#Oracles of the Three Shrine

[livingwithkami]

Oracles of the Three Shrines / Sanja Takusen　（三社託宣)

This is one of my favourite teachings and piece of Shinto history. I've always really liked these, so I wanted to share with you all! It has a bit of a controversial history as you can read on the Kokugaukuin entry, but, it's important to note this - "However, even if assuming they were a forgery, the content of the oracles still had moral efficacy.

The oracles were thus not rejected as an effective means of cultivating the morals of the common people such as bringing about a sense of devotion for the kami, and won support from adherents of popular Shinto (tsūzoku shintō), teachers of practical ethics (sekimon shingaku) and persons connected with Buddhism espousing the unity of the three teachings, i.e. Shintō, Buddhism, and Confucianism.

A vast amount of handbooks, picture scrolls and prints were produced for the common people.

Moreover, pious associations (kō) offering dedicatory lanterns (tōrō) to the three shrines were formed in various places.

Faith in the sansha takusen deeply permeated the whole country and did not abate throughout the early modern period.."

(Additionally, many Sanja Takusen shrines for the three Kami-sama were enshrined and established together at particular Jinja, I remember in particular Kibitsu Jinja has a space for them!)

I adjusted the official English translation slighty (you can see the official one on Kokugakuin here) And, I've also included easy to read Japanese and explanation in Japanese as well - courtesy from this website page and the author

These teachings emphasize honesty, sincerity (spiritual 'cleanliness' / clarity), and mercy / compassion

----

Amaterasu Omikami-sama:

"If you plot and scheme to deceive people, you may fool them for a while, and even seem to have profited from doing so. But you will without fail be visited by divine retribution. To be deeply sincere and honest may have people shun you and speak ill of you, but in the end, such a person will receive the blessings of the sun and moon."

【天照皇大神宮】

ぼうけいはがんぜんのりじゅんたりといえども、かならずしんめいのばつにあたる。謀計は眼前の利潤たりと雖も、必ず神明の罰に当る。

訳：謀をめぐらして人を欺くことは、目前の利益になるかもしれないが、必ず神様の罰にあたるぞ。

しょうじきはいったんのえこにあらずといえども、ついにはにちげつのあわれみをこうむる。正直は一旦の依怙に非ずと雖も、終には日月の憐れみを蒙る。

訳：正しき直きこころはその場のたのみにならない場合も��るかもしれないが、最終的には神様の恵みをいただくぞ。

Hachiman Okami-sama:

"Follow sincerity without fail. Though one could attempt to eat a red-hot ball of iron, one must never eat food from a person with an insincere heart. Though one might sit above a blazing fire hot enough to melt copper, one must never go into the place of a person of an insincere mind. This is to keep a clear heart."

【八幡大菩薩】

てつがんをしょくすといえども、こころけがれたるひとのものをうけず。 　鐵丸を食すと雖も、心汚れたる人の物を受けず。  　

訳：たとえ、食べ物がなく鉄の塊を食べたとしても、心汚れた人の食べ物は受けるなよ。

Kasuga Okami-sama:

【春日大明神】

"Even though you may see someone of a household who seems to have managed for long to avoid misfortune, the Kami will not enter into the household of a person with a perverse and cruel disposition. On the other hand, even though a man be in mourning for his father and mother*, if he is a man of compassion, the Kami will enter in his home. Compassion is all important."

せんにちのしめをひくといえども、じゃけんのいえにはいたらず。千日の注連(しめ)を曳くと雖も、邪見の家には到らず。

訳：たとえ、長い期間に亙って神聖な生活をしていて汚れていなくても、邪な家には行ってはいけない。

じゅうふくしんこうたりといえども、じひのしつにおもむくべし。重服深厚たりと雖も、慈悲の室に赴くべし。

訳：たとえ、重い忌服であったとしても、死の穢れを厭うことなく、哀れみ慈しみ深い家には行かなければならない。

*[Traditionally, there is an idea someone in mourning would be considered to have kegare, negative energy, bad energy - and therefore the Kami-sama would avoid them and they should avoid the Kami-sama. But the teaching here says even though he is in mourning and may have kegare, his heart is pure and compassionate, so the Kami-sama will enter his home regardless]

[k1llerfr0sst]

In ancient Greece, Hekate's Deipnon was observed during the dark phase of the moon, marking the last day of the Hellenic lunar month. This lunar calendar begins with the new moon, when the first sliver of light is visible, and ends with the dark moon, when no light reflects from the moon at all.

Hekate's Deipnon was dedicated to the goddess Hekate, who was associated with purification, expiation, and protection against restless spirits. Her name, according to the Liddell and Scott Greek-English Lexicon, means “bringer or giver of light" (Ekate Phosphoros), although she was most strongly associated with the liminal spaces between life and death and the mysteries of the underworld.

The Deipnon served multiple purposes, including purification of the home and self. This purification process, known as oxuthumia, involved sweeping and cleaning the home, gathering leftovers from previous rituals, and smoking the house with a censer to create a clean, ceremonially purified space.

In ancient Athens, it was believed that restless spirits roamed on the night of the Deipnon. Offerings, including leftover food, ashes, and a clay censer, were left at crossroads to honor Hekate and appease the souls. It was also customary to scrifice a dog if the household felt particularly polluted or if they needed to make amends with Hekate. In this case, the family would touch the dog to transfer any "pollution" onto it before the sacrifice, which served as a scapegoat ritual. (This is just historical. Please don't s4crifice a dog)

Traditional offerings include: sweeping from the house, garlic, eggs, leeks, things you don't want to bring into the next. You could leave it on alter or a three way crossroad. As in antiquity, the Deipnon is a time for clearing out the old and preparing for a fresh start. Some practitioners also perform divination or meditation during the Deipnon to connect with Hekate and reflect on personal intentions and needs.

Modern offerings include: clean out the refrigerator, tend to the worm composter, dispose of the previous month's contents of Kathiskos (I’ll make a post on this) while cleaning out or taking stock of what's in your kitchen pantry, fulfill your previous month's obligations, duties, promises, pay off all debts (financial and emotional) etc.

For many modern polytheists, Hekate's Deipnon is a monthly devotional act of honoring Hekate rather than focusing on appeasing restless spirits. Rituals are adapted to fit contemporary lifestyles and spaces, but the emphasis on purification, transition, and renewal remains central to the practice.

There are differing theories as to if Hekate's Deinon is solely a meal offered to Hekate, or if there is a secondary intent of the meal offering going to the less fortunate. For example: Aristophanes, Plutus 410 ff (trans. O'Neill)(Greek comedy C5th to 4th B.C.): "Ask Hekate whether it is better to be rich or starving; she will tell you that the rich send her a meal every month li.e. food placed inside her door-front shrines] and that the poor make it disappear before it is even served."

Check for dates at Hellenion.org/calendar or watch out for the lunar cycles.

Sources:

1. Liddell, H. G., & Scott, R. (1940). A Greek-English Lexicon. Clarendon Press.

2. Johnston, S. I. (1990). Hekate Soteira: A Study of Hekate's Roles in the Chaldean Oracles and Related Literature. Scholars Press.

3. Aristophanes. Plutus 410 ff. Trans. O'Neill, 5th-4th century B.C.

4. Kearns, E. (1989). The Heroes of Attica. Center for Hellenic Studies.

5. Burkert, W. (1985). Greek Religion: Archaic and Classical. Harvard University Press.

6. Parker, R. (2005). Polytheism and Society at Athens. Oxford University Press.

7. Ogden, D. (2002). Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds: A Sourcebook. Oxford University Press.

8. Hellenion.org and other Hellenic polytheism blogs/texts

(These sources are the same for the other posts I’ll make for noumenia and agathos Daimon)

[allmythologies]

greek mythology: dione

dione was the titan goddess of the oracle of dodona in thesprotia, and the mother of aphrodite by zeus. her name is simply the feminine form of zeus. dione was described as "the temple associate" of zeus at dodona. the three elderly prophetesses of the shrine, known collectively as the peleiades, were probably her priestesses. these women were named "the doves" after the sacred bird of dione's daughter aphrodite who also posssessed a temple at the shrine.

[thedansemacabres]

A Modern Understanding of Dionysus Hestios

Photo from a vineyard I worked on.

[ID: A close-up image of a Chardonnay white-wine grapevine with three clusters. The clusters are green with some red. Bright green leaves cover the top of the clusters, while below a black irrigation line is visible. The ground below is covered in woodchips, except for a single plant below the clusters].

HESTIOS IS A FUN YET OBSCURE EPITHET OF DIONYSUS.  We can infer some of its context due to Zeus Hestios, that being a protector of the home and hearth. This epithet of Dionysus is a favourite of mine—for my home and hearth, he is a household deity as I am a viticulturist and winemaker. My life and livelihood is partially bound by grapevines as I currently work at an orchard that is establishing a vineyard and my responsibility is to make it happen. 

The context of this epithet is little known beyond a passage in Pausanias’ iconic Description of Greece: 

Pausanias, Description of Greece 1. 2. 5 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : "From the gate to the Kerameikos [in Athens] there are porticoes . . . containing shrines of gods, and a gymnasium called that of Hermes. In it is the house of Poulytion . . . [which] in my time it was devoted to the worship of Dionysos. This Dionysos they call Melpomenos (Minstrel) [i.e. of Melpomene, the muse of tragedy], on the same principle as they call Apollon Mousegetes (Leader of the Muses) . . . After the precinct of Apollon is a building that contains earthen ware images, Amphiktyon, king of Athens, Dionysos Hestios (Feasting or Of the Hearth) and other gods. Here also is Pegasos of Eleutherai, who introduced the god [Dionysos] to the Athenians. Herein he was helped by the oracle at Delphoi, which called to mind that the god once dwelt in Athens in the days of Ikarios."

Dionysus Hestios is mentioned in Athens, along with his myth of his devotee Pegasos bringing his cult to the city. Other than references to Zeus Hestios, I have not found any more context for this epithet beyond protecting the home/hearth. Therefore, this aspect of him will be a contender for a strong upg basis. 

In my times in wine, I’ve gathered my own gnosis of Dionysus Hestios. He is a protector of the hearth, but in my personal experience, the table wine aspect of Dionysus.

TABLE WINE IN THE MODERN WORLD

Table wine is named exactly for what it is, a wine that sits at your dinner table and a key part of a meal. Italy especially is famous for its cheap table wines, many of which I’ve had at my own tables and dinners. Most commercial wines these days are made to be drinkable on their own—while table wines are uncomfortable and harsh on the tongue. With food, they transform, turning these harsh and bitter wines into something truly enjoyable. It also makes the food taste better. For anyone unknowing, that’s why wine and food pairing is a thing. Unfortunately, the table wine market is slowly beginning to crumble—most modern wine drinkers enjoy more of a good tasting drink instead of a complement of one’s meal. If you have the chance, I recommend buying some and trying it in pairings—it’s a dying market, sadly, and one that has an ancient history behind it. 

While table wines slowly fade, there is always a place for them in our lives. I myself have fond memories of a terribly bitter wine being served at my family’s table, and while I hated the taste, I’ve come to fall in love with them in recent years. Dionysus Hestios as a god of the home is a god of table wine, the happy smiles and festive memories of people having their Chianti with some steak or pasta. It’s the thrill of a good food pairing, a decanter, and the hundred years history of people making wine for the common folk instead of just for the aristocrats and their “noble” grapes. 

Dionysus Hestios, Hearth warmer, master  Of your craft, joy becoming  Protect our heart and wine, Let us dance and joy,  Under your blessings  Of the woody grapevine. 

References

DIONYSUS CULT 1 - Ancient Greek Religion. (n.d.). https://www.theoi.com/Cult/DionysosCult.html

[cabinofimagines]

Wait for me?

Ah, it is the yearly Poly!Solangelo fic for my birthday (the 11th for timezone sake) :) Gotta keep writing hehe

thanks to my ex (my muse ) and Danny for proofreading!

Pairing: Poly!Solangelo x reader, Will Solace x reader x Nico di Angelo Request: Hey, I was thinking maybe a solangelo x reader where the reader comes back late from a quest- like it took them longer to complete then they thought it would and Nico and Will were all worried and then just general fluff or something? Feel free to ignore if you don’t want to write it Word count: 3.4k Warnings: mentions of death a few times, some angst

-Asnyox

The low flicker of the campfire put everyone in an orange light. For a bit you had actually managed to sing some songs with the few campers still at camp, but the energy was a little low. 

“It’s always kind of weird when people leave after winter break, huh,” Austin remarked while he was still softly strumming his guitar. “Yeah, the quiet comes back too quickly.” Will said from beside you. He was holding a sleepy Nico close to him on his other side, while softly playing with your fingers too, “At least the infirmary will be empty again,” “Oh no, we might get bored,” Kayla joked softly, “Hey, Rachel, weren't you going back today too?” Rachel nodded her head, after which she shook it again. She sighed. “I wanted to, but I feel like I am forgetting something. There is something I need to do before I can leave camp and it is eating at me.” Rachel stared into the flames before groaning loudly. “I hate this.”

“Well, dear child, I do not remember any tasks given to you.” Chiron spoke as he walked closer to the campfire, “Perhaps a belated prophecy as our Oracle?” he suggested. Rachel perked up. Her eyes widened as green smoke started to come from her mouth.

(Y/n) will return alone, after collecting the stone, and repairing a parents shrine, Only then, all shall be fine.

 Will’s grip on your hand suddenly got tight, as Nico sat up from his position, clearly distressed. The green smoke faded and Chiron quickly caught Rachel as she fell down. 

“(Y/n),” Chiron addressed you as he made sure Rachel was sat safely, “it is most unusual that you have been directly addressed by name. This most likely is a quest from your godly parent, do you accept this quest?” You could feel the eyes of your boyfriends on you, their worried gazes burning into your head. You knew they would not want you to go, but it was your parent, who chose you to do this. 

“I do.” you said, and you heard protests from your boyfriends. 

“I will-” Nico started, “I mean we will go with (Y/n).” the son of Hades looked at Chiron, who shook his head slowly. “I fear that that is not possible, my child.” Chiron stated calmly, “As the prophecy demands (Y/n) to go alone.” Chiron turned to you, “It probably is best if we go over possible details at this moment, so you can leave in the morning if you wish.” 

You started to stand up, and so did your boyfriends. 

“Will, Nico, I-” you purse your lips. “I want to know the details-” Will started but you shook your head. “How about you go to my cabin while I discuss this with Chiron?” You grabbed both a hand of Nico and one of Will, “That way will probably be quicker, and I will tell you the details afterwards, okay?” Reluctantly your boyfriends nodded their heads, as they watched you walk off. 

───────────

“I don’t care what the prophecy says!” Will grumbled as you were packing your bags, “What about the rule of three!” “That contradicts ‘will return alone’ Will, we’ve been over this.” you sighed, a slight tremble in your voice, “I don’t want to go without you, but I will not” you glared at your boyfriend, “needlessly endanger the loves of my life by ignoring the prophecy.” you waved your hand, “besides, it’s like Chiron said, just a small thing to do for my godly parent and then I will be back! Nothing to worry about.” You heard Will sigh from behind you as you went over your belongings one more time. 

“I don’t like it.” Nico stated, “I want to protect you, you shouldn’t have to go in alone.” You turned around to see your boyfriends sitting together on an empty bunk bed. You walked forward and motioned them to scootch apart, worming yourself between them. You softly grabbed both their hands, squeezing them softly. Nico leaned his head on your shoulder. 

“It’s not like we have much of a choice. It’s either going alone, or most definitely get you two mortally wounded, if not outright killed.” “But what if you get hurt?” Will whispered, “What if I am not there to help you?” “You will be, after all,” you looked at Will, meeting his eyes, “You taught me how to do first aid, don’t tell me you’re doubting your skills as a mentor?” Will grimaced as his gaze softened. 

“We will still be worried about you, love.” Will slowly moved towards you and gave you a careful kiss, “and we’ll miss you.” 

“I will miss you both.” you sighed, “I think that might be the worst part.” You felt Nico snuggle into your neck, “Just promise me you’ll wait at camp for me?” “I guess,” Nico mumbled, “But if I catch any wind of you being in danger I don’t think Will would stop me.” Will nodded his head in agreement. “Nico!” you paused, “Gods I love you both Will, please make sure Nico won’t do anything stupid,” Will hummed in agreement, as Nico protested with a weak ‘Hey!’ “Oh and Nico, please make sure Will doesn’t do anything either-” Now it was time for Will to feign hurt.

“Why is he not allowed to do anything stupid, and I am not allowed to do anything?” Will put a hand over his heart. 

“Love, I think you’ll be too busy looking after Nico.” you shrugged, “and the last time we let you do stuff you somehow came back with six cats to take care of so,” 

Will sighed as he went back to leaning on you, “I am going to miss you,” he pressed a kiss on your shoulder. 

“I’ll miss you too, but if all goes according to plan I will be back in a fortnight!” you promised your boyfriends.

───────────

The next day you were off, leaving behind two worried boyfriends. With a positive attitude, and your sword on your side, you were sure this would all be a piece of cake. However, the first obstacle was already in your way after only a few hours of traveling. 

You sighed as you checked the map. The first part of the quest was to find the right material to repair the shrine, and sadly the Home Depot you went to was all out of it, so the first ‘easy’ part was getting harder with the second. What should you do, rent an Uber to bring you to the next closest Home Depot (you did not have that much money on you), ask the Gray Sisters to do it instead (that would be a near death experience) or try stealing some from a museum? The last one might not be the smartest, but then why would there be a museum right next to the Home Depot? 

On your way you went. 

───────────

The sun was setting and it had been a few days since you left. Nico and Will sat together as they looked out over the strawberry fields, definitely not in case you were going to suddenly show up from outside the border. 

“I miss them.” Nico sighed, “But they will be okay, right?” “I hope so,” Will leaned his head on Nico’s shoulder, “What do you think they ate for dinner?” Will felt Nico sink down a little. “I don’t know, what if they didn’t have any?” Nico tensed a little, “What if they are stuck in a hole right now, desperately trying to get out?” Will huffed. “Do you think they drank enough water?” Will asked and Nico made a non committal noise, and Will sensed his worry, “What if they found a new kind of demigod and became ambassador for their godly parent there without telling us?”  “What do you-” Nico gasped, “Hey! It would have been dangerous to introduce Camp Half-Blood to Camp Jupiter at the time!” Nico protested, roughly sitting up. Will swiftly followed his movement. Nico glared at Will, “I am seriously worried about them, okay?” 

“I know, Nico, my sunshine,” Will smiled, “But what if they get accused of kidnapping their parent and become a wanted criminal throughout the entire states?” Nico’s glare faltered. “I think it’s more likely that they lose their memory,” Nico hesitated, “to get raised by wolves for a bit, before they arrive at Camp Jupiter. At least then we will find them again.” Will softly cupped Nico’s cheek with his hand

“They will come back to us,” Will kissed Nico, “We just need to trust them.” 

───────────

Nico paled when he realized where you were. He had heard the story of Em’s emporium from Percy and Annabeth. Why were you here? 

“Stupid cyclops with it’s stupid hands and fucking-” you walked into frame. Nico tried to move closer, but he noticed he was stuck. Stuck as a statue. “Take a breath (Y/n),” you looked around, “Improvise, adapt, overcome. There must be statues around here somewhere, it won’t be as fancy but it will be enough.” 

You walked up to Nico, staring directly into his eyes. 

“This one should do.” You brazed yourself, and pushed him to the ground. 

Nico woke up in a cold sweat, shaking. Why were you in his dreams- his nightmares? You seemed to be alright, but he knew this was not part of the discussed plan- you were in danger- what if-

Nico started to sit up, only to feel his hand press into another body. 

“Ouch-,” Will groaned as Nico recoiled, “Love?” Nico rested his back against the wall, counting the timing of his breaths- in for four, hold for five and out- in, hold out.

“Nico?” Will entered his vision, “Nightmare?” Nico nodded, reminding himself that you were alright even if you were in his dreams. Will positioned himself next to Nico, not touching him, but he could feel the bed shift. Will recounted a few times where Nico had nightmares, and he fell into a routine the three of you had set up. 

“Do you want to talk, or for me to try to guess what it is?” Will asked and Nico nodded, “Talk?” Nico shook his head.

“About down there?” Will asked, Nico signaled ‘no’, “Your past?” Nico shook his head again, “I don’t know uhm,” Will felt Nico nudge his hand, and he carefully grabbed it, “Can you help me out, love?” Nico licked his lips. 

“(Y/n),” his breath hitched. Will squeezed his hand as he tensed. “Are they alright?” he whispered, and Nico softly nodded, “But you’re scared because they’re in your dreams?” and Nico nodded again, leaning against Will now. Will engulfed his boyfriend in his arms. Will softly rubbed Nico’s back. “It’s okay to be scared,” Will whispered, “I am too,” and Will realized he could no longer promise Nico that you would be alright. He just hoped you would be. 

───────────

After the last nightmare, the nights became restless. If the planning would have been right, you should have been back two days ago but you were not. Nico was scared that the next time he would dream it would be about your dead body, and he continuously attempted to sense your soul. You were getting further away, but you were not dead.

Yet. 

He hadn’t had a new dream about you, and Will got permission form Chiron to stay over most nights. Together they talked, but whenever the topic turned to you the conversation quickly quieted, both of the boys in their own worlds of worry. At some point, Will had put on your favorite movie, putting out the snacks you normally ate. But, the gummy worms went untouched, and as Nico hugged Beanjamin close -his weighted goose plushie - he slowly dozed off. 

Will was worried. He noticed the growing bags under Nico’s eyes, but how could he help? Austin nowadays reassured him multiple times a day that you would be back any moment now, but would you? Will didn’t blame his boyfriend for having a nightmare about you, however Nico and nightmares were never a good sign. What if it just meant you were gone? 

As Will leaned closer, he could already hear Nico whimper from another nightmare. 

Oh no.

Nico turned around, suddenly face to face with his lover. You looked beaten, but not injured. Dirt stains covered your clothes and face, and Nico tried to reach out to you, only to phase right through you. 

“Why the fuck is this tunnel not ending yet!”  You huffed, before sitting down on the floor and leaning against the wall, “This will be easy they said,” you mumbled, holding in a sob, “easy my fucking ass” 

Nico stepped forward, “(Y/n), please” You closed your eyes in defeat. “keep going for me-” he begged you before the dream faded away. 

Will hated how deep Nico could sleep when he was having nightmares. Every time it felt like the dreams would suck Nico in, only letting him go when he had seen everything. “Nico please-” Will called out just as Nico shot up, hitting his head against Will’s head.

“Fuck!” both boys exclaimed. 

“Sorry,” Will said after a moment, “I should not have been hovering above you, I guess.” 

“What are you sorry for?” Nico sighed, “It’s not like you could’ve known.” They both sat in silence, not looking at one another. 

“I heard you say their name,” Will hesitated, “Are they alright?” Nico swallowed harshly. “They didn’t look injured-” Nico clenched his fists. “But?” Will prompted. “Something must be wrong.” Nico sighed, “They were crying, something about a tunnel- I don’t-” Nico looked Will in the eye, “I think we should go.” “Okay, but we need to discuss it with Chiron, tomorrow.” Will said. 

“But!” Nico shook his head, “I guess you are right, fuck.” 

“I know, I am sorry.”

─────────── 

The conversation with Chiron did not go well. Nico was seething, standing at the border of camp as Will held him tightly. 

“They are hurt Will! I can’t just sit here and wait for them to die!” 

“I promised them I wouldn’t let you do anything stupid!” Will tightened his grip, “I promised, Nico.” 

“But what about protecting them?” Nico was no longer yelling, “What about loving them?” Will tensed and he wished to fucking scream at Nico. Instead, he decided to be the bigger person and he took a deep breath. 

“I love them and I love you.” a pause, “and I cannot stand that you are making me choose.” Will felt his shirt slowly get damp. He hated it when Nico cried, but it was better than when he was angry. Will closed his eyes as he felt Nico’s arm sneak around his waist. 

“I can’t lose them,” Nico mumbled, “I can’t lose you but-” he gasped for air, “I’m sorry, I’m terrified.” Will held his boyfriend in silence, pressing his lips to the top of Nico’s head, as he slowly let his own tears flow. The wind blew around them, leaves rustling as they both tried to calm down. Slowly their breaths synchronized. 

And suddenly another pair of arms engulfed the two of them. 

“What-” Will quickly pushed the third person away, as Nico stepped back. “Geez guys, I know that I haven’t showered yet but this is excessive-” “It’s you,” Nico’s voice quivered. “It’s me,” You smiled painfully, “I need to go to the infirmary-” you clutched your side, and before you could even move Will and Nico were at your side, holding you up, “Sorry I took so long.” “I love you, and would love to talk,” Will grimaced, “But my priority is healing you, my love.” 

“Thank you.”

─────────── 

Much to Will’s chagrin, Austin stood on taking care of your wounds as he was on shift. He had tried to object, but Austin was right that perhaps he was not in the most emotionally stable state to professionally assess the injuries you had sustained. So, Nico and him were just standing outside of the infirmary until you were properly patched up. Next to him, Nico had his eyes closed, and if Will didn’t know better he would think Nico was relaxing. However, Will did know better, and the creasing of Nico’s eyebrows worried him. 

“How are they doing?” Will asked. Nico’s eyes sprung open, as he was surprised by the voice of his boyfriend. Nico had been concentrating on the feeling of your soul, which seemed too far away but so close. He had fully forgotten that Will was there with him, waiting on you too.

“Their souls wavers sometimes,” Nico let out a breath, “Which is normal for injured people, I guess.” Will nodded in response. He had to remind himself that Austin had as much skill as he had, and that you were not in any mortal danger when you arrived. You had to be fine, you would be fine. 

These thoughts did not stop Will’s heart from stopping when Austin walked out, looking a little dejected. “How’s-” Will started. “They kept correcting me on what I was doing,” Austin laughed, “A bit embarrassing for me, but they are alright.” 

“Thanks, can we go in?” Nico asked, ignoring Austin’s comment. Austin stepped aside, and Will and Nico made their way inside the infirmary. 

As your boyfriends approached you, they saw the awful state you were in. Nico went to stand on the right side of the infirmary bed you were in, and Will on the left.Neither of your boyfriends dared to step closer, as you were barely sitting upright. Instead they each grabbed a chair and sat down within reach of you, wordlessly.

“Did you get any ambrosia yet? Nectar?” Will slowly moved closer as his stomach churned at the sight of your weakened state. You tried to shake your head, but quickly stopped as you closed your eyes in pain. “I am at my limit already, didn’t really have time to properly heal up on my way here.” your voice came out rough, but steady, “How are you two holding up? Missed me?” Nico’s gaze went from your face to your hand. It was wrapped in a bandage, much like the rest of your upper arm. 

“We were worried about you, my love.” Nico heard Will speak as he softly grabbed the blanket instead of your hand. He didn’t want to accidentally hurt you, and your form seemed so bruised and broken. His ears still picked up Will, who was retelling all that happened since you were gone, but his brain did not process it. Instead, he feared that just being here was already weakening you. He knew his presence wouldn’t hurt but- but what if the essence of death brought you closer? What if he made his nightmares come true? 

“... has been having dreams about you. That’s why we were at the border.” At the mention of his name, Nico looked up, releasing the deathgrip he had on the blanket. 

“Oh?” you looked at the son of Hades, “all good dreams I hope?” Nico’s head stopped any thought it had when he looked into your eyes. Your shining, alive, eyes and your handsome face. “That doesn’t matter,” Nico muttered as he sat more upright, a feeling of ease coming over him, “Now that you’re back, it doesn’t matter.” Nico was never going to let you go alone again, as he promised himself to keep protecting you no matter what. 

Will looked at his boyfriend, as he smiled. The past few weeks had been rough on them, even worse on you, but the three of you were finally together. You still looked tired, but less so after your talk. Will knew that he would need to wait until you were better and as Austin walked back into the infirmary he stood up. 

“I think we should let (Y/n) rest, Nico.” he wanted to hold you in his arms until you fell asleep, but you needed uninterrupted sleep for now. Nico nodded as he too stood up. Tomorrow he would hold you, if you were better. He will wait until you are healed.

“Sleep well. Love you.” Will said as he waited for Nico to be at his side. “Love you, (Y/n). See you later.” Nico had a ghost of a smile on his face. 

You carefully laid down, before saying a final ‘I love you’ to your boyfriends, as you could finally relax.

But just before your boyfriends went away there was one more promise to be made to them.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Will knew that he and Nico would wait forever for them, if they needed it to heal. He didn’t know when this journey would end, but he would walk besides you and Nico, hand in hand. Nico knew he couldn’t promise you a kind road, or a fair sky, but he knew that he would protect you and besides you in any way he can. 

“We will,” Will promised, a promise he can keep.

[lace4forest]

Local Streamer Does Math

WE HAD A TIME

So on stream today, we decided to figure out how long Link was lost at sea for during the events of Link's Awakening.

It went horribly.

Long story short we decided to try and figure it out via looking up how old Link was in Link's Awakening, but it wasn't there. So we looked in the Oracle games. Wasn't there. Link to the Past? Nope. We went through the Hyrule Hystoria, then went to the Encyclopedia, Lastly we went to the internet. (We also learned the Encyclopedia just straight up has wrong information??????? Some info contradicts the games and things that are established, and it rearranges some of the games orders.)

We settled on learning how old each of the others were and trying to find an age range.

SO- In Ocarina of Time, Link is 9 then gets sealed away for 7 years, making him 16. In Zelda 2 Adventure of Link, Link is also 16 and in the original Zelda game, he was 10. In Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess we know Link is an "Older Teen" age, putting him 16-17+. In Wind Waker its stated that Link is the same age as the Hero of Time was when he defeated Ganon, he only defeated Ganon in 1 timeline, and he was 16 at the time, meaning Wind Waker Link's "Coming of Age" was 16, Making him ALSO 16. In Spirit Tracks Link is the age to become an Engineer, another coming of age, and how he is almost identical to Wind Waker Link, we can say he's also 16. Now in Breath of the Wild, it's stated that Zelda has to be 17 to enter the Shrine of Wisdom. So Link has to be 17 at LEAST.

This shows that the age in the Zelda games to become an "Adult" would have to be either 16-17.

We also debunked a few things, like if Wind Waker Link was 12, then that would make Ocarina of Time Link's Adult age 12, (Because they were the SAME AGE as when he Killed Again, he only Killed Ganon 1 time, and that was in the Adult Timeline) This would also make Ocarina of Time's Child Link 5. So. No.

Anyways, In A Link to the Past, Link is said to be a Child. Same in Oracle of Ages. As in, Link HAS to be younger than 16. So he could be anything between 9 to 15. We don't know how long some of these games take place between one another, so we don't really know. Link also lived with his Uncle but we don't know much of what happened after that, because his next three games weren't in Hyrule.

So there would be 8 games with Adult Links and 8 games with Child Links. (Some may have doubles)

Adult - Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, Zelda 2, Wind Waker and Phantom hourglass, Spirit Tracks, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. (This is 8 separate Links)

Child - Minish Cap, Four Swords(?), Majora's Mask, Four Swords Adventures(?), A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons/Ages and Link's Awakening, Zelda 1 - (This is 8 separate Links)

ANYWAYS- We went down this rabbit hole because someone brought up in the Echoes of Wisdom Demo Zelda doesn't know who Link is. But we all thought this was the same Zelda as A Link to the Past- But the funny thing about that Zelda is that she's CANONICALLY Forgotten Link BEFORE- SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHO IS HE IS ORACLE OF AGES, BUT IT'S CONFIRMED SHE IS THE SAME ONE AS A LINK TO THE PAST-

So Echoes of Wisdom Zelda, forgetting who the Hero of Legend Link is, Tracks and is still correct because of the fact that SHE'S DONE THIS BEFORE-

Maybe she forgets names easily or something, or Link was out on that boat for a really long time, idk.

Also this all happened in a stream on my Twitch, so if you want to watch me lose my mind- Here's a link to that

[ol-files]

The full story of Island of Wakfu

The introduction sequence shows an egg-like planet, the color of Stasis, from which a large meteor is seen shooting through space, hurtling toward the Eliatropes' planet.

A Thousand Mysteries

"The joy of a sweet summer afternoon for our Mysteries. rejoice, Eliatropes! The day has finally come!" - Pulva

These sacred rites, bathed"s with solar flares, complete our work in honor of your glory, Goddess." - Mina

Chapter 1: The Sanctuary

Stook

Sent to look for Waki Wa on the sacred Goddess island, Nora and Efrim meet Stook on the way, a "former Eliacube" who tells them that Master Qilby has disappeared and that something is going on between him and the king (Yugo). They then meet Glip for their Wakfung trial, after which he sends them on their way to the Goddess Shrine.

At the shrine, Mina announces that the Goddess has called them. The statue of Eliatrope beseeches them to pass her three Veils in order to meet her in her abode. To begin, she requests an offering for her face – a feather from a blue Tofu –, one for her tears – a cup, made of the bark of a singing tree – and one for her hair – a comb made of a silver scale from an Oracle fish.

They gather the first two items without difficulty, then meet the Oracle fish at the pond:

«  I need to show you something; in a distant place, across dimensions... On an island in time, your fate hangs in the balance. I need you to understand how to change it. — Oracle »

He warns them that everyone's Wakfu will be eaten by an unknown force, that they are their last defense, and gives them "the dream power to fight." To hand them a scale, he introduces them to the mighty Platypus, who will assist them later.

Having collected all three offerings, they present them to the shrine. The Goddess warns them that doom is already upon them. They must pass the three Veils and are sent to the forest to learn teleportation with Glip.

Chapter 2: The Forest

« Learning is a game. When you play a game, you learn the rules and logic, while trying to be the most creative and free under its constraints. This, my children, is the true way to learn ». - Baltazar

« We are not the only inhabitants of this world. The Goddess is at the origin of everything. We are all brothers and sisters, but we must not stagnate. for Wakfu is movement, and stagnation sin. » - Chibi

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Glip teaches Nora the basics of teleportation, but as they progress through the forest, they find Prespics. This link will take you to our sister Wikia, Dofus Wiki made aggressive by the Stasis that has fallen in the forest. Nora and Efrim fight their way through and rejoin with Glip deeper into the forest, near a Stasis meteorite. Glip explains that Stasis was forbidden by Chibi the prophet, but that this rock is somehow different. For now, he will only tell them that Stasis is "anti-Wakfu." A little further, they find Chibi's Great Hall, a sanctuary where Stasis is forbidden.

« Chibi was the first to cross the third Veil. This is where he died. His body is here, a tiny spark of Wakfu still trapped in his bones. » — Glip

Inside, a skeleton rests on a rocking chair. Nora's Eliacube comments:

« Stiff, smelly... Yep, seems like a corpse, all right... Look closely. Is it real? I wonder how the prophet REALLY died... And aren't Eliatropes supposed to be immortal? Chibi was our Prophet, but he was also a great poet. He left many poems, known as Mysteries, behind in this world. This Iwak is a plug-in allowing me to decode Chibi's Mysteries. » — Nora's Eliacube

A tooltip adds that "Mysteries are pages from Chibi's secret Herbarium. Each mystery tells a long-lost tale."

Chapter 3: The Meadow

« These flowers that we call Manolia, each of them is an individual, a singular being. Their roots feed on the core of Wakfu: the heart of our, a whirling vortex, breaking its waves on our shores. » - Mina

« All Manolias are linked to a network called Wik-Fi, a precious gift. We, Eliatropes, use it to connect our Eliacubes and communicate. And so we talk with flowers, and through flowers. » - Chibi

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"He has no time for the dark roots at his fingertips; the buds on the roots, their promise, not time. It is the most beautiful flower of the field he desires." - Shinonome

Back in the meadow, Mina shows Nora and Efrim how to interact with Wakfu creatures and flowers using Wakfu and Stasis. She then sends them on their way to Vili Summit for the ritual of Chibi's rebirth. The ritual is a symbolic representation of Chibi's resurrection in his Holy Egg. There is a legend that says maybe, one day, the Prophet will be reborn... and this may be the day. There is a large egg and a Dragoturkey This link will take you to our sister Wikia, Dofus Wiki, which according to Mina is too weak to crack the egg. Efrim forces the egg open, but "as always," the Prophet is not reborn. They proceed higher up the mountain to find Tina, their "most precious flower."

« It is Chibi's soul, his gift, an heirloom for us to tend. We must see Tina bloom. Then, perhaps, Chibi will come. «  — Mina

Efrim breathes on Tina to make her bloom, to no avail, and Grougaloragran calls out to Mina, saying he must speak to the initiates at once. Mina opens an Eliatrope path (similar to a trail of successive portals) to the lake for them.

« Something has happened to the King's Palace. Qilby has betrayed his people! We're at war with invaders from the sky. Soon the threat will be upon this Sanctuary. The King is dead... but all hope is not lost. He will be reborn in his Royal Egg, his Dofus, along with his Dragon, Adamai. The King's Dofus is in the forest, in the hands of our ancestors. » — Grougaloragran

Badly injured, the Dragon sends them to retrieve Yugo and Adamai's Dofus. Before they can leave, a rain of Stasis stones falls from the sky and Mina takes the other children to the temple. From the craters, Rozens sprout, Stasis-charged flowers that corrupt their surroundings and damage characters who get too close. The Goddess speaks to Nora and Efrim:

« An ancient galactic threat coming back to haunt us. They want our Wakfu. They will drink it all. The threads of this world unravel, revealing the truth of our Origins. My children are doomed by mistakes of the past. I am sorry. I am so sorry. Something... draining my soul... My voice... fading out... » — Eliatrope

Fighting through the Rozens, spiders and Prespics, they make their way through the forest and defeat a large, corrupted Prespic. Grougaloragran contacts them through a Drake Stone, beseeching them to secure the king's Dofus right away. The twins take down the protective field around the Dofus, and thus pass the first Veil.

Stasis Rising

« A secret Lab ? What kind of accusation is that ? How can I keep a secret from the King ? I am honest and truthful ! I would never, never, ever do something behind your back, your Majesty. » - Qilby

« The smell of the dark Rozen de Stasis is a breath of tartar, do not be seduced by its beauty. - Grougaloragran

Chapter 4: The Crater

As more meteors hit the planet, Orgonax is seen walking in the distance. The Goddess speaks once again:

« Our people were cursed, long ago, in another world. We escaped a terrible doom, and we built a new world. Who amongst our people betrayed us and awakened the past? My... voice... is running out... Help me, I'm disappearing... But not fast enough... Pain... » — Eliatrope

Nora and Efrim rush back to the Sanctuary, but passing through Chibi's Great Hall they find the skeleton has fallen off the chair and down the stairs, and the room is dotted with Stasis. Nora's Eliacube makes an intriguing comment:

« Well, look at that... It actually doesn't look like a real skeleton. Why would someone place a fake Chibi here? Why would they lie to us? «  — Nora's Eliacube

They find a trap door on the floor and head down, while the Eliacube warns them that this place is sacred and forbidden. They find an underground laboratory, with a replica of Mount Zinit in the center. The Eliacube recounts that Chibi heard the Goddess's voice when he was napping on the summit and that the Council has forbidden access to the mountain ever since. On the replica, Nora finds a way to activate a hologram of Qilby:

« Qilby speaking. I'm afraid time has already run out. I can't stand it anymore. Someone has to unveil the secrets, the taboos. The King doesn't want to listen to me, the fool. All he wants is a false heaven. I want to go back. I want to avenge our fathers and our sons. Nothing can stop me now! I leave this message for history. I will climb Mount Zinit, into the forbidden zone. I will open the gates of Wakanu. I will expose the parody that is our Eliatrope Goddess. I will save us all. I will make us true warriors again. «  — Qilby

Coming out of the lab, they find more craters and the tracks left by Orgonax. Reaching the lake, they see Lu-Fu invaders tearing down the Goddess's statue while she calls for help. By the time they get to it, the statue is already in shambles, but the Goddess leaves them musical notes to invoke her beyond the Veils. A tooltip describes the Goddess Song as "a devastating Hymn from the First Veil. None but Eliatropes can hear it without instantly being consumed." She begs Nora to use the Song against her (the statue), as she can take the pain no more. As the initiate complies, she thanks her and tells them that this soul, this voice, are gone only for now, and to find her in Intiwakana, her abode.

Chapter 5: The Temple

« Qilby? Ah, the poor fellow... if only he’d listened to me doing what he did. What was it? Uh... Look... You’re so young. You might one day understand. » - Glip

« Yes, yes, yes, I passed away a long time ago, by Chibi himself, when he created our technology here in this earthly paradise. According to Chibi, his inspirations were divine, the Goddess had helped him create his wonders. If that’s true, and I’m convinced of it, then I’m of divine origin. So that’s not cool? » - Stook

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In the nearby forest, the Treechnid This link will take you to our sister Wikia, Dofus Wiki Amalami's voice and song are being corrupted by "the song from space," sung by Rozens. He becomes Amalama:

« GIVE ME YOUR SONG! LET ME TAKE YOUR TONGUE! I WILL FREE YOU FROM YOUR ABSURD GOD! I AM THE TRUE MAESTRO! I AM THE PRIMO UOMO! ELIATROPES ARE LIARS! DO YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH? YOUR GODDESS DOES NOT EXIST! HAIL, ORGONAX! » — Amalama

Unfortunately, defeating the corrupted tree also kills Amalami.

Nora and Efrim reach the temple and find the Wakfu Fountain encroached by Stasis flowers, draining its energy. They destroy the flowers and find Stook hiding underground. He gives Efrim a power-up and as they return outside, Baltazar calls for them and asks for immediate help. They head to his rescue but are caught in the middle of rampaging beasts running away from some unseen threat. They escape and fight more Lu-Fu with the young Redmo, who is killed by troopers. They then come upon Glip facing off against their leader Odo, but he is quickly struck down. Odo thirsts for Wakfu and orders his troops to set up the "Extractor" to take samples from this world. He then returns to his Frigate, letting them handle the busy work. Before passing away, Glip begs the twins to save the children hidden in the temple.

Chapter 6: Vili Valley

« Our library is the memory of our people. Everything we have done is here. Books are precious, they are life, and our memories. We need them, without them we could not survive with abstract information. We need to give them substance. » - Chibi

« As the invader approaches, our way of life is threatened. This paradise we called home is gone. The king is dead, his palace on fire. Everything seems lost. We were betrayed, but we could have done something. It’s my fault... it’s... » - Glip

----

Nora and Efrim fight more Lu-Fu in the temple and rescue the young Kiri. They find an Eliatrope path to the upper levels and come across Chibi's testament.

« Chibi left his belongings to his lover, Mina. And he crowned Yugo our King. Oh boy... Master Qilby must have been so angry. » — Nora's Eliacube

Trivia: One of the children to be rescued is Zora from Wakfu: Les Gardiens, and freeing her unlocks the achievement Guardian.

Once all the children are rescued, Baltazar calls for a meeting in the Dragon Hall. Since the children cannot yet teleport by themselves, he takes them "to a place where [they]'ll be safe forever" – the timeless dimension Emrub. He leaves after imparting another power-up to Efrim, after which the Eliacube comments:

« Those kids you saved... Baltazar's children, we call them... They are younger than anyone else, but no one remembers their births. Where did they come from? » — Nora's Eliacube

It is likely that they were the children sent to another dimension during the first Mechasm attack on the Eliatropes' original planet, but it is curious that no one else seems to be aware of it.

Later, Mina says she must make a sacrifice, now that Qilby has betrayed them. She must find the Pow Wow, their most secret place of ritual, and needs their help. They must go to the Zaap portal outside the library. But before they can follow Mina, Orgonax appears and destroys the portal, forcing the duo to head to the beach and find the backup Zaap suggested by the Eliacube.

On the Beach

« You talk about education. Well, I think education is the responsibility. We cannot drown our children in the news. They have to use them to get to where they can. We’re just watching them, so they don’t get hurt. » - Mama Conch

« Time will be born from the hourglass, a grain of sand after another. Cause and consequence, brothers jumaux from the will to change the world. » - Goddess

Chapter 7: Pliyi di Bili

Nora and Efrim reach the beach and see Prissy the Conch being attacked by crab-like creatures she calls bad krabbies. They rescue her and she asks for their help finding her sisters – Ellie, Evvy, Kelly, Marcy and Mary –, who were affected by "red fumes" that made them say bad words and terrible things. Near the beach, they find another of Qilby's holograms:

« Ah... If only the Council were honest people, I wouldn't have to do this... The truth? So simple: The Eliatropes are not what they seem to be. This society is not our first. This planet is not our home world. A long time ago, we escaped. Now, we must pay the price. I will be the redeemer. I will make things right once again... Because I'm the only one who can understand Chibi. » — Qilby

After all the Conch sisters have been found, Lu-Fu arrive on a ship and storm the beach. Nora and Efrim dispatch them, then pay a visit to Mama Conch in a nearby cave. Pleased that her girls are safe and did not pick up any bad words, she gives Nora one of her pearls, which will allow her to reflect projectiles.

Chapter 8: Club Platypus

“Many Eliatropes were disappointed by the Goddess. They joined cults to forget her. She and her Veils. It is a tragedy, because if no one believes in Her, then she will leave this plane of existence. It is a fact." - Baltazar

“I don’t understand. Why walk away from the Goddess? She is gentle and caring. What reasons can justify such an affront?” -Glip

-------

A little farther on the beach, they meet Yama, who says a giant flower (a Queen Rozen) is sucking the light away and driving everyone mad in the nearby village. Nora and Efrim immediately provide assistance but are stunned by the cry of the dying flower. They awaken in Yama's hut, where he tells them that his leader probably won't be happy even though the flower has been taken care of, and will probably still sacrifice his sister Zoe to his "stupid Egg."

In the village, they see the Shamipus, local leader, proclaiming that the sacrifices are working since the light has returned. To continue to receive protection from the Platypus Egg, he commands more sacrifices, as expected.

Attached to a totem surrounded by dancers, they see a Dofus protected by a force field and start looking for a way to deactivate it. Sneaking into the Shamipus's hut, they deactivate the force field and Nora dresses herself as another Shamipus. The villagers are confused and Efrim uses the distraction to cause the egg to hatch, freeing the Platypus. All the villagers immediately rally to him and therefore to Efrim and Nora. The Shamipus teleports away, promising to have his revenge. Immediately after, more Lu-Fu arrive and destroy the gate to come after the Eliatrope and Dragon. They drive them back and Yama thanks them for saving his sister and the village, then reveals the location of the secret Zaap on the beach.

Ancient Questions

« Wait a minute! There’s nothing logical about it!" - Stock

"Pow Wow is a special place. An ancient place where Chibi came when he was old. He went there to die, it was his choice; offer his soul to the Goddess." - Glip

Chapter 9: Pow Wow

Mina warns Nora that the Stasis is disrupting the Wik-Fi and making teleportation unstable. Because of this, Nora must reach the Pow Wow through a secret path below the canyon. Finding the place by herself will be her last initiation rite. Mina also says that she has a very hard decision to make, but not to judge her, as it is their only hope.

Islands of Wakfu - Mina's sacrifice

Mina's sacrifice

Finding their way through a bamboo forest, they find a Lu-Fu excavation site. They kill the invaders and find an Eliatrope path to the Pow Wow. Mina tells them that she needed privacy for the hardest decision of her life: she offered her Wakfu in this holy place in order to create a bridge to Chibi's soul. That was the only way for Nora to pass the second Veil. Activating a Zaap, Nora and Efrim reach the heart of the Pow Wow and find Mina dying. She tells them that Qilby has betrayed them and brought back Stasis. Her Wakfu has gone into a flower that Nora must plant in the temple of Wakanu, atop Mount Zinit, in order to find Chibi's island and save the Dofus.

Making their way to Mount Zinit, they find another excavation site where the Lu-Fu are forcing moles to do their labor. After fighting numerous foes, they are told by a mole that the entire mountain is collapsing, but they head into the mines, driven by necessity.

Chapter 10: Rizi

"The heart of our world is a heart of Wakfu, blue as the yolk of a timeless egg, before the cosmic omelette occurs." - Glip

"Beebee loves wakfu. Mmmm, you love wakfu..." - Beebee

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They quickly come out of the mines and fight their way up through more ranks of Lu-Fu, all the while feeding their new companion Beebee the bee with Wakfu to make her glow. With her help, they navigate through dark caverns and continue to make their way up. They find a Wakfu-extracting machine, pumping tirelessly to feed Odo's insatiable appetite. They destroy the machine and face Odo's general in battle.

On Top of the World

Chapter 11: Mount Zinit

« Why all these secrets? Something is wrong. Would the council have lied to us? Does the Goddess really exist? What would be the point of inventing such a story?" - Eliacube

"O ancient mountain, venerable spirit presiding over the material plane, you will not weep. Like insects, we cling to your sides. We dare not look upon your summit. Our eyes fall when we cross the path of your deep caves, and the intimate and dark secret of your origins." - Qilby

-----------

Climbing ever higher, they make their way to Wakanu as Orgonax climbs Mount Zinit. On the way, they find a new hologram from Qilby:

« Mount Zinit is a place of corridors, of dark corners. Here lie the secrets of our kind. Halfway through my journey, I rest in this tomb to contemplate my choices. I may doom our way of life, our dreams, but I cannot endure the lies we tell ourselves. Eliatropes were born of the Stars, and we came here to escape our Fall. We need to confront ourselves with the truth. We need to avenge our people. The King is a liar and a coward. I will not stay silent. Not anymore. May you who find these words forgive me. » — Qilby

In the same room, they find schematics and drawings that resemble Orgonax, and the Eliacube comments that he is big enough to walk inside, and that there seems to be a hollow spot in his right hand.

Chapter 12: Wakanu

"Why did I do this? Because the king did not want to do anything! He wanted to stay here with his lies. We are supposed to move forward! We are supposed to feed on other systems to progress to the end of time. That is the real reason for Wakfu." - Qilby

"It seems unreal. Like we’re in the bowels of a whale perched on top of a mountain, like an ark from a distant past." - Eliacube

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Nora and Efrim undo the seal to the temple Wakanu and find Lu-Fu already inside. The temple is a maze designed by Chibi, and the Eliacube suspects that he may have a flower nearby, since according to Mina he performed the Pow Wow ritual. Inside a strange machine, they find the Oracle of Waki Wa. They wake him up and he tells them that he is not real, not really there. He used to be Chibi's personal assistant, but he is only a projection reactivated by Qilby when he was last here. Nevertheless, he has the power to activate a Zaap leading further inside the temple.

There, they find Lu-Fu that have drilled their way into the mountain, as well as Stasis deposits. They dispatch the creatures and reach the first chamber, first part of Chibi's puzzle. They are met there by Modo and Podo, Lu-Fu leaders looking for Stasis for Odo, who has gone to the top of the mountain to meet Orgonax. The Lu-Fu attack the characters, hoping to use them to force their way inside the Inner Sanctum, but they are no match for Nora and Efrim.

The next puzzle is a large room filled with tubes carrying Wakfu. Using the Platypus, they deactivate the force field that blocks the exit and proceed to the next room after collecting the original Eliacube. The last chamber contains statues of the Eliatrope Council, and strangely, a Rozen grows in front of Qilby's. They find Chibi's flower in front of his statue, proving that he sacrificed his Wakfu at the Pow Wow, and plant Mina's flower before her statue as she asked. Solving the last puzzle, they find an Eliatrope path to Mina's island.

Chapter 13: The Islands

"Chibi, my love, I am by your side now. I can see your face beyond the waves, like a lighthouse, which attracts me. We will be reunited in this world where souls are connected. I will be the bridge that joins you." - Mina

"Islands? You mean paradise? You really think there’s something after death? Do you think what we are looking for is a holiday? The islands are a lie, the Goddess is a scam. The Platypus is the one and only god." - Chamipus

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On Mina's island, they meet with the Oracle, who explains that her soul came here when she sacrificed her Wakfu. Since the Wakfu of Council Eliatropes and Dragons return to their Dofus upon death until their reincarnation, it may be that these islands are small planes of existence contained in those Dofus, where their souls remain conscious.

According to the Oracle, "to get to Chibi's island, you must uncover Mina's secret love for him." They find fragments of her soul, and open the way to Chibi's island. Grougaloragran meets them there for the Ritual of Ages, and to take the king's Dofus to another dimension where it will be safe. He instructs them to find the Goddess Beacon atop Mount Zinit.

« Pray for her to take you with her. In her womb, children, you'll live forever. Your soul, protected. » — Grougaloragran

*The Eliacube picked up in Chibi's maze appears on a pedestal while Grougaloragran takes the Dofus from Nora, but no mention is made of it and it simply disappears after the scene. In the animated series, Grougaloragran does however mention that Nora entrusted him with both the Dofus and the Eliacube.

Odo's Frigate appears in the sky, and as the Oracle instructs her that letting go will be the quickest way to reach Intiwakana, she lets the Lu-Fu take her aboard without resistance. There, Odo demands the king's Dofus, but Nora and Efrim attack him and his crew and gain the upper hand. Before it is too late, Odo drinks a full jar of Wakfu and becomes an even more powerful beast with the ability to teleport around the ship. But ultimately, he is still defeated, along with the rest of his crew.

Chapter 14: Intiwakana

"It’s not a lie if you believe it." - Glip

"Well, it’s time to go home now!" - Stook

-------

The Frigate crashes near the top of the mountain, where Nora and Efrim must face a Crackler guardian appointed by Chibi, who decreed that no one was allowed to pass. They then make their way to a small cave where they consult the Oracle one last time:

« You have saved the last Eliatrope, now this world is coming to an end. These invaders you've fought were once like you, innocent. They were seized, enslaved, brought to despair. Behold, this is their world, still alive in their dreams. » — Oracle

He shows them a vision of the Lu-Fu's world, of their Imperatrix giving up the fight after so many of her people have been taken away. In their last hour, they send a warning in dreams:

« Don't fear the loss of the material world, but embrace the pure bliss of dreams. In dreams, invisible waves become vessels. To believe is to feel. Sailing an endless ocean... to surf, but never to sink. Believe in the invisible. As it believes in you. »

— Lu-Fu Imperatrix

« This world is doomed. Mount Zinit is waking up. If you reach the top of the mountain, the Goddess may take you with her. Close your eyes, let yourself go. »

— Oracle

As they reach ever higher, Orgonax catches up with them and they are forced to fight him off to buy some time. They find a weak spot in his right hand and blow it open, creating an opening for the Platypus. Inside, he uses drops of Wakfu to tinker with the giant's internal mechanisms, making him lose his grip on the rock face. They quickly reach the top of the mountain and find a large flower that speaks with the voice of the Goddess (her last words are not transcribed for the player). Nora communes with it while Orgonax resumes his ascent. Channeling the Goddess's power, Nora launches a devastating attack against Orgonax, an explosion seen from space that wipes all life from the planet for millenia.

*The final attack against Orgonax had cataclysmic proportions and destroyed all life on the planet, and several millenia later, when the gods of the World of Twelve discovered the barren planet and recreated life on it, the process also involved highly destructive forces. Yet, mentions of Eliatrope artifacts abound in the world, such as Zaap portals, Eliatrope ruins and the book found by Karibd and Silar (mention in Dofus mmo and Dofus manga.

Source :

* https://krosmoz.fandom.com/wiki/Islands_of_Wakfu

* https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe_N8_H2VbTULBoBL65OY7VYRIUbC-fU7&feature=shared

[littlesparklight]

There is probably at least some version of the following already somewhere on my blog, but this is the most recent/current version of the history of the Trojan royal family that I have made for my ficverse!

It's a mix of myth and real-life details taken from the annals/correspondence of Hittite kings, which is (part of why) why Troy the city is much older than it would have been if I'd strictly followed myth alone. I'm also prioritising the idea that Dardanos received land around Mount Ida, where he founded his city and where Assarakos and his family (leading to Anchises) rule, so Aeneas comes to Troy during the war after Dardanos has been sacked, for example.

Anyway;

I. The first kings. In the second half of 1700's, Zeus fosters Xanthos/Scamander and Hermos, after which they move to the lands of their respective rivers, settling in like any of the nature gods do with and among the landscape and mortals living there. During Hattusili I's campaign against Arzawa, Xanthos convinces the local mortals of the country around his river to not stand in the way of the Hittite king, and urges Hattusili himself to show friendship to them; in the wake of his victories, unknowing of who and what Xanthos is (as he's disguised), he makes Xanthos king of the land. The locals do not protest (especially those who are well aware of what and who Xanthos is) and are rather grateful that his level head saved them being subjugated in the same way as many of the other lands of the alliance.

This is around 1630 BC, and Xanthos rules until his son is old enough to take over after him (it's a bit of an interesting experiment in closer association with mortals for Xanthos, but he is more than happy for it to be over. Simoeis thinks him a fool to have played along from the start and even more so to have continued to do so so long.) Xanthos also institutes greater individualized worship of/for his foster father, which becomes one of the Troad's most important cults. Later, in the early half of the 1500's, while Leto is mostly staying around coastal Anatolia, she comes by the Troad with her young twins; Xanthos hosts them. The locals make shrines to the young deities and their divine mother, understanding what they are since their local river god is hosting them. This begins the second half of a very long and important cult for the region (and especially the city/ies attached to the ruling family).

Teucer comes to the throne of Troy/Wilusa in 1530 BC; early in his reign he wishes to establish a city somewhere in the Troad and when Apollo is visiting, asks the god directly - he gets the oracle that he should settle the colony where the settlers are "attacked by earthborn". Sending out an initial scouting group, it gets plagued by mice that eat all the leather in the south part of the Troad, and this is how the oracle is interpreted; the men then pray to Apollo, who drives off the mice in return. This further establishes him as Troy's/the Troad's god, and Teucer raises a temple to Apollo Smintheus (or rather, Apaliuna(s) Smintheus).

II. Dardanos Dardanos arrives to the Troad/Taruwisa from Samothrace, marrying Bateia, the daughter of the current ruler Teucer, son of Xanthos and the mountain goddess-nymph Idaea. As part of his marriage he receives land in the foothills of Ida, building Dardanos. Dardanos has three sons (Erichthonios and Zakynthos, Ilus); his son Ilos, wishing to honour the city Teucer ruled, moves to it when he's twenty. He makes expansions and such here, gaining Apollo's favour. Teucer dies in 1445 and Dardanos becomes ruler of the whole kingdom. Dardanos, still spry despite his age, fights with his sons in the war of the Assuwa league (around 1400 BCE) against Tudhaliya I/II.

Dardanos dies here, given a glorious death by his father (Iasion died about a decade before); the older Ilos dies as well. Erichthonios becomes king; wishing to honour both Teucer and his brother's work, he moves the capital to Troy/Ilion and gives rulership of the city of Dardanos itself to his brother Zakynthos. Erichthonios dies in 1375 BC. Zakynthos, despite having both a first rank wife and second rank one(s), plus maybe a concubine or two, remains childless (he is infertile), so there was considerations even before he leaves on the trip that Assarakos would take over ruling Dardanos from him. He leaves on a long trade/diplomatic (guest-friendship) journey at 65, in 1355 BC, where the aim is to also find somewhere to found a colony, but before doing so formally adopts Assarakos and makes him his heir. When the ship reaches the island he makes his namesake, Zakynthos decides they will stop here, and sends the ship back with word to have Assarakos take over Dardanos from him. The city is mostly independent of the greater kingdom, but still subordinate to/closely connected with the capital.

III. Tros and Beyond Between 1379-1375 BC Tros and Tantalos war on and off over the lands/cities north/south of their own (mostly aggression from Tantalos), but they come to a vague agreement after intervention from Hattusa.

Still, early in 1374 BC Tros sends a young Ilus to sacrifice on Lesbos, which, being at least nominally under Seha's rule, Tantalos takes as a spy attempt, and a confrontation that resolves in a tense parting takes place. When Pelops is brought back in 1365 BC, Ilos (and Tros) supports the new ruler, partially because his son is to be married to Kleopatra, partly because they always clashed with Tantalos (and do want more power/influence southwards), and partially because he doesn't want a tainted line like Tantalos' back on the throne of a country so close to them. As most of the population is on the new king's side (the noble echelons split rather evenly between them), he and Ilos wins. (Sources: Pausanias 2.22.3, Diodorus Siculus 4.74.4, Dictys Cretensis 1.6 ; the sacrifice on Lesbos inspired by the version in the Suda where (a) Tantalos kidnaps Ganymede after suspicion of espionage via a sacrifice.)

In 1357, a couple years after Ganymede's abduction, Ilos (and Assarakos), leads a force against the Bebrykes to the east (on the coast) who are trying to take more land; it ends with a resounding Trojan victory and their territory expanded to the river Aesepus; Adrastus, leader of the men in this area, is made/remains a sub-king now under Troy and he makes a shrine to Nemesis in commemoration of this victory. Ilos marries his daughter Eurydike. A little over two decades later he goes to Phrygia on a guest-friendship journey and attends athletic games of a Phrygian king (it's the royal family Hecuba is born from). As prize he's given fifty youths and fifty maidens, plus, by an oracle, a cow. Where it lays down in Troy is where he establishes a new shrine for the Palladium (and thus Athena).

Tithonos is taken by Eos a couple years before Laomedon gets charge of Poseidon and Apollo's punishment for the uprising against Zeus that they participated in; his loss, even if technically an honour as much as Ganymede's taking was, is part of the reason why he ends up treating his divine labourers as he does. Not the only one, for while he's a passable father and king, he is a flawed and greedy, as well as overly prideful, man. The latter is also part of why he deals with Herakles as he does, but again, not the only; Herakles demands the divine horses gifted to Tros as payment for his aid, and Laomedon is at that moment more concerned with getting his daughter back safe (as well as the threat to his people dealt with), than with the insult it means that Herakles is demanding what was a divine gift and isn't the same as any other possession. Afterwards, because of this difference and that he doesn't think he should pay that as a price, he refuses to give those particular horses.

Priam befriends Apollo during his year of service, and shortly before Herakles comes with his six-fleet force Priam has married Arisbe; Aisakos is born after the partial sack. Priam doesn't necessarily think they should give the divine horses, but advocates for his father to give horses descended from the foals Boreas begot; this his father refuses (though Telamon, sent as envoy to 'peacefully' demand the lacking payment, refuses this as well), and then also has the Achaean envoy imprisoned. Priam helps them escape while his father musters a surprise attack on Herakles' ships. Priam's half-brother Boukoulion as well as Laomedon die in the ensuing attack, the city breached in one of its weak points (where the mortal-built citadel wall meets the divinely-built city wall), but Priam closes the gates to the citadel walls and even without Zeus' compassion for his cupbearer and putting a stop to things here, Herakles wouldn't have been able to overcome to Palladium's protection at this point.

A little over a decade later, when Priam arrives to aid the Phrygians against an Amazon incursion, he falls for one of King Dymas' daughters, and marries her; Priam, after Arisbe refuses to even be a second-rank wife and Priam too fond of Hecuba to not have her be anything less than first-rank, ends up divorcing Arisbe and marrying her to Hyrtakos instead. Priam and Hecuba's first child and oldest son is born not long after that.

[iwocrack]

Hey I noticed said you bookmarked Songofhopeandhonor's works on ao3. Would you mind sharing please??

I AM SO SORRY I BARELY LOG ON HERE 😭

okay listen I just went through my bookmarks and found whatever zutara stories that are orphaned on there.

I CAN'T REMEMBER IF THEY ARE THEIRS so please forgive me. I am Old.

Hope you find some you enjoy!

House of the Rising Sun

Compelled by the driving need to exact vengeance upon the man who murdered her mother, Katara poses as a Fire Nation noble's illegitimate child and flings herself headlong into the decadent Fire Court. And although her resolve is great, Katara may not survive the web of lies and hatred that binds the royal family.

Walk of Shame

Katara's goals for the semester are relatively modest; playing an inebriated round of Never Have I Ever with her coworkers and subsequently getting drunk-married to her boss's nephew is not something she had the foresight to take into account.

Her newest goal: secure an annulment before her brother and father get wind of this disaster. On the bright side, she's that much closer to ticking 'virginity loss' off her bucket list. Modern AU. Zutara.

Agni's Fever

She decides that she loves him for both the fire lilies and the brimstone on his breath. Oneshot. Zutara.

Zuko’s hands snag around her wrists. His body is a long line of tension, and now that he’s reared up on his knees to match her stance, she notices that his chest is as bare as it is soaked. “You can’t even begin to understand what’s happening to me."

“I’m trying to understand,” Katara grits. “Isn’t that what you wanted from me from the very beginning?”

oracle bones

The foreign, pictorial characters that bracelet Zuko's left wrist have never been covered in any of his lessons. He cannot read them.

And then he turns thirteen, and his father burns his wrist along with his face.

Ship to Wreck

But Katara didn’t bend at any of them. She rocked back a step, then two, then three. Her foot lashed out, and Zuko jumped back from a kick that never came.

Katara dragged the toe of her furred boot across the deck, drawing an invisible demarcation. “Just stay on your side of the ferry, and I’ll stay on mine!"

The Shape of Things

Seven's a good number," is all that Sokka has to say about it. Because he's an asshole.

other stories in this series

Love's Child

His hands—his graceful hands with their sharp knuckles and tapered fingertips, and their calluses from Firebending and sword fighting—would cup over her abdomen sometimes. They would curve gently over the pregnancy-hardened skin of her stomach, trace up and over the prominent veins in her swollen breasts.

Like Razors On My Lips

She ensconces herself in an enemy shrine only to bump into the one enemy she is unprepared to face. Set early Book 3.

Katara curls her tongue between her teeth, ready to demand what he is doing here, but the question, the frantic, horrified question, freezes into tangible blocks inside of her mouth. Of course he is here, of course, because he's always, always had a bad habit of turning up exactly where she and the others are, even if he never catches them. Ba Sing Se, that Earth Kingdom nunnery, Roku's Temple—another holy place, but will she turn out as fortunate now as she did then?

build me a city

Love, for you, is larger than the usual romantic love. It’s like a religion. It’s terrifying. [Zutara Month 2014]

Fathom

something always brings me back to you. zutara. jetara.

[lonewizzy]

I need to talk about the Three Dark Crowns series. I finally finished the series, and I'm disappointed and slightly angry.

I love this series

I thought the series was about how adults fail growing children and leave them with a broken and corrupted mess to fix.

SPOILERS

I thought our triplet queens were going to figure out the true histories of the reigns before them (like the Blue Queen and Oracle Queen) and then go on to reveal the treacheries that took place and then teach the truth of the Island.

Is Low Magic ACTUALLY the Goddess' truest magic? I think it is, it requires: blood, sacrifice, and intent. And it's as tempestuous as she is. (IF it is, it would make sense why she chose Madrigal to continue her line.)

The Legion Queen Plot: I hate it.

SO THE GODDESS JUST PUSHED THE REDO BUTTON!? Like, Jules CLEARLY was the Goddess' chosen guardian for her queen. I thought her final battle was her prophecy, "being the end of the queens," would have been IT.

Nobody spread the truth of the blue queen.

No adult in power was faced with the fact that they defied the Goddess' will, they just recieved the consequences for it (Natalia Arron)

Mirabella:

I thought Mirabella's death was going to be a sacrifice that was her own to make, not to avoid becoming Zombie Queen 2.0

Katherine:

I thought they were going to tell Katherine everything and get her fully involved in saving Fennbirn. I thought her death/sacrifice was going to be THE course correction. I thought with her, Mira's, and the losing Queens' final deaths, the Goddess would be ESPECIALLY pleased with Arsinoe as Queen Crowned.

Arsinoe:

Arsinoe, the Low Magic user, clearly pleased the Goddess, which is why I think she lives at the end. Technically, the Goddess got her winner. I think Mira and Katherine telling us that Jules would be the next queen was a mistaken prophecy (or the author shoehorning to make her ending work). I think If Arsinoe was a part of the trip to the shrine, they would have received a crystal clear vision.

I think Arsinoe and Katherine being switched at birth should have been focused on significantly more. It could have led to learning about the histories and intentions of all the gifts. Like, I think the Poisoners were intentionally supposed to be Healers/Apothecaries, but the Arrons corrupted then changed the status quo for power. Arsinoe's gift steered towards healing and low magic,

I think the Goddess' original intentions were for each gift to incorporate low magic as well. The Oracles seemed to have used aspects of it in their craft, which I think led to them being viewed as taboo or mad. The Oracle Queen was imprisoned 500 years before the current story, and the Sight gift was barely known about back then, too.

I adore the world Kendare Blake, but I have many more thoughts too.

[torto-isemusings]

How Voice Met his Consort

Brace yourselves, this one's a long one, and heavily inspired by the Greco-Roman myth of Cupid and Psyche.

As stated previously, Voice was the most wordly of the Gods, befriending mortals and even having romantic relations with them, but before he met Her said romantic relations would never last more than a few weeks.

Voice: Hello.

She was a Mortal princess from a Universe seperate from that of Polos. He saw Her one day and was instantly smitten, but not in the usual, fleeting way. He actually felt like he wanted to spend the rest of eternity with Her. She lived with her father and two sisters and had been longing to find someone to love, but most people thought so highly of Her that wouldn't dare to approach Her, romantically or otherwise. Finally at Her wit's end, She consulted an oracle who told Her that Her husband was to be a hideous creature feared by all. She was adviced to wait for him on a cliff above the ocean. However instead of, for instance, said hideous creature rising from the depths and pulling Her under, the wind came to carry Her far away to a splendid palace in the countryside. "Here you will find your husband." a voice said. She entered the pitch black bedroom of the palace and was greeted with

Her: Oh! Hello...are you the one I'm supposed to be married to?

Voice: I believe so. How do like it?

Her: Your home? It's wonderful, but very dark isn't it?

Voice: ...Yes.

Her: You don't sound like a hideous monster. Might I see you in the light?

Voice: No! I mean, you shouldn't!

Her: Why not?

Voice: Because if you truly love me who I am won't matter.

Her: ...I suppose you're right.

In the passing months Their love grew stronger. He visited Her under the cover of night to keep this anonymity. It wasn’t until Her sisters came to visit one day and, after hearing how lovely their mysterious brother-in-law was, were moved by jealousy to convince Her to light a candle one night so that she could see who he truly was.

That very night she took a candle, lit it, and held it over the sleeping body of her husband, only discover

Her: The Bestower of Voice! Why...why he's beautiful!

Just then, a drop of hot wax fell upon Him, causing Him to flinch and jolt awake. Seeing Her with the candle He became enraged:

Voice: How...how dare you?!

Her: I'm sorry, I just wanted to-

Voice: Ignore the *one* boundary I put in place? No. This can't go on like this, I'm sorry.

Her: Wait! I...I love you.

Voice: Love? There can be no love without trust.

With that He donned His snow-white fur coat and disappeared into the night. In despair, She fled from the palace to a nearby village, searching for a way to somehow communicate with Him again. After an hour She found a solution: the local Shrine! She knealt before it, saying

Her: Please, my Lords, I must find Voice again! I wish to apologize.

The Designer and Constructor answered

Designer: He does not wish to speak to you at this time.

Constructor: You must first prove yourself worthy of loving a God as an equal.

Her: How do I do that?

Designer: We have set up three tasks for you.

Constructor: Complete them, and you shall be worthy.

She immediately obliged. The three tasks were as follows: Sort an enormous pile of assorted grains before sundown(this She achieved with the help of a friendly ant colony), obtain the fleece of a dangerous golden ram(She collected and presented the fleece it snagged of brambles), and bring back a box of the Queen of the Underworld's beauty from her realm. The last task was the hardest, for She had to placate the gaurd dog and pay the ferryman to get to the box. No sooner had She obtained it, though, that She thought

Her: I've suffered enough on this journey already. It wouldn't hurt to have some of this divine beauty for myself, would it?

She opened the box...and immediately fell into a deep sleep on the banks of the river.

Voice, having recovered from his burn and realized the error of His ways through meditation, had gone looking for Her, and seeing lying motionless on the ground immediately assumed the worst. He rushed to Her side, tears in His eyes

Voice: No, this can't be happening! Please wake up! Cherie, please...I love you.

His fellow Gods took pity on Him and decided to make Her immortal, for She had indeed proven Herself worthy by being willing to undergo the tasks in the first place. Voice felt a hand on His cheek

Her: Are you alright?

Voice: Wha- Cherie, you're alive! Oh, it's a miracle!

Her: It truly is! You're not still angry, are you?

Voice: Cherie, the only person I should be angry with is myself. Please forgive me...

Her: I do, my Lord.

Voice: Paul, please...call me Paul.

Her: As you wish, Paul❤️

And from then on She was allowed to live among the Gods with Her beloved, where to this day They are very, very happy.

[art-that-fucks-you-up-tournament]

ROUND TWO

Text form and links under read more

Just a reminder, these are one day polls!

SET 1

MATCH ONE: Lament for Icarus vs Untitled (the angel came to me in a fever hallucination, perched upon my bed as I returned from the bathroom)

MATCH TWO: Figures vs Hubble Deep Field

MATCH THREE: Bath Curtain vs Une Martyre

MATCH FOUR: Can't Help Myself vs Rape

SET 2

MATCH ONE: A Walk at Dusk vs Diary Page

MATCH TWO: Dead of Night vs Christina's World

MATCH THREE: Untitled (I’m Turning Into A Specter Before Your Very Eyes And I’m Going To Haunt You) vs Lustmord

MATCH FOUR: Untitiled (Zdzisław Beksiński) vs The Fallen Angel

SET 3

MATCH ONE: Device to Root Out Evil vs Fifty Days at Iliam: The Fire That Consumes All Before It

MATCH TWO: Exotic Bodies vs Doubting Thomas

MATCH THREE: Somebody Fell From Aloft vs Anguish

MATCH FOUR: Cat in Obsolete Bath vs Salvator Mundi (Saviour of the World)

SET 4

MATCH ONE: Symphony of the Sixth Blast Furnace vs Tarpaulin

MATCH TWO: Khajuraho Group of Monuments vs ปราสาทสัจธรรม (The Sanctuary of Truth)

MATCH THREE: The Weather vs The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit

MATCH FOUR: Statue of Vincent and Theo van Gogh vs Judith Slaying Holofernes

SET 5

MATCH ONE: Cueva de las Manos (Cave of Hands) vs Chauvet Cave Bear

MATCH TWO: Winged Victory of Samothrace vs Crouching Aphrodite

MATCH THREE: Kūya-Shonin vs Arena #7 (Bears)

MATCH FOUR: Enbu (炎舞) (Dancing in the Flames) vs Belfast to Byzantium

SET 6

MATCH ONE: The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayan vs Nighthawks

MATCH TWO: Electric Fan (Feel it Motherfuckers): Only Unclaimed Item from the Stephen Earabino Estate vs Forgotten Dreams

MATCH THREE: Pixeles (a group of 9 works) vs War Pieta

MATCH FOUR: Ajax and Cassandra vs Nāve (Death)

SET 7

MATCH ONE: Meeting on the Turret Stair vs Stańczyk

MATCH TWO: Closeness Lines Over Time vs The Maple Trees at Mama, the Tekona Shrine and Tsugihashi Bridge

MATCH THREE: Survival Series: In a Dream You Saw a Way vs The Kitchen Table Series

MATCH FOUR: In the Grip of Winter vs NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt

SET 8

MATCH ONE: Blue Plate Special vs Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba

MATCH TWO: Susanna and the Elders, Restored - X-Ray vs Moby Dick

MATCH THREE: how to look at art vs St. Sebastian

MATCH FOUR: Carroña vs The Dog

SET 9

MATCH ONE: David vs The Other Side

MATCH TWO: Starry Night vs Headress - Shadae

MATCH THREE: Woman with Dead Child (Frau mit totem Kind) vs Siroče na majčinom grobu (Orphan on Mother's Grave)

MATCH FOUR: Fighting Against SARS Memorial Architectural Scene (弘揚抗疫精神建築景觀) vs The Hull

SET 10

MATCH ONE: Worship vs Wheatfield with Crows

MATCH TWO: Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X vs The Tragedy

MATCH THREE: Judith and the Head of Holofernes vs oh god i had a really big epiphany about love and personhood but i’m too drunk for words

MATCH FOUR: I am happy because everyone loves me vs Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan

SET 11

MATCH ONE: Water-Lilies, Reflection of a Weeping Willow vs The Grief of the Pasha

MATCH TWO: Passion vs Two Earthlings

MATCH THREE: Seer Bonnets vs Clytemnestra after the Murder

MATCH FOUR: “Untitled” (Perfect Lovers)/The Lovers (TIE) vs Kedai Ubat Jenun

SET 12

MATCH ONE: The Apotheosis of War vs Mouth

MATCH TWO: The Icebergs vs Maman

MATCH THREE: The Book of Kells Folio 188r: Luke carpet page vs Dome of the Rock mosaics

MATCH FOUR: Rowan Leaves and Hole vs Le Désespéré (The Desperate Man)

SET 13

MATCH ONE: Deimos vs Prudence

MATCH TWO: Siberian Ice Maiden shoulder tattoo vs Transi de René de Chalon (Cadaver Tomb of René of Chalon)

MATCH THREE: The Day vs Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban জাতীয় সংসদ ভবন (National Parliament House)

MATCH FOUR: Juventud de Baco (Bacchus Youth) vs Oath of the Horattii closeup

SET 14

MATCH ONE: St. Francis vs Thunder Raining Poison

MATCH TWO: Among the Waves vs Sagrada Família stained-glass windows

MATCH THREE: Noonday Heat vs Gielda Plakatu

MATCH FOUR: The Garden of Earthly Delights vs Kuoleman puutarha (The Garden of Death)

SET 15

MATCH ONE: da oracle vs Panel from Fun Home

MATCH TWO: La Mort de Marat (The Death of Marat) vs Düsseldorf 4 (Museum Kunst Palast)

MATCH THREE: Capriccio vs José y Maria

MATCH FOUR: Lágrimas De Sangre (Tears of Blood) vs Boy Staring at an Apparition

SET 16

MATCH ONE: The Gran Hotel Ciudad de México Art Nouveau interior vs Unfinished Painting

MATCH TWO: Memorial to a Marriage vs A Few Small Nips

MATCH THREE: Saturn Devouring His Son vs Lamentation over the Dead Christ

MATCH FOUR: Little Girl Looking Downstairs at Christmas Party vs Agnus

ROUND 3

SET 1

MATCH ONE: Lament for Icarus vs Hubble Deep Field

MATCH TWO: Bath Curtain vs Can't Help Myself

SET 2

MATCH ONE: Diary Page vs Dead of Night

MATCH TWO: Untitled (I’m Turning Into A Specter Before Your Very Eyes And I’m Going To Haunt You) vs Untitled (Zdzisław Beksiński)

SET 3

MATCH ONE: Fifty Days at Iliam: The Fire That Consumes All Before It vs Doubting Thomas

MATCH TWO: Anguish vs Salvator Mundi (Saviour of the World)

SET 4

MATCH ONE: Symphony of the Sixth Blast Furnace vs Khajuraho Group of Monuments

MATCH TWO: The Weather vs Judith Slaying Holofernes

SET 5

MATCH ONE: Cueva de las Manos (Cave of Hands) vs Winged Victory of Samothrace

MATCH TWO: Arena #7 (Bears) vs Belfast to Byzantium

SET 6

MATCH ONE: Nighthawks vs Electric Fan (Feel it Motherfuckers): Only Unclaimed Item from the Stephen Earabino Estate

MATCH TWO: Pixeles (a group of 9 works) vs Nāve (Death)

SET 7

MATCH ONE: Stańczyk vs Closeness Lines Over Time

MATCH TWO: The Kitchen Table Series vs NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt

SET 8

MATCH ONE: Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba vs Susanna and the Elders, Restored - X-Ray

MATCH TWO: how to look at art vs Carroña

SET 9

MATCH ONE: The Other Side vs Starry Night

MATCH TWO: Woman with Dead Child (Frau mit totem Kind) vs The Hull

SET 10

MATCH ONE: Wheatfield with Crows vs Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X

MATCH TWO: oh god i had a really big epiphany about love and personhood but i’m too drunk for words vs Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan

SET 11

MATCH ONE: The Grief of the Pasha vs Two Earthlings

MATCH TWO: Clytemnestra after the Murder vs "Untitled" (Perfect Lovers) and The Lovers

SET 12

MATCH ONE: Mouth vs Maman

MATCH TWO: Dome of the Rock mosaics vs Le Désespéré (The Desperate Man)

SET 13

MATCH ONE: Deimos vs Siberian Ice Maiden shoulder tattoo

MATCH TWO: The Day vs Juventud de Baco (Bacchus Youth)

SET 14

MATCH ONE: Thunder Raining Poison vs Sagrada Família stained-glass windows

MATCH TWO: Noonday Heat vs Kuoleman puutarha (The Garden of Death)

SET 15

MATCH ONE: Panel from Fun Home vs Düsseldorf 4 (Museum Kunst Palast)

MATCH TWO: José y Maria vs Lágrimas De Sangre (Tears of Blood)

SET 16

MATCH ONE: Unfinished Painting vs Memorial to a Marriage

MATCH TWO: Saturn Devouring His Son vs Agnus

[ga-yuu]

Kurama and Ibuki Sequel Preview

A Karasu Tengu that doesn't understand humans and an Oni who laughs and plays with humans.

A former adopted child and an adoptive parent----but their relationship is broken.

Ibuki: "You're the one who gave the oracle, Yoshino."

Ibuki: "It seems that I will need your help in the upcoming battle...."

Ibuki: "Will the Shrine Maiden of the Underworld give any kind of reward to the man chosen as a hero?"

Kurama: "Are you still prepared to throw yourself into the fray again?"

Kurama: "If you want to run away with your tail between your legs, do it now."

Kurama: "If I see you trembling like a fool on the battlefield, I'll kill you first before I kill the corpses."

The dangerous demons play with me and I was swallowed up in the vortex of battle.

The three of us, were not on the same page.

.........

Yoshino: "Ibuki...I trusted you."

Ibuki: "I know. And I told you that your trust in me feels surprisingly good."

Ibuki: "So much so that...."

Ibuki: "I want to tear it into shreds and trample on them."

A haunting instinct that is too strong for me, a human being to resist, and...

.............

Kurama: "...You're useful in your own way, but you're more interesting than a lot of people lying around."

Kurama: "So I allowed you to call me by my name and I remembered yours. That should be enough."

Kurama: "Why would you be happy or sad over the lives of helpless human soldiers who are of no use to you?"

Yoshino: "....After all, there is a difference between demons and humans."

Kurama: "You're right."

A barrier of race looms between us.

............

Then....

Ibuki: "Life is just a long, long time to pass before you die anyways."

Ibuki: "If I end up being bad here, that's fine with me."

Ibuki: "We'll just dance and play till the end, right? Kurama."

Kurama: "Is playing important? More important than your own life and soul-----"

Kurama: "You never take it seriously....the way you are right now is so irritating that I want to kill you."

Their relationship began to change when Ibuki was cursed for defending me.

Yoshino: "Are you worried about Ibuki?"

Kurama: "Not really. But if Ibuki is willing to give up then...."

Kurama: "I will drag the caster out and forcibly sew this man's soul to this world."

Ibuki: "Kurama."

Kurama: "And then, I will lead you by the hand."

Ibuki: "So that's it after all."

Ibuki: "Well, as you can see, I'm a dependable demon. I'm not that weak for my adopted chick to worry about me."

------Going through the fluctuating emotions.

The end of my heart trembles with emotions for the first time-----

Kurama: "Yoshino. You must only worry about me."

Kurama: "Your eyes...only needs to look at me."

Yoshino: "Ngh....."

Ibuki: "Good for you, Yoshino."

Yoshino: "W-Why?"

Ibuki: "You've managed to tame a powerful demon, is what I would have said, but..."

Ibuki: "You managed yourself in being a favorite toy...."

Ibuki: "For Kurama and even...for me."

............

We face our trials with our own thoughts and feelings.

Kurama: "You are strong. I will not allow you to doubt my word."

Kurama: "Don't ever again undermine the spark of life that I have recognized in you."

By embracing different strengths----our hearts connect.

Yoshino: "W-Why did you kiss me...."

Kurama: "Because you cry."

Yoshino: "That's not an answer!"

Kurama: "I don't know what answers you're looking for."

Kurama: "If there's an answer. It's probably because your tears make me so happy."

Kurama: "I want to see more. Your crying face, your not crying face....everything."

..............

Ibuki: "I thought you said you don't want to be held by someone you didn't like. Don't tell me your heart is already broken?"

Yoshino: "No.."

Yoshino: "Because I love Ibuki...I'm not afraid even if you hold me to push me away." (are we doing this again?)

Ibuki: "Ngh...."

Yoshino: "Ibuki....Mm.."

He can live alone. But surely cannot laugh alone.

Faced with despair, the heat we shared changes him....

Ibuki: "I'll admit it. This game is mine to lose."

Ibuki: "You don't have to be alone."

...........

At the end of our wounded love story, we learn...

That love is stronger than death.

Kurama: "I think this new day I'm living with you is beautiful."

Kurama: "Don't forget. You taught me that heart."

.............

Ibuki: "Are you happy just to watch me? Come here."

Ibuki: "I will love you extravagantly with everything I have."

One where two sweetly prodigal destinies run together.

[uenodivision]

Hypnosis Mic Shuffle Team, Vol. 3 (Part 4) (Cont.)

Prince & Princess

Kirumi "Crystal" Mayeda

Eldrid "Valkyrie" Iwasaki

Doesn't Matter (How Much Time)

Black Shrine

Yuriko "Black Dahlia" Kuromiya

Nadya "Vipera" Kuromiya

Worthy of the Name (Rap Battle)

Secretive Masterminds

Queen Card

Kanon "Mz. Hyde" Hojo

One Division At a Time (Remix)

Secret Lovers

Yorii "Sireen" Sakuma

Elliot "MC Nanashi" Shimizu

Kureha "Eclipse" Koizumi

Kanra "D. Vil" Akemi

My Shining Star (Take My Hand)

Master & Expert

Miho "Iron Maiden" Kobayashi

Goro "The Expert" Eguchi

Obey Me (Iron Maiden Solo)

Peace and Quiet

Makina "Screen Shot" Setsukura

Nikki "1-Up" Yoshie

Miku "Hex 13" Shirazuki

Leave Us (To Our Monotony)

Divine Intervention

Masa "The Father" Judice

Oki "ATLAS" Teagan

Juu "10" Judice

Eiji "MC Mogul" Noguchi

God Makes Us Better (Than You)

Three Wise Women

Anika "Rush Hour" Kiyozaki

Chinami "Oracle" Chinen

Aira "Nightingale" Otonashi

Paradice

The Misanthropes

Akari "Cinder" Himura

Juu "10" Judice

Wet Em’ Up (Pow, Pow!) (Remix)

Cyber Sound

Aiko "A.I.-ko 1.0" Shinomiya

Saburo "MC L.B." Yamada

Masuzō "Malphas" Shinomiya

Ageha "A.D.A." Shinozaki

Synthetic Planet

@takatsuki-division @taito-division @edogawa-division @minato-division01 @minato-division03 @shizuokadivision @setagaya-division @saitama-division @shinagawa-division @akihabara-division03 @akihabaradivision @ginza-division @ota-division @nerima-division @katsushika-division

[tobiasdrake]

Carve my heart out with a rusty knife, why don't you. T_T FINE. GO AWAY. I DIDN'T WANT YOU HERE ANYWAY.

Obviously. In fact, as the new official Headmistress of the Solstice Warriors, I declare this to be no longer a Solstice Warriors problem. Instead, it's a Whoever Wants to Deal With This problem. Effective immediately.

Congratulations, Garl and Serai. You're officially Solstice Deputies. That's a thing now, according to Edict #1 from our Headmistress. That's me. I'm Headmistress.

Coral doesn't make for a very good hammer. It's too soft. So. Uh. Thanks for the squishy hammer.

Oh, it's for a specialized function. My bad. I take back my snippy comment.

Sorry, I'm still emotionally reeling from the fact that you're abandoning us here. Somehow, I'm having difficulty processing this proclamation following you being one of two people in my life for ten straight years.

Kinda feels like my dad telling me to my face that he's not really going out for cigarettes. I appreciate the honesty but it still hurts.

Oracle of the Tides.

Huh. When Stormcaller summoned Hydralion, he called his move "Ruler of Tides". Wonder if there's any relation.

You said the Coral Hammer was our final gift from you.

...you can't bear to tear yourself away from us, can you? D'aww. That's really touching. Blunts some of the hurt.

We'll be sure to check out this shrine. I've been wanting to know what those things are about since we left Mooncradle.

Perfectly good village for people seeking out new beginnings, right here and waiting. I won't even make a rude joke about "inflicting" you on the people here.

Yeah, that'd be a great job for you.

Not in a leadership capacity or anything. You don't know shit about the world outside the Solstice Warrior lifestyle. For all intents and purposes, you're functionally an early twenty-something moving into his first apartment.

But a crotchety old man with a lot of esoteric knowledge who can shake a staff at youngsters and tell them to get off his lawn? That fits you to a T.

Plus, we'll know where to find you so you won't really be abandoning me. I can come by and guilt you for presents on future Fake Birthdays. Maybe even the actual Solstice if I'm feeling sassy.

HA! And you didn't want him to--

Oh, shit. We were gone for like eight or nine days. My week of insufferable smugness expired.

You got lucky, old man.

Three of us. Down to the three of us. Which sounds like I'm excluding someone but I really mean we're two and two halves.

As official Headmistress - don't @ me, I held a vote in my pocket and none of you submitted ballots - I am emotionally devastated but ready to get this thing underway.

Yeah, get me out of here. Great times to be had in Mirth but ironically it's also the source of one of my saddest memories now.

Hey, we never hashed out whose cabin the Captain's is now. Is it yours, mine, or Serai's? That's probably an important question to have an answer to, isn't it?

Aww, Yolande gave us cannons! She knows me so well. ^_^

Okay but seriously, who's our Captain?

I mean. I guess I have to assume our official captain is Captain Cliche. But. That's. Not. A real person. She's a character that Serai plays. And the crew isn't allowed to know that Serai is the Captain.

And Serai has taken to hanging out with the crew as herself, rather than wearing her costume. We haven't seen Captain Cliche since we left Brisk.

But her identity remains a secret to just the four of us. Five, counting Hortence. Even though we're out to sea, and she's... Herself.

...

I'm just saying, if our Captain is officially a fictional persona that Serai isn't even using then. That means. Nobody is using the Captain's Quarters. We have the naval equivalent of an empty throne with a sign on it that reads "OUT TO LUNCH" but remains there 24/7.

Seems like a waste.

[tenjin-no-shinja]

Tenjin-Sama （天神様）

image source

Official Form(s)of Address:

-sama (様）

Other Name(s): 

Sugawara no Michizane（菅原道真）¹、Tenman Dai-jizai Tenjin (天満大自在天神）、Tenman Tenjin（天満天神）

¹[Sugawara no] Michizane-kō（[菅原]道真公）is also commonly used

Other Title(s): 

Senior First Rank (正一位　Shō ichi-i）、Prime Minister (正一位太政大臣 shō ichi-i daijyō daijin)

Basic Information

Brief History 

Sugawara no Michizane (845-903 CE) was a Heian Period (794-1185 CE) academic and politician. By the age of 11, Sugawara no Michizane had mastered Classical Chinese writing many famous Waka poems, and by the age of 33 was appointed Doctorate of Literature (the highest rank for scholars of the time).  As a politician Sugawara no Michizane was fairly progressive, advocating for social reform and advising on foreign affairs.

In 901 CE, due to political scheming, Sugawara no Michizane was demoted from Minister of the Right （右大臣　Udaijin）to Vice Governor-General at Dazaifu （太宰権帥 Dazai no gon no Sochi).  Exiled without seeing family, Sugawara no Michizane died there in 903 CE. 

After death, Sugawara no Michizane was considered a Vengeful Spirit （御霊　goryō) due to a series of natural disasters hitting Kyoto, and the misfortune that fell upon political opponents involved in Sugawara no Michizane’s exile.  Examples of such included: the death of Fujiwara no Tokihira during his prime (909 CE), Tokihira’s nephew The Crown Prince Yasuakira’s death at 21 (923 CE), and the repeated strikes of lightning on the Imperial Palace in Kyoto which resulted in numerous deaths of officials( 930 CE).  

Later on Sugawara no Michizane was exonerated, and posthumously returned to previous ranks.  The receiving of numerous oracles led to Sugawara no Michizane being recognized as the kami Tenjin in 986 CE. 

Goshintoku（御神徳）

Learning, Culture, and The Arts 

Honesty, Sincerity and Devotion

Dispelling False Accusations 

Protecting Children

Dispelling Misfortune

Agriculture

Personal Growth 

Kami Name Etymology

天神

天 「ten」 Sky, Heaven

神 「jin」 Kami, Thunder

Tenjin was originally the name given to the thunder kami. There are still a few shrines dedicated to this original kami.

天満大自在天神

満 「man」 Being Full

大自在 「daijizai」 Complete Freedom, Great Unhinderance (Buddhist Idea)

Tenman Dai-jizai Tenjin is actually a combination of the kami for thunder (Raijin), Sugawara no Michizane, a Chinese deity, an escoteric Buddhist Dharma protector deity, and the Amatsukami.  The name literally translates to  “Celestial Deity of Great Power Filling Heaven”

Nowadays, the name is mostly synonymous with the “Kami of Learning” Tenjin-sama, Sugawara no Michizane. 

Major Shrines

There are approximately 14,000 shrines dedicated to Tenjin-sama around Japan.  The role of head shrine（総本社　sōhonsha）is typically split between Kitano Tenman-gū and Dazaifu Tenman-gū. The Three Great Tenjin Shrines （日本三大天神 Nihon sandai tenjin）are three major shrines dedicated to Tenjin-sama, the third spot is heavily debated.  

Many students often go to Tenman-gū to pray for success on entrance exams.  

Dazaifu Tenman-gū, Fukuoka 

Brief Shrine History

This shrine was built on the burial grounds of Sugawara no Michizane, and is one of the major Tenjin-sama shrines. 

The main worship hall（本殿 honden）was first built in 905 CE, and the version standing today was built in 1591 CE.  The shrine grounds also have 6,000 plum trees（梅 ume）.

Importance 

According to legends the site of the shrine was decided when the ox carrying Sugawara no Michizane, stopped in front of a Buddhist temple and refused to move.  It is also said that one of the plum blossoms that Tenjin-sama dearly treasured flew from Kyoto and landed there.  It is called the Flying Plum （飛梅　tobiume).

The shrine also contains a museum, as well as many important cultural artifacts from the Heien Period (794-1185).  Many of Sugawara no Michizane’s original poems are on display, and people often donate calligraphy, poetry and other works of art here.   

Kitano Tenman-gū, Kyoto

Brief Shrine History

Built in 947 CE, in an attempt to appease the angry spirit of Sugawara no Michizane, it is one of the major shrines dedicated to Tenjin-sama.  The current shrine building was built in 1607 CE and is a national treasure.

Importance 

The shrine received Imperial patronage and messengers were sent to report on the state of the nation to the “Guardian Kami of Japan”.

It is also the location of the annual outdoor tea ceremony （野点 nodate）hosted by local Geiko（芸子） and Maiko（舞妓）.

The shrine is also the location of the famed Kitano Tenjin Engi “The Illustrated Origins of Kitano Tenjin”, a series of illustrations about Tenjin-Sama’s life and accomplishments. 

Hōfu Tenman-gū, Yamaguchi

Brief Shrine History

The shrine was built in 904 CE. Sugawara no Michizane stayed in Hōfu on his way to exile.   Four kami are enshrined here, Tenjin-sama, as well as Sugawara no Michizane’s mythical ancestors.  

The Honden, Offering Hall （幣殿 Heiden）, and Prayer Hall（拝殿 Haiden） are unique in that they are all one building.  

The shrine burned down in 1952 CE and was rebuilt according to old depictions on the scrolls.

Importance 

According to legend, on the day of Sugawara no Michizane’s death a bright pillar of light shone in the sea and a cloud came to rest on the mountain behind where the shrine in Hōfu now rests.  This was interpreted to mean that Sugawara no Michizane had returned as a kami. 

Significant Dates

The 25th of every month is dedicated to Tenjin-sama. This can be attributed to several major events during Sugawara no Michizane’s life: born June 25th, the two main decrees of promotion and later exile were signed on January 25th, and the day of death was February 25th.  As such it is considered a “Memorial Day” (縁日　en-nichi).

Many shrines hold various rituals on the 25th of each month.  Kitano Tenman-gū holds a monthly flea market. It is traditional to visit the shrine or temple on this day and give thanks.

January 7th: Usokae Festival 

Exchanging wooden carvings of bullfinches, which symbolizes trading in your untruths for blessings.   It is believed that you can revive a year of good fortune, advancement in work, and all around general luck.

February 25th: Plum Festival 

The festival that commemorates the death of Sugawara no Michizane.  Offerings of plum wine and various plum dishes are common.  In Kyoto a traditional tea ceremony is held under the plum blossoms. 

July 24th-25th: Summer Tenjin Festival

Festival that celebrates the birth of Sugawara no Michizane.  The festival is one of the major purification rituals during the year.  It concludes with a candle lighting ceremony.  One of the biggest celebrations of this festival occurs in Osaka, and is one of the top 3 matsuri in Japan. 

September 21st-25th: Jinkoshiki, The Grand Procession of Sugawara no Michizane (Dazaifu)

A part of the shrine’s Autumn festival, prayers for the prosperity of the nation and health of the emperor are made. It is traditional to wear Heian period style clothing and parade around accompanied by traditional music.  The procession goes to Enoki Shrine which was the former residence of Sugawara no Michizane.  This is the most important festival for Dazaifu Tenman-gū.

4th Saturday of November: Gojin-Kosai Festival (Hōfu)

Commemorates the day that Emperor Ichijo issued a decree which pardoned Sugawara no Michizane, 101 years after death.  It’s also colloquially known as Hadakabo-Matsuri (The Naked Monk Festival) due to many of the participants only wearing a white loincloth.  The nakedness symbolizing serving kami in a pure and natural state.  

Spiritual Messengers and Symbols 

The main messenger of Tenjin-sama is the Ox.  This is due to the legend that the Ox carrying Sugawara no Michizane decided the location of Dazaifu Tenman-gū. Also, Sugawara no Michizane’s eastern Zodiac was the Bull.  The bullfinch is another one of Tenjin-Sama’s messengers.

Tenjin-sama is associated with Plum blossoms, as they were the favorite of Sugawara no Michizane.  You will see the symbol of the Plum blossom in many Tenman-gū.

Shinto & Buddhist Syncretism 

        Tenjin Shinkō （天神信仰）has its earliest roots in both Buddhist and Shinto practices.  According to historical sources the spirit of Sugawara no Michizane was appeased by Tendai and Shingon Buddhist monks in the 940s.  Along with this the Anrakuji temple (nowadays Dazaifu Tenman-gū) appointed members of the Sugawara family as the head of the temple.  During the 11th-12th centuries, Tenjin-sama became associated as an embodiment of Kannon （specificially The Eleven-Faced Kannon Jūichimen Kannon 十一面観音）, the Buddhist Bodhisattva of compassion.  Later on Tenjin-sama also became associated with Shōten and Daikokuten.  

           There is even a mandala of pilgrimages to shrines and temples at Kitano Tenman-gū Shrine, which is said to have originated in the Middle Ages. The main shrine and temples are arranged around Tenman Daijizai Tenjin, who is in an enraged state.

Sources:

http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=1081

https://faculty.humanities.uci.edu/sbklein/GHOSTS/articles/Borgen.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fedyanina_Vladlena/publication/327765301_THE_TENJIN_CULT_A_BRIEF_HISTORY_OF_THE_SYNCRETIC_CULT_OF_A_HEAVENLY_DEITY_IN_JAPAN/links/5ba3574592851ca9ed176ca9/THE-TENJIN-CULT-A-BRIEF-HISTORY-OF-THE-SYNCRETIC-CULT-OF-A-HEAVENLY-DEITY-IN-JAPAN.pdf?origin=publication_detail

https://nichibun.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=1521&item_no=1&attribute_id=20&file_no=1

http://kitanotenmangu.or.jp/sp/top_en.php

https://www.dazaifutenmangu.or.jp/en/discover-dazaifu-tenmangu/history/

https://www.dazaifutenmangu.or.jp/en/art-and-events/events/

https://visit-hofu.jp/en/spots/hofu-tenmangu-shrine

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fedyanina_Vladlena/publication/327765301_THE_TENJIN_CULT_A_BRIEF_HISTORY_OF_THE_SYNCRETIC_CULT_OF_A_HEAVENLY_DEITY_IN_JAPAN/links/5ba3574592851ca9ed176ca9/THE-TENJIN-CULT-A-BRIEF-HISTORY-OF-THE-SYNCRETIC-CULT-OF-A-HEAVENLY-DEITY-IN-JAPAN.pdf?origin=publication_detail

http://www.lares.dti.ne.jp/~hisadome/honji/files/KITANO.html

http://www.lares.dti.ne.jp/~hisadome/honji/files/DAZAIHU.html