#Mountain Witch Alder

[faguscarolinensis]

Fothergilla major / Mountain Witch Alder at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University in Durham, NC

[greenwitchcrafts]

August 2024 Witch Guide

New Moon: August 4th

First Quarter: August 12th

Full moon: August 19th

Last Quarter: August 26th

Sabbats: Lughnasadh/Lammas- August 1st

August Sturgeon Moon

Also known as: Barely Moon, Black Cherries Moon, Corn moon, Dispute Moon, Harvest moon, Herb Moon, grain moon, Mountain Shadows Moon, Red moon, Ricing Moon, Weodmonath & Wyrt moon

Element: Fire

Zodiac: Leo & Virgo

Animal spirts: Dryads

Deities: Diana, Ganesha, Hathor, Hecate, Mars, Nemesis, Thot & Vulcan

Animals: Dragon, lion, phoenix & sphinx

Birds: Crane, eagle & falcon

Trees: Alder, cedar & hazel

Herbs: Basil, bay, fennel, orange, rosemary, rue & St.John's wort

Flowers: Angelica, chamomile, marigold & sunflower

Scents: Frankincense & heliotrope

Stones: Carnelian, cats/tiger's eye, emerald, fire agate, garnet, jade, moonstone, peridot, red jasper, red agate, sardonyx, topaz & tourmaline

Colors: Dark green, gold, orange, red & yellow

Energy: Abundance, appreciation, authority, courage, entertainment, finding your voice, friendship, gathering, harvesting energy, health, love, pleasures, power, prophecy, prosperity, vitality & wisdom

The name Sturgeon Moon comes from the giant lake sturgeon of the Great Lakes & Lake Champlain; this native freshwater fish was readily caught during this part of summer & an important food staple for Native Americans who lived in the region. At one time the lake sturgeon was quite abundant in late summer, though they are rarer today.

• August's full moon is the first Supermoon of the year, which means that it will appear bigger & brighter than the full Moons we have seen so far!

Lughnasadh

Known as: Lammas, August Eve  & Feast of Bread

Season: Summer

Element: Fire

Symbols: corn, grain dollies & shafts of grain

Colors: Gold, golden yellow, green, light brown, orange, purple, red & yellow

Oils/Incense: Aloe, apple, corn, eucalyptus, safflower, rose & sandalwood

Animals: Cattle (bull & calf)

Birds: Chicken/Rooster

Stones: Aventurine, carnelian, citrine, peridot, sardonyx & yellow diamond

Food: Apples, barely cakes, berries, berry pies, breads, colcannon, cider, corn, grains, honey, lamb, nuts, potatoes, rice, sun-shaped cookies & wild berries

Herbs/Plants: Alfalfa, aloe, blackberry, bramble, corn, cornsilk, corn stalk, crab apple, fenugreek, frankincense, ginseng, goldenseal, gorse, grape, medowsweet, oak leaves, pear, rye, sloe & wheat

Flowers:  Clyclamen, heather hollyhock & sunflower

Trees: Acacia, apple, myrtle,oak & rowan

Goddesses: Aine, Alphito, Bracacia, Carmen, Ceres, Damina, Danu, Demeter, Ereshkigal, Freya, Frigga, Gaia, Inanna Ishtar, Kait, Persephone, Sul, Taillte, Tea & Zaramama

Gods: Athar, Bes, Bran, Dagon, Dumuzi, Ebisu, Ghanan, Howtu, Liber, Lono, Lugh, Neper, Odin & Xochipilli

Issues, Intentions & Powers: Accomplishment, agriculture, challenges, darkness, death, endings, release & transformation

Spellwork: Abundance, bounty, fire magick, rituals of thanks & sun magick

Activities:

• Bake fresh bread

• Weave wheat

• Take walks in nature or along bodies of water

• Craft a corn doll

• Learn a new skill

• Watch the sunrise/sunset

• Leave grains and seeds in a place where birds, squirrels and other small animals can appreciate them

• Eat outside with family/friends/coven members

• Donate to your local foodbank

• Prepare a feast with your garden harvest

• Give thanks & offerings to the Earth

• Trade crafts of make deals

• Gather and/or dry herbs to use for the upcoming year

• Celebrate/honor the god Lugh by hosting a competition of games

• Participate in matchmaking or handfasting ceremonies

• Decorate your altar with symbols of the season

• Clean up a space in nature

• Plant saved seeds or save seeds to use in the future

Lughnasadh or Lammas is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season. Historically it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland & the Isle of Man. Traditionally it is held on 1 August, or about halfway between the summer solstice & autumn equinox. In recent centuries some of the celebrations have shifted to the Sunday nearest this date.

Lughnasadh is mentioned in early Irish literature & has pagan origins. The festival is named after Lugh the god of craftsmanship. It was also founded by the god Lugh as a funeral feast & athletic competition/funeral games in memory of his foster-mother Tailtiu. She was said to have died of exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland for agriculture.

• Tailtiu may have been an earth goddess who represented the dying vegetation that fed mankind.

• Another tale says that Lugh founded the festival in memory of his two wives, the sisters Nás & Bói. 

In the Middle Ages it involved great gatherings that included ceremonies, athletic contests (most notably the Tailteann Games which were extremely dangerous), horse racing, feasting, matchmaking & trading.

• With the coming of Christianity to the Celtic lands, the old festival of Lughnasadh took on Christian symbolism. Loaves of bread were baked from the first of the harvested grain & placed on the church altar on the first Sunday of August. The Christianized name for the feast of Lughnasadh is Lammas which means “loaf mass”.

Some believe this is the time where the God has weakened & is losing his strength as seen in the waning of the day's light. The Goddess is pregnant with the young God who will be born on Yule.

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2024 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

[jadafitch]

New England native shrub patterns, in spring and autumn. Featuring some lepidoptera species hosted by the plants, in their larval and adult forms. For a project that's been 4 years in the works… More details soon. Mountain Holly Northern Wild Raisin American Mountain Ash Shadbush with Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Beaked Hazelnut with Luna Moth Staghorn Sumac with Spring Azure Butterfly Red-osier Dogwood with Cecropia Moth American Witch Hazel with Eastern Tent Moth Pussy Willow with Mourning Cloak Butterfly Gray Alder with Banded Tussock Moth Big-fruit Hawthorn with Viceroy Butterfly Winterberry Holly

[diversegaminglists]

Games Finished in 2023

Didn't get as much gaming as I usually do, due to a combination of health issues, my cat having cancer (she's fine now) and my computer breaking in a couple of infuriatingly nebulous ways.

Games I recommend are bolded.

Archvale

Franken RPG

Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga

Signalis

Bound by Flame

Monster Train

The Last Door Season One

Unforgiving: A Northern Hymn

Dirk Smallwood HD

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow

Flynn: Son of Crimson

Dishonored: Knife of Dunwall

Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches

Sands of Salazaar

Adios

Talk to Me

Dishonored 2

Power Wash Simulator

Power Wash Simulator: Tomb Raider

Power Wash Simulator: Midgar

Pilgrims

Stone

Teacup

Cloud Gardens

Memory Traces: Japan

Khimera: Puzzle Island

Katamari Damacy Reroll

I was a Teenage Exocolonist

100 Hidden Frogs

lure

Lights Off...

Viltnemda

Suspicious Downpour

The Lost Dachshund

Resonance of the Ocean

Swallow the Sea

Shadow Burglar

Kore

Fears to Fathoms: Home Alone

Greedfall

Rapture: The Beginning

Adventure Escape Christmas Killer

Apeture Desk Job

Corridor Z

Hero of the Kingdom: The Lost Tales 2

The Shore

Alder's Blood: Prologue

Mirlo Above the Sun

Stillwater

The Call of Karen

Karisvale

Momotype

Epic Battle Fantasy 5

Aztlan Uncovered: Prologue

Good Dog

Adventure Escape Mysteries: Cluedo

You are a Whale Also Part 1

Adventure Escape Mysteries: Midnight Carnival

I want to be a Triangle

Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery

The Case of the Golden Idol

The Darkside Detective

Project Exhibited

The Case of the Golden Idol: The Spider of Lanka

The Test

Fayburrrow

Faefever

You Will (Not) Remain

Bad Dream: Stories

Star Apprentice: Magical Murder Mystery

Arcanbreak

Glass Masquerade 3: Honey Lines

Dot's Home

Westwood Shadows: Prologue

The Suicide of Rachel Foster

The Looker

Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull

Without a Voice

Escape Academy

One Night Stand

Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice

Janosik

Don't Escape Trilogy

Spirit Cleaning

Fatum Betula

Viridi

Sarawak

Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear

Riddles of the Past

Desolatium: Prologue

Apocalipsis

The Vagrant

Apocalipsis: One Night in the Woods

Hayami Chan

Ginkgo

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure

Memory Traces: Egypt

Wilful

Distraint

Baldur's Gate 3

Zombie Admin

The Lost Night

Inside

Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix (PS4)

The Painscreek Killings

Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising

One-Eyed Lee: Prologue

Nasty Little Man

Halo CE: Anniversary

Technoccult: Covenant

To be a Herpwitch

Seethe and Scab

Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition: Main Campaign

Moons of Madness

Dragon's Crown Pro (PS4)

Paradise Killer

Amnesia: Rebirth

Dave the Diver

Zemblanity

Fighting Fantasy Classics: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain

[star-studded-whales]

M. Connor- Writeblr Intro

Hello everyone, I'm M. Connor (he/they) and I am a romance and fantasy author. I have an interest in both clean and erotic romance novels and short stories. I have been known to dabble in horror short stories and in poetry. I write a variety of queer centered stories with a multitude of different identities and pairings.

My purpose for being on Writeblr is to share my work in a low pressure environment, and to read and support the work of others. I always respond to friendly DMs and I try to reply to asks in a timely manner. I am not currently posting my WIPs online except for excerpts and teasers.

My other interests include art (specifically printmaking and paper making, though I'm getting into digital art), Stardew Valley, Skyrim, MXTX's works, and writing and playing music (I play a lot of instruments and sing). Sometimes these intersect with my writing, and I will post about them from time to time.

Some boundaries: I will block minors on sight. My work is not for those under eighteen, please don't interact unless you are of age. I also do not take unsolicited constructive criticism, especially on matters of taste.

Here are a couple of my WIPs and completed projects:

Lunar Lagoon: An erotic romance set in the modern Mediterranean. Lyria, a mermaid, and Amelia, the transfem captain of an antique sailing vessel, must navigate a budding relationship formed from mutual pleasure as it blossoms into something meaningful and deep, while avoiding the ire of Lyria’s overprotective father. Love should be smooth sailing… right?

Crossroads: An erotic romance set in the US. Hazel Abernathy is a struggling witch fighting a losing battle against her local HOA and the crumbling infrastructure of the house her mother left to her when she passed. She’s ready to get back out there and on Valentines Day, meets the sweet and charming Aleksander, and the bombastic and enigmatic Lillian. The two of them, powerful demons in their own right, have their own struggles with mysterious spiritual attacks on the nightclub they own.

Wear a Coat: A horror short story set in the Appalachian mountains, where I come from. What happens when you don’t follow your mama’s advice and go looking for berries without a coat? Maybe you’ll just get cold or maybe you’ll attract unwanted attention from something dwelling deep within the forest…

Alder: This story follows Finlay, a dryad who has been set adrift after a series of questionable choices. This WIP is pretty nebulous at the moment, but has my whole heart. It’s rife with gender shenanigans and magic

Ochre: What happens if a crow is suddenly given a human form by the Morrigan? Let’s find out! Again, another baby WIP in early stages.

[verecunda]

10 First Lines

I was tagged by @bryndeavour. Thankee, dear! <3

This is the first line of the last ten fics posted, isn't it?

Shadow March (Kidnapped/Frontier Wolf crossover, gen, G)

It was three years since my adventures, and just a little over two since I had come into my full inheritance, when Alan visited me again at the house of Shaws.

The Washer at the Ford (The Flight of the Heron, Ewen/Keith, G)

The mist came upon them suddenly: no thick incoming tide of sea-fog, but one that fell around them almost like a curtain.

Yellow and Gold (LOTR, Legolas/Gimli, G)

When Gimli and the others had left the Lonely Mountain to attend Master Elrond’s council, the year had been on the wane: the alders and the beech trees shimmering with gold on either hand of the road, the whin bushes on the moors dark, with just a few brave yellow flowers still hanging on, as if in defiance, not just of the oncoming winter, but of the great Shadow that threatened them all.

Leave of Duty (ROP, Elendil/Míriel, G)

She knew it was Elendil even before he was announced.

The Natural Element (The Flight of the Heron, Ewen/Keith, G)

The afternoon sun had burned away the last wisps of mist from the great cone of Ben Tee, and warmed the red granite of the creag ruadh almost to a glow.

Revealed by Night (The Silmarillion, Maeglin/Salgant, G)

Though the evening was yet young, the feasting in the King’s Hall was already at its height.

A Shadow of Despair (LOTR, Witch-king of Angmar, G)

Standing upon the walls of his dark fortress of Carn Dûm, his face turned into the teeth of the wind, the Lord of Angmar thinks — in whatever part of his mind that is yet his own — that his master chose this seat well for him.

Gie Me a Cannie Hour at E'en (Kidnapped, Alan/David, G)

I had come into my kingdom at last, and after having come through so many trials and travails — et terris iactatus et alto, as Mr Rankeillor might have said — I was now filled with a strange, unreal sense of calm and satisfaction as I sat up into the night, contemplating the future that now lay before me.

Reversals (LOTR/Silmarillion, Galadriel & Celebrimbor, G)

When Celebrimbor was not to be found in the smithy, Galadriel sought him in the gardens.

What Watchful Cares (The Silmarillion, Celebrimbor, Lúthien & Huan, G)

The night was far advanced, but one solitary light still burned in the smithies of Nargothrond.

(Heavens, we've been very prim and G-rated here over the last six months, haven't we? XD)

This one's been doing the rounds quite a bit recently, so apologies if I end up tagging anyone who's already been tagged: @di-daydreamer, @cilil, @chiropteracupola, @swanmaids, @cycas, @cuddlytogas, @imakemywings, @m-madeleine, @dilkinazm, @themalhambird, and @sanguinarysanguinity.

[kittypets-unite-au]

Worldbuilding Tidbits: ThunderClan Territory

General description: ThunderClan calls the thick, rich forest in the southeast. Trees include alders, oaks, beechs, birchs, aspens, cedars, elms, maples, and sycamores. Undergrowth includes holly bushes, honeysuckles, laurels, dogwood, witch hazel, hemlocks, ferns, bracken, lilacs, dandelions, daffodils, wintergreens, boxwoods, peonies, thorns, vines, moss, poppies, and brambles. The canopy is fairly thick, but not so much that sunlight is blocked out, and streams that branch out from the river help moisturize the plants. Towards the thunderpath that cuts between ThunderClan and ShadowClan, the land becomes rocky and steep, as the road inclines from a mountain.

Camp: A shallow, sandy ravine that’s shaded by a thick canopy. The dens are made of cave in the camp walls, burrows, and bushes intertwined with brambles and vines

Common prey: Mice, voles, shrews, blackbirds, starlings, magpies, sparrows, robins, cardinals, bluejays, grackles, grouse, pheasants, doves, pigeons, woodpeckers

Rare prey: Turkeys, falcons, hawks, eagles, ducks, rabbits, moorhens, eggs

Common threats: Coyotes, falling branches, foxes (they usually only target lone apprentices or kits, but they become a lot more aggressive and desperate in the winter), badgers (usually only if you're stupid enough to bother them, but they also like to go after lone or inexperienced apprentices), adders at snakerocks, wild dogs

Landmarks:

The Owl Tree is a tall poplar with a hollow in the middle of the trunk. Generations of owls have lived there as it’s close to mouse nests, and warriors usually follow the current tenant to find easy prey.

The Sandy Hollow is a hollow in the land that’s filled with soft, sandy dirt. It’s used as a place for apprentices to practice battle moves since the dirt is soft enough to not hurt upon impacting it

The Tunnel is a tunnel below the thunderpath that ShadowClan uses to get to and from gatherings. ThunderClan doesn’t mind this as long as they just use the tunnel for that purpose, but there is some hostility over the herb that grows there, Milkweed. Since it’s rare to find and is very beneficial for nursing queens, there’s been quite a few border scraps over who gets the herbs

The Shaded Brook is a narrow stream that branches off from the river. It gains its name due to the amount of overhanging, ferns, bracken, and mullien growing here. Cats come to get a drink of water and druids come here to gather herbs.

Sunningrocks is a contested piece of territory between ThunderClan and RiverClan that’s placed right by the river on the edge of ThunderClan territory. It’s not only a good place to sun, but it’s a good place for mice and water voles to nest between the rocks, making it a good hunting spot. However, the main reason it’s so fought over is because of land rights.The patch of land that Sunningrocks rests on used to belong to RiverClan when it was an island, but slowly the river grew smaller, leaving the rocks on ThunderClan’s territory. And they’ve bickered and battled over it since

Adjacent to Sunningrocks are wide expanses of meadows. They don't have an official name, but they're a popular date spot due to the sheer amount of colorful wildflowers and the clear view of the sky

The Alder Grove a patch of the forest filled with, you guessed it, alders. The thick canopy provides plentiful shade and the leaf litter is very soft. Friend groups like to hang around here and it's not uncommon to see cats wrestling in the thick leaf carpet

Tallpines is the only place in the forest where pine trees are plentiful. Every three summers the tree-eaters cut down the trees and take them to the treecutplace, but between those periods, it’s a good spot for prey.

The Treecutplace is where the pines from Tallpines are brought to be cut up for twoleg use. It’s usually avoided due to being so close to twoleg areas

The Twolegplace is a small yet bustling town. Warriors rarely go anywhere near the border, let alone in the town. The town borders the forests with a tall fence.

Snakerocks is a pile of rocks that is much like sunningrocks, but the stones are much steeper and bigger. Many herbs like Dill, Goldenseal, Peppermint, and Echinacea grow here, but the rocks are also swarmed with adders. It’s best to keep younger apprentices from here, as they don’t know the danger yet.

The Great Sycamore is the tallest, oldest tree in the territory, and is used by apprentices to see if someone is chicken by daring the newest apprentices to climb to the very top of the branches.

The Abandoned Cabin is an old, run down log cabin that has been overgrown with moss, vines, and other plants, including a birch growing right in the center. It’s considered a sacred place by the ThunderClan druids as it’s a good place to grow herbs

The Thunderpath is a long, busy road that separates ThunderClan territory from ShadowClan. It’s considered very dangerous since it’s usually very busy, so most cats avoid it

[psychic-refugee]

Xavier Thorpe was the last of a spent bloodline. He had no sister as his mother died shortly after he was born, leaving the Thorpes without a witch to carry on their song.

Although men were seen as lesser, the Imperatrix still deemed his blood worthy of matching amongst the High Atlantic Elite, pushing him towards Bianca Barclay and Divina Fisher, both the most sought-after matrilines and expected to take on three or more husbands each.

He didn’t want to seem like a civilian, but he had no desire to be one of many husbands, even if the witches could turn mountains into dust with their songs.

He was seen as odd and soft, by army standards. His song was unique, able to animate his art. It wasn’t seen as particularly useful, but then again men didn’t have to be useful beyond fathering more witches.

Although his father Vincent and the Imperatrix insisted it was his duty to handfast to whichever matriline they deemed worthy and would have him, he would marry no other than Wednesday Addams.

The Imperatrix was a stern and intimidating woman, but even she got nervous around the most famous necro matriline the world had ever seen.

Necros always stood out amongst witchkind, but Addamses were a cut above the rest as their powers always ran true. No matter who married into the Addams matriline, the children were always mistresses of death currents which allowed them to speak to the dead; wielders of decay, which allowed them to create bombs that cause a perfectly healthy body to rot in seconds; or daughters of Mother Mycelium, a mysterious specialty that could create new work and seedsounds.

Wednesday was special in that she could do all three, as well as weatherwork that could flatten towns and seedsounds that could blast out windows.

Although people feared Addamses, it didn’t stop many fathers from trying to foist their sons into the matriline.

Addamses were further set apart in that they traditionally never took counsel from the Imperatrix, never arranged marriages for either their sons or daughters, and loved sons as much as they loved daughters.

In any other matriline, Morticia Addams would have been seen as a failure as she only produced one daughter, although she was a particularly powerful daughter, and had two sons. She also insisted that her eldest son Pugsly make a love match, rather than sell him to the highest bidder from the High Atlantic.

Sons could not pass on their songs, but they did create ties between matrilines. Everyone wanted to be linked to Wednesday Addams, who was favored and exalted by none other than General Sarah Alder.

Xavier didn’t care about matrilines or having powerful children. He was more interested in Wednesday’s respect and kindness towards her brothers and father. She was unafraid to stand up to Bianca, the Imperatrix, and anyone else who would deride her family, try to tell her what to do, or sneer at those who told her how to be a “proper witch.”

Call him a romantic or an idealistic fool, but he would rather have a partner that would love any child they had, and not someone who would toss him aside after five years if he couldn’t sire a girl or would love their sons less than their daughters.

Luckily for him, Wednesday Addams was rather fond of moss green eyes and was charmed by his songs that could animate his drawings of giant spiders.

[buddhismnow]

Morning meditation: Are you awake?

Morning meditation: Are you awake? https://wp.me/pFy3u-7oV

‘Are you awake?’ Everyday Buddhist Mountain Witch Alder. On our Twitter account, Buddhism Now @Buddhism_Now, most mornings we post a ‘morning meditation’ like the one above. On the net, of course, it’s morning, afternoon, evening, or nighttime 😀 somewhere. Click here to read more Morning Meditation posts. Click here for more Everyday Buddhist teachings.

[arbitrarygreay]

It's real cheeky for 2x5 to have featured Berlioz, but diegetically, it's a rather weird choice for the Camarilla? Like, that movement is not only pretty joyous and celebratory, but the overall spirit of Symphony Fantastique is pretty anti-purity, what with the drug-taking and delirious love and all preceding things. I guess it's easily the most famous and recognizable piece of symphonic classical music explicitly about witches. Other famous cases like Night on Bald Mountain or Danse Macabre are about other supernatural things. Pieces like The Tempest and Sorceror's Apprentice are about dude magic users. We do have multiple pieces about Baba Yaga, though, as well as witches in Rusalka and Hansel and Gretel. Going with movement 4 would have spoiled the surprise. But that also brings up a general case here where I can't think of any classical music celebrating the defeat of witches? Those tend to be just triumphant hero themes instead, which wouldn't work for the show/the Camarilla party trying to go with a spooky Halloween vibe. It's not like they could play the shitty CCM that modern "autumn festival" Halloween-alternative parties prefer, lmao. And otherwise, we do have to assume that the 1900s movie industry would not have portrayed witches in the same way in an Alder-dominated world.

Although, this is all complicated by the fact that all of the above pieces were also written post-Alder. But they are European, so we can just chalk that up to the 1800s still being pre-American hegemony, which doesn't apply to the movie industry.

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day Friday 21 April 2017

 A member of the Hamamelidaceae family Fothergilla major (mountain witch alder) forms a rounded deciduous shrub. Here it was lighting up an edge of woodland setting with spiky white flowers. This plant favours humus-rich, moist but well-drained acid soil in sun or partial shade. The ovate dark green leaves turn brilliant colours in autumn.

Jill Raggett

[megarywrites]

Chronicles of Dracrie world-building ➣ magic systems

Note: If magic is attempted to be used without the aid of these elements, the result would have the potential to be catastrophic, with possibly the death of the user or the people around them.

↳ with Wood — Wands made of the ancient trees populating the lands of Thiortha: Alder, Ash, Birch, Elder, Hawthorn, Hazel, Holly, Oak, Rowan, and Willow. During the celebration of their first birth, leaves from each of the trees (except for Rowan, because of its scarcity) are placed before the children of drea—magic users in Thiortha—and the leaf the child is drawn to or grabs is the wood that their wand gets made out of. The finished wand is given to the young drea at their tenth birth celebration, and their training in magic begins.

↳ with Fire — Tattoos etched in the skin of those from Jou’eou, covering their arms, chest, and back with ink made from the lava stones of Lali’aou. There are pits dotting the sacred island of Lali'aou from where there were trees before the volcano became active and the lava burned the trees and cooled to form pits. Acolytes of Lali—also known as ho'awi—create fires within the pit and collect the soot to prepare the ink for the priestesses of Lali to bless before the tattoos are pricked into the skin of ka'awa—magic users of Jou'eou.

↳ with Earth — Crystals, gems, stones, and the actual earth are used in Qedrah to protect themselves from harm or attack. For the very rich, mogasi—highly trained magic users in Qedrah—enchant gems to be made into jewelry to be worn at all times. They also create colorful mosaics are made and charmed to fortify people's homes or cities. Zhiwae—magic users who specialize in healing—produce the medicine for which Qedrah is known for around the realm.

↳ with Metal — Within the Deltakayuva Mountains are twisting, interwining mines rich with iron ore, bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. Havalig—common magic users in Rejkvin—are metal workers, and it is their artistry that brings about the enchanted jewelry and armor to protect and aid the witches and seers who wear them. Witches' jewelry and armor is typically passed down from mother to daughter, with new sets of runes carved onto the face of them to connect them to their new wearer.

↳ with Water — Potions are made from the river Smara, an enchanted river that connects the three islands that make up Grea. Though potions are currently banned in Grea, potioneers—home potion brewers—and alchemists—trained potion brewers—are still around, practicing in secret. The different potions have been organized into six categories based on their effects, difficulty, and potency. The categories are: spirit, life, creation, body, mind, and destruction.

[damgoodfantasy]

The Sweet Spot of Fantasy Openings

We all know the classic fantasy opening: young hero grows up in sleepy idyllic farming village next to a river, meets a wise mentor, and eventually leaves after some kind of big event makes it dangerous for them to stay. It's such a classic because it works. That is not to say that you must always follow this formula, however. In fact, I'd say Ursula Le Guin's characterization of the village of Ten Alders in A Wizard of Earthsea is a great example of how to establish a sense of place without leaning too heavily into any typified fantasy conventions. Of course, as the basis of comparison, I will be using the Shire, since I can't not talk about Tolkien at least once a week.

First off, we have the description of Ten Alders. Right away, we break from the friendly conventions of the Shire by having it described as "lonely" (AWoE, Chapter 1). We can still picture its farmlands and distant mountains well enough, and the general comforting vibe is maintained, yet in that one simple word the village in my head shifts from one of naïve joy to one of distant isolation.

Next we have the wise mentor, typified by Gandalf. In this case, Le Guin includes this convention, but shakes it up by splitting the mentor character in two: a primary mentor of the village witch -- a well-meaning woman who is ultimately self-serving and is "one of those who fled" when danger arrives at Ten Alders' doorstep; and a wise wizard Ogion the Silent who quite literally guides the protagonist from childhood to adulthood. I quite like this, since it still feels comfortable but admits that our mentors (especially the early ones in childhood) are not peerless, and wisdom in one aspect does not imply it in another.

Finally, we have the inciting incident. In the Shire's case, we have of course the arrival of the Nazgul, and likewise in Ten Alders we have an arriving evil: the Kargs. Both are a sort of faceless, animal evil, yet again, Le Guin subverts this trope by having the young hero face the danger head on when their mentor fails to do so. "Need called knowledge out" as Duny (or Ged as he would be shortly known) summoned a great fog and helped scare the Kargs back to the coast to be slaughtered. Not only does this make for an unexpected, thrilling scene, it sets up Ged as different from your run-of-the-mill protagonist. We know he has great power and is not afraid to use it. I don't mean to imply that Frodo is a typical fantasy protagonist, but I'd say Ged's characterization so early is stronger and more memorable.

All in all, Ten Alders is a fantastic starting point for A Wizard of Earthsea. It sets up our hero, provides a backstory that is rich and unexpected, and draws the reader in. If you've never read Earthsea, I'd highly recommend it, whether you're a fantasy reader or writer. It's a real treat!

[smallmouthfrog]

I swear this whole album is a Motherland Fort Salem concept album written ten years before the show was made. Tally must've pulled some timey-wimey-fuckery.

It's called "In The Future", the band are Black Mountain, from VANCOUVER, psych-indie-rock music according to Bandcamp.

#Stormy High - the Witch Army

#Angels - Raelle

#Tyrants - General Alder (S1-S2)

#Wucan - the Tarim

#Stay Free - Scylla

#Queens Will Play - Alder, Bellweathers, Wade, Nicte

#Evil Ways - Nicte

#Wild Wind - Nicte or Sarah (S3)

#Bright Lights - Tally

#Night Walks - Penelope

Lyrics here:

I loved this album before the series even aired but now I can't unlink them. Brains are funny that way.

Anyway, TALDER RULES!

[smallish-viking]

ya'll here's my D&D character backstory I've spent so long writing it.

She's called Olive Winterbourne and she's a human fighter with a sailor background.

Olive’s Family

Mother – Elowen Moore

Father – Callahan Winterbourne

Alder – Ranger

Olive – Fighter

Hawthorne ‘Thorny’ – Druid

Rowan – Artificer

Willow – Fighter

Briar – Bard

Juniper ‘Juni’ – Ranger

Olive Winterbourne:

Olive was born in a large coastal city. Her parents are scholars, working at the city university (or d&d equivalent). She grew up surrounded by books, her house was lined with them. The constant stuffy air of worn pages and candlewax. But she never had the patience for them, all except maps. With an older brother and four younger siblings, Olive spent her childhood in places she shouldn’t be. Exploring back alleys, stealing from marketplaces, up trees and in coves - with a restlessness she could never shake off.

Olive’s family has halfling blood on her mother’s side, so she has a hint of that halfling spark, an appreciation of the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk, small acts of kindness and love. (Sorry I couldn’t help myself). She values family in all its forms.

In an attempt to keep her grounded somewhat, Olive’s mother suggested that she got herself some employment. So as a teenager she worked at a tavern. She begun eagerly and her musical talent meant that she was well liked by the patrons. However, her forgetful and messy nature meant that it didn’t last long. Instead of working she would perch cat-like on the edge of tables or windowsills listening to the tales of the patrons, hanging off every word. Stories of the lands she read about in her father’s books. The ones with lines showing far off mountains and impossible seas.

A recurring customer – an old and bearded half-elf bard who was sea cook on a merchant ship - once caught Olive stealing tobacco from the market (her older brother probably wasn’t the best influence on her). His nephew was getting a crew together, he told her. A privateer ship, which turned out to trade quite a lot on the black market. It would be hard work and it would be months without coming home. Olive took the job and never looked back. There is a moment, when a ship is put out to sea. Where the land falls away and the world stretches wide, nothing but sky and water and freedom. It was Olive’s favourite time, when anything could happen and nothing yet had.

With the privateers she travelled from shore to shore, returning home when she could. First after a few months, then it became yearly and sometimes not even that. Five siblings became six.

When her time with the Elven Captain’s crew of privateers came to an end, about three years after starting the job, Olive moved onto a different ship. This was a merchant vessel carrying spices which was captained by a shrewd old human rogue (like a cross between the Witch from Brave and Professor McGonagall) named Bedelia Aiza (yes that is Celtic for respected and powerful). Bedelia saw Olive’s restless energy and eagerness for the unknown and took her under her wing, teaching her everything that she knew about fighting.

Bedelia is a big trader on the black market and Olive spent years working for her, trading both legal and illegal things, and getting into hijinks, winning cool coats in card games and falling in love with mermaids (if I wrote everything down we’ll be here for pages).

War broke out when Olive was in her mid 20s and she joined the forces of Keoland Scotty (I hope I spelled that right) and she joined the naval forces.

Years at sea means that Olive picked up many nautical skills, but it was during her time in the military where her navigation was honed. An obsession with maps and unknown places means that Olive has a natural ability for navigation. She could read the stars as if they were storybooks.

She was promoted from Boatswain to Navigator about a year into working in the military.

Olive came home for Christmas the year the war ended (is there Christmas in D&D? There must be some sort of midwinter festival). Home was changed. She didn’t want to stay for long. She longed for the sea. The safety and comfort of home felt wrong, feet unsteady on stable ground. She began to recognise a similarity between herself and her younger brother, Willow. He was fourteen and incredibly sharp and keen. He pestered her for tales of the war, how to make your way home from the patterns of the stars, how to position a boat in a storm, to pickpocket and to trick your opponent into thinking they got the better the better half of the deal.

One night, Elowen sought her out in the house and tried to persuade Olive to take him with her.

‘A ship is no place for a child, mother.’

‘He’s not a child anymore, Olive, we all know that. And look at you! Returning home with all your army ranks. He belongs at sea, he belongs with you, I can see that. He runs from his school books and he is always coming home late with bruised knees and covered in mud. He’s just like how you were at that age. Olive, I know that if you take him with you, he can really be something.’

And so when Olive left for the harbour Willow was at her side.

‘Which is ours?’ he asked as the ships came into view, flocks of sails piercing the skyline.

‘First of all, Willow, the ship isn’t yours. It isn’t ours. It belongs to the captain, and you’ll do well to remember that.’ She paused, looking down at him with his blonde hair so like her own. ‘See that one with the rosewood hull – that’s the one.’

Ships are not places to be idle. Being a ship’s boy meant that Willow spent his first year at sea being constantly called upon. ‘Take this to the cabin below’, ‘hold that steady’, ‘repair the main sail’, ‘scrub the deck’, ‘take this message to the captain’. He learnt to be quick and attentive, just as Olive had done on her first job at sea.

His presence on the ship irritated Olive immensely at first. He made it unprofessional and he expected to be able to get away with being mischievous because his sister had such a prestigious position on the ship.

There was an incident where Willow was playing cards with the other members of the crew below deck. It was a clever trick that Olive herself had taught him in which you place a blade of some sort upon the table before a card game begins, and then you see which card your opponent has by looking at the reflection of the card in the blade. However, the boy was not as sly as he thought he was and upon being accused of cheating a brawl broke out. Olive heard the raucous from the deck and reluctantly went to investigate. She burst into the cabin to find chairs and tables upturned, bottles smashed, several people with bloodied noses and her brother in the hold of a barbarian double his size.

‘Now, now, Gauvoll, play nicely for goodness’ sake.’ She looked at her brother. ‘How much do you owe?’

‘I didn’t cheat!’

‘How much, Willow.’

‘Five gold pieces,’ he avoided her gaze as he said this, casting his eyes to the remains of the card game on the table.

She threw the coins onto the table and pulled her brother from the Gauvoll’s hold, addressing the rest of the crew as she yanked Willow by the arm out of the room. ‘Clear up this mess and I won’t tell the captain.’

She took Willow up to the deck. It had been cloudy for days so the sky was a frustrating dull grey, the floor wet and slick from the intermittent drizzle.

Willow whistled through his teeth and brushed his sleeves down. ‘Whoa, thanks for that one sis, he could have killed me.’

Willow was looking at her with an amused spark in his expression, it was as if he was testing her. She steeled herself. ‘He wouldn’t have killed you.’

Willow shifted his weight onto his side and tilted his head up. ‘How do you know?’

‘Because he swore an oath that he would serve the captain of this ship and that includes not killing the crew members. Barbarians have a quick temper but he was just trying to scare you.’

‘I wasn’t scared.’

‘What have I told you about lying?’

‘I wasn’t scared, Olive.’

‘Well, I was!’ There was silence for a moment. The only sound was the groan of the hull against the relenting waves.

‘I am scared for you. You can’t keep carrying on like this. You’ve got to stop relying on me. I can’t be there for you every time you want to want to cheat at cards, or pickpocket a merchant - ’

‘Shouldn’t have taught them to me then’ he mumbled, just loud enough for her to hear.

‘Look, you’re here on this ship because of me but if you want to take this seriously then you’ll have to start fending for yourself. Mum was the one who asked me to take you with me, don’t you understand that if something happens to you then it’ll be entirely my fault. It’s not a game out here Willow, there are no second chances at sea. You’ve got to grow the hell up or you won’t live long enough to.’ Her words hung in the air. Rain was beginning to fall again and Olive drew her coat tightly around herself, avoiding her brother’s gaze. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean that.’

‘Yeah you did.’ He stepped towards her. She couldn’t help but notice the extra height that he had annoyingly gained over the last few months as she was forced to look upwards when their eyes met. ‘But just so you remember, Olive, you’re a fucking hypocrite. How many fights did Alder have to rescue you from? How many times did he lie to Mum and Dad to save your neck? So don’t you ever have a go at me for being exactly like you!’ He turned and she watched him go, boots slamming against the wood of the deck.

‘I’m just worried for you.’ Olive said quietly. But it was too late. All that was left of Willow was his shadow from the candlelight below deck lingering upon the wall. Before that too disappeared.

Olive and Willow never argued again after that. Willow did, gradually, become more self-reliant and became able to get himself out of the high jinks that he got himself into. Olive reluctantly accepted that she was partly, if not entirely, responsible for his arrogance but she felt more proud than annoyed as she watched him grow taller and broader, become quicker and stronger as the years at sea went on.

Olive was used to storms. She had spent most of her life at sea so when the ship begins to rock and the air turns to needles of sharp driving rain, she was always ready. She had always been ready. She thought his time would be no different. When the sea, with a mind of its own, loomed as high as clifftops on either side of the vessel, when shouts were drowned in the air and when bodies were tossed across the deck, it was almost like every other storm that she had survived. Almost. There was one thought which this time she could not tear from her mind. Whenever she tried to focus, to instruct the crew or haul on a rope there was one thought that was running over in her mind again and again.

‘If something happens to Willow then it’s entirely my fault’.

That man who just fell overboard, was that him? Or was he that figure up on the crows nest? She couldn’t see. All she could see was the rain and the dull grey of this night, until everything gave way to darkness.

***

When Olive awoke the world was moving. The room was bright and the bed was hard. She fought to pull her thoughts together but they were as stiff and sore as the rest of her. There was a figure in the room now, slowly walking towards her. She blinked but the world still didn’t right itself.

‘Where am I?’ She asked. ‘Where is my brother?’

[magpie-to-the-morning]

Day so far:

Woke up (good start)

Watched the first ep of Our Flag Means Death

Loved it, will watch more with roomies

Finished Killing Eve S3

Pottered around garden. Daffodils are blooming. Lilacs are budding like crazy. Roses, blueberries, blackberries, and mystery shrub(s) (most likely viburnum or mountain witch alder - unless gooseberries?) are coming up nicely. Have been scratched by blackberry brambles, which means it’s officially spring

Ate lunch

About to take a nap 😴