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azure-cherie · 8 months ago

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PAC : Who of the nine Greek muses do you embody ? A message from the muse

➪Pile : 1-2-3 ☟︎︎︎ 4-5-6 ☟︎︎︎ 7-8-9

Hii loves how have you been , I'm back again with a reading, I hope you enjoy this please choose with your intuition and take what resonates , Reblogs, comments feedbacks everything is highly appreciated ❤️

If you liked this and would like to book or would want a bigger reading on the same topic :

Masterlist , paid readings , paid readings 2

Pile 1 :

Muse of music and lyric poetry

Channelled messages: " let go of societal restraints " , " paint the canvas of your life , write a poem about a wall " , " often see yourself as an ancient women of honour " , " feed the doves "

She comes forth to tell you about your potential how you're a very meditative being , you are so good at chanelling and you should do it more often , ask her to be your guide and write down all that comes through to you flow in your thinking and the ideas that come forth

Lean more into the devotional aspect of your life , see everything with the vibration of love. The trees the humans the animals , devote more into self love and worship the gods you already do .

Learn the right way to connect to the moon , you're in your journey and this is one of the crucial times , you're almost at the end of a karmic cycle stay stiff and strong

Don't get into arguments , if you do have mishaps with someone , lean into releasing the anger through creating music or producing tunes .

Take practical approaches to life , if someone says no to you do the thing on your own , your guides are always taking care of you .

Pile 2 :

Muse of dance and choral poetry .

Channelled messages : " learn about the folk music and dances where you stay " , " when in the blues play the beats " , " give more to the society in forms of art " , " start the YouTube channel"

Your devotion towards your deity or your guides is really admirable and that is something that's one of your best qualities people online or in person admire your liking towards a deity you inspire them .

The calmness of mind that can be attained through yoga is something she wants you to do , imagine a blue beam of light when you meditate , she tells you to connect to your primordial life form your soul .

Know about the necessary sacrifices one has to do in their life , your sacrifices now will bring you rewards later , don't fall for instant gratification

Abundance is soon to come in your life but work on cultivating a sense of detachment towards money , obsession ruins everything.

There might me a rock bottom moment in your life soon , she asks you to remain in your path as a human and as a soul take the lessons and move on soon you will alchemize your pain into passion and glory . You transform everything you're a becon of light .

Pile 3 :

Muse of hymns and sacred poetry

Channelled messages : " Levitate " , " dream big " , " nice downtown tshirt " , " the life that one has is a sum and minus of that they do "

If you're interested in writing do it , there might be an opportunity approaching you soon in this sector , though there's a warning about a setback if you don't take the opportunity at the right time don't worry you'll do great believe in the power of wishes.

You might rekindle a childhood bond on the basis of liking of movies or songs .

Business sector might have new opportunities your fortune is about to change you're gonna have the power to do what you want in your life because you're the creator of it , your destiny is now on hold make the best use of free will.

Connect more to the oceans and moon , fireflies etc , be in nature more and stay grounded .

Honour your soul by serving the temple you're in your own body , take care of your body give it ample rest and food .

Pile 4 :

Muse of tragedy

Channelled messages : " Dwelling on past has no rewards " , " crazy is as good as the sane" , " time flowes and glows and you grow "

Don't choose a hard life away from your desires because you're scared of disappointing people your path is enlightened more as you connect more to yourself .

Give into dark feminine energy and live in your truth , if you remain often confused or scared work on your root chakra .

Connect more to your guides through paintings and leave offerings of metal , feathers , corn etc

It's time to finally shine you're going from the hermit to an influencer you're gonna be famous it might start small but it will build up .

Keep away from external influences that stop your growth drop bad friends and family .

Pile 5 :

Muse of love poetry

Channelled messages: eat healthy and enriching foods , read about the love you already behold , the depths of see are beautiful and so is your heart of depth.

Abundance in the sector of love is coming soon you're gonna make the haters jealous , might even win a pagent or competition.

You might have felt Beauty is your curse but life's gonna show you how it's not you're gonna be so hight so uplifted I see you shining like a star

One has to prepare for glory start by saying affirmations and working on your third eye and root chakra .

Read more about lovers from mythology like Persephone Hades , Aphrodite ares , Radha Krishna etc

The boons served by the goddess are yours to keep and no one can question that , you're being divinely blessed and you'll be happy and dancing soon .

Pile 6 :

Muse of comedy and Idyllic poetry

Chanelled messages: Search for the small joys, poppies , these boots are meant for walking , spring equinox fairy

There's a confirmation in case you wanna go for the acting sector , this sector will require a lot of hardwork .

There's also a warning regarding someone in your job your boss or your guru they might take credit for some assignment you did beware and if possible say no because that thing might get your superior a promotion

You are to search bliss in satisfaction about what you already have the moon is to be admired by you the power to be soked it , are you ready for the full moon .

You're intelligent and people really admire you for that , gemini energy.

Move in your life in your true path of light don't be afraid or dim your light , your aura might have hints of white colour .

Pile 7:

Muse of epic poetry

Chanelled messages: Blow the bubbles up , get into kitchen witchery, Artemis , cry me a river

Don't give people the benefit of the doubt if you don't like someone let them go .

Fame is eminent in your energy, life coaches might help you , your aunt is giving you good guidence follow her .

Do your school projects and specially eat tangerine and other fruits that make you feel happy

Serve the world and create peace each small step is a long one in the collective , small things create big impact do your part and be sure of the effects .

Moon water energy and full moon is great for you to invite luxuries in your life , ground your root chakra and connect to your third eye your ancestors will be sending you messages.

Pile 8 :

Muse of astronomy

Chanelled messages: Fly me to the moon , peals and sandbox , honesty is the best policy , go go cheerleader

The first message for you is to balance all your chakras it's crazy my oracle deck pulled all chakra cards omg I feel like there soon will be a kundalini awakening for you

You're almost in your last stage of awakening get into the cosmic dance of life your life is about to change , abundance is coming

Hard message to get through but someone in your relationship might be cheating or there might be someone who has an eye on your partner and might try to frame them . Only for some people

Listen to your higher self write a letter to them

Your path from now on is of the hermit it might be lonely but it's worth it discoveries are on your way in fields of history, psychology, quantum mechanics etc.

Pile 9 :

Muse of history

Chanelled messages: 13 missed calls , glow up is loading , search in the Egyptian archives , glow and peach coloured cheeks

The number six is significant, also specifically for someone there's this person who is delaying your glow up by doing some nasty as spell , might be a close friend

You are ignoring some signs from the universe , they're coming again and again and you're ignoring it look into it closely , you're elevating in your consciousness.

Your energy levels are high and you're matching ahead in your journey setbacks are never the end the sheer power of desire iss enough to keep going .

You're slowly climbing the stairs of life to become confident and assertive you might even call upon a partner soon who is very sure about themselves.

You should plant more trees and learn about them about their origination etc , i specifically get about Tulsi and the lore behind it . Some others would be eucalyptus, basil and marigold.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this

Have a great day/ night ♥️🌹

#pacreading #pac tarot #pac readings #pac #pick a card tarot #pick a picture #pick a photo #pick a card reading #pick a card #pick a pile #tarot card reading #tarot reading #tarot deck #tarot cards #tarot community #tarotblr

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asmimir · 2 months ago

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Your art reminded of how the Unholy Alliance update made me go from very on the vence about Narinder to biggest Narinder defender will die in the trenches for my wife /hj

Like personally, them finally giving us the reasoning behind the Bishops attack on Narinder beyond vague prophecy changed a lot of the context behind the situation

And while, yes, the intentions behind his actions of resurrecting followers and his opinion on his new find extreme popularity were left quite vague (and why I don't if someone still interprets Narinder as the one mainly/equally at fault). It still doesn't change how it was a betrayal out of the Bishops fear of a possible betrayal. He wasn't conquering and overtaking them, he wasn't actively starving them, they just feared that possibility that he would.

It gets even more fucked up when you remember that all the Bishops ran their faiths by gifting and blessings their followers with the opposite of their domains (food, heath, etc) so Narinder actions where probably completely normal thing to do as a god of death in his mind, like.

In my fucked up fantasies (aka my interpretations of the canon), Narinder was only truly in the wrong when they asked the Lamb to sacrifice themselves. But getting into even more personal headcanons territory, for him it was likely just the natural/necessary think to do. He's a god of death that gave this little mortal life so they could do his bitting (that included them doing their own sacrifices, depending on your own gameplay), them sacrificing themselves was likely a given for him. Probably didn't consider that the Lamb would mind it, like, sacrificing yourself for your god just another tuesday in the life of a follower of death aint I right

So in conclusion, narilamb before post-game was a classic case of doomed yaoi/hurt people hurt people. Narinder asked the sacrifice-survivor to be sacrificed once again and the Lamb betrayed the one who was betrayed in return (pun half-intended)

(Really sorry for the ramble, it's almost midnight in my country and your art plagued me with thoughts. Hope you at least liked reading my deranged screams, I mean, my interpretations of the story. If you didn't, again, Im truly sorry. But Im still interested in your own thoughts regardless, so yeah... feel free to share??? I don't know how to phrase that in a good way, again, its almost midnigh)

no truer words have been said

#cotl kallamar #cotl narinder #mimir asks #(will make that a tag)

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evilminji · 1 year ago

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Sooooo.....

Like? We can all agree, that, all other factors aside? Given the life he's lived and the personality he has? The sheer NONSENSE he's been exposed too (from rays to oozes to powders to magics etc) AND the by definition unfinishable nature of his Life's Work/Obsession?

If Batman lived in a world connected to Danny Phantom's Zone in any way... he's DEFINITELY becoming a Realms Ghost.

Like? It's not even a "possibly" here. It's an inevitability. He HAS to protect just one more person. HAS to solve one more case. HAS to protect his kids one last time. He HAS Too, HAS Too, HAS Too.

He's Batman.

It's etched into his soul. The man's ghost will literally REFORM in that outfit. Batman with a glow. Batman the protection spirit. Kindness and grief and an eternity of "I have to save just one more."

He's not going to get to die peacefully or rest quietly. It would go against his nature.

But! Why is this relevant? Because of the Elseworld stories. Those AUs. The Multi-Verse at large. They ALL... Have Batman.

Consider: Ember McClain. Rocker. Remember that name. Yes, in some worlds she makes it big. But? Tragedy and betrayal in others. Death. Do you think the Ember's of those worlds are fine with passing on silently? Shrugging and being forgotten just because some other Ember got there first?

No. They are Ember. SHE is Ember.

Just as Clockwork is Time.

What makes a Realms Ghost different then someone like Deadman? Than a Shade? A poltergeist? Your average spook?

They are only themselves.

Singular.

Small.

A tiny little fraction, of a fraction, of a part, of a small bitty droplet, if even that. You only get one soul. But! You share it. There are many "You"s. Like the universe itself, exploding out, to live, to experience, BE, and then collapsing back together in the end. Running together like rainwater in the cracks of Realitys. Seeping back into one piece, one person, in the place between places.

It's why one forgets silly things like Names and Pasts. You had so, so many. All of them were yours. Made you. Shaped you. But are not why you refuse to let go. Why you still EXSIST. Outside of Creation and Rebirth, beyond any gods you could possibly recognize. Refined to your truest SELF.

Yet... you might still be Alive. You know that you ARE. Time exists for the living. To balance beginnings, middles, and ends. Why do you care? They aren't you yet. They will be. All of you will eventually come together. You'll become something... MORE.

Ancient.

The wisdom and complexity of a complete Being. More a Person then your average soul. Like giant stars compared to a barely burning dwarves. You know, assuming you don't give up first. Most give up. It takes a certain sort of patience, after all. A LOT of timeless time. Kinda sucks.

Yet! We consider The Bat. Persistence and Stubborn Hope made manifest. Compassion born of terrible grief. Dead. Again and again and again. Dead for those who needed him. Who hated him. Who cursed or forgot or lamented him. In every imaginable age, a story played out the same. Ending the same.

Himself instead of another.

Himself FOR the others.

Himself because none other could.

Sacrifice and Sacrifice and Sacrifice. Desperation to save. Worlds burning and cities falling. Waking up, reaching out, to shield sons and daughters that are not there. That live because he does not. Dragging himself through the stubborn walls of world after world, like a haunting final curse, upon those who harmed his family, his city. His world.

A wraith. Gothams final curse upon those who damn her.

What must it be like? To keep saying good bye? To drag your aching soul, fuller and fuller of terrible memories, across the fields of jagged glass that are portals you tear, to world's on fire. Just to save friends and family. Enemies and strangers. All of whom, must in the end... bury you anyway.

Because you must kill the hope in their eyes. Must die before them again. Because you can not stay and they can not come with you. Or worse... they can, and will soon.

Sitting on fields of battle where you tried. Gave all your spirit could muster. But... it's over now. And all you can offer is the knowledge is that they should not be afraid. You will carry them home.

And are there? Nightwings and Robins and all manner of other family, waiting back in the Zone? In a Manor where Pennyworth lives eternal? Do they also hurt and fight to save their friends? Each new piece of them coming with some great tragedy that they must put right?

Do they give Walker and the Observants migraines? Probably.

Imagine, though: Time travel added to the mix. Dying in the future. Your son managing to turn everything back to before the world ended. The Ghost King is suddenly a Baby again. Every one is freaking out. "Oh no! The king!" Blah blah blah.

But you and your family are more concerned about the world ending threat that kills a part of you. So is the baby ghost king, when you tell him. You show up in your own Cave, freak yourself out. Team up time. Though you ARE growing concerned by the Baby Kings self-neglectful behaviors. Hey, Me, are you seeing this?

.......he.... you know, he COULD use more Parental Oversight. He's a good kid. Seems lonely though. Underfed. ("BRUCE, NO." "Hmmm.")

@hdgnj @stealingyourbones @the-witchhunter @cyrwrites

#dp x dc #dc x dp #dpxdc #dcxdp #dc x dp prompt

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whitetulip25 · 4 months ago

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Thinking about how Aegon and Aemond are jealous of each other and are longing to be in each other's shoes - Aegon wants to be the second son so he can have freedom of action, and Aemond wants to be the firstborn so he can fully embrace his potential as a family protector and fulfill the "duty and sacrifice" thing that Alicent has been so thoroughly hammering into him since he was a child.

What catches my eye this season is that they are straight up mirroring each other. Aegon is an insecure, stiff-necked boy in a man's body, because of how new and fresh it all is for him, he's euphoric from everyone's love and support. He is king, he is on top, everyone obeys/should obey him. It is on this euphoria that he takes on the royal duties; everything is easy and not that difficult for him so far. He's completely clueless about governance, doesn't know how to deal with the small council members (the same scene with Tyland the pony is cute, but it's pretty damn insensitive to Tyland and everyone else present), disdainfully calls Aemond a hound while drinking with his buddies, etc. But what is striking is that he is desperate for love and recognition, and therefore tries to earn it with exorbitant generosity. He sincerely tries to please his subjects by distributing the last reserves in the treasury, appoints his friends to the post of royal guards and goes to brothels with them, just to feel like he belongs somewhere and earn the status of the Magnanimous.

With the death of Jaehaerys it is even more difficult for him, he finds himself completely isolated from the rest of the family and lives through his grief by his own, making more and more questionable decisions and undermining his authority in the eyes of others. It is this isolation from his family that exacerbates the situation, since it is successfully exploited by Larys, who's whispering lies about Alicent's and Aemond's plotting against him. Aegon is impulsive and angry, he wants to play by his own rules while being terribly insecure and afraid of making a mistake. The last straw for him is the conversation with Alicent, who with a careless word pushed him into making a fatal mistake so he rushed into battle to do something, release emotional tension, and to prove himself.

Another very interesting detail of his character is his rejection of Targaryenism. He doesn't like Valyrian culture, language, traditions (incest in particular), even rejects the external attributes of typical Targaryen image, e.g. (long hair) and wears an emphasized sloppy hairstyle (yes, I consider it as a protest against the system). Ironically, his closest creature is his dragon, the very symbol of the Targaryens.

Similarly to Aegon, Aemond is also a complex, insecure boy who nevertheless, has managed to build a flawless at first glance image of an unmoving statue. Because of the attitudes instilled in him from childhood, he is very focused on his heritage and very protective of what Aegon despises so much - about Valyrian culture, language, traditions. Who knows, maybe for that the gods rewarded him with Vhagar out of all dragons? Aemond clearly knows what he wants, knows how to present himself and is not afraid of making mistakes, simply because he believes it's impossible for him to make any. Like Aegon, he is crushed by the weight of responsibility (including for the war that was started by his mistake; yes, I think he felt pity not for Luke, but for himself), just like Aegon he is isolated from the rest of the family, he longs for love like Aegon does, but contrary to the latter he rigidly denies himself that need. The only thing he has are the visits to the Madame and milk of the poppy. Soon he denies himself even this, decides not to show his true nature to anyone and to become a lone wolf. He is still as impulsive and angry as his brother, but knows how to twist it all out in cold disdain and sophisticated mockery. He has everything calculated - he will be able to show himself from the best side, to earn recognition and get Alicent's love back. But there's one flaw - when things don't go according to plan, he gets lost and unravels his ire upon everything and everyone he can reach. And in the end, just like Aegon, in Rook's Rest he does what he does to relieve the tension and get something done, regardless of the consequences.

And their whole tragedy lies in just that. They essentially want the same thing, which is their mother's love and validation. They're yin and yang, two forces dependent on each other, destroying each other in the process of self-destruction.

Thinking about how they are so similar and yet so different at the same time, two sides of the same coin, who will never realize it because of their pride and rage.

#hotd #team green #aegon ii targaryen #aemond targaryen #alicent hightower #aegond #damn alicent just hug your children #also aegon and aemond should've just fought or fucked each other #long sincere conversation about their true feelings would also be pretty nice #house of the dragon

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sapphoshands · 1 month ago

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"We broke every rule we established for the trials and the characters broke every rule given to them but its funny that viewers have different interpretations" not cute actually, Jac. Just bad writing that verges on outright racism by killing off the one Asian character and making the Black character over the top malevolent. Oh and putting the sole (white) man in narrative center. Should've known it was too good to be true.

it is of course extremely déclassé to go into the inbox of someone who is loving a thing and tell them why they should not be loving the thing, but you know, i'm so deep in this show, i'm just like *rubs hands* more time to think about my blorbos! so!

i will do you the courtesy of ignoring your bad faith phrasing to engage with your actual points - and of course, we also have to keep in mind that we're just over halfway through the season, so things may come back in ways we can't yet see. that said, i adore the idea that agatha's punishment in this was to be seen by yet another coven as an object of horror and fear, especially after a few moments where she was seen as a real person. i think that's going to play very strongly into the end of the season and i think it's a very smart bit of writing that plays with the expectations of the characters on screen and the audience watching the show. i got a little seduced by some of the alternate trial theories, ngl, but that is one of the joys of episodic television and i am having a blast watching more of this story unravel.

re racism, i as a white woman am certainly not going to tell anyone how they should receive a story like this. but i feel about alice's death much like i feel about the push for no more dead lesbians, which is that if we erase any sort of peril for any given segment of the population, we are no longer telling full stories about them. speaking for myself, i am a advocate for increased representation of all sorts on screen (and behind the camera), and simple math tells us that having more people of colour on screen means more people of colour will die on screen. so i always ask myself whether the death feels racially motivated, and in this case, to me, it doesn't. we've already lost a white woman to the road and it is important for the show to keep the stakes high. to me, alice's story was gorgeously tragic and a really wonderful parallel to agatha's - you really felt alice, having discovered the depth of her connection to her mother, feeling that lack for agatha. but naturally... you may have a different interpretation.

jen, on the other hand - oh my god, jen, i fucking loved her in this episode. and again you can read her as OTT, although in contrast to agatha i think she's really rather restrained! obviously tropes play differently for Black characters than white, but in the context of the show, in the context of the way the rest of the coven has been portrayed, she fit perfectly. i mean, in jen's trial, agatha tried to sacrifice mrs hart, tried to cheat, tried to literally break out, etc, because she was so determined that her quest was the only thing that mattered to her. i frankly don't blame jen for pulling an agatha and deciding to put herself first, and i don't think the show wants us to blame jen either. totally tracked to me. the retainer moment? exceptional. and alice and lilia were right there with her - it's not like she was the only one pushing this agenda, you know? certainly she wasn't singled out by skin colour.

billy, now... i am not gonna lie. i am a little worried that we're gonna turn this into the billy show. and i do mostly trust jac schaeffer and mary livanos and the whole setup of the fucking show that they won't, that this is about women and witchcraft and queerness and all of my favourite things. but it's a marvel property, right? and we always have to have this fucking fear. but this interview, again, actually made me feel a lot better about that:

obviously this sounds like it was really early in the room and things change throughout the course of development, but it is really reassuring to me that in the early stages of breaking agatha's story, billy... wasn't billy. he was, you know, a sexy lamp. someone else could've done his job. so his innate billyness didn't matter. to me, that suggests that the established arc remains agatha's and billy's just there to prop it up. i'm sure that since he became billy in the writing process, he became more important and elements of his story became part of the narrative and so on, but i expect it was a series of discussions on how to fit him into the story rather than how to rewrite the story to suit him.

i'm just as biased in my defence as you are in your annoyance, so you're welcome to dismiss all of this and grump on with your grumpy self. but i think this is a smart, interesting, nuanced show that hasn't spilled all its secrets yet. and i cannot wait for more. is it wednesday yet?

#anon #talk to me #agatha all along #that was fun!!!

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astarionconsort · 1 year ago

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Ascendant Astarion was driven by fear, but can you really blame him?

Okay so I just read the newest interview that mentioned Astarion reasoning behind his ascension was driven by fear and I thought it made sense?

Tho I don't believe that fear was the only force behind the reason of his decision to ascend, there's a longing to be alive again to enjoy everything that the world has to offer, the need for certainty and also to protect his loved ones (when he has a love interest)

But let's talk about this fear part, there are people (even the companions) who expected that 'he should have known better' or 'shouldnt even think about ascension' and sees this fear in the recent interview as something that is so horrid but here's the thing.

"You are right to be afraid." I mean DUH obviously it makes sense. Astarion lives in a very dangerous world where countless undead risen from their graves thanks to necromancer toying with life and death, there are bandits everywhere, monsters, evil gods who never failed to make life even more miserable than ever and even the supposedly good aligned god can be so awful at times, etc etc.

The party that he traveled with and himself were infected with worms that would eat their brain and transformed them into a living husk, the absolute cult and the dead three were on their tail, angry devils, Cazador wanted him back and not to mention the Githyanki and their lich queen wanted them dead as well for what happened with the prism

Even during act 3 where they were supposedly close to victory. The victory was not set in stone yet, nothing is certain and something could have gone wrong. They could have died or even worse!

Not to mention he's a man who was tormented for 200 hundred years. He was stripped of everything that he had and even his own reflection, reduced to catched rats to sustain himself.

Can you really blame him for wanting to seek a way out from Cazador's torment, the hunger for blood and the indignity that he suffered for so long?

Also it would be harder to convince him to not ascend if Tav or Durge romanced him. Because now he's not just afraid for his own safety and his future but also his lover. The only person whom he ever love and genuinely love him back in 200 years (also not ending up as a victim for Cazador)

Most people would have killed him when they found that he's a vampire and infected with an Illithid parasite. Most people would have abandoned him

Tav/Durge was the only light in his life after years of living in darkness and torment, you can't really blame him for wanting to keep this light from being snuffed out by untimely death

And if that means sacrificed 7000 souls that he already damned anyway (undead like vampire wouldn't be accepted by good aligned gods in the after life, not sure about evil gods but most deities most won't accept them) so be it

I don't see this fear behind his decision as something that is objectively awful? I mean it is a natural respond anyone would have if they were in his shoes

Then you might ask "If Astarion loves Tav or Durge that much why he insisted on turning them into a vampire? And break up if they refused?"

Because he was overwhelmed by his beating heart/ his renewed sense, the high from his power and he's also insecure. At that point in act 3 he expected Tav and Durge to stand by his side no matter what

Because they were the only person who didn't kill the parasite infested vampire spawn at the beach, who loves him anyway despite the face he was a man with nothing to his name, who were willing to sacrifice 7000 souls and killed the Gur for him!

Ascended Astarion didn't want THAT special person to be taken by early death or a fate worse than death

He needed the reassurance that his love would be safe and no gods nor fate will take them away

If they refused to be an immortal vampire then they were as good as sealed their fate to death. Astarion didn't want to face that heartbreak

The thing that I don't agree with the interview is that the interpretation that ascension sent him to a horrible place? It was kinda vague? Like worse place when? During or after the ascension? Because this cannot apply after the ascension since I have taken so many screenshot and recording of ascendant astarion and I didn't see him feeling miserable about his fate. He was happy that the hunger gone and he could see his reflection again

Post final battle? The epilogue? After the epilogue party? This cannot be applied to all people, all route, all Tav/Durge and Astarion in general because there's variations. I mean you might see ascended Astarion as a bit lonely because he doesn't end up with anyone but in my Tav's universe he has a consort who stay by his side and their relationship is still going strong because my Tav is aligned with him

#astarion #astarion ancunin #bg3 analysis #bg3 meta #bg3 discourse #ascendant astarion #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #astarion x dark urge #astarion x tav #ascended astarion

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budd-ie · 5 months ago

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Desperately need to break down two people and one cup of water because I have like 10 drafts about xianle trio that I Can't Post because they all feed off of conclusions from each of their answers, except we haven't established what those conclusions are yet. So this is where that starts.

I once had a wake up in a cold sweat realization (the first of many) that the three of them represent three different paths in their respective answers, and how these answers give us so much insight into who they really are and how they typically act. And I realize this is probably a very basic and prevalent thing (especially come book 3) but I haven't seen it broken down recently, so I'd like to. But mostly I need it as my context and support for my other future claims or else they might not make any sense haha. So I’ll be relating these answers directly to events in book 3. Let's get into it.

“Two walked the desert, about to die from thirst, and there was only one cup of water. The one who drinks lives, the one who doesn’t dies. If you were a god, who would you give that cup of water to— don’t speak yet, I’ll ask the other two and see how they answer.”

Mu Qing's answer:

“May I ask who those two people are, what their natures are like, and of their merits? A decision can only be made once all the details are known.”

Feng Xin's answer:

“I don’t know! Don’t ask me—tell them to decide amongst themselves!”

Xie Lian's answer:

“Give them another cup."

TLDR:

When faced with a choice such as this...

Xie Lian will try to save both parties at all costs, even if that cost is himself. His sense of justice is the strongest above all and believes that innocent people should never have to suffer.

Feng Xin will put someone else in charge of the choice and act on their behalf. He isn't as good at making decisions, and feels most comfortable standing behind someone else he trusts.

Mu Qing will choose whatever option brings the best/most desirable outcome that is within his control without sacrificing himself. He is a logical thinker above all else and is used to making moral sacrifices to find the optimal yet most realistic outcome of a situation.

(Book 3 and some book 6 spoilers ahead)

We know that Xie Lian's desire to expand the resource is beautiful but impossible, and we know that giving equal amounts of half the cup of water to both people will still leave them both as dead as not giving it at all. We also know that he learned his lesson the hard way and doesn't stop learning it even 800 years later. We know how Xianle fell and we know that it was doomed from the beginning; there was no saving it, but even if there was, he would have to choose between Xianle and Yong'an. Finally, we know that when he has nothing left to give, he will give himself up for the outcome he desires. We spend so much time with Xie Lian that I won't focus on trying to prove what's already been proven. Instead, I'll focus on the other two.

Mu Qing's answer is unpalatable to most people, because it sounds like he accepts being put in charge of answering the question "who deserves to live and who deserves to die?" It's easy to judge him for his willingness to make these kinds of sacrifices, but this is the exact nature of the question, and the exact situation they find themselves in so often. By both this answer and patterns within his actions, I think Mu Qing can best be described as an extremely logical thinker who will choose whatever option brings the best/most desirable outcome without sacrificing himself too far. That doesn't mean he'll never push his luck, but this is the algorithmic way we most often see him thinking.

By the terms of the riddle, the most logical option is that one person gets water and one person doesn’t, and the giver will decide who gets it to avoid conflict. And Mu Qing doesn’t choose randomly, either; he wants to choose based on their characters, their backgrounds, their merits, etc. So the other two may be treating everyone equally, but sometimes that’s just not within your control. Mu Qing is an incredibly logical person, so to optimize the good that can come from this action, he will make the choice. It’s not easy, and could end either way, but at least someone is guaranteed to live. In fact, this is the only outcome in which someone is guaranteed to live. I'll summarize some other examples of his thought process in the future, but I'll focus on the most relevant example for now.

In book 3, Mu Qing is the first one to suggest cursing Yong’an with human face disease in order to save Xianle. A "despicable" choice as they conclude, but Xie Lian, I will add, does thoroughly consider his suggestions before declining, and while the persuasion is ineffective, it isn't 100% ineffective. In the end though, Xie Lian is weighing the option of “people in the capital probably live and the people of Yong’an as well as the dead suffer for it” and he isn’t willing to make this bargain in the end. He doesn’t know if it could backfire and isn’t satisfied with the amount of bad that could come from it. Mu Qing, on the other hand, is adamant about this decision and gets frustrated that Xie Lian won’t make it. He's even excited about his answer, not because he wants people to die, but because he found themselves a viable way out. It feels so easy to him, because he’s weighing the net good of “we fucking live” and “we fucking die.” Turns out living is a lot more appealing than dying, especially for a character who canonically loves his life and is terrified of death. Isn’t this the same mindset as the rest of the common people?

I've established before that Xie Lian is not the common people. Growing up poor though, Mu Qing is like, common people extraordinaire. Unlike Xie Lian, he’s long since accepted that not everybody can be saved, not everybody can be placated, some people are good and nice and some people suck and are not. Mu Qing is used to making sacrifices for the greater good, ignoring morality to a digestible extent, because it’s something that common people have to do to get by. This situation reminds me of this quote from when the townsfolk are getting admonished for mutilating themselves to get rid of human face disease:

“Your Highness is invincible, so of course you'd call us foolish. But aren’t our conditions so desperate that we had no choice but to try foolish methods?!”

And maybe we fixate a lot on “not everybody can be saved” but I think what matters to Mu Qing is more that some people can be saved. Why are we dawdling doing good because it’s not enough good? Don’t we learn from this that just one person enough? Mu Qing understands that in order to have a chance at saving themselves a decision must be made, and he tries to make his point clear when he says the following:

“Before they reach their bad end, we will have already perished! You don’t have a third path and there is no second cup of water. Wake up, Your Highness! You’re running out of time.”

The amount of suffering the common people have endured until now allows the average person to surpass the moral debacle and choose life above all else. Why did Xie Lian try to steal during his first banishment? Because he was so desperate to save himself and his family that morality became the lesser merit. When faced with the threat of human face disease and the solution of killing just one person to save themselves, the people who stab Xie Lian live, and the one who refuses the decision dies a horrible death. Does Mu Qing make a little more sense now? He saw not only a way to survive, but the expected solution to the problem, and he jumped at it. We as the audience can fixate on the moral implications of his decisions because we aren’t the ones making the decisions, nor are we affected by either outcome.

Speaking of a person not making decisions, this is where Feng Xin becomes relevant. His answer is to make no decision at all, leave it up to them to decide who drinks and who doesn't. While he's absolved from the moral quandary, this path doesn't really solve anything. There might be a chance where they choose peacefully who should drink, but it's much more realistic to expect them to slaughter each other over the resource before either of them have the chance to drink it.

So when faced with a major decision like this, what is Feng Xin most likely to do?

Entrust it to someone else, like Xie Lian.

As much as I love him, our poor boy's arrows are a bit sharper than he is. What’s he doing while Xie Lian and Mu Qing talk about curses?

At first, Feng Xin had listened to their argument glumly, and because he couldn’t contribute any better ideas, he didn’t join in.

Not a whole lot. Actually, he stands silently until Mu Qing insults Xie Lian. After that, he shoves Mu Qing back and suddenly starts going off on him, saying things like

“With an apathetic person like him, you don’t usually see any sign that he actually cares about the Kingdom of Xianle. But now suddenly he’s anxious?”

and especially:

“You really think I can’t tell that you think His Highness is a fool? I can tolerate your sarcasm and those rolling eyes, I can tolerate you always standing where you shouldn’t in the Upper Court. You like to show off and it’s hardly the first time you’ve pulled this shit, so fine, go show off, you’re not good enough to wow the heavens anyway. His Highness doesn’t mind, so I don’t give a shit either. But since you’re gonna cross the line, I’m not gonna hold back. Listen up! I’m not surprised you’d leap at the chance to use despicable means, but His Highness is His Highness—no matter what he decides, you better respect it. Don’t you dare be so critical, and don’t forget who the fuck you are!”

This is only an excerpt of the rant because the first part isn't as relevant but this whole scene is so crazy. Crazy because it's so raw (that last line is so jaw dropping to me like actually. If someone said all that to me I’d go rogue) and also because it tells us so much about them.

First, "despicable" is actually a word Xie Lian used earlier when he said the following:

“Absolutely not! Don’t forget what we called them when they attacked the innocent civilians of the capital: despicable. If we do the same thing, won’t we become just as despicable? How would we be any different?”

Which means this isn't completely Feng Xin's own judgment. Right now, he's just using Xie Lian's opinion as an in to justify his own personal rage. Xie Lian isn't even calling Mu Qing despicable; he fully believes in Mu Qing, understands how he came to his conclusion, and doesn't blame him for having a temper (he already knows he's sensitive and prone to it, he defends him saying he’s “just anxious over the current situation”). While we do know it definitely reflects Feng Xin's moral opinion on attacking innocents (“If it really was them, then I’ll lose respect for them. Fight honestly on the battlefield if you have the ability; don’t use shady tricks to harm innocent civilians!”), it's less reflective of his intentions in this specific instance.

Second, this whole rant is fueled by nothing but pent up rage that was sparked by Mu Qing insulting Xie Lian, giving him a hard time, and going against his decision. Feng Xin judges him hard for his "despicable" choice, but Feng Xin doesn't even have any other opinions on how to solve the actual problem at hand. His opinion is whatever Xie Lian decides, for his highness is so smart and virtuous, clearly that must be the right one, especially when compared to that of a humble servant.

But what would Feng Xin do if Xie Lian decided Mu Qing was right? What if Xie Lian decided that they desperately needed to curse all Yong'an citizens to die so Xianle might be able to live? Would this still be a despicable decision to Feng Xin if Xie Lian decided it wasn't so bad? I have reason to believe that his sense of morality, though great, may be slightly lesser than his sense of loyalty (assuming the person he is loyal to is virtuous and acceptable to him, such is Xie Lian). This is supported by how in the revised book 6 scene, Feng Xin doesn’t leave because he’s questioning Xie Lian’s morality, he leaves because Xie Lian relieves him of his duty and he obeys the order. He’s surprised when this happens and seems hesitant, despite it all. While we don’t really have any specific instance testing this hypothetical, my hypothesis is that any moral complications he could have would come after acting on his highness's word, and if Xie Lian said this was the right choice, he would rationalize it (I also think there’s a graph with an intersection between his morality and loyalty after which morality will start surpassing loyalty when the situation is pushed far enough to warrant it). In any case, the consequences of their actions will not fall on Feng Xin's shoulders, so he doesn't think too hard about the implications of the actions, he just excels at following orders from the boss; that's why its so easy for him to make these judgments.

I also think this explains the way he acts during book 1 where he always looks like he has something to say and never chooses to, always looking just a little lost at what he’s supposed to be doing. He’s given a choice of talk to Xie Lian or not talk to him, but he genuinely doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do and can’t figure it out on his own, so he chooses the safe option of doing nothing. He’s always looked towards Xie Lian to make decisions, but he doesn’t have that anymore. We actually see him start getting more confident in decision making as the book goes on, like when he congratulated him for his 3000 lanterns (I like how he doesn’t question where they came from though!).

Anyways, I forgot how important book 3 was for characterization of these three because everything they do can be drawn back here. The number one reason I like this story is the way every single character is so individual and has very specific motivations and personalities that can and will clash in very specific ways with other characters, which is how a lot of the conflicts arise in the first place (instead of throwing people at a plot and hoping they can carry it). It makes it so interesting when you know why they act the way they do. Also, this isn't a complete character summary by any means, there’s obviously more to these fellas that I didn’t talk about. I can think of other instances that support these conclusions, but because this is already such a long post maybe I'll make a masterlist or something and link them when I finish them (thanks!)

#if my hyperfixation ever ends ill be so sad. whatever replaces it better be worth it #“feng xin is the most normal one” is out. “Mu qing is the most normal one” is in.#tgcf #tian guan ci fu #heaven official's blessing #xianle trio #xie lian #mu qing #feng xin #buddie original tgcf #tgcf meta

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stewy · 6 months ago

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i saw your tags about cameron being more similar to house than wilson and if you have any notes or explanations on that i'd love to hear them! cameron is such an interesting character and i feel like she's really not analyzed enough

she isn't! idk if it's because people simply forget the earlier seasons as they progress with the show, but they forget cameron is an actual character who is written as consistently as any other character in the show save for house himself. not liking her is one thing but to dismiss her as if she isn't one of the most important people in house's life when her love literally got him out of that building is. lol

cam and wilson have a lot of similarities: they’re self-sacrificing to a detrimental extent, they value social niceties and acts of kindness, caring and empathetic, multiple marriages, in love with a sewer rat, etc. but they sort of stop there. cameron is a strongly moral character; wilson’s morals are flexible to the point of being barely there. cameron won’t sacrifice her values for the sake of making anyone feel better; all that wilson cares about is making other people feel better, preferably to his own detriment. cameron is much more sensitive and emotionally driven than wilson imo, you can see her actively struggle to put her feelings in the backseat in pretty much every situation, while that seems to come as second nature to wilson (though cameron gets better at that through experience). but she is also much more stable and true to herself than wilson, who struggles with letting his true feelings show with anyone other than house (simply because he knows his friend won’t give a shit). you see house call cameron “pathetically sincere” and that’s something you’d never hear him say about wilson considering his pathology is that he loves Everybody, with no discrimination. i think their specialties also speak to their own personalities: wilson is an oncologist, all of his patients already have cancer and most likely will die from it; his job is to treat them but it’s also to make them feel better about their imminent fate. cameron is an immunologist, taking care of someone’s autoimmune system with the sole focus of getting them stronger. this is also their approach to house himself btw

house and cameron are two sides of the same coin. a lot of people would disagree with me & hugh laurie in saying that house is a strongly moral character, but he is. the difference between himself & cameron is that he doesn't care what people do with their lives. if someone wants to kill themselves after he's done treating them, that's their problem. even when she despised the patient, she couldn't dare to see them live in pain (informed consent) or to play god and kill them herself (the tyrant). they're both extremely sensitive, stubborn and closed off. isolating themselves to the point of making their significant others (stacy and chase) feel lonely in the relationship. they both often look insane to everyone else, but have an innate understanding of each other. cameron opened herself up to house in a way she could never do with chase because she saw him, and she was the only person he truly emotionally connected with other than wilson. she was bothered by his impersonality and he was bothered by her sensitivity, because she wore with pride something he thought made him (and other humans) lesser. they tried to bring characters like masters & adams (even park?) to act as foil to house but it didn't work because they lacked what cameron and house had: a relationship.

#ask #thanks for this i've been trying to articulate it for a long time <3 #house md #allison cameron

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jadecantcreate · 2 months ago

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had a Thought about skrimm/barnabos (offhandedly mentioned very light/not plot related spoilers for eps 1 through 8)

so obviously barnabos has his thing with the woman in the shell right? calling her lover and all — it’s very clear they’re in a romantic relationship. it feels to me like it’s also kind of a warlock-patron or follower-god dynamic given her nature as some kind of otherworldly being (giving barbabos boons/abilities, appearing as fish, etc)

so imagine when barbabos catches feelings for skrimm and realizes it…how could he betray his lover, his muse, his goddess, even, like that? what would she think if she knew? she’d abandon him, certainly, and she would be justified. what is he to do? i mean, he might just be reading too deep into it and it’s just friendship. that comforts him a bit. but a part of him knows what he feels and it horrifies him. he loves the woman in the shell and devoted himself fully to her. but was that love anything more than admiration now? when had his romantic feelings for her dissipated and weakened enough to let someone else in? and skrimm, lazy slacker and sleazy conman skrimm, of all people? maybe if he can convince that nagging part of him, neither skrimm or his lover will learn of this sin, and he’ll forget all about it. he’s not sure he can. he tells himself it’ll pass eventually, as all things do and manages to believe it

and skrimm would react similarly, too. it just started as a joke by queenie and him exploiting a loophole (and barnabos’ assumption of him meaning well) to not do any work…he should’ve known to keep his guard up, to stop himself from getting too close — closer than he already was to all of them. in such a dangerous situation, attachment was a disadvantage. sticking together and being friends benefits the party, of course. more people, more skillsets, means more chances of survival. but love messes with skrimm’s head, and he’s not the smartest already — who’s to say he won’t sacrifice himself for barnabos’ sake? its a scary thought, and its even scarier that he doesn’t have a strong aversion to the idea. he has to get rid of these feelings somehow and he will figure it out…hopefully

#hngsksj #skrimm/barnabos has sooo much angst potential #i had this funky (not really) little thought and let it fester and now here we are #idk what im talking about really im not even a third of the way through icebound yet #but! it’s fun to think about #im sure this has been thought about before but i havent seen it (if anyone has read a good non spoilery skrimm/barnabos fic…….gimme)#id love to write something exploring this concept but if i drop my current fic ill never finish it #also shoutout to skrimm for being the king he is. hes dressed in practically rags but still has piercings and a fancy dagger #gayest (very affectionate of course) goblin in avantris fr #legends of avantris #icebound #skrimm stabbaskotch #barnabos the dreadwake

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asrascissorhandz · 4 months ago

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Quick little Elijah Volkov biblical Parallels study for you:

Before I get into it... yus I know he would be peter in the Bible.. and I'll get into that too... but I shall also get into elijah from the bible since that is his name and I think it says a lot.

Also disclaimer. I am a freak of nature and MUST over analyze things... so this is very far fetched ... it's just me having fun and linking things together.. don't take all I say as a seriously theory type thing.

🫀

Elijah Name meaning: Yahweh is my god

Volkov: wolf

Elijah in the bible:

He brought about many Miracles.. some which are worth noting are: bringing a boy to life and bringing fire down on the alter.

Elijah was proficised to come before the "great and terrible day". He was sent also to show people the evil of their ways and encouraged them to return to the Lord.

Parallel to Elijah volkov..

Now I believe this is what elijah believed... either what he was told when younger (this name was given to him) or what he eventually started believing by himself...

This feels like something that would help fuel / motivate Elijah's actions..

This obviously applies to the chnt situation that is rather similar to biblical events: preaching about sydneys holiness, *making* others *see* and *love* sydney, the Pyre and the fire, The Day, sydney and his not exactly aliveness, etc etc

Peter in the Bible:

Follower of Jesus. Most prominent apostle.

He is known for denying Jesus three times after Jesus was arrested and for leading the early Church after Jesus' death. Church burnt down.

Peter was first known as Simon. Name was changed by Jesus.

Simon: to hear, listening

Parallel to Elijah Volkov:

This is very yummy information of which to me mostly signifies to what could happen later on in the podcast or what could have already happened before the podcast was set..

Also !! 12 apostles ?? 12 as in the hours on the clock?? As in THE most prominent apostle?? Could he be number 12?? The END of the BEGINNING, the BEGINNING the EMD?? Camp HERE and THERE???

also three times?? Hmmmm...

And then obviously the church.. and the fire.. but then the betrayal ? Hmm

So much I must chew on...

Wolves:

In the bible- false prophets, wolf in sheep's clothing.

"a ravenous wolf; In the morning he consumes the foe, And in the evening he divides the soil"

the ravenous wolf to refer to the Temple's altar which devoured biblical sacrifice

divine punishment against transgressors.

General symbolism- bravery, loyalty, protection, and wisdom

Parallel to Elijah Volkov:

This simply explains him so very well... need I say more?

🫀

I love this freak...

Lotsaluv Asra

#chnt #camp here and there #elijah volkov #pink elephant man #i love theories #i love over analog #yipppeeee i pove this freak

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sillovn · 6 months ago

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The Beginning

Ok, finished gathering my thoughts on the "Shadow of Erdtree" trailer. Credit to @rinboz and @crumblingfaggotazula for beating me to the punch for many of these observations.

The corpse scene reads to me as 'pregnant woman with open gown' - the implication being that Marika steals 'gold' from the god of the previous age.

At present, the Elden Ring is held in Marika's body. Thus, the golden thread is probably the Elden Ring (or a great rune) in some form?

There's also the language surrounding this; 'seduction, betrayal, affair'. Is this confirmation that Radagon has always been Marika? the entire arc with Rennala being intentional and part of wider pattern?

Marika's rune seems to be a representation of golden sap dripping from the twin trees seen later in the trailer.

The corpse pile being the Erdtree's 'Primordial Matter' (see. Gilded Greatshield) makes a ton on sense; note the general shape and central fissure.

It explains the Erdtree (and it's descendants) ability/habit of corpse absorption. Also the implication that Jar-burial is not (strictly) a new practice - but based on something much older. Jars also have appeared frequently in the trailers.

Land of Shadow being 'obscured by the Erdtree' seems to be very literal - the Erdtree being a door with once side facing The Lands Between and the other; the Land of Shadow. Also explains the massive 'hole' in the lands between map - its not a meteor crater but where the Land of Shadow was.

Colour of Homeward Yearning

You could also say that in this scene; Marika is changing gold from it's original 'red tint' to how it appears as present.

Red (Primordial gold's colour) sits between yellows and purples (ie. gloam) on the colour wheel. The scene hue being nested gold-red-purple. Therefore, the Shadow was a natural byproduct from splitting "true gold" from the original "red gold"?

Also, is "homeward yearning" because red-gold calls back to a time before Land of Shadow+Lands Between split? or is it because of something else...

"Where all life was once blended together"

The Crucible being a corpse mountain fits that description well. Main caveat is that the corpses appear to be human, no beast parts. Then again, 'Omen-like' beings seem to be common in the 'Pre-Erdtree Culture' so perhaps they are the source of the horns/tails etc.

Its assumed that the corpses are of Marika's defeated enemies, but what if instead they are 'willing sacrifices'? Its been suggested that Erdtree followers don't reproduce biologically - they return to the tree on death and are assumed to be reborn at 'the foot of Erdtree'. Did Marika's original followers give themselves to seal away the Land of Shadow with the promise of being reborn into a new land? Therefore, "all life blended together" is because everyone who has ever lived in the Lands Between is a reincarnation from said original corpse mountain?

Side note; the Erdtree originally being made of bodies draws parallels with Rykard and Godrick and what they're up to.

Its also stated that Messmer's war follows said birth of gold, so clearly the corpses cannot be from said war.

All those stripped of the Grace of Gold

Going back to Marika's theft of gold; Im guessing that the pre-Erdtree culture loses the grace of gold in this act - ie. they become Tarnished. Messmer seems duty-bound to burn all those 'stripped of the grace of gold' which explains both his war against the pre-Erdtree Culture as well as his contempt for the player character.

Its interesting how becoming Tarnished potentially has been wielded as a punishment deep into the past.

Also note how Godfrey is 1st Elden Lord (even though Placidusax exists) and the 1st Tarnished (even though the pre-Erdtree culture likely became Tarnished).

The 'Lion Dancers' do not have golden eyes, but they also appear to be 'constructs/suits' - so who knows really?

Misc Stuff

One of the stranger things in the reveals is how finally have context for the various shield emblems - Candletree, Crossed-Tree, Red-Thorn (maybe...)

#elden ring #elden ring lore #shadow of the erdtree #kin rambles

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unbidden-yidden-deactivated20240 · 1 year ago

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My (non-Jewish) anthropology professor made a really incorrect statement about the idea of Jews as “God’s chosen people”. When I (also non-Jewish but try to keep informed) corrected him, he brought up something else that sounded wrong to me: supposedly only Reform Judaism allows for conversion? I didn’t know enough to contest it at the time, but that really does not sound true to my ear, from the way I’ve heard Jewish people talk about it. Is there any truth to that?

Yeah, the Chosen People thing is often wildly and antisemitically misinterpreted to mean "We think we're G-d's Specialest Selected Elite People and the only people G-d actually loves and cares about" -- which like. Could not be further from the truth. What it actually means is: We were selected to do the project of the mitzvot of the Torah, which is a lot of extra homework that other people don't need to do but someone needs to do it. It's a lot more like "chosen to do the dishes" of the spiritual world than "chosen to be special." Now. Is there definitely some pride of place in doing the extra work? Sure! But at the same time, Jewish eschatology has always made room for non-Jews. We absolutely think non-Jews who live good lives and are decent, moral people have a solid place in the world to come. We aren't angling for a everyone to become Jewish because, kind of by definition, not everyone needs to do the ritual mitzvot. Live ethical lives and be decent to each other and us? Sure. Lay tefillin and daven three times a day and (during the Temple times) offer sacrifices and wave lulav fronds during Sukkot and eat matzah on Pesach and keep kosher and keep Shabbat? Etc.? Nope, that's our task and ours alone.

Now! If you feel personally called to living a life of Torah and believe that you have a Jewish soul and should be made part of Am Yisrael, the Jewish people, you can go through the lengthy process of conversion and (essentially) become a member of the Tribe? Yeah, you can do that. You better be real sure and go into it eyes open. You're going to need to be persistent and dedicated to studying and being present in the community. It's not encouraged, and traditionally rabbis would turn someone asking to convert away three times before accepting them as a student to make sure they were serious. In modern times, most rabbis are a bit more welcoming, but will still push you to seriously consider why you want to be Jewish. If the answer is still yes for you, then you can do it, if you must. Most gerim (converts) describe an experience very similar to how transgender folks describe our gender journeys - we can't be any other way, and wouldn't want to be. I'm both a convert and trans, and my sense of understanding myself as both non-binary and as a Jew are deeply held and equally compelling.

All branches of rabbinic Judaism accept converts. Some have a more strenuous process than others, and some take on very few converts. The more traditional the movement, the more likely it is that the person will be encouraged to explore other options. The reason for this is that the more traditional the movement, the more serious they take the binding nature of the commandments, and therefore adding another Jew (especially one who has so much to learn in a comparatively short time rather than being raised in it) is a risk that the person will revert back to their old ways or find something else later. Since we are judged collectively (Torah is a group project) and the future world to come hinges on us scrupulously observing the mitzvot (according to the more traditional movements) it is imperative that any late additions to the People be very serious and rigorous in their observance.

The liberal movements are a lot less intense about that, although it's also a spectrum. The Reform movement does not hold the ritual mitzvot to be binding, only the ethical mitzvot. They therefore lack the same incentive to avoid failed conversions. The Conservative/Masorti movement and some of the other traditional egalitarian communities do hold the mitzvot as binding, but are a lot more flexible about their expectations that everyone follow them. It's a lot more of a "do your best; we're here to support you" vibe. (That's my branch that I converted through.)

Each branch, to be clear, has their strengths and weaknesses, their merits and their drawbacks. Every Jew brings something to the table. The Reform movement (and similarly liberal smaller movements) are probably the most welcoming to gerim and have the fewest hoops to jump through, but every branch has a process and some amount of converts. Those that choose a more traditional movement typically support, respect, and value the extra hoops of the traditional movements and are willing to work within that system; at least that's how it was for me. I wanted it to be rigorous so that I was prepared and certain; I got that out of my giyur process. Other people have different needs and value systems that are equally valid.

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y-rhywbeth2 · 2 months ago

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Elves: Philosophy and Religion

Link: Disclaimer regarding D&D "canon" & Index [tldr: D&D lore is a giant conflicting mess. Larian's lore is also a conflicting mess. There's a lot of lore; I don't know everything. You learn to take what you want and leave the rest. etc]

Physiology and quirks | Names & Clans and Houses || Pan-Cultural things: Social life | Time and 'Growing Up an Elf' | Homes | Language | Art | Entertainment | Technology || Elven 'Subraces' still a wip || Philosophy and Religion & Pantheons || Half-elves | [WIP]

• Overview: the variety found in elven religion/s. • Key spiritual philosophies that define elvendom: the Road of Life, Elamshin, and Laraelever • Creation Myths • Reincarnation and dying/Transcendence • Funerals • Holidays • Gods: a very brief overview of the very lengthy amount of nonsense about the four pantheons involved with elves which will be covered seperately (the Seldarine, the Dark Seldarine, the Seelie Court and the Asathalfinare)

Elven religion on Toril is diverse. The different subraces of elves have their own traditions and understanding of the Seldarine, the Seelie Court and the adjacent outer circle of sylvan gods, and the Dark Seldarine, and within those larger umbrellas different individual cultures may also vary.

While the elven faiths are split into the pantheons of the Seldarine and the ‘Dark Seldarine’ after the exile of Lolth, Eilistraee and Vhaeraun, dark elves and surface elves are not restricted to one pantheon vs the other. With two exceptions - Shevarash and Fenmarel - the Seldarine answers the prayers of drow worshippers and accepts them as priests (even if their mortal cousins do not), and gods of the Dark Seldarine do accept and sometimes reach out to elves who are amenable to their nature (even if most drow would call this heresy).

While it’s claimed that the drow are exiled from Arvandor, there are a few things that suggest things are more flexible than that. Firstly there's the individual drow who worship the Seldarine and Eilistraeeans who go to Arvandor after death (Eilistraee having a realm on Arvandor for this putpose), and secondly that surface elves can, through their own actions, fall out of grace and fall under Lolth’s sway without realising it. It’s also been put forth that this applies to the reincarnation cycle, as an elf’s spirit may shift between Corellon and Lolth’s sphere of influence by their actions: a drow may go to Arvandor and be reincarnated outside of Lolth's clutes, an evil surface elf who defies the Seldarine may be born again in Lolth's web.

Lolth hungers to be worshipped on the surface and often walks the streets of human cities (likely in disguise). She particularly delights in corrupting more elves, whispering in the ears of the desperate, ambitious and those lost to pain and grief – some of whom deliberately seek her out despite the great taboo of doing so.

Vhaeraun seeks to do away with the divisions of the Crown War and reunite the Tel’Quessir under his worship, which includes stealing surface elves out from under his old pantheon where and when he can.

Eilistraee doesn’t deliberately seek surface elven worship, or any form of worship since she invests all her energy into pulling the drow out of Lolth's grip, but she welcomes all into her faith regardless of origin. Due to her welcoming nature and outcast status she also tends to be popular with half-elves who face prejudice or persecution, especially bards.

Ghaunadaur will happily accept worshippers and future sacrifices from anyone – he’s patron god of gelatinous cubes, he’s not picky.

Kiaransalee, goddess of undeath and vengeance, has attempted to demand fealty from surface elves in the past.

Selvetarm is indifferent to his worshippers, so probably neither objects to surface elven worship nor cares if they don't worship him.

Key Philosophies:

A larger bent of religious philosophy drawing strongly on Sehanine Moonbow’s dogma, and particularly strong on Evermeet, lends itself to the concept of enlightenment and unity with the gods:

The Road of Life is a philosophy that the long life of elves is a winding path of many stages, at the end of which, if walked correctly, the elf with understand the many mysteries of elven life and the world and be presented with a choice to either ascend permanently to Arvandor and join the Seldarine or to return to Toril and guide the People as a bodhisattva-esque figure, denying yourself eternal reward in order to shepherd others towards it. Thus far there is only one elf known to have achieved this stage, Queen Amlaruil of Evermeet, who chose the latter. She recently disappeared during the Spellplague era and nobody knows what’s up with that so far.

Each road walked is unique, with many branching paths that appear when a choice can be made (some of which loop back to an earlier part of the road which need to be walked again) and many different cultural and religious opinions exist on how the road is supposed to be walked; whether its something you build for yourself by experiencing it and the journey itself is the point, or if there's a true route hidden amongst all the twists and turns that one must find and walk to reach enlightenment.

What exactly is beyond Transcendence at the end of the Road isn't explained, which is presumably why you need to spend a lifetime getting enlightened to understand it.

But by and large elves live by a combination of individuality and community: 'We are on this shared path together, but at the same time all of us are finding our own way.' Everyone's road is unique to them, and The People must support each other as a whole in order to provide the structure for an individual to walk their path.

Throughout the journey the elf develops themselves, exploring the world and their identity and their faith. Introspection and reflection on the nature of reality and divinity (and the elven place around it) develops throughout one’s life.

The first stage applies to young elves, and focuses on individualism; Exploration, chasing impulses and curiosities and travelling as they find their footing, grow to understand the world they live in, the gods they come from, and establishing an identity.

The second is a maturation stage, where the elf settles and begins to look towards their community and the People as a whole. At this stage elves have had many decades to grow and experience things and get to know themselves and are ready to commit to some field of development, dedicating themselves to their art or career (this is the point where one joins the priesthood or military, becomes a politician, or devotes their lives to study or art, etc). Either their attention turns outwards as they begin to consider the world, the gods and The People and their spiritual growth extends around and amongst them - or their full attention is devoted to one specific interest, which will consume them obsessively for the rest of their lives as they explore every part of it (don't start an elf on their special interest unless you genuinely want to be there for days while they gush over the minutia in full detail).

At the penultimate stage, when an elf finally hits old age (700+), the road takes a turn for the mystical. A ring of light – Sehanine’s titular moonbow – appears around the irises of the elf, signalling to them and those around them that they will soon be recalled to Arvandor. Their reveries begin to fill with visions and communion with the goddess of death, a process known as Transcendence, preparing them for what’s to come and presenting them with experiences that are said to be indescribable to one who hasn’t experienced them. Gradually they begin to slip into visions even during their waking hours as they slip away from the physical world. This is the time when an elf looks back at the winding threads they wove of their life and are to use it to place together ‘an understanding of elven nature and its relation to the universe,’ as the Seldarine begin to recall them to Arvandor.

As an elf dies they enter communion with the Seldarine, their awareness spreading throughout the Weave and encompassing the spirits of all elves on Toril, then into the minds of the Elders; those elves who have passed into Arvandor before them. The dying elf becomes one in communion with the Seldarine, magic and the People. The wisest are said presented with the choice to join the Seldarine or to remain in the mortal realm as a guide.

Many elves simply walk away into the woods or mountains and are never heard from again; elves outside of Evermeet usually find themselves compelled to travel to the Isle.

Sometimes elves physically fade out of existence as they die, rather than leaving a body, and Eilistraeean drow are also described doing this (Eilistraee calls her followers to her much as Sehanine calls to surface elves, where she dances alongside them until both fade into the moonlight (the Last Dance)).

Sometimes the spirit simply departs the flesh and leaves an empty shell behind which will be disposed off according to their culture.

An elf who dies to disease or violence does not experience Transcendence, and there's a strong chance their soul will be destroyed by the act of dying. In cases where it doesn't the soul is trapped, and a priest of Sehanine is tasked with seeking them and undergoing the Transcendence on their behalf to guide them to Arvandor.

(‘Wait, what about the Fugue Plane?’ Yes. Welcome, or perhaps 'welcome back,' to the land of The Writers Never Agree on Jack Shit. According to some sources the Fugue only applies to humans (and even then, only Faerûnian humans), and according to others elves will be going to the Fugue to face Kelemvor's judgement too. Up to you.)

On the other hand there's Elamshin, the Will of Lolth (or simply 'Destiny'). All strive for Lolth's approval; those who have it continue to live and are granted power and wealth; those who lose it suffer and perish. Chaos incarnate, how one gains and maintains this favour is not clear and one must be sharp and attentive and always ready to adapt to survive. When one cannot adapt, one has stagnated and must give way to the new growth. By living in chaos one is an adaptable and stronger being, and by better serving Lolth such the Spider Queen and her followers will overthrow the false traitor gods and rule the world, as is their right.

The rest of the Dark Seldarine do not seem to have any overarching philosophy like Elamshin or the Road of Life - Eilistraee seeks to forge a new path; Vhaeraun's church is a resistance movement more than a faith; etc.

The People are innately and spiritually a part of the Weave of Magic that saturates all of Toril and the Natural Balance, the later of which they have a druid-like relationship with. As they are part of other elves and their gods, they are one and a whole with the tapestry of magic and nature. The health of these things is the health of the People.

‘The Home of the Heart,’ a rough translation of the word Laraelever, the forest ‘as it should be,’ when one is living in balance with the natural cycles of the world and not burning it down or harming it out of carelessness and greed. The term can also be applied to things that are in line with this harmony, such as elven furniture and architecture grown from living trees or grown into shape and then harvested at the end of its lifespan instead of killing the tree for its wood on ones own terms. The individual shouldn't come at the cost of, nor impose harmfully on the lives of others.

Lolthites, Selvetarmites, Kiaransaleen and Ghaunadaurans don’t give a flying fuck about this, notably. Not sure about Vhaeraunites, but since he's trying to get the drow back to their pre-Descent lives it's possible something along these lines is in there... then again he does have a holy day that's just him giving the middle finger to the value the Seldarine places on nature, so maybe not.

Creation myths:

The most common creation myth is of course the variant where Corellon was injured in combat with the orc god Gruumsh, and the droplets of his blood became the first elves (some also add that another god – usually Sehanine or Angharradh – wept at his injury, and the mingling of blood and tears gave rise to the elves).

Some claim that Corellon created these first elves in his image by using magic to weave them physical forms from sunbeams (gold elves), moonlight (moon), the forests (green), the clouds (avariel), the seas (aquatic), and shadows (dark elves).

‘Myths discussing the natural origins of the Fair Folk are closely tied to the ability of many members of the Seldarine to assume nonelven, natural forms far greater in size than is common for their avatars.’

Reincarnation:

While lore from both the original AD&D and 5e supports elven reincarnation, and a specific form of reincarnation exists in being reincarnated into a fey guardian to take on a life of duty to nature and elvendom, a reincarnation cycle is not a universal belief amongst the Tel’Quessir.

Some do not believe in it. Of those who do, it’s believed that an elf may reincarnate as animals, plants or fey and not just elves, and this is not necessarily viewed as a punishment or reward in the fashion of karmic-like consequences. Sometimes it's even a desired outcome. Corellon and Sehanine work together to guide elves towards perfection in the cycles of life and death, Corellon watching over them and protecting them in life and creation, before handing them to Sehanine’s care in death. As the deity of transcendence, she presents elves with guides and puzzles to solve – in life, and presumably in death - as they find their way towards their final stage.

Some believe that reincarnation is only a rare occurrence that only happens as a punishment, when an elf commits a great wrong and is sent back by the Seldarine to atone before they can enter Arvandor. Others say that it’s a sign that an elf has unfinished business – usually some duty to kin and clan – and they have returned in order to complete it.

An order of rangers in the service of Sehanine (the Sentinels of the Moonbow) serves as a sort of animal wellfare group, that protects animals under the reasoning that they may be 'the reincarnated spirits of elves of ages past and that may once again assume elven form.'

Undeath - mormhaor, 'corrupted death' - is a state despised by elven faith as a breakage in the natural cycles of the universe that damages or destroys the soul of the victim. They are trapped in an abominable state, torn away from the people and unable to achieve transcendence or walk the Road. Elves tend to handle undeath badly. The acceptible alternatives; baelnorn liches and Reverend Ones (elven wraiths) are the product of white necromancy, powered by positive energy and deliberately created with the aid of the Seldarine; to become such is to make a great sacrifice and a duty to the defence and preservation of one's people or clan, postponing one's own reward to care for others. It's not an enjoyable or desirable state and it's not one entered into lightly. While their sacrifice is respected, even these undead make living elves uncomfortable

The story of Corellon’s exiling of elven souls from Arvandor due to Lolth’s manipulations, which has been introduced in 5e, clashes with previously given Realmslore* (wherein elves had already settled the Prime Material Plane in mortal forms before Araushnee’s banishment, and Corellon takes a static gender for her, not mortal elves), so while the story may exist on Toril, it’s not the mainstream version most elves believe in.

(*It's been stated in canon that depictions of deities outside of realmslore do not affect the versions of them within it, nor vice versa. A deity’s realmspace aspect is something of an independent being.

‘Once [an immigrant] deity is accepted into the pantheons of Toril, there is no difference between [native Torilian and pan-DnD gods], since each immigrant deity has a local aspect, independent of other world-based aspects he or she might possess. For example, although Labelas Enoreth and Clangeddin Silverbeard battled each other during the Time of Troubles on the isle of Ruathym, any enmity stemming from that clash does not extend to other worlds. Likewise, Lolth in some other world differs from Lolth in Faerûn’ - Faiths and Pantheons )

Funerals:

“Behold, there in the West There I see my comrades and my lovers, my childhood friends, those who have gone before me and those still to come. There I see them in the tall oaks, high in the limbs where the golden sun lights their faces. “They are calling my name. They are calling my name. They are calling me West, and there I am going.” - The elven Prayer for the Dead

Funerary customs vary greatly not only by subrace and nation but by specific communities - and each funeral is greatly customised according to the nature of the deceased.

Sun elves build elaborate tombs that also double as troves of history and lore that descendants can access; green elves bury their dead beneath or within trees, as do most copper elves. Some cremate their dead. Some elven cultures see a body as nothing but a cast off husk of no value now that the spirit has departed. Moon elves, as ever, vary greatly. Evereskans and some moon elves go for tombs, in the rest of the world some families draw more from their sylvan ancestry and go in for tree burials, others might use the customs of human settlements, etc.

I can't find anything specific on dark elven customs. Eilistraeeans have them, I assume Vhaeraunites do too. Ghaunadaurans die via self-sacrifice and get eaten. I'm pretty sure Kiransaleen and Lolthites believe in recycling via necromancy (or occasionally cannibalism, in Lolth's case). Being used to build an animate ossuary for Kiaransalee's temple also looks to be on the table. With Lolth in particular it's going to depend on which Lolthite sect you're in.

Holidays:

Not counting the impromptu revels Hanali's priests throw, Lolth's regular sacrifices, the various holy rites observed in Sehanine's name (focused on lunar cycles and phenomenon, which can occur once per decade, century or millennium), and so forth.

Cinnelas'Cor: 'The Day of Corellon's Peace' (everybody except most drow) and The Melding of the Three (moon elves) Elven new year, except it's held once every 'four snows' or 'pyesigeni' in elven (also known as Aeloulaeva), which is four years to a human.

Massive archery competitions are sponsored by the church of Solonor Thelandira, and considering these are elves one imagines that there's an incredible amount of getting drunk, dancing, flirting, and acting like idiots involved.

For moon elves this is also the holiday where they celebrate the birth of Angharradh and the peace and safety she brings.

Lateu'quor: Communion of the Crescent Moon Occurring once a month during the crescent moon phase, a celebration of creativity where elves gather in nearby glades and offer up a work of art to Corellon (a song, dance, piece of music, poetry, fine art, textiles, weapons, whatever you make)... while also dancing and partying, because elves. The creations are placed on display or preserved by Corellon's priests at his shrines and temples. Exceptional masterpieces are taken to Arvandor to be enjoyed by the elven spirits currently there. Occasionally Corellon personally blesses the revel with a spontaneous magical effect, which may involve him gifting his own work of art to the mortal elves in return.

The Secrets of the Heart Revels in honour of Hanali Celanil, occurring once a month during the full moon. A 'rosy glow' manifests within participants, highlighting their 'inner beauty' that lasts for several days. Feelings of romantic love are magically enhanced in some fashion, allowing participants to evaluate their feelings and relationships. Much like Lateu'quor, offerings of artworks are made to be taken to Arvandor and admired there. Some are returned, and these are shared around to be enjoyed by everybody. It's considered a lucky day to elope, announce engagements, and to unveil new art to the public.

Lunar Hallowings Also held during nights of a clear full moon, participants enter reverie and either mediate alone or enter communion with loved ones to commune with Sehanine. Occasionally Sehanine temporarily enjoins the spirits of all elves into a 'true sharing of the minds.' Then, of course, comes the dancing and drinking that lasts until the first rays of dawn.

Followers of Lolth celebrate the full moon by holding a religious ceremony with the sacrificing of a surface elf as the central event as a deliberate insult to Sehanine.

Nights of the new moon (Vhaeraunites) For surface dwelling Vhaeraunites, the nights of the new moon are sacred, celebrated by stag hunts through dark woodlands ending in the sacrifice of its antlers and still beating heart to their god in a manner which deliberately perverts the hunting celebrations of the Seldarine.

The Budding A dance held during the spring equinox honouring Rillifane Rallathil; the natural cycles, the life given by the world around one, and the growth of new life is celebrated with the usual dancing and feasting. The weeks leading up to the celebration is marked by fasting, broken with the ritual hunt of a hart.

The Dance of Swirling Winds A dance festival held on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, observing the changing of the seasons and venerating Aerdrie Faenya who for most elves is am agricultural deity. During the gathering there are always strong winds, and those who can't fly (via wings or magic) are granted magical flight by the goddess so that they may join the wind dance in the sky. At the end of the festivities the wind blows the participants over several miles of vistas showing natural beauty, before depositing them gently near their homes.

Midsummer Like the rest of Toril, Midsummer is a day dedicated to love. Feasting, music and dancing being the main attractions. Those with no romantic partner/s either seek them or, if they have no desire to, celebrate with friends. Partners usually wander away to find privacy towards the end of the day. Elves are usually joined in their celebrations by the local fey.

Midsummer is considered a particularly good day for marriages and betrothals.

The Transformation A holy day occurring during the autumn equinox, counterpart to the Budding. Elves seeking a major change - be this some form of spiritual rebirth, a clean break from something in their life, or anything else along those lines - gather to celebrate the promise of Rillifane and the autumn that life is an everchanging renewal: all things fade, new things grow, some old things regain their health or change.

The Graverending (Kiaransaleen) An annual rite held on midwinter eve, Kiaransalee's priestesses animate as many murder victims as they possibly can in the form of a goddess-blessed unique undead called Vengeance Hunters who will unceasingly hunt down their slayers over the course of the next 24 hour period, only stopping if destroyed or if the 24 hours ends. Once they've succeeded (or time is up) the revenants return to their graves. The vast majority of dark elves don't worship Kiaransalee, so for most drow this is just zombie assassin apocalypse day.

Midwinter: The Mystic Rites of the Luminous Cloud, also known as Ol Ahnvae Sehanine (Sehanine's Night) The elven equivalent to the Feast of the Moon, the midwinter holiday when Faerûn honours the dead. Elves assemble under the night sky and enter reverie, and are enveloped in shimmering moonlight that dissolves them and draws them into the sky. While communing, Sehanine guides the elves through visions meant to aid their spiritual development, revealing the mysteries of the Road of Life at levels appropriate to each participant's readiness. At the end of the rite the elves are returned to their physical forms in their original positions.

The Maked Lord's Embrace (Vhaeraunite) The most sacred of Vhaeraun's holy days, every follower spends 24 hours of introspection in full sensory deprivation (drow use their innate darkness and leviation spells to isolate themselves in spheres of pitch blackness, those who don't have those abilities are granted them by Vhaeraun for the day). They spend this period contemplating Vhaeraun's teachings and how they might advance the Masked Lord's cause over the coming year.

The Run (Eilistraeean) Held once a year, at an unspecified time (may be the worshipper's choice). Surface drow almost universally travel in disguise on the surface for their own safety, but on this day Eilistraeeans head into surface communities - especially amongst surface elves - and walk openly among them. Non-drow followers instead disguise themselves as drow. They are to offer charity: sharing game they've hunted with those who need it, playing music for the entertainment of the people, lending helping hands to others' tasks and so forth. During this time Eilistraeeans may not preach their faith nor attempt to gain any wealth or power for themselves - all acts must be pure charity.

The High Hunt (Eilistraeean) A night-time hunt held at the end of each season (presumably during or around Midsummer, Highharvestide, the Feast of the Moon, Midwinter and Greengrass). The priest-led hunting parties pursue a dangerous monster wielding only bladed weapons. Lay-worshippers may dress how they please, while priests forgo all forms of protection including any clothes.

The Gods:

Are getting a secondary post, because the number of them is insane. Elven religion as a whole involves four pantheons (the Seldarine (17 gods, or more, depending on who you talk to), the Seelie Court (7+), the Asathalfinare (7), and the 'Dark Seldarine' (6)), and different elven cultures have entirely different opinions on who is part of the elven pantheon and who isn't and how the pantheon works.

Suffice to say, surface elves typically worship the Seldarine, usually led by Corellon with some bickering about the fine details between cultures, and the Seelie Court - the fey gods, called 'archfey' in 4e and 5e, led by Titania. Green elven religion then goes on to incorporate a layer of animism.

Aquatic elves might pay some respect to the Seldarine as the gods of their ancestors, but primarily worship the Asathalfinare; a pantheon of deities worshipped by sea-dwelling beings led by the aquatic elven god Deep Sashelas.

The Dark Seldarine plays the role of the devil for surface elves, while for dark elves they are the only pantheon... and which member of the pantheon they worship is usually the only god in the pantheon that matters:

Dark elves vary greatly by which of the Dark Seldarine they worship. Lolth is predominant, but within her faith every drow settlement is going to differ on what Lolth's exact teachings are and how she's supposed to be worshipped, as deliberately engineered by the Spider Queen to keep chaos and conflict going.

Eilistraeeans are the least henotheistic, and the Seldarine is often worshipped alongside her. Surface elven worshippers of the Dark Maiden are uncommon and most are deeply sceptical of her and her followers, but they can be found living in some dark elven communities on the surface. While tensions between the dark elves and their cousins, and between Eilistraee and the Seldarine still exist, she does have one foot in Arvandor despite not technically being part of the Seldarine and speculation on whether she'll ever formally re-join them continues (although according to Word of God Eilistraee has no intention of joining any pantheon).

#Yep. I am still alive. Also busy and sick. But I'm still here #With the mountain of NEver Ending Elf Lore #Shoulda done the brain eating tentacled amphibian people lore #lore stuff #pointy eared stuff #long post

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