#Best & Unique Slavic Names

[dumber-alek]

In Polish (in most Slavic languages probably) we have diminutives which we use pretty regularly and liberally, as opposed to English for example, which uses it mostly with names, terms of endearment or to refer to pets (like 'granny' or 'puppy').

But in Polish you can say every little noun in this endearing why. Which is again, is probably not unique to Polish or even Slavic languages but is SO FUNNY cause you can utter a whole sentence using diminutives and it sounds completely normal (depending on the situation and your interlocutor, of course).

It's just hilarious if you try to imagine it in English. For example:

A może pójdziemy na ławeczkę napijemy się kawusi że śmietanką i zjemy te drożdżówki od Pani Halinki?

Sounds like your average conversation between polish boomers on a break in the office. But if I tried to translate it into English:

Maybe we can go sit on a benchie and drink some coffie with creamie and eat pastr...pastriesies from Mrs Halina (affectionate)

I'm not the best translator but then again it's not really translatable since the concept of casual diminutives doesn't exist in English outside of uwu language. But Polish can be the uwu language and is the uwu language in many situations!

I especially love it because Polish is seen as very harsh sounding language because of many fricatives and affricates we use (s, z, sz, ż, ch, dz, dż etc) but if you really get into it, it has some features that are really cute, diminutives being one of them.

I found an article about how the use of diminutives denotes familiarity and a positive attitude towards the other person, and I think this is very interesting. This is a fascinating linguistic function of diminutives, as I feel like notions levels of formality in our language get sanded down as we adapt to a more western (American?) style of communication.

I've also met with many people lamenting how the use of diminutives leads to the downfall of this language, but I don't subscribe to linguistic prescriptivism so I just wanted to appreciate diminutives and how silly they are 💕

[nigh-temptation]

An in depth look at the capital of Gulfeńn, Valkor! (Buckle up, this is a long one)

Before I start I should probably clear something up: For inspiration for coming up with Elven culture, I looked at Slavic, Balkan, Hindu, and Middle Eastern influences. The easiest way to think about it is this (if anything that comes up in this post is offensive to any of these cultures, please let me know and I will try my best to fix it. I am only human, and I am an American at that, so I can only go by my research 😅):

Clothing, Music, Language, and Patterning = Balkan

Language, Music, and Clothing = Slavic

Food, Architecture, and Religion = Hindu

Architecture, Desert Culture, Food, Clothing, and Music = Middle Eastern

Don’t worry, I will give examples and visual aid to help convey what I mean!

____________________________________________

Valkor: The Capital

Gulfeńn is split into four different provinces, or states. These provinces have their own biomes, traditions, and leaders. Valkor is one of four, and is simply referred to “Western Gulfeńn” sometimes.

(Spellings will be changed throughout tho will be changed to fit what I have in mind for the elves)

Population- 4.1 million

Valkor is a unique city, in the nature of its height. Valkor is located in a part of the Ośtavlet desert that dips into a valley, where it can reaches 104 degrees on average in the summer. The elves would have baked to death. So they settled on a huge, naturally forming rock spire. These desert spikes provide great shade in the unforgiving heat, and were the prime spot for elves to carve out their cities. The Yvvińna Palace was carved directly into the rock, while the actual city was built around the outside.

After hundreds of years, the rock on the spire started to crumble and erode. Scientists have been researching a way to regrow the rocks. So far, more and more houses have to be partially or entirely held up by sturdy metal beams. It’s not too bad yet…

Around the base of Valkor is a wall, and behind the wall is the rest of the city. 

These neighborhoods are safe from heatstroke because of the shade that both the Wall and the Palace provide. Air conditioning is also free for those who live on the base (and for those who want it. Usually it’s only the human citizens who actually turn it on. Elves are adequately adapted to deal with the heat)

For those who live “On the Sky” as they say, it can get well near freezing during the night and during the winter months. The ecosystem up near the sky is more humid. More trees and plants can be found growing up there. Sometimes it even snows. Children who live on the base usually go near the top to play on the rare occasion it does. The journey from the base to the very top takes approximately 4 hours of twisty, windy roads. 

Safety rails have been installed after many instances of people falling off the sharp cliff sides. 

The Valkorian Throne is the highest throne of Gulfeńn, since the city was founded by The Oj Dolo (in the books, known as The Great Erlking). The Oj Dolo was seen as a sort of god in his own right, the equivalent to the Christian prophet Jesus, or the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Like both, he was a real life figure but ascended to legend.

(Quick note on Oj Dolo: imagine my surprise when I found out that “Dolo” is not only an actual Polish name, but also Oj Dolo is a song! I swear I had no knowledge of this until a month after I chose the name. I chose Oj as the prefix because I knew it meant “Oh”)

Thus, any Czar that followed in his footsteps, and took the throne, was seen as a mortal god (kind of like Egyptian pharaohs). Most elves will refer to the Czar with the prefix “Oj” (said like “oi”), as it is seen as respectful to do so for “god mortals”. This includes the royal family, and the Dzikaję (child of the Czar).

As for the elven goddesses, I will talk more in depth about them later (I don’t wanna overwhelm anyone with info lol), but for now just know that they have two: Seińn of the Sun, and Favšta of the Moon.

BONUS: in my version of the story, The Elf King, or Oj Czar Ykoda, was of the royal bloodline and was in an arranged marriage with the daughter of the Duchess of Stęńgard, Epopyja.

Also, just to get it out of the way real fast, here Lugźer (Luger), and Tręlis (Trellis) are cousins not brothers. And I have big plans for both of them >:)c

Here are some reference images of what I think Valkorians might dress like (all taken from Pinterest):

Don’t worry about their ears! They poke out of their head coverings with ease, and still have plenty of room to move

Last note, I was thinking that for the Oj Czar, he could wear a kokoshnik along with his mask:

(Credit to Alena Abramova for these amazingly intricate dolls!)

So his silhouette is still long and flowy, but distinct and intimidating

Next up will probably be a look at our main characters, and then I’ll probably do a breakdown of the timeline <3

[obihiro-division]

“We can do more for the people if they are not so aware of what we are trying to do.” -Volker G. Fremuth

Introduction

Jack Verrill ḁ̵̘͍̗͕̹͖̍̈́͗̀̍͛̐̀̓̒̑̊̔͋͘͜ͅp̵̧̼̪̤̥̩̱͓͔̼̅͛̏██a̵̜̝͖̣̤͛͊̈́̾͆͑̒̍̚r̵̫̪̻̅̎͌̈͝s̷̨̛̞̝̖̬̜̾̃̓͆̾̀͑̽̎̽͂̊͝ͅ ̵̧̹̜̫̗͙̭̮̥̲̹̭͎͌͜█is an ordinary butler who works under the Kamiyama family. As Daiki Kamiyama's assigned personal butler, he has joined Veiled Vanguard as the third team member with the MC name Heed.

After Daiki had ran away from home (and after numerous messages back and forth), Jack was sent by his father, Lucien Kamiyama as a part of the father and son's comprise; Daiki is allowed to live on his own, but not without his personal butler. Constantly by Daiki's side whenever he is allowed, the man is dedicated to keeping his young master safe. This varies from teaching the young man to care for himself and his apartment, to physically defending him whenever Daiki decides to pick fights with dangerous people.

When Jack is not glued to his young master's side, Jack is busy doing his second job̸̛͓͎͈̖̮̞̙̑̓̑̑:̴̧̢̣̪͕̮̳̽͆͝ͅ█o̵̮̜̭͛̓͐̓͂̌͝ ̸̻̝̱͔̥̦͆̃͗̀͒̈́̄͝█l̶̢̫̻̦͉̞͍͛̽̀̌i̶̛͕͊̄͝m̴̥̯̝̎̃̍͝███e̵̳̜͎͈̯͐̑̆͛͘͠ ̸͓̫͕̙̖͎̑̓́͘̕͝f̴̧͚̋̄͗̽͊̈̇͝██ṯ̷̛̲͓̆͊͊̋h̵͚̘̺̣̳̑͑͆̿̍e̴̡̢̤̻̳̥͍̔͊̅̽r̸̯͓̘̃͜͝ ̴̳̭̟̞͉̞̔̿̒ͅt̵̡̢͖̱̠̤͌͜͝͝͠r̷̖̖̭̖͍͕̮͊̉̉̈́̒͝͝ͅa̷͕̎̔͛c̷̳̱̫̈͗͂̎͑͒̕███ö̴̦̞̥́͒̄f̶͈̖͈̞͗́̌͜ ̵̗̏͝ă̵̬̈́̀̀͝͝n̸̨̍̀̾͗̄͋̆█ ̴̡͖͕͉͖̖̫̦̈́̾͗̽̀͘c̴̨̼̣̮͙͉̈̀͂̏̒́͗̊l̵̢͚̝̻̬̟̎͂́̏̈́͐o̸̢̭̜̪̬̰̪͚̓̒̓͆̅̾̚███p̴̭̤̦̄̌̃͐̅̑̕͠r̸̪͈̮̗͗̄̉̉̚͝█ė̴̘̹̜͂̓c̷̩͇̲̹̘̐͜███ a̵̧̢̯̼̥̘̙̱͑̉͛̀͗̑̚͝█d̵̼͑̈̑̏̓́́͠ ̷̼̿͂̌̓̈́̾r̴̲̬̬̥̩̰͎̃͝ě̷̠̼̹͇̱̗̯̇͊͜███a̴̬̓̀ţ̸̘͈͙̠͕̑́͊͌̽ë̷̱́͒͝͠ ̸̘̻̬͙̰̻͍͓̽̀̕t̸̡͉͉͎̳̬͈͙̓ẖ̶̪̬̹̓̄̉͒̽̕̕e̶̫͇͕̦͑͆́͘ ̵̧͓̫̔̀s̶͕̥̩̓̏̃███i̸͙̺̫̫̱̞̠̜̐͂͆̅̋̓̕v̵͎͓̲͇͗i̷̜͎͂͘ṉ̵̿̾̔̒̈́͆̈͠g̴̼̳̜͍̱͎̐͛̍͘͘█c̶͘͝��̳███ë̵͍̪̥̺̠͉̖̟́̈̂́ş̸̠̯̙͔͓̘̟͊̈͘ ̷̪͂̏̄̄t̵̠̒̐̂̀̑͆͝o̴̙̻̭̽̈́͝███f̸̱̺̎̓͘͠e̵̠͓͔̚͝ ̶̩̳͇̱̫̝̞͛͋͂͘f̶̡̘͚̀͆̆͋█c̸͍̮̦͓̪͂̔̎́̑͠ì̵͍̬̋̐̄̚̕͘l̸̻̭͎̣͊̇i̸̛̖͊͜t̴̡̤̖̖͊͋̐́́̋█.̷̡͍͔́͗͑̽̉͊̚͜

Appearance

Jack is a pale-skinned man who has a head of emerald hair which is messily slicked back to the best of his ability. He has purple eyes and a small scar on his right eyebrow.

His butler uniform is as one would expect, consisting of a white dress shirt, a golden vest, and a black tailcoat with golden chains keeping the front together. Under his grey dress pants, he wears bulky black shoes. He always has white gloves and his golden monocle on him. Whether his monocle is actually to help with his vision or just an accessory is unknown.

Hypnosis Microphone

While it may appear that Jack’s microphone just vanishes when he activates it, it actually transforms into a lavalier microphone, which is hidden underneath his suit and tucked under the collar. It is seemingly ordinary for a lavalier microphone, however the pack for the wireless system appears to have “Ɪ33d” faintly engraved on it. His speaker is a giant Bluetooth speaker, with the only remarkable trait being that eyes seem to blink open and closed all around the body of the cylinder.

Jack’s rap ability is “Smother”. It effectively silences any opponent, making it impossible for them to even open their mouth. It only lasts for a period of time though, which makes it important that he and whoever Jack is working with can deal enough damage before the opponent regains their voice.

His voice is generally flexible, since his talent appears to be in mimicking other’s styles of rapping. This makes for both an effective support for his team and a unique strategy to defeat opponents by playing on their field. Jack’s strengths lie in being quick on his feet, freestyling without no worries at all. He does struggle with sticking to a theme in his songs, instead focusing on the situation and his opponent in the moment rather than himself or his team.

Entomology

Jack - Derivative of medieval English name, John, meaning “God is gracious” and Jacob meaning “holder of the heel”.

Verrill - Originates from the Slavic name Vera, which translates to true, honest, loyal, or faithful. 

Trivia

Jack is ambidextrous.

Jack is passionate about caregiving, his work, and hand to hand combat, specifically boxing. He hates airplanes and other cramped spaces, being slightly claustrophobic.

His favorite food is bangers and mash, but he hates sheep’s heart.

Jack was originally hired to work at the United Kingdom manor with Daiki’s eldest brother, however he was transferred to become the matriarch’s personal butler once it was made known he had a background in government work, childcare, and a basic understanding of Japanese. P̵̜̭͓̺͈͉͗̓̕ļ̷̡̛̱̤͔͖̓̋██,̷̢͍͇͘ ̶̡̧̠̦̰͉͚̾̊̏́̉̌͑█i̵̥͔͍̦̥͛̀̌̈́̉͗͐s̷̨̗͔̼̥̗̳̃́͊ ̸̬̝̿̅̈́͘r̴͍̟̫̪̾ȅ̷̪̩̻͚͕̳̻́̎̒̀̆͑███o̵͍͈̪͍͉͌̑͛̾̍y̵͕̤̮̟͙̗̖̓͛̎̃͑͠██ ̷̡̡̛̫̗̙̥̇͛̆̉̀ẃ̸̡̧̞͕͚̭̙̓̈́a̸͈͖̱̯͌͜s̵͓̟͇̀̀́͐ͅ ̵̱͓̩͓͈̥̹̌͊ą̶̦͙̳̤̋█l̸̨̯̤̮͖͆̈̚͠e̷̳̠̝̞̖̰͎̋͊̃͂ ̸̪͖̔̈́̅̈́̃͘t̷̢̯̥͚͗̄̽͝█ ̵̨̯̜͖̈̊͠███ṭ̷̈́̀i̷̹̝͎͓̒̈́̑̌̇͂͜a̵͙̹̩̘̣̭̅͊̿̓͐̽̚̕t̵̡̰̄͋̓̎͋͌͜͝e̶̺̫͔̪̎̃̈́ ̷̢̜̤̩̻̞̥͗̉̌͌̊̀ͅā̵̡̢͕̣͓̀̃̂̓͜ ̴̢̭̘̼̗͚̩̌̇̂͝ͅ█a̶̡̛̞̜͎̲͈̰͆͊͛̐̿ẏ̸͔͕̭̤͊͊ ̸̧̤̰̞̳̆͒͊́̓̋̚ţ̸͎͇̤̱̮̊͂́█ ̴̻̘̫̒͌͂̚g̷̢̖͖͑͋͒̐͛e̸̳̟̼̽t̸͕̜̝̗̔̀̀̈́͋͌ ̵̡̗̘̟̈́́̒███ ̶̘̉̔͐̚͠t̷̨͓̹̟͔̫̞̩̄̀́̒̂͑̓̚ǫ̵̺͈͓̟͋̂͜ ̶̗͍͙̗̥̌̿̓̾͛̔͠███p̷̡̤̰̰̜̞̩̂͒█ṉ̴̟͆̿͐͂,̷̪̦̜̻̠̟̰͐̐ ̸͍̝̗͉̼̔̑̓̍͘͝ą̷̗̩̹͍̠͎̪̄̈́͂̎̓͐̕̚f̴͇̈́̋̅̊̋█ŕ̸͖̙̪̮̼͇̗̅̀̇͜͠ ̸̗̝̻̱̏̑ị̷̯̹͂͒̆̋̚ń̷̢̛̮̻͖̬̙̰f̶̨̙̳̤̰̑̏̍̽͂͗ǫ̴̡̭̪̬̍̈̃͘r̸̫͉͌̉͛███ö̵̧̳̳̩̱́͌͆n̵͉̗͓̝̯̱̗̤̍ ̸̮̬̯̼͈̦͒̚͜ẁ̷̛̮̹̙͓͚̖̘̊̔̃̕ą̵͍̆̒̾͑̂̀͝͝s̴̠͉̲̥̩̝͉̃̔̋̉̚͠█l̶̛̞̳͓͈̤̱̟̀͒̾̈́e̶͇͗̌͂a̴̪͎̳͖̋̉́̆ͅ██d̷̥͉̮̤̬̮͐͂̉ ̸̛̯̙̬͑t̶̨̟̻̩͍̣̄́̆͘ḩ̵̜͕̳̞̙͍͔̏͂ȁ̶̛͉̯̤̫̩̲̗̄͒̓̒͝t̸͍͓̠̟̖̙̗͋̂͗̋͝ͅ ̴̨̛͙̬̦̄̃ś̴͉̫͚͎̘̬̯ŏ̷͍̠͖̭̩͙͑̑̈̉̍̑̎m̸̡̻̼͚͛͐̚███e̷͙̐̐̓̉̚ ̵̢͈͚͖̗͙̰͑̈̉̀͝w̵͇̼̉͌̈́͑̏̿͜͝a̵̛͖͕͇̪̓̌̽̅̐͘s̶̨̛̗͇͆̇͒̾͠ ̵̡̖͍̣̬͈̻̄̚r̷̢͖̺̝͊̒̂͌̋̀̄ͅe̸͖̲̐̊̒́͋͒͋̈́v̶̧͈̠̞̺̠͊͆̾̓͌̾͠███g̷̮̃̕ ̵̻͕̟̼͓̺̖̩̉̅t̸̜̭͕̉͌͒̈͑͝͠h̷̢̯͓͇͍̙̊́e̴̢͉̭̹̦̹̎ ̵̙̮̻̏̎̅̓̾̂͊č̷̪̀͆l̸̨̡̢͎͕̣͎͖̐͊͒͊o̶̮̘̻̥̞̤̼̟̍͆̽͠███p̴͕̬̣͇͈͎̻̒͊r̸̡̫̻̗̊͛̈́̂͌̚͜███.̷̡̗̗̳͛̋ H█ was only assigned to Jack after Daiki’s mother had passed as a part of her will.

For someone inconspicuous as a butler, Jack is aware of many things happening in regards to Chuohku’s Party of Words and Rei. Whether that is because of his work with the former IRO Director before the rise of the Party of Words, or something else entirely is unknown.

One major piece of information Jack seems to be aware of is the disappearance of Kensaku Morimoto and what exactly he was involved in.

The other major piece of information is the fact Jack is fully informed on is Ramuda Amemura. In fact, he seems to hold a lot of disgust for said Ramuda clones, except the current clone who runs the Shibuya Division team, Fling Posse.

Jack is fluent in many languages like Daiki is. His strongest suits are in English, German, and Dutch, whereas Japanese and French are secondary languages for him. He knows other languages, but they are all at a basic, conversational level.

[the-letterbox-archives]

۶ tag game: behind character names ৎ

a tag game? in my archives??

thank you so much @moltenwrites for the tag! the original question was about character names and personalities, namely how they were invented. i might update this when i do more of tdfah and rockdove, but for now i'll talk about the current rockdove characters!!

Prince Laszlo Kriska

ah, yes. the rockdove promise's one and only mc, the 16 y/o prince of mikoyav and heir to the throne.

my naming process is on a metronome of "extensive research into etomology, syllable structure, unique letters and structure" to "i like this one :)" and for laslzo it was indeed the second. i such at getting masc names, but laszlo is just a personal favourite of mine, and i thought the name's vibes matched the kind of character i wanted. pair it with a nice, vaguely slavic name as a family name and there ya go!

i envisioned laszlo as a very driven, meticulous, not at all traumatised person who's very set on making his country the best it can be and being a viable heir to the throne. simply put, he always acts like he's in a competition to succeed, but he's not competing against anyone. right now i like where he's at; smart enough to be logical and make the right choice when it matters, but ambitious and stupid enough to make the wrong choice when it matters more. can't wait to unravel all his issues :)

King Yaromyr Kriska

sad dad says what-

keeping up with the sort-of slavic names of mikoyav, i piggybacked off laszlo's name and found another that sounded more mature, more empowering, and overall more befitting of a king, while still keeping his family in mind. a pretty simple process, but honestly, his name is probably my favourite out of all of them, which says a lot because this lot have the first fantasy names i've really liked.

yaromyr was actually a lot more complicated for me to put together, he didn't come into fruition until i started chapter 1. in my earliest ideas, he was an awful dad that constantly fueled the fire of laszlo's crippling anxiety and was all around a scumbag. but that just didn't fit after a bit of thinking. i wanted laszlo to have a more nuanced mentor, someone who he still did pick up bad traits from/in response to, but someone who truly loved him. so he changed into more of a sad dad type, which i think works better (he's still a king though, and he doesn't fuck around in that regard).

Danareth

the gayest man i've ever seen (ok, that's not true, but he's trying)

i'll be honest, i dropped the mikoyav naming conventions with danareth, so right now it's entirely ambiguous where he's from. it's a super english-sounding name, and kind of feels out of place, which i think adds to his vibes. he calls the king by his first name while whispering sweet nothings into his ear, man was made to stand out. i can't remember how this name came to be, but i know i nabbed a part of two english-sounding words from some fantasy name blog/post/generator/website and mashed them together (either "dana-" and "-reth" or "danar-" and "-eth").

personality wise, i just wanted a weird little guy. it sounds a bit redundant when i say it like that, but danareth was made to foil yaromyr's noble demeanour and laszlo's calculated personality. not informal, exactly, but not strict in the same way. while the kriskas are more fixated by political disputes (for yaromyr) and the renewal (for laszlo), danareth is more concerned with internal affairs. combine that with a little dash of general bastard-ness and you have royal advisor danareth!

Ezune

ezune penderghast, the silly!!

since they're from karazun, which is further west than mikoyav, i wanted a slightly different feel for ezune's name than the more slavic-sounding names of the kriskas. while i don't know much about karazun in the same way as miyokav, since i doubt i'll ever visit there in the story, i know the naming conventions have a lot of consonants like "z," "r," "x," stuff that makes it feel that much more modern. it's similar to laszlo in that regard, but overall carries a different feeling, especially from a lower-born person like ezune. it almost feels trashy, unfit for the medieval society they exist in (since ezune sounds more anglo-saxon as it dips into modernity, while the slavic feel of laszlo grounds it in sounding more formal and thus medieval in this context, imo). the surname penderghast is not from karazun, however (dr. penderghast's first name is more fitting for karazun).

as for their personality, it isn't as fleshed out because i haven't decided how relevant they'll be going forward, so i went for a simple approach; curious, impressionable, younger, less fortunate, low ranking. it all amounts to them feeling even more out of place and both not easily forgotten and not easily assimilated. they're a lot of fun to write, i like combining inquisitive and awkward traits into one character.

Other Projects??

that's right, you get a tales from a dying heart spoiler too, how lucky :D

all the main characters in the tfadh anthologies have had their names replaced by our narrator, the heart. as such, the heart picks names for the protagonists that reflect a part of their personality or presence, which the heart does explain, thankfully. it's pretty important lore-wise, since the heart is a - not to mince words - little bitch and does whatever it pleases with whoever enters its folds, including stripping them of their entire identities.

tagging @introchasingstars, @the-ellia-west, @bloodmoonloveletter, and anyone who wants to join!

[svartalfhild]

What’s your favorite High Fantasy Story?

Oh boy. What a big question. Buckle in; this is going to take a minute.

Okay, so as you might expect, it's very hard for me to say one particular story is my absolute favourite, especially considering how I engage with the genre across many different types of media, so let me talk about a few different stories arranged by medium.

Books

Obviously the works of Tolkien are high on my list of favourites. LOTR is the ur-story of Western high fantasy.

I've mentioned it many times before, but the Starlight & Shadows trilogy by Elaine Cunningham has always been a big favourite of mine and a very formative read for me when I was a preteen. If you like DnD, elves (esp. dark elves), and/or morally complicated female protagonists, this one is for you. It also has a romance between a wizard and a barbarian and incorporates lots of aspects of Forgotten Realms lore that take inspiration from Norse and Slavic mythology.

Film and TV

LOTR defs makes this list again. I am the Spiders Georg for Times Watched LOTR Movies.

The Witcher. "But Svar, why did you list this here and not under books?" Because the books are full of misogyny. Don't get me wrong, the books have good stuff, but the Netflix series got rid of a lot of the misogyny that I greatly dislike about the books (and games). I also just really enjoy the show in its own right. The Blood Origin miniseries spinoff is super good too and I'm sad it got no attention. Are there flaws? Yes. But I really like the story they're trying to tell and Slavic folklore doesn't get nearly enough interest in Western media.

The Mythica Films. This is a series of five indie fantasy films that are clearly inspired by DnD and they are the best indie fantasy movies I've ever seen. They tell the story of a young disabled woman talented with magic who finds out she's got dark powers and has to run for her life. Matt Mercer plays the main villain and weirdly enough, these movies were the first time I ever saw him, and I was actually wary of Critical Role at first because those movies gave me the odd impression that he's an edgelord, even though he's a very sweet person irl lol.

Honor Among Thieves is brand new, but it instantly won my heart as a favourite. How can it not? It's set in DnD's Forgotten Realms and is about platonic friends raising a child together while also being about whacky heist shit. A story after my silly aspec heart.

Games

Okay, I'mma have to restrain myself and give you top five here, because otherwise we're gonna be here all day.

The Baldur's Gate Saga. Fucking old but truly great. The OG. The 90's graphics might turn a lot of people off these days, which is unfortunate, because they are amazing games, especially with the Enhanced Editions and the new Siege of Dragonspear expansions. It's the story of an unwitting child of the God of Murder, and you can either embrace what you are, struggle against it, or try to ride the line. I personally find the struggle against one's blood and supernatural urges a much more compelling story. It's the struggle to become something other than what you were made to be while also being pulled towards your destiny and have to choose what to do with the power that is given to you. It is the struggle for your soul and the souls of those you love. It is a journey to the Hells and a rise from its ashes, and you have to choose what the phoenix looks like. Also there's a man who carries a miniature giant space hamster everywhere with him and a gnome obsessed with turnips, to name just a few of the incredibly silly aspects of the story.

The Elder Scrolls series. The worldbuilding in TES is amazing for the specific reason that it's such a fucking mess. The folks at Bethesda and Zenimax have taken the unique approach of building the lore like historians collecting a bunch of conflicting primary sources. That's fucking fascinating because it makes the world feel more realistic. The real world is full of conflicting information, especially regarding history, and we all have to decide what we think is true based on the information given to us. Also TES III: Morrowind in particular is the most game of all time. You can tell it was made by a bunch of freaks and it's creatively braver than many of the major RPGs that have come out since. Bethesda just went "what if we did a game about the land of the dark elves, and that land is full of mushroom trees and all the fauna is either some sort of unique reptile, insect, or jellyfish- no it's not underground- anyway, here's an epic story about destiny, revenge, cultural conflict, and the gods being deeply flawed- also there's a bit where you have to kill a giant jellyfish with a fork you got from a lizard man called Big Head".

The Dragon Age series. All things considered, DA is a pretty conventional high dark fantasy story, but it has enough of its own unique twists and interesting writing/worldbuilding to be special to me. Each game has a different protagonist and a different type of story, but there's some themes that are consistent across the series. I would say the central theme of DA is finding the strength to do what must be done, even though you never asked for the responsibility and by rights shouldn't even be here. I think that's really compelling if you're the kind of person who has dealt with a lot of imposter syndrome in your life.

The Pillars of Eternity games. I don't think PoE gets nearly enough love. It has rich, carefully crafted lore that gets into things that other series tend to half-ass, like the linguistic aspects of the worldbuilding. Across the two games, Obsidian really delves deep into difficult discussions about mental illness, the relationship between gods and mortals, the cycle of life and death, ethics in magic, the effects of imperialism, and trying to make huge decisions when the right answer isn't clear. Also the visual style of these games is impeccable, as is the music.

Neverwinter Nights. This is where my love of DnD began. I watched my uncle play this game when I was a kid and I instantly fell in love with its whole vibe. The main campaign might hit different these days, because the story involves a deadly plague and the protag has to recover the pieces of a potential cure while also uncovering cult shit. There's a whole betrayal/scapegoat thing going on that's super tragic. Anyway, pile this one on the list of reasons I grew up to be a DnD obsessed goth.

Other

If you follow me, you're probably familiar with how much I love the DnD actual play show Critical Role. I've been watching since 2016 and I'm forever amazed at the compelling stories the cast and the dice rolls have built across three campaigns now.

Black Dice Society is my other favourite DnD actual play show. It's Ravenloft, so it's a gothic horror/high fantasy fushion. It has two seasons and tells such a beautiful story about the struggle for love and power.

[dwellerinroots]

What is it about birds that you enjoy :)

Thank you, my friend; this is such a good question..? Since I'm going to talk a bit, those uninterested in the sum total of the birdposting tag can roll their eyes and avoid this one, ahaha. Conversation about how great flora, fauna, and especially birds are under the cut!

First, some mood music.

Topsy already knows some of my predilections, here, but unless people peek at my tags, I suppose it'd be easy to say 'oh, this fellow just casually likes birds.' And in a way, that's true; I like pretty much all creatures, real or fictional. I tend to like natural things more then I like people, which I don't think is entirely uncommon among writers, nor does it excuse behaving cruelly to other people (something that is easily forgotten). But first and foremost, I've got a bit of a connection to them. My parents raised me on a steady diet of fiction, classical religion and mythology, and folk tales. A lot of these were 'world' tales, which meant whatever they thought was cool at the time, because my parents were hippies and I love them for that! But just as much was from our culture, which means bird. Lots and lots of bird. Slavic culture has tonnes of mythological bird-ery in it, just as much as mushrooms. I could make the statement that it's more about birds then bears or anything else people want to associate with it, but I think many people would - disagree with that, ahaha. A famous writer (who a lot of people do not care for and I understand that) went by the pen-name Sirin. Who's Sirin? Good question.

But there's tonnes of cool mysterious bird entities over yonder; Alkonost, Gamayun, sometimes even Maiden Midday is depicted as a bird or bird-like. Naturally, some bird or another on fire is important, too. We just - really like birds. But why, though, and why me? Well... I think it's pretty obvious from how I talk and some of my stories that I've travelled a lot and lived a lot of places. One of the few constants is that I've watched the travel of wings, and wondered at that freedom; moving often feels fatalistic, especially when you're young. I don't really have a place or people I consider 'home.' Not an unusual feeling, but... Actually, since I can be as personal as I want this far down, I often disassociate a bit from feeling human. Part of that is the usual stuff a lot of us go through, but part of it is unique to me. I can't tell you how many times, in how many places, I spent watching distant forms lazily drift overhead, wishing I could do nature sketches, but quite content to simply exist, with no greater goal in mind. One of the places I miss most, though, that I think of most as 'home' if I could choose where 'home' is are the moorlands of a certain island nation, rich with heather. I could paint those landscapes from my mind's eye, if you asked me to, also if I could paint. Bahahaha! Brings us nicely to the next point which is that I stumbled unto a very unlikely piece of media and fell in love with a hawk. That's just how these things go; if I cry a lot about a very big bird lady, that's why. Finally, a good friend whom I only occasionally interact with is the second-or-third-best-bird in my life, he's the best*. But these are all personal; the backstory, as you will. In general, outside of my personal reasons - the fact that I like them for how unencumbered they are, their habits, what they mean to me - I like birds a lot because they're pretty! From the most colourful sparkling dainty lads to the tones of feathers that are almost steel. The wingspans of birds unfurling is kind of magical; I don't know if it's some primal sprout mindset that thinks birds == dinosaurs == very cool, or simply that I find the textile sense of wingspan unfolding Reall Cool, but again, I wish I could do scientific sketches or similar. I love how hygienic they are, by and large, and how incredibly goofy most birds are when they've ascertained you are not there to interfere in any way and are just watching. Because all animals are goofballs, but birds are goofy in their own unique way. The many differences in how birds treat each other, how weird and alien some nests look (for nestbuilders), what birds choose to steal everything not nailed down, and which ones are very picky. I just think they're neat! And there are lots of animals I love; I love bees, social insects, asocial solitary pollinators... I love cats and dogs, obviously, I love domesticated animals and weird wild critters, danger noodles and - really I just love nature in general, as mentioned above. But if I was going to choose one (1) kind of animal to watch for, it'd be birds. They're heartening, beautiful, and a bit melancholic.

Thanks for reading this far; here are some magpies being silly. Hopefully this was at least a little interesting to read, and see you around..!

[business-name-ideas]

800+ Best & Unique Slavic Names

This list is a compilation of the best and most unique Slavic names available.

It includes girl’s and boys names that are both traditional and modern. This list of Slavic names is perfect for parents who are looking for a name that has meaning but is not too unusual or difficult to pronounce.

Slavic names are often used in Eastern Europe, the Balkans and Central Asia.

A Slavic name is a name from any of the Slavic languages. The term "Slavic" in this context refers to the group of languages and not to any specific country or ethnic group.

Slavic Names

The Slavic people are a diverse group of people who have many different cultures and languages. This diversity is reflected in the names that they use.

Slavic names come from the Slavic languages, which are spoken by Eastern and Central European countries. The most common language is Russian, which is spoken by around 160 million people in Russia and other countries like Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan.

The Slavic name system has three main parts: first name (Ivan), patronymic (Ivanovich), and last name (Petrov). These three parts usually correspond to the first letter of each word. For example Ivan Pavlov - I-P-P-L-A-V or Ivan Petrov - I-P-E-T-R-.

Slavic Names Girl 

 The Slavic Names Girl is a blog by an American girl who has a Slavic name. She shares her thoughts on the culture that she grew up in and how she came to be. The blog is written in English, but also contains translations of some of the older posts for those who are interested. The author of this blog, Slavic Names Girl, was born and raised in America with a Russian father and Polish mother. She shares her thoughts on how she came to be through telling stories from her childhood and adult life, as well as sharing insights into what it means to have a Slavic name.

Zorya

Chessie

Helenka

Myrene

Jereni

Zlata

Wandie

Veradis

Miri

Kalina

Karlinka

Zorrah

Toskia

Mateja

Wandy

Olya

Karolynne

Ludmila

Veera

Slavic Names Male

The Slavic culture is one of the most ancient in the world. Its inhabitants are called Slavs. The name of this cultural group comes from the word "Slava" which means "fame". It is believed that Slavs are direct descendants of Aryans who migrated from Central Asia to Europe in the 6th century BC.

The Slavic people have a rich history and culture, which is reflected in their language, customs, and beliefs. The Slavic people speak various languages that share common roots and a common alphabet.

Florian

Radimir

Stana

Mirko

Branko

Stesha

Wenczeslaw

Vlad

Miroslaw

Andrik

Svatosla

Vyachaslav

Jaroslav

Wladimir

Teun

Damir

Lazlo

Bohdan

Casimeer

Old Slavic Names

Old Slavic Names are a combination of Christian names and pagan names. The Christian name is usually the first name, and the pagan name is the second. The combination of the two can be seen in many names in Russia and other countries that used to be part of the Soviet Union.

Slavic Names Generator

Slavic Names Generator is a tool that helps you generate names for your characters.

If you are writing a story with Slavic characters, this tool is perfect for you. It has over 300,000 names in its database, which are divided into different types and categories. You can also add randomness to the process by clicking on the ‘Randomize’ button.

This generator will give you authentic-sounding names that suit the context of your story perfectly!

Slavic Names And Meanings

The Slavs are an Indo-European ethnic group who speak the Slavic languages and share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits. Historically, the term "Slav" has also been used to refer specifically to people living within or coming from the geographical area of Slavic settlement.

The earliest written mention of the word "Slav" dates back to the 6th century AD. The most common theory of their origin is that they were a branch of a larger tribal union called Sclaveni

Un-common Slavic Names 

The Slavic people have a rich cultural history and many beautiful names. These names are not as common in the United States as they are in Eastern Europe.

Some of the most popular Slavic names are Anna, Anastasia, and Tatiana. These names can be found on many girls born in the 1990s and 2000s. Some other popular Slavic names for girls include:

Olga, Darya, Valeria, Daria, Natalia, Milena, Vera and Zoya.

For boys there are also quite a few popular options available: Ivan, Sasha (Alexander), Yuriy (George), Dmitriy (Dmitry), Vladimir (Vladimir), Dmitry (Dimitri) and Ilya (Elijah).

Old Slavic Names For Girl

The Old Slavic names for girls are a set of female given names which were used in the early medieval period, in the territory of today's Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine and Russia.

Some of these names are:

-Agnieszka

-Agnieszka

-Anna

-Berta

-Cecylia

-Dobrawa

-Eufemia

Old Slavic Names For Boy

1. Borys (Борис) - a Slavic name meaning "defender of the faith" or "defender of peace". The name was borne by the first Christian prince of Kyivan Rus and the first Russian tsar.

2. Borislav (Борислав) - a Slavic name meaning "defender of glory" or "defender of peace". The name was borne by the ruler who united Serbia, Bulgaria, and Montenegro in the late 19th century.

3. Boris (Борис) - a Slavic name meaning "defender of glory" or "defender of peace". It is also an Anglicized form for two Russian

Conclusion

The Slavic name is a great way to honor your heritage and give your child a unique identifier.

The Slavic name is a great way to honor your heritage and give your child a unique identifier. Slavic names are beautiful and exotic. They are a great way to demonstrate one's Slavic heritage. .

[roseryscircusofthings]

Taken from twitter. If you were curious here are some of the inspirations I used when creating Paralysis (Aka my Antasma based exe) 

The first bit of inspiration comes from an exe made by twitter user JeyoJaJa (Not sure if they have a tumblr or not) named Freakazoid. While I haven’t kept up with their lore. I love the design and the style used for it. So when making the image of paralysis. I wanted him to have the same sort of creepy vibe. If I succeeded at that. It’s up to you to decide. But I think I did an alright design with the first version.

The second bit of inspiration comes from a DC villain known as Doctor destiny. Basically he gained possession of an artifact known as the Dreamstone. allowing him to manipulate dreams and, as revealed in the sandman graphic novel. During an encounter with the justice league he was left unable to dream and became all outstretched. While I haven’t read the sandman series. I loved the irony of a dream manipulator not being able to sleep himself. So I basically lifted that and doctor destiny's motivation of wanting to dream again for Paralysis. The third bit of inspiration comes from well...Sleep Paralysis. I mean come on, the guy is named paralysis after all (that and I wanted to name him after a sleeping condition) and sleep paralysis just happened to fit the best. IT also vaguely inspired the state his victims are left in during an encounter and frankly. Paralysis basically being a sleep paralysis demon just fits in my humble opinion. This may seem odd but Paralysis is also based on our ability to scare the shit out of ourselves for lack of better words. As an example, have you ever mistaken a bundle of clothes for a person lying on your floor? Or though something was gonna jump out and scare you fnaf style. That’s the kind of horror I wanted to invoke with Paralysis. How his method of fearmongering relies on the victims minds wandering and conjuring up their own demons. I though it’d be a unique for an exe to do that. Mix that with me adoring Antasma growing up and thus, Paralysis was born.

For some other factoids. While I haven’t written down a fully fleshed out origin for Paralysis. I was thinking of basing paralysis on some kind of sleep based god/entity. Such as the slavic godess Moranna or some other deity. I’ve also considered making Paralysis a human at one point that got warped. But those are just ideas with nothing concrete as of now. But regardless, I hope you enjoyed this ramble. Make sure to check in for more art, lore and other things. Have a wonderful day or night.

[nyxshadowhawk]

Best of Nox Arcana Playlist -- updated!

I’ve made some changes since I last posted it. It now represents every major album! (It excludes most EPs, the collab albums and the Doctor Arcana soundtrack.) I also added “Mystic Circle” and “Ancient Flame” back in, and there are still tracks that I like that I didn’t include so for all I know I might keep updating it. Currently, this list is 3h 33m long, so strap in!

The tracks are arranged in the order that sounds the best in a playlist. They’re not ranked.

We Are Legion, Legion of Shadows: Every Nox Arcana album begins with a narration track that introduces the album’s theme and story. Of all of them, I decided to go with this one for the “Best Of” playlist, because I think that it encapsulates Nox Arcana and those who love it.

Night of the Wolf, Transylvania: Nox Arcana’s most famous track, by far. Also one of their most distinctive! The lyrics translate as, “The moon is the mistress, werewolves of evil / powers and destroying, incarnated wolf. / Wheel [or chariot], life, nightmare, vein / Sea [or likely “nightmare” again], devil, death, life.” (volkodlak, which means werewolf, is Slavic. “Mara,” meaning nightmare, is Germanic. “Dracul” speaks for itself. The rest is Latin)

Labyrinth of Dreams, Grimm Tales: My personal favorite Nox Arcana track, which I first discovered through this video. It is so ethereal and haunting, and absolutely screams “Halloween” to me. It is simply magical.

Into the Night, Legion of Shadows: Another personal favorite of mine, and a really spooky piece. I love it for its fast pace, and I think it sounds both unsettling and exciting.

When Darkness Falls, Blackthorn Asylum: This track is used in the Grimstone Manor puzzle on youtube, from last Halloween, and that’s how I encountered it for the first time. It’s relatively simple, but it’s got the creepy piano and the chimes and the one-woman wail. What’s not to love?

Shadow Dance, Season of the Witch: This is the best Season of the Witch track, in my opinion, and that’s a tough call. I like a lot of Season of the Witch tracks. Season of the Witch sounds kind of like a Spiritual Successor to Grimm Tales, with that same distinctly autumnal and Halloweeny atmosphere. This piece in particular epitomizes that.

The Quest Begins, Blood of the Dragon: Nox Arcana has a tendency to start sounding the same after a while, but about once per album there’s a piece like this one, that sounds completely unlike anything else they’ve written. This piece is unique for how unusually optimistic it sounds. If you knew nothing about this piece, you could easily guess that it was about noble knights setting off on a quest, couldn’t you? I love the drums, and the dramatic vocals work really well.

Legacy of Sorrow, Shadow of the Raven: When I discovered this piece, it quickly became one of my absolute favorite Nox Arcana tracks. The title of this piece sounds like it could be Part 3 of Soma Cruz’s story, but I think it’s kind of an underrated gem. I like its melancholy, lilting melody, and I also like the organ that underscores it in places. This piece is just everything you’d expect in a Nox Arcana track.

Echoes of Elise, Ebonshire: Nox Arcana’s haunting rendition of “Fur Elise,” which sounds very ethereal and eerie. It also has the same “aesthetic” of silent falling snow that permeates this album. It’s really beautiful.

The Hidden Realm, Legion of Shadows: One of two pre-existing tracks to be used on the Doctor Arcana soundtrack. It’s spooky, but also kind of calming and peaceful. It’s also definitely got a fantastical flavor to it, like you’re exploring secret parallel dimensions with dark fairy-tale castles.

The Raven, Shadow of the Raven: The title track, named for Edgar Allan Poe’s classic poem. This was the first Nox Arcana track I downloaded once I rediscovered it, almost by accident. I love this piece. Its melody is simple and repeats over and over again, but it works, almost resembling the verse-refrain structure of a song (or the meter and rhyme of the poem). I love the violin solo in the middle, which sort of acts as the “bridge.” My one complaint is that it’s much too short to actually recite “The Raven.”

Ebonshire, Winter’s Knight: Back before Ebonshire was an album unto itself, there was this track from Winter’s Knight. This piece definitely calls to mind the image of a spooky, silent forest with tall, straight black trees and slight snowfall. It’s a very different vibe from the autumnal forest of Grimm Tales and Season of the Witch. It’s also peaceful and mystical, like “The Hidden Realm.”

Hearthside Lullaby, Ebonshire: What a gorgeous piece. This is another outlier among Nox Arcana’s music in that, while it’s still a haunting piece, it isn’t grim or sinister. It’s soft, almost cozy, like snuggling into a blanket by a fire when there’s a snowstorm outside, and drifting off to sleep. It’s another one that sounds like it should have lyrics. This is my favorite Ebonshire track.

Masque of the Red Death, Shadow of the Raven: “There were much glare and glitter and piquancy and phantasm […] There were delirious fancies such as the madman fashions. There were much of the beautiful, much of the wanton, much of the bizarre, something of the terrible, and not a little of that which might have excited disgust.” The lilting waltz, the spooky organ, the sinister chiming of the clock. The multitude of dreams! This is the ultimate dark masquerade music, if you ask me. It totally does Poe’s story justice. You can easily imagine the masked dancers twirling, the dimly lit variously-colored chambers, the infiltration of the deadly disease… you know what, never mind, that hit a bit too close to home.

Haunted, The Dark Tower: I think The Dark Tower is my favorite album, because there are more tracks from that album on this list than almost any other one (it’s tied with Legion of Shadows). This is among the Nox Arcana pieces that I would call genuinely unsettling, as opposed to just spooky or dark. This piece is creepy and almost threatening, like something is out to get you. Like you’re wandering the cold, decrepit, and cobwebbed corridors of a castle and you know there’s a ghost because you can feel it following you, but you see and hear nothing.

Haunted Carousel, Carnival of Lost Souls: One of the highlights of this album for me! Carnival is definitely the most unsettling album. Listening to “Calliope” alone in the dark put such disturbing images in my head that I actually stopped listening, which is saying something. That’s not on this list because I don’t like to listen to it, but this one is, because I like this one a lot better. It’s plenty creepy, and it just sounds like a nightmarish carousel. Even if you didn’t know the context of the album, you’d know after listening to this.

The Dark Tower, The Dark Tower: ABANDON ALL HOPE, YE WHO ENTER HERE. The title track of The Dark Tower, and an awesome track in every sense. This just perfectly encapsulates the sinister majesty that is the Dark Tower and all the lore that goes with it. It also has a slight edge of heroism to it — the crusader who sacrificed his humanity, and became a powerful vampire, to delve into the dark and protect mankind from an ancient evil.

Magic and Moonlight, Winter’s Eve: I think most fans agree that this track is one of the best on this album. What really needs to be said? It’s all in the title. I have to say that some of the most breathtaking moons I’ve seen have been at the beginning of February, with fresh snowfall. There is nothing like the shadows of trees on snow in the moonlight. You just know that the gods are meeting up to dance in it when you’re not watching.

Crimson Thirst, The Dark Tower: Why did I put this one on here? It’s pretty unremarkable, since there are a lot of other tracks like it, but this one sticks with me. This one gets stuck in my head and haunts me through the rest of the day. Honestly, all the Dark Tower tracks are excellent.

Mystic Circle, Season of the Witch: I didn’t originally include this piece on the “Best Of” list, but I decided to put it on because I just love it that damn much. It’s the perfect piece to dance around a fire and cast spells on Samhain with your witch brothers and sisters. It’s lighter and softer than “Ritual of Fire,” spooky but not sinister.

Necromancer, Theater of Illusion: Theater of Illusion is a great album, and I’m really glad it’s getting more of a presence (and maybe even new lore?) in the Doctor Arcana games. I love the “secret occult society of wizards who are also stage magicians” premise! This is another really fast-paced piece. I think the very beginning with just the fast chimes is the best part.

Born of the Night, The Dark Tower: I mean, come on, it’s “Born of the Night”! It kind of speaks for itself, doesn’t it? Creatures of the Night rising to take over the world, shadowy choirs, the hordes of nocturnal beasts silhouetted against the moon, a Dark Lord or Dark Lady commanding them all from his/her castle, young vampires swooning in the rapture of fresh blood… There’s something so ecstatic about this piece.

Virtuoso, The Haunted Symphony: The Haunted Symphony is Nox Arcana’s most recent album as of this writing, and I’ve been slowly warming up to it. Its soundscape is similar to The Dark Tower and Legion, with a truly gothic flavor. This piece is just so impassioned. I can completely believe that it expresses the mad inspiration of a tortured artist, as it’s meant to in-universe. I wouldn’t be surprised if this piece were Vargo’s ode to music itself, or the process of composing it.

Dark Desire, The Dark Tower: What is this piece about? Lost love? Insatiable lust? A forbidden romance? Bloodthirst? All of the above? Whatever it is you desire, it’s clear that you’re fighting it, and you’re losing. It’s going to overtake you soon, and when it does, you’d better pray to whatever god you believe in that it doesn’t end badly for you. This desire will corrupt your soul.

Tapestry of Decay, Blackthorn Asylum: I really like the spooky harpsichord pieces, and this one has a one-woman-wail and organ to accentuate it. It’s an incredibly gothic and atmospheric piece, even by Nox Arcana’s standards. It puts me right into a ruined castle; depraved rituals are definitely happening down in the dungeons somewhere.

Lords of the Night, The Haunted Symphony: This one’s along the same lines as “Born of the Night,” but stately, rather than frenzied. This one is more like vampire lords and ladies gathering on a hilltop on black horses, preparing to tear off across the countryside in pursuit of prey.

Noctem Aeternus, The Dark Tower: This is the only concluding track from an album that I’ve put on this list, and if you’re familiar with Nox Arcana, you know what that means. I was genuinely spooked the first time I listened to this all the way through. I remember I was lying in bed reading Tales From the Dark Tower, and it went quiet, and… well, I won’t spoil it.

Nocturne, Transylvania: This is one of my favorite Nox Arcana tracks. It’s just perfect. It’s dark and sinister, it’s atmospheric, it’s memorable, and it comes right out of the darkest depths of Überwald.

Pandora’s Music Box, Carnival of Lost Souls: Definitely one of the best Carnival tracks, and also one of the best of Nox Arcana’s wide selection of creepy music box pieces. It has such a distinctive melody. Slowly, other instruments and vocals arise to compliment the music box, keeping things interesting even as it repeats itself.

Velvet Darkness, The Haunted Symphony: Another harpsichord piece! The first thing that comes to mind when I hear this piece is an empty candelabrum covered in cobwebs, sitting in front of a mirror in a corridor that is completely dark except for a bit of pale, diluted moonlight coming through clouds. I take the candelabrum almost instinctively, even though it has no candles in it, and walk down the corridor…

Castle Dracula, Transylvania: What an underrated piece! I actually like this one better than “Night of the Wolf.” It screams “vampire.” It perfectly captures the dark majesty of Dracula’s Castle, it’s towers, its dusty halls, its freezing crypts, its gothic windows, its flickering sconces and floor candelabra that are just begging to be hit with a whip… And the Dark Lord on his throne, with a wine glass…

Ritual of Fire, Season of the Witch: This piece is oddly catchy. It has a great rhythm to it, and I like the percussion. It sounds like dancing naked around a Samhain bonfire somewhere deep in a secluded wood, with a bunch of other witches and maybe an incubus or two, or five… We’re definitely summoning or worshipping something in our dark ecstasy, probably something with horns. But ultimately, it’s just a party. It’s sinister, but a fun kind of sinister.

Rogue’s Hollow, Blood of the Dragon: I was pleasantly surprised when I found this piece. I love medieval-style music. This sounds like the kind of thing your Bard would play when you and your party are resting around a fire in the woods, in the middle of an epic quest. It’s peaceful. It’s a breather, maybe even a calm before the storm. It would be really easy to do a simple circle dance to.

The Forgotten Path, Grimm Tales: This piece sounds very… mystical? Mystical and seductive. I don’t know. It sounds a little like you enter a dark, smoky, perfumed tent and are seduced by scantily-clad women who probably want your blood, or your soul… It also sounds a bit like being escorted to an initiation ceremony by veiled women down a dark forest path, with little golden lights twinkling around you… It would make a great belly-dance piece. It’s a bit of a departure from the general fairy tale theme of the rest of the album.

Unhallowed Halls, Gothic: I think this is my favorite piece from Gothic. I don’t know why, it just is. It’s got a nice mix of piano, organ, strings, and harpsichord. And spooky vocals, because of course. Overall it’s a pretty standard Nox Arcana piece, but like “Crimson Thirst,” it stuck with me.

Mysterium, Theater of Illusion: This is the piece from Theater, and I will never understand why it wasn’t used anywhere on the Doctor Arcana soundtrack. (There isn’t a single track from Theater on Arcana’s soundtrack, even though the game ties into the lore of Theater.) Anyway, this track should have been there, because it just sounds occult. It’s distinctly mystical, eerie, vaguely threatening but more weighty and ceremonial (like an initiation) than unsettling. This is an auspicious ritual. You’re here to witness its secrets and become an acolyte of the Arcanum.

The Nameless City, Necronomicon: This track really stood out to me and stayed in my head when I first heard it. It’s based on Lovecraft’s story of the same name, in which an explorer finds an ancient, ruined city and descends into its catacombs to discover it belonged to a lost civilization of pre-human reptile people. Because Lovecraft. This piece really sounds like film soundtrack, the track that plays when you’re on the cusp of discovering the information mankind was not meant to know. The paranoia that permeates all of Lovecraft’s work is definitely there, but it’s kind of exciting, too. You just have to know! It builds and builds until it ends with a gong.

Twilight, Grimm Tales: This is what I meant by “autumnal.” You can hear it, can’t you? It’s sunset in the woods, and the orange glow of the setting sun is magnificent through the mostly bare trees. The leaves crunch underfoot, with their distinctive crisp smell of decay. The night creatures are coming out, some benign, others not so much.

Once Upon a Nightmare, Grimm Tales: This is one of my favorite tracks from Grimm Tales. I don’t know why I love it so much. It slowly gets more dramatic, alternating between the glockenspiel and the strings, with male backing vocals for once. It’s just the right mixture of adventurous and spooky. I love listening to it in the forest at dusk.

Memento Mori, Transylvania: One of the best chime/music box pieces, in my opinion. It’s not quite as good as “Pandora’s Music Box,” but it really grew on me after I started listening to Transylvania.

Saturnalia, Winter’s Majesty: This is such a great piece to dance to. I love how it starts as a slow, medieval-ish circle dance and then picks up! There’s even clapping sounds on the rhythm. Although it’s still spooky, it has all the atmosphere and energy of a fun winter festival. Io, Saturnalia!

Gifts of the Magi, Winter’s Eve: I don’t actually know why I picked this one. I like a lot of tracks on Winter’s Eve, and “lighter” Nox Arcana pieces in general. (My favorite is “Greensleeves,” but that one felt too Christmasy for this list.) This one is spooky and mystical whilst still being on the lighter end. It sounds like it casts the Magi more as wizards than as kings or priests.

Veil of Darkness, Darklore Manor: One of only two tracks on this list from Nox Arcana’s debut album. It’s a pretty standard spooky Nox Arcana piece, but a good one nonetheless.

Lullaby, Winter’s Knight: Another one of my favorite chime/music box pieces. Unlike “Hearthside Lullaby,” it sounds less like an actual lullaby, and more like a tinkling tune to accompany an animatronic ballerina.

Nightshade (Single): One of the newest wintery pieces from Nox Arcana. I like this one almost as much as “Hearthside Lullaby.” It’s also on the lighter side of things, but I like that it’s more otherworldly than spooky. It’s like exploring a frosty garden during a light snowfall.

Undying Love, The Dark Tower: Wow, what an unnerving piece to be titled “Undying Love.” It sounds downright threatening, and maybe a little tragic. That handsome vampire you’re dancing with is definitely going to sink his fangs into your neck. Or maybe this vampire’s sunk into despair because the humans killed his wife again.

Brides to Darkness, Transylvania: Speaking of vampires and their loves, there’s this haunting tribute to Dracula’s brides. They are beautiful, ethereal, and dangerous. I love that this piece is almost entirely vocals in the first half, and then the creepy harpsichord comes in.

Legion of Shadows, Legion of Shadows: The title track. Plenty spooky with that organ. Similar to “Born of the Night” in that the night creatures are rising up to take over the world or get vengeance, but this time you’re the night creature and it’s something to be proud of. Honestly, I wish this album had more context. Who’s Lorelei, and what happened to her?

The High Seas, Phantoms of the High Seas: This was one of the standout tracks from this album for me. Like “The Quest Begins,” it sounds distinctly adventurous, but more sinister than optimistic. We’re setting out over sea instead of land this time, and the sea is brutally unforgiving.

Dreamscape, Legion of Shadows: Another really spooky piece that’s unlike anything else Nox Arcana has produced. It definitely has the quality of exploring an eerie, surreal landscape, like an alien planet. This isn’t the Poe album, but it sort of reminds me of Poe’s poem “Dream-Land,” which I think is super underrated.

Black Sails, Phantoms of the High Seas: Another piece from this album that really stood out to me. I really like the instrumentation. I like the harp, and the stringed instrument in the middle that sounds like the guitar used in the “winter” pieces… is that what it is, a guitar? Whatever it is, it has such a unique sound.

Threshold of Madness, Blackthorn Asylum: A really classic Nox Arcana track, dark and energetic with its piano, violins, vocals, and chimes. It builds a steadily mounting sense of terror, but at the same time, it’s kind of fun to listen to. It reminds me of some tracks from the Castlevania: Lament of Innocence soundtrack. Insanity is fun, guys! Of all the Nox Arcana albums, Blackthorn has one of the most disturbing premises, and that really comes through in its composition.

Grimstone Manor, Gothic: This piece lives up to the album’s name. That church organ really hits you. This is another classic example of Nox Arcana, with the organ and piano and vocals and everything. It’s one of the best pieces from Gothic.

After Hours, Carnival of Lost Souls: I wasn’t really sure if I should put this one here, but honestly, its clock-like, rhythmic chiming so jarring that it doesn’t matter where I put it. It definitely stands out. This is another really unsettling piece, both because of the chiming and also because of the creepy whispers, and I’m not exactly sure what it makes me think of. Wandering a dark labyrinth, probably. In some ways, it reminds me of The Night Circus, although Le Cirque des Rêves isn’t sinister.

Shadowplay, Theater of Illusion: This is definitely my favorite piece from Theater, and one of my favorite Nox Arcana pieces overall. I love how energetic and fast-paced it is, and I can easily imagine an umbrakinetic dancing on a stage, manipulating the shadows on the wall as they do. They conjure writhing tendrils, shadowy dragons, swarms of bats and crows that they send out into the audience with a flourish… I think this piece is just so much fun!

Gypsy Caravan, Transylvania: There are a lot of these types of pieces across Nox Arcana’s albums. Like “The Forgotten Path,” it sounds seductive and smoky. This would also make for a great belly-dance piece, and it’s fun to listen to while reading Vargo’s Gothic Tarot or the Madame Endora deck.

Highland Storm, Blood of the Dragon: What’s this? Bagpipes? There is absolutely nothing else like this in Nox Arcana’s repertoire. It sounds so unlike their usual work, I probably wouldn’t guess it was Nox Arcana if I didn’t know better. I love it. It makes for a great medieval-battle-style piece, and was a lot of fun to listen to in Scotland.

Ancient Shadows, Necronomicon: Another new addition. I’ve come to really like this piece! It definitely sounds like ecstatic worship of the Elder Gods of the Void to me. It sounds similar to “Ritual of Fire,” but with an (appropriately Lovecraftian) apocalyptic edge. Dance around the altar and scream at the sky for the eldritch gods to come and take you!

Temple of the Black Pharaoh, Necronomicon: This is a really spooky Egyptian-style piece, that instantly transports you to dusty sealed tombs that almost certainly have curses. The whispered chanting consists of the names of Egyptian gods, and Nyarlathotep. (Nyarlathotep, Atum, Osiris, Set, Amun-Ra. Nyarlathotep, Khonsu, Anubis, Set, Amun-Ra.)

Ancient Flame, Legion of Shadows: I originally left this one off the list, too, and I have no idea why. I love this piece! It’s got the same kind of temple aesthetic as the previous one, but with the ceremonial feel of “Mysterium.” I’m imagining four pillars surrounding a circular dias with a magical brazier on it, from which the Black Phoenix will be born.

Sanctuary of Shadows, Darklore Manor: Another really creepy organ piece, and the other one I have from Darklore Manor. I’m not sure whether it makes me think of the atrium of a haunted Victorian mansion, or another secret temple where shadowy people conduct rituals, or vampires and their attendant beasts, or what. Actually, I think I’d put it in a twisted version of a chapel, where the stained-glass windows are not made to let in light, where dark gods with splendid statues are worshipped, and where the congregation all feed on the human sacrifice.

Autumn Dusk, Season of the Witch: I don’t know why I chose this one over “Bell, Book, and Candle” or “Book of Shadows.” I guess the clue is in the name. Like “Twilight” and “Shadow Dance,” it just sounds like autumn. Like the setting in Over the Garden Wall, but even spookier. I love listening to it when wandering in the forest around evening.

Pax Terra, Winter’s Eve: Another piece that sounds unlike anything else Nox Arcana has produced. It’s almost entirely choral, except for the sound of church bells, and it’s pretty. It has a kind of bittersweet optimism to it. It’s so moving, I’ve actually cried listening to it. Its lyrics are Latin, and translate as: “Everlasting God, life on the forest floor, holy eternal earth – Everlasting God, Nourishing mother of life, eternal sacred earth – Rightly incarnate, blessings, hail, glory to Nox Arcana [night secrets] – To the threshold of time, follow the song, glory to Nox Arcana!” The grammar isn’t perfect, but it’s still beautiful, profound, and usually uplifting.

Dark Embrace, The Haunted Symphony: I remember when this album was released, and I thought to myself, “Have they seriously not written a piece called ‘Dark Embrace’ yet?” And man, what a piece for that title! This is definitely my favorite track from this album. It starts with the same melody as “Virtuoso,” but with different instrumentation, then becomes something else. I love the fast-paced strings, and wish they carried through more than just the beginning! Both tracks are unique and striking.

Toccata, Legion of Shadows: What better to close off with than “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor”? I actually have no idea how this piece came to be associated with vampires; its first use in film was for a Jekyll and Hyde adaptation, meanwhile the famous Bela Lugosi Dracula film begins with… the Swan Lake theme, of all things??? However this became the “vampire music,” I’m glad it did. Nox Arcana’s cover begins with the classic organ, but most of it is piano with some strings, eventually bringing in harpsichord before returning to the organ. There are spooky vocals and some tolling bells for effect.

If you made it to the end of this list, I commend you, and I’m interested to hear what everyone else’s “best of Nox Arcana” playlists include. Nox Arcana is the best!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6OMtxtXuziO0Cgsubwmcjf?si=VjXdlM02QCuX-0zx1kvn4Q

[babaleshy]

This is where I make an occasional post to talk about my Pagan practice a teensy bit.

And to be honest, the topic I'm going to talk about is something I need to look up more info on not just for its lore, but also seeing how modern practitioners do it. And that's working with a domovoi.

I've inherited this domovoi from my baba and deda (Serbian for grandmother and grandfather respectively, albeit with an inappropriate letter because this site for some reason won't lemme use the damn code for a letter I need), though they didn't know he was with them. Their parents came over from Serbia shortly after the turn of the 20th century, and I'm not sure if they knew about him. He has a name, but I don't have his permission to share it right now (if at all) nor have I asked for permission on the details of his migration from Serbia to the US.

Keep in mind: Serbia is a Slavic country, so it's not surprising that the domovoi would exist there and not just Russia. It wouldn't surprise me if many spirits and other worldly beings that kind of have an anchor-point in this realm would travel across seas, not just that of Slavic origin.

Anyway, normally the domovoi would get a big irritated at the lack of upkeep on a home, but mine (as I'm sure many others) would understand the circumstances, especially since many of them have probably witnessed xtianity colonizing peoples left and right and trying to erase cultures, especially those of other religious beliefs.

I don't know if I'm the first to acknowledge his existence in a long while, but he's totally happy to work with me. However, like I've said earlier, I need more resources to learn about working with a domovoi. Certain offerings are going to probably be negotiated on considering the times, circumstances, and safety reasons (safety reasons largely regarding animals like pets and local wildlife).

Like many who migrate to America, one has to work with what they have. If a certain herb that's traditionally involved in a practice isn't available here, one can find a substitute. Same goes with any other correspondences.

But then there's also the change in people's views, such as sacrifices. It's commonly frowned upon, now. So it's best to communicate alternatives for offerings to whoever you work with.

A common thing I see regarding domovoi-related things on sites like Etsy are wood-carved icons. I asked if I should get into woodcarving at all, and was told no. My domovoi wants me to use the skills that I have already (which is mainly sewing) and get creative with what I think he looks like (which, in my mind, he's basically a dapper-looking Captain Caveman with a bigger, more pyramid-like nose). I'm basically going to make a doll of him somehow. I'm still not quite sure exactly where his altar will be in the house.

Altar placement will be different from what it was traditionally, which was the hearth. Closest thing to a hearth these days is a stovetop, and unless he's made of a metal, that's a big no. I mean, there's this cupboard cabinet thing above the stove? But I don't think he wants to be kept in hiding. Plus I'm short, and that's difficult to get to. So he'll likely go in the dining room somewhere.

If you see me reblogging domovoi-related things here, it's largely so I have an easier time finding the resources if I need to.

Being Slavic and getting info on your ancestral practices as a Pagan is a pain in the ass. I'm going to consider myself a bit lucky that I'm Serbian because Serbian Orthodoxy is VERY Pagan in practice, which is why it's a very unique branch of xtianity. I'm basically going to reclaim those particular practices for myself, and reinvent them to the best of my abilities.

However, Balkan witchcraft? Oh, that's fucking hard to find, and I kind of know why. Wicca and witchcraft in general is very aesthetically pleasing these days, so for some, it's become this chic trendy thing. Many practitioners from many paths don't want to share their practices for fear of this very thing; it gets watered down to where the meaning and true value behind it is lost because it's more of an accessory or trendy thing than an actual spiritual/religious practice. I wouldn't be surprised if all Balkan witches are keeping a tight lid on it. Best info I've got is "Balkan Witchcraft" by Radomir Ristic (I hope I'm spelling his name correct from memory), and that book is a bit questionable, too. But... *shrug* It's the best that I've got.

Can't reclaim shit from mom's side of the family because the only Irish-related "culture" she has is like any Irish-American: getting to say that they're Irish, and nothing beyond that. Just.. bragging rights? Besides, I wasn't close with that side of the family. I was closer to dad's side, which was/is entirely Serbian.

It hurts that my baba, deda, and tetka (aunt) are gone. They knew Serbian, and I heavily regret not asking them to teach me while they were alive. More importantly, I miss them so damn bad. And while I've got family in Serbia (cousins) and kind of know a friend of my tetka, my Autistic ass doesn't know how to just... Communicate with them out of nowhere without it feeling awkward just to ask for some Serbian lessons. I'd likely be redirected to other sources to learn on my own instead anyways.

I've been learning Russian (very slowly), but since I've grasped the alphabet nicely and I'm kinda getting the cases and other grammar stuff, learning Serbian on my own shouldn't be too difficult.

So I'm gonna explore the internet to see if anybody has shared experiences or information about working with their domovoi.

[hithelleth]

Shadow and Bone S1

Okay, FFS, I've been trying to meta for a week but my brain has been mush from the heat and everything.

I was spoiled (did it myself, intentionally) both about the show and the books and the author's opinions and I’m not sure whether I would have liked it better if I hadn’t spoiled myself or even less. I’m leaning towards the latter.

So I've been trying to clarify my mixed feelings and I think I’ve come to the conclusion that what I liked is fandom/fanon + some elements/parts of the show. But on the whole, it was so-so.

(BTW, the books were on my TBR, but I decided I’m not going to read them. I am not here for LB's BS.)

I need to give a shout-out to thank @electricbluebutterflies, who made me ship the ship before I even started watching the show for the second time (the first was bellarke. Oh, boy, do I (or should I say we) have a TypeTM.) There were other people who ‘helped’, but you were the first I saw posting about it on my dash. ;)

(Hmm, I should probably refrain from comparing bellarke and darklina, because that will end nowhere near well. (Or maybe I will in another post if I feel particularly masochistic.))

Anyway, I was bothered by stupid last names’ endings even before watching the show, because LB apparently didn’t take two minutes to google it, or maybe she decided to turn them around for a ‘twist’. Eh.

LB’s world-building also felt cheap and lazy; she basically just copied things from RL and camouflaged them with different names (and badly at that: I mean Ketterdam is obviously Amstedam, Fjerda Finland, and by her own confession Ravka Russia ) while leaving RL attitudes/issues (anti Asian racism being in particularly blatant) intact (with added ‘unique’ feature of prejudice against Grisha, who are basically just a spin on witches, so not so unique at all.)

Also, Slavic ‘representation’ left me lukewarm.

I suppose since nowadays it is distasteful (for white American authors in particularly) to use POC such as Black, Indigenous, and Latino people and their cultures for exoticism, us Slavs are fair game. Oh, well. I guess I should be happy we are no longer portrayed only as gangsters and prostitutes.

But, like I said, the visuals were pretty.

I love Darklina, but I think there’s been better meta than I could write already written about both Darklina and the Darkling, so I’m not even gonna try (though I did unload quite a bit in back and forth messaging with @vesperass-anuna) and rather reblog some.

I also really liked Helnik, except the end. It’s perfectly reasonable that Mathias came to the conclusion that Nina played him for revenge, but I did not like his back to ‘you evil witch’ reaction. I guess it’s also reasonable, but it is not the only possible reaction for him, it is what LB chose and that (as other things) says something about her writing.

Mathias is supposedly Fjerda’s best tracker, so he shouldn’t be dumb as a doornail (though it is canon that he’s very prejudiced and apparently he doesn’t grow out of it (so far.))

The other option for the ending would be that he figures she got her vengeance over him and be like, ‘fair enough, I deserved it.’ (Because he does.) It’s been done in other shows and came across much better than the self-righteous first option. And let’s not get into that if it was two men, LB would probably go for the first option, because when a man gives his enemy a taste of his own medicine, it’s lauded, but women are for some reason supposed to be above it, to be ‘better’. Fuck that.

I really liked the crows and would love more of them (but, like I said, I’ve been spoiled about the books, apparently the crows duology also ends badly so I’ll stay away from it.) And I also low-key ship Kaz and Inej (there wasn’t enough of them to do it high-key). Well, there wasn’t enough of the crows, period. They are really intriguing characters and I hope S2 explores them more.

That’s it, I think?

I’m going to stick with fandom/fanon.

[angelicymp]

Perhaps a little coaxing is needed...

Good evening my literary friends,

I am hoping to find a suitable partner for specific cravings and ideas I have in mind.

My introduction will be brief and a bit more to the point than usual. I am quite thorough and detail-oriented when it comes to being a writer, including some of my rules and preferences. However, since I believe it to be quite a hassle to go through every point I’m making, my ad will be a bit more compact.

A brief recap: You can call me Imp; I am in my twenties and a student, striving to become a part-time freelancer as well. My main hobbies are photography, traveling, drawing and of course, the art of writing. Currently, I reside in Europe, so my timezone could differ from yours, unless you are also from a similar region.

Be sure to read through my ad to see if we’re compatible. Too many times I’ve encountered cases where the inquirers skimmed through all of the info and upon messaging me, were surprised to learn that we weren’t a match from the beginning. So if you haven’t properly read my ad, I’ll know. I’d like to urge everyone to stick with it so there won't be any misunderstandings and not waste everyone’s time.

————————


Me, myself and I

(art by: Ayami Kojima)

♦ Nickname: Imp

♦ Experience: 12 years and counting

♦ Style: 1:1 with the inclusion of doubling

♦ Rating: Mature

♦ Roleplaying Platform: Email and Google Docs

♦ Chatting Platform: Email, Google Hangouts or Discord

♦ Pet peeves: Slice of Life


After finishing the game of Resident Evil 8 Village, I was struck by yet another muse.




I am currently looking for either a pre-existing canon inspired roleplay, or, something completely original. Be sure you are above the age of eighteen, preferably 21 and upwards. I will not accept any inquires from minors - this is not negotiable.

What to expect

♢  Content: Mature. I am more interested in darker things like horror, occultism, the supernatural, you can maybe guess where I am going with this. My limits are few, safe for a couple of minor pet peeves that I have, I am pretty much open to some experimentation; such as violence, gore and sexual themes. When it comes to heavy scenes, I will not fade to black, unless it serves no purpose to the story. Not a huge fan of censorship. However, I will not force or push my partner into something they are not comfortable with. If you want to know the extent to how far I am willing to go, what sort of content, or how graphic my writing will be, you can ask me directly.



♢ Rating: I have little to no issues with delving into more sensitive topics. Since reality is often stranger than fiction, it is very interesting to explore all sides of human nature, including the less comfortable subjects such as psychology, crime, etc. But I also like to remind that this is a world of fiction and no one in their right mind would condone such things in real life. The world of adults is not easy to handle, but it sure is interesting to explore. So if you are a gentle soul and can’t take the heat of more serious moments within the roleplay, be it a character going through trying times, etc; this might not be ideal for you.

♢ Writing: My texts are considerably lengthy, detailed, and elaborate. Third-person is usually my preferred way of playing my character unless there’s a special case where an exception can be made. Word count usually fluctuates, though I have a standard form of 400-500+ words per reply. It also highly depends on the given situation.

♢ Romancing: I admit to being a hopeless romantic. There’s nothing more enjoyable than witnessing good and powerful chemistry between two characters. Preferably I go for the usual MxF pairing dynamic but I am also open to FxF and MxM, should it feel more fitting. While doubling, I can write the character/love interest to my partner’s desire, but I always aim to stay true to their personality and character. I hate nothing more than forcing characters into a relationship, especially if there’s no spark, so I won’t respond well to being pressured into letting characters act out of their personality. It’s just not realistic. As for smut, or what have you, I have no issues with adding a few spicy scenes, sometimes even drawing them out of our pleasure. When there is, however, a running theme where sexual themes are taking the focal point of the plot, it can become quite boring. It is never the center of any of my roleplays, so be warned.

♢ Plotting: I am fairly quick when it comes to building new characters, concepts, premises, storylines, backstories, etc. It allows me a certain latitude. Feel free to communicate your ideas and thoughts with me. I am happy to chat, even when it doesn’t involve the roleplay directly. Though this is a hobby, I am still extremely passionate about good storytelling and interesting character arcs. I hope to meet someone who is just as enthusiastic and willing to put in the same amount of effort. If it’s only me who’s pulling all the weight, I will lose interest and feel forced to end the correspondence.

No gos

♦ Won’t do: Pedophilia, Necrophilia, Bestiality, Scat, Vore, Toilet Play, etc. I am sure you can also think of many other strange fetishes that have developed over the years spent on the internet.

♦ Won’t write: The idea of supernatural beings trying to fit into human society. The typical bully x victim storyline. The run-of-the-mill vampires vs werewolf plot. BDSM centred stories. Slice of life. Flawless or excessively flawed characters.

What I expect

♢ Literacy: You should at least have a decent grasp of basic grammar and coherency in your spelling.

♢ Flexibility: Since we all have lives outside of the roleplay, we both need to be flexible. Sometimes our schedules may differ, and if life is currently intervening, we can take things a bit easier. Plus, I can’t always respond every second of every day, either. This should be considered a hobby and not a job. If a hiatus is on the rise, there is no problem with putting things on ice until things clear up.

♢ Experience: And by that, I don’t mean how many years you’ve roleplayed, rather the experience that comes with age and emotional maturity. Especially if you want to write stories with grit.

♢ Open to doubling: Quick explanation. Doubling is when we play two main characters each. The dynamic is as follows; I write your chosen love interest against your main character while you do the same for me.

♢ Long term: Only long-term partnerships.

♢ Sharing the spotlight: Don’t forget, this is all about you too! Let me know all your specific cravings, interests, or wants that you want to be included into the roleplay.

Cravings

♦ Urban fantasy: Supernaturals, demons, spirits, vampires, you name it. I’d be more interested in something original and unique, especially when it comes to vampirism and demonic entities.

♦ Dark Sci-Fi: So this is a bit inspired by Resident Evil. A world where monsters become a vicious reality, generating fear among the people they come in contact with. But as it turns out, these monsters are not supernatural, but rather infected or mutated by a virus that cannot be explained.

♦ History, mythology, and folklore: An interesting take on the historical timeline, where legends and myths were once a reality. However, their existence was greatly misrepresented in the storybooks, sometimes even completely distorted. Our characters could be accidental time travelers who have been sent from the future to see it with their own eyes. Inspirations are mostly Slavic, European, and ancient folklore from all over the world.

♦ Crime with a dark twist: Mafias, organized crime, and corrupted politicians run this town. All of them have one thing in common. A particular drug that grants humans superhuman abilities; but at a cost. The drug will turn force the users to reject their humanity to instead embrace their monstrosity.

Canon & Fandoms

♢ Castlevania: Rather the original games than the Netflix series. But I am also not opposed to tackling the Netflix universe.

♢ Devil May Cry: Every game is game. Except for the reboot. Never played that one.

♢ Invincible: Not so invincible.

♢ Resident Evil: Village is one of the best games I’ve ever played. Periodt.

♢ Harry Potter: Next gen anyone?

————————

If you made it this far, I am glad you managed to hold on, lol. If you found what I wrote, agreeable and have a similar interests to mine, feel free to message me on this email adress.

You can also contact me via DM on my Tumblr blog, though preferably, I would rather be more receptive on Email since I am more active there. And it’s a lot more personal as well.

Email: impish.and.angelic@gmail.com

Hope to see you there.

I wish you all a lovely day my fellow readers!

-Imp

[indigobackfire]

HPHM OC Profile ✧

Aspen Samwise

" You got the same fire as your parents, Aspen, the fire of a fighter. Yet even brighter. I'm sure you'll make Slytherin proud. "

Full Name: Aspen Silverwood Samwise.

Nicknames: Penn, Penny, Sammy, Pipi (by her grandparents).

Gender: Female.

Birthday: 25th of June, 1975

Born: Glasgow, Scotland.

Parents: Ariel Samwise, Heather Silverwood S. - both Purebloods, Slytherins, and Scottish.

Siblings: None, she's a precious only child.

Ethnicity: Scottish (with Spanish and Slavic roots).

Sexuality: Heterosexual.

Blood status: Pureblood.

MBTI: ESTJ-A

Hogwarts House: Slytherin

Appearance

Eyes: Her eyes are light blue with tiny brown specks.

Hair: Her hair is a dark brown very close to black, with white streaks scattered throughout, two falling right at the front, some back on her nape. It's straight with some wave to it. She has had it in various lengths throughout her Hogwarts years.

Height: She's a short baby - I'm bad with heights but I'd say 1,66m (5'4"ft).

• Her most prominent characteristic is her Piebaldism - that she got while her mother was pregnant and was hit by a miscast curse. It's all over her body, taking over big patches of skin, her hair and face. Her parents taught her to appreciate it and she grows to like it as it makes her look unique and stand out in the crowd.

• She likes her nails done and dark, but only starts having them long when she's older.

• She has both ears pierced and doesn't like wearing any makeup in daily life - but on special occasions, man, nobody can hold her back.

Magical Aspects

Wand: Ebony wood with Unicorn hair core, 11½", brittle flexibility.

Ebony is happiest in the hand of those with the courage to be themselves. Frequently non-conformist, highly individual, or comfortable with the status of outsider, ebony wand owners have been found both among the ranks of the Order of the Phoenix and among the Death Eaters. The ebony wand’s perfect match is one who will hold fast to his or her beliefs, no matter what the external pressure, and will not be swayed lightly from their purpose.

Patronus: Gemsbok. The largest and best known of the four species of oryx, or straight-horned antelope. It is one of the best desert-adapted large mammals, capable of surviving in waterless wastelands where many animals would perish. A horned creature like her father's Marco Polo Sheep and her mother's Addax.

Animagus: Eurasian Hobby. From the moment she found out Indigo was an animagus, she pestered her for months to help her become one as well, so in the middle of her fourth year, Indigo and Talbott help her through it, except she has to fetch the ingredients herself.

• She picks the Eurasian Hobby (type of falcon) after some research for its speed [speeds up to 99 mph (159 km/h)] and size - which is way smaller than Talbott's Golden Eagle - making a perfect animal for blending in and making a quick escape.

Abilities: Being really effing annoying and a good dancer. Oh, magical ones? Yeah, none.

Boggart: She has two major boggarts in her life:

Failing to protect those she loves by being incompetent, and it takes the form of someone she loves (alternating between family members) and an unknown person yelling at her for being unable to protect them.

Then, hurting someone she loves because she has become too obstinate and revenge thirsty, someone dark. It's combined with other fear that is seeing Diego hurt, so it's him she sees as the person suffering because of her.

Amortentia: Bonfires - she associates the smell and sound with bonfire parties her parents used to throw -, Crisp cold air - she's a Scot who loves the cold -, Peppermint toads and spicy salsa - she might have or haven't tasted it in a certain someone's kiss.

Miscellaneous

Pets: A white Bearded Dragon, Sugar Cube.

Things she always carries with her: Her wand, a dagger, a beanie, peppermint frogs, and snacks for her pet.

Lucky Amulets: A wasp-shaped brooch of gold and precious stones that's a family heirloom.

Best Friends

Barnaby: Her first and best Slytherin friend, because at first they were spying on each other - Barney for Merula and Aspen for Indigo - but it goes as one might expect from these two idiots. He helps her in the Forbidden Forest and she helps him with homework. She's the only person he's truly emotional with because he knows she won't judge him. She knows he had a crush on her cousin and pushed him to ask her out.

Linda Hoàng (OC): Her best girlfriend, tiny and chubby, the cutest and quirkiest Slytherin anyone could meet. The first Slytherin female seeker in many years. A hands-on creatures lover - the one getting her hands dirty, literally. Half Vietnamese and muggle-born - yeah, nobody knows what she's doing in Slytherin.

Andre: Just as sassy as Aspen and the one to give her fashion advice. He basically takes the young Slytherin as his "apprentice" - partially afraid she would become like a mini Merula/Ismelda. He teaches her dangerous spells the teachers don't.

Ismelda: For many years they don't get along, Ismelda's humor is too dark and cruel for her taste, and she's overall very shady. That until water starts to get shaky on her and her cousins' side and they need her help. She's forced to get to know her better when she finds out Phoenix has a crush on her, and through that, she discovers they're not that different after all.

Murphy: She has a crush on him for a while, but even when that dies down, she sticks around because she loves hearing him talk about strategy and thinks he's one of the smartest people she has met in Hogwarts. They play intense chess matches.

Jae: They share the same chaotic energy so it's just natural. He's her loyal detention companion and they enjoy having walks around Hogwarts talking about nothing in particular.

Academics

Favorite Classes:

Charms

History of Magic

DADA

Muggle Studies

Least Favorite:

Divination

Care of Magical Creatures

Arithmancy

Favorite Professor: Snape. She's a sassy, non-conformist, annoying Slytherin, what you want me to say?

Least Favorite: Quirinus Quirrell. He was her DADA professor for a while and she couldn't stand his stuttering, she also hated his classes.

Quidditch: She considered joining the team for the longest time but decided to pursue other passions, besides she would have to play against Indigo and other of her friends which she preferred not. She would've made a great seeker though.

Favorite Team: Montrose Magpies. Just like her family. She really excited when Indigo decided to start supporting them as well.

The last of my Silverwood family trio. Slytherin might be the house I'm least compatible with, still, I love coming up with her story and personality.

[themousefromfantasyland]

The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights

Or, russian Snow White and the seven Bogatyrs, legendary slavic warriors, similar to the knight-errant in Western tradition

This is a 1833 poem by russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin, inspired by the childhood tales told by his nurse. It's basically russian Snow White, been astonishly closer to the Disney film than the original Brothers Grimm's fairy tale

With his suite the Tsar departed. The Tsarina tender-hearted at the window sat alone, wishing he would hurry home.

All day every day she waited, gazing till her dedicated eyes grew weak from overstrain, gazing at the empty plain. Not a sign of her beloved!

Nothing but the snowflakes hurried, heaping drifts upon the lea. Earth was white as white could be. Nine long months she sat and waited, kept her vigil unabated.

Then from God on Christmas Eve, she a daughter did receive. Next day early in the morning, love and loyalty rewarding. Home again from travel far, came at last the father-Tsar.

One fond glance at him she darted, gasped for joy with thin lips parted. Then fell back upon her bed and by prayer-time was dead.

Long the Tsar sat lonely, brooding. But he, too, was only human.

Tears for one sad year he shed... And another woman wed.

She (if one be strictly truthful) was a born Tsarina. Youthful, slim, tall, fair to look upon. Clever, witty, and so on.

But she was in equal measure stubborn, haughty, wilful, jealous. In her dowry rich and vast was a little looking-glass.

It had this unique distinction: It could speak with perfect diction. Only with this glass would she in a pleasant humour be.

Many times a day she'd greet it and coquettishly entreat it:

"Tell me, pretty looking-glass, nothing but the truth, I ask: Who in all the world is fairest, and has beauty of the rarest?"

And the looking-glass replied:

"You, it cannot be denied. You in all the world are fairest and your beauty is the rarest."

The Tsarina laughed with glee, shrugged her shoulders merrily, puffed her cheeks and bat her eyelids, flicked her fingers coyly, slyly, pranced around with hand on hips, arrogance upon her lips.

All this time the Tsar's own daughter quietly, as Nature taught her, grew and grew, and came quite soon like a flower into bloom: Raven-browed, of fair complexion, breathing kindness and affection.

And the choice of fiance lighted on Prince Yelisei. Suit was made. The Tsar consented and her dowry was indented:

Seven towns with wealthy store. Mansion-houses, sevenscore. On the night before the wedding, for a bridal party dressing, the Tsarina, time to pass, chatted with her looking-glass:

"Who in all the world is fairest, and has beauty of the rarest?"

Then what did the glass reply?

"You are fair, I can't deny. But the Princess is the fairest. And her beauty is the rarest."

Up the proud Tsarina jumped. On the table how she thumped, angrily the mirror slapping, slipper heel in fury tapping!

"O you loathsome looking-glass, telling lies as bold as brass! By what right is she my rival?Such young folly I shall bridle. So she's grown up? Me to spite! Little wonder she's so white: With her bulging mother gazing. At that snow?What's so amazing! Now look here, explain to me. How can she the fairer be? Scour this realm of ours and seek well, nowhere shall you find my equal. Is not that the truth?" she cried.

Still the looking-glass replied:

"But the Princess is the fairest and her beauty is the rarest."

The Tsarina burst with spite, hurled the mirror out of sight, underneath the nearest cupboard, and when breath she had recovered, summoned Smudge, her chamber maid and to her instructions gave:

"Take the Princess to the forest. Bind her hand and foot and forehead to a tree! When wolves arrive let them eat the girl alive!"

Woman's wrath would daunt the devil! Protest was no use whatever.

Soon the Princess left with Smudge for the woods. So far they trudged that the Princess guessed the reason. Scared to death by such foul treason, loud she pleaded:

"Spare my life! Innocent of guilt am I! Do not kill me, I beseech you! And when I become Tsarina I shall give you rich reward."

Smudge, who really loved her ward, being loth to kill or bind her, let her go, remarking kindly:

"God be with you! Do not moan!"

And, this said, went back alone.

"Well?" demanded the Tsarina. "Where's that pretty little creature?"

"In the forest on her own," Smudge replied. "And there she'll stay. To a tree I firmly lashed her. When a hungry beast attacks her, she'll have little time to cry, and the quicker she shall die!"

Rumour spread and caused a panic: "What, the Tsar's own daughter vanished!"

Mournful was the Tsar that day, but the young Prince Yelisei offered God a fervent prayer and departed then and there, to seek out and homeward guide, his sweet-tempered, youthful bride.

Meanwhile his young bride kept walking through the forest until morning, vague as to her whereabouts.

Suddenly she spied a house. Out a dog ran growling, yapping, then sat down, his tail tap-tapping. At the gate there was no guard. All was quiet in the yard.

Close at heel the good dog bounded as the Princess slowly mounted stairs to gain the living floor, turned the ring upon the door.

Silently the door swung open and before her eyes unfolded a bright chamber: all around benches strewn with rugs she found, board of oak beneath the ikon and a stove with tiles to lie on.

To the Princess it was clear, kindly folk were dwelling here, who would not deny her shelter.

No one was at home, however. So she set to, cleaned the pans, made the whole house spick and span, lit a candle in the corner, fed the fire to be warmer, climbed onto the platform bed, there to lay her sleepy head.

Dinner time. The yard resounded, horses stamped and men dismounted. Thick-moustached and ruddy-skinned, seven lusty Knights walked in.

Said the Eldest: "How amazing! All so neat! The fire blazing! Somebody's been cleaning here, and is waiting somewhere near. Who is there? Come out of hiding! Be a friend in peace abiding! If you're someone old and hoar, be our uncle evermore! If you're young and love a scuffle.We'll embrace you as a brother. If a venerable dame, then shall 'mother' be your name. If a maiden fair, we'll call you our dear sister and adore you."

So the Princess rose, came down to the Seven Knights and bowed. Her good wishes emphasising, blushing and apologising that to their delightful home uninvited she had come.

Straight they saw her speech bore witness to the presence of a Princess.

So they cleared a corner seat, offered her a pie with meat, filled a glass with wine and served it on a tray, as she deserved it.

But the glass of heady wine she politely did decline, and the pie she broke with caution, savouring a tiny portion.

Pleading she was very tired, soon she gracefully retired and the Seven Knights conveyed her to the best and brightest chamber and, away as they did creep, she was falling fast asleep.

Days flew by? The Princess living all the time without misgiving, in the forest, never bored, with the Seven Knights abroad.

Darkness would the earth still cover when at dawn the seven brothers would ride out to try their luck with a long-bow, shooting duck.

She, as lady of the house, rose much later, moved about dusting, polishing and cooking, never once the Knights rebuking. They, too, never chided her. Days flew by like gossamer.

And in time they grew to love her. Thereupon all seven brothers, shortly after dawn one day, to her chamber made their way, and the Eldest Knight addressed her:

"As you know, you are our sister. But all seven of us here are in love with you, my dear, and we all desire your favours. But that must not be. God save us! Find some way to give us peace! Be a wife to one at least, to the rest remain a sister! But you shake your head. Is this to say our offer you refuse? Nothing from our stock you'll choose?"

"O my brave and bonny brothers, virtuous beyond all others!"

In reply the Princess'said, "God in heaven strike me dead if my answer be not honest: I've no choice. My hand is promised! You're all equal in my eyes, all so valiant and wise, and I love you all, dear brothers! But my heart is to another pledged for evermore. One day I shall wed Prince Yelisei!"

Hushed, the brothers kept their station, scratched their foreheads in frustration.

"As you wish! So now we know," said the Eldest with a bow.

"Pray, forgive us, and I promise you'll hear nothing further from us!"

"I'm not angry," she replied. "By my pledge I must abide."

Bowing low, the seven suitors left her room with passions muted. So in harmony again did they live and friendship reign.

The Tsarina was still livid, every time she saw in vivid memory the Princess fair.

Long the mirror, lying there, was the object of her hatred;

But at last her wrath abated. So one day it came to pass, that she took the looking-glass, up again and sat before it, smiled and, as before, implored it:

"Greetings, pretty looking-glass! Tell me all the truth, I ask: Who in all the world is fairest, and has beauty of the rarest?"

Said the mirror in reply:

"You are fair, I can't deny. But where Seven Knights go riding, in a green oak-grove residing, humbly lives a person who is more beautiful than you."

The Tsarina's wrath descended on her maid: "What folly tempted you to lie? You disobeyed!"

Smudge a full confession made...

Uttering a threat of torture, the Tsarina grimly swore to send the Princess to her death, or not draw another breath.

One day by her window waiting for her brothers homeward hasting, sat the young Princess and span.

Suddenly the dog began barking. Through the courtyard scurried a poor beggar-woman, worried by the dog she kept at bay with her stick.

"Don't go away! Stay there, stay!" the Princess shouted, from the window leaning outward.

"Let me call the dog to heel, and I'll offer you a meal."

And the beggar-woman answered: "Pretty child, you take my fancy! For that dog of yours, you see, could well be the death of me. See him snarling, bristling yonder! Come here, child!"

The Princess wanted to go out, and took a loaf. But the dog its body wove round her feet, refused to let her step towards the woman-beggar.

When the woman, too, drew near, wilder than an angry bear, it ttacked her. How perplexing!

"Had a bad night's sleep, I reckon!" Said the Princess. "Catch it! There!"

And the bread flew through the air. The poor beggar-woman caught it.

"I most humbly thank you, daughter, God be merciful!" said she. "In return take this from me!"

The bright apple she was holding, newly picked, fresh, ripe and golden, straight towards the Princess flew...

How the dog leapt in pursuit! But the Princess neatly trapped it in her palms.

"Enjoy the apple at you leisure, little pet! Thank you for the loaf of bread..."

Said the beggar-woman, brandished in the air her stick and vanished...

Up the stairs the Princess ran with the dog, which then began pitifully staring, whining, just as if its heart were pining for the gift of speech to say: "Throw that apple far away!"

Hastily his neck she patted: "Hey, Sokolko, what's the matter? Lie down!"

Entering once more her own room, she shut the door, sat there with her spindle humming, waiting for her brothers' coming.

But she could not take her gaze from the apple where it lay, full of fragrance, rosy, glowing, fresh and juicy, ripe and golden, sweet as honey to the lips! She could even see the pips...

First the Princess thought of waiting until dinner. But temptation proved too strong. She grasped the bright apple, took a stealthy bite and with fair cheek, sweetly hollowed a delicious morsel swallowed.

All at once her breathing stopped, listlessly her white arms dropped. From her lap the rosy apple tumbled to the floor. The hapless maiden closed her swooning eyes, reeled and fell without a cry, on the bench her forehead striking, then lay still beneath the ikon...

Now the brothers, as it chanced, were returning in a band from another warlike foray. Out to meet them in the forest, went the dog and, running hard, led them straight into the yard.

Said the Knights: "An evil omen! Grief in store!"

The door they opened, walked into the room and gasped. But the dog like lightning dashed for the apple and devoured it. Death that instant overpowered it. For the apple was, they saw, filled with poison to the core.

By the dead Princess the brothers bent their heads in tears and uttered holy prayer to save her soul; Nothing could their grief console.

From the bench they raised her, dressed her, wished within a grave to rest her. Then had second thoughts. For she was as rosy as if sleep. Garlands of repose were wreathing round her, though she was not breathing.

Three whole days they waited, but still her eyes were tightly shut.

So that night with solemn ritual, in a coffin made of crystal, they laid out the body fair of the Princess and from there, to a hollow mountain bore her, where a tomb they fashioned for her:

Iron chains they used to fix her glass case to pillars six. With due caution, and erected iron railings to protect it.

Then the Eldest smote his breast, and the dead Princess addressed:

"Ever peaceful be your slumber! Though your days were few in number On this earth spite took its toll? Yet shall heaven have your soul. With pure love did we regard you, for your loved one did we guard you, but you came not to the groom, only to a chill dark tomb."

That same day the bad Tsarina, waiting for good news to reach her, secretly the mirror took and her usual question put:

"Who is now by far the fairest, and has beauty of the rarest?"

And the answer satisfied:

"You, it cannot be denied. You in all the world are fairest. And your beauty is the rarest!"

In pursuit of his sweet bride, through the country far and wide, still Prince Yelisei goes riding, weeping bitterly. No tidings!

For no matter whom he asks, people either turn their backs, or most rudely rock with laughter: No one knows what he is after.

Now to the bright Sun in zeal, did the bold young Prince appeal:

"Sun, dear Sun! The whole year coursing through the sky, in springtime thawing from the chill earth winter snow! You observe us all below. Surely you'll not grudge an answer? Tell me, did you ever chance to see the Princess I revere? I'm her fiance." "My dear,"

Said the Sun with some insistence, "I have nowhere seen your Princess, so she's dead, we must presume. That is, if my friend, the Moon, has not met her on his travels, or seen clues you may unravel."

Through the dark night Yelisei, feeling anything but gay, with a lover's perseverance, waited for the Moon's appearance.

"Moon, O Moon, my friend!" he said. "Gold of horn and round of head, from the darkest shadows rising, with your eye the world apprising. You whom stars with love regard as you mount your nightly guard! Surely you'll not grudge an answer? Tell me, did you ever chance to see the Princess I revere? I'm her fiance." "O dear!"

Said the Moon in consternation,

"No, I have not seen the maiden. On my round I only go, when it is my turn, you know.

It would seem that I was resting, when she passed." "How very vexing!"

Cried aloud Prince Yelisei. But the Moon went on to say:

"Wait a minute! I suggest you have the Wind come to the rescue. Call him now! It's worth a try. And cheer up a bit! Goodbye!"

Yelisei, not losing courage, to the Wind's abode now hurried.

"Wind, O Wind! Lord of the sky, herding flocks of clouds on high. Stirring up the dark-blue ocean, setting all the air in motion. Unafraid of anyone, saving God in heaven alone! Surely you'll not grudge an answer? Tell me, did you ever chance to see the Princess I revere? I'm her fiance." "O hear!"

Said the Wind in turmoil blowing.

"Where a quiet stream is flowing, stands a mountain high and steep. In it lies a cavern deep; In this cave in shadows dismal, sways a coffin, made of crystal. Hung by chains from pillars six. Round it barren land in which no man ever meets another. In that tomb your bride discover!"

With a howl the Wind was gone. Yelisei wept loud and long. To the barren land he journeyed, desperately, sadly yearning, once again to see his bride.

On he rode. A mountain high rose before him, soaring steeply fom a land laid waste completely.

At its foot, an entrance dim. Yelisei went quickly in. There, he saw, in shadows dismal swayed a coffin made of crystal, where the Princess lay at rest, in the deep sleep of the blest. And the Prince in tears dissolving threw himself upon the coffin...

And it broke!

The maiden straight came to life, sat up, in great wonder looked about and yawning as she set her bed see-sawing, said with pretty arms outstretched:

"Gracious me! How long I've slept!"

Down she stepped from out the coffin. O the sighing and the sobbing! Carrying his bride, he strode back to daylight. Home they rode, making pleasant conversation, till they reached their destination.

Swiftly rumour spread around:

"The Princess is safe and sound!"

It so happened the Tsarina in her room was idly seated by her magic looking-glass, and to pass the time did ask:

"Who in all the world is fairest, and has beauty of the rarest?"

Said the mirror in reply:

"You are fair, I can't deny, but the Princess is the fairest, and her beauty is the rarest!"

The Tsarina leapt and smashed on the floor her looking-glass.

Rushing to the door she saw the fair young Princess walk towards her.

Overcome by grief and spite, the Tsarina died that night.

From the grave where she was buried, to a wedding people hurried, for the good Prince Yelisei wed his Princess that same day.

Never since the World's creation, was there such a celebration; I was there, drank mead and yet, barely got my whiskers wet.

[gayregis]

this is kind of controversial so bear with me. as a slavic person i really feel like twn kind of “stole a part of our culture” (no not because there are poc, fuck the people who say that) like, the books and games have a really distinct slavic feel to them, even if they are inspired by europe in general, but twn kind of... throws all that out. it feels like just another western fantasy trying to be the next got. quite a few slavs have been trying to bring this to light but it’s greatly overshadowed by the numerous people simply being racist about the cast. this may seem dumb or like “white people pretending to be oppressed” but. slavs don’t really get the best treatment in western media as is and erasing us from one of our best known franchises kind of really sucks.

no i agree with this. i think the stupid fucking racists that are mad that there are actors of color in the series have totally taken this argument into red flag territory so that now it’s dangerous to broach this topic without attracting those freaks.

the witcher adaptation is not ‘slavic’ because it has no cultural reference to poland or any other parts of the region. both in writing and in visual design, it is incredibly generic and bland, as you said: “another western fantasy trying to be the next game of thrones.” this is disappointing and frustrating. 

i’ll speak from my perspective as an american witcher fan: i did not know anything about polish culture/language/etc from my public school and postsecondary education. the only time we ever were taught about the region was in education about world war II and the cold war (in which they don’t teach us anything except that “poland must have been weak because it fell so quickly, and it then was part of the big bad soviet union :( ew communism ew”. the closest thing to poland that we learn about is russia (NOT conflating the two, i’m just saying the closest in proximity/language group/etc), and we learn very negative things about russia. and i live in a “liberal” area of the US.

of course i’m nothing near an expert now, but i have learned more from being in this fandom, mostly because i have looked into the publishing of the books, differences between original text and the english translation(s), cultural references and mythology. and of course i have had way more conversations with mutuals/friends from poland than i ever would have if i had not joined the fandom.

things that highlight the witcher books being “polish/slavic” to me, that weren’t in the netflix series at all: writing, humor, character tropes and mythology, specific foods, specific social groups and distinctions (peasantry vs nobility), governmental offices and organization, pacing.

and it seems like it was scrubbed on purpose to make it more ‘palatable’ to a broader american/british audience. ... which didn’t have to happen at all!  a lot of what american audiences found interesting about the witcher (mostly demonstrated through the witcher 3) was its “uniqueness” in that it had a lot of cultural references that weren’t familiar to americans - for example the leshens in tw3 were quite popular because not many american fans had ever heard of them before, they sounded like a totally unique concept.

but they intended to take out the “distinct slavic feel” that you describe, ON PURPOSE:

this can be seen with people like alik sakharov running into conflict with lauren hissrich and the overall writing and visual direction:

The first season of Netflix's The Witcher was incredibly successful, but it did undergo a few changes on its way to the small screen, and that included a shift in directors. Alik Sakharov was originally going to direct episodes 1, 2, 7, and 8 of season 1, but only ended up directing episode 2 in full. Marc Jobst would reshoot significant parts of episode 1 and would take over 7 and 8, and up until now, we didn't really know why he departed. Showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich previously commented on his departure, but we finally heard from Sakharov in a new interview, and he broke down what he thought of his work on season 1 and why he ended up leaving

(...) Sakharov talked about the different points of view regarding the approach and vision for the show, and that conflict was the main reason why he left.

“You see, in my perception, Eastern-European literature has a completely different pace," Sakharov said. "It is no coincidence that Andrzej Sapkowski has so many storylines and characters. The producers set the task of setting the adaptation at an action pace and filling it with colorful special effects. That was their vision. My vision was very different and I tried to convey it to them, giving my arguments. Unfortunately, I was not considered convincing enough, so I decided to leave the project.”

The Witcher Director Explains Why He Left The Show

which is just so fucking annoying and disheartening because it’s part of what makes the witcher... the witcher. one can’t deny that sapkowski was largely influenced by the world around him (for better, or for worse... i’m looking at you, wwii antisemitism analogies with elves and dwarves instead...) and that was all taken out.

but they added so much sensationalist stuff to it - violence where it doesn’t make sense / isn’t necessary (the giant genocide that calanthe apparently carried out?), sex and nudity where it doesn’t make sense / isn’t necessary, all while taking away so much of the original text and dialogue, adding in cheap one-liners instead of paragraphs of emotion. the americanization of the media goes hand-in-hand with making it stupider, so it can reach the broadest possible audience to make the most possible amount of money.

and the effect of this is that all of the new fans coming in from the show don’t know anything about this and treat it like american media. one of the ways where this can be seen most prominently is how the fandom ‘affectionately’ nicknames jaskier “jask” ... and treats “buttercup” like a totally different pet name that geralt can call him... when... that’s not how... grammar and words work...

this is one of the reasons that i unironically like the hexer way more as an adaptation of the witcher books. one can’t deny that they’re more truthful to the original work. 

before this i’ve also read a little about how the witcher becoming a big thing (not even reaching the western countries yet) was important because before it, only western fantasies like tolkien were considered to “sell well” by publishers so they wouldn’t take their chances with a polish author. it can’t be denied that the witcher is a cultural phenomenon and gave more international representation to poland just overall and in arts/culture. and the netflix series totally washed this all away in their interpretation.

what makes me mad as well is that they had a great opportunity to use traditional polish folk wear / motifs / art in the costume and set design and visual direction of the whole thing, and they just completely did some random bullshit that looks horrible and grotesque (no one looks like they come from the same planet or time period, much less the same continent). it’s not “fantasy,” it’s just random and nonsensical. extremely disappointing considering how much potential they had to consult polish artists, costume designers, historians and medieval scholars. (the witcher doesn’t take place in medieval europe but it is certainly influenced by it, and imo historical direction in series like this are always good for the art.)

it’s also really fucking annoying that the netflix staff think they’re so progressive and amazing for adding in like 5 characters of color that almost all serve to support or antagonize the main white leads. the netflix series isn’t even good representation for people of color by a long shot imo and yet it’s touted by its showrunner as something extraordinary. why can’t we have people of color involved while also keeping what is considered as polishness or slavicness. it’s entirely possible, but netflix didn’t want to do either of those things because it wouldn’t get them as much money.

[lotusik]

How I became passionate about folk magic. (July 23, 2020)

I hadn’t had very much interest in folk magic previously. I was always more interested in theurgy, everything to do with uniting with the divine, and I suppose I thought I didn’t need any other sort of magic. Or perhaps that as long as I was working hard on a spiritual path, nothing more was necessary. I admit that attitude is an awfully good example of the privilege experienced by a white woman born in Canada. Many others that came to North America, particularly those with brown skin have had a much different story to tell. How I did finally develop an interest in folk magic was actually through genealogy. My family lines come from various places in Europe, and one day doing research I discovered that one of those lines landed smack in the middle of the Pennsylvania Deutch (Dutch) community. Until then I hadn’t even known of any ancestors in America, I thought they had all come from Europe straight to Canada. Luckily for me that lineage was already well researched in books and the like due to the historical import of that community so I had much to delve into. At some point an 1820 book by Johnn Georg Hohman (John George), a member of that Pennsylvania Dutch community, came into my awareness. It was titled in the original German; Der Lange Verborgene Freund, oder, Getreuer und Christlicher Unterricht fur Jedermann, Enthaltend: Wunderbare und Probmassige Mittel und Kunste, Sowohl fur die Menschen als Das Vieh (The Long Hidden Friend, or, True and Christian Instructions for Everyone. Comprising Wonderful and Well Tested Remedies and Arts, for Men as well as for Livestock.) Later titles would incorporate the term pow-wow and the practice often was called pow-wowing (or powwowing), though it has nothing to do with the Indigenous peoples of America. The name was appropriated from the Algonquian languages and given negative connotations by the Puritan missionaries, becoming a sort of general term for magical workings. The book is often now published as ‘The Long Lost Friend’ or as ‘Pow-wows or The Long Lost Friend’.

This book contained spells, charms and all sorts of herbal and home remedies. Some of the spells in the book came from a German spell-book called das Romanus-Büchlein, (The Little Book of the Gypsies), along with some contributions from Albertus Magnus, or more accurately, pseudo-Albertus Magnus (works attributed to Albertus but more likely written by disciples). Other items in the book were quite unique to the oral tradition of the Pennsylvanian Dutch community itself. The healers that use those practices are called Braucherei, a female practitioner is called a Braucherin and a male a Braucher. They may also be known as a powwow doctor or a powwower. And yes, they absolutely still practice today! I’ve seen hexmeister used as well, or hex-doctor and that seems to be synonymous in some places with powwow but as far as I can see that was not very popular as it more specified working against illnesses caused by grudges and malicious intent. I’ve also seen the term used more often in relation to the painters of hex signs on barns and I am not entirely clear if that is part of Braucherei or something somewhat separate. There are some excellent books on hex signs but I’ve not been able to get copies sadly. All of this really got me thinking a lot about how perhaps my own ancestors may have practiced this form of folk magic and healing. Further, I started thinking how folk magic may well have been part of my own family’s traditions through my other ancestry lines also; Slavic, Celtic & Scandinavian. And thus, a real interest in these practices became sparked. Unfortunately due to the way Christianity swept across the world absorbing what it chose to and wiping out the rest, I have found it very difficult to find very much about original beliefs and practices in Slavic countries. Sometimes I find more in neighbouring countries rather than the ones I am most interested in due to my own ancestry. Though looking at the big picture, there is so much influence in individual countries from elsewhere anyways, for example the influence of the Celts is absolutely huge in many parts of the world. Borders in so many places have often moved many times, countries have been ruled by various different rulers and migration often imports new beliefs and systems into established cultures as well. The more I’ve looked at all these lines of history, the more convoluted it becomes to me. Researching about Hohman’s book I learned a lot of interesting history about it as well as about the influence it had on inhabitants of the Appalachians and on Hoodoo as well. The book was originally published for the Pennsylvania Dutch themselves, but later English editions ended up being marketed through Jewish mail order catalogues. For African-Americans in need of supplies for their magic, they had to be resourceful and make do with what they could access. Jewish suppliers soon found out selling Jewish religious items and hoodoo supplies to African-Americans was great for business. This led Hoodoo to be influenced by a variety of sources and practices. And one of those sources was Hohman’s Long Lost Friend. Learning about the influence of ‘The Long Lost Friend’ on Hoodoo led me to, obviously, learning as much as I could about hoodoo! There is a lot of incorrect information out there, but there is a lot of accurate stuff as well that can be found digging around on the internet thanks to some amazing practitioner-teachers. Just before Covid-19 started spreading across the world, I decided to take a chance on something called a “Steady Money Service” offered by The Hoodoo Queen in Mobile, Alabama. [The website is linked below.] All I had to do was send my $10 and I was in! I can’t say I was super expectant of results, though I was hopeful. I had watched many of Queen Co.’s videos and the information shared in them really rung true as authentic to me. Besides, it was only $10 and I figured it it well worth it as a first foray into hoodoo. But alas, Covid struck, and so I really thought there wasn’t any hope at all this ‘steady money’ service had even the slightest chance of working. In fact I thought the exact opposite was going to occur. So I felt pretty discouraged. Still, I did exactly what was detailed out to do on my end after the service when I received my ‘dirt’ in the mail (including laying dirt at the threshold of my house and burying an American dollar bill in my back yard after fastening it down with nails) and sure enough, I have had nothing but steady money since that time! While I am an open minded person, I have always been someone that wants some ‘proof’ as well. Even if that proof is only my own intuition or ‘knowing’, I need there to be something. And this to me, was my proof. I am very sure this service from Queen Co. helped open a pathway for money for me. Since that time, I have been studying everything I can of various folk magic practices from all over the world, and I have found they have so much in common. Yet in so many other ways they are marvelously unique. Tied to the cultures they come from but connected through all by the need we all have to get by on this planet the best way we can. I enjoy so much the creativity in these practices, and the amazing resilience of the people they came from.                                                                  ----------------- For Queen Co. The Hoodoo Queen, go here! https://conjuresouth.com/ For a lot more information on the Pennsylvania Dutch and powwowing please check out this link which has an astounding amount of research by Patrick. J. Donmoyer and also contains some really amazing images of artifacts as well. It’s where much of what I shared here came from as he has the best research I’ve seen. : https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56829c58a2bab87f93ee4d6a/t/58c178ef3e00be4c00782168/1489074429798/Reduced+Size+File+-+Exhibition+booklet+-+Powwowing+in+Pennsylvania.pdf Further I’d recommend the works of Don Yoder as well as the book The Red Church by C.R. Bilardi. For a more extensive history on Hoodoo and the contribution The Long Lost Friend had to those practices, please check out cat yronwode’s website luckymojo.com, its well worth your time!These two pages specifically: https://www.luckymojo.com/powwows.html https://www.luckymojo.com/hoodoohistory.html#admixtures