#Bringer of the End; The Horseman

[hxly-fxther]

The clock tower in Heaven. The hands meet each other at the top of the hour and when they do, the gears within the tower begin to turn, a mechanical sound of metal and pistons silently heard by all the Exorcists that have surrounded the structure until the bells begin to toll.

Everyone can hear it. No matter where they may be. Heaven. Hell. Purgatory. Earth. It is the final tolling of the bells, their pitch starting high then growing deeper, lower, until it sounds like horns. The tower begins to shimmer and crack, its surface decaying as if time had passed a hundred years until eventually it shatters into nothing but a large, white portal with a deep purple rim. The sound of galloping, Heaven shakes with each step and finally out from that portal comes a horse head, its mouth agape with skin seemingly trying to keep the maw closed and stretching in such a horrible way it is almost hard to look at.

As it begins to leave the portal, it can be seen that the ribs of the horse is exposed, its bones are black and gruesomely attached to its back is a rider, fused with the body of the horse. Its jaw unhinged and opened with deep black eye sockets. An arm dangles at its side awkwardly almost seemingly broken, its other arm is extended longer than the other as if pulled and formed to be so. Where a hand would be, instead a scythe. And it lets out a mighty, unnatural and haunting roar before beginning a path of destruction throughout the main square of Heaven! Swinging its Scythe arm, trampling those who weren’t ready for such a terrifying Beast!

You are now looking at the Horseman of the End

Requirements to defeat: 1 Hellborn 2 Heavenborn

Character slots: 4-5

[future-crab]

The “mundane modern solutions to arcane supernatural problems” trope gets me every time. Like nothing will ever top the episode of the Magnus Archives where Adelard Dekker looked at a horseman-of-the-apocalypse-style world-ending bringer of pestilence and went, “Well, you can’t end the world if you’re encased in cement.”

[ashironie]

I’ve been thinking about TMA (as is usual for me) and the four horsemen of the apocalypse (which isn’t usual for me), specifically how it ties into The Extinction.

Obviously The Extinction is going to be comprised of multiple entities so I’d like to give the four horsemen entity assignments. I will also just be calling them The [color] horse bc I don’t wanna type all that out.

First what are the four horsemen? The Red horse, The Pale horse, The Black horse, and The White horse. The Red horse carries a great sword, interpreted as War. The Pale horse, which is the only one in the original text to be specifically identified as something, is Death (you thought that would be the black one wouldn’t you?). The Black horse carries a balance scale, interpreted as Famine. The White horse, a conquer with a bow and crown, is the topic of a lot of debate, but often interpreted as conquest which brings plague (and this is how we will interpret it for arguments sake)

The Black horse needs some more explanation, it isn’t about crops dying or not being able to produce enough, it is about the upperclass taking a disproportional amount for themselves leaving the other 99% famished.

First, the obvious, The Pale horse is The End, I don’t think I need to explain my reasoning. The Red horse is the Slaughter, also pretty cut and dry, but also a bit of Desolation, War killing and destroying everything and everyone, whether you loved them or not.

The Black horse is pretty hard for me, it’s basically late stage capitalism and no fear entity fully aligns with that. But I can see it as a few different things, the Lonely mixed with The Eye with a hint of Desolation, someone destroying everything you ever loved as if you were a play thing or not even that. It could be a different mix of those three (I heavily associate capitalism to The Eye due to Elias Bouchard) but I still don’t really know about The Black horse.

Finally the one I surprisingly found easier even though what it represents itself is hard for people to pin down, The White horse is The Corruption with a hint of Desolation/Slaughter and Web. Conquest in the name of nothing but violence and conquering, that specifically brings pesticides and illnesses/bugs/etc that you have never heard of before. And one thing that I didn’t mention in my initial review on what The White horse was, was that is was said to carry The Antichrist, the willful bringer of the apocalypse (The Extinction) and the one who united all of these horses (Entities) under one ideal, to bring about the end of everything (again The Extintion). I feel like that is very Web aligned, it itself is not part of the Apocalypse, yet it brings it, creates it. And the Web always needs something to do, some big plan to orchestrate, what if the next one is to created the 15th fear entity, The Extinction?

Tbh that sounds like a really great fic idea and I might just write it myself.

So in summary we have (TLDR):

The Red horseman- The Slaughter with hints of Desolation

The Pale horseman- The End

The Black horseman- uhhhhh capitalism? (The Eye, Lonely, maybe a bit Desolation, maybe a bit of Hunt????? No idea, someone else will need to help me on that) [ @the-archived-puppet suggested The Buried since being crushed under debt is very capitalism]

The White horseman- The Corruption with hints of Desolation/Slaughter

The Antichrist- The Web

God this took some time…

[minusgangtime]

Ay buddy-more spookyverse creatures! :D:

Shadows: a creature that looks humanoid,but is entirely made of shadows,thier mostly black and foggy with optimal tentacles that can appear in thier bag,aside from clothes,and thier eyes and mouth,which are purely white. They can EASILY blend into dark shadows and squeeze into tight spaces,cause they don’t have a physical form so they can do anything with thier bodies without feeling any pain. It’s theorized they would be killed if they came in contact with the real sun,as of current,they have no cause of death,they can only be contained. They were made by the Halloween king,as he made a monster based on humans fear of shadows and the dark.

Campfire: campfires are humanoid creatures with their hair being made up of fire. It can be either be long or short depending on the person. They also have the ability to manipulate and control fire. Their biggest weakness is of course,water,though unlike headless horseman,when their flames are extinguished they don’t die,it’s more of the equivalent of losing your hair. If thier fire hair gets too long,they would go to a stylist or do it themselves by pouring water at the end of thier fire hair. They were created by the Halloween king,who wanted to make a creature off the popular activity of setting up campfires.

Aldrich octopus: Aldrich octopuses are sea creatures that can go on land just like sirens Aldrich octopuses are the same size as sirens underwater but are much more intimidating,their legs and arms are all tentacles,having a razor sharp mouth full of teeth with feral looking eyes. On land they actually look cute. The tentacles are now only on their bag,their clawed arms can shift between a normal arm and a tentacle arm. They also have incredible spirited,eating large portions of food in seconds. They were made by the Halloween king,as he wanted to make a creature based on people’s fear of octopi.

Moth-person: this creature is,what else,a moth-person. They have a humanoid body but all the features of a moth,they have big insect sparkly eyes,they’re covered in fluffy furr, antennas and big fluffy wings. They spend most time flying around when going from place to place.They’re incredibly social,always wanting to talk with others,they also are very attracted to light,they can stare at a light source for hours. They mostly come out at night,not cause thier weak to the light,but cause their nocturnal and sleep during the day. They originate by an experiment in the human realm,as a couple were experimented on and made them into moth people,they were hopeless in a lab until they got the portal to Halloween town.

“Killer” robot: this monster is exactly what it says,a robot. This robot is capable of feeling human emotions,they also house many of weapons inside their metal shell that they can pull out at any time. Killer robots can be like animals,at times they were imprint on a person and will love them unconditionally,while also becoming EXTREMELY protective of them,in the verge of shooting anyone who makes them remotely cry-even if it was a accident. They originate from the human world,a few killer robots were made by mechanics to overthrow groups of people,which the robots didn’t want to do,but they didn’t have a choice to them,then the portal opened up and they arrived in Halloween town.

Storm bringer: this creature is the embodiment of storms,they appear to look mostly human apart from pointy ears,sharp cares and yellowish marks on their bodies. Thier hair is constantly crazy,it is never under control,even if someone else takes it,it’ll get crazy again within a hour. They have the ability to control and manipulate the weather and lightning. They can summon lightning with their hands,they can also teleport in a spark of lightning,they can stop a storm if it gets too intense. They originate from Halloween town,as the Halloween king created them as a responce to humans fear of storms.

Jackolattern: a creature based on the iconic jackolattern. They have the head and skin of a bumpkin,their hair being made if steams/leaves,their faces always being a carved face,the face varies from pattern to pattern,none of them look the same. They can control the roots of plants. Thier faces are always lit up,glowing in the dark,depending on the situation it can look kinda terrifying-when a jackolattern becomes a parent,they lay seeds,upon planting them in the ground,in a few days,their new kid/kids will rise up from the ground. When a jackolattern dies,it’s common for their loved ones,or grim reapers to take the seeds from their head and plant them,so their legacy can still live on. They were made by the Halloween king,inspired by the jackolatterns in the human realm.

The shrooms: these creatures are very humanoid,but they are covered in mushrooms. It varies from person to person,sometimes there are few mushrooms,sometimes it very much obscures the body,and of course they are always different shrooms on their bodies. The shrooms often don’t talk much as either no one talks to them or thier throat/lungs are so filled with shrooms they have difficulty speaking. Thier shrooms always let out a pleasant smell,shrooms will use thier shrooms to help others fall asleep. They originally came from the human world. A human was experimented in,causing them to became nothing more than humanoid fungi,they were then welcomed into Halloween town.

Jellos: these creatures are entirely made of jello. The only thing not made of jello are the clothes they wear. Jellos can pretty much eat every and anything,when they eat,what ever they eat is consumed by their jello bodies. They can also fit in any tight space,they often use this to rescue small animals or kids. Currently,it’s unknown how a jello dies. They were made by the Halloween king,inspired by how the human realm turned a squishy food into a creature in fiction.

Anglers: another deep sea monster,these ones are in the darkest depths. They have a tattered looking fish tail,scaley looking claws,pointy ears,brightly colored eyes,extremely sharp teeth and of course,thier shiny antenna. On land their dark scales are lighter,they’re teeth are shorter,and their eyes aren’t as bright,though their Athena is mostly used to catch pray,it can also be used to light up dark areas,anglers mostly stay in the water cause they have trouble making friends thanks to their intimidating aura. These creatures were made by the Halloween king in inspiration from humans fears of angler fish.

Gargoyles: these creatures are dragon like beings,they got sharp claws,fangs that don’t fit in thier mouth,wings and horns with a long tail. They also have the ability to turn into a stone statue. They’re like pranksters,using that stone gimmick to bodegas a normal statue and when someone’s back is turned,they spook em. Gargoyles are incredible loyal to anyone thier close with. Gargoyles were created by the Halloween king,hearing tales of gargoyles in the human world.

Naga: these creatures are half human,half snake. Their top half is human like,while their bottom half is a snake tail. They have snake like fangs,pointy-ish ears and slitted reptilian like eyes. Depending on the bags,thier bites can be poisonous/venomous. While some nagas tend to be cold and calculated. Some are very silly,just goofing around while slithering-nagas were made by the Halloween king,inspired by the popular creature from the human realm.

-mod shelby

(Creatures!! :3)

[appleflavoredkitkats]

Who Are the Four Horsemen of the Dream SMP Apocalypse?

Art by: Viktor Vasnetsov

[TW’s: torture, death, murder, manipulation, alcohol, substance abuse, discussions about the end of the world, religion, starvation, violence, implied gambling, blood, alcoholism]

Word Count: 3.5k

INTRODUCTION

Hopefully I finish this before I feel too sleep-deprived, but I’ve been thinking about the presence of horsemen in Quackity’s “My Enemies” stream. These mysterious, hooded figures are quite odd to say the least, and their involvement with Las Nevadas still remains unknown. There has been a debate on whether there were three horsemen or four, and in my opinion, I believe that there are four horsemen present.

Why four? In the first scene, three horsemen arrive at the Dream SMP on a dark and stormy night. They seem to have come from the south, entering Eret’s castle from the back. As they stop to pull their Netherite swords out, air raid sirens are heard from the distance.

Similarly, in the last scene, Quackity is seen placing a book in Wilbur’s memorial before leaving, riding his skeleton horse, Ossium. The scene cuts from first person POV to third, and we see a hooded figure, presumably Quackity because of how both came from the same direction. Additionally, air raid sirens are also heard from a distance.

[MORE UNDER THE CUT!]

I theorize that these two scenes take place at the same time. The prequel scenes only began after we see the sequence of Quackity torturing Dream, and it ends after the flashbacks of Wilbur. We can synthesize that both these scenes are set at the same time, and that these horsemen are going to meet at a certain point on the prime path.

What may suggest that these four horsemen are supposed to be parallels to the biblical four horsemen?

Firstly, seeing the bits they do, Quackity and Schlatt do know a lot of biblical references. Schlatt has compared Tubbo to Jesus once, and Quackity has said many prayers as jokes in the Dream SMP. It’s just… easy to take inspiration from biblical symbols and references, and also, the four horsemen are just very popular figures in history, so you know, why not?

Also, this may also sound RIDICULOUS, but the fact that this stream establishes that Tommy got resurrected three days after he got killed is actually very reminiscent of, well, you guessed it, Jesus Christ. 72 hours is oddly specific, and I don’t think the cc’s made it that way for no reason. Tommy’s parallels to Jesus—which is a VERY funny phrase—could imply that the Dream SMP might draw more parallels to Christianity, and the four horsemen could be another one of these references.

Also, Quackity mentioned how in Las Nevadas, he made four casinos for him and the rest of El Rapids. So, we know four is a number we can associate with Las Nevadas, and there’s a chance Quackity gave these casinos to three other people. Four casinos, four horsemen.

What is the purpose of the four horsemen in the Dream SMP? When the air raid sirens went off, we can think of these four horsemen as the bringer of chaos or danger into the Dream SMP, very reminiscent of the purpose of the original four horsemen in Christianity. We can also connect it to the end of the world, as these four only appear when the world begins to end. This can imply that these four, who are most likely allies of Quackity in Las Nevadas, are somewhat connected to how the Dream SMP will end.

Now, who is who? Admittedly, it is difficult to find a definitive answer on which member represents what horseman, so I’ll try my best considering all the possibilities for each. I’ll add my own ranks on how probable I think they are, but I have to specify that these are subjective- I am not a beacon of truth, y’all.

So let’s get started.

Firstly, I want to discuss who might NOT be a horseman to narrow it down a bit:

Any minors might not be involved. In Sam’s face reveal stream, aka the first stream mentioning Las Nevadas, Quackity and Sam agree they don’t want Tubbo and Tommy to participate in underage gambling. Don’t know if this applies to Ranboo and Fundy (since he might be canonically a child? Who knows), so they get more of a pass, but the clingy duo might not.

The Syndicate. I’d like to think that the Syndicate, as well as Dream, are Quackity’s main foils of the server. As they are the richest and also the most skilled in PVP, Quackity stands no chance against them even with his sharp tongue. As these people are foils against Quackity, and also probably hate his guts, Quackity might not hire them at Las Nevadas. I theorize he’d probably use Dream as a watchdog against the Syndicate, but that’s a theory for another time. 

Additional point about Dream: he’s in prison.

Anyone from Kinoko Kingdom because it’s clear Quackity severed all ties with them.

The Eggpire is half-half. They can possibly join, but also can’t, Quackity can manipulate them into joining only for their inevitable demise, or Quackity wouldn’t wanna associate with them after the explosion incident. They’ll at least get a few passes in some categories, but again, not entirely sure.

CONQUEST

Also known as Plague, Pestilence, and in some occasions, both Jesus Christ and the Antichrist, Conquest is shown to be riding on a white horse, donning a victor’s crown and a bow. There are many interpretations of Conquest, especially with their ambiguous morality. Some people can perceive them as bad, representing the origin of many wars. Some people claim that they represent pestilence and plague as their arrows are slathered with the infections they want to spread. In some cases, they can also be interpreted as good, as their description is heavily reminiscent of Jesus Christ himself. Others would rebut that there is also a possibility that they might be a fake replica of Jesus created by Satan, thus making them the antichrist.

Sam (8/10)

Sam is my first choice when it comes to Conquest because, firstly, he fits the appearance. He is one of the only people in the Dream SMP who dons a crown, and they also possess a bow which they frequently use. I’d say that Sam as Conquest matches with his ambitions as a member of the Badlands, Pestilence or Plague match with his possible crimson infection, and Antichrist matches with his inability to keep Tommy, the possible Jesus figure on the SMP, alive or safe. 

My only issue is: would Sam be one of the three who arrived at the Dream SMP in the beginning? Sam is very strict with his job as warden, so it is unlikely that he would be seen far from it.

Any of the Eggpire (7/10)

As Conquest is heavily depicted with pestilence or plague, any of the Eggpire may fit under this category. As their goal as the Eggpire is meant to conquer the Dream SMP, this also matches with the goal of Conquest. Additionally, one of the Egg’s weaknesses is Church Prime, something heavily resembling Christianity, so if the Egg is its opposite, we can view the Egg as somewhat of an antichrist. 

I say Punz, Bad, Ponk, and Hannah have a higher chance of being Conquest, while Ant is a solid ‘maybe’. Punz could’ve been the one who blew up the Egg, Bad can be easily persuaded by Quackity, Ponk is one of the only capitalists of the server that may participate in Las Nevadas, and Hannah’s character heavily fits the theme of pestilence when it comes to nature. Additionally, I like to believe that Conquest was the horseman on the skeleton horse (that isn’t Quackity’s), especially since they were holding a dandelion in one shot, something that could be attributed to “pestilence” because a dandelion is a weed. This may imply that Hannah could be part, but because they haven’t interacted much beforehand, we wouldn’t be sure. More insight on Punz: he once mentioned he upholds his duties as mercenary more than he might love the Egg, so there’s a chance Quackity bribed him to join Las Nevadas.

The main con to this is that: why would the Eggpire willingly join Quackity, or why would the Egg allow them to join Quackity? I can see that Quackity might break their brainwashed states because he has a good way with words, but people like Bad, Ant, and Punz have stated that they’ve been fully controlled by the Egg. Also, Quackity makes it clear he wants to eradicate his enemies, so he might not want any members of the Eggpire to join Las Nevadas… unless there’s a traitor?

Schlatt, Mexican Dream, or Wilbur (6/10)

Heavily connected with winning if you take Manberg, Mexican L’Manberg, or L’Manberg into mind.

Wilbur also has a memorable crossbow, but I don’t know if that counts as a bow.

Any dead characters have a high chance of joining Las Nevadas because of its possible connections to death and the revival system of the SMP.

Other possibilities with short explanations and low but possible odds:

Eret: Has a crown, his betrayal can be seen as a “win”, has Tommy’s bow from the duel. Can be seen as an antichrist figure.

Jack: As he is against Tommy, he can be seen as an antichrist figure. Might be working with Las Nevadas because of his deal with Quackity.

Ranboo: He’s a minor, but he also has a crown and a bow so, maybe? He’s not much of a conqueror or winner, though.

Connor: Didn’t really conquer much, didn’t really win much, he’s just here because of Schlatt, honestly.

WAR

War is depicted to be holding a raised sword as they ride atop a red horse. After conquest, war is expected to follow, and War is tasked to break any type of peace on earth. He is tasked to kill, or make humans kill each other. The prominence of red symbolizes bloodshed or immense anger, something very present in war. Multiple depictions of War show him with his sword raised upwards, signifying the start of a battle.

Schlatt (9/10)

The man’s literally torn the Dream SMP apart (/lh). This man is always keen on fulfilling his goals, and if it means he’ll have to fulfill them in the most twisted of ways, he will do it. Him winning the Election brought immense conflict in the Dream SMP, and many people were torn apart on which side was the right or wrong side. One of Schlatt’s prominent colors besides blue would be red, as it is the color of his tie and the color of his ghost form’s horns. Red could represent the bloodshed of those who died during the Manberg-Pogtopia conflict, or red can signify the anger Schlatt had for his own cabinet.

Schlatt was also gifted a sword by Dream called “Shclatt”. The sword only holds heavy significance because of how Fundy treasured it like an heirloom.

Wilbur (8/10)

Another good possibility too as Ghostbur was recently seen to admire red a lot more than blue in one of Tommy’s streams. We can also view the creation of L’Manberg as a place that broke the peace in the Dream SMP as they didn’t really NEED to create L’Manberg and declare war, yet, he did. Red can also resemble his anger for what has been done to L’Manberg- everything is pretty self-explanatory, honestly.

My only qualm with Wilbur being one of the horsemen is how we can’t really… tell if he’s in the Dream SMP? He seems to be very clear on the fact that he does NOT want to return, so he might not even be there when the four horsemen became a thing.

Any of the Eggpire (7/10)

Honestly? Same reasoning as the first explanation for the Eggpire. This also applies for why they might not be one of the horsemen.

Do I even need to explain the red part, or do we just all understand that red is literally their brand.

The Eggpire practically breaks peace in the server and is keen on taking control of the entirety of the Dream SMP. The Egg is shown to be ruthless towards anyone, and will even let some of its followers kill people if needed. 

I see Bad as someone who might qualify for this position more because he initiates a lot of the activity in the Eggpire. Same goes for Ant, Punz, and Ponk, but they don’t really take initiative most of the time.

Jack Manifold (4/10)

The only reason I kind of added him here was that he wanted to kill Tommy, but Jack isn’t entirely selfish or peace-breaking. I do think he might play a role in Las Nevadas, especially since if Quackity has access to the nukes, only Jack and Ranboo might be the only two who helped him gain access.

Jack is also… very angry at Tommy. Rightfully so, because he basically surrounded a good portion of his life trying to kill Tommy only for him to realize that that might not be his purpose in life. He blames Tommy for a lot of the loss in the server, so he has a lot of anger, but he has no one to vent it all out to.

Other possibilities with short explanations and low but possible odds:

Eret: Did the first betrayal, but that’s about it. He’s also participated in several wars against others who disagreed with him being the king.

Ranboo: Participated in wars, but is a peacemaker so, y’know.

Fundy: While he does possess Schlatt’s sword, he isn’t much of an initiator of wars as much as he is merely a follower. He has shown that he is quite angry at those who have used him, but the anger has dissipated lately into some sort of sadness/denial.

Connor: He’s mournful that Schlatt, a close friend, has died, but he isn’t really one to be angry. He tried living far away to make his own independent nation, but it didn’t impact much of the story. He also one possessed “Ghostbur’s Stabbing Knife”, which could represent the sword.

FAMINE 

Famine is seen to be holding a scale (presumably for food) as they ride atop a horse. Famine is also denoted to be the only one speaking, saying “A quart of wheat for a denarius! And three quarts of barley for a denarius! But don’t ruin the oil and the wine!”. This statement basically means that we have to pay a full day’s worth of earnings for a bit of wheat and barley but oil and the wine, something not considered human necessities, can have the same prices. This shows an unfairness when it comes to acquiring basic human necessities. This is especially damaging to the poor as Famine’s statement can possibly make the poor poorer, while the rich remain the same. It is implied that the wider the gap between the poor and the rich, the closer we are to the end of the world.

Fundy (9/10)

This may be a long answer because I am biased towards Fundy, but Niki once stated that Manberg was in some sort of a famine because of the destruction of farms. Because of this, certain citizens have resorted into eating spider eyes from the EXP farm, but it was notable that she was practically calling out Fundy, someone who literally advertised spider eyes to any person he talked to in the Dream SMP.

Fundy is also hinted to be heavily connected to these hooded figures somehow. In his dream, he was chased by one until he slept in a black bed, the color of Famine.

Additionally, in his dream, he held baked potatoes (food) which could be related…? He’s also a libra so… scales…?

He is also a notorious prankster in the Dream SMP and will bargain for anything as long as he profits from it. He’s not the richest by any means, but he loves doing pranks that involve stealing belongings from other people.

Schlatt (8/10)

Similar reason to Fundy as he was the president of Manberg responsible for these famines. Additional note for this is that he also taxed Niki, one of their only food sources in Manberg. 

Schlatt also likes to joke around about being rich, earning money, or being a businessman often, especially with the entire Schlatt coin joke. Connected to Famine’s trait of making the rich richer, possibly?

Famine’s statement can also apply here as it is implied that if humanity doesn’t possess the basic of necessities, they might at least have wine which won’t provide any solutions to humanity’s starvation at all, but it will distract you from your starvation by making you heavily drunk until you finally die. This is very reminiscent of how Schlatt died.

Sam (6/10)

Sam is one of the richest people on the server, matching Famine’s want to keep the rich rich. Only problem here is that Sam is at least very generous and provides a lot of people with resources when needed.

Sam could possibly be connected to Famine because of how he treats Dream in prison. In an attempt to torture Dream, he starves him, cutting his food supply.

Same problem remains with Sam not being able to join whatever the hell the four horsemen are because of his duties as warden.

Any of the Syndicate (1/10)

Only giving an exception here because the Syndicate is exceptionally rich and is more selfish about it than others. Low chances, but Ranboo… might? But it’s still a bit iffy for me. Niki might as well because of her connections to the Manbergian famine, but still on the fence with this one too.

DEATH

Death is often depicted riding a pale horse, but some variations have called the horse light green. Death does not don a weapon themselves, but they are always accompanied by Hades. Hades in Christianity is the place or state of the departed spirits, meaning Death has contact with those who have died. Sometimes, Death is depicted with a scythe similar to the Grim Reaper, but some say Death has no weapon at all as Death themself is the weapon. Death is not only meant to collect souls and end lives, but they can also represent the end of an era of humanity.

Quackity (10/10)

I would say Quackity can fit any other category, but I am so sure that Quackity is death because of how death and toying with death seems to be one of Quackity’s main themes in the Dream SMP. Quackity, once hesitant about killing others, has been shown to now impulsively want to kill others: first with Techno, then Ranboo, then Dream. 

Quackity will also most likely acquire information about revival on the Dream SMP, so he is in close proximity with Hades, or in the Dream SMP, the Void. This also heavily ties in with the idea that he will make others gamble away their canon lives only for him to resurrect or return their canon lives if they ever successfully gamble it back. 

Quackity is also known to be very powerless in terms of PVP and battle, but you know what he succeeds in? His own words. He is his own weapon that can get him whatever he wants as long as the person he’s up against is in a vulnerable position. 

He is also confirmed to be one to have a skeleton horse, and some depictions of Death’s horse show that it is very corpse-like.

A bloody scythe can also be seen in Quackity’s first lore teaser, and that can be attributed to Death.

Other possibilities with short explanations and low but possible odds:

Schlatt: First owned the revival book but he literally does not know its contents. Fits the “they are their own weapon” trait.

Dream: The only exception I can give. But again, he is literally in prison…?

Wilbur & Mexican Dream: Only putting these two here because they have experienced death. These two fit the “they are their own weapon” category too.

Connor: Wants to revive Schlatt, but that’s it.

CONCLUSION

Honestly, my first conclusion for the four horsemen were Sam/Conquest, Schlatt/War, Fundy/Famine, and Quackity/Death, but I only see Quackity as Death to be something that is HIGHLY possible. For Conquest, I shift between Sam and one of the Eggpire, for War, I shift between Wilbur and Schlatt, and for Famine, I shift between Fundy and Schlatt. Again, no definitive answer, but I’d love to hear your own thoughts on this.

I am very tired, but also remember to reblog if you do enjoy this! Again, would love to hear your own insights, and would appreciate any type of discussion! :D

[infernal-general]

Which unpopular archetype are you?

the omen

blood pours from you easier than most people. wherever you go, you’ll be watched. children will learn fear from you. the people you love will be scared to witness. they’ll shut their ears and put you away and once you’re gone, you’ll be hollowed until all that remains is the message. you were always the first sign of what was to come. in time, people will forget you were even a person. yours is a silent epilogue. if you are saved, it will be out of the spotlight. you’re more than your baggage, omen.

personality: wise, selfless, pessimistic counterpart: the taken

(Thoughts: this actually surprised me at first, then I began to realize how true it is regarding what is actually happening to her. Three things to consider:

- Rozália is willing to take any blessed weapon for someone she cares about without a second thought

- She has underlying suicidal tendencies & knows with each holy wound healed, part of her is consumed

- She is actually the second horseman of the apocalypse

So indeed, she bleeds, bleeds for the ring's safety, bleeds for her soldiers and each act leaves her less and at the end she will be remembered as a monster, something inhumane. She is in most scenarios the bringer of war and hellfire, she is the first to appear before the thunder begins.)

[gospelofme]

The Bringer of Death

The clash between the two armies had been vicious. Men speared and impaled. Attempts made to pull the Queen off her horse. Those had failed. Her horse was a war horse trained by the finest horseman she knew. Her fighters knew how to work around his hooves, avoiding kicks and bucking. She jabbed at her opponents with her spear, all the while looking for her target. The enemy king lingered back. Of course he did. It began to rain, the droplets of water hitting the plate armor with a pattering sound. It started off steady, but she didn’t care if it intensified.

She slammed the sole of her boot into the faces of those who tried yet again to de-horse her. She looked back up at her target. He glared down at her, his horse shifting under him in a bored manner. She raised her spear high over her head,

“Form up!” She yelled to her men. They formed regimented lines, confusing the enemy to still tried to fight them. Those with shields protected those without by making a shield wall along either sides of the lines. Swords and spears darted out between openings at their attackers. Her men had gone silent, which unnerved the enemy. Then the ground began to tremble, lightly at first, and then more fierce. She could tell by the looks on the faces of the enemy fighters, they were unsure.

The offending king frowned. What was this witch doing? His stallion began to get anxious as the thunder came closer. But something was off about this thunder, it didn’t sound right.

“Wait!” He turned to his advisor, something clicking in his mind.

“You said she had a cavalry called the Wings of Death…”

“Death’s Wings.” His General corrected.

“Then where…”

Realization dawned seconds too late as a cavalry of 60 horsemen and women explode from the forests on either side of the field. 30 on the left. 30 on the right. The offending king watched as they flowed onto the battlefield like a dark wave, running down his fighters. The lead horses had 4 foot long spears attached to their breastplates. The fighters who didn’t run were either impaled and carried off or trampled. He looked back at the dark witch atop her demonic creature. He couldn’t see her face but he knew she was smiling.

And smiling she was. As soon as her cavalry departed, the heavens opened up and rain fell in heavy droplets. Angry dark clouds swirled overhead and strong gusts of wind blew the horsehair plume on her helmet back.

She dismounted, not taking her eyes off her target.

“My Queen?” Her General asked, she knew he preferred her horsed. Not out of fear for her safety, but because it made it easier to see her. He had to remain at her side at all times. Should she fall, he was the next in charge of the battle.

“Time to end this.” She replied quietly. Her General nodded.

Her husband had offered him a peace deal. No lands or people, but he did offer an alliance in battle should that king need it. The enemy had responded by burning a village to ash that night. Her husband had sent the glow of the flames and the smoke from the balcony of their bedchamber.

He had sprinted down the corridor and in moments was armored, horsed, and charging with 30 horsed knights towards the flames. Her Bearer of Mercy rushed to save his people. But he had arrived too late. A day later, her beloved had returned, followed by the few survivors. His golden armor smudged with ash. The setting sun’s rays shining through the blades arranged on his helmet in a sunburst spike design. It gave him a godly appearance, but his shoulders were slumped and his head low. He had wept that evening, she held him, vowing vengeance. They had agreed after discussing with their advisors where to house the survivors.

Now those innocent victims, those 20 of the 30 residents. Those farmers and artisans. Now they would be avenged. The offending king was charging at her finally. She was ready. Her fighters were making quick work of their enemy. She watched the man as he rode towards her, the rain pounded on her armor, nearly drowning out the sound of her pulse in her ears. Adrenaline was speeding through her veins.

The offending king extended his arm, a morning star was held in his hand. The spiked ball on the end swaying. She could see he had a sword as well. She side stepped his steed and ducked his swing at the last minute, slapping his horse’s rear with the end of her spear. The animal startled and swung around, sliding in the mud. Her enemy lost his balance by the horse stumbling and bucking, he fell to the ground. His horse ran. She made a note to look for the animal later, his warhorse would make a nice trophy.

She watched the man get to his feet, which he accomplished faster that she expected. Her General was already engaged in battle with his. She plunged the butt of her spear into the mud and drew the crossed swords on her back. He swung the morning star, she dodged. The wind and rain swirled around them, thunder clapped above as lightening struck a nearby tree top simultaneously. The tree exploded. Wood splinters were flung far and landed around them.

She was highly trained with duel swords and moving in full armor was no issue for her. She had muscle from a lifetime of training. She sacrificed one of her swords to disarm him of the morning star, weapons spiraling off. She drew her spare sword, as did he. Even though he was outmatched weapon-wise, he still put up a vicious fight. His hits landed hard on her armor, but the metal and chainmail did it’s job. She’d have some serious bruising later.

Both fighters were soon covered in mud, her target’s golden metal now brown. She stepped back, her foot sliding. She went down on one knee, her opponent seeing his moment. He swung his sword up, she dropped one sword and grabbed a fallen shield and held it up. The sword slammed on the leather covered metal with a dull clang. Her General heard it and turned to see his Queen needed him. Her sword blade couldn’t find an opening in his armor and the shield was unlikely to withstand anymore hits.

The General’s eyes landed on his Queen’s spear and rushed to grab it. He signaled her with a distinct whistle. She dropped her sword and held her hand out and caught the spear. She saw the enemy king’s eyes widen through the slit in his helmet as she drove her spear tip between his plates and through the chainmail. He didn’t say a word, he just grabbed her shoulder. She let out a war cry, her scream being echoed by her fighters. The enemy succumbed to his wound.

She turned her back on him as he slid down the spear pole slowly, slumping into the mud. She had led her fighters onto the field and now she’d lead them off.

It had been a week since she had seen her beloved. A week to travel here. A battle that had lasted all day, the sun was setting now. It will be over a week back with wounded in tow, but she wasn’t leaving a single one of her fighters on the field. All would be returning. Living, wounded, and dead.

Part 1

Tag list

@jgvfhl @crc-general-orin @halzore @escapedthesarlacc @eyecandyeoz @thatonegreyghost @kungfuslipper @leias-left-hair-bun

[kanri-tea]

Horsemen of the Apocalypse! AU

Horseman of the apocalypse get reborn as hypnosis mic characters. Jiro as Pestilence, Dice as Famine, Rio as War, and Jakurai as Death.

I wrote this while mildly sleep-deprived, so sorry for the not great grammar that may or may not appear.

Pestilence

When Jiro was born, it was a celebration, a joyous occasion of new life entering this world.

For Jiro though? Pestilence screamed at the top of his lungs, confused and baffled by the turn of events. Just moments before, he had been wandering around the empty plains in northern America, peacefully waiting until the he was called again to usher in another apocalypse.

Growing up a second time is... daunting to say the least. While Pestilence's now-parents weren't in the picture anymore (and curse his soft heart for still loving the man who'd loved them then left them), Pestilence now had two brothers, one older and one younger.

Pestilence learns to love Ichiro and Saburo, learns to laugh and fight and love. It's so very much different then his relationship with the other harbingers. It had been difficult to truly love the others, Death with his aloofness, War with his wildness, and Famine with his cruelty. But even so... a part of Pestilence yearned for them, yearned for his kin.

In a funny twist of fate, Pestilence Jiro ends up meeting Famine ("Arisugawa Dice," the man murmurs in between pachinko machines, a look of wildness in his eyes that had never been there before) first. Dice, he calls himself now, and quietly tells Famine Dice his ("Yamada Jiro"). There's no fireworks, no bursting emotions, nothing. To the world, it's just another day, but to Jiro... it means everything and more to know that they are here too. That Pestilence is not alone.

Jiro doesn't end up meeting either War or Death until the rap battles (and isn't that a strange thought in itself? man, he thinks, humans were weird). War, he finds is every bit as intimidating as before, human or not. A former veteran, and how fitting is that? In the end, they part ways before the battle without exchanging names, exchanging confirmations of each others identities, but that was okay. Jiro knew. And so did Busujima Rio.

Death on the other hand... Well, people can't say that Death doesn't have a sense of humor any more, Jiro supposes. Long grey and lavender hair and a kind, gentle demeaner, Death presented himself as a saint, as a holy man. It was strange, to say the least. Jinguji Jakurai, Jiro knew, was anything but. Death may be kind, but it was also callous and cold. Uncaring.

The world continues turning, the cogs of fate continue to work. Jiro doesn't know why the world had decided to snatch him from his peaceful wandering and thrust him into this strange, strange situation, but he would wait. Sure, it was strange to be able to move around populated areas without spreading diseases, but Jiro could be content for now.

The apocalypse would come eventually, and Jiro would ride alongside the others to usher it, just like he'd done countless millennia before. There was no need to rush. If nothing else, the harbingers had patience in spades and were no strangers to waiting.

(There is a small niggling of doubt in the back of his mind. What of Ichiro? What of Saburo? If the apocalypse truly came in their lifetime... could Jiro truly usher their deaths? Would he be able to spread diseases and doing his duty without hesitating? Could he truly watch them die?)

Famine

Arisugawa Dice was not born as Arisugawa Dice. That is a fact of life. But despite what others thought, Tohoten Daisuke Dice was not born originally as his mother's child either.

Famine snarled as best as he could at his so-called 'mother.' It was rather difficult as a baby, but he managed. The women flinched back, as if struck, but soon calmed herself, delusioning herself that her so-called child was just that. A child. Famine inwardly sniggered, but kept his face blank.

It was annoying, being a small human. It's not too bad though, to be free of his duties as a harbinger, free of the expectations that the others brought with them. As time passed, observing the woman who constantly hovered and the man that was rarely ever there soon became routine in his new life. Famine does not care though. Famine is cruel and cold and uncaring. There is no love nor hope nor mercy in a famine after all.

It's not until he's a bit older, a bit wiser, and a bit more human that he realizes, oh. Maybe he did love this human woman, this mother of his. That, even as he snarled and clawed at the man who dared to call himself Famine's father, he might just be able to love and care for another being. That his righteous and protective anger may have just been triggered by this mother of his.

The truth of the matter, though, is that Arisugawa Dice's first love is not his mother. He might not have realized it at the time, and it would take years upon years before he would realize the love that came to be, that made him human, was first born from his love of dice and gambling. That same love would soon take over his life, leaving him a gambling addict and so, so very much like the human he despised.

Famine spent little time thinking of his kin. The truth of the matter is that they were not close, each one content on doing their own thing. It's not until he runs into Pestilence ("My name," a pair of young eyes quietly watched the pachinko machine twist and turn, "is Yamada Jiro.") that it comes to the forefront of his mind. If Pestilence was here... there was a good change War and Death were here too. It's strange and discontenting to think about, after spending so many years thinking that he was free.

He ends up meeting War as a part of Amemura Ramuda's meddling. They are a team now, Fling Posse, and well, it's interesting. They're fun and even though Dice sometimes wanted to wring Ramuda's neck, sometimes wanted to toy with Gentaro until the man broke, he held back. Arisugawa Dice was not cruel like Famine. He was an idiot gambling addict.

War ("Busujima Rio," War's uncharacteristically serious and quiet tone takes him off guard. It's strange and Famine hates it.) is so, so very different from before. Dice mentally compares the wild and loud War with the quietness and stillness of Busujima Rio and finds it lacking. There are parts of War still in Rio, Dice can't deny that, but it comes in small bits and pieces and rarely. War, Dice finds, has grown tired of war. How ironic.

If Dice found War ironic, Death was even more so. Ramuda wasn't incorrect in finding the so-called saintly doctor of Shinjuku a hypocrite. It's nothing short of a surprise in finding out that Death ("Jinguji Jakurai," Death smiles, and for a second, Dice wonders if he's in hell, "A pleasure to meet you, Arisugawa-kun.") is a doctor of all things. A doctor known for saving many people, as a person who brought life and not death. It's slightly terrifying, but if Death enjoyed it, Dice squinted, then more power to him, he supposed.

Time goes on. Things change and grow and die, an endless cycle. If Dice happened to wonder why they'd all been dragged in to this world, he never says it out loud. In some ways, it's strange to be a another normal being and not a bringer of misfortune. In others, it's frustrating being so weak and fragile now. But Dice was content. He had his mother and gambling. He had his posse.

The apocalypse would approach eventually and Dice was fine with waiting. He'd spent much of life waiting in the past and now would be no different. He had been born to usher the apocalypse and that was what he would do.

(There's a quietness in his mind that shows up on his bad days, when he gambles away everything. It's a quietness that reminds him that if the apocalypse ever shows up, it won't be him who dies. It'll be his mother. It'll be Ramuda and Gentaro. It's an unsettling thought, and so he pushes it away, hidden for another day.)

War

War is born into a family a veterans. Each one of them have fought battles, both out in the field and the ones in their minds. To them, they were battles worth fighting and they present their scars proudly to the world.

Busujima Rio, they call him, and he accepts that name just like he's accepted the countless other ones that he's worn to battle. In truth, it's not war that he loves the most, it's the thrill and adrenaline. He grows up a second time as rambunctious and energetic as the first from countless millennia ago, a spitfire in human clothing, as some would call it.

It's not until he's older that Rio starts to lose his enthusiasm for war. He fights in a pointless war, another meaningless battle in the vast field of other meaningless battles in the course of history. He watches his brothers-in-arms lose hope, lose their lives, and wonders. How ironic, he thinks, for War to lose interest in war.

It's there that he meets Death, Death who is oh-so-beautiful and ethereal. Death has always been beyond human grasp and untouchable, and in his human skin, Jinguji Jakurai is even more so. Rio watches with wide eyes and disbelief as Death hurries around in the medical bay, saving and healing as many soldiers as he could, his fellow doctors working alongside him to do the same.

Meeting Death was an experience in itself, and also a reminder that the other harbingers also existed. War had rarely ever thought of the others, though War had been more prone to run into the others, it was merely in passing. In the end, he doesn't meet the others until years later, not until Division Rap Battles begin and the start of the H era.

When Japan is called back from the war, Rio moves away from society. Maybe it's because he's so human now, maybe it's because he's seen to many good men try and fail for their ideals, but Rio is tired. He's tired of noise, of people, and of fighting. He watches as his former platoon fight against the new government and instinctively already knows that they will fail. The itch of war has not returned and Japan will remain peaceful for some time yet, Rio knows.

When Mad Trigger Crew is formed, Rio spends little time thinking about it. His agreement comes from the small, aching desire for fighting that War always felt, albeit now overshadowed by Rio's exhaustion. Samatoki and Jyuto, Rio finds, are entertaining. Their personalities clash, but both are so very easy to rile up. If Rio happened to just terrify them into submission via his so-called 'survival cooking,' well, that was no one's business.

Funnily enough, Rio meets Famine on accident. The man is wandering around, hungry and lost. Famine ("Arisugawa Dice," Famine grins, so much more wild and somehow just as viscous as always, "Nice ta meet 'cha!") has always been a bit more cruel then the others, but there's a wildness in his eyes that wasn't there before. Rio quietly feeds him and sends him on his way, neither commenting on how different War is now. Dice is unnerved, Rio knows, but chooses to ignore it. If the man asked, Rio would answer, but until then, he would stay silent.

He doesn't meet Pestilence until the rap battles, and even then, Jyuto is with him and Pestilence has another boy with him, his younger brother if Samatoki is to believed. Pestilence had always been the kindest of all of them, and now in a human skin, Rio sees that Jiro is no different. Fighting him on the battlefield of the rap battles will be fun, he thinks. In the end, they don't exchange names, they don't confirm identities, but that's okay. The harbingers would always recognize each other, and now was no different.

The world marches on. Rio never says it out loud, never mentions it to the others, but oftentimes, he wonders why they were dragged into this soft world. There is no need to fight for one's survival or a constant war to fight. It's peaceful. It's a bit strange, to be surrounded by nature and calmness rather then war and bloodshed, but Rio is happy. Rio was happy with his little campsite, with knowing the others are fine, with Mad Trigger Crew.

When the apocalypse comes - when, not if - Rio would return to his role as War. It was his duty and purpose. He would usher in the apocalypse like he'd done so many times before.

(The one bad thing about the quietness of the forest is that Rio cannot distract himself from his doubts. Could he truly usher the apocalypse during Samatoki and Jyuto's lifetime, should it come? Could he really stand aside and watch as they died? If they died from war, the war that the apocalypse always brought with it, the war that War would incite, Rio wasn't sure he could ever forgive himself.)

Death

Jinguji Jakurai was born into the darkness of the underworld. It's nothing new to Death, the cruelty of humans, and while amusing at times, it is nothing surprising. They teach the newly reborn Death the best ways to kill a person, to take out targets without hesitation. Death knows that his casual indifference to killing is unnerving to many, especially in a child's body, but he does not care.

The truth is, Death is indifferent. Whether mortals were to live or die, Death does not care. They fear what they do not know, but Death has always been. It can be patient and it can be callous, but in the end, Death can be kind. Jinguji Jakurai cuts down his targets with ruthless efficiency, as painless and quick as possible.

It's not until he's a bit older that he begins to meet humans again, begins to be reminded why humans were so fascinating. Each one so different and fragile in their own ways, Death quietly fell in love. Death's love couldn't truly be called love though, and neither did he ever call it that, but it's then that for once, Death choses to save these mortal lives instead of reaping them. (Jinguji Jakurai writes down on his high school career form that he wanted to be a doctor. Beside him, Amaguni Hitoya does the same, but for completely different reasons.)

Death had always known that the other harbingers were reborn as well, as his domain over death extended a bit to rebirth as well. He leaves them be though, for there is no apocalypse and therefore no reason to interact with the others. It's not until he sees War again during the war that they're actually closer then he thought they were. Busujima Rio, Jakurai sees, may be War, but becoming human has changed the being. It's actually a rather exciting realization, for none of the others had ever truly been mortal before. Not like Death. Jakurai felt a spark of interest in seeing what had become of the others for the first time since before their rebirth.

After the war, after the change in eras, Jakurai is left wandering Shinjuku. The TDD had broken apart, and feeling emotions that he could only describe as hurting, Jakurai meets Doppo and Hifumi. It's... strange. He forms Matenrou, creates a place for them, smile unwavering and kind. He knows what they call him, what the world calls him (saint, kind, holy) and the irony of it all is oh-so very amusing.

He sees Pestilence and Famine again during the rap battles. Pestilence, Jakurai notes, are as kind and sad as ever, fittingly in a body of a child for their gentlest member. Pestilence may have brought pain and drawn-out sadness, but in the end, the boy was the kindest and most understanding of the all (after all, he was one of the lepers, of the outcasts).

Famine on the other hand is just as different as War is now. Maybe even more so, Jakurai muses. The harbinger was now more wild, more playful then before. As he watched Famine taunt and play around with the other members of his division, Jakurai finds himself glad that the boy had found himself to belong, even if it was with Amemura Ramuda.

They're all unnerved by his profession, Jakurai sees, and it amuses him quite a bit. Maybe he is a little bit tired of only taking the lives of mortals. Maybe he does find a bit of sadistic joy in knowing that it was Death that saved their lives, but in the end, Jakurai wasn't spilling. It mattered none to him, because after all, all mortal beings will return to death, whether they fear him or not. Death could patiently wait his turn, for Jakurai would save as many lives as he could.

Life moves on. Time marches forward. Humans are born and others die, but Jakurai continues doing what he knows. There's a bit of wonder sometimes, if this was the doing of a higher being, if the fates was setting something in motion, but Jakurai ignored the thought. If it was truly the work of the fates, then things will happen when it happened, whether he wanted it or not. He was content with Matenrou, content with his job. Jakurai would take his happiness where he could.

Death was constant and Jakurai would always exist as long as there was death. The apocalypse might appear one day, it might not, but it did not matter to him. He would do his duty as he had done so since the beginning of time.

(Jakurai closes his eyes to the possibility of losing Doppo and Hifumi. Death was inevitable, but some came sooner then later. He might not know if he could truly reap their souls should their time come too early, but should they live long, happy lives, he would send them off to the next world with a smile. Death is inevitable, Death is unavoidable, and in the end, Death is patient. Everyone will die one day and Jakurai would patiently wait for when life ceased to exist. And then Death too, would finally die.)

[the-homebrewists]

I know this is random or anything but I'm trying to make a class or some sub classes for a couple classes that will make a character become almost a hoursman or a bringer of 1 of the many apocalyptic ends in religion, myth and d&d but I don't know what classes and sub classes that exist I can mash together to make that character or to make said class

if youre going for a sorta spellcasty thing id suggest working with a hexblade or undying warlock, for the spellsword/death magic aspects, or an oathbreaker paladin also for spellsword death magic stuff plus paladins get Find Steed, or maybe some sort of cleric of an unsavory entity with a domain like death or war

or if youre going for more of a melee class id BIG recommend reflavoring/working off of the zealot or storm herald barbarians, or working some more magicky features into the cavalier fighter if youre gonna be doing horseman stuff

a lot of my characters i lightly homebrew variations on existing subclasses for, or just reflavor existing subclasses, because a lot of the time its way easier to find something thats already what you want or close enough to what you want Mechanically than it is to fully synthesize something new. sometimes i pick and choose different subclass features for a frankenstein subclass when just One set of features wont cut it for my idea (with dm permission ofc)

-mod nix

[historiesandmemories]

“  come  back.  come  back  to  me.  ” (bringer for fam)

Dying alone was the worst. If Famine had to die, she'd rather have anyone (and she did mean anyone) around than be left in those last moments in the loudest silence she'd ever experienced. She'd been there too many times, unable to move, watching her blood seep further and further, feel her breaths run more and more ragged. All the while, the world steadily quieted, as if the volume was being turned down, until all that was left was a hollow ringing and even that left in the end.

If Famine had to die and she got to choose, she'd have the Bringer at her side. She'd hate to put them through that--they'd already seen more than their fair share of loved one's die--but Famine was at her most selfish when she was in pain and dying hurt like a bitch. At least if they were there, she wouldn't be so alone and the world wouldn't feel cold and silent and harsh, but gentler, kinder, like it always did when they were around.

That thought occurred to the horseman now as she listened to Bringer's pleas. A brief smile flickered over her face, weak and it died quickly, and she glanced up at them despite how blurry and dark her vision had gotten. "I'll be back," she muttered, "You can't get rid of me yet."

[captainfinnsboat]

Grim Reaper Lore

People often paint the Grim Reaper as evil and malicious within the media and pop culture but that isn’t the case. The Reaper is nearly a bridge between the living and the dead. Their job is to transport souls from the vail (the spot between life and death) into the afterlife. The Grim Reaper appears in many cultures and religions. In Catholicism they are often referred to as the angel of death that carries souls to either heaven or hell. In Asian culture the Reaper is called “death bringer” or “death spirit” and is said to invite humans to their death. In Asian culture the Reaper is sometimes seen as a god/deity while in Catholicism it is seen as a type of angel like cupids/cherubs or Seraphs. Of course the Reapers title and position changes through different cultures and bible translations. In the Hebrew bible the Reaper is an individual spirit and not a group of angels. In Spanish culture the Reaper is seen as an agricultural entity as well as death and is referred to as a feminine deity. The scythe brings upon the agricultural ideas and is said to represent hope and prosperity. The Spanish lore is more of a story. The Reaper was farmer who used a scythe. Famine fell upon the farm and everything on the land died and the women became the Reaper after she passed, but this only a speculation I made by picking apart different elements and ideas from the Spanish lore. The earliest lore I could find that represents present beliefs is Chronos (also known as father time) from Greek mythology. Chronos/Cronus (two different entities with similar descriptions and abilities) was a harvest god and a god of time who carried a sickle/scythe. The harvest god idea relates to Spanish culture and famine, one of the four horseman who are supposed to bring upon the apocalypse and bring death, while the god of time idea relates to death because everyone's time comes to an end resulting in death. The current grim reaper description and design derives from Chronos and Cronus.

[fluffmugger]

look, let me preface this by saying that I adore the miniseries of good omens, and nothing will kill my squee for it but oh, they cut so much out of the four horsemen, and the story of Them that it hurts. There was a reason each of Them faced off a particular horseman.  Pepper? She was a scrapper. First time she met Adam et al and innocently told them her full name, their reaction resulted in a fight that actually needed a bucket of water thrown at them because it descended into biting (and they were best friends ever since).  Brian? Oddly like pigpen, tended to attract a mess wherever he went, destroyed Pollution with his circlet of grass stalks.  Wensleydale? Born accountant, and the measuring scales he held smashed the shit out of Famines. Adam, the bringer of the End of Days vs Death itself.   Each of them held an element of the horseman in question, and each of them subverted it.  And I’m sad that didn’t quite make it in. But this scene in particular? It actually pissed me off.  War mocks Pepper. War denigrates her as a woman. And I get yeah woo capitalism war machine bad hates femininity but the sequence in the book was so very very different. 

War didn’t denigrate Pepper. War respected her. An equal. And as an equal, Pepper defeated her.  Both were women, both knew violence. But War was the personification of battle, with no nuance, no real control.  Pepper used controlled violence when she had to, she remained the master of it.  And we lost that, and worse, we lost it to a rather pissy signalling comment about “every day sexism” promptly followed by Pepper resorting to it.  Ugh.

[hunger-and-desire]

The Battle for the Mirrorverse, Pt 2

Based off an old idea Crow/ @ghostsandmirrors​ and I were throwing around. Was seized with the need to write it. So here’s the first of what will be I don’t know how many parts.

Basic jist: The horsemen have teamed up with Misfortune to overthrow the Lady of the Mirror and take over. After a surprise attack, Famine, Bringer, and the Mirrorverse folk are scrambling to defend themselves and the Mirror World from the attackers. It doesn’t go their way.

Disclaimer: I don’t know what this place looks like so I just made it up. Sorry, Crow.

Everyone had disappeared to their various corners to deal with the injured and dead. Famine had found a literal corner and curled up there, staring blankly at the ground before her. People moved about her, but no one stopped to see if she should get her wounds checked or if she needed anything. People gave the horseman a wide berth, letting her sit in her numb silence.

“Eminfam?” The name shattered her withdraw state and Famine looked up to find Liaxee approaching, “Are you alright?” The horseman just stared at him before shaking her head slightly. Liaxee nodded, dropping his gaze before lowering himself to the ground and settling beside her. “The Bringer is asking for you.”

“Why?”

Liaxee furrowed his brow in confusion. “Why would they not be?” he asked, “You are their partner, sey? And you have gone and disappeared after battle. They are worried, though they would not say.”

“But I couldn’t stop them. I couldn’t save her.” Her eyes flickered back to the dais at the other end of the room. She could just barley see the pool of blood where the Lady had fallen.

Liaxee offered her a sad smile. “None of us could, Eminfam,” he said, “You did what you could. They will not hold that against you.” He went to lay a hand on her should and seemed to think better of it and pulled his hand back into his lap.

For a moment, the two simply sat in silence, staring out at the ruined throne room. Eventually, Liaxee pushed back to his feet. “Come, we will go see Bringer.” His tone left little room for argument, though Famine wished she could convince him that she wanted nothing more than to be left alone. Even if she could, she’d feel guilty about not going to see Bringer. So, she drew herself to standing and pulled her jacket back on. “And you should get that looked at,” he said, motioning to her face. Famine reached hand up to her face, confused until her fingertips grazed the dry blood. Right, Death had broken her nose. “Come, we will go see Bringer and have that fixed,” Liaxee said.

“Alright.” She followed close behind the larger man, ducking down to snatch up her boots as she passed by them. Her gloves, however, she couldn’t seem to find.

The two wandered back through the castle to Bringer’s room. Famine couldn’t help feeling slightly like a mischievous child being walked to the authorities as she trailed behind Liaxee, head hung.

They reached Bringer’s room and Liaxee stopped, motioning Famine to step in before him. She could see Bringer, sitting in a chair by the window, someone tending to their leg. The horseman froze, tightening her grip on her shoes; Famine didn’t like being confronted by failure and this felt like a confrontation.

“You are being ridiculous, horseman,” Liaxee said, quietly, but closer than Famine had expected so she jumped. Her boots hit the door frame, causing both Bringer and the woman to look to them.

“Famine,” Bringer said, looking at her before looking to Liaxee, “Thank you for finding her.”

“Fo esrouc.” Liaxee nodded and simultaneously lightly shoved Famine forward. The horseman stumbled and shot the man a look, but stepped over to the Bringer. She set her boots down before stepping over to sit gingerly on the edge of the bed, pulling her feet up under her and stuffing her hands into her pockets. Bringer watched her for a moment before looking back to Liaxee. “Could you find her some gloves, please?”

“Sey,” Liaxee nodded.

Famine watched the large man disappear before looking back to Bringer. There was a moment where the two just looked at each, unsure of what to say. Famine had never been good with emotions, especially with comfort. But she needed to say something, anything.

“I’m so sorry,” she finally said, just as Bringer asked, “Are you alright?” They stared at one another again, unsure of what to respond to, before Bringer dropped their gaze to the floor with a nod.

“I am too,” they sighed.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save her.” Famine felt tears beginning to burn her eyes but she refused to cry right now.

Bringer looked up at her and found their eyes were misty too. “I’m sorry none of us could.”

“I’m sorry that my siblings—”

“Famine,” Bringer cut her off. They went to say more, but there was a knock on the door.

“Gloves,” Liaxee said, holding up a pair of leather gloves, “Renrait had some, said she thinks they will fit.” He stepped over and offered them to Famine. The horseman slowly pulled her hands from her pockets and took them, careful not to brush Liaxee’s hands.

“Thank you.”

Liaxee offered a small smile and a nod before disappearing again. Famine put the gloves in her lap and started to pull them on. “You should have that looked at,” Bringer said as they saw the cut from War’s sword on the underside of her right hand.

“It’s fine,” she insisted, “I’ll clean it later.”

“I can look at it,” offered the woman who had been treating Bringer’s knee.

Famine glanced at her. “I’m not so sure—”

“Famine this is Lehare,” Bringer interrupted, “She’s a healer. Let her look at you.” Like Liaxee’s words earlier, these left no room for argument. Famine narrowed her eyes briefly at Bringer before looking back to the woman, Lehare.

“Just so you know—”

“I can’t touch your skin,” Lehare finished, smiling kindly, “I know, I saw what you did to the guards earlier.” She stepped over and gingerly took Famine’s hand in her gloved one, looking at the gash. “I did always wonder why you wore gloves and a jacket with the weather being so lovely.”

“I’m sorry, have we met?” Famine asked.

Lehare smiled up at her. “No, but I’ve seen you around. Newcomers are noticeable, especially when they are horsemen.”

“Oh.”

The trio sat mostly in silence as Lehare dealt with Famine’s injuries. Once she was done, Lehare went off to treat others, leaving Famine and Bringer alone.

Heavy silence weighed upon them and Famine searched her mind for what she should do. Their normal snark and sass didn’t seem right here, but she had no idea what else to do. “What do I do?” she finally asked, the words sort of tumbling out of her mouth.

The Bringer glanced at her with furrowed brows. “I don’t know. About what—”

“For you,” she clarified. The confusion on Bringer’s face hardly lessened. “I’ve never been good at emotions, especially comfort, ask Martel,” she continued, “You just watched your adopted mother die. Now, I don’t have parents but I can assume that that is pretty shitty to see!” There was almost a panicked tone to Famine’s voice and she took a minute to quell it. “So, what do I do? What do you need from me?”

The Bringer sat there silently, watching the horseman with slowly misting eyes. “Don’t leave,” they finally said, voice hardly above a whisper, “Just stay.”

“Of course. I’m not going anywhere,” she assured them.

 They’d been left on their own for several hours, enough for the sun to set. Bringer hadn’t moved from their chair, only shifted slightly to be more facing Famine. The horseman had cleaned up a bit, changed her clothes, and was stretched out on her side on the bed. Neither had said anything for hours.

A knock on the door drew them both from their reverie. Famine sat up as the Bringer turned to see a small quorum at the door including the General, Renrait, Liaxee, and Lehare. “We need to discuss what to do now,” the General said.

“We’ll have to discuss that with the—” Bringer’s face fell as their words trailed off. Their sorrow quickly shifted into panic as they looked back up. “Shit,” they hissed.

Famine looked between the two groups and realized there was some realization occurring that she was left out of. “What’s going on?” she asked slowly.

“Now that the Lady is…gone,” Renrait began, “Bringer is in charge of the Mirrorverse.”

Famine looked sharply back to Bringer to find that they were just staring blankly, trying to process the revelation. “Oh, alright,” the horseman muttered, “No pressure or anything.”

“I wish there was more time to settle in to this, but we don’t know how long we have until they come back,” the General said, stepping into the room, “You don’t have to do this alone, Bringer.” They looked up at the older man and nodded, but said nothing.

The small group filed into the room, taking up various positions. Liaxee walked over and leaned on the bed, near Famine. He offered her a small smile, one she attempted to return but feared was all edges and no warmth.

“The first thing we need to do is utilize our army,” the General said, “Now that we know we actually have an enemy on our hands, we can be better prepared to fight back.”

“Yes, good,” Bringer muttered, clearly too lost in thought to be paying attention. Famine scooted to the edge of the bed and reached over to grab their hand lightly, as if she could drag them out of the abyss of their thoughts and hold them here in the present.

“Famine,” The General’s voice made her look up and draw her hand back sharply, “What do we need to know about your siblings?”

“I…uh…I don’t know,” she stuttered, “What would you like to know? We’re all horsemen.” Of course they were all horsemen, she mentally chided herself, they knew that.

The General didn’t react. “Are you the only telekinetic one?”

“Yes. But War controls fire, that should be worried about,” she said, “And Death…I don’t know how our powers would affect you all—I know mine would but I’m a little different—but if he touches you, he could kill you, just like that. And he’s also telepathic.”

The General was about to ask another question when there was a commotion in the hall. Everyone who could lept to their feet. Distant screams and crashes had them all moving before they’d even really registered the noises. They followed the noises until they reached a large window looking into the garden behind the castle. People were running from a dark form that didn’t seem to have a consistent shape. A low hiss left Famine’s lips; shadow wraiths, her favorite.

“There’s a door to the garden just downstairs,” the General said. Liaxee and Renrait went to follow but Famine caught the fighting teacher’s arm.

“I need to talk to it. That’ll be faster and more effective than trying to fight it.” Famine said. The woman looked at her in confusion for a second before nodding.

“There’s a balcony over here that looks out at the garden,” Renrait said. The two jogged off and through a room that was pristine and white and Famine tried not to think too much about whose room it was.

The pair pushed out onto a small balcony and Famine ran to the railing, looking down into the garden where the wraith was causing chaos. “Vindra uko-ali, [Come up here]” Famine snapped at the wraith. The shadow stopped and looked up at her before flashing a toothy grin.

“Kichi, Ororoo, [Hello, Princess]” it hissed, before launching itself up to railing and getting dangerously close to Famine’s face. She resisted the urge to draw back. “Ti’bk bitoo-de-Lyra eyk. [You’re in the wrong castle]”

“Iy baka ty, [So are you]” she responded cooly, “Kyra, mochi ty drakhin Oyingle?[Now, can you speak English?]”

The shadow wraith scoffed. “Trokot. [No]” Famine rolled her eyes; she knew Wraithin but she did not enjoy speaking it.

“What is that thing, Famine?” Renrait asked.

The horseman glanced back at the trainer. “They’re called Shadow Wraiths. They’re from my home world,” she explained, “Death must have brought them along.” She looked back at the creature who was still perched on the railing, smiling widely. “Mychi de Ereree lokous ty? [Did the King send you?]”

“Egek, Ororoo, [Yes, Princess]” it hummed, seemingly excessively please with itself.

“Keelek ocho mochik de Ereree hin? [And what does the King say?]“

„Brokaylo aussi-rohy tyn, [Bring out your dead]” the wraith laughed. Famine rolled her eyes before she reached out and grabbed the shadow. Her hand sunk into the cold mass and yanked it forward. Whatever features the creature had rearrange into shock.

“Hak ara valhal drohi-ty iych, madra hak a trokit kyra, [I was afraid of you once, but not now]” she hissed. “Ocho mychi dree oychan hin? [What did he really say?]”

“You have three days.” The English was croaky and wrong on it’s tongue but comprehensible. “Three days, keelek mor ti rycky. [and then you die]”

Famine looked back at the Mirrorverse folk. Their stares seemed to say ‘we understood the first, but not the last’. “Hak aha ta dreikat para-Ereree tyn, [I have a message for your king]” the horseman began, looking back to the wraith, “Lokin dree, hak gryla dreem drees drohomentyt akonym, keelek hak aral trochyn dreem drees konyn malak. [ Tell him, I gave him his greatest success and I will bring him his worst nightmare]”And then, with that, she shoved it off the balcony. The shadow dropped, exploding into tendrils of darkness before it hit the ground.

The General and Liaxee stared up at them from the ground and Renrait and Famine stood frozen on the balcony. “We have three days,” The General said. Everyone nodded slowly, processing the information. “Let’s get to work.”

[a-red-horse-named-shaka]

(ZAZIE BEETZ, UNKNOWN, SHE/HER) We have been waiting for a while, but SHAKA was finally spotted in the village today. People heard whispers that they are a HORSEMAN (WAR) that is hellbent on getting involved in fixing the veils. Will they succeed? Only time can tell. Until then we will keep a close eye on them as they listen to "GOLD PURPLE ORANE" BY JEAN GRAE & QUELLE CHRIS. (Frenchy, She/Her, 22, EST)

Baby 2 out of 3 go go go! This is Shaka, war of the four horsemen. She’s an artist, often working on these grand oil paintings depicting war or death or humanity -- mainly vanitas. Very baroque of her. She likes to think of herself as refined and in control but she has a temper on her and little patience for the petty squabbles of humans. She tries extremely hard (with varying degrees of success) to balance grace and power. 

Here’s the skinny...

As far as age goes, first of all rude, second she’s older than most can fathom.

She likes to think that war (and of course the tenets of the other three horsemen) are apart of existence. There’s no getting around it.

Furthermore, she firmly believes that people have darkness in them and are capable of hurting each other, fighting and killing each other without her instilling it in them. It’s just a little push.

This she finds kind of disgusting. How easy it is to start bloodbaths over matters of little importance.

That said, she also believes that war is necessary and can be just and righteous. War itself isn’t always the issue, especially in situations of liberation, revolt, the reclamation of power etc.

I think as far as the veil is concerned, she tends to lean more towards “let them rot if they want,” but respects her fellow horsemen who believe more firmly in the balance than she maybe does. Thus she will support them and work towards the reinstitution of the veil.

It took her a long time to come into herself and she refuses to label herself as just a bringer of chaos. Chaos has always been there. It says more about humanity’s character than her own that they are so easily swayed.

The ring she wears is gold. Classically beautiful albeit showing its age.

Yeah, I’m just going to do it. She rides a red Kawasaki Ninja.

Connections!

Muses (most people end up in one of her paintings eventually)

Other horsemen

People that get on her nerves

I like to think she participates heavily in the arts/sports so dance partners, sparring partners etc.

Someone (could be plural) she has a soft spot for

Going off of that, Shaka has an intense energy, maybe someone who mellows her out would be interesting!

[hati-writes]

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

War:

Blood red, fond of violence and always in the middle of any fight going. Who else could possibly fit this role?

Famine:

Suited, controlled and with absolutely no excess. Will has a famine of time and works himself down to the bone. He will accept no excess or indulgence, our severe starved horseman!

Pestilence:

It may not be his fault, but Alan shows how disease and plague can affect even the healthy, bringing down strong and weak alike. Poor boy.

Credit for the image goes to the amazing @airin-ater who’s art of Eric and Alan is breathtaking. Thank you!

Death:

Well who else could it possibly be? The Omega, the bringer of the end! Also completely epic looking!

So there we are, the apocalypse will be brought to us by these four, and I for one welcome death at their scythes! What a way to go...

[serenzippity]

can we a get continuation/headcanons for monsta x as the four horsemen?

Excerpts and the following explanation taking from The Public Domain Review.

“The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described by John of Patmos in his Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament. The chapter tells of a “‘book’, or ‘scroll’, in God’s right hand that is sealed with seven seals”. The Lamb of God, or Lion of Judah, (Jesus Christ) opens the first four of the seven seals, which summons forth four beings that ride out on white, red, black, and pale horses. Although some interpretations differ, in most accounts, the four riders are seen as symbolizing Conquest, War, Famine, and Death, respectively. The Christian apocalyptic vision is that the four horsemen are to set a divine apocalypse upon the world as harbingers of the Last Judgment.”

Gifs are mine.

↳The White Horse - Conquest

He is the bringer of the beginning of the end. The first of the four to ride upon the wings of the apocalypse, he rides out on a glimmering white horse and looks like an angel sent from above. He is the one who doesn’t scare the masses and lulls them into a sense of beauty. However, he opens the path for the rest of the horseman to ravage the world.

I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come and see!” I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. (Revelation 6:1-2)

↳The Red Horse - War

He is the bringer of devastation. With a large army on his back, he rides through the gates with fire in his steps. He destroys cities and causes the war-mongering nature of humankind to spring forth. Forcing nations against each other, he brings about mutually assured total destruction. His symphony is the screams of a battlefield, his perfume the stench of blood. 

When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come and see!” Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. (Revelation 6:3-4)

↳The Black Horse - Famine

He is the bringer of starvation and cries of help. The innocents are his victims as he rides in on the heels of War. He takes the agriculture and burns supplies in his wake. Turning the Earth against humankind, he pushes harvests back into the ground and spoils their work. Forcing leaders to tax their people heavily, he topples economies and brings swollen bellies and dead children. 

When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” (Revelation 6:5-6)

↳The Pale Horse - Death

He is the bringer of the end. Resting at the gates, he watches the three other horsemen prepare humankind for his cold grip. He rides in on a skeleton horse offering those who are suffering a sweet release into the next world. Mothers and their children call out to him to end their pain. Leaders call out to him to end their wrongs. The world yields to him when darkness takes over. 

When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come and see!” I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine, and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:7-8)