#Mythical Weaver

[ofscribesandmen]

[nickysfacts]

wish all of you who are reading this a wonderful day and that you learn something new every day!

🎋🌠🎋

[karver518]

something something,,, crk au idea

guys, hear me out rq,, something something an AU where there's a species of cookies that are tiny fairies but more moth-like and are called "Dreamweavers". Like the name suggests, it's basically these lil guys going all over earthbread and weave dreams for sleeping cookies.,,, the idea i had was the dreamweavers are moth fairy versions of Moonlight Cookie and Stardust Cookie, Moonlight being the Dream Master of the dreamweavers, and Stardust being the kind that try to fend off nightmares in the dream realm Y'KNOW WHAT?? HERES THIS COOL DIAGRAM?? THINGY?? I MADE LAST NIGHT CONCERNING THE AU ft. my oc, moonstone, their sister! :]

hierarchy wise, Luna Moths-more specifically, Moonlight, Stardust and Moonstone-are at the top of the hierarchy, Moonlight being the Dream Master, Stardust being the Nightmare Vanquisher Commander, and Moonstone being the Dream Watcher below them are the dreamweaver cookies that work under their command: The Vanquishing Soliders, they work under Stardust, and are more commonly known for that because of their Comet Moth like appearance among their dreamweaver cookie peers. As for The Dream Weavers, they work under Moonstone, and have similar appearances to Maple Moths, Silk Moths and other simple looking moth species

(idk if you can tell, but i absolutely love moths) ,,,now what if i told you that pre-corruption shmilk was basically the first cookie to spot these little guys out in the wild and did HEAVLY extensive research on them that they made it to mythical creature encyclopedias nowadays

ALMOST forgot to mention that smc's obsession with finding out more about these lil fellas most definitely extends to his beast era heres a cool example ALSO ft. moonstone

this au was originally gonna be oc x canon dedicated (im sorry at how obvious that was chat 💔), but smth in me said why not make it in general wouldn't that be so awesome and so cool

[allgirlsareprincesses]

Super-proud of this and excited for next week's Episode 2! Please watch and share!

Crash Landing on You Part 1 mythic deep dive

Cowherd and weaver with @allgirlsareprincesses

Full video:

Also available as a podcast:

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

Hiw kinnara could realistically work?what could be their internal anatomy, where should be wings ,legs,arms, nsfw parts, ? Typical kinnaris have the head, torso, and arms of a woman and the wings, tail and feet of a swan. Did I can use your kinnara drawings in my work?

kinnara: a hindu and buddhist mythical being with the upper half of a human and the lower half of a bird, wings included. the art I've found through internet search seems to vary on what type of bird is typically used. They look fun! actually reminds me of this other human-bird design I reblogged a while back (though this one makes the bird part much, much bigger than the human part)

(image description: two statues of humanoid figures with a bird body at their hips. end description)

I think if you did it similar to the post I linked, most of the internal and reproductive anatomy would match that of a bird, with the human torso part having things like the lungs, stomach, heart, and the bird part having more of the digestive system. that's just how they line up

the traditional of a kinnara basically just puts the legs int he normal human place and then attached bird parts around the hips, which works fine for their presentation as mythical figures having some manner of spiritual and symbolic importance. I don't expect them to look anatomically correct in this context. but if they're going to be used as a fantasy people, I think this arrangement of body parts is a little crowded and awkward, and the post I linked above has a more reasonable arrangement. however, I also think the bird and human sections can be drawn in different proportions depending on personal preference. here's my sketches:

(image description: simplified sketches of humanoid figures that have a bird body below the hips, not unlike a centaur. on the top half of the image are sketches of a bird-taur with a more natural bird body, having the legs further back while the wings are closer to the humanoid hip region. the lower half of the image shows a bird-taur with the legs in front of the wings. there are sketches of the full body, simple skeletal forms, and the bird-taurs in flight. end description.)

you can use these sketches as a reference if you want, but if you'd like to have nicer art for actual presentation in your project, please commission me! my commission info can be found here on ko-fi. I'll be able to prioritize detail and quality through a commission in a way I don't do with the quick art I make for tumblr asks.

reproductively speaking, most birds only have a cloaca, but some male birds do have a penis. it just stays internal until it's erect. finding an actual specific list of bird species with a penis was a little annoying because for some reason all these articles were quite vague like "oh, ducks, ostriches, and some other birds" like no, I need to know all of the specific species please! Figuring out non-human reproductive systems can be stunningly tricky sometimes.

anyway here's one article on the matter

and here is another article

from my research, here's just a list of bird species that have a penis:

ducks, geese, swans, ostriches, emus, tinamous. and there are also some birds that have a pseudo penis, such as cassowaries and red-billed buffalo weavers.

apparently all birds do have the genetic potential to have a penis, but they just don't grow one. so it might be an ancestral trait! that's kinda neat. personally, I have given my bird folk, the quetzalin, a penis that remains in the cloacal wall and emerges when erect. and yes, it's curly, though nowhere near as nightmarish as the penis on a duck lol. so you go ahead and have whatever fun you want with bird folk genitals.

[tanoraqui]

rereading the Dalemark Quartet because of this fantastic podcast series, and a few notes:

I really cannot imagine Duck as looking like anything but my own younger brother. I don’t imagine Tanaqui as looking like myself, despite the many years of having this username and relating intensely to DWJ’s first girl narrator & mythic history-weaver trope. I don’t have any problem imagining Gull, Robin or Hern as they’re described. But Duck, young or grown, looks like my little brother (who, for the record, is currently doing grad school chemistry, which is definitely a sort of magery).

I’d argue that Mitt and Navis have a parallel moment of first-meeting, future-of-the-country-deciding Mutual Vibes Check to Hern & Kars Adon. It’s just that Mitt is 3 years old at the time, so Navis is mostly going “why is there a toddler here. …Hildy-coded, though”, while Mitt has gotten all the way to “he’s a little strange but I can and will trust him with my Dream of a Better World.” (They are both correct.)

I’m having a LOT of thoughts about the fantasy trope of “there used to be magic & gods but now there’s less or none at all”, and all its variations, in comparison to Tolkien and modern works. But I’m having so many that it needs to be a separate post and maybe short essay.

The structure of the series is so interesting. It’s not chronological at all, which actually makes the gap—15 YEARS—between books 3 and 4 even more agonizing to imagine waiting through. Books 1-3 are all separate tributary rivers pouring into 4, and each one ends on more of, in effect, a cliffhanger: Cart and Cwidder with a fairly normal “this adventure is entirely resolved but there are likely more to come.” Drowned Ammet wraps up the story but is lacking some denouement, they never actually reach the North, it’s just safely in sight, it’s clear that they will reach its relative peace & safety—but we don’t see them do so, and we don’t know what happens to them when they do. And Spellcoats! Has a vision of how the plot will resolve, but very pointedly ends before showing it! All we have to know what happened to any of the characters is a historically uncertain postscript, and the knowledge that (more) modern Dalemark exists as it does! Much less any mention of anyone or anything—except technically the earl and earldom of Hannart—from either of the previous books. And she left the readers like this for fifteen years!

If I’d been a teen in the late 70s reading these books as they came out, when Crown of Dalemark was accounted in the mid-90s, I would’ve screamed aloud. I would love to know if anyone reading this post did have that experience.

[whalesongsblog]

WIZARDING EDUCATION IN THE SURYA EMPIRE.

If you haven't looked at the absolutely incredible lore @rambling-tam is building around their wizarding education system of North America, pls go check it out. It 100% inspired this post.

LORE DROP: In my fic, Hogwarts is a postgraduate university. Miradevi completed her undergrad education in her empire, which boasts one of the foremost magical colleges in the world.

The Surya empire is a blend of magic, muggle, and nonhuman beings. Each contributes in their own way, and the rigid lines of the European wizarding world are nonexistent. Here, the mythical and arcane blends with cutting-edge muggle technology and science, because the Surya empire firmly believes that diversity is the key to social progress.

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Prior to the iron fist of British colonization, Indian (specifically Hindu) education was essentially a lifestyle. A holistic focus on education was coupled with studying texts like the Vedas and Upanishads with a guru. This was known as the Gurukul system, where a child would leave their family behind to live with their teacher and other students in the gurukul, often spending months to years deep in the forests. Education began at the age of five with the Vidyarambha ceremony, where the Goddess Saraswati, patron deity of wisdom and knowledge, was worshipped. Students from all over the world traveled to India to partake in this system and receive an education that focused on practicality, innovation, spirituality, and oneness with the greater universe. 

Miradevi Surya Lakshmi is the princess of the Surya empire- a fictional nation within the very real state of Rajasthan, modeled after Udaipur. Ancient legends and their magic linger in the soil, enriching every aspect of life in the empire. Weaver Witches spin intricate magic into each stitch of their handwoven garments, allowing the shimmering threads to shift and dance under the burning sun. Street vendors harvest dried chillis spread out on low stone rooftops under the full moon, made potent through murmured spellcasting. 

The intricately carved temples simmer with incense and shakti- the primordial essence of the Goddess. The figures depicting scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana painted with painstaking detail onto the temple walls occasionally pause in their actions to wave and grin at the temple-goers. 

Ma Kali bares her teeth and tongue in a fierce smile as she drains the blood of the demon Raktbeej, and college students hurriedly ask for her blessing as they dart off to their exams. The female pundits adorn the warrior goddess with fresh marigolds that hang alongside the stone-carved necklace of skulls on her neck. 

In the evenings, magic hangs hazily in the cold desert air as street musicians regale crowds with the magic they breathe into folk Rajasthani music. Goblin tribes from the deep desert stand alongside werewolves and muggles, leaning closer to the siren song of the music. 

The children of the Sun Kingdom live and die by innovation. Scholarly pursuit runs in their blood, a heat and need for excellence burning brighter than the desert sun. Whether in arts, sciences, or the arcane, the people of Surya strive to innovate and create new parameters for excellence. And no academic institution was more prestigious than Miradevi’s alma mater: 

YUDHISTHIR COLLEGE OF MAGIC EXCELLENCE 

REGION: Surya, Rajasthan. (Based on a blend of Udaipur and Ranakpur). Mountainous, mystical, and steeped in the ancient and arcane. 

PHILOSOPHY: You stand on the shoulders of kings, born into bloodlines that have nourished this nation. Do as the great Maharajas once did, and be a leader this land and these people can look up to. 

ARCHITECTURE: The college is built partly into the side of a cliff face and partly above ground. The massive library is built like a constantly moving corkscrew- enchanted to keep circulating, tomes from ancient eras till modern times stacked on towering shelves. 

Nothing is as it seems. None of the rooms are as small as they appear, and, TARDIS-style, everything is bigger on the inside. Old and new blend together, with ancient stone hiding the gleaming, sleek metal and glass of research labs. Parts of the college unfold and retreat as needed, warping time and space around it. A shimmer of magic that hangs around the cliffs and mountains conceals just how much of a behemoth the college is. 

Modeled after ancient Hindu architecture. Gateways and towers are oriented with stunning precision towards the sun and stars, with massive, marbled open courtyards that allow for fresh breeze to sweep through. Peacocks and magic creatures wander through the grounds and classrooms, occasionally providing a welcome disruption to a dull lecture.

ACADEMICS: Students find amusement in thought experiments and mock war-room scenarios where enchanted players move across massive boards in exercises of diplomacy and tactical strategy. The underground wing of the college, built into the steep cliffsides, houses the most advanced Dark Arts Research facilities in the world- access is coveted, and the price of losing oneself to the arcane is steep. But the students of Yudhishtir understand, better than most, the illusion of power and how quickly it can be lost. 

Muggle science blends with magic as astrophysics is taught alongside jyotish- the ancient Indian art of astrology. Quantum physics goes hand in hand with transformative magic, equations, and theoretical spells cluttering up blackboards. 

Here, the study of chakras means so much more than what it has been diluted to by the outside world. The chakras are energy cores within the body, keeping each element in alignment with the cosmos and their individual planetary connections. Health assessments begin with a full-scale examination of the energy strains in the body, probing for misalignments. The medical students at Yudhishtir study blood magic and osteokinesis- occasionally donating bones to the scholars of Nimitta Shastra. Also known as Omenology. 

Then, there are the students of Tantric practices. Ritualistic and occasionally misunderstood, tantra dissolves the borders between reality and maya- the great illusion of life. These students sequester themselves deep in the mountain chambers, focused on meditative practices and rituals that leave a residue of powerful magic hanging in the air like the desert heat.

SPORTS: India is the birthplace of chess. In the Surya empire, a similar game is played, called Chaturanga. The battlefield (in the form of the board) keeps changing- in the span of a few minutes, the tide of battle can turn, and it is up to the wit of the player to maintain an upper hand to secure a victory. It is usually a multiplayer game built on alliances, cooperation, and, occasionally, betrayal. 

Brooms in the empire are used for cleaning. If you ask a student of Yudhishtir what they do for physical exercise, they will point to the massive, fireproof stables hulking beyond the grounds of the university. 

Maharashtrian Venomteeth, Himalayan Whiptails, Desert Droughtcallers- each species is meticulously looked after and bonded to students that enroll in dragon-riding lessons. They’re rather spoiled. 

When Miradevi began her postgraduate studies at Hogwarts, she was very amused by the brooms.

MOTTO: Ahaṁ Brahmāsmi. I Am the Universe. 

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Taglist: @amethystandemma @rosewoodcafe @butternutt613 @elisalsaa @okeydokeylackey @ravenwind-75 @berserkerrose

[demifiendrsa]

South of Midnight | Official Gameplay Trailer

South of Midnight will launch for Xbox Series and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store) in 2025. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass.

Title Logo

Key visual

Screenshots

Overview

About

From the creators of Contrast and We Happy Few, South of Midnight is a spellbinding third-person action adventure game set in the American Deep South.

As Hazel, you will explore the mythos and encounter creatures of Southern folklore in a macabre and fantastical world. When disaster strikes her hometown, Hazel is called to become a Weaver: a magical mender of broken bonds and spirits. Imbued with these new abilities, Hazel will confront and subdue dangerous creatures, untangle the webs of her own family’s shared past and -if she’s lucky – find her way to a place that feels like home.

Key Features

A Dark Modern Folktale – When a hurricane rips through Prospero, Hazel is pulled into a Southern Gothic world where reality and fantasy are interwoven, and ancient creatures from folklore emerge. In this coming-of-age adventure, Hazel journeys forth to rescue her mother and delves into a haunting web of folklore and family secrets, untangling her own identity.

Confront Mythical Creatures – Wield an ancient power to restore creatures and uncover the traumas that consume them. Cast weaving magic to fight destructive Haints, explore the diverse regions of the South, and reweave the tears in the Grand Tapestry.

Haunting Beauty of the Gothic South – Discover the lush, decayed county of Prospero and its locals. Experience a crafted visual style, touching storytelling, and immersive music inspired by the complex and rich history of the South.

[hobbitsetal]

The Hoard

The year the dragon came had been shaping up to be a bad one. The crops were barely adequate. The deer were skittish, the boar extra fierce, the fish sleepy and hard to reach. The old folks in the village predicted a hard winter, predictions born of fear and grief and anger that boiled down into pessimism. 

Inada, as the village leader, tried to counter such talk, but there was little she could say. The food would be stretched thin at best. The old and the very young were likely to die. All she could do was squirrel away extra portions where she hoped Trovar’s men would not think to look, and pray she could save some lives in the winter.

At the end of the summer, he came. They saw his shadow first: big as a cloud, almost to be mistaken for a cloud’s shadow. But no cloud had those curved wings or that long tail, and they knew what he was before he landed and changed shape and strode into their village. He was tall, dark-haired and golden-eyed, and he was surprisingly young. Inada had sons grown and older than he, she thought. 

Dragons lived to be five hundred years or more. But after all, before one could be five hundred years, one must be ten and twenty and thirty. Perhaps it should not have been so surprising that he looked no more than twenty summers, if he had reached even that many.

They watched, huddling in doorways, stopped at their work, clutching their children, as he walked through the long street and the square in the middle of the village where they traded when the peddler caravans passed through. His arrogantly lifted head swiveled, taking in the shabby village and the silent inhabitants watching him.

What reason could he have for coming to their village? They’d heard of dragons taking over lands, of course. Anywhere west of Elbiss, where they had driven the dragons out and hunted them now with frost weapons and relentless hatred, anywhere else might fall prey to a dragon. Some ate humans. Some enslaved them and forced them to produce whatever the dragon chose to hoard. Some, the less powerful, especially since Elbiss had cast them off six hundred years ago, lived among humans as ordinary citizens. Not every dragon could be a tyrannical ruler, it seemed.

There was nothing in this village to rule over, even if this one meant to be a tyrant. They didn’t have so much as a name for their village. They lived near no mines, gold or ores or jewels. Their forests were not unusually rich with game or fish. No mythic beasts lived near that anyone knew of. They were not renowned for crops or goods. The only unusual feature to their village was the twice-yearly visits from Trovar and his men, but even that was not so remarkable. Small villages with no protector often fell prey to bandits.

So they watched and braced themselves to learn this dragon ate humans. 

He sniffed the air and then turned toward Inada, gold eyes boring into her. “You. You are responsible for this place?”

She curtsied immediately and kept herself from falling to her knees. Better not to kneel. If she had to beg, she wanted someplace to lower herself to. “Yes, my lord.”

“It’s shabby.”

What did he care? Dragons never lived where others did. Still, all she could say was, “Yes, my lord.”

“You are not a knight protector. What are you?”

“I-I am…a weaver?” As with everyone else in the village, she was what was needed at the moment. They all tended little vegetable crops, they all fished, they all wove. Some, like Alma, were better at things like twisting flax fibers together. Some, like old Gregoire, were better at fishing. But they all did whatever needed to be done. They were too tiny to have specialists in the different trades, though she would have liked to have been a weaver.

He snorted impatiently, smoke clouding around his head. “You have those among you young enough to breed. Why does your village not flourish more? Are you lazy?”

Indignation choked her a moment, overriding her fear. Lazy? “We are a tiny village, my lord,” she said. “How can we thrive when those stronger than us come to take the best of what we have?” 

Of all the irony, a dragon demanding why they did not flourish was too bitter to be borne. 

“You have no one at all to stand up for you?” He turned as he spoke, casting the question–the challenge–out to the rest of the village. No one met his eyes.

Inada swallowed down tears and rage together, dropping her own gaze to the dust. “What do you want from us, my lord?” she asked quietly.

What would anger get but a village reduced to ash? What would resistance earn them but bones and perhaps one person left to bury them? Making herself sound humble, making herself bend her head and round her shoulders was not hard when she had done the same for the lesser threat of Trovar and his men.

“Bah,” he said, and turned away. A dozen steps from her took him to a clear space. He leaped into the air and changed as he leapt. The wind from his wings staggered her and sent up a great cloud of dust. 

And then he was gone, leaving them baffled and a little dirtier than they had been. Slowly, the villagers trickled toward Inada, necks craned to track the dragon.

“Will he come back?” Hella asked.

“I don’t know,” Inada said.

A restless murmur ran through the crowd. Eventually, they shuffled away, different scattered groupings muttering the same fears and wonders and answerless questions to each other. Inada went back to weeding her garden with her forehead furrowed. Surely the dragon would not come back. He had strolled through their village for curiosity’s sake and found they had nothing of worth. Surely Batran would protect them from more oppression than they already bent under. She sent up a silent prayer to that effect and resolved to sacrifice something small when she had time.

They saw his shadow a few more times that week. He seemed to be circling around the top of the small mountain that loomed over their village. Once, Old Horace said that Young Horace saw the dragon flying with a boar in its claws. That troubled Inada for a day, until Hella pointed out that perhaps the dragon was in the area only to hunt. That would explain his curiosity and his subsequent lack of interest. After all, there were plenty of boar for one with the stamina and strength to take them down.

Inada had other worries. Trovar was coming. The delicate balance of giving enough to satiate him and keeping enough to survive, of placating without arousing suspicion, weighed on her. Two years ago, his men had found one of her hidden stores and Trovar had been angry with the village. They had beaten her and taken extra food in punishment. The winter had been lean indeed. Last year, she had barely dared to hide anything. Trovar had been more merciful, sensing her defeat. But the village could not afford another winter with as little as he liked to leave.

She daydreamed of a protector. They would send out an appeal and someone would answer. A lord with restless men, inclined to be merciful, or a band of Elbissian warriors eager to deal justice, or better, a group of armed travelers seeking someplace to settle and join.

Foolish fantasies. A lord’s men were as likely to pillage as Trovar’s. Elbissian warriors were concerned only with hunting dragons, whether they offered harm or no. And armed travelers might kill the villagers and take the village for themselves rather than join peaceably.

Young Horace came running one golden day in the autumn to announce breathlessly, “They’re coming!”

Inada uttered a prayer under her breath and tipped a little vinegar into the dust as an offering. Then she strode out to supervise the half-yearly tribute. Bags of grains and dried fruit, casks of fruit wines and fish pickled or dried, racks of animal furs and smoked meats: they laid out what they had for Trovar’s men to take.

They watched the cloud of dust approaching. Then they heard the singing: raucous, bawdy songs, bellowed cheerily. And then Trovar, followed by his men, came out of the woods and strolled toward them. He was of middle height, compact with muscle, with a full beard and dusty clothes that had once been fine. He was quick to smile and he had a taste for pinching women’s buttocks and teasing them. In other circumstances, when she had been young, Inada might have laughed at such liberties even as she slapped his hands away. In these circumstances, at her age, such liberties were a veiled threat.

The villagers huddled in the square. Trovar’s men would wander through their houses, picking what they pleased, while their comrades watched the villagers and made sure no one had thoughts of rebellion. They would sort through the food. And then they would leave again, with their stolen bounty piled high on shoulders and the two pack mules, and the village would be left to face the winter.

Trovar strolled up to Inada and chucked her under the chin. “Inada. Lovely as ever. I swear, you look younger than you did in the spring! All that summer sun has you glowing.”

She looked at some point past his shoulder. “I am older, that is all.”

“Bah, you are younger! You’ve found some unicorn’s horn, haven’t you?”

He teased, she knew he teased, but the question sent a chill down her spine. If they had something precious and kept it back from him, the consequences would be unthinkable. “I have found nothing but more grey hairs.”

He clicked his tongue. “Really, Inada, you must learn to take a compli–Who by Batran’s balls is that?”

Startled, she turned to see what he was looking at. The villagers were parting, scattering, for the dragon. He strode through, gold eyes locked on Trovar. Smoke hazed the air behind him. “You,” he said, and his voice was a growl. “You take from them?”

Trovar snatched for his sword. “What is it to you?” he snapped back.

Inada backed away from him, huddling into Hella. 

“You are done,” the dragon announced. “Leave.”

The sword rang as it came free of the scabbard. Trovar was not a man used to denial. Trovar was a man used to force and to taking what he pleased. Trovar was a man who died by dragon flame, foolish to the end. 

The dragon did not waste time watching his ashes fall to the ground, as the stunned villagers did. He turned his gaze on Trovar’s men, lips peeled back from his teeth. His teeth were pointed, sharp: predator’s teeth. “Leave,” he said again.

They dropped what they held. They bumped into each other in their hurry to flee. The three archers among them made no efforts to string their bows or reach for their arrows. Empty-handed and silent, they scurried away while the wind blew their leader into the dust of the road.

Inada looked at the dragon and tried to think of something to say. Thanks, perhaps, or ask him what he wanted of them, or– But her throat stayed closed. The smell of burnt flesh lingered in the air.

The dragon surveyed them, chin ticked up slightly. “I am Lord Cazadan Isvrayne, and this is now my village. You will build me a dwelling on top of the mountain, according to my specifications, and then you will build me a hosting house. I will not permit bandits or miscreants to harm you. Your village will thrive under my rule. Am I plain?”

Glances flickered among the villagers. There was a catch. There must be a catch. Why would a dragon choose to protect them for nothing more than the cost of building a home and a guest-house?

“My lord–” Inada began, voice wavering.

His gaze settled on her. “You are a tiny village,” he said. “Unimpressive. But I will make you thrive. My kind will see how well I can manage and protect, and your kind will see the benefits of my rule. The best of what you have will grow your village.”

“Yes, my lord,” she said, voice faint.

He nodded once. “Send someone up to the mountaintop with me to begin marking out where my dwelling will be. The rest of you, put this food away. The flies will get to it.”

And then he leapt and changed and sent dust everywhere as he winged away, heading for the mountaintop.

“What was that?” Hella whispered.

“I do not know,” Inada whispered back. “But…Jola should go to the mountaintop.” Jola knew much about building houses. Her grandfather had been the most skilled carpenter their village had ever seen.

It would be a month before the village understood what had become of them, a month before shock wore off and they settled into the mundanity of working for a dragon. In that month, they let themselves feel cautious joy over their sudden abundance. Old Horace spearheaded the efforts to weatherproof their homes. Inada supervised parceling out the food properly and setting the excess aside into stores. They might even have enough to trade in the spring, she thought.

It was a month before they all fully realized that they had become a dragon’s hoard, and that Lord Cazadan would protect them with his life.

[gruzeburya]

𓂃₊🌩️ 𝕯EATHLESS VERSE . . . THE WATER HEARS AND UNDERSTANDS 𓆩 ' the ice does not forgive ( © ) in affiliation with @koschyei

   ▍overview: for the uninitiated deathless itself is a tale that blends russian folklore with the events surrounding the russian revolution. a majority of the book takes place within the first half of the 20th century. because of zoya's status as a mythic figure in this verse her story really is coming to it's close at the start of the book's events. i'm leaning more into the book's lore-based elements to construct zoya's story. i by no means am i going to be precious with how valente set up her pantheon and the relationships between the deities within them. i will be filling in the gaps with broader slavic and even personal lore since many of these stories have several versions that do not always neatly align with one another. for starters, the tsar of water is depicted as a man in deathless and is somewhat related to both koschei and viy through blood. zoya as tsaritsa of this element is neither of these things as i've chosen to go in another direction with her lineage for this verse.

˖  born moryana ; daughter of the tsar of the sea and a vodyanitsa. she was widely believed to be a sky spirit and wind weaver in her earliest years. although her father dwelled in the sea he feared his daughter's power and allowed her dominion in the sky in order to protect the oceans from her control. this tenuous peace lasted until she was coaxed down from the clouds by the tsar of life. she had frequently inhabited the rivers in buyan, some of the few water ways untouched by her feather's grasp. this trespassing did not go unnoticed by koschei and the two entered into a a drawn out courtship. some regard moryana as the first wife of the deathless although this status is highly contested in modern times… few know zoya and moryana as the same figure in myth.

a wedding which marks the end of peace time. tensions between the tsars rise in the wake of such a union. upon their marriage zoya does not take her husband's title but rather transitions into her new role as the tsaritsa. no longer dwelling fully in the ethereal realm any longer taking up partial station in buyan and maintaining its surrounding ocean. this is also when she begins to call herself zoya which originally was chosen as a means to further symbolize their union. this can been seen as a means of taking her husband's name as zoya is another moniker for "life" ( as well as "love" ) she makes weather from her royal seat upon the island and in time falls pregnant with the tsar's child.

˖࿔ svetlana is born and the tsar of death sees an opportunity to take back influence from his brother. overcome with happiness and adoration for their newborn neither foresaw the fate that would befall their child. on the eve of her thirteenth name day she is taken from the land of the living into that of the dead. lured to her uncle's kingdom by the sounds of her deceased animal companions.

their marriage does not survive the death of their only child. svetlana being the first of many casualties at the war's start but not the last. in his grief koschei cuts his own death out of himself and the change in him is swift and vicious. taking to the role of war general on a path of vengeance while zoya herself takes to isolation. in her fury and mourning she weeps so heavily the sea levels rise. buyan floods before it inevitably enters into a drought. the sea leaves with her as she takes refuge in the mortal world deep in the depths of the ocean. despite it being a fault of death's each spouse ends up placing a portion of the blame of their daughter's death on the another.

˖࿔ a war fought on two fronts... in her palace in the deep is when she learns of viy's brutal killing of the tsaritsa of salt. the two tsaritsy had worked in tandem since their conception as their two aspects were so heavily entwined. sisters at their tasks, it was the final piece of heart which broke when she was taken and wedded to death. it is this final act that forces zoya into the position of commander unable to to allow viy's war campaign to continue unchecked. she sides with koschei not out of love for him but out of hatred for his brother, as the two have been separated for an age after svetlana's passing.

this brings us to the events of the book. koschei and zoya are begrudging allies with zoya lending her oceanic warriors to the frontlines, as well fighting the armies of the dead in her own lands. her forces are constructed of salt and sand further honoring her deceased comrade. buyan remains without water or rain in her absence as she has never returned since she initially turned the isle into a landlocked country. since the war she has become a prized general renowned for her ruthless tactics and her inhospitable land beneath the waves that is unwelcome to anyone but her kin.

𓂃₊ verse notes

the sky dragon & the sea serpent; often in slavic folklore the lines between serpent creatures and dragons are skewed. in zoya's case when she was still a sky deity she was a dragon in a very traditional sense with wings and claws. as she progresses into her godhood and her aspects shifts from sky to sea her draconic form shifts to accommodate her new environment. she has a more serpent like appearance, a long sinuous body decorated in black scales that helps her travel with ease in water. she also may employ a more "mermaid-esque" appearance which she uses to disguise herself as a regular vodyanitsa.

the tsar of the sea; her father and a frequent figure of mythology. the sea tsar is depicted across multiple folktales as both a malevolent and benevolent force. he is also a god who has sired many children so zoya is just of his many daughters. that being said in many ways zoya has surpassed him in power and influence once leaving the skies in favor of the sea. he is still present in her kingdom but as an old, somewhat senile force that at times may act in opposition against her.

the tsaritsa of salt; though they may only be sisters by title the love between them was that of blood. salt and water are two domains that lay parallel to one another. since a young age the two rulers came to power and grew alongside one another. zoya herself was responsible for the construction of pearl kokoshnik the salt tsaritsa often donned and coincidentally the same headpiece she died wearing.

koschei the deathless; they are in the seventh ring of hell in terms of divorce. although it was an unconventional marriage to begin with as most unions between immortals are. as stated above, they have a very strained treaty in place between their two armies and factions but this doesn't mean they won't ever act against one another ( which they do often and without much remorse ) in terms of personal sentiment it's very complicated. very much the grief and love never goes away it just changes shape. they re-marry, entertain other lovers, and fraternize with everyone AND everything but neither bear more children after svetlana is lost.

general frost; it is said that during the winter months the tsaritsa of water springs from her ocean holdings and walks the earth to bring snow and death. it's important to note here this isn't her primary role or aspect and it is highly contested whether the two figures are of the same body. this would be cause to say that zoya is not entirely free of viy's influence and when the war begins to turn in death's direction zoya too becomes somewhat of a reaper.

[river-in-the-woods]

“Yin-Yang theory is based on the philosophical construct of two polar complements, called Yin and Yang. These complementary opposites are neither forces nor material entities. Nor are they mythical concepts that transcend rationality. Rather, they are convenient labels used to describe how things function in relation to each other and to the universe. They are used to explain the continuous process of natural change. But Yin and Yang are not only a set of correspondences; they also represent a way of thinking. In this system of thought, all things are seen as parts of a whole. No entity can ever be isolated from its relationship to other entities; no thing can exist in and of itself. Fixed essences are abstractions; there are no absolutes. Yin and Yang must, necessarily, contain within themselves the possibility of opposition and change.”

Ted Kaptchuk. “The Web That Has No Weaver.”

[hyakinthou-naos]

Hi, sorry if a bother you with this ask but... How you see Apollon's actions in the Marsyas' story? I mean, i still love him, but is hard to try to find a explanation to his actions in this myth. He cheated to win a contest and did a very cruel punishment to the loser.. Again, i don't hate him for that, or i don't love him lesser, but i feel very afected with this myth and i don't would like to ruin the relationship for that. I know gods could be cruel, but that was to far and was disgusting 😞

Khaire Anon,

Thank you for your ask. I would like to start by saying that Hellenic Polytheism is not a religion that engages in mythic literalism. What this means is that the myths we have, describing the actions of the gods, are fables; fictitious stories meant to teach some kind of lesson, reinforce a societal value, or create an analogous story to explain natural phenomenon.

In short, myths are just stories meant to make a point of some kind.

You can read more about the difference between mythic literalism and mythic symbolism in this post about Zeus or this post by @sag-dab-sar that discusses Myths as Sacred Scripture.

The myth you reference is discussed in a variety of sources, including Pseudo-Apollodorus, Pliny the Elder, and Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' (source) - not all of which tell the exact same story or include the exact same details.

By the broadest strokes, Marsyas' story can be interpreted as a fable meant to reinforce Sophrosyne, temperance and self-control; seen as the opposite of Hubris, excessive pride and transgressions against The Gods. Marsyas' story mirrors that of Arachne - the weaver who challenged Lady Athena to a weaving contest.

Both of these myths can be interpreted as meaning to show that disrespecting The Gods, challenging their power, and thinking oneself above them is an act that will always be punished to the highest extent.

Additionally, some myths were created outside of a religious intention - and meant to be analogous with politics and political power. In this way, both of these myths can also be interpreted that challenging the power of the government will always be punished to the highest extent.

Whatever way you slice it - at the end of the day Apollo did not literally flay someone alive for challenging his skill and authority. It's just a story with any number of interpretations.

If any of this was confusing or if you have any follow up questions please don't hesitate to reach out via our ask box or our DMs.

Eirene - peace and farewell,

- Aön

[breadknight-likes-things]

South Of Midnight Is A Brilliantly Realized Action Game...That Should Have Been A Platformer.

It's not often I think a game that I immediately fall in love with is simply in the wrong genre entirely, but Compulsion Games' new action adventure game "South Of Midnight" is a clear example. Set among southern folklore with a striking stop-motion visual style, South of Midnight has been one of the most engaging new experiences I've come across this year. I'll tell anyone who will listen that this game deserves to be seen to be believed, if just to experience it's wonderful visuals and original music, both representative of the lands and culture of the American south in a way not often seen in mass media like this. The other thing I'll tell people about South of Midnight, is that it's the wrong type of video game. South of Midnight is an action adventure game with frequent combat, in which the player is asked to fight off evil spirits known as "Haints" as a part of healing the land as a mythical magic user called "Weaver". The problem with this isn't that this isn't interesting, in fact I'd say the entire concept of the Haints is fascinating, it's just that it isn't much fun to engage in fighting them as a video game mechanic. The game functions a little bit like an action game that may have come out in 2009, a game that longs to be compared favorably to God of War but doesn't quite have the juice to pull off the kind of systems that those games had. The combat isn't a disaster, but it's too frequent, and what's there isn't solid enough to make a lasting impression on me as to why there should be this much fighting in the first place. The games struggle to have engaging combat has me firmly believing that it should have simply forgone the idea entirely. Thankfully, it sort of did? The Accessibility options in the game are vast, and range from making the combat trivial, to flat out skipping it. Even with these options though, I wish the amount of work that had gone into the combat in this game could have been used to make the adventure portions of the game that much better. What's there is fantastic, but more resources and more hands on deck on the parts of this game that unequivocally work could have made it all even better! A more platformer focused, or exploration centered game with these same themes and storylines could have been an instant modern classic, rather than a flawed but deeply interesting under the radar experience. As it all stands, I highly recommend South Of Midnight. We don't get many games with this level of unbridled creativity and the joy of partaking in a culture, anymore. Even the parts of this game that don't work are reflective of the lack of good, mid budget and experimental games in the medium. If you've got Xbox Game Pass, or are just looking for a new kind of adventure to have in gaming, take a look at South of Midnight, I don't think you'll regret it!

[autumnmobile12]

Felt like sharing some speculation today:

All right, so we know My Hero Academia has the something of the same premise as X-Men in the sense that select a group of humans were suddenly born with powers, the whole 'evolution leaps forward’ deal.

We see in My Hero how the First Generation of people with Quirks, especially the ones who appeared non-human or semi non-human, were originally ostracized like the mutants of X-Men are, but then more people were born with powers and then more people had powers until it became a widespread phenomenon and ‘normal’ people became the minority and society had to restructure itself to accommodate the new normal.

But have you read The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black?

The plot is a 19th century doctor who theorizes that mythical creatures like the minotaur, harpies, sirens, and the like all existed millions of years ago but slowly interbred with humanity and eventually died out altogether.  So he believed that when someone was born with extra fingers, limbs, a tail or otherwise didn’t have the typical human shape, it wasn’t so much a mistake in genetic coding as it was the extremely recessive genetics of those ancient creatures trying to reoccur in the modern day.

...

Definitely an interesting premise, so now I’m wondering if the My Hero world has a cult, conspiracy theorists, or even some scientists/historians that have similar views regarding mythology.

If this whole Quirk thing happened back in the Stone Age where no one had the benefit of science or awareness of DNA, anyone born with an otherworldly power would have been worshipped as a deity. Or the ones born with a non-human appearance would have been reviled as monsters.

So following the idea of The Resurrectionist, maybe the sudden appearance of superpowers did lead people to take a closer look at the old myths and consider the stories of the gods/goddesses of old were originally stories of people with 'Quirks' who rose to power.  Humans with meta-powers ruled the world for a few centuries, then those powers inexplicably died off. For a variety of reasons or maybe unknown reasons, humanity lost that history but remembered the old stories and chalked them up to just myth until the powers that made it possible began to reappear full force several millennia later.

Some myths began as historical events but in being handed down hundreds of generations, the multiple tellings and retellings exaggerated them into the realm of impossibility.

Lightning/electricity powers:  Zeus, Thor, Hinon

Fire powers:  Hephaistos, Surtr, Hestia, the phoenix

Foresight:  Any seer, prophet, or oracle that appears in any myth ever

Ice powers:  Yuki-onna, Skadi, Morana

Water powers:  Poseidon, Chalchiuhtlicue, Anuket, Tlaloc

Plant-related Quirks:  Demeter

Gigantification Quirks: Giants, titans, nephilim

Ryukyu:  Is a dragon.  ‘nuff said.

All Might:  Herakles

Tokoyami having a bird head but otherwise appearing human is pretty reminiscent of the old Egyptian gods.

Hawks:  Any winged creature; take your pick.  Personally, the one that comes to mind for me is Hermes.  He only had wings on his sandals, sure, but the trickster archetype resonates.

Tsuyu: Naiads, nymphs, rusalki, any kind of water fae

Momo: Sedna (created sea life from her finger bones), Ukemochi no Kami (produces food from her own body)

Best Jeanist: This one's a bit of a reach, but the fabric thread thing coupled with the long, spider-like limbs kinda brings to mind the story of Arachne the weaver.

We do get a nod to Ancient Greek mythology with the prison Tartarus.  What better place to lock away beings with god-like powers than the prison of the Titans itself?

Obviously an incomplete list, but you see my point.

Personally, I'm leaning toward cultist ideology with this one as I find it hard to believe every civilization would have forgotten about a previous appearance of Quirks. But civilizations die off, civilizations are overrun by others and their histories are suppressed, maybe this hypothetical 'previous Quirk phenomenon' wasn't as widespread as the current one and so fewer people were affected and therefore fewer people were alive to verify the truth of facts, maybe this hypothetical time was from an age of oral history and nothing was documented properly, so not impossible just really, really improbable.

Still, I love mythology and I find it an interesting headcanon to think about.

[that-dreaming-dragon]

Archetropy

In some way, I see archetropy as embodying one's own symbolism. Or is it perhaps becoming a symbol yourself? To take on a role, to be in the framework, to embody or identify in some way with an archetype, or trope. Compared to being something monstrous, mythical, or celestial, to have an archetrope feels like wholly embracing, living, and being something, plus a bit more. It gets a bit fuzzy and there has been discussion of how having archetropal identity can share similarities to having a conceptual identity. Yet, the distinction is there, for one is a solid identity, being it, or existing alongside it (conceptual alterhumanity), and the other is something more like a symbolic or metaphorical relationship (archetropal alterhumanity).

If I were to say I have a solid relationship with orange or dream, I'd call those conceptual alterhumanities. For me, Mew, ninja, and Bond Weaver are the roles, archetype that I have, taken on, or are already. They are not solid identities, but almost like a lifestyle, something that has a shape, a hole which I myself fill in.

In the case of Mew, it's the mythical, whimsical, cryptid nature of Mew. But it's also a sort of special side character in a game that isn't all-powerful like the big L Legendary pokemon, yet it fills its own niche. The little mischievousness is also tied in, and a flavor of chaos. I am not a Mew, or identify with Mew, but because of all these attributes that I have, my impression of what Mew is, the role Mew filled, which I myself have, Mew is a paratype-archetrope (or, paratrope) to me.

I feel like ninja is self-explanatory. This is definitely one of those chicken-or-egg situations. Is it because of my Naruto hearttype being a potential past life that I have this something with the archetype of being a ninja? Or is it something more generic, a past life outside of Naruto, which I'd suspect to be some sort of Japanese warrior, potentially a shinobi. And it's not just ninja, I have a penchant for stealth genre games, sometimes you are some sort of assassin, and sometimes you are some thief. I guess ninja wrap those two and more up neatly into a single package.

What is Bond Weaver?

It is something I already embody and live by. I have a self-made title, 縁結ぶ星の夢化竜, bond-weaving starry Dream Dragon. The bond in question, currently English translation is much lacking and doesn't translate well at all, possibly due to not having such a cultural concept. I'm talking about yuan fen, Wikipedia translates it as "fateful coincidence", a concept in Chinese (and other Asian cultures that has Chinese roots, potentially Buddhist roots) that talks of one's potential connection in life that was due to past lives, like a seed that's planted, a web that had been woven over centuries. I like to talk about it a lot in my earlier alterhuman community life, and I wish to introduce the concept more in a more official setting, it is such a wonderful concept. Some may think of only "fate", "destiny", or even "soulmate", and they are all kinda touching a bit on the concept that is yuan fen. It's like trying to translate certain Chinese words into English, the complexity within a single or two characters is so difficult to express, even with a dozen English words used, it still can't really encompass the whole thing. Yuanfen is like that. I have written a bit on my view of how it is very prominent within alterhumanity, and just in general what it could be. I will transcribe it over to Tumblr and dreamwidth at a later date, or write up a new one. What I do on the regular is that I connect others. If someone expresses a need for specific sub-communities, and I happen to know or are in them, I try to get them an invite into those spaces. Or if some folks share similarities, if not identical experiences, I try to connect them to each other. Sometimes it is me learning niche words and tossing them at people should they need it, but that's something the community already does. Sometimes it's simply me sitting down with someone and helping them figure out their alterhumanity, whether that's their appearance or any possible way they connect to something. These all seem like something any community member does, but I'd like to think that I especially embody the role of being someone who Connects others. In a punny sort of way, perhaps that's why I enjoy and like Othercon and Otherconnect so much. Maybe I can jokingly call it an Otherconnect archetrope.

Although, if English weren't the community's primary language, or if it were to be more accessible, I'd probably call myself a Yuan Connector archetroper. Or just have my title directly used, ("Fate") Bond-Weaver archetroper.

[antispopausandstuff]

my SPOP universe pt. 1 - character bios ( very long, i'm sorry )

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disclaimer // note - it'll be SPOP-focused, but i do take a 'few' things from the original show and implement them here.

preferred style(s) - ATLA // LOK, ROTTMNT, LMK ( s1-s4 ), Spiderverse, or Kill la Kill

( part of the reason for these styles is the VFX, battle coordination, and creature // environmental design, esp with vibrant media like Spiderverse, ROTTMNT, and LMK )

.

theme song - something akin to "The Call" by League of Legends or "The World That Ends in Three Days" by Koji Kondo, ROZEN, & Celica Soldream.

rating - PG-15 ( i'm not a writer for young children and don't handle things in a very kid-friendly way )

note - here's some gender // sexuality hcs of the characters, though it isn't all of them.

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established changes:

the runestones don't exist

the cast is 18+ unless stated otherwise

roles will be changed for plot relevance or sense ( for ex, neither perfuma, entrapta, scorpia, spinerella, or netossa are royals )

the first ones are not evil

mara and adora are the only she-ras

most ships will remain noncanon

there's no white people here, sorry

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cast ( pt. 1 ) . . .

Adora - Long Lost Princess of Eternia, Force Captain ( former ), Daughter of Hordak and Shadow Weaver, and She-Ra. 20 yrs old, 5'0, was abducted as an infant, from her home planet, and taught to be a solider for the Horde. raised by Shadow Weaver and Hordak ( it's separate care, not romantically coded ). unofficial caretaker of Catra.

she was raised to be very serious and no-nonsense like, always remaining calm and strategic in drastic situations to prevent the worst case scenario. due to this built-in stoicism, along with other factors, Adora struggles with interpersonal relationships and knowing her own sense of self, including what she is or isn't comfortable with ( such as unnecessary conflict ).

before She-Ra is even a possibility, the weight of the world was already bestowed upon her shoulders, and she sets on carrying out her duty to protect the world from those who wish to harm it.

beneath it all, however, Adora is a young woman who desires connection and peace. she secretly hopes for that to be her reward.

design would be inspired by Cal, Zav 1, Zav 2, Zav 3, and Fern ( blue guy ) by animatorroseoak, Midas by sleeepybacon, and with these details by me! outfit color palette would go from black and red to white, gold, and blue. just to clarify, though she is mythical, she'd still be afro-latino coded.

theme song - Song of Healing by The Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra

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Glimmer - Princess of Brightmoon, Daughter of Queen Angella and King Micah, and Leader of the Rebellion. 19 yrs old, 5'6, was raised by her widowed mother ever since she was an infant. due to her lineage, she is a demigod and will likely live longer than the average Etherian.

ever since she was born, Glimmer's powers were too great for her body to handle, causing her to lose control very quickly, especially when her emotions were heightened. Angella brought her to Castaspella, her aunt and the greatest sorceress on Etheria, to teach her control and balance.

Glimmer has always been a bright mind with an even brighter personality, striving for excellence and success, and has never let her misfortunes, whether it be her powers going haywire or a plan not going through, weigh on her. at least, that's what she shows to her people and mother.

but, on the inside, she is actually very insecure over her lack of understanding of her own powers, what her mother thinks of her, and how she can handle being future Queen. afraid of change and what fate could hold for her, Glimmer is avoidant of talking about her upcoming role to Brightmoon, seeing Castaspella again ( they haven't talked in years ), or taking a break from her leadership in the Rebellion.

design would be inspired by Ube by kleahvii, Mika by kienan_lafferty, Marlowe & Buwa by sleeepybacon. high focus on the astral theming, with minor details of the angelic theme. i imagine her with either pinkish blonde hair or black hair with pink and blue ombre streaks. her species would be a hybrid of elf ( Micah ) and chimera ( Angella ).

theme song - Termina Field by Koji Kondo & ROZEN

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Bow - Guardian of Whispering Woods, Friend of Madame Razz, Best Friend of Princess Glimmer's, Son of George and Lance, and Co-Leader of the Rebellion. 20 yrs, 6'0, is a runaway from home after a particularly bad argument ensued between himself and his family. he is a pacifist and uses his archery to assist, not to cause harm ( or, at least, irreversible harm ).

his reasons for running away aren't exactly known, even to Glimmer herself, and he always gives half-truths or not-necessarily-lies to anyone who asks about his family and history. but he is very open about his beliefs, his current living situation ( currently resides in the Whispering Woods ), and how he feels.

as the Rebellion's mechanic and stealth strategist, Bow uses his technological intelligence and creativity to aid his allies. he's proven time and time again to be reliable, intuitive, and thinking of just about everything. whether or not that's a good thing.

in contrast to his secrecy, Bow is open-minded, well-meaning, and has a very strong belief in kindness. after living in the Whispering Woods on his own for a few years, and experiencing hardships unbeknownst to anyone else, he aims to be the example for others that people weren't for him.

design would be inspired by Jequ and Agnes by dewfroq, and Earth-42 Miles Morales in Across The Spiderverse. i think i want to make him a cyborg-type of character.

theme song - Goron Lullaby by The Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra

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Angella - Queen of Brightmoon, Mother of Princess Glimmer, Widowed Wife of King Micah, and Angel of Etheria. 47(?) yrs old, 7'5, her exact origins are unknown, even to her daughter. some speculate that she was born from a star or moon, others guess she is from a different dimension entirely. the only one who even had an idea was the late King Micah.

benevolent, calm, and wise, Angella has been Queen for longer than she has been anything else. in some ways, she considers that a blessing. in others, she considers it a curse. accepting her fate decades ago, the pain has dulled enough to be barely noticeable.

though most don't know it, she has lived way longer than almost any of the Etherians, having experienced more than the Horde's genocide and eventual war. maybe even the universe beyond Despondos.

her abilities align, though not rely on, with the moons and stars, especially with specific constellations. but, as Despondos has a lack of those constellations ( and there are much less stars in the sky ), Angella has not reached her full power in decades.

it's only to Glimmer that she shows her true self, the self that is curious, easily endeared, and overall heartful and passionate, which is a stark contrast to the all-knowing, mysterious, powerful being that is the Queen of Brightmoon. because of this, her daughter has a hard time explaining to others that her mother isn't as stonewalled as she appears.

design would be inspired by Lucifer by fourleafisland, Sera by idolomantises, and Lifegiver and Sold Adopt Design by sleeepybacon. she is a flight-based chimera that has a lot of astral and angel theming, with her facial features obscured by a secondary, smaller set of wings.

theme song - Song of Time by The St. Louis Ocarina Trio

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Hordak - Emperor of the Fright Zone, Father of Adora, The 'Big Boss'. 55 ( appearance wise ), 6'7, his origins are about as unknown as Angella's. it's unknown if he even likes or dislikes to discuss it, as no one has dared to ask him about his life before the Horde.

having brought Etheria to its knees decades ago, Hordak is easily bored or disinterested in his surroundings, often indulging himself in sadism for entertainment. however, he does have a soft spot for his children, Imp and Adora, and finds enjoyment in their company.

when She-Ra comes around, he isn't all that irritated. in the beginning, at least. in fact, he's rather riveted by the new challenge. discovering her identity, however, made all the difference. now, he constantly has to pick between being a father and being an Emperor.

design would be inspired by Fei by cronchy_baguette, Jacks by par0llel, Unnamed OC by crazycomet107, and Miguel O'Hara Illustration by sairasays. his design would definitely be a mix of cyborg and beast, lots of predator and prey metaphors.

theme song - Elegy of Emptiness by The Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra

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Shadow Weaver - Sorceress of the Fright Zone, Second In Command, Mother of Adora and Catra. 50(?), 5'11, was raised in the Crimson Waste, but ran away and became a student in Mystacor at a young age. after obtaining the dark arts, however, she was banished and considered a freak of nature. soon after, she was found by Hordak.

the 'freak of nature' title didn't leave, however. rather, Shadow Weaver had to embrace it in order to become immune, using her dark magic to protect and provide for herself and whatever or whoever she needs to succeed or gain power.

she keeps most, if not all of her relationships at arms length, paranoia and trust issues running deep. though this doesn't exclude her daughters, Adora and Catra, it's less so with them. even if it's for separate reasons.

after Adora turned on the Horde, this instilled Shadow Weaver's already unstable mindset and kicked it into overdrive. obsessive, aggressive, and erratic in behavior, she eventually becomes a danger to herself and others.

design would be inspired by Peter Pan & Captain Hook Illustrations by sairasays, The Heads and The Witch by kelpible, and Arek ( 3rd form ) by sleeepybacon. her design would be parallel to her life as Light Spinner.

theme song - Midna's Theme by Monsalve

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Catra - Cadet of the Horde ( former ), Force Captain, Daughter of Shadow Weaver. 19 yrs, 5'7, was abducted as a toddler and taught to be a solider, though succession rates are varying. she was originally born in a Kingdom, but her memories are limited and she's rather uninterested ( or unmotivated, it's not clear ) in finding out where she's from.

as she was raised by Shadow Weaver, Catra became an odd mix of codependent, lazy, defiant and aggressive, borderline sadistic, obsessive, and jealous, driving away most people, which only solidified her unhealthy relationships.

once Adora left the Horde, she was no better than her mother, in terms of mental decline, and it was part of the reason why she became Force Captain. unofficially speaking.

design would be inspired by Eralisto by animatorroseoak, Bacon 1 and Bacon 2 by sleeepybacon, Cairo by cronchy_baguette, and Elliot by spam0_llel. i like to think her design becoming more and more feral // unhinged as she develops.

theme song - Majora's Mask by Koji Kondo & ROZEN

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Scorpia ( Lynda ) - Force Captain, Ex-Warrior of the Crimson Waste, Sister of Octavia, Harbinger of Poison. 21 yrs, 6'3, a fighter with a tough exterior, but a gentle soul. once she gets to know you, anyway. in her time in the Horde, she has formed a bond with Octavia and knew of Catra and Adora, but hadn't met them personally until Catra becam Force Captain.

after running away from the Crimson Waste after killing the leader, Scorpia was recruited by Hordak for her strength and poison // paralytic touch. though, it wasn't exactly like she had a choice.

when meeting Catra, the two were at arms-length for a while, with Scorpia being a little off-put by the other's intensity in bringing Adora back. but, somehow, they eventually become friends. as much as they could be, anyway, considering the circumstances.

design would be inspired by Gora ( tall, dark-haired goliath ) by pen.lilixeesketche and Tora and Gabu by par0llel. i read up the original character's details and decided to have kind of a 'mish-mash' of the original and reboot ( not quite, though ).

theme song - Bolero of Fire by Giulio Capone

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Entrapta ( Es'Tra ) - The Fae of Entanglement, Lady of Dryll, Heart of Technology. Late 40s ( forgot specific age ), 4'10, works for the Horde as their technician, isolated and muted, but finds comfort in the Emperor's company. when he has time for that.

no one really knows why or how she got there, but it's evident that she's chronically exhausted and has a habit of becoming hostile with those who don't respect her space ( it's how she met Catra one on one ). when she's in a better mood, however, she's more likely to talk, but not guaranteed, and shows to always have more knowledge than anyone would expect.

in the rare instances she's completely happy, Entrapta is very friendly, engaging, and there's an increased percentage she'll share technology // technological-know-how with you.

design would be inspired by Bitten Lady and Faubron by animatorroseoak, Eris by boots.oc, and Remi by par0llel. lots of plant cycle symbolism in her environments and hair.

theme song - Song of Storms by ROZEN

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Double Trouble ( Rebekk ) - Diamond of Mischief, Multi-Mask, Fae of Deceit. Early 20s ( exact age is unknown ), 5'11, a busybody that absolutely hates the Horde, which helps them not give a damn about anything more than bare minimum privacy, and who also happens to be Glimmer's cousin, adopted by Castaspella.

when they're not busying spying on the Horde, Double Trouble spends time working on their own plays and shows or trying to play around with their peers, being a generally needy person that craves attention and validation. it's not hard to make them happy, though. usually, a simple compliment makes their entire day.

none of their family knows of their work, though. and they'd like to keep it that way.

design would be inspired by Rue by lizard_b.rain, Thraniavas by spidertams, Cantaluse by animatorroseoaks, and Original Character Animation by kelapabiru. a random design tidbit that doesn't really matter, i like to think their hair is dyed blonde, but they have brown // black roots.

theme song - Minuet of Forest by Giulio Capone

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not all of the character biographies, not even close, but i'm currently working on pt. 2 as we speak, so that'll be out soon! probably will have a pt. 3 and pt. 4, though, there's a lot to go through.

thank you for reading! this and pt. 2 took forever.