#Midnight answers stuff

[jonsnowunemploymentera]

Prince Rhaegar as a character often gets some deserved criticism - and a lot of underserved hate. And one of the things that I think he unfairly gets blamed for is Elia Martell's tragedy. Elia's death is one of the primary objections people have towards Rhaegar and Lyanna being depicted as a romance, with readers believing that if they were just tragic lovers, then that diminishes Elia's own tragedy.

I...disagree. It is understandable (and honestly right) that readers would rally behind Elia. Not only was she horribly brutalized and murdered, but her children suffered absolutely terrible fates as well.

However, in trying to center Rhaegar and Lyanna's doomed dalliance in this, a lot of readers are missing the answer that has been already provided to us within the narrative. Not only that, but this line of thinking also ignores the key context in which Elia's senseless murder is portrayed.

As far as the text goes, Elia’s death is laid squarely at the feet of Tywin Lannister and his men, Ser Gregor Clegane and Ser Amory Lorch. It's House Lannister's burden to bear.

Doran for one, Elia's brother, directly blames Tywin Lannister:

“You mistake patience for forbearance. I have worked at the downfall of Tywin Lannister since the day they told me of Elia and her children.”

The Princess in the Tower, AFFC

Even Oberyn agrees:

“Dwarf,” said the Red Viper, in a tone grown markedly less cordial, “spare me your Lannister lies. Is it sheep you take us for, or fools? My brother is not a bloodthirsty man, but neither has he been asleep for sixteen years. Jon Arryn came to Sunspear the year after Robert took the throne, and you can be sure that he was questioned closely. Him, and a hundred more. I did not come for some mummer’s show of an inquiry. I came for justice for Elia and her children, and I will have it. Starting with this lummox Gregor Clegane … but not, I think, ending there. Before he dies, the Enormity That Rides will tell me whence came his orders, please assure your lord father of that.” He smiled. “An old septon once claimed I was living proof of the goodness of the gods. Do you know why that is, Imp?”

Tyrion IV, ASOS

“Is that the game we are playing?” Tyrion rubbed at his scarred nose. He had nothing to lose by telling Oberyn the truth. “There was a bear at Harrenhal, and it did kill Ser Amory Lorch.” “How sad for him,” said the Red Viper. “And for you. Do all noseless men lie so badly, I wonder?” “I am not lying. Ser Amory dragged Princess Rhaenys out from under her father’s bed and stabbed her to death. He had some men-at-arms with him, but I do not know their names.” He leaned forward. “It was Ser Gregor Clegane who smashed Prince Aegon’s head against a wall and raped your sister Elia with his blood and brains still on his hands.” “What is this, now? Truth, from a Lannister?” Oberyn smiled coldly. “Your father gave the commands, yes?” “No.” He spoke the lie without hesitation, and never stopped to ask himself why he should. The Dornishman raised one thin black eyebrow. “Such a dutiful son. And such a very feeble lie. It was Lord Tywin who presented my sister’s children to King Robert all wrapped up in crimson Lannister cloaks.”

Tyrion IX, ASOS

“Elia Martell, Princess of Dorne,” the Red Viper hissed. “You raped her. You murdered her. You killed her children…“I came to hear you confess.”

Tyrion X, ASOS

Varys and Tyrion both understand that House Martell (but more specifically Doran) hates the Lannisters.

“The Dornishmen thus far have held aloof from these wars. Doran Martell has called his banners, but no more. His hatred for House Lannister is well known, and it is commonly thought he will join Lord Renly. You wish to dissuade him.” “All this is obvious,” said Tyrion. “The only puzzle is what you might have offered for his allegiance. The prince is a sentimental man, and he still mourns his sister Elia and her sweet babe.” “My father once told me that a lord never lets sentiment get in the way of ambition … and it happens we have an empty seat on the small council, now that Lord Janos has taken the black.” “A council seat is not to be despised,” Varys admitted, “yet will it be enough to make a proud man forget his sister’s murder?” “Why forget?” Tyrion smiled. “I’ve promised to deliver his sister’s killers, alive or dead, as he prefers. After the war is done, to be sure.” Varys gave him a shrewd look. “My little birds tell me that Princess Elia cried a … certain name … when they came for her.” “Is a secret still a secret if everyone knows it?” In Casterly Rock, it was common knowledge that Gregor Clegane had killed Elia and her babe. They said he had raped the princess with her son’s blood and brains still on his hands. “This secret is your lord father’s sworn man.” “My father would be the first to tell you that fifty thousand Dornishmen are worth one rabid dog.” Varys stroked a powdered cheek. “And if Prince Doran demands the blood of the lord who gave the command as well as the knight who did the deed …” “Robert Baratheon led the rebellion. All commands came from him, in the end.” “Robert was not at King’s Landing.” “Neither was Doran Martell.”

Tyrion IV, ACOK

Really, all the nobles know where to look at when assigning blame for Elia's murder. Tywin.

“Prince Doran comes at my son’s invitation,” Lord Tywin said calmly, “not only to join in our celebration, but to claim his seat on this council, and the justice Robert denied him for the murder of his sister Elia and her children.” Tyrion watched the faces of the Lords Tyrell, Redwyne, and Rowan, wondering if any of the three would be bold enough to say, “But Lord Tywin, wasn’t it you who presented the bodies to Robert, all wrapped up in Lannister cloaks?” None of them did, but it was there on their faces all the same. Redwyne does not give a fig, he thought, but Rowan looks fit to gag.

Tywin, for the most part, quite shamelessly tries to disassociate himself from his own moral failings; this is nothing new, because he follows this same MO with squarely blaming the Freys for the Red Wedding even though he played an integral part in planning for it.

“Then why did the Mountain kill her?” “Because I did not tell him to spare her. I doubt I mentioned her at all. I had more pressing concerns. Ned Stark’s van was rushing south from the Trident, and I feared it might come to swords between us. And it was in Aerys to murder Jaime, with no more cause than spite. That was the thing I feared most. That, and what Jaime himself might do.” He closed a fist. “Nor did I yet grasp what I had in Gregor Clegane, only that he was huge and terrible in battle. The rape … even you will not accuse me of giving that command, I would hope. Ser Amory was almost as bestial with Rhaenys. I asked him afterward why it had required half a hundred thrusts to kill a girl of … two? Three? He said she’d kicked him and would not stop screaming. If Lorch had half the wits the gods gave a turnip, he would have calmed her with a few sweet words and used a soft silk pillow.” His mouth twisted in distaste. “The blood was in him.”

Tyrion VI, ASOS

“And when Oberyn demands the justice he’s come for?” “I will tell him that Ser Amory Lorch killed Elia and her children,” Lord Tywin said calmly. “So will you, if he asks.” “Ser Amory Lorch is dead,” Tyrion said flatly. “Precisely. Vargo Hoat had Ser Amory torn apart by a bear after the fall of Harrenhal. That ought to be sufficiently grisly to appease even Oberyn Martell.” “You may call that justice …” “It is justice. It was Ser Amory who brought me the girl’s body, if you must know. He found her hiding under her father’s bed, as if she believed Rhaegar could still protect her. Princess Elia and the babe were in the nursery a floor below.”

Tyrion VI, ASOS

Tywin tries to alleviate himself of any responsibility by blaming his men, but the narrative actively calls bullshit on this (through Tywin's own son no less).

So the narrative shows through multiple POVs that Elia's murder is contextualized exclusively as a failing on Tywin Lannister and his men; not only was it a moral failing, but Tyrion also questions if it was politically necessary in the first place. It's also important to note that ASOS is when we really dive into the matter of Elia and her children (mostly through Oberyn), but we also have to remember that this is the same book as the Red Wedding. The Red Wedding, another one of Tywin's senseless massacres that he tries to postulate as politically necessary.

So, we have agreed that the blame and context for Elia's (and her children's) murder is presented through the lens of Tywin as an immoral politician who often makes politically unnecessary moves. But then we ask ourselves, can the responsibility of this tragedy be extended? Well, yes it can. And it has been in the text.

Ser Barristan extends this tragedy beyond Tywin and his men

...to King Robert.

“Prince Rhaegar had two children,” Ser Barristan told him. “Rhaenys was a little girl, Aegon a babe in arms. When Tywin Lannister took King’s Landing, his men killed both of them. He served the bloody bodies up in crimson cloaks, a gift for the new king.” And what did Robert say when he saw them? Did he smile? Barristan Selmy had been badly wounded on the Trident, so he had been spared the sight of Lord Tywin’s gift, but oft he wondered. If I had seen him smile over the red ruins of Rhaegar’s children, no army on this earth could have stopped me from killing him. “I will not suffer the murder of children. Accept that, or I’ll have no part of this.”

The Kingbreaker, ADWD

Ned Stark does as well.

Ned did not feign surprise; Robert’s hatred of the Targaryens was a madness in him. He remembered the angry words they had exchanged when Tywin Lannister had presented Robert with the corpses of Rhaegar’s wife and children as a token of fealty. Ned had named that murder; Robert called it war. When he had protested that the young prince and princess were no more than babes, his new-made king had replied, “I see no babes. Only dragonspawn.” Not even Jon Arryn had been able to calm that storm. Eddard Stark had ridden out that very day in a cold rage, to fight the last battles of the war alone in the south. It had taken another death to reconcile them; Lyanna’s death, and the grief they had shared over her passing.

Eddard II, AGOT

And so does Tywin, who uses Robert's tacit approval as justification for this senseless act.

Lord Tywin stared at him as if he had lost his wits. “You deserve that motley, then. We had come late to Robert’s cause. It was necessary to demonstrate our loyalty. When I laid those bodies before the throne, no man could doubt that we had forsaken House Targaryen forever. And Robert’s relief was palpable. As stupid as he was, even he knew that Rhaegar’s children had to die if his throne was ever to be secure. Yet he saw himself as a hero, and heroes do not kill children.” His father shrugged. “I grant you, it was done too brutally. Elia need not have been harmed at all, that was sheer folly. By herself she was nothing.”

Tyrion VI, ASOS

So if we can't extend the blame to Rhaegar, because the narrative doesn't do so either, what can we hold him responsible for? Let's take a step back and look at Rhaegar's culpability in this whole thing.

Was Rhaegar (and Lyanna) responsible for starting the war that would eventually lead to Elia's murder?

No. GRRM doesn't think so. The war actually started when King Aerys murdered the Lord of Winterfell and his heir, a bunch of other northern nobles, and then called for the heads of Robert Baratheon (Lord of Storm's End) and Ned Stark (the new Lord of Winterfell). Aerys broke the feudal contract, and so Jon Arryn declared war.

I don't think I would have stayed loyal to the Mad King. Do I think they were justified? Yes, and no. [...] There was no doubt that the Mad King was mad. He was paranoid and he was abusing his power. And Westeros has no Magna Carta or anything like that. There was no way to handle this within the rule of law. But was what they do justified? Especially when you consider that it was triggered by a personal grievance. The execution of Ned's father and brother was really a thing that radicalized Ned and put him in opposition to it. Robert was just rolling for a fight and didn't like the fact that he'd lost his girlfriend. So you know, the personal informs the political.

source

Rhaegar and Lyanna's disappearance was merely the spark - it led to a misunderstanding that caused Brandon Stark to ride to Kingslanding. What really caused the war was Aerys' Targaryens subsequent actions as the king. So if we want to blame someone for causing the chain of events that led to Elia's death as well as her children's, the author himself says to blame Aerys; even though I don't think this is right either because we once again stray from the necessary (and sole) context of Elia's murder - Tywin's bloody hands.

Fine. Rhaegar was not responsible for the war. But surely he is responsible for leaving Elia in King's Landing, right in the clutches of Mad King Aerys. Well, this again, is not true. As far as Rhaegar knew, Elia was in Dragonstone with Aegon and Rhaenys where he left them.

As cold winds hammered the city, King Aerys II turned to his pyromancers, charging them to drive the winter off with their magics. Huge green fires burned along the walls of the Red Keep for a moon’s turn. Prince Rhaegar was not in the city to observe them, however. Nor could he be found in Dragonstone with Princess Elia and their young son, Aegon.

“The Year of the False Spring”, The World of Ice and Fire

At some point, Elia was called to King's Landing. And it was Aerys who kept her hostage there as insurance against possible Dornish betrayal (remember, he was paranoid).

Side Note: Aerys kept another important political hostage in King's Landing along with Elia - Jaime Lannister; this is to deter anyone from trying to blame Jaime for doing nothing. He was a teenager and a hostage himself!

“My Sworn Brothers were all away, you see, but Aerys liked to keep me close. I was my father’s son, so he did not trust me. He wanted me where Varys could watch me, day and night. So I heard it all.” He remembered how Rossart’s eyes would shine when he unrolled his maps to show where the substance must be placed. Garigus and Belis were the same. “Rhaegar met Robert on the Trident, and you know what happened there. When the word reached court, Aerys packed the queen off to Dragonstone with Prince Viserys. Princess Elia would have gone as well, but he forbade it. Somehow he had gotten it in his head that Prince Lewyn must have betrayed Rhaegar on the Trident, but he thought he could keep Dorne loyal so long as he kept Elia and Aegon by his side. The traitors want my city, I heard him tell Rossart, but I’ll give them naught but ashes. Let Robert be king over charred bones and cooked meat. The Targaryens never bury their dead, they burn them. Aerys meant to have the greatest funeral pyre of them all. Though if truth be told, I do not believe he truly expected to die. Like Aerion Brightfire before him, Aerys thought the fire would transform him … that he would rise again, reborn as a dragon, and turn all his enemies to ash.

Jaime V, ASOS

Ok, fine. So Rhaegar did not abandon her with Aerys then run off to Lyanna. But he should have done something when he came back, right? Why didn't he leave more Kings Guard with Elia and the children?

Well....this is a war. The knights of the KG are important assets on the battle field. Kings Landing, at the time, was not the most dangerous location. The KG were better off at the Trident, as a victory there would protect those who were left behind in KL.

And it's not that Rhaegar didn't do anything. Beyond going off to lead the battle himself, he tried to make moves that would help those who were back in KL (Elia and the children included).

He floated in heat, in memory. “After dancing griffins lost the Battle of the Bells, Aerys exiled him.” Why am I telling this absurd ugly child? “He had finally realized that Robert was no mere outlaw lord to be crushed at whim, but the greatest threat House Targaryen had faced since Daemon Blackfyre. The king reminded Lewyn Martell gracelessly that he held Elia and sent him to take command of the ten thousand Dornishmen coming up the kingsroad. Jon Darry and Barristan Selmy rode to Stoney Sept to rally what they could of griffins’ men, and Prince Rhaegar returned from the south and persuaded his father to swallow his pride and summon my father. But no raven returned from Casterly Rock, and that made the king even more afraid. He saw traitors everywhere, and Varys was always there to point out any he might have missed. So His Grace commanded his alchemists to place caches of wildfire all over King’s Landing. Beneath Baelor’s Sept and the hovels of Flea Bottom, under stables and storehouses, at all seven gates, even in the cellars of the Red Keep itself.

Jaime V ASOS

And Jaime's POV once again shows us that Rhaegar banked on victory at the Trident, and was fully expecting to come back to KL and amend the fraught political situation.

The day had been windy when he said farewell to Rhaegar, in the yard of the Red Keep. The prince had donned his night-black armor, with the three-headed dragon picked out in rubies on his breastplate. “Your Grace,” Jaime had pleaded, “let Darry stay to guard the king this once, or Ser Barristan. Their cloaks are as white as mine.” Prince Rhaegar shook his head. “My royal sire fears your father more than he does our cousin Robert. He wants you close, so Lord Tywin cannot harm him. I dare not take that crutch away from him at such an hour.” Jaime’s anger had risen up in his throat. “I am not a crutch. I am a knight of the Kingsguard.” “Then guard the king,” Ser Jon Darry snapped at him. “When you donned that cloak, you promised to obey.” Rhaegar had put his hand on Jaime’s shoulder. “When this battle’s done I mean to call a council. Changes will be made. I meant to do it long ago, but … well, it does no good to speak of roads not taken. We shall talk when I return.”

Jaime I, AFFC

So Rhaegar wasn't leaving with no care about what happened back in King's Landing. We don't know what he wanted to do with Aerys, Elia, Lyanna, and the aftermath of the war because he died at the Trident. But we do know that he, at the very least, was planning to do something.

So we can't blame Rhaegar (and Lyanna) for starting the war and we can't blame him either for abandoning Elia in King's Landing with no care about what happens next. So, again, what can we blame him for?

“It's not entirely correct that the Martells stayed out of the war. Rhaegar had Dornish troops with him on the Trident, under the command of Prince Lewyn of the Kingsguard. However, the Dornishmen did not support him as strongly as they might have, in part because of anger at his treatment of Elia, in part because of Prince Doran's innate caution.”

SSM, 09/11/1999

GRRM states that Dorne was angry about Rhaegar's treatment of Elia. What is this treatment, though?

Ned remembered the moment when all the smiles died, when Prince Rhaegar Targaryen urged his horse past his own wife, the Dornish princess Elia Martell, to lay the queen of beauty’s laurel in Lyanna’s lap.

Eddard XV, AGOT

Specifically, Rhaegar riding past Elia to crown Lyanna the Queen of Love and Beauty. Yes, that is a humiliation. And it's undeniable that no one was happy.

The crowning of the Stark girl, who was by all reports a wild and boyish young thing with none of the Princess Elia’s delicate beauty, could only have been meant to win the allegiance of Winterfell to Prince Rhaegar’s cause…Yet if this were true, why did Lady Lyanna’s brothers seem so distraught at the honor the prince had bestowed upon her? Brandon Stark, the heir to Winterfell, had to be restrained from confronting Rhaegar at what he took as a slight upon his sister’s honor…Eddard Stark, Brandon’s younger brother and a close friend to Lord Robert, was calmer but no more pleased.

“The Year of the False Spring”, The World of Ice and Fire

But, humiliating Elia is not the same thing as being responsible for her death. The narrative never equates these two things in any way. Elia's death is about Tywin's immoral and blood thirsty political actions. It's about Dorne's desire for justice (or is it vengeance?) which they know they will not get from the Lannister regime. House Lannister's downfall in King's Landing will be brought about by Prince Aegon's rise - Aegon who is proclaiming to be the long lost son of Prince Rhaegar, and who is being supported by House Martell as of now.

We can criticize Rhaegar for some things, but Elia's death is surely not one of them.

[lixenn]

An offering

On this glorious day we shall celebrate the spawning of my liege @childe-of-saulot into this dreary world!

For this momentous occasion your High Priestress gifts you art of your husband (twice divorced). I hope it's to your likening.

[residentialsinyomakai]

Hello hello!!! Guess what. Yokai art dump below the cut!! So cool and shiny wow

Its true, I do >u<

I'll try and section these and give the usual explanations below! Image ID for more drawing specific inksplanation.

Click for full image! Since a lotta these are weirdly shaped they were cut off....augh...

McKraken and Maddiman related doodlesssss they're some of my faves <3 i will always love them even if they're not my focus characters atm (well. McKraken kinda is rn but also Babblong so YAY)

Misc. Yokai and ocs! The frog is Kerosque, the guy w the swirly pompadour thing is Swiss, and the monkey is Romono (although he's a Regretevator OC from FOREVER ago, he's still my son <33)

SWISS STUFF RAUGHHHH ! inconsistent style will be APPARENT here try not to notice shuhhhhhgh

Height for main yokai in my AU/on Casp's team! (In the anime it's just primary summons then wwwww)

Some yokai practice/design hcs bc my friend asked!! I was so happy to share 🤭 LOVE YOU CHERCHERRRR

Some of my little guys once more! Rawry' prob one of my faves yokai to draw, easy and fun to do show-accurate or stylized.

OCSSSSSS. AND BADDINYAN. MY EVIL CAT <3333 the guy next to the frog in the middle is an oc idea but idk for what yet =▽=

AUGH. THERES AN IMAGE LIMIT? Well in case you're wondering it's 30....post the rest after I get tomorrow's doodles. See you then and thank you for looking at and reading about my arts!

[justladders]

What’s Mothtrap like? Is he nice?

Oh 100%. The other Springtraps would eat him alive. I kinda draw him always happy and naive/oblivious, always up for a hug, etc.

As a direct opposite to that, @ravenmccookies made him in Spore, and when starting to decorate him for the tribal stage all she had to do was put a skull hat on him for me to go, "war ready mothtrap..." and I drew him on the magma later that night.

But I still think it'd be fun to characterize him like if he's not planning on killing you he's just the sweetest thing.

[zepskies]

Hiiii just wonder if you’ll have any more soldier boy fics with readers instead of oc? Or just any works for the future with him ? :)

Hi there, anon!

I'm sure I will in the future, but as of right now I'm working on some things in SPN world, like Part 1 of Dream With Me (Dean Winchester x Reader), which just posted today!

And also working on a one-shot for the Take Me Home-verse (Beau Arlen x Reader).

In the meantime, here's my Soldier Boy Masterlist! Hope you enjoy.~

[y-rhywbeth2]

Death & Afterlife #1

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]

Dying/Pre-Judgenent | Judgements | Afterlives [WIP]

A controversial topic amongst fans and writers alike.

• What happens to your soul when you die. • Why that doesn't happen if you die on Toril. • Alternative Fates to Judgement, aka: Get the hell away from that devil, or so help me. (At least that bit of Hordes of the Underdark makes sense now.)

In base D&D lore when a person dies their soul passes into the Astral Plane and gravitates towards either the plane where their deity or patron resides, or whatever plane best suits their nature if they didn’t worship, which in mechanics is alignment. A firmly Lawful Evil individual goes to the Nine Hells of Baator, a Chaotic Neutral individual heads for Limbo. Somebody who doesn’t quite fit neatly into either “Chaotic Neutral” or “Chaotic Good” would likely gravitate to Ysgard.

Souls of the dead that leave Abeir-Toril are caught by the Fugue Plane, which serves as a kind of net. Rather than simply passing through to wherever they’d go, the souls of the dead arrive there, where they become paperwork for the bureaucracy of the City of Judgement as their death is recorded, their soul judged, and their destination decided and processed. There is no way in or out of the Fugue Plane for mortal souls. There are also portals to the Nine Hells, and occasionally the Abyss, there but it still makes visiting tricky as a mortal cannot enter the plane while their body still lives…

(...except for that time Myrkul’s Chosen had a falling out with him and built a secret portal to the Fugue Plane in the basement of the echo of his temple in the Plane of Shadow using the Silver Sword of Gith to cut a hole in reality in order to wage war upon his god to get his evil mad scientist girlfriend back. Unfortunately, unless you happen to be psionically bonded to the ancient Githyanki blade of legend that the entire Githyanki people will declare war on you for possessing, you won’t be able to open the door.)

Alignment is not the core decider of the afterlife for Torilians, faith is.

Faith seems so integral that the Torilian understanding of cosmology is defined by the gods’ domains rather than the actual planes they are on, as opposed to, say, the Great Wheel model which arranges the planes by alignment. Where the Great Wheel would feature planes such as Baator [Lawful Evil], Gehenna [Lawful-Neutral Evil], Hades [Neutral Evil], Pandemonium [Neutral-Chaotic Evil] and the Abyss [Chaotic Evil]; Toril’s model would describe the Barrens of Doom and Despair (Bane and co. on Gehenna), the Supreme Throne (Cyric, over in Pandemonium), the Demonweb Pits (the Dark Seldarine, in the Abyss), and etc.

By and large race is not a factor, only faith. The only exception I can find a mention of is the elves (of course it is) whose spirits are innately tied to Arvandor. Faith, personality, and how they lived their life is a factor in determining where a dead elf goes after death, but even then there’s a strong chance that they’ll be going to the Seldarine anyway (and that’s not counting the whole thing where elves generally physically leave Toril for Arvandor at the end of their lives, rather than just dying) Might apply to other demihumans, I don't know.

There are a few fates one can be sentenced to, depending on one’s faith (and lack thereof). Being claimed by your deity or other outsider that has a claim on your soul; False; Faithless; and reincarnation. How severe the criteria and punishments are varies heavily by the writer. The Avatar Series takes a harsh view on the gods and the Fugue; Ed Greenwood doesn't care for TSR adding the Wall to the Realms and takes a more lenient view; and Mask of the Betrayer took it to a whole new level by applying it to the entire D&D cosmology rather than just Toril.

Souls have the opportunity to escape judgement, if they fear they may not like the result. The Nine Hells have a contract with the Lord of the Dead that permits them a diplomatic enclave in the City of Judgement. They are forbidden to harm or force souls into deals, but are permitted to explain to souls that they are dead, lay out the judgement process and possible results, and then attempt to convince them to sell their souls and go to the Hells instead. Generally this is most effective on people who are worried about getting judged False or Faithless. More than simply allowing them to escape Kelemvor's judgement, the devils must agree to some benefit:

"In exchange for consigning themselves to the Nine Hells, such souls might be offered early promotion from lemure form, material riches for friends and family in Faerûn, or the services of devilish attacks on their still-living enemies. Especially powerful souls can even bargain for automatic promotion into a form other than that of a lemure. Once such a bargain is signed, the newly acquired soul is carried directly back to a station in the Nine Hells for torture and transhipment." - FIendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells

The Fugue Plane is also invaded by demonic hordes every now and then who battle Kelemvor's followers and the various servants of other gods currently present. The demons snatch as many souls as they can and run back to the Abyss with them. Potential fate and consent is not required, the embodiments of the concept of Chaotic Evil don't give a shit.

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If you've been unfortunate, desperate or flagrantly stupid enough to interact with fiends and far realm abominations (and sometimes archfey), then judgement is the least of your concerns. I don't know whether you go to the Fugue Plane and are collected by your patron (or their servants) or if you just go straight to the Hells or something.

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I have no idea what happens if you sell your soul to the realm beyond all realms that defies mortal comprehension, breaks the minds and souls of all who gaze upon it, twists those who enter it into monsters, and is a plane which threatens all of existence... but I'm sure it'll be a pleasant afterlife.

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I don't have much information on Archfey deals, I'm not even sure they traffic in souls all that much. Some of them are known to enjoy twisting souls into strange fey slaves for them to play with and abuse though, so I guess at least some do. Many being who qualify as archfey for the purpose of warlock pacts are actually considered deities on Toril (Corellon Larethian, Titania the Faerie Queen, and the Queen of Air and Darkness - known as Auril to humanoids), so you'd count as faithful, I suppose.

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Souls branded by demons are taken back to the Abyss and made into manes, which are the demonic counterpart to lemures:

"...nearly mindless demons devoted to savagery and fury. They obey the commands of any demons more powerful than themselves, including blindly plunging into battle, heedless of any danger. They are slow, stupid, and largely ineffective [...] Manes are often used as currency between evil spellcasters and evil outsiders [as slaves]." "Manes vaguely resemble their mortal forms, but the shock of the transformation from mortal to petitioner [a dead soul in the afterlife] is overwhelming, and the psychic pain is so great that a mane remembers little of its original life except that it has lost something precious, and that sense is enough to drive the creature to violence and madness." - Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss

The dead flesh of manes are bloated and crawling with maggots that eat at their flesh. They just... exist like that, in gibbering hoards that can reach the thousands... unless a Demon Lord decides to eat them, or until the Abyss itself - in all its chaotic evil whims - opts to randomly promote them into a different demonic form. Demons have worked out that they can effectively bypass this by sending souls to the 400th layer of the Abyss, Woeful Escarand, where a group of demons titled the Lords of Woe promote the soul and ship it off to the Blood War. Life is kind of like it is in the hells, but with less bureaucracy and more stress induced migraines.

-

If you've meddled with devils - by making deals with them, signing contracts, or sometimes merely by taking to them and then doing horrible things based on their advice... and that's generically speaking: There are supposed to be even more ways to go to hell in the Realms, apparently... Although it does explain the thing in the backstory of Hordes of the Underdark where you accidentally bind your soul to Mephistopheles and damn yourself by picking up a random rock that turned out to be a lump of his own flesh without ever meeting the guy or knowing anything about it other than "hey, weird rock".

"Mortal souls from Toril end up in the Nine Hells because of curses, because of the bargains you mention (sometimes through wagers lost), and sometimes because of other mortal actions taken in life, such as magical rituals that unintentionally bind those carrying out the ritual to a particular archdevil, or other traps set by devils to snare the unwary. Even careless summonings may allow a devil to claim the summoner’s soul in future payment, or a miscast spell may make an ensnarement possible. The ways are surprisingly many, so the supply of souls into the Nine Hells is fairly constant, if not widely noticed in lore." - Ed Greenwood

- Your soul is branded by the mark of whichever Archdevil your patron serves. For your BG3 example; Mizora serves Zariel, thus by making a contract with her Wyll’s soul is Zariel’s (Mizora gets credit for her service which works towards promotion and prestige. I don't know if a cambion can be promoted, on account of being half-mortal, but she's getting something out of it.) Traditionally, the soul is then tortured beyond mortal comprehension as the humanity is torn from it and the released energy is consumed by the Archdevil until the soul is sucked dry into a trembling husk and thrown into the Maggot Pit on Avernus. One of the titular maggots eats it and excretes a lemure: melted blobs of flesh that vaguely resemble their original bodies but have nothing left of their original personality except for anguish, existing in eternal agony and hate. Happy birthday! From there you either get destroyed, eaten, or eventually promoted and then locked into an eternal cycle of abuse where you commit endless atrocities and step over your fellow devils in an attempt to escape the abuse of devils stronger than you while abusing devils weaker than you, while doing your day job of dragging mortal souls into damnation. Also paperwork.

Soul coins are also possibly a potential fate. Created by the Archdevil Mammon, the souls within exist in eternal despair, being traded around until they're eventually used up. Or maybe that's just what they do with the energy they torture out of the husk that was your soul, if you want to tie various lore stuff together.

[not-poignant]

wild that Ghibli just got brought up bc i literally opened up Tumblr to tell you if there was ever an animated version of any of the fae tales i think it'd be best conveyed in a Ghibli like style!

Omg this so nice anon

ngl when I fantasise sometimes about Fae Tales ever getting picked up and made into anything else, I always imagine anime first (though not Ghibli perhaps because I just associate that so much with feature films and my stuff so much with the TV / serialised format. Ronja doesn't count).

But honestly that's so incredibly flattering anon, oh my god. I think I also daren't imagine that stuff in the Ghibli style because like x.x It's Ghibli *sobs into hands* They are top tier

[dazzlerazz]

(it is nighttime and you hear a knock at your door)

trick or treat! :D

Oh look at you,,,, such a precious costume,,,,, here have my entire candy bag 🍬🍭🍫🍭🍬🍫🍭🍬🍭🍫����🍬🍫🍭🍬🍫🍫🍬🍬🍭🍫🍡🍭🍬🍫🍬🍪🍬🍫🍬🍭🍬🍫🍫🍬🍭

[unityrain24]

Saw your tags about Star Wars, it seems Star Wars stans and modern MCU stans are two peas in a pod. :/

im not entirely sure which tags you were referring to, because i have reblogged several starwars posts with Tags, but honestly, the mcu and starwars really are two peas in a pod. And im honestly surprised there isnt more comradery/comparing between the fandoms

both started out as, while definitely not "high art" or anything, legitimately good enjoyable films, with relatable characters the audience could feel empathy and compassion for, exciting new powers and places, fun and adventurous stories, and more, which instantly became beloved classic that people thought about with nostalgia and pleasantness. And they were and by people who cared and the people who watched them were compelled to care and create communities.

But then both franchises saw a shift, from making films from a passionate and moneymaking point of view, to purely making films from a moneymaking point of view. While star wars saw this happen with the franchise being picked up a few years after to make sequels, the mcu's shift happened more gradually, since there was no time in-between making movies.

now, while i would not consider myself a StarWars Fan, my sister and cousins most definitely were, so i had to watch basically everything in order to keep a conversation with them (not that i didnt enjoy it, i quite liked it and all the lore, it just didnt hold the special place in my heart that thing i consider myself a Fan of do). I've watched the movies, the clone wars series, rebels, the mandalorian, etc all the way through. It's been a while since i was keeping up with everything, so forgive me for not having quite a comprehensive understanding and opions of it as i did say, 3-4 years ago lol.

But the starwars sequels are a lot like the latest phases of the mcu. While i cant remember if they explicitly go against any prestablished canon like the later mcu phases do, they definitely go against the spirit and point/purpose of the original (and even prequel) films.From what i remember, the sequels also had went through several different directers and had direction and script changes and was a whole mess, so even the three films were sort of inconsistent or at the very leat felt oddly-thrown together (<-i may be wrong on the specifics of that its been a while. but it was something along those lines). Also like the later phases of the mcu, they relied a lot on the "nostalgia factor" with not only easter eggs but bringing back old ideas, concepts, plots, even characters, since it "worked so well the first time," when really what the "first time" did was think of new things, present old things in new ways, and tell make art from a place of passion, community, and connection, rather than a "whats the least i can do to make the most money" mindset formula (a point brought up a lot by @therese-lokidottir on many of their recent mcu critiques).

Starwars, unlike the mc, did have a brief period of "redemption" where it looked like the franchise would be saved and given back to the hands of people passionate about starwars, stoytelling, and film, with stuff like the final season of clonewars, the mandalorian, and a few other things. That was a great time to be a starwars fan. I wasn't even a fan, and it was kind of magical for me. But now it seems like they are back of the capitalist art-destroying path, hard. They have been pumping out series after series after series (once again going for the "nostalgia" thing, bringing back the clonewars artstyle, several beloved characters, and more), but it all feels so hollow. The stories feel more like they are just putting in a whole bunch of "wow, thats so shocking" and sewing them together with "hey i loved that character!". The costuming and makeup is absolute trash. The worst by far is hera (an alien character from the animated Rebels series, showing up live-action in Ahsoka). It is hideous. I have seen cosplays of her better than what the actual multi-bullion-dollar corpoation disney with all the best resources put on that screen. The costume looked like it was from spirit halloween, the makeup looked patchy and strange, they left out simple details of her design, and all the colours were Off. Examples:

Hera in Rebels:

Hera Cosplayers (x and x):

Hera in the Ahsoka Series: (it is like. seriously disconcerting to me)

and again, the costuming was not the most pressing point. Its actually relatively low on the list of points of everything bad with current starwars. But its good for a visual example. My sister and my cousins loved starwars. Passionate. Ahsoka was one of my sister's favourite characters. She couldnt even get though a full episode of ashoka. I havent heard anything new of starwars from our cousins, either. And we see eachother relatively often. I havent watched a new starwars thing in like... forever now. And it seems like neither have they. And not because they got sick of starwas, i can tell you that. They got sick of the new starwars being pumped out and shoved down their throats where the only things that resembled what they had loved were twisted into something else. Which, at least in my experience, is far, far worse than if they just ended things ubruptly and unfairly. At least mutilated corpse can rest.

The mcu's decline was, again, more gradual, like boiling a frog. Thor ragnarok is where i would probably pinpoint the beginnings though. I didn't like it at first, because it was out of character, sort of reversed elements of the character's well-developing character arcs , narratively picked on some characters more than others, etc. But, it was still a well-beloved film by many, in-universe explanations for why the characters, arcs, and plots were so different could be plausibly thought up, it was fun and unique, and i could make myself ignore the bad parts and focus on the good and enjoy it for a while. But by the time the loki series came out? There wasnt even any of that anymore. No passion. No community. No love of art. No respect for the previous artists and their art, that the new makers were supposed to honour and continue. While ragnarok's morals of the story could be a little iffy at times (attempting to critique colonialism/imperialism, but falling flat because mocking loki for dismantling it; making jokes at points of the film where it was a little inappropriate), the loki series was straight up horrifying. Perhaps most noteably, fucking. GLORIFYING AND EXCUSING/SYMPATHIZING FASCISM??? and labeling genocide as a "necessary evil?" (though, once again, that was not the only immoral "moral" the series preached). Disgusting. And the MCU is pumping out way more films than starwars, and seem far deeper in the money-lust trenches too.

either way, both are suffering and both are bought by disney (and oddly, both keep giving more and more screentime to the fascist characters. but at least starwars isnt romanticizing it like the mcu is...)

and it hurts so much when something important to you is taken from you, and twisted, and ruined, and its mutilated corpse is hung up on string and paraded around as a puppet before your eyes, and burned into your mind even when you finally tear yourself away. And then swarms of people thinking your ridiculous for caring so much about something so unimportant, and others defending the very monstrosity that did this.

But its not ridiculous or silly or inferior to be attatched to a fictional character or fictional world or fictional story or whatever. They can provide comfort, and ways to explore and understand and even come to terms with yourself (or even others!) (and can be especially important coping mechanism for mentally ill people!). And art is a such an innately human thing, for us to express ourselves, and communal art (like film!) is a tradition across humanity and time!

And with the whole thing with people these days defending/denying what capitalism is doing to art, and denying the notion that art has any influence or effect on "real life"... why are these such absurd concept to you, that you liken to some crazy conspiracy theory? Are you really so blind as to not see it happening before you? Is the blindfold over your eyes really so soft it feels like nothing there? They say a bird who doesnt know its in a cage thinks its free. These people seem to think that drastic, unfair, unjust, immoral, inequal changes and systems are only things of the past. And often, the past doesnt feel real. Dinosaurs and the roman empire and some genocide in some faraway land in some faraway time can at times seem just as unreal as mythical creatures and stories. And even if such terrible things were to happen now, surely theyd be able to see it coming. But things like this dont change in an instant. They are gradual. Like boiling a frog. You dont notice. And even if things arent the worst they can be, and never become the worst they can be, they are still bad. Things arent required to be certified the worst of worst in order for change to be allowed to happen. The worst of the worst isnt even a thing.

Our art is being taken from us. We are being overworked and underpayed. Our whole lives are dictated by how "valuable" we are. Our environments are being polluted and decimated and our planet is becoming more and more inhospitable. Racism and queerphobia and ableism and more are taking lives. And none of those things are at the very worst they can be. They could all be much, much, much worse. But we shouldnt just sit around and be grateful its not worse and do nothing more, nor should we deny anything is wrong at all. If you had cancer youd want to do what you could to get better. If you If broke your leg youd do what you could to make it better. Even if you just accidentally cut your hand or finger while chopping vegetables, youd bandages it up. We always should try to make things better.

We deserve to have our art continue to be art. Just as we deserve all the much more pressing areas of our lives to be better too

Anyways, marvel and starwars really are two peas in a pod. And that pod is with other pods, and the plant those pods share is film. Or perhaps even art as a whole. The mcu and starwars are just really good examples of whats happening right now, because not only does it feel like perhaps its hitting them the most, but also because since they are such large franchises, you can really see and document the progression of whats happening with each instalment.

two peas in a pod :( <3

[contrastparadoxx]

[atherix]

Hello, I am here to inform you that I’ve been attempting to recreate the Midnight Alley and tunnels to Icaria in Minecraft for the last week or so and it’s going well!

So far I have the bridges area mostly done, the tunnels our boys fell into, and the generic outline of the alley itself. I’m working on the tunnels and walls of the cavern next :)

(If you wanna see pictures or progress updates or even give feedback on my design choices let me know!)

!! Omg I would love to see it!!! That is so exciting I hadn't considered someone would want to recreate the Alley and tunnels. The bridges are such cool imagery I think so this is very exciting :) I'd love to see anything you've created!

[somegrumpynerd]

To the people still in my inbox with ideas I swear I promise I'm gonna answer them I just real quick need to go to sleep and then go to work about it

[kingofmyborrowedheart]

Since Taylor has called The Eras Tour a “journey through the musical eras of my career” I wonder if she will will open with something from Midnights and then dive into the previous albums or if she will start from debut and end with Midnights.

[zepskies]

hi zep!! i hope your day is going well 😊 i wanted to ask and see if you could give some tips for writing Dean (more specifically in the Midnight Expresso verse), i love that series and i need serious tips on how to capture Dean 🙏

Hey there lovely Becca!! I'm doing great. I hope you are too! 🥰

Aww, thank you so very much for reading the Midnight Espresso verse!! That series is very personal and special to me. (I actually have yet another story rattling around in my head for it.)

However, my approach to writing Dean Winchester remains the same across the board, whether it's the Espresso-verse or regular canon. It's just a matter of how he'll react in certain situations based on his personality. I try to keep a few points in mind:

Dean is gruff, but he's still playful.

He can be cocky and teasing, especially when he has a partner he can be comfortably himself with (my own headcanon). I think he'd often be teasing, in that insufferable, endearing way of his. 😏

But if he's grumpy and serious, which he can also be at times, then I've had a lot of fun with making the reader tease him out of it, being warm and playful until he cracks. 😂

I did this recently in "A Little Danger." (Beware minors, there be smut.)

Dean is naturally a giver.

I think we can all agree on this. And in particular for the Espresso-verse, that reader is a giver as well. I wanted to match Dean with someone who dotes on him, takes care of him the same way he takes care of others, like Sam.

Dean's not used to being the one who's taken care of, which can either cause some friction, or take him by surprise in a good way, followed by intense gratefulness.

He's got a gruff exterior (another aspect of his personality I love), but he has a soft interior when it comes to the ones he loves. 💓

He wants to make sure "they're okay." Whether that means making them a home-cooked meal when they have the time for it in the bunker, or being a generous lover.

Dean is a protector.

He can be physically protective, even when he knows you can protect yourself. Not in a misogynistic way. That's just who he is. He protects Sam the same way, even though he's a complete and utter badass, just like Dean.

But something I touch on in the Espresso-verse is my own headcanon -- that Dean is also emotionally protective of his partner.

He cares about how she sees herself when her ex brings up trauma from her past. (The story is called Show Me.) Dean cares about how comfortable she is with him, and if she's falling into bad mental habits of the past. 💞

Just as she's one to be his emotional safety net, he provides the same comfort, safety, and security for her.

Dean doesn't see himself as worthy.

This is also a common trait of Dean's that many of us explore as writers. In general, he can be self-deprecating and less than positive about his own self-worth.

In fairness, he's done some messed up shit that's taken him to as close to "monstrous" as you can get, but he's always been able to bring himself back to as much of what makes him human as he can (with Sam's help).

In the Espresso-verse, she's helped him curb this idea -- that "he's not good for her." That she's crazy to stay with him, especially with all the shit he and Sam get dragged into. He's scared of one day being the reason she gets hurt.

And yet, this is part of what makes Dean a good man.

Thank you for your question! If you want any additional headcanons/tidbits on Dean, just let me know. I love these kinds of questions. 💕

[elegantartisanperson]

4 shots of espresso and I'm feeling like a new person, full of energy focus and hope and dreams and so good god I haven't felt this good in so long. Is this how addictions start? because I feel so good rn, like life is finally liveable

[yume-fanfare]

i reeeally need to do Something about this...............