#Artha books

[jurjenkvanderhoek]

LANDSCHAPPEN VAN YVES BEAUMONT LEVEN IN DE GEEST

Natuurlijk is het licht in het zuiden niet significant anders dan in het noorden. Waar wij op de wereld dan ook zijn, overal schijnt over ons dezelfde zon. Wij ervaren het echter elders anders, interpreteren het hier op een andere manier, het laat ons daar verschillend inspireren, de verbeelding gaat ermee aan de haal. Belgen bijvoorbeeld hebben een ander gevoel bij het zonlicht dan laat ik zeggen Friezen. Staat die zon daar dan wel hier hoog aan de hemel is het schijnsel hoegenaamd levendig gelijk. Spelen de stralen een eender spel, maar worden deze anders gebroken in de atmosfeer. Dus staat de zon laag in de vroege morgen of bij de late winter, dan heeft de beleving een verschillende uitwerking. Natuurwetenschappelijk snijdt deze gedachte natuurlijk geen hout, het blijft wel zo dat de zuiderling het licht op het meest mysterieuze moment van de dag en in de minst heldere periode van het jaar anders meemaakt dan pak 'm beet een 376 kilometer meer noordelijk.

Kunstenaar Yves Beaumont woont in het pittoreske Oostende aan de zee, maar laat de blik in zijn werk meest dwalen over land. De schilder kan mij in Friesland, tussen meren en bossen, middels schilderijen deelgenoot maken van zijn ervaring zoals dat met licht schijnt te zijn. En die beleving is imponerend, om niet te zeggen overdonderend anders dan mijn ondervinding. Het laat mij niet koud, hoewel meestentijds de kleur eruit is geschilderd. Het voelt zachter en warmer aan dan normaal gesproken mijn ervaring is. Die sfeer van de overgang van donker naar licht, de schemer, brengt Beaumont scherp in gesluierde beelden. Het is zijn core business mij te boeien met zijn fantasie.

Yves Beaumont schaart zich in de lijn van de landschapschilders. Maar niet op de klassieke manier is hij schilder van het landschap. Zijn velden zijn geen realiteit, hij laat niet zien wat is maar zoals de waarheid aanvoelt, zoals hij deze ervaart. Hij schept zichzelf een mooie wereld. Dat ligt in zijn naam verscholen, om mij er getuige van te laten zijn. In zijn welhaast abstract gepenseelde omgeving herken ik bossen, de wouden van de Ardennen. Bij hem naast de deur, terwijl ik het moet doen met het minder weelderige Oranjewoud of het meer tot de verbeelding sprekende Drents-Friese Woud. Met hem deel ik de liefde voor bossen, waar tussen de boomtoppen door het licht in stralen valt.

Zijn lichtwaarneming piekt echter niet helder tussen boomkruinen door. Het is een nevelig schijnsel, een mistig besef. Niet de zomer of het heetst dus het lichtst van de dag inspireert Beaumont. Het is de ziel van het licht dat hem tot werken zet. De essentie van straling, schijnsel zonder overbodige helderheid. Het werk stemt daardoor zachtmoedig triest. Dat lijkt een paradox, een schijnbaar lichtelijke tegenstrijdigheid. Het omschrijft echter de emotie die mij overkomt bij titels als ‘The afterglow’, ‘Towards evening’ en ‘Hometown landscape at sunset’. Niet alleen richt de schilder zijn blik dan op het land en de bossen, ook kijkt hij omhoog naar de wolken en richting het water van de zee. Hij woont tenslotte in het centrum van die driehoek aan belevingen.

In het onlangs nieuw bij Artha Books verschenen boek ‘Anthology’ geeft Baumont mij een inkijk in zijn oeuvre van de afgelopen tijd. Een bloemlezing over de periode van 2017 tot 2024. In 2016 was er het boek ‘Omzwervingen’ dat de schilderijen tot dat jaar toonde, als een soort rustpunt – een pauzemoment. Nu is het dus andermaal tijd voor een pas op de plaats, een cesuur zoals Jan Van Herreweghe dat noemt in zijn proloog. Niet dat Yves Beaumont nu een sabbatical invoegt. Welnee, hij werkt gestaag door aan zijn composities. Echter kijkt hij terug op wat is, daarop kan verder gewerkt worden. De grond is bewerkt en omgespit, gecultiveerd, daarop kunnen zijn belevingen van het landschap groeien. Andere inzichten in nieuwe variaties zullen bloeien. “Hij kijkt goed, grondig en langzaam”, meent Eric Rinckhout in een essay. “Hij heeft een goed oog ontwikkeld, in alle betekenissen, voor de natuur en voor het beeld. En hij kent de traditie.”

Als derde in het trio van schrijvers, uitleggers van het werk van Beaumont, vindt Luk Lambrecht de moed van schilders wonderbaarlijk om de strijd aan te gaan met het lege doek. Om sfeer te scheppen in verlatenheid. “Slechts gewapend met wat tubes of potten verf, borstels en dragers of het nu papier, canvas of een houten paneel betreft, bij machte blijven (zij) de ziel uit de realiteit te schilderen en daarmee een publiek in de visuele en mentale ban te houden.” Met een minimum aan motieven weet Beaumont dan een maximum aan sfeer te scheppen op de onbevlekte huid. Het vlak is uitgestorven; de schilder maakt het ongevulde veld bewoonbaar voor de geest door met wat modder aan een kwastje een figuratie te scheppen.

Ooit, een kleine 10 jaar geleden – dus tijdens de periode van ‘Omzwervingen’, het eerste boek – schreef ik over de kunst van Yves als over dromerige landschappen die zijn gevat in de nevel van de gedachte. “Door de ogen toe te knijpen komt het in olieverf dan wel acryl op doek gepenseelde gevoel helder in beeld. Het lijkt een simpele vormgeving, maar de zuivere blik merkt een grote schakering aan tinten in de schemer van het land en het licht van de lucht. Telkens bevindt zich het geschilderde op het scherpst van de snede tussen werkelijkheid en abstracte vormgeving. Het zichtbare landschap is de afgetekende inspiratie, maar hoe dit zich aan de schilder toont blijft mysterieus. Is ook niet belangrijk, van betekenis is dat de kijker letterlijk kan wegdromen in de beeltenis.” Deze beschouwing kan ik vrijwel een-op-een over het werk van de afgelopen tijd leggen, het werk dat ik ontdek in ‘Anthology’. Niet dat Beaumont een thema met variaties maakt op een ordinaire herhalende manier. Zijn thema is wel het landschap, maar elke variatie heeft een eigen wezen. Is het landschap in het algemeen als figuratie onpersoonlijk, het landschap van Beaumont heeft een persoonlijkheid, is individueel verbonden aan de schepper ervan. Iedere variatie is geen herhaling, maar afwisseling van beleving. Vooral de perceptie van licht.

“De composities zijn rustgevend; een meditatieve stilte zindert in de dromerige atmosfeer”, citeer ik mezelf. “Het landschap zoals Yves Beaumont deze bedenkt bij de realiteit, bestaat niet maar leeft in zijn geest. Hij maakt de gedachte zichtbaar, deze is echter nergens anders te vinden dan op deze doeken. Zijn dichterlijke vrijheid duidt een landschap in de schemerige overgang van dag naar nacht en terug.” Daar zit de emotie, in die lucht. De aarde daaronder is slechts de kapstok voor dat gevoel, om het beeld tastbaar te maken en grijpbaar te houden. Maar het licht is niet anders zoals ik hierboven al veronderstelde. Yves ervaart het over de grens anders dan ik hier op mijn plek. Natuurlijk is het niet de werkelijke wereld die hij uitdrukt, maar dit is wel de inspiratie. De bron waaruit hij put. Zijn landschap is een afgeleide van de werkelijkheid. Het is de beleving die hij een vorm geeft. Het nabeeld op het netvlies wanneer de ogen worden gesloten. Het oog ziet het landschap, de geest slaat een beeld op en de gedachte herinnert zich een vorm. Die herinnering geeft Beaumont opnieuw een beeld, een vorm die dus herinnert aan de werkelijkheid. Dat landschap is niet te vinden anders dan in de geest van Beaumont en op zijn schilderijen.

In de vrije natuur kan ik een déjà vu hebben, een idee dat ik daar eerder was op die plek. Maar ik had een compositie van Beaumont in gedachten en had het idee het in realiteit te ervaren. Het is niet het landschap of de vorm die een landschap lijkt dat voor de schilder van belang is. Hij schildert het licht dat het duister doorbreekt. Hij toont de ziel van zijn gedachte. Niet de essentie van het landschap, want dat is de horizon. Die einder laat hij niet zien, want zijn blik is eindeloos. Een enkele keer stapt hij uit dit beeld en toont een ondergaande zon die een horizon nodig heeft om erachter te verdwijnen. Dan heeft het licht kleur om verlicht ten onder te gaan.

Anthology. Bloemlezing werken van 2017 tot 2024. Yves Beaumont, schilderijen. Teksten Jan Van Herreweghe, Luk Lambrecht, Eric Rinckhout. Uitgave ARTHA, art & heritage books, 2024.

[podlaskazazula]

I have feeling that Arthas and Eredin would be good friends if they could meet

[retroillustrates]

Retro's house for traumatized swordspeople albinos

[eruscreaminginthedistance]

Okay fine maybe Young Mungo turned out to be good but I'm not happy about it

[renaultmograine]

I think the important thing to remember about wow is that Metzen does what he thinks sounds cool, rather than committing to well thought out concepts.

He was a highlord, a military (and religious? I think only paladins get it) title that as far as I can tell wasn't used at all IRL. Tirion is the only lord we see with actual veritable lands that governs and shit (Of Blood and Honor), outside of like... Daval Prestor? Who just has a nice estate if I remember correctly (Day of the Dragon)?

Honestly, Hearthglen is the only place I can say with any certainty is governed by a lord in any lore relevant way. I know Darkshire is and maybe Lakeshire too but that's not really addressed.

Anyway, regardless, yes, in a proper medieval fantasy he would have staff and whatnot taking care of things in his estate, but Warcraft is not really a medieval fantasy, as much as it likes to dress up as one. The fact that he doesn't have any staff brought up or living in a relatively modest home for a lord is up to your own lore interpretation. Maybe Alexandros just likes larping that rustic life considering he doesn't live in Capital City.

I've been reading a lot on like medieval European society lately because I am curious to understand the Alexandros situation, like he was a knight? And also a lord (they call him Lord) so he had some land and people working on that land (though probably not a lot). Were there other people living on Alexandros's estate? Someone had to look after and raise Darion when he was a baby because Alexandros certainly couldn't do it alone and they didn't have formula back then. Someone also would've been watching the kids while Alexandros went to fight? I don't know why I am so invested in this.

[windwyrm]

It's my birthday this week, see. I thought I'd treat myself to something nice. I'm here, browsing nerd shops, and finally finding out about the WoW tarot deck. Huh, I say. Tarot readings were always wrong for me, but hey, I've always liked the aesthetic! And clicking on the website preview, the 3 cards they show look pretty nice! Time to google more cards, I say!

Of course, googling the deck turns out exactly three things: The same shop previews of the Thrall, Silithus Sword, and Tyrande (or was it Jaina?). The same argument whether or not Tyrande is supposed to be Empress and shouldn't Jaina be it instead? And more reviews, all centered around the same ten cards everyone shows. "Want to see more? Buy the deck!!!!!!!"

Now the thing is, I don't really vibe with this capitalist dystopia we've created. I was this close to NOT buying the cards, because the 10 I've seen did not impress me much actually. Good, but not brilliant. I happened to then see one that did, and decide, fuck it.

See, I'm a slav, and I grew up in a simpler time. We were all piss poor, and there was maybe one kid with a color television, one kid with Stephen King books, one kid with a Pentium 2, one kid with a portable boombox, in a friend group. You bought one cassette tape and you took turns. You wanted to see the Warcraft Tarot Cards? Well, then you hoped your friend Smaranda who likes Warcraft a little too much would invite you over for snacks and stories, and you'd then see the cards. And those cards would look so neat, you would decide Hey. One day, I will have 25 dollars to spare, and I will buy these cards too! They are SO worth it! I've never bought something that was teased to me by "here's three pages for free you shitpoor scrub! BUY!". But things my friend Smaranda or Ivan or Petr showed? God. I filled my house with them. Shelves upon shelves of books and games I tried for free from a friend or a library and absolutely fell in love with.

Is this an anti capitalist and pro sharing rant? Absolutely. So tonight, allow me to be your friend Smaranda, and invite you over for tea, sweets, and a thorough viewing of

✨The Complete Official World of Warcraft Tarot Deck! ✨

Lads, I'm being copyright struck......

After a lot of brainstorming on my part and a lot of good input from @goodest-noodle, we are certain we have all of them pretty correct. The power of TWO Smarandas!

pst: left click then right click the popup > open image in new tab will give you the fullsize file

MAJOR ARCANA

THE FOOL - Wrathion THE MAGICIAN - Khadgar THE HIGH PRIESTESS - Jaina Proudmoore THE EMPRESS - Tyrande Whisperwind THE EMPEROR - Malfurion Stormrage THE HIEROPHANT - Thrall THE LOVERS - Turalyon and Alleria Windrunner THE CHARIOT - Illidan Stormrage STRENGTH - Varian Wrynn THE HERMIT - Genn Greymane THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE - Alliance and Horde elements JUSTICE - Bastion Uther the Lightbringer

THE HANGED MAN - Vol'jin DEATH - The Jailer TEMPERANCE - Alexstrasza THE DEVIL - Xal'atath THE TOWER - Sword of Sargeras THE STAR - Anduin Wrynn THE MOON - Sylvanas Windrunner THE SUN - Prophet Velen JUDGMENT - Arbiter Pelagos THE WORLD - Azeroth on a backdrop of the magic schools

MINOR ARCANA

WANDS SUITE

ACE OF WANDS - Kiro and the vulpera TWO OF WANDS - Yrel THREE OF WANDS - Li Li Stormstout FOUR OF WANDS - Some Murlocs, Man. FIVE OF WANDS - The Explorer's League and The Reliquary SIX OF WANDS - Garrosh Hellscream, receiving Gorehowl after the Northrend campaign, with Y'shaarj looming over. This is the card hat made me think there's more to the set than The Ten Cards Everyone Teases. Beautiful card. SEVEN OF WANDS - The Titan Pantheon EIGHT OF WANDS - Orcish arrows on a night elven background. Beautiful card again. Either invasion of Ashenvale, I suppose. NINE OF WANDS - Baine Bloodhoof TEN OF WANDS - Sabellian and the black dragonflight PAGE OF WANDS - Majordomo Selistra KNIGHT OF WANDS - Shandris Feathermoon QUEEN OF WANDS - Queen Azshara KING OF WANDS - Arthas Menethil / The Lich King

SWORDS SUITE

ACE OF SWORDS - Tirion Fordring with Ashbringer TWO OF SWORDS - High Overlord Saurfang with split Shalamayne THREE OF SWORDS - Burning of Teldrassil FOUR OF SWORDS - Ysera in a Dream Seed Chariot whatever the fuck they're called FIVE OF SWORDS - Kil'jaeden, with Velen and Archimonde, as draenei SIX OF SWORDS - Overlord Geya'rah SEVEN OF SWORDS - Medivh EIGHT OF SWORDS - Romanian Kael'Thas NINE OF SWORDS - The Old Gods. I keep thinking whether or not the elf is supposed to be someone specific. Azshara maybe. I don't know. It also feels it might not be meant to be specific. TEN OF SWORDS - That Nathanos Blightcaller Card Everyone Memes By Now PAGE OF SWORDS - Taelia Fordragon KNIGHT OF SWORDS - Deathwing QUEEN OF SWORDS - Talanji KING OF SWORDS - Nozdormu and Murozond

CUPS SUITE

ACE OF CUPS - Sire Denathrius TWO OF CUPS - Flynn Fairwind and Mathias Shaw THREE OF CUPS - Muradin Bronzebeard, Magni Bronzebeard, Brann Bronzebeard FOUR OF CUPS - Spiritwalker Ebonhorn / Ebyssian FIVE OF CUPS - Mankrik's sorrow SIX OF CUPS - Zekhan giving Saurfang his necklace back, as per the Old Soldier cinematic. Easily the card that surprised me most by existing. Zappy Boi lives! (in someone's heart at least, not only ours) SEVEN OF CUPS - Chromie EIGHT OF CUPS - Gul'dan offering Grommash Hellscream the fel blood NINE OF CUPS - Chen Stormstout TEN OF CUPS - Thalyssra and Lor'themar Theron PAGE OF CUPS - Scalecommander Emberthal KNIGHT OF CUPS - Calia Menethil QUEEN OF CUPS - Mayla Highmountain KING OF CUPS - Cenarius

PENTACLES SUITE

ACE OF PENTACLES - Rokhan TWO OF PENTACLES - Merithra with Khanam Matra Sarest, Sansok Khan and Okir doing the renewal of vows. The end quest of Ohn'ahran Plains THREE OF PENTACLES - Council of Three Hammers - Muradin Bronzebeard, Moira Thaurissan, Falstad Wildhammer FOUR OF PENTACLES - Jastor Gallywix FIVE OF PENTACLES - Vyranoth, Raszageth, Fyrakk, whoever the other two were SIX OF PENTACLES - Genn Greymane at the Burning of Teldrassil SEVEN OF PENTACLES - Gelbin Mekkatorque EIGHT OF PENTACLES - Nomi NINE OF PENTACLES - Gazlowe, most likely TEN OF PENTACLES - Ebyssian/Ebonhorn PAGE OF PENTACLES - Xavius KNIGHT OF PENTACLES - Bolvar Fodragon in Shadowlands. The meme, the legend. QUEEN OF PENTACLES - Moira Bronzebeard/Thaurissan KING OF PENTACLES - King Mechagon

CREDITED ARTISTS: Joseph Lacroix, Surfside 3D studio. Deck designed by Ian Flynn. If you fall in love with it like I did (no thanks to Those Ten Cards We All Know By Now), it's worth it for sure. You need to understand, my scanner borked, the cards are in fact smooth and shiny.

Now, go forth. Be Smaranda to someone. Maybe your friend that can't afford the tarot but always wanted to see what the Flynnshaw card looks like. Maybe your cousin. Maybe yourself. Maybe you too were wondering, would you like the deck? Should you go out and get it? But you weren't quite sure who'd be in it, or if you even liked the entire thing. Well, I hope this post helped.

Peace.

[ashweather]

Word on the street is you've got some Burning Wheel opinions? I still haven't given the book a thorough read so I'm interested to read your takes!

Yeah, I would say I have a lot of opinions on Burning Wheel! It's actually probably my second or third most-played TTRPG period. I got introduced to it by a good friend early in high school, and have had plenty of time to chew on it since, so I'm going to answer this as a quick overview - when it comes to specific points I'm getting overwhelmed by what to talk about honestly. I reserve the right to reblog this ask with random shit I think about specific Burning Wheel mechanics later.

NOT VERY THOROUGH OVERVIEW

Pros:

Essential reading for anyone hoping to get into TTRPG design or just learn more about them - this book does a LOT of things, and it even does some of them reasonably well! Beliefs and Instincts, Shades, Lifepaths, Duel of Wits, Artha, there's a ton to sink your teeth into and think about if you're wanting to get more literate in the medium. I could and probably will write paragraphs on any one of these subsystems.

It's pretty damn medieval if you like that sort of thing (in the lifepaths of Man, anyway). According to our mutual friend who has an MA in history, it "sounds pretty medieval." A ringing endorsement!

It's pretty damn Tolkein-inspired if you like that sort of thing. For example, half of elves' skills are songs and they have an attribute called Grief that measures how close they are to metaphorically needing to sail into the West.

Do you want crunch? This baby's got so much fucking crunch in it you're going to crack your teeth the second you bite down. What do Call-On Traits do? What the fuck is going on with the Magic Burner? How does Range & Cover work? That's a great question, the answer is nobody knows and we like it better that way. (This point may be a con to you, YMMV. Coward.)

Cons:

Oooooh sam gamgee. why did you put so many skills in this game. i am dying and dreowning. you can't have that mnay skills man they don't meaningfully interact with each other or the rest of the game as you have designed it. pleas luke crane my family is starving tell me in what circumstances you foresaw tree-pulling being used,,,

BW wants to tell a really specific kind of story in a really specific kind of way, but it thinks it's a broad toolbox game that can do way more than it's actually suited for. It's an ideal game for like, telling a Knights of the Round Table style anthology. It's kind of poorly suited to a lot of other stuff in my opinion, but it's not written with that perspective, which leads to a lot of cluttered, inelegant design.

Uhhhh honestly a lot of the other points I was going to make kind of come back to that last bullet, like how so many Traits feel stapled on, and how the extreme crunch ends up being distributed in such a way that keeping track of it all is difficult, but the end effect of all that tracking ends up being mostly unsatisfying in play, in my experience.

Feel free to ask follow up questions, I would love to talk more about it. I will likely ramble more on this topic in future reblogs. The bottom line is you should definitely read Burning Wheel, but I'm not convinced you should actually try to play it. (But if you do tell me I would love to hear your experience with it.)

[handhourgalleries]

Warcraft rp/writing hot take/rant: It is fine to choose to back away from another player's writing/characterization/personal lore because you don't click with it. But the minute you begin lore policing someone that didn't ask for your criticism, it just becomes harassment. World of Warcraft is an ever-changing fictional game that has plot holes for days. Concepts we did not see in Vanilla are being realized in other expansions. But you know what? Sometimes people don't want to play by definitive lore. That is okay. Sometimes people want to play canon characters. Sure. Sometimes people want to play the lost child of Arthas. Let them. Sometimes people just want to be very silly, or very horny. You can in fact choose what you let affect you and your bubble of storytelling and characterization. So can they. Yes you pay to play a game, and so do they. Block/Ignore if you don't like it, move on.

Whether you liked an expansion or didn't like it, or didn't play it. Whether you read books, or no. Whether you are for the Horde or for the Aliance, whether you like a race or no, whether its canon to the lore you understand or no. Let people play what they want if it isn't legally hurting anyone, holy hell. Interact with them if you like it if you like what they present, leave them hell alone if you don't like it or understand it, end discussion. Don't ruin someone else's good time or try to tear down their creativity to superimpose what your acceptable version is on them. It's REALLY that easy.

This is a general etiquette that should also be reflected in rp communities like Tumblr or on Discord too. I've seen too many friends through the years mistreated over something that should be fun, and just never want to participate in a community again. I've seen it happen again to my current friends in the now. If you are trying to police, harass or manipulate rpers because they don't have fun the same way you do, you my friend, are in the wrong, and need to get out of the roleplay pool. Go home and play alone in your sad little tub.

[roxxiies]

hi.

Sand guy and purple Ball guy hcs, would it be ok?

if you were to make them to be "[character] x reader" stories, probably gold lane/ midlane reader.

Thanksies!

Fluff headcanons with Khaleed and Phoveus (separate). sfw, gn!reader

✩　featuring: Khaleed, Phoveus

a/n: HELLO!! Thanks for requesting! You didn't know how much time I thought over who these are by the names you gave HWJAJS I hope I got it right though 😞 Enjoy!

Khaleed loved books. And the first time he saw you, you were reading a book with a familiar book cover. He remembers it contained beautiful spots in Agetla Drylands.

Yes, he loved making people smile with joy. That's why he promised that he would take you with him to experience the actual beauty of Agetla Drylands firsthand, outside of where their village is located.

He swore to not get any feelings involved, but how could he when he took you to one of the places he loved as your eyes continued to sparkle?

His heart melted as he mentally planned to take you everywhere that moment. 

You gasp, your excitement evident in your tone as you speak. “I’ve seen that before in the book! Look, it's so beautiful in person!”

He nods, his heart warms knowing how you share his love for adventure as well.

Then on, he took you to various places. But this time, when he was at your door with a soft red hue spread across his face, his heart yearned to take you out again—but this time as your date.

You can't help it. You undeniably admire his strategic mind and bravery on the battlefield. Sometimes you think you don't deserve to hog all of his attention, although Khaleed is quick to dismiss that thought, and he made sure that you knew he valued your loving support and understanding of his duties.

He appreciates you. He would be willing to remind you every minute of it.

Despite being the Prince of the Artha Clan and being known to possess great leadership and charisma, he's not afraid of showing vulnerability around you.

He even seeks solace and emotional support after facing tremendously long hours of war.

“Dovie? Can I please get a hug?”

You heartily laugh at your lover's behaviour. He jutted his lower lip at your laugh, but you soon opened your arms, and he quickly scurried over, cuddling you tightly in his arms.

Muffled by the hug, he whispered a tiny thank you as he kissed your cheeks and you giggled.

  There's an undeniable allure to Phoveus' dangerous nature, something like a forbidden attraction. In which it draws you in because of the mixture of fear and fascination about your dynamic relationship.

It took a lot for him to accept and experience loving someone, someone who he trusted.

The man might even see your relationship as a conquest, making your cheeks flush as he showers you with his undivided love.

He enjoys the challenge of winning you over and over again just as much as he loves winning in conflicts again and again.

Although in private, he may show his softer and more vulnerable side to you.

And you love this side of him, not just because he looks like some kicked puppy waiting for your touch, but because of the way he sincerely shows his love for you.

Although it hurts you to know he's been worried you'd leave and betray him one day,

But you wouldn't do that, right? Please convince him!

“Please don't leave. I love you too much. Please, I love you. I love you.”

And just like Khaleed, he will be seeking solace and comfort just to take a break from the chaos and brutality of his other persona.

Now, despite his violent tendencies and his hunger for winning, he will actually, and I mean will sincerely, display an intense protectiveness towards you.

He views you somehow as belonging to his territory, which he has to defend at all costs. Though making you mad was nowhere near his long ahh prepared list,

“Phoveus. Please tell me what happened to the traveller who asked me for directions?” You interrogated him as your arms crossed on your chest.

He groans, trying to dismiss the question but soon answering, fearing you'd get even more mad, “...gone.”

“What do you mean 'gone'?!”

[beatrixacs]

LBFAD MINIBANG

TITLE: Shatter the Dream for Me

LINK: https://archiveofourown.org/works/61983904

CHAPTERS: 4

GENRE/TAGS: Post-canon, Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort, Coma, Dreams and Nightmares, Nightmares, Torture, Psychological Torture, Mental Instability, Mental Anguish, Self-hatred, Self-destruction, Mystery Characters, Reunions, Happy Ending, inspired by the story of Arthas Menethil and The Lich King (Arthas, The Rise of the Lich King by Christie Golden, World of Warcraft) and the story of Dalinar Kholin (Oathbringer, Book #3 of The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson)

PAIRINGS FEATURED: Dongfang Qingcang/Xiao Lanhua

MAJOR CHARACTERS: Dongfang Qingcang, Xiao Lanhua

RATING: T

WARNINGS: Scenes of physical and mental torture (not graphic, in accordance with the show)

SUMMARY:

For 500 years Orchid waited to be reunited with the love of her life, diligently taking care of the tiny piece that was left of him. But their reunion turns out to be very brief when Dongfang Qingcang falls into a coma shortly after his return and it doesn’t seem that he wants to wake up.

When the first flames of the glazed fire starts to surround him, Orchid quickly realizes that the history repeats itself – he is burning his primordial spirit to sustain a dream just like he has once done in the past.

In order to wake him up and save his life, she has to enter his dream and help him through all the difficulties so he could return back to her. What she finds inside the dream, however, is nothing but a nightmare.

ART BY: @alipeeps (will be posted later)

[superanonymousthethird]

I was thinking of Sylvanas and her narrative and I remembered that scene in War Crimes where she breaks down and thinks how foolish it was of her to believe she can love and how her pain from trying to feel that was a warning that in the end she "[...] would be left alone. Again, and always"

And I thought when reading that, well that's terrible, surely something good will happen to her right? Surely something good happens and makes her feel that trusting and loving and hoping aren't mistakes and wanting them doesn't make her weak and being undead doesn't change how worthy she is of them!..

And then BtS and BfA and Shadowlands come and Sylvanas is turned into a complete monster, rejected by Alleria, gets her connection with Forsaken severed as well, gets used and deceived by the guy responsible for the Lich King (whom she still trusted because thought them similar), has her only romantic interest killed, gets called a monster by a pre-trauma version of *herself*, and then sent to atone in the Maw, being alone (without any humanoid capable of speech) in there for what's been at least 5 years. Like what the fuck :/

I also love how like books have stuff like Sylvanas hearing her friends calling her monster (when she was just freed from Arthas) or Vereesa saying she's not her beloved sister.

And Sylvanas thinks "perhaps they're right" and "I am... and I am not" and absolutely nothing fucking happens to tell her that they're not right and it's not okay to think that, no, quite the opposite, she's just "evolved" into becoming people she hated most: mostly Arthas, plus with a Garrosh-like plot in BfA :/

Speaking of her own perception of herself, in the book after the ambush on Arthas she has these doubts: "She was still Sylvanas. Wasn't she?"

It makes me ultra sad because while in Edge of Night we get stuff like her concluding "no she was the same, in death as in life", but the way BfA went, it led to "I believe Sylvanas Windrunner is well and truly lost" and the added Shadowlands soul shard thing went into "I died trying to stop that monster only to wake up haunted by the one with my face"...

That makes the answer for the question of "she was still Sylvanas, wasn't she?" be "nope you're not, Arthas made you into a monster and you're doomed to grow into his own image".

It makes Lor'themar going "She is gone and truth be told I am glad for it. Let's remember her as she was, that was *our* Sylvanas not the monster wearing her face" right, it makes Vereesa's "You're not she who was my beloved sister" be correct, it makes Alleria's "You're a twisted mockery of my sister" correct and I *hate that*, because all that bullshit came *before* Teldrassil, but after Teldrassil her haters can now go "See they were right she was always evil :) real Sylvanas was killed by Arthas", and in universe characters also cannot be blamed because ew why should they treat such a monster better?

And then it's Sylvanas who needs to apologize and atone and seek amends and feel regrets but nothing is required of her family and friends from high elf days.

Ah, in the same theme, I also love the book having a moment of her thinking:

Do we get something about her still being herself and others having no right to treat her the way they did and... ah ye of course not it's completely true Banshee Queen is something separate and evil and here, have the Ranger General put back in, because clearly Arthas' actions mutilated her so thoroughly there was no trace of her old seft left to be saved, and OF COURSE, only after *that* do her ex friends and family express a feeling of "Aw I'd wish to spend more time with her it's the first time I see Sylvanas may be back"

The way her sisters are written I wonder if they even love Sylvanas at all.

They seem to only like that idealized version of her when she was alive that they remember. Why would they wish to speak to that MONSTER that replaced her in undeath?

Ask her how it feels to be undead? What exactly happened in Quel'thalas and how it felt to be under Arthas? Ask why did she join the Horde? Ask how she came to lead the Forsaken? Ask what she did after Arthas died? Ooof no that would be so tough to say, that would be a SAD talk, they'll have to listen to this horrible nasty angry banshee trauma dumping on them, and they just want their sweet noble SISTER back, who doesn't have such burdens :) How good it is the magic soul shit fulfilled their wish :)

Also bruh what does that even mean for Sylvanas herself?

What the fuck was she supposed to do to make them see her as their sister BEFORE the soul mending shit???

Somehow turn off her red eye glow? Stop being angry? (aka calm down and not feel a burning hatred for being brutalized by a manchild of a knight, rejected by everyone and failing to take revenge on him :/).

Kneel before them and say she's a horrible elf being and deserves everything bad happening to her?.. (Their reunions happened before Teldrassil, where most of her crimes were out of a desperate desire to survive in a hostile world)

Forget her silly trauma and simply behave like she did pre death? (Easier said than done)

These bitches did nothing to help Sylvanas heal and now that she's magically restored (and I don't even think it's even healed, she's just now plagued with guilt about doing everything she did), they do wanna talk to her. Yay.

Hm maybe The War Within has it better? Alright-

"Lost my sister to myself" Jesus fuck.

That's what you have to say about your sister who got murdered, raised, tortured, enslaved, forced to participate in the genocide of your species, then rejected by friends, family and Alliance?

Yeah the fact she killed herself after being denied closure against her abuser and after being sent to suffer in hell fell under the influence of a guy who said he understands her and they're similar and showed her that even afterlives aren't fair is TOTALLY just on her!

Yep totally just Sylvanas losing herself to herself and not the fact none of you assholes extended a hand and tried to ask her how she felt at any point of her miserable unlife.

[jainaism]

Kael’thas chuckled. “Well done! No more setting books on fire, I hope?” Jaina turned scarlet, remembering the incident. When she’d first arrived, her talent with fire had needed some desperate honing. She’d accidentally incinerated a tome while working with Kael’thas— one he’d actually been holding at the time. He’d responded by insisting that for the next few months, she would need to practice all fire spells in the vicinity of the pools that encircled the prison area. “Er… no, that hasn’t happened for a while.”

Those assembled roared with delight, as Arthas knew they would. Arthas bowed at Jaina, then leaned in and whispered, “Give them a show—they’ll love it.” Jaina nodded imperceptibly, then turned to the crowd and waved. Their cheering increased. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, briefly revealing her nervousness, then composed her face. She closed her eyes and lifted her hands, murmuring an incantation. Jaina was dressed in fire hues of red, yellow, and orange. As small balls of flame began to materialize in her hands, glowing faintly at first and then with increasing brightness, she looked to Arthas like fire itself for a moment. She held the fire in her hands with ease, comfort, and mastery, and she knew that the days when she had little control over her spells were long gone. She wasn’t going to “become” a powerful mage; she obviously already was one, in fact if not in title. And then she extended both hands. The balls of fire leaped like a bullet fired from a gun, hurtling toward the enormous straw effigy. It erupted into flame at once, and the onlookers gasped, then broke into wild applause. Arthas grinned. The wicker man never caught on fire that quickly when an ordinary brand was touched to its base.

 — Arthas: Rise of the Lich King

[podlaskazazula]

Girly need to buy black mare and name her Kelpie or white stallon and call him Invincible

[deathknightrea]

I've seen a few people complaining about Anduin's new look and how he looks too "old" now, also they dont understand why he's acting so distant from his friends, so I figured I'd break it down from my perspective and a tiny bit of my own character analysis as a long time player since Lich King and have read a lot of the books. Also I'm a huge fan of Anduin as a character, so I'm sorry if it might be a bit biased.

He was 18 years old in the book Before The Strom which takes place right before Battle for Azeroth, (he probably turned 19 around the beginning of BFA) so by the end of BFA he would've been between 20 and 21 since the war was fought over 2 years. He was fighting that war while still struggling with the death of his father as well as running the Alliance and his own Kingdom. He even said he had never given himself a proper time to grieve his father's passing. If you read Before The Storm, you know all the heartbreak and disappointment he suffered in that book. Including everything that happened with Calia Menethil. (I know not a lot of people view the books as canon, but I do believe the legit Warcraft published books to be part of the Lore.)

In Shadowlands, which was stated to be over the course of 2 years as well. Anduin would've been 22 or 23 when it ended. Let's not forget that while imprisoned by the Jailer, everyone was tortured mentally and physically. Anduin obviously had the worst of it, constantly being controlled by the Jailer and the Mourn Blade and forced to do horrible things that made him feel extremely guilty and question his own heart. Let's be honest, if Arthas had been able to break free from the Jailers' influence and not fallen so far, he would be struggling just as bad as/or worse than Anduin.

We were told 5 years had passed between Shadowlands and Dragonflight so that puts Anduin around 27 or 28 years old in War Within. The biggest clue to how much Anduin has been struggling, is his sword. The first thing I noticed is that the yellow glow that for us symbolized his role as a Priest was gone. He even told Thrall there was no Light left in him. It seems he's to a point where he is giving up and still can't accept what he was forced to do in Shadowlands.

I think they did a good job on aging him in the new cinematic. He isn't the hope filled, peace seeking, bright-eyed, boy King we all knew. Now he's the war-torn, mentality struggling, man who needs help coming to peace with himself. The trauma of constant war and loss have finally caught up with him. We also don't know where he's been or what he's been up to since he left. However, just looking at the scars and cuts on his face, he's clearly been through something rough while he was away. You can feel the pain in his voice and see it in his eyes. They really did a fantastic job putting that cinematic together.

I feel like, as an Alliance players and due to the connection our characters have had from quest lines and side Quests over the years with Anduin, through Pandaria to Shadowlands, we will be doing a lot of Quests with Anduin to help him regain his connection to the Light and bring back our Priest--but that's just a my Alliance fan heart wishing.

If you actually read all this....WOW! 😂 Thanks for reading my rambling.

[scourge-lover]

Kel'thuzad: What are you reading, my lord?

Arthas: A book about everything I love.

Kel'thuzad: That’s just a photo album of horses.

Arthas: What a coincidence.

[sexiechuckiet]

Tag 9 people you want to know more about! I was tagged by @camebackforrohan so thanks!

Last Song

Crucified - Ghost

I love Ghost. Got into them juuuuust before they blew up on TikTok and this cover is phenomenal.

Last Movie

Uhhhhh I think it was Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar. That movie is so funny and feels like a good ole 2000s comedy.

Current Watch

I am rewatching My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic because wrestling is making me sad because all my faves get beaten to a pulp.

Current Read

This is kinda silly, but the World of Warcraft book Arthas: Rise of the Lich King. Super good if you like fantasy and are somewhat familiar with the WoW setting. Arthas is so tragic to me.

Current Obsession

I mean, obviously wrestling, but also horror and right now I’m super into Sonic the Hedgehog again. They have Shadow merch and I keep buying it all, lol.

@jackietracks @dustinslovehandles @satanstruemistress @heartattackkidd @or-ng-c-ss-dy @lghockey @mjfass @gutwrenchflowerbomb @orange-catsidy

Please don’t feel obligated to do this, I just thought it seemed fun!