunity to glibly respond with “everything.” It’s an answer that only makes sense to those already familiar with the series, and as such, was completely unhelpful to the person who asked me. But I maintain that it’s true. On a textual level, of course, Evangelion is about children who pilot giant robots to fight against alien invaders. But thematically, Evangelion is about religion, death, parent/child relationships (and as an extension, God/creation relationships), sex, puberty, loneliness, identity, free will, science, and basically anything you care to name. The Void is similarly weighted with thematic theses. The primary difference is that even on a strictly textual level, The Void is borderline incomprehensible, particularly on a virgin playthrough.

Still, that’s all just stage setting. I’m here to provide as in-depth an analysis as I can manage for a couple of The Void’s thematic hearts. Like Evangelion, The Void has a lot to say, and it says it quietly and clearly. For the purposes of this essay, I will be examining The Void’s relationship with death and the afterlife, and feminism and patriarchy.

But first, crib notes! The Void is dense with information, and I’m going to be referring to characters and concepts by their names from now on. The section that follows is more comprehensive than a “Beginner’s Guide to The Void” probably should be, but nowhere near an all-encompassing overview of the game. Some of the elements of the game that are not of importance for the discussion to follow- like glyphs, the presence and role of predators, etc- have been excluded from this explanation to keep the focus tight and the length tolerable. Also, where multiple characters give conflicting information on a topic (which happens all the time in this game), I’ve either attempted to include all the information, or focus on whichever version of events ended up being most true.

It features what you might call spoilers, but in order to progress through this discussion it’s important that we all know the characters and terms I’m about to discuss. So if you’re hellbent on a blind playthrough (the best way to play, according to CannibalK9), go play the game and come back when you’re done, the essay will still be here. As for the rest of us, let’s dive on in.

How do you feel? Dizzy? Overwhelmed? Confused? Well, believe me, it only gets worse. This information is presented gradually, obliquely, and resentfully by multiple characters all whispering different lies and half-truths in your ear over the entire game. Detangling this particular Gordian Knot has taken a lot of careful examination and consideration of the game’s glut of information. Even so, I am 100% open to the idea that I have misinterpreted or otherwise misunderstood some element of the game and its mythology. Necessarily, any summary of the events of the game is going to involve some conjecture, a bit of artistic interpretation, and your own interpretation may differ from my own. This is as close as I could come to the “truth” about this game, but the beautiful thing about The Void is that finding your own truth amid the cacophony is one of the most satisfying facets of the story. If the above summary doesn’t mesh with your interpretation of the events of the game, I’d love to hear about it. Otherwise, definition of terms aside, we can now jump into an examination of the thematic undercurrents of the game.

The world of The Void is married to death. The first character you meet, the melancholic Nameless Sister, is called Sister Death by her siblings. Throughout your journey, when you are approaching death, it will be Sister Death who warns you. Towards the end of the game, Sister Death will also make the ultimate sacrifice: she rips out her final heart and surrenders the last of her Colour to you to aid you on your quest. This act of generosity deeply disturbs the Sisters and Brothers, and I don’t mind telling you it deeply disturbed me. The characters of the game were shocked because “giving” in this world is either impossible or taboo, depending on who you ask. I was shocked because I didn’t realize until her sacrifice how much I really cared for Sister Death, and how much she obviously cared for me.

But for all Sister Death does to keep you alive, it is implied from the very beginning that our character is dead already. The Sisters, or at least Sister Death seem to believe you fell into the Void from above, while the Brothers insist you came up from below. Brother Triumphator insists that the Guest is “not alive, he’s quite dead.” In any case, Master Colour makes it perfectly clear (if his word can really be taken on the subject) that the only way to travel between Limits is to die. In the final leg of the game, Master Colour will also tell you that you are the soul of the Void- that you are the reason the Void is dead. Should that be true, you would be the wandering spirit of the well and truly deceased Sleeper, and therefor quite dead indeed. No matter how you cut it, the Guest is almost certainly dead, as the accounts of the various factions of the game only disagree in this respect on where you came from.

In spite of your posthumous nature, the threat of death still looms large over The Void. The sprigs of Colour you harvest to survive will periodically tell you that “there is no death in the Void.” This is, of course, patently untrue. Sister Death warns you early that beneath the Void is the Nightmare, the realm of Absolute Death. Should your hearts empty, you will sink into the Nightmare. In addition to this, Brothers can be killed in combat, and Sisters can be cannibalized with Aya’s Vampire glyph. At the end of the game, you will allow a Sister ascend, and if Colour is to be believed, travelling up to a new Limit requires death in the current one. As if that wasn’t enough, it’s made unambiguously clear that one Sister will ascend to the detriment of her siblings: everybody but the selected Sister, including the player character, must die for her to reach Breakthrough.

When we examine these elements of The Void’s mythology, then, we can reach a conclusion about its thesis regarding not only the afterlife, but life. Let’s sum up. In The Void, reality is described as being like a chain of Limits, one above the other, travelling up infinitely high, but with a definite bottom in the Nightmare. Travelling between Limits is only possible upon death, and the deceased will either travel down, or with a great deal of effort and sacrifice, up. The Brothers, nightmarish creatures themselves who believe yourself to be one of them, and believe you ascended to the Void from the Nightmare, refer to the Void as Paradise. The Sisters, beautiful human women in appearance, aspire either secretly or obviously to reach Breakthrough and ascend. Sister Ole and Sister Yani, the uppermost Sisters in the Void, occupy chambers almost uncannily similar to the Limit above, and Sister Yani even claims she has been there. From these elements we can draw the conclusion that afterlife and life are, essentially, one and the same.

What we perceive as the world of the living is merely our own Limit, and upon death our spirit will either sink into the Limit below, which we will perceive as either a purgatory like the Void or a kind of hell like the Nightmare, or we will travel up, to what we might call Paradise. The Void suggests that there is no after life: only life.

There is, however, an interesting caveat to that unique interpretation of the after life. The chain of Limits has a bottom, the Nightmare, which we could call Hell, but it is infinitely tall. The Brothers (who, it is my belief, ascended to the Void from the Nightmare) refer to the Void as Paradise, in spite of the fact that to our eyes it is miserably bleak. From this we can infer that the Limit above our own would be perceived as a Paradise. In fact, ascending a Sister with the Rite of Devotio is said to create a world “for” or “from” that Sister- a world both created from and perfectly suiting the ascended soul. This is all evidence that the Limit above our own is equivalent to the concept of Heaven. But, the chain of Limits is infinitely tall- meaning that “Paradise” is, essentially, relative.

In a couple of ways this is sort of depressing. First, it implies that something approximating “perfection” can never be achieved. Sister Aya refers to Breakthrough as “creating a life from mere existence”, but no matter how high you manage to ascend, you will never reach a sort of “Absolute Life” to counterbalance the Nightmare’s Absolute Death. The second way this chain of Limits can be interpreted negatively is the implication that there is a Hell, but no Heaven. The Nightmare is a very real and definitive dead end on the chain of Limits, but no such finish line exists at the top of the chain. This means traditional western concepts of Heaven- perfect happiness, tranquility, peace, and togetherness with God- simply do not exist in the world of The Void.

And yet in spite of this, I personally can’t help but interpret this positively. Consider it a facet of my- to borrow a phrase from CannibalK9- “gratingly optimistic” personality. For a start, as an atheist the idea of Heaven isn’t compatible with my belief system. But more than that, the idea of a final resting place in which souls spend the rest of time in perfect harmonious bliss is not in keeping with the tone of The Void. The Void is about struggle- tension, if you like- and it values hard work and dedication above all things. The idea of struggling your entire life to make the world around you a better place, and being rewarded with a higher Limit to work your craft on, is much more appealing to me than a kind of winner’s circle in which spirits congratulate themselves for the rest of eternity.

In his Let’s Play, CannibalK9 makes an inspired comparison between the infinitely tall chain of Limits and creative pursuits: you can always improve, but never perfect, your given craft. Perfection is dull. Everything interesting in life comes from tension, from learning, practicing, struggling, trying, failing, and succeeding. Why should the after life sanitize the most rewarding elements of life? In the cosmogony of The Void, there is no resting on laurels, no pats on the back, and no air of self congratulation. The end of every life represents a new opportunity to improve yourself and the world around you. How often have you looked back at your own life in abject embarrassment, wishing you knew then what you know now? Have you ever looked at something you wrote or drew several years ago and been repulsed by your own inexperience? Are you haunted by the time you were cruel or inconsiderate to someone who trusted you? Did reckless mistakes you made when you were younger have a disproportionately strong effect on the course your life took? In The Void, the end of every life represents an opportunity to approach the whole ordeal again with more and better wisdom, inspiration, trust, intelligence, and kindness. Consider it a New Game Plus mode for life. How many people here would prefer that option to an eternity spent strumming on a harp?

You might think it’s strange that a game in which a host of powerful male characters protect and repress a sorority of helpless little girls could be considered feminist. Is it possible for a game in which women are literally bound, have no power except their beauty, and depend on a male spirit for sustenance, could have a healthy and sympathetic tone for women? What are we to think of a game in which the only female characters are forced to provocatively pose and strip in exchange for the substance they need to live, like a gentleman’s club where the dancers beg for food stamps? Well, it’s my opinion that this game has deep, strong feminist themes in its very DNA.

When feminism and video games enter the same conversation, more often than not attention is drawn to female characters with strength and conviction. Well, no, when feminism and video games mix more often the result is entitled children throwing their toys out of the crib and making fools of themselves. But in the more civilized corners of the internet (they do exist), great attention is payed to Lara Croft, Jade, Samus- the girls who kick ass and take names. And rightly so- a woman who can accomplish any task a man can and doesn’t make a big thing out of it is commendable progress in an industry that is overwhelmingly male-dominated.

However, while these characters and games are great examples of feminist game icons, I think they all fall into the same category: feminist power fantasies. There’s nothing wrong with a good feminist power fantasy, of course, but it’s only a single facet of what could be a much larger jewel. The Void has a more subtle, more literary feminist streak. It’s my belief that The Void can be very satisfyingly read as an allegory for modern feminism- a woman’s eye view of life amidst the patriarchy.

The Void’s gender politics are extremely obvious, and impossible to ignore. The Brothers and the Sisters have gendered names even as factions. They are totally segregated by gender, and the Brothers are the exclusive wielders of all the power there is to be had in the Void. With the exceptions of Echo and Aya, the sisters are prisoners in their chambers, each one both guarded and dominated by their respective Brother. Even those ostensibly “liberated” sisters are only free to move about the Void at the behest of the Brothers. In other words, the women in this game are utterly repressed by the men. This isn’t a coincidence- the singularly male ruling class keeping the female population in their place is a literal manifestation of the concept of the patriarchy, silently handicapping women to benefit a small ruling class exclusively composed of men.

Although women in video games being attractive by traditional standards is nothing new, the way the Sisters’ loveliness contrasts with the monstrousness of the Brothers is significant. Divorced from its here strictly physical manifestation, The Void seems to suggest in this way that all women are beautiful (intelligent, courageous, selfless, inquisitive, creative, etc) while all men are ugly (vain, egocentric, hypocritical, self-righteous, pompous, and so forth). This is an extremely strong stance to take, and contrary to the opinions of many a Youtube comments section feminists do not believe that women are superior to men, and certainly not to the degree seemingly hypothesized by The Void. But, The Void does not strive to create an allegory representative of the real world, remember. The Void represents the patriarchy as viewed through the lens of its female victims.

As long as we keep this in mind, the loveliness of the Sisters and the striking grotesqueness of the Brothers will make more thematic sense. Through this lens, many of the character decisions made by Ice-Pick Lodge will come into focus. For example, the fact that the Brothers consider themselves the infallible champions of the Sisters, or that the Brothers consider the Sisters somehow dangerous or threatening, or even that the Sisters resent rather than fear their Brothers. Using this interpretation we can also make sense of the seemingly problematic concept of the Sisters being unable to free themselves: one of the core tenets of a functioning patriarchy is that it is a system in which women are powerless, subservient, and subordinate. If the Sisters were capable of fighting the Brothers themselves, The Void would cross over into the above mentioned “feminist power fantasy”, and would not be representative of a “pure” patriarchy. In order to represent an airtight allegorical representation of the patriarchy, the female characters are necessarily powerless.

There are two factions still to incorporate into this formula, though: Colour, and the Guest. Colour is certainly a masculine presence, and Colour in The Void is representative of power. The patriarchy is so entrenched in the Void that the very voice of “power” is male, and what’s more, power itself desires to remain exclusively in the hands of men. In the final leg of the game, Colour begins speaking to Golden Eyes constantly and aggressively. Although Colour introduces the player to the concept of Breakthrough, and teaches you that this rite ought to be performed on a Sister, as the game progresses Colour at first suggests, and then demands with increasing annoyance, that Golden Eyes perform the Rite of Devotio on himself. It is never suggested that a Brother could achieve Breakthrough- although they are explicitly referred to as being able to “take”, they consider Nerva to be poisonous- so Colour’s only option for keeping power in male hands is to ascend through his male vessel, the Spirit.

The final piece in this particular puzzle is the Guest. The Guest is by all accounts outwardly male. He has a masculine body when you view his hearts, and he spends much of the game successfully disguising himself as a Brother. However, the Guest lacks many of the qualities The Void associates with masculinity. He doesn’t speak, which contrasts him with the Brothers and their interminable self-righteous tirades. He also, strikingly, lacks genitals. Don’t dismiss this as censorship or authorial restraint either: any one of the Sisters will stand as naked as a newborn should you unlock all her hearts, and all their sex organs are clearly visible. In these ways The Void differentiates between a character who is a pillar of the oppressive patriarchy- the Brothers and Colour- and a character who is simply male.

But why is the Spirit male at all? The suggestion to me seems to be that overthrowing the patriarchy and creating a society in which women are truly considered equal to men is the responsibility of everybody, including men. In the Void, Colour is power. In a power-unbalanced society, evening the odds requires the empowered party to sacrifice power to the powerless party. The relationship between the Guest and the Sisters is collaborative- it represents men willingly and happily draining their own privilege and power and offering it to women. With this interpretation, it makes one male character offering power to women under the disapproving gaze of ten empowered men that much more significant: according to The Void, the power equalization between men and women is going to come slowly, from a dedicated minority of male feminist allies, and is going to be met with outrage and violence from the vast majority of men.

This makes Master Colour’s description of the barriers between Limits as a “glass ceiling” much more meaningful. By willfully surrendering his own power to a woman, against the wishes of the ruling patriarchy, the Spirit allows a Sister to literally break the so-called glass ceiling, and ascend to a position above that of even the Brothers. Now that we accept that it is the responsibility of men and women both to overthrow the patriarchy, we can make more sense of the Spirit’s systematic elimination of the Brothers. The Void’s contention is that for women to truly ascend, feminist men need to not only empower women, but actively destroy the patriarchal elements in their society and themselves. The Guest- the male feminist- literally destroys the patriarchy in his quest to empower a Sister.

Finally, the ultimate goal of The Void is coloured, if you will, with feminist (or at the very least, feminine) themes. The Rite of Devotio will allow one Sister to ascend to the Upper Limit- creating life from mere existence. This is tantamount to a kind of birth. If the Upper Limit is where true “life” occurs, then the Void is not only an afterlife, but prelife. You could call the Void a kind of womb, in which there exists the possibility for many different lives, but only one can be chosen. Even the concept of the Void- vacant, hollow, accepting- is symbolically vaginal. The layout and design of the Void even echoes the appearance of a uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. The Sisters in their chambers could be said to be unfertilized eggs. In this analogy, then, Colour becomes seminal. It’s the substance used to fertilize a Sister so that she can ascend to the Upper Limit to be born. After all, in order to perform Breakthrough, the Spirit must reach a state of Turgor- turgidity, the opposite of flaccidity, being the state of tissue that has become rigid with the absorption of fluid. In other words, for humans, an erection. In this light, try not to think too hard about the fact that the oldest Sister is nineteen.

Well, that represents just about the sum total of my most concrete theories regarding The Void. The Void is a spectacularly nourishing experience, and I had to trim away several potential avenues of thematic exploration to save on space and time. In the future, I may return to The Void, and use it as a jumping board to discuss art, love (platonic, familial, romantic, sexual, it’s all there in some form or another, and every player will have a different reaction to every Sister), religion, truth and lies, how we define ourselves against those around us… essentially any topic you care to mention can be meaningfully addressed using the language of The Void. For today, though, I hope I’ve managed to enrich your understanding of this and all games, the way CannibalK9 nourished my own understanding of this and all games. Once again, I’d like to implore you to check out Ice-Pick Lodge’s Kickstarter, and for any PC users, don’t forget that The Void is available on Steam. If you good folks have something to add about The Void (and anybody who has experienced it must have something to say about it), whether you’re building on or tearing down something I’ve said above or you’d like to pursue your own avenue of thought, please feel free to drop a comment, or even contact me personally. I could discuss this game to the end of time, so it certainly wouldn’t be an imposition.

[misseligon]

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY TO THE HELL TO PAY PILOT!!

God, a whole year just went by??? Doesn't feel real honestly... I didn't expect to jump from just 15 subscribers on youtube to 739 in just a year! A lot has happened over the year. I graduated from college and got my Bachelor's Degree, I got to see my mom's side of the family for the first time in my life. And my peepee brain was busy taking a half year hiatus whilst also hyper fixating on a lot of different crap.

I got to brainstorm more what I want for Hell to Pay. Ik you guys were asking for a full animated series but i'm gonna be honest here... the pilot was written and animated all by me, and I had my online and college friends help voice act the pilot for a final. I don't really intend to continue the series animated-wise because that requires a bigger team and a budget and I... don't have the latter.

I've always wanted to continue the story as a webcomic b/c I have an easier time getting the story out at a faster pace compared to another 40-minute animatic episode that'll take another half year to get done... and trust me if I continued at that pace I think Hell to Pay would be incomplete by the time I turn 80 years old and keel over.

Unfortunately for my little baby project's first birthday, I don't exactly have much to give here, since i've been extremely busy storyboarding and drawing concepts for the next episode. But for you guys I can give you the synopsis of the first 5-ish episodes!

BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO SUMMONING

In his second day in the afterlife, Profundus has to learn the ways of haunting in order to make a living not only from the three demons whom he met yesterday, but 10 more demons who Mollis brought in for extra help. Meeting new faces, witnessing more traumatic ways how to torture the living, Profundus finds out that being summoned by the living could bring him closer to finding his home universe and locate his wife Honey. But what happens if the first time he's summoned he gets trapped by a group of demon-worshipping college students?

CE N'EST PAS UN TRAVAIL

Profundus needs to find a job on top of his haunting duties in order to make a much more stable living, starting from rock bottom. After failing to find a suitable job from his "friends", he's offered a job as a still-life model from a self-proclaimed "Dadaist" named Clades. Upon hearing the demoness' name, Infortunii and co. warn of how infamous and dangerous Clades can be. Can Profundus quit his job on time before Clades and her followers lead Profundus into certain death?

PRISONER OF THE BODY

Attending classes on spells for newly deceased demons, Mollis teaches the easiest lesson for demons, possession. Concocting a plan to find a way into his universe and get a chance to speak to Honey one last time, Profundus plans to possess a mortal and meet up with Honey as said mortal. But plans go awry once Profundus accidentally kills the body of the man he was possessing and is trapped inside his body. Can the gang help pull Profundus out of this predicament?

BOX BITCH

Having no choice, Infortunii has to let an old acquaintance move in with her and Profundus after Box Bitch's landlord kicks them out (Fyi, their name is not actually Box Bitch, that's Infortunii's unaffectionate nickname for them). Times get tough when Box Bitch becomes an unbearable roommate and troubles both demons living under her roof, but tension rises once Box Bitch brings up that Infortunii used to be the life of a party, now she's a sanitized wet blanket, which easily ticks her off. What happened to Infortunii that soured her relationship with an old friend?

-SPOILER EPISODE, ONCE REVEALED POST BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO SUMMONING-

FALLEN

News riles up in the afterlife, an angel has been banished from Caelestia and has fallen down to Damnatio! Taken in by Mollis and into safety, the fallen angel introduces herself as Lapis. Seeing her as the closest thing to a holy being, Profundus tries to bond with Lapis, claiming both have common ground in this hellish afterlife. Selfish motives aside, could Profundus and co. help and protect a struggling Lapis adjust in the afterlife?

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Hell to Pay as a series is planned to have 4 seasons/books. The first season/book is planned to have 33 chapters, idk how long it'll take to finish the first book, but a few years is definitely the most realistic expectation.

Thank you guys so much again for all your support and dedication! I'd like to thank all my friends and partners who made this whole project become a reality, and I hope to see you guys again soon! Check back on my tumblr for more future news about Hell to Pay! See you guys real soon!

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

[losthomisexual]

Intro/beginners guide to paganism

This is a brief guide based on my personal experiences and research.

What is Paganism?

Now this is a big question with limited evidence but lets go through what we know and how people practice today. A lot of our sources for old religions were written by christians or romans where they could have skewed the original meanings for their own agendas. Christianity played a large role in the loss of these beliefs by ways of genocide, missionaries, renaming holidays and more. My ancestry being European i research more into Celtic, germanic, norse and Anglo-Saxon beliefs but everyone has roots and if traced back far enough we find similar beliefs across the globe. There are also a lot of neopagan religions and beliefs like Wicca and witchcraft with many subcategories.

Paganism for me is about a deeper connection to nature, myself, the spirits of the land and honouring those who’ve come before. Its being grateful for what we have, spending time with our family and friends, being kind and respectful of our surroundings and those within whether thats people, animals or plants. It gives me a bigger perspective, helping to see through hardships and take lessons from them rather than begging the gods for forgiveness or salvation. Even just walking through the bush i get a sense of how small i am in the world, we are all just small cogs in the wheel of time, passing on our lessons and stories through the generations. Norse paganism tends to have more stories than others so i tend to find myself drawn to them for guidance and symbolism. Everything around us has a spirit or a soul all the way from the sky, rain, and thunder to the grass, rocks and dirt beneath our feet, there is spiritual energy everywhere. When it comes to the afterlife i don’t really think about it much but it could be reincarnation, a realm for the dead although nothing like heaven and hell, just a resting place or even something else entirely. Living in the present is more important to me.

So how can you practice paganism?

Seasonal changes are important in paganism as well as the equinoxes and solstices.

Following the natural cycle and staying in tune with it is a simple way to get closer to nature, our ancestors and the spiritual realm. For me i also flip the holidays to suit my climate as i live in Australia so the seasons are inverted.

Many people have altars or sacred spaces in their homes but i also encourage people to go outside and create a space if they can. Whether its just a rock were you place meat or bread offerings or a tree or lake you visit you don’t need much to practice paganism.

If you cant do that thats okay too, light a candle and make an altar out of items you have found and felt a connection to.

Create an inviting, cozy atmosphere and keep it clean and cleansed to avoid unwanted spirits and energies. For holidays you could have a feast and drink beer and wine with friends and family around a fire for instance. Throughout the year theres lots of small ways to feel some magic like following the phases of the moon, cleaning, making things with intention, mindful walks, having a garden or house plants, meditation or working with charms for some examples.

There is no one way to practice and no one can be right, it is all interpretation and feeling.

You can follow a set of gods, pick and choose or none at all. You can perform rituals, spells or divination or not it is not a practice with rules unlike other big religions. Even just the term pagan or animism may be enough for you.

Whether it’s something more modern, a reconstruction or neither, you don’t have to choose a particular path or label just do what feels right to you.

Overall I believe paganism is a way of life, an open way of thinking rooted in nature, gratitude and respect.

[theminecraftbee]

bee. second. i may be in need of advice. i'm really bad at minecraft (esp dealing with mobs). i don't know anything about vh besides what has happened in iskall's new series. i don't actually have much free time. HOWEVER,,, it looks so cool. and fun. should i?

so the good news is: there are a lot of things you can do in these circumstances to make the game easier/better for you! the new update of vault hunters has a guide book that’ll take you through everything you need to know, so don’t worry about not knowing much yet and make sure to read it as you go. but as for “I don’t have much time” and “I’m not good enough at PvE”, there are some game rules that help! the difficulty is pretty customizable!

I go into detail on the game rules you can change to make the game easier to play below under the readmore but I say go for it! I’m pretty bad at minecraft too, and I figured it out! you’ll have fun!

world type

there are two options; this is set when you create the world. in the world creation menu, where you would select between a normal and a super flat world, there should be an additional world type option called sky vaults. if you’d prefer to play skyblock to vanilla, set the game to this. in sky vaults, you will have a special budding crystal block that created raw vault crystals. these crystals lead you into raw vaults, in which you can venture to get various materials you would otherwise be unable to get in a skyblock. unlike regular vaults, they don’t give you vault experience, they always have beginner’s grace, and you can’t find most vault materials in them (instead finding things like ore mines). this mode has special sections in the guidebook if you play it. iskall, however, is playing a regular world, I just thought “skyblock is an option” is probably important in the vault hunters difficulty explainer!

additionally, before we get into the vault-specific game rules, remember that minecraft game rules still work! just remember the world difficulty is for the overworld, not the vault. you can set the vault difficulty with the command I show below, but this allows for you to, say, have the vaults be on easy but the overworld be on hard if you want. additionally, keepInventory tends to be kind of buggy in the vaults. use one of the vaultMode commands instead if you want to make sure it will actually work!

/gamerule vaultMode [mode]

this has three options. it is set on a global basis in multiplayer. this affects what happens when you die in a vault.

NORMAL means that when you die in the vault, you will leave behind a spirit, which can be revived using the spirit extractor to regain items you’ve lost. this gets expensive quickly, so it’s generally best not to die. (this is the default.)

CASUAL means that when you die in the vault, you return to your spawn with all the things you had on you, but take a durability hit. it’s as though you had put afterlife on every crystal, or as though you had beginner’s grace for every vault, even after level 20.

HARDCORE means that when you die in the vault, you can’t get your things back, and must start from scratch with backup gear. this mode works like old vault hunters.

/the_vault difficulty [difficulty] OR /the_vault local_difficulty [username] [difficulty]

this has five options. it can be set on a per-player basis in multiplayer. this changes how hard the mobs hit. in singleplayer, this can be changed in the menu the same way the Minecraft world difficulty can be.

EASY is 0.5x hp/dmg

NORMAL 0.75x (this is the default.)

HARD 1x

IMPOSSIBLE 2x

FRAGGED 4x dmg 2x hp

/gameRule vaultCrystalMode [mode]

this has four options. this is set on a global basis on multiplayer servers. this changes how hard it is to get vault crystal materials by changing how fast the amounts you need scales.

NORMAL is 1x material scaling (this is the default.)

GRINDY is 2x material scaling

EXTREME is 3x material scaling

INFINITY is 0x ingredient scaling - in other words, this is a mode that allows you to infinitely do vaults without having to fill out materials in the vault altar. this is if you really enjoy vaults, but don’t like the part of the loop for building farms and collecting overworld materials!

/gameRule vaultLoot [mode]

there are three options. this is set globally on multiplayer. this changes the amount of loot (and exp) you will get inside of the vault. this lets you progress much faster and with less required grinding, but may occasionally mess with the pack balance.

NORMAL is standard (this is the default.)

PLENTY is 2x loot

EXTREME is 3x loot

[limboofdeath]

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO FAKING YOUR DEATH

A Story About Two Doomed Lovers, and the person trying to bring them together.

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE is heavily based on Jhariah’s music album of the same name, the songs directly correlating to events that occur within the story. This story is set up to be a mystery, but to be completely honest I am terrible at mysteries haha. It is a love story, first and foremost, with the genres of mystery and adventure helping to support that element.

This is an ask blog! Feel free to send in questions to the characters or about the characters. :)

In the future I do wish to animate full on music videos for these wackos.

MEET THE CHARACTERS!

The Jester - The Jester is the jester of Limbo, where our main story takes place. Tangent about Limbo is further down. He’s bright, mostly optimistic, and enjoys spending his time with his fans! He loves spending time with his best pal, the Clown, secretly pining after the other. He absolutely adores performing for others! Although recently, he’s received a major personality shift. I wonder why.

The Clown - The Clown is the clown of Limbo and stage partner to the Jester. He performs to make a fool of himself, and is often overshadowed by the much more likable Jester. He envies the fame and praise, and it’s no secret for how much he pines after the guy too. One day he disappeared, and the locals of Limbo never questioned why.

Lola Grayson - A recently dead 22 year old college dropout. She’s always been fond of diving into mysteries and the arts in general. She also has always been the peacemaker between any of her friends' conflicts. She landed in Limbo almost immediately after her death, confused but willing to figure out what this place is. She first meets The Jester during one of his performances for the new arrivals. Side note: She’s an egg! She is trans-masculine, but doesn’t figure it out until after the main story.

LIMBO

Limbo is a realm between Heaven and Hell, as most people know. Its skies are blood red, with almost everything within the realm looking red in color. The locals at first glance all look like walking and talking skeletons, bones rattling wherever they went. If a user wanted to, they could reveal what they want another soul to see, aka their true form and not just a skeleton. Limbo is one of the six realms that linger between Heaven and Hell, being the third created.

OTHER CHARACTERS

There are other characters that are worth mentioning if you want to ask about them!

He Who Grants Death - personification of death, he acts like that one gay uncle. Basically genderless, but the name was bestowed upon him as such.

She Who Bestows Life - personification of life, she acts like that sassy wine aunt who talks shit about everyone. Basically genderless, but the name was bestowed upon her as such.

The Ones With Divineness - over seekers who tend to the living realm. Their existence mostly ties in with different religions, a select few of them being head of a certain religion. They’ve been there since the beginning. They can be seen as gods, sure, but they prefer not to be called that. They are ones with divine power.

Louise Shaw - a local of Limbo who tends to the library. Having died around 45 years old, she’s determined to host every catalog of book to have ever existed. A daring task, but so far she’s been successful at it. She died on March 19th 1844, being crushed and killed in a factory accident.

Robert “Robbie” Fisher - a local of Limbo that hangs around. He died at age 25, and just spends his afterlife chilling out. He died on October 30th 1961, being hit by a car on his way to the store. A heavy smoker, he’s an overall easy guy to get with. Side note: he’s from Wales.

[lostdrarryfics]

Hi! Thank you so much for everything you do.

I can’t find this fic I read a long time ago, I know it was on AO3. It’s an outsider’s perspective I believe (“If you went to Hogwarts, you would see…” or “people who go to Hogwarts see…” type thing). In the fic, both Draco and Harry were Hogwarts ghosts and had been for decades. They had a friends-with-benefits relationship for a bunch of years, and then by the end they moved on to the next world (I believe this happened in the woods). Additional details: Nearly Headless Nick moved on at some point, and so did at least some of the other ghosts. I think Draco was the Slytherin ghost and Harry was the Gryffindor ghost, but that might be wrong. Draco was writing the first ever book about being a ghost, written by a ghost, and was basically a “so you’ve recently died. What now?” manual

We believe you are looking for A Beginner’s Guide to the Afterlife by mcsyndrome (14k, E)

Don’t forget to bookmark, leave kudos and comments!

[melaniem54]

Review: A Beginner's Guide to Demonic Possessions: A Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures Novella by Shannon Mae

Rating: 4.75🌈 I’m so hooked on this universe and town of Paradise Falls where all sorts of paranormal shenanigans are happening, unusual soulmates are coming together, and author Shannon Mae gets to display her amazing talents for writing a heartfelt paranormal relationship, in all its weirdly beautiful moments. As a reader can glean from its title and description, A Beginner’s Guide to Demonic…

[rockislandadultreads]

New Releases: Spiritualism titles

The Book of Séances: A Guide to Divination and Speaking to Spirits by Claire Goodchild

As long as people have lived, they have longed for wisdom and comfort from those who have died. In The Book of Séances, artist, author, and witch Claire Goodchild takes readers on a journey through the historical landscape of spiritualism and guides questers through safe practices for cultivating a connection with the other side. The Book of Séances details the four types of spiritual encounters, teaches us how to protect ourselves, and breaks down the different tools -- from spirit boards and tarot to dominoes and charms -- that are essential for opening a bridge to the afterlife. Whether conducting solitary or group séances, this book offers a way to safely glimpse beyond the veil.

The Ultimate Guide to Channeling: Practical Techniques to Connect with Your Spirit Guides by Amy Sikarskie

Channeling is the ability to communicate with angels, spirit guides, ascended masters, and beings in spiritual realms—the apex of intuitive development. The Ultimate Guide to Channeling provides a safe, structured, step-by-step approach for awakening your abilities. Learn how to develop this advanced intuitive skill with precision and safety.

You will also find valuable tools and techniques for energetic hygiene so that channeling can be done safely and accurately. Learn how to discern rogue and imposter spirits and clear energy after a channeling session.As your gifts strengthen with The Ultimate Guide to Channeling at your side, have fun dancing with the magic of love, light, and angelic communication.

We Never Die: Secrets of the Afterlife by Matt Fraser

As Matt explains, “We all have our own ‘phone line’ to communicate with heaven. All we have to do is figure out how to use it.” Revealed through never-before-told stories and Matt’s conversations with the dearly departed, the wisdom in We Never Die is perfect for anyone seeking uplifting answers about life’s biggest questions. Discover the healing and fulfillment that await us and our loved ones in the afterlife—plus how these truths can bring us comfort, meaning, and guidance in our earthly lives.

Pagan Curious: A Beginner's Guide to Nature, Magic & Spirituality by Debra Deangelo

Indulge Your Curiosity About Paganism Explore the many facets of the Pagan community with this delightful guide for the complete beginner. Debra DeAngelo teaches you the ABCs and 123s of Paganism with introductions to spiritual practices and magic as well as skills like grounding, centering, and meditation. Become reacquainted with your true, natural self, learn to work with plants, animals, and the stars, and discover the tantalizing mysteries of magic and mysticism. Join DeAngelo for a tour of the colorful, diverse garden that is Paganism. With thoughtful self-reflection exercises, this book gives you a deeper understanding of your personal beliefs so you can orient yourself in that garden. You will learn how to celebrate Pagan sabbats, develop your intuition, create an altar, and meet Pagan deities. With dozens of activities, spells, meditations, affirmations, and more, Pagan Curious will enchant your spirit and help you create the magical life you've been seeking.

[markwatsonsbooks]

#Amreading #Newrelease: Spirit Guides For Beginners : How To Communicate With The Afterlife, Interpret Signs & Manifest A Happier Life by Sophia Grace

Do you feel stuck, isolated, and in search of a greater sense of purpose or fulfillment?

Spirit Guides for Beginners shows you how to open up to the spirit world, connect with your spirit guides and understand signs with the purpose of leading a more positive, fulfilling life. It’s for anyone seeking an in-depth understanding of spirit guides, and a desire to learn how to communicate with their guides, including their deceased loved ones who have transitioned to the afterlife.

This book teaches you that connection with the spirit world is not only possible, but encouraged. It establishes that spirit guides do exist and provides steps to communicate with them. It will teach you how to interpret signs or messages, and by being open and receptive, you can have rewarding connections with your guides that will help you navigate issues and find meaning in daily life.

Here you will find all the tools you need to elevate your being and have a stronger connection to the spirit world without being a psychic. Not only does this book educate you on spirit guides, but it also empowers you and wishes you well on your spiritual journey ahead!

Grab YOUR Copy NOW: https://amzn.to/4f8gksI