#Common Suffering

[guerrilla-operator]

Harm's Way // Cyanide

Like cyanide Shatter the earth The poison Fatigue sets in Concussed I can't recall Distrust It controls us all

[vermilliondevth]

Harms Way's "Common Suffering" is more than just an experimentation. It's a powerful, hardcore-fueled, and emotionally electrifying album with a hidden message left to be deciphered by its listener. Whomever seeks to find the conventional approach to what they've done in the past could be easily disillusioned with this one, but if you dig deeper, you may find a masterpiece. It asks the listener:

"Do you know what real suffering feels like?"

This album suggests a deep exploration of the five stages of grief:

Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. Acceptance.

But what is most fascinating is that, it is much more closer to the true expression of how these stages are experienced in humanity. It is not cohesive, but rather confused and abstract. It speaks about a heart finding out that it has been betrayed. The realization that the truth we believed and trusted is no longer there, and so the journey of transcendence begins. The hurt ego begins with trying to maintain itself afloat with - - "Degrade, we're born to decay" - "Decline, they will let you down" - As the feelings and thoughts begin to affect our consciousness by circulating into a downward spiral, it then speaks with - - "I am in denial, I will never be free again" - "I have no sense of self" - "I can't forgive me, another victim in denial" - but the sword of deceit has already been plunged into the heart, perforating deeply - so deeply, it emerges all the way to the back. The sharpness of the pain, the burning sensation felt all over the body, and the mind finds itself in a state of shock. The blood pours out from the mouth and circulates all the way up into the brain. We suddenly become blinded by rage.

The anger. The endless anger. - "I can't live this way, live your way. I can't love like you do." - "Commitment, Illusion, you can't console" - "A selfish force, so cruel, a destructive scheme" - "You take my soul from me and I feel betrayed" - "A broken promise, the hate infests" - "You feel your life erode, it's all for nothing" - "I watched you betray me, I want you to fear me" - "Before they terrorize you, watch them bleed in front of you" -

It is anger sinking you deeper into the abyss, seeking for the ultimate destruction of the lie you lived. It is wanting to skin yourself alive to erode every false touch, hope, and empty promise given to you. Desolation, and despair. Feeling so many violent currents, you no longer can decipher what is real. Worthlessness.

Bargaining with faith, asking the question: Is this really my destiny? Am I still a man or have I become an empty shell? - "(Help me)" - "I remember (When will it end?)" - "Devour me" - "Why do we exist?" -

Only to find the door slammed shut, locked deep inside memories that can no longer be experienced nor lived in no matter how hard we try to pry it open, leading us straight into the meaningless of our existence - The Void. Depression, forcing us to meet face to face with the ultimate darkness, our shadow selves. The endless monologues, paranoia, neurosis - the inability to feel anything but pure emptiness: - "Fade away" - "Looking for seclusion" - "I forever am alone (dying inside)" - "Cornered alone, wounded and vulnerable" - "The years await, to fill the void" - "It's all for nothing, erase my future" - "I lay still, tomorrow I dread" - "The nervous system stalls, you cripple and start to fall" - "I blame myself and I corrode, and I surround myself with what I loathe" - "A sad delusion, I confess" - "I faced God, I was turned inside, It's back to hell, and I'm here to stay" -

The process of isolation. Not having the emotional currency needed to see hope. The endless shades of grey. The endless grief, corrupted by loneliness. Numbness. The "Cyanide" poisoning the heart, obliterating every feeling of hope. Using the last remaining dose of courage to grab the sword by the blade to remove it once and for all, for the suffering has been too great to continue tolerating - the endless bleeding, the ultimate sacrifice of love. Years go by and the wound ceases to bleed, yet it remains open. It then makes us question: Do we choose to remain or do we choose to cease? "The affection I feel, impaired. Relations turn to despair. As I cower to my knees, they empower" - "Never let them take control" - "I will always seek power" - And through the solitude, isolation, we begin to understand the nuances of the betrayal and it's meaning. We begin to understand that this pain and suffering, is a new source of power being gifted to us. Through the path of hell, we meet our creator - ourselves, and by looking at it straight into the eyes of the abyss, we begin to accept our fate. We become acquainted with expansion in our consciousness through our common suffering. We accept our anger and the injustice made onto us: - "And I looked into the eyes of a demon and I saw myself" - "The calm sets in, at peace this time" - "I'm free at last" - "The darkest past, no longer see beneath the surface" - "Sink to peace" - It then culminates with a song called "Wanderer": - "To wander beyond the sunset To sail above the seabed To wander behind the sand glass To reach the past of me

As I'm wandering, I'll be searching through - " The search for a new meaning. A new sense of self. A life beyond deception and hatredness. The search for the new truth.

As mentioned at the beginning, these messages are found scattered throughout the story-line, which brings a lot of confusing thoughts to what exactly is the message that is being conveyed. But that is the beauty of grief - the imbalance of emotions and thoughts, the constant ups and downs, the health within sickness - we can all experience these torments in just a day. The combination of this lyrics, alongside the heaviness and the metallic abstraction of the sounds, brings out feelings rooted within the subconscious that feel foreign, and almost terrifying. It invites the listener to open up their heart and feel the fear. I couldn't bear to listen to this album after the first time I did - for it triggered feelings I didn't wish to re-live again. But I took the plunge and allowed myself to go alongside the journey of pain - a journey that by now, I know very well. I came to understand that I am not completely alone in this world - someone out there experienced the same feelings I have experienced, and meticulously put into words the things I have always wished to express but never could. This band already had an immense sentimental value to me - it reminds me of a life I thought I would live forever. But as I went through it's journey, in the end - all I truly found was hope and acceptance.

Acceptance of what is long gone and no longer will be. Acceptance that I am also the wanderer, searching through - for the truth.

The ultimate truth that can only be found through common suffering.

The light at the end of the tunnel.

[bedforddanes75]

im not american but some of you guys are just fucking stupid ong what do you MEAN youre not gna vote because you disagree with like one part of what youre voting for. like okay me when im fucking thick

[clarisimart]

Some people don't get it, but for me, like a BIG part of why I actually ship Billford in a specifically romantic fashion is because well... It just makes everything SO MUCH worse and more painful, doesn't it?

Like the fact that Bill CARED about Ford (and this part is certainly cannon, the romanticness of it might be up for debate, but Bill CARED, Bill LIKED him), the concept that Bill LOVED and still LOVES Ford even after all those years, the fact that Ford is the one person in trillions of years that Bill is open with, and that he can relate to, the one person in the entire multiverse he wants to keep, the one person he loves...

And yet, Bill still hurts him, he still betrays him, he still haunts and abuses him...

It just makes Bill so much worse

He CAN care, he CAN love

But that won't stop him from doing awful, violent, twisted things, even to the one person in the whole universe that actually MATTERS to him.

And that just makes it so much more horrifying and honest to goodness tragic

[olasketches]

two sides of the same coin

[tea-cat-arts]

Shen Yuan getting transported into pidw isn't "the system punishing him for being a lazy internet hater," but instead representative of "step 1 of the creative process: getting so mad at something you decide to go write your own fucking book" in this essay I will

[sevenines]

i saw this tweet and found it interesting for two reasons. one is that some people base how good cartoon network would be to toh by how it treated su, and despite the fact that su’s treatment by the network was considered poor at the time, now its thought to be exceptionally good in comparison to modern shows.

two is how exactly su got impacted by a limited budget. a common criticism is how characters like connie, peridot, and lapis are left out of missions. but balancing a lot of characters is not only hard but also costly (extra animation, extra voices—it’s been revealed that the show is limited to a set number of characters per episode otherwise they’re over budget). animation mistakes are not uncommon since retakes cost extra. the entire reason the original show got cut short was due to loss of funding!

[ohgreat-moretapes]

Tim I noticed a lot of indigenous patches on your jacket, are you Native?

Idk what my dad was 'cause I never knew him, but yeah my mom is (or... Was.. I guess..) Muscogee, the tribe native to the part of Alabama I'm in.

If I remember correctly she came to Alabama from Oklahoma (where a lot of Natives were displaced to in the 1800s) to "get back to her roots."

But yknow, I was separated from her in childhood (which tbh is upsettingly common for Native families) and I was raised in a very white very Catholic asylum so I'm not as connected to the culture as I'd like to be.

-Tim

[poisonous-honey]

Child of the Otherworld

Who’s Here: Reader/Player, Aether, and a bunch of others with roles so small it’s not worth saying lol

Contains: SAGAU (Not Cult AU), Child!Reader, Barely proofread I got tired and busy

Note: Hey Anon! Sorry, but I don’t write for the cult AU. I consider any mention of the reader being the creator the cult AU. I haven’t written or read about that AU in forever. I still got inspired and wrote the rest of this though! So here’s a short intro and then a few small bits at the end (╯▽╰ )

----------~~~~~~~~~~----------~~~~~~~~~~----------

They don't really care if you’re a child or not.

They're happy both living their lives in their respective roles (for the most part) and acting it out on the grand stage that is your device. It's simply the nature of their existence, whether you're young or old matters little to them. What matters is that you continue to play.

Cause if the player stops playing, do they really exist at all? What would you do if you eventually got bored of them? Will their world come to an end if you ever decided to delete their game?

Even if it didn't, they would feel terrible to not put their all into their respective roles. To some, it's fun and exhilarating. To others, it's just their job, an important aspect of their life that they take pride in. Your enjoyment is key, whether keeping it has dire consequences or not.

So when you suddenly stopped playing one day, without any kind of forewarning or hint that you might be taking a break, they panicked.

The first day was odd. You didn’t normally skip any, nor did you verbalise if you wouldn’t be able to play that day. At least to the Traveller’s and Paimon’s knowledge since they’re the only ones that can hear you. Maybe you had somewhere to be last second or your device got confiscated. They could live with that.

The second day they got antsy. They tried to keep a level head, maybe you got hooked onto a different game for a bit, or you were being forced to study or do homework. Two days still wasn’t much to go off of, you could be fine. They can wait.

Well they hoped they could, but their resolve didn’t last for very long. The third day with nothing from you they sent out notification. They weren’t even hoping for you to use it to open the game, well they were, but they mostly just wanted to to interact with it. Opening the game, silence it, swipe it away, anything. Their nerves grew when it sat untouched for the whole day on the shelf.

The fourth day they sent an email. They didn't know if it was you in charge of the email account or someone else, but it was one of the only ways they could communicate off the device. Nothing came of the email as far as they knew.

With the lack of interaction with any form of direct contact by the time of the fifth day, some started to think that something bad had happened to you. Not everyone, but enough to try and see if anyone from any of the other games on your device knew anything about your disappearance. Unfortunately, none of them did.

After getting nothing from them, they scoured for information on any other application you may have on the sixth day. All they found out was that none of them had been opened since you first stopped showing up.

The seventh day they're scrambling, trying and failing to look for information anywhere on your whereabouts. By this point it's made clear you haven't even touched your device since you left them. Most of them now are worried for your safety and the potential danger their whole world is in with your absence.

It's when Aether is taking a mental break from all of the searching and worrying that he finds you in Whispering Woods. You’re trying your hardest to collect the apples in the tree and failing pretty spectacularly. He doesn't expect every kid to be able to jump high enough or climb trees though. Or have bombs.

He doesn't know it's you at first, just a child who wandered too far off and is probably hungry. So when he comes over to help you he's not exactly expecting his worldview to get shattered.

“Hey! Do you need any help?”

You quickly turn upon hearing his voice and beam at him. He doesn’t think he's seen anyone smile, or at least give a genuine happy one, since this whole debacle started. Your smile is so precious he's happy he's found you. Though in the back of his mind it does get him to think about how you could've ended up here. Were the knights at the gate not as vigilant as he thought? Or did you sneak out some other way?

“Yes please help me! The apples are so hard to reach. I've been hungry forever!”

Aether chuckles, just a bit concerned about your statement but not thinking much of it, and easily climbs the tree to safely pick the apples for you. He wanted to make sure not to damage them so you could eat the full thing. His usual methods of jumping or hitting the tree until they all fell probably would lead to a very blemished apple.

He hops out of the tree with all three apples and hands them over to you. You struggle a bit to hold all of them, before Aether suggests using your shirt to hold them. You follow and proudly call your shirt the basket shirt. Now that he's pointed it out, your shirt doesn't seem to be of Mondstadt origins. Nor does it seem to be from anywhere really. The rest of your clothes are also out of place. Why didn't he notice before? Just where are you from-

“Thank you so much Aether!”

Hearing his name causes him to freeze. How do you know that name? He's been very particular about which name he uses when, and the code doesn't give away information to everyone freely. Not to mention anyone who has heard his real name hasn't ever brought it up again, so at this point the only people who should know are Lumine, Paimon, Dainsleif, and-

Oh

Now that he thinks about it, your voice is awfully familiar.

Oh

He doesn't know if his current train of thought would be good or bad to be proven true. He guesses it would be a bit of both, but…

Aether gives you a smile he hopes is reassuring and kneels down to be eye level with you.

“I'm glad I could help. Do you think you could do me a quick favour now?”

You tilt your head, “Like a trade?”

Aether nods, “Sure, I'd just like to ask a few questions if that's okay with you?”

You smile at him again just as bright as your last, “Okay! I can do that!”

He asks questions that no random child would know pertaining to his journey and people he's met. You answer most of them with ease. You took a bit to think for some, but every answer was in some form correct.

----------~~~~~~~~~~----------~~~~~~~~~~----------

“Who helped free Dvalin from the abyss?”

“That's easy! It was you, Diluc, Jean, and Venti! Deeval- uh, oh yeah, Stormterror is Venti’s so of course he's going to help.”

“You know who Venti really is?”

“Yeah, he's the wind god! Barb… Bar- uh… Bartobas?

“Close enough.”

----------~~~~~~~~~~----------~~~~~~~~~~----------

“What’s Dainsleif's goal?”

“To fight the Abyss, the enemies of humanity!”

“Do you remember what our first conversation was with him?”

“I think he asked us questions? I don’t really remember, sorry.”

“That’s fine. You’re doing great so far.”

----------~~~~~~~~~~----------~~~~~~~~~~----------

“Do you know who Neuvillette is?”

“Mr. Neuvillette is the hydro dragon. Hey, do you know if he can fly?”

“I think he's just good at swimming.”

“I did too, but my friends don't think so. They were like, ‘He's a dragon! He must be able to!’ But not all dragons can fly! Did Pokemon not teach them anything?”

“I'm… Sure they'll learn soon.”

----------~~~~~~~~~~----------~~~~~~~~~~----------

“Who’s currently in charge of the Abyss?”

“Lumine! I hope you can travel with her soon, it's pretty mean to leave you for the bad guys like that.”

Okay you're definitely the player. Now he's freaking out for a different reason.

Why are you here? How did you get here? How is this even possible, you're not made of code. What does you being here mean for the world? You're technically not playing the game, but you still exist with it. Does this count as you playing it or do you physically have to be playing with your device to keep the world stable. How long do they have if it doesn't count? Is this even something they have to worry about in the first place?They were never able to find a concrete answer about that. Most importantly though, how can they bring you back to your own world? Your parents must be worried sick.

“Did I do a good job?”

Hearing that snaps him out of his whirlwind of a mind. Right, you’re still here and in the middle of the woods, probably starving. Three apples aren’t going to do anything. Everything else has to be second to you right now. He needs to make sure you're able to be cared for before he can think about any of that.

Aether kneels in front of you and puts out his hand for you to take, “You did great, thank you. If it’s okay, do you think you could come back to Mondstadt with me? It’s dangerous to stay out here all alone. I’m worried for your safety.”

You happily grab a hold of his hand, “Thank you! I didn't know where I was for a long time, but then I saw the sunset fruit and when it got dark I saw lightflies and found out I was in Genshin! It's so cool, but I can't find Mond. Sleeping on the ground hasn't been fun.”

Just how long have you been alone in the forest? Aether hopes with his entire soul that it wasn't when you first disappeared, that was a week ago. How has no one found you???

He thinks he's finally going to have to tell Jean about all the slackers if they can't even spare the time to do their patrols properly.

As soon as he could, Aether rushed you over to Mondstadt and straight to Jean’s office, accidentally ignoring Paimon on the way. He thinks she went through every emotion she could as he was telling her about everything leading up to him barging in. She was currently in shock as you were running around the room chasing Paimon, who caught up and heard the tail end of the conversation.

After the initial shock, Jean starts a letter to inform the other nations that you’ve been found in the game and asks Traveller to go around to tell the rest of the vision bearers in Mondstadt. He does just that after stopping by Good Hunter for you. The news isn’t taken lightly by anyone. A few had to be convinced, but promptly stopped doubting when you said something out of pocket about them. Once Albedo was in the know he said he would dedicate his time to figuring out how you got here and how to return you, but it would be best to get the Dendro Archon’s opinion.

After leaving you with Albedo so he could run a few wellness checks and general tests to see how your physicality was holding up, he teleported to Sumeru to see if Nahida knew anything. Unfortunately she’s just as clueless as everyone else, but asks him to play scout again and gather anyone who he thought could be of use in solving your predicament.

Even with some of the smartest minds in Teyvat collaborating to work on this project, it will still take a while before tangible progress is made. So for the foreseeable future you’re stuck with them and you’re going to need someone to look after you. Almost everyone was willing, so they just assigned Aether as the main babysitter since he travelled a lot and you’d get to meet a lot of people that way. If he ever needed to do something dangerous or just time to rest he could easily ask someone to care for you for a while.

Now they just have to hope that Teyvat doesn’t implode. 

At least you weren’t kidnapped.

----------~~~~~~~~~~----------~~~~~~~~~~----------

Aether: You both need to slow down. The food’s not going anywhere.

Paimon: You’re the one who kept Paimon waiting for so long and then ignored! Paimon’s stomach will not wait another second! Paimon can handle this anyway.

You: Yeah, we’re hungry and won’t wait anymore!

Aether: Maybe for you Paimon, but they might choke.

Paimon: They’ll be fine

You: Yeah, I’ll be- [chokes]

Aether: *sigh*

----------~~~~~~~~~~----------~~~~~~~~~~----------

Paimon: Are you sure it’s a good idea to let them talk to Childe?

Aether: No, but he’s good with his family. I can’t see why he’d treat them any differently.

You: Look Ae- uh, Traveller! He taught me how to use a dagger!

Aether: I also can’t kick him out of the teapot on my own.

Paimon: Maybe you should find a way around that.

----------~~~~~~~~~~----------~~~~~~~~~~----------

Neuvillette: Lady Furina, these clothes are much too big for them.

Furina: Nonsense! Look at how adorable they are!

Paimon: They are cute, but what if they trip and fall over!

[You run around the room with ridiculously sized clothing on, trying to act like Neuvillette before you trip and face plant onto the floor]

Aether: We’re getting them new clothes.

----------~~~~~~~~~~----------~~~~~~~~~~----------

Kaveh: Alhaitham what are you doing? Shouldn’t you be planning with the rest of the club?

[You're on his lap as he reads you simplified versions of battle tactics]

Alhaitham: We’re currently at break, and the Traveller needed to get something done so this one is with me. I'm currently teaching them how to create better builds and team compositions.

Kaveh: Have they even expressed the want to do any of this, or are you taking this as your chance because you can’t stand being played suboptimally.

Alhaitham: Wouldn't you rather be used as you were intended, or do you like acting as a spinning top and providing nothing to the team's damage?

Kaveh flustered: W-Well- Ugh that's not the point! They can play however they want, put the book away!”

----------~~~~~~~~~~----------~~~~~~~~~~----------

Zhongli: Why are you here Barbatos.

Venti: I had a feeling you were going to bore them and I was right! What kid wants to be talked at for days on end.

Zhongli: The little one expressed on their own that they wanted to hear of Teyvat’s history.

Venti: Maybe if- Wait where'd they go.

[They turn and see you in the clutches of some random treasure hoarders]

Treasure Hoarder: You lot look like you got a fair amount of mora. Why don’t you hand some of it over and no one gets hurt.

Venti: If you know what’s good for you, you’d let them go now.

Zhongli: [his eyes begin to glow] If they knew what was good for them, they wouldn’t have pulled such an inane stunt in the first place.

Dead Men Walking: I- We just need some money. We know you got some so hand it over!

You: Ow, you're hurting me.

[The Treasure Hoarders proceed to get their ass beat into the ground]

----------~~~~~~~~~~----------~~~~~~~~~~----------

Amber: Aw they're so cute!

You: You’re the gliding champion right? Can I see how fast you can go!

Amber: Maybe once this meeting is over. I'll happily show you just how fast I can be!

Jean: Don't put any ideas in their head Amber.

----------~~~~~~~~~~----------~~~~~~~~~~----------

Fischl: Why, if it isn’t thy benefactor from beyond the veil.

You: [giggling] You still talk funny.

Fischl: Huh? Wh-What's that supposed to mean???

----------~~~~~~~~~~----------~~~~~~~~~~----------

You: Mona Majiks!

Mona: It's Megistus, but you are a young one so I'll leave it for now.

You: You're a super cool fortune teller right? Are you able to read my future?

Mona: You already- Uh, sure! I don't see why not. No promises it’ll work though, you are from a land beyond Teyvat’s stars.

You: That’s okay![She then got a migraine that lasted the rest of the day]

[kaizsche]

baby's first tornado after 5 years ofc she'll be nervous :(( TWISTERS (2024)

[sscarletvenus]

they're like the powerpuff girls for really miserable bitches

[cctinsleybaxter]

i think about that post that's like 'men are addicted to writing sad songs about a time they were clearly the bad guy' every time i listen to music

[larapaulussen]

[serpentface]

Two questions regarding the Wardi religion:

In addition to the bull and the lioness, what are the seven faces of god/sacrificial animals?

Given that white animals seem to be sacred, does that influence how albino humans/other sophents are treated by society?

The seven faces of God are as follows:

-the lunar, horned, or 'wild ox' face of God, which presides over the moons, and the fertility of the land, animals, and people. In pre-imperial times, this was functionally the most central face of God (replaced by the lion face/odomache). The most ideal sacrifice is a wild ox (especially white or albino) that has never been bred. -the ‘ox’ face of God, presides over agriculture and labor, as well as the domestic sphere. The most ideal sacrifice is a healthy plow oxen or khait who has never been yoked or bred (if the sacrifice is towards Ox-Face as the domestic sphere, this should be a heifer). -the lion face of God, presides over sovereignty, statehood, military might, and is most associated with the health and continuing existence of the imperial entity. The most ideal sacrifice is a maned lioness (functionally white, though this is a trait of the captive population). -the ocean or skimmer face of God, presides over the seas, winds, as well as fortune and mercantilism. The ideal sacrifice is the skimmer gull or an albatross, especially one taken from one of the sacred rocks in the 'mouth' of the Viper sea. -the serpent face of God, presides over the cosmos and divine Mysteries, associated with funerary rites and death. Also has a wildly disparate association with royalty (which is derived from entirely separate traditions and has not yet fully been reconciled into the faith). The ideal sacrifice is a two headed or melanistic snake, especially a venomous one (both would be MOST ideal, but this is rare beyond any practicality) -The solar face of God, presides over the sun, stars, and fire, also heavily associated with khait and mounted warriors. (this is a VERY direct import from the chief solar god in the Burri pantheon (who rides and/or is a khait with the sun between its horns), hence the seemingly random khait association). The ideal sacrifice is a healthy riding khait (especially with a white spotted coat), or alternatively a golden eagle. -The river face of God, presides over fresh water, seasonal flooding, and the rains. The ideal sacrifice is the migratory reed duck (which arrives at the onset of the wet season) or a freshwater hesperornis (ideally taken from one of the sacred waters). An-Nechoi are also occasionally given.

Though the core religion is monotheistic, each face of God is functionally a syncretic fusion of older ethnic Wardi beliefs, the Burri pantheon, and other regionally native traditions, which have not all been fully reconciled (the process of fusion is more or less still ongoing). Each face in of itself has dozens or more epithets with distinct features. For example, the river face has a specific epithet for each major riverway, each venerated as a distinct aspect of the Godhead. Functionally, common practice of the Wardi faith is pretty indistinguishable from polytheism, and most of the religious authority does not care as long as required orthopraxy is maintained (the central dogma of the religion does not care How you believe, but that the correct practices are enacted).

Also for reference, these are the specific animals taken on the pilgrimage in the story (transporting seven rare animals cross country can be fraught, so each had at least a few backups):

A pure white aurochs calf, found naturally born in a wild herd.

A massive, unbred and unyoked bull draft khait (dies en route, replaced by a less physically impressive backup with the same qualities)

A lioness with a full mane, from the white captive stock

A skimmer gull taken from a nest on the sacred rock in the waters of Od-Koto.

A baby two headed cobra (which dies en-route and is replaced with its backup, a melanistic viper)

A beautiful speckled riding khait mare whose horns form a near perfect circle (which is stolen en-route and replaced with its sister)

A rare wild hesperornis (haven't come up with an in-universe name yet) taken from the reeds of the Brilla river delta.

Anyway the sacrifices listed above are considered the absolute IDEALS when working with a specific face, but a great variety of animals will be sacrificed to various ends. There’s some very specific cultural/religious components to which animals are most valued, but in practice the value of a sacrifice is pretty close to 1:1 with the animal’s monetary value, at an intersection of utility and rarity.

So a young, healthy bull plow oxen who has never been bred or yoked is a more valued sacrifice than an old, experienced plow ox who has already sired offspring. You are giving up an extremely valuable animal and all its unused potential in a very practical sense, which makes the sacrifice more potent and valued. The 'virginal' status of the animal is key when the rite is SPECIFICALLY related to fertility, in the sense that the animal itself is sacrificing its unused fertility, allowing for the sacrifice-rebirth cycle to perpetuate. (Animals which Have been bred may be preferred in certain cases and rituals).

An animal with a rare coloration is usually going to be more valuable than one with more common genetics. This is the core root of why albino animals are of high value. It's less that white animals themselves are valued, just that rare genetics such as albinism = valuable sacrifice.

There are some specific exceptions where the color itself is significant (rather than just an extension of its rarity). God is specifically supposed to have taken the form of a white aurochs (itself emerged from the foam of the sea) during creation, so white oxen and wild oxen SPECIFICALLY have especially high value. Melanism or black scales are valued to the serpent face of God, which is associated with the cosmos and void behind the stars. (this stems from much, MUCH older beliefs in a cosmic serpent god in the region).

Animal sacrifice is a very significant part of the religious framework and involved in most rituals and prayers intended to affect significant change and transformation. (This is due in part to a deeply ingrained belief in the world being perpetually sustained in a cycle of sacrifice and rebirth, and in God Itself being the physical mechanism of rebirth and requiring sacrifice to be sustained). While blood itself is seen as potent, the nature of sacrifice isn't just 'spill blood and make thing happen', it's got a self contained value system and is very calculated and intentional in nature. You aren’t going to just grab a random rat and bleed it and pray, there needs to be a perceived ‘loss’. Sacrifice via killing is also not the only form, the most common day to day sacrifice is in (very minor) bloodletting and offerings of food and drink- the key is allowing a personal loss to sustain a greater cycle.

That being said, there is a HUGE trade system built up around the breeding and selling of animals solely for sacrifice. The industry revolves mostly around birds (doves are the cheapest, but also poultry, waterfowl, some birds of prey, a few select songbirds and ornamental birds), goats, sheep, and horses (the small, premodern kind). Cattle and camelids are a higher tier, and khait are among the highest of common sacrifices due to their great value.

Other animals that have no direct utility but are sacred are also bred or captured for sacrifice (hesperornis, lacetor, gulls and albatrosses, several kinds of snake, a bunch of wild ungulates, nechoi, etc). Some '''‘exotic’''' animals are imported specifically for this purpose, mostly as a means of displaying the wealth and reach of the state, with their sacrificial value rooted in the difficulty of acquisition. Animals taken from sacred sites are also prime candidates (ie cattle bred and grazed on the foothills of the Sons of Creation are VERY valuable).

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So all that being said the importance of albino animals has come off a little overstated on my part, and doesn't have any particular impact on how albinism in people is regarded. It’s valued mainly for its rarity in the context of animal sacrifice, which would not have direct translations to how it’s perceived in people.

Albinism in people doesn’t have a super well defined significance in broader Imperial Wardi culture, but perspectives mostly skew negative and towards seeing it as a sign of ill fortune (physical differences in people tend to be seen as a result of being cursed in the womb). Imperial Wardin is culturally diverse (united mostly by a identity based in shared religion), so exact nuances would vary and this statement should not be taken as a universal.

Imperial Wardi population is mostly human (with its citizen population being MAYBE 5% elowey, 2% qilik, and a decimal point of caelin). Overall sentiment towards other sophonts by the human majority is not outright hostile, but is human-centric and tinged with xenophobia (as most qilik and elowey in the region are immigrants, with the only elowey ethnic group historically inhabiting the region (the Jazait) being regarded as 'heathens'). Albino elowey or qilik might be similarly seen as products of a curse, or may be given a 'wow how beautiful' treatment (in a heavily patronizing capacity) and seen as a curiosity, or otherwise just subject to varying perspectives on albinism in the region.

The one other thing I have established in this vein is that the semi-mythological hero Janise (sworn brother of other semi-mythological founder hero Erub) is said to have been albino. While he is positively regarded, he is supposed to have died young of a snakebite (assumed to be the product of a curse from his enemies) and this would not improve perceptions of albinism being related to ill fortune.

[kweenratking]

will graham would put hannibal on a leash i know this to be true and won't be taking questions at this time

[korrasamibottles]

Yeah Venom of the Red Lotus showed us how crazy powerful Korra is but The Last Stand had Korra transform the destructive power of a massive bomb blast into something regenerative in the culmination of one of the best character arcs I've ever seen. In my OPINION!!