#Major Arcana (Hawkins)

[ikkaku-of-heart]

@waxgentleman asked: Hawkins x Killer HAWWKINS X IKKKAKUUUUU Send me a ship and I'll fill out this bingo card (Still Accepting!)

Hawkins x Killer

Answered here

HAWWKINS X IKKKAKUUUUU

Hoooooooo boy this one is my beautiful, toxic, self-indulgent for the sake of drama and angst ship that came out of nowhere. What started as me wanting Ikkaku to have a personal nemesis turned into something so fucking toxic and deliciously complex that it's become a borderline obsession (to the point where I have a Hawkins sideblog of all things). It's just so interesting because if it weren't for all of the bad intentions and subterfuge on both sides this would be one of the better relationships for Ikkaku because it's a man who, while powerful, is interested in her and not just seeing her as a way to get to her captain. But because Hawkins is an unhinged madman who sees Ikkaku as his way to escape his fate of being killed and fail in his dream to become Pirate King, it's never meant to be and things become so very, very bad for Ikkaku when he gets his hands on her on Wano. This shit definitely earned the "only I understand how it works" square on the bingo card because it's so full of bad times I feel awful inflicting my thoughts on anyone else lol.

[ikkaku-of-heart]

"Listen, I may be a pirate, but I'm actually on your side here!" Ikkaku insisted, glaring up at the Marine captain. No, he was a Vice Admiral now, wasn't he? It was so hard to keep up with who was promoted to what after Marineford. But Law felt it was necessary to know who the major players were, especially when they could cross paths with the Heart Pirates.

And cross paths they did. Along with Basil Hawkins, to Ikkaku's chagrin. The Magician was a member of the Worst Generation that she was all too familiar with, being a fellow Northerner with a twisted reputation. The man was a sadist in his own right, and his powers made him difficult to deal with, as he could transfer any damage dealt to his subordinates, enemies, or, worst of all, innocent civilians.

Generally, the Hearts didn't go after civilians if they could help it for practical reasons. Law's plans were usually best done with a degree of stealth, so it was better to lay low and not cause a ruckus by causing civilian casualties or even being noticed. And there was an honorable aspect to it, considering how Marine bases and other pirates didn't get that same kind of courtesy. Ikkaku, in particular, believed that just because she was a criminal didn't mean she couldn't be a good person when she had the opportunity.

This was one of those opportunities. She knew Hawkins better than Smoker did. That, and one of Law's rivals being taken down by the Marines could be a good thing for her captain. One less person in the way of him reaching the One Piece.

"If you let me go, I can get the civilians in the square to safety while you focus on stopping Hawkins. Otherwise, he will use them as hostages and probably kill you. And then he'll kill the civilians, and probably me and my crew, so really, us helping each other is the lesser of two evils for both of us."

@ikkaku-of-heart liked for a starter with Smoker

"I shouldn't allow you to leave." He looked off at the greater threat in the distance. People's lives always took precedence over an arrest, but that wouldn't stop him from trying to get both. A pirate escaping was always a threat on lives.

[waraxarcana]

@akagamiko asked: The High Priestess & The Lovers c: THE MAJOR ARCANA (Still Accepting)

The High Priestess: Do they meditate? Would they be considered "in tune" with themselves, or do they struggle with personal growth?

Hawkins does indeed meditate. Usually first thing in the morning along with some yoga to center himself before leaving his quarters to face the day. He did a lot more of it during the alliance with the Kid Pirates and On-Air Pirates because he needed to center himself a lot more before dealing with his biggest stressors.

As for being in tune with himself and personal growth, that's mostly a no. Or at least, he'll acknowledge and work on his personal shortcomings if he thinks he'll immediately gain something from it. For example, when he left Auger, he realized that most people were put-off by his lack of emotions. He didn't care so much until he realized that tactical displays of emotion could be useful, especially for manipulation. So he sought to learn how to express himself a bit more, or at least mimic others enough to more easily navigate social situations and turn them in his favor.

Unfortunately, he's too stubborn and closeted to be in tune to himself enough to acknowledge his bisexuality.

The Lovers: What do they consider to be the "perfect partner", be it romantic, platonic, alterous, etc.? Is there someone like that in their life?

For romantic/sexual partners, he likes intelligence, passion, and feistiness. If he's going to be with someone, he wants to be able to actually converse with them for hours. He wants to learn and discover things from them and with them. He needs intelligence to remain interested in a person, otherwise he'll quickly discard them once they've fulfilled their purpose. This pairs especially well with someone who's passionate, especially when it's related to their hobbies or goals. Hawkins especially likes someone who's passionate but also knows when to be quiet. As for the feistiness...that's a bit more in NSFW territory lol. I will also note that he considers thick, luxurious hair he can run his fingers through and play with to be a very attractive physical feature.

For platonic relationships, intelligence is still key. Hawkins does not like stupid people. He appreciates intelligence and cunning. Good conversation is again something he craves if he's going to be associated with someone. Loyalty is something he will also begrudgingly appreciate, though mostly to him. He's also someone who prefers animals over people, so he's more likely to tolerate the company of minks and animals over most humans. He finds they have a soothing presence about them (and yes, this does also include his carnivorous horse).

[victusinveritas]

Art by Jim, artist statement:

"So I got as far as finishing Hawkins before realising someone else has already made a whole set of Predator Major Arcana so bang goes that idea.

Here's the kickstarter for a deck created by Roy Huteson Stewart https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rhsillustrator/hunter-action-horror-sci-fi-tarot The illustration work is really awesome and looks well worth supporting / buying.

I actually had a completely different lineup planned - the only card that would have looked similar is the Death and The Chariot. I think not having a skinned Jim Hopper as the Hanged Man is objectively wrong and for me Blain and Mac are The Lovers, not Dutch and Dillon. They even have their own love theme! Still, credit where it's due, Roy got there first and he executed it beautifully. Hats off."

[theworldwalkerswols]

Klynrhot “Rhot” Hyltklinsyn 6 Inspos Chart ��

With thanks to @/beauxiv and @/sanquines on xitter, here are the original and expanded versions!

WoL Inspo Chart Descriptive Text

Prompt text: Pick 6 characters that helped inspire/continue to inspire your WoL!

Rhot’s Six Characters:

Jim Hawkins, from Treasure Planet (2002)

Meteor Survivor, from Final Fantasy X|V (the close-up of Dawntrail / Viper!Meteor specifically)*

Merry Brandybuck, from The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - specifically, an image of him standing on a table and singing with a tankard of ale in his hand

Will Turner, from one of the later Pirates of the Caribbean films (fuck if I know which one, at this point)

Robin Hood, yes, the fox one specifically

Thor, from the MCU In this image Mjolnir rests on his shoulder. He looks toward the camera, his eyes luminous corner to corner. Behind him is a technicolor sky shot through with lightning.

*Since Rhot was designed to be my Canon!WoL, i.e. designed to belong to and in the world of Eitherys, Meteor is here unironically!

Visual Inspirations and Motifs:

Tarot Major Arcana VIII and X: Strength and Wheel of Fortune

A spray of Scilla flowers (aka Sea Onion)

A photograph of a clear night sky with Polaris at the center

A dramatic solar flare gushing from the surface of the sun

The tube of a breaking wave, the water bright blues and greens

Quotes, Lyrics, Verses that Inspire:

BLAET & SAELZ | BLOOD & SALT -Rhot’s family credo

River to the ocean goes / a fortune for the undertow… -”Find the River,” R.E.M.

And I went home / chasin’ twisters in the canyon / my cathedral is the badlands… -”Chasing Twisters,” Delta Rae

“Once a selkie finds its skin again, neither chains of steel nor chains of love can keep her from the sea. From that day on, it was forbidden to harm a seal on the island.” -The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)

Inspo Chart Descriptive Text End

[justmoreocs-writing]

Perspective Character Profile

Fullname: Claribel Miranda Barrow. Her middle name is that of her maternal grandmother; she used to joke that it was because of this shared name she was so close to her.

Nickname(s): Belle, Clary, Tink. Most people close to her - family and friends - call her Belle. Clary is the nickname used by people who don’t know her all that well, but enough to shorten her name. Tink is the main nickname that friends use with her when wanting to tease; it’s partly because of her height, but also because Hellfire are teasingly called Peter Pan and the Lost Boys by some of the theatre group.

Date of Birth: 5th of July.

Age: 17 years old.

Star Sign: Cancer. Like her star sign suggests, Belle is friend-orientated. However, while she might seem sensitive to some things, Belle knows how to control her feelings even when they threaten to take over. While Belle can be practical with things, her default approach towards issues is how her actions will impact the emotions of others.

Planet: Pluto. Belle feels as though she is a different person to the girl who left Hawkins almost three years earlier. Her transformation from somebody who froze to a person who acts is something she recognises the most in herself, even if some people wouldn’t necessarily realise it.

Height: 157cm.

Dominant Hand: Left.

Myers-Briggs: ENFP, Campaigner. Belle is extraverted as she enjoys talking to different people and doesn’t really like being alone, even though she can appreciate the importance of time like that occasionally. She is intuitive as she constantly looks to new things, eager to understand the world around her; it has taken time, but she is able to look forward with optimism. The main focus of Belle’s actions are feelings; her main drive is how things help others, even though she may not always realise this is the reason. Belle is prospecting, meaning that while she can plan things through she is also good at reacting to the things around her. Like other campaigners, Belle is enthusiastic and always tries to find a reason to smile - even if it’s just to offer one to others.

Moral Alignment: Lawful Good. Belle is lawful good as her code for helping tends to be protecting others, and thus is something that she sticks to a lot.

Love Gesture: Quality Time. To show others she cares, Belle tries to spend time with them because she’s never sure when she might no longer be able to see them. She listens a lot, and tries to only focus on the person she’s spending time with when they’re together.

Love Language: Physical Touch. A lot of people seem to show Belle affection by small gestures - a hand on the shoulder, or a hug when she looks like she might just shatter. Belle doesn’t mind physical affection, but she’s not usually the one to initiate it.

Major Arcana: The Hanged Man. Belle is linked to this card because she is having trouble letting go of the trauma in her past. There are times when she thinks she’s moved on with things, and then the ghosts of her past come back.

Card Suit: Hearts. Belle is linked to hearts because relationships and family are at the heart of everything she does. While she can occasionally be a little guarded about her own emotions, understanding the feelings of others is something that she strives to do so as to support them however they may need.

Intelligence Type: Kinesthetic. Belle doesn’t like staying still, and has been jogging as a release for as long as she can remember. When she’s being taught new things, physically doing them is the thing that has helped her to make sense of them more than anything else.

Element: Earth. Mostly, Belle fits with earth as she is helpful and dependable. She tries to be practical, but things don’t always work out that way for her.

Robin & Belle: Best Friend. Belle and Robin met when they were very young and have been inseparable ever since. While Belle often drifted between groups at school, she always gravitated back towards Robin, and they knew that they had each other’s backs. However, when Belle leaves Hawkins she finally starts keeping secrets from Robin, secrets that terrify her and that make her feel guilty. Upon being reunited, Belle slowly builds the courage to admit things to Robin, knowing that she has her full support with it all.

Belle & Eddie: Close Friend, Mutual Pining, Eventual Romance. Eddie and Belle had seemed to spark a friendship from their first meeting even though nobody really knew how they managed it. Upon her return to Hawkins, Eddie seemed to make it his mission to make sure she wasn’t going anywhere again. Over their time together, Belle began to realise things were changing between them.

[comparativetarot]

The Chariot. Art by Sam Dow, from The Literary Tarot.

“This card was paired with Stevenson’s classic pirate story by Simon Tolkien. It’s a favorite of mine as well, to no one’s surprise! His reasoning is that the Hispaniola stands as the chariot itself, while Jim Hawkins’ courage and resourcefulness in the face of danger exemplify the key characteristics of the card: determination, willpower, emerging victorious.“ —Sam Dow

[sunflowerdigs]

Stranger Things Tarot

Thought I'd write down my Major Arcana before S4 josses it. No pretty pictures, sadly, because I'm not an artist. It's just a list (and a very biased one at that!). I would love to know what people think!

0 - The Fool - Mike Wheeler

1 - The Magician - Robin Buckley

2 - The High Priestess - Eleven

3 - The Empress - Joyce Byers

4 - The Emporer - Steve Harrington

5 - The Hierophant - Mr. Clark (maybe Dr. Owen, too?)

6 - The Lovers - Max Mayfield and Lucas Sinclair

7 - The Chariot - Max Mayfield

8 - Strength - Lucas Sinclair

9 - The Hermit - Murray Bauman

10 - The Wheel of Fortune - a 20-sided die on a D'nD board

11 - Justice - Kali Prasad

12 - The Hanged Man - Jim Hopper

13 - Death - Will Byers

14 - Temperance - Nancy Wheeler

15 - The Devil - Vecna; the two supplicants on the card would be Brenner and the meat spider

16 - The Tower - The Clock at the Creel house

17 - The Star - Dustin Henderson

18 - The Moon - Jonathan Byers

19 - The Sun - Erica Sinclair

20 - Judgement - Billy Hargrove

21 - The World - all of Hawkins

[selfshipwritingandstuff]

The Fate that binds us

Chapter 1

Someone who cares

Being a member of the Kid pirates was anything but a peaceful existence, considering the captain's tendency to fly into violent fits of rage. I hadn't thought that Kid would ever even consider an alliance with another crew; his explosive temper usually didn't mesh well with people who weren't already familiar enough with him.

But then, one day, he and Killer suddenly told us that the Kid Pirates were about to enter an alliance with the Hawkins Pirates and the On Air Pirates. A fateful decision, for all of us.

Being a low-level member of the crew meant that I should have little to nothing to do with the allied crews' captains. I was, after all, of little note. A silent shadow in the background. I liked it that way, honestly. So I spent a lot of time alone, hanging out in a small clearing of the forest surrounding the crew's hideout. I loved Kid and the others to bits, but they could be so noisy.

Hawkins moved so quietly that I didn't even notice him until he sat down on a tree stump only a few feet away from me and began mixing his cards. I had only seen the mysteriously handsome captain of the Hawkins Pirates from afar before, so having him so close to me, and being alone with him made me extremely nervous.

„I hope you don't mind,'' Hawkins said calmly. 

„N-not at all," I replied. Common sense told me that I should probably leave. He hadn't exactly told me to leave, but I felt like it would be the right thing to do. Against all reason, however, I remained where I was, watching him shuffle and lay out the cards on a net of straw, probably created by devil fruit powers.

„Say", I began, „...how exactly do you read the future with these cards?"

His red eyes flicked over to me for the briefest of moments before returning to the cards. „Come here, and I'll show you."

I slowly rose from my sitting position before approaching him and looking over his shoulder.

I was vaguely familiar with tarot cards, but had never put too much effort into learning to read them.

Hawkins fingers slid from card to card, patiently explaining to me what each of them meant and how their meanings fit together. Honestly I hadn't expected such a thorough answer. But he was obviously passionate about the topic, so maybe he had just waited for someone to share it with.

He was halfway through the Major Arcana when I heard Kid's voice call for me.

The sun was already setting; I had spent hours listening to Hawkins without even realizing it.

„Oh damn.. I gotta go. Thank you for taking so much time for me… uh… goodbye." I rushed towards Kid's voice, hoping that Hawkins wouldn't notice my burning face.

But there was something I couldn‘t forget. The cards Hawkins had in front of him the moment I left, while teaching me how to do a simple three-card-reading. The Fool, upright. The Devil, reversed. And the Lovers, upright. This meant something important. But at this point, I could not tell what that was.

A few days later, I found myself rushing to my little corner of the hideout, my coat pressed to my chest in a bundle, containing two squirming little bodies.

How many times had I told Kid to be a little more mindful of his surroundings? And how many times did he ignore me?

I briefly looked down to the two little crow chicks in my arms. Their nest had been in a tree that Kid had knocked down while sparring with Killer, in his usual manner resembling a bull released in a china shop. I was just glad that I had found them in time.

I knew very little about crow-raising but if there was any chance of me saving these two little ones, then I would do my very best.

I passed Hawkins on my way to my room.

„What do you have there?"

I stopped and turned to him, slightly pulling aside the fabric so he could see.

„Their nest was destroyed", I explained. „I don‘t think their parents are going to come back for them, and I couldn‘t just leave them there.“

Hawkins gave the two chicks a long look. „I wouldn't bother if I were you. The shadow of death is already looming over them."

I sharply inhaled. Part of me wanted to snap at him. How could he be so cold?! But he was still much stronger than me, so I just scoffed and continued on my way without saying anything. If I wanted to prove him wrong, I needed to get them to a warm place and find food for them, quickly.

A wooden box with a lamp in it made for a nice make-shift incubator, so I hoped. Now there was only the matter of food. That shouldn't be too hard, I figured. Crows were omnivores, right? So I ran down to the kitchen and gathered whatever I could find and the others couldn't use. Scraps of unseasoned meat, bits of grain that had fallen through the cracks, vegetable peels that had been discarded, bits of egg yolk scratched out of discarded egg shells; all mixed together with a bit of water and crushed until it was an indefinable brown sludge. Now I could just hope that the little ones would accept it.

They were weakly cawing when I returned, gathered bits of the sludge onto the narrowest spoon I had been able to find and prayed while holding the spoon up to their beaks.

At first they wouldn't take it, and my heart ached in desperation. At some point I just gently opened their beaks and carefully spooned some food into them, which thankfully got them to understand what I wanted them to do. Once I felt that they had eaten enough, I let out an audible sigh. They would be okay; I was sure of it.

I continued feeding them every two to three hours. Within the first few feeding sessions their caws became noticeably louder and more powerful. They were recovering.

The next day, while I was once again feeding the chicks, someone knocked on my door.

„Come in!", I called out.

The door opened and Hawkins stepped in. "Cora, I wanted to apologize for my rudeness yesterday. You wanting to help those birds was certainly admirable, regardless of the outcome, and that kind of empathetic thinking should not be dismissed."

"Oh, it's fine. I'm also sorry for just ignoring you." I was a little taken aback by his sudden visit. Why would he take time out of his day to apologize to me for something this minor?

A loud, insistent caw broke through the awkward silence between us. I turned to the chicks again. „Oh, I'm sorry, my darlings. You're still hungry, aren't you? Yes, you are!" I gave them each another spoonful of sludge.

Hawkins stared at the two little crows like a man who just had an epiphany. „...they are still alive…?"

„They sure are." I bit my lip. „D…do you still see the shadow of death over them?"

He was quiet for a long while before responding. "No… the shadow is gone."

I breathed a sigh of relief. „That‘s great. I really don‘t know what I‘m doing and was just guessing  and I‘m so glad they‘re okay.“

As if to emphasize just how okay they were, the crowlings were cawing for food again. Before I could react, Hawkins had taken the spoon out of my hand, dipped it into the food mix and and held it out for them. And while they hungrily devoured what he gave them, I saw the slightest hint of a smile on his face.

Finally, they settled down to rest, and Hawkins sat down at my desk, his cards at the ready. After a few minutes of shuffling and placing the cards, he declared:„Their chance of survival is currently 79%.“

„Sounds like good odds to me“, I replied.

„It‘s strange...“ He let his fingers hover over one of the cards. „Just yesterday, their chance of survival was less than 5%.“ His eyes sought mine.

„I guess that, sometimes, someone who cares is all it takes to turn it all around.“ I gently stroked the birds‘ heads. „That‘s why I always want to make an effort to care, no matter how bad things look.“

Hawkins tilted his head, again looking at me like he saw me for the first time.

„...I see.“ Then he got up. „I should probably leave. Your captain would probably be quite displeased if he found me within the private area of one of his companions. Good day to you.“ And he was gone before I could say another word.

[sahesha]

so, it's my OC made by picrew.me! meet Sahesha (Astarte Martlet in the past)!

she's 26 years old, Asian, former Marine commodore, and former Celestial Dragon like Doflamingo. that's why he feels affection for her. he thinks that they're similar to each other because of their past, but also she has a very interesting character!

Doflamingo has Pygmalion syndrome quite clearly in this story, so he made a significant contribution to her development as a person

the Donquixote family uses the symbolism of playing cards, and in Doflamingo's card deck she isn't the new Corazón or like that. she is the Death card, 13th Major Arcana from Tarot (maybe she was in some kind of relationship with Hawkins?)

upd: the second version of her appearance!

upd: another pics :)

^^ 💜

[ikkaku-of-heart]

The amazing @nikii-svg created this incredible piece for me and I could not be happier! Ikkaku as the High Priestess tarot card at last exists outside of my imagination, and she’s even more beautiful than I could have hoped! She is divine and beautiful and absolutely worthy of being simped over! I love it so much!!!!

[kingsmakers]

Hawkins High School Crew + Major Arcana

[elverted]

1, 5, and 8 for the tarot meme!!

*    major arcana, accepting.

01.  the magician  :  how does your muse feel about fate ? do they believe they can change their own destiny ?

jane doesn't necessarily believe in fate, however depending on who explains it to her in a wider context -- she could shift to believing it. things like fate, destiny, those thought systems aren't something she's engaged a lot with. of course she knows the basics, storybook things, but for example when owens tells her the fate of ... the world is practically in her hands ? it's ... incomprehensible since for SO LONG her world has been just the lab, the cabin, hawkins. her world is very small -- but there are instances where she does question the path she's on. doubting her own goodness, challenging owens with what if i'm not good, stating it as if she's the problem. so in a way she understands the concepts, but she always feels backed into a default: monster, bad, killer. she wants to change that fate, that destiny, but with her actions, her feelings -- it feels inevitable.

05.  the hierophant  :  what are your muse’s morals / ethics ? do they follow their moral code strictly ?

normative morals are something she definitely needs to learn as she begins engaging with larger society. given the fact that a lot of her ' training ' was focused on espionage and assassination ... her understanding of right and wrong are a little skewed. HOWEVER ! she does understand, and feel strongly about hurting people ... doesn't enjoy animals in pain as well. there is an empathy that wasn't flushed out of her, which does at least give her a head start. she doesn't believe in hurting good people, or innocent people -- but naturally, who falls into those categories can bend or not be a correct assessment.

08.  strength  :  how does your muse use their energy ? do they tend to work towards their goals steadily or in bursts ?

answered here !

[waraxarcana]

@thevoiceofthepeople asked: [WHEEL OF FORTUNE] THE MAJOR ARCANA (Still Accepting)

Do they believe in destiny/fate? If so, what do they believe their "purpose" is in this life?

Considering his whole deal with the Tarot, he obviously believes in fate. However, despite what many claim, he does not consider himself chained to it. He reads his cards like a navigator reads the currents or the weather. He sets his course based on what looks like the smartest course of action. They are suggestions, not absolutes. That's why he talks about the odds of his readings instead of taking them as straight facts.

The fact is, Hawkins is actually rather defiant when it comes to his own fate. Remember, he read that he had a 1% chance of surviving the Raid on Onigashima. Had he felt his fate was so unavoidable, he would not have fought so hard. In fact, my version of Hawkins is so fixated on Ikkaku because he believes that she's the key to that 1% chance of preventing his ultimate fate.

He typically treats the fate of others as facts, partially as a manipulation tactic (it's easier to defeat your enemies when they're demoralized by predictions of death) and partially because he doesn't feel they can defy their fates as they don't know them. Everyone around him is walking blindly down the path that fate has laid out for them. Hawkins knows how to read the cards to find better paths and avoid negative consequences. He's not always correct, but Tarot is open to interpretation so he typically sees it as his own error rather than fate leading him down a certain path.

As for his "purpose," it should also be noted that Hawkins grew up in a caste system that basically believes your fate and class are determined from birth and you are reincarnated into that position upon death, with no chance of improving your station. Hawkins seeks to become Pirate King because he is determined to break his cycle. He believes the Pirate King is the man who can defy destiny, and thus wishes to take that title so that even if he dies, he'll be reborn as something better than a low-class laborer.

[gamerszone2019-blog]

How Stranger Things Is One Big Game of Dungeons & Dragons

New Post has been published on https://gamerszone.tn/how-stranger-things-is-one-big-game-of-dungeons-dragons/

How Stranger Things Is One Big Game of Dungeons & Dragons

It’s no secret that Dungeons & Dragons plays a huge role in Netflix’s Stranger Things. From the very first game we see the young friends playing together in Season 1, to Will’s efforts to keep the campaign going with his friends in the show’s third season, and even to an official tie-in Stranger Things D&D Starter Set, the game is an integral part of the show and its characters. But did you know beyond the shots of the famous red game box and obvious monster references, there’s a lot more D&D in Stranger Things than you probably realized?As much as Will pleads with his friends to play D&D in Stranger Things Season 3, he never realizes that he actually is in a campaign—in real life. The friends’ heroics to defeat the monster and save the village goes far beyond the tabletop as references, parallels, and homages make this season a huge, terrifying game of D&D. Roll an arcana check as we dive into just some of them.

Warning: Major spoilers for Stranger Things 3 follow!

Note: Abilities mentioned below are described from the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons.

Eleven Is So Wizard

El’s powers may be the result of scientific experiments, but any magic wielder in D&D will recognize the “spell” she uses for most of the season. Scrying is used to see any creature on your plane of existence, and the more familiarity you have with the target of your prying eyes, the better chance you have to succeed. The object of your magical gaze has a chance to become aware of your presence, however, a hard lesson El also learns when Billy stares right back at her.

And, it almost goes without saying, but Telekinesis is another powerful spell in a wizard’s arsenal in D&D that also serves as El’s primary means of attack. El ripping the Mind Flayer’s head down the middle is the kind of impressive feat akin to rolling a Natural 20.

The Party Meets in a Tavern

Scoops Ahoy isn’t just an ice cream parlor in Stranger Things—it’s also where the Scoops Troop begins their epic quest. Like almost all great D&D stories, our heroes gather in the “tavern” and recruit new allies, like the clever and, dare we say, rogue-like Erica Sinclair. She thinks quickly on her feet and looks for ways to get out of tight spots (literally and figuratively), can crack complicated codes, and she’s definitely wily. We’d go on a quest with her anywhere.

For Will the Wise and his party, their inn is Mike’s basement. Instead of ale, they swap stories and gather over Orange Crush and cereal. Truly brave adventurers.

Dungeon Crawl

After the meeting at the tavern usually comes the dungeon crawl, a long trek through a dark cave or maze of rooms deep underground to defeat a monster and find treasure. Along the way the party battle enemies and find valuable items to aid them in their quest. Can you see where we’re going with this? It’s the Scoops Troop who first scouts out the dungeon-like, labyrinthine maze under Starcourt Mall after solving the puzzle to make it inside. They’re successful in their crawl, uncovering the conspiracy that was right beneath their feet–until they roll that natural 1 on stealth and find themselves face to face with an enemy.

Later it’s Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper, and Murray Baumann who start the same dungeon crawl with the help of map that looks like it came straight from the notes of a well-organized Dungeon Master.

Detect Favored Enemy

Will the Wise might be a wizard…

…but the show depicts Will Byers wielding a powerful ability that only rangers receive in D&D. Detect Favored Enemy, when cast, serves as the same sort of warning that Will often feels prickling his skin when the Mind Flayer is near. Rangers get to choose the type of their favored enemy in character creation, but Will had no choice—his enemy picked him.

About That Mind Flayer…

Speaking of the Mind Flayer in Stranger Things, its name is one of the most direct connections to Dungeons & Dragons in the show.

In D&D, mind flayers, also called Illithids, don’t look similar to the towering mass of body parts and goo in Season 3, but there are a few correlations. Mind flayers do have tentacles protruding from their face and nasty psychic powers. These creatures of the Underdark operate in a hive mind, and they’re insidious creatures that consume humanoid brains. Mind flayers communicate through telepathy, and often engage in mind control to combat their enemies—very similar to what we see happen to Billy, Heather, and more of the Flayed when they’re activated and mind-controlled to find more hosts.

Dustin the Bard

When a party is in a pinch, it’s an opportunity for some of the more underrated classes to step up and prove their worth. In Season 3 it was Dustin Henderson who surprised everyone with his dulcet tones, evoking the unassuming yet useful skill set of the Bard class. As the group embarks on their final quest, Dustin Henderson sings a song of inspiration to grant everyone who hears it a boost. It might have been a boost of annoyance in some cases, granted, but it was also definitely a moment of joy and motivation for everyone else listening in—especially all of us in the audience. Oh, and thanks to him and his song, the group solved the final puzzle.

Stranger Things: 11 Amazing Times Eleven Used Her Powers

The Satanic Panic Was Real

The epilogue of Season 3 mentions briefly the belief that a “rise in Satanism” is to blame for the strange events in Hawkins, a clear reference to the real Satanic Panic. The Satanic Panic began during the late 1970s. One of the most notorious examples of the moral panic over Satanism is the disappearance of a Michigan teenager in 1979, who was rumored to have run away under the delusion of believing Dungeons & Dragons to be real. The boy was found safe just a few weeks later, but an investigator continued to spout the theory to anyone who would listen that the game was dangerous and inspired violence and delusions. The “panic” and paranoia over Satanism continued well into the 1980s.

The role-playing game survived through it all, reaching its current heyday as a nerd culture phenomenon that brings players together worldwide thanks to online play and livestreams. Now the only panic surrounding Dungeons & Dragons is finding a group to play with.

That’s just the tip of the dungeon of D&D references in Stranger Things. There are also some other small homages, like the disembodied voice proclaiming the dark funhouse at the county fair a “Cave of Horrors,” similar to the classic D&D module “Tomb of Horrors” written by Gary Gygax. There’s also the name of the final episode, “The Battle of Starcourt,” which sounds like a campaign book you’d expect to find on bookshelves filled with tabletop RPGs.

Did you roll high on your perception check to spy even more? Let us know in the comments.

Kelly Knox is a freelance writer who also contributes to StarWars.com, Marvel.com, Nerdist, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragons, comics, and more.

Source : IGN

[artthought]

An Americian Satire (Saytr)- The Hypokrites When approaching the current political situation I wanted to zoom out past from the partisanship, lies, opinions, and absurdity to a more cohesive view by looking at the roots of democracy itself, the archetypal world of tarot and mundane astrology to speculate the inevitable outcome and find solace from the seemingly unending uncertainty. Ancient Greeks Theater and the concept of democracy emerged hand in hand back in 500BC. It started out as a festival to honor Dionysius, the god of wine and fertility on the spring solstice . It would begin with a sacrifice of a goat. At first it started with just a chorus who performed songs, then eventually protagonists were added that would tell stories about the gods that often had a ethical or political allegory to them. The word for actor was hypokrites. The amphitheaters were built for the spring festival in a lot of the towns (politika, affairs of the state. polite-citizen) but then became used by the politicians and citizens the rest of the year to discuss current affairs. Here is a link to a really interesting video done by the BBC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAkLTWQUbG8&t=27s There were three kinds of plays -tragedy, comedy and the satyr plays. The root of the word tragedy is “ goat song”. Comedy comes from komodios or “revelry song”. Dionysius was often portrayed as a satyr, the saytr plays were both comedy and tragedy often with lots of lewdness and jokes about other bodily functions. There was a chorus of men dressed as saytrs with horns and exaggerated strapped on phalluses. It is a myth that the word satire originated from this, but instead from satur which translates to full dish, or from sated, or satisfied. It is fascinating to connect the dots after knowing the etymology and semantics of ancient Greek culture. We can now see how our current politicians inherited the characteristics that they currently portray. Overt licentiousness- porn stars and penis size come to mind, hypocrisy- wearing any mask that applies at the current moment to get applause. After all, we currently have a pathological liar ( lyre ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwRIgLt5At8 fraud, reality TV star as president, how did this happen? It would seem, not the majority but many, seek only "panem et circenses” or bread and circuses. It was Juvenal the Roman poet that coined the expression, here is a full quote- "Now that no one buys our votes, the public has long since cast off its cares; for the people that once bestowed commands, consulships, legions, and all else, now meddles no more and longs eagerly for just two things - bread and circuses.” It is the dumbing down and distraction of the masses by entertaining their most base impulses and desires to avoid dissent and win favor. The Tarot symbolizes archetypes of universal truth. Originating during the renaissance it may be somewhat of an anachronism but effective none the less. It could be seen as a metaphor to economics since playing cards are synonymous with gambling or the elements of chance and acumen involved in being fortuitous in the stock market and other investments. There is the minor arcana, the basis of contemporary playing cards and the major arcane, a more complex set of universal symbols. It would seem there is a card to define any human experience. The Fool- On a personal level it is symbolic of the uncertainty of trending on unfamiliar ground, the anxiety a lot of us are experiencing due to a lack of trust and faith in the current leadership. In relationship to Trump, it is symbolic of his gross inexperienced incompetence and lack of willingness to learn, his impulsive, petulant , improvisational style of making up the truth at any given moment for his convenience. It is likely that he didn’t really want or expect to win the presidency but sought it merely for self aggrandizement. The Hang Man- Personally it is about getting a different, detached point of view about any given situation which is what I have done here by seeing through the minutia. It is about a deferment of action until thoroughly contemplating the situation. For Trump, the obvious applies, it is a retribution for a wrong doing and the suspense and uncertainty that goes along with all that. The Devil-On a personal level we are all being forced to confront our shadow, those dark elements of ourselves that we have been avoiding-greed, bigotry, dishonesty, going bald. Ideally we recognize the projections and take the moral high road. In relation to Trump, He is the personification of just that-all that is vile, self indulgent, self interested and egoic. Much to his chagrin, there is still the element of free will, we can choose to be drawn into the vitriol and antagonism or not. Justice-The meaning of this card is obvious , it symbolizes truth, rational arbitration, righteous retribution. Taking the higher road, I hope that the current POTUS somehow finds the time and place to put aside all his worldly material ambitions and look within. Perhaps he will then see that he is physically, emotionally and spiritually unfit to serve and only does harm to himself and everyone else in doing so. If he ever learns to read I would recommend reading David R. Hawkins , the psychiatrist. In his book Transcending the Levels of Consciousness he has charted the emotions and awareness of the human experience on a scale from 0 to 1000. The president does not seem to ever rise above the level of 200, all the base negative egoic emotions and desires. Only above 200 do we start to see virtue, morality and idealism. Some of his other books include Power vs. Force, and Truth vs. Falsehood. We need more evolved, well rounded moral leaders to be an example. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6955vsZhao Approaching the current zeitgeist with mundane astrology we have some challenging elements involved. Pluto transiting Capricorn from January 2008-January 2024, this involves a transformation of the infrastructure of business, finance and government; the possibility of a black president?, a woman president, a reality TV star president. What happened with the banks in 2008? Have we made new laws so that wont happen again? We have seen many old established business empires collapse with the new landscape brought about by the internet. Saturn is also transiting Capricorn from December 2017, to March 2020, its home sign since Saturn is the ruler of that sign. This can be witnessed in the rise of the alt right and nationalism world wide, Saturn is cold, rigid and restrictive in its adherence to the old, established, conservative, bigoted, fearful approach to things. Every 17 years Saturn by transit conjuncts or opposes Pluto, this usually manifests as some sort of transformative disaster. In Saggitarius-9/11 effecting travel and commerce, in Scorpio 1984, effecting sex and death, in Virgo 1965, free speech/spirituality/revolution, In 2020 I think we will see exposed all the truth about government corruption. What is the etymology of plutocracy? Trump will have this opposing his natal Saturn, Pluto does not tolerate BS. The USA will be experiencing its first Pluto return at this time we must reassert our original ideals put forth in the constitution and possibly make some ammendments to safeguard against would be tyrants. Saturn then enters Aquarius where we will probable see a new vision, possibly by the young which will unify with tolerance and humanitarianism.