#Quest For Ancient Colour

[annespooky]

NME | 17 août 2021

Manic Street Preachers : “On s’est guidés dans l’oubli” Nicky Wire et James Dean Bradfield disent à Andrew Trendell comment leur rejet des dissensions a façonné leur glacial et personnel 14ème album, The Ultra Vivid Lament. Continue reading Untitled

[melancholyflower]

NME | 17 août 2021

Manic Street Preachers : “On s’est guidés dans l’oubli” Nicky Wire et James Dean Bradfield disent à Andrew Trendell comment leur rejet des dissensions a façonné leur glacial et personnel 14ème album, The Ultra Vivid Lament. Continue reading Untitled

[bagadew]

On holiday playing Dragon Quest Builders 2

Don’t ever talk to me or my heretic children again.

[shoyoackerman]

I just finished the world quest Ancient Colours and it’s by far my most favourite quest in Fontaine. Loved the Merusea Village so much. The whole story as well? Plus Jakob probably gonna be a reoccurring npc which I’m excited for. Honestly Fontaine has been my favourite place so far, made it all the way to number one it’s so fun to explore.

[aenramsden]

The following is not my idea; it was the original brainchild of a friend of mine named Omicron, with help from various others including EarthScorpion, TenfoldShields, @havocfett and ShintheNinja:

So, you know what I want to do one day? Run (or play in) a D&D campaign in which the Big Bad Super Dragon that is fuckoff ancient and unfathomably powerful and whose actions have shaped history and bent the course of nations and had repercussions on the whole culture and society in the region where it's set; the Bonus Special Boss for some endgame optional quest after you defeat the direct BBEG and win the campaign...

... is a white dragon.

To explain this for people not deep into 5e monster lore; D&D dragons are sapient beings, and known for their instincts and tendencies, and whenever you meet an big evil dragon that's really old it's usually this ancient creature of terrible intellect Smaug-ing it up all over the place.

Except white dragons are fucking stupid. Like, they're still capable of speech and thought! They're just… feral, hungry morons. And you almost never see them portrayed as ancient wyrms for that reason; they lack majesty. Critical Role did it, yes, but even then, Vorugal is explicitly the most bestial member of the Chroma Conclave, and the others are the more intelligent planners and long-term threats. An ancient white as a nation-defining endboss, though; not a thug for a smarter master but as the strongest and biggest threat around is just not the sort of thing you tend to see.

Adventurers: "Oh wise Therunax the Munificent, gold dragon of Law and Good, what can you tell us adventurers of the evil dragons which rule this land?" Therunax the Munificent, 500-year old Gold Dragon: "Good adventurers, know this: this land is torn apart by the evil of Tiamat's spawn. The eastern marches are the dwelling of Furinar the Plague-Bringer, black dragoness whose hoard is a thousand sicknesses contained in the body of her tributes. The southern volcanic mountains are the roosting of Angrar the Wrathful, the fiery red dragon, who brings magmatic fury on all who do not worship him. And the northern peaks are home to Face-Biter Mike, the oldest and most powerful of all, of whom I dread to speak." Adventurers: "F-Face-Biter Mike???" Therunax: "Oh yes, verily indeed; two thousand years has Mike lived, and his eyes have seen the rise and fall of five empires, and a hundred and score champions have sought to slay him; and each and every one he bit their fucking face off."

Like... I want to see a campaign where Face-Biter Mike is genuinely the most powerful dragon in the region, if not the entire world. Where sometimes he descends on a city to grab himself some meatsicles and causes a localised ice age by the beat of his vast wings and the frigid wastes of his mighty breath and by the chill his mere presence brings to everything for miles around him, and everyone just has to deal with that for the next decade. An entire era of civilization comes to an end, an empire falls, tens of thousands starve in the winter, all because Mike wanted a snack. Where his hoard is an unfathomably vast mass of jewels and artefacts and precious stones frozen in an unmelting glacier, except he is a nouveau riche idiot with fuckall appraising skill, so half of his hoard is coloured glass or worthless knicknacks, and he doesn't give a shit.

"Your Draconic Majesty, this crown is… It's pyrite." "Yeah, well, it's brighter than this dusty old thing made out of real gold, it's my new best treasure. Throw the other one away." "…throw the Burnished Tiara of Bahamut, forged in the First Age of Man, your majesty???" "See? I can't even remember its fucking name." "But my lord-" "DO YOU WANT TO BE A MEATSICLE" "…I will fetch a trash bag, your majesty."

But at the same time, he's not stupid, he's just simple, and in some ways that makes him more dangerous than the usual kinds of scheming Big Bad you see in these things, while simultaneously justifying why Orcus remains on his throne (because he's lazy). Face-Biter Mike doesn't make convoluted plans or run labyrinthine schemes; he just has a talent for violence and a pragmatic, straightforward approach to turning any kind of problem he struggles with into a problem that can be resolved with violence. Face-Biter Mike has one talent and it's horrifying physical power, so his approach to any complicated problem is "how do I turn this into a situation where I can fly down and bite this dude's face off?" with absolutely no regard for the collateral damage or consequences of doing so, because those are also things he can turn into face-bitable problems.

"My lord, the dread necromancer Nikodemion is using his undead dragons to attempt a conquest of the eastern kingdom; his agents are everywhere, his plans are centuries in the making, what can we do against such a mastermind?" "I'm gonna fly over the capital and eat the eastern king." "M-my lord???" "The kingdom will collapse without leadership, Nikodemion will win his war, he'll take the capital and crown himself king." "And that helps us… how?" "Once he does I'll fly over to the capital and eat him." "…" "This is why you advisors all suck. You're all about convoluted plans when the only thing I need to win is know where my enemy is so I can fly down there and eat him. Stop overthinking things."

And, like, yeah, it's a simplistic plan, but when you're several hundred tons of nigh invincible magical death, you don't need brilliant strategy; the smartest way to win a war is, in this case, the simplest. He's not even all that clever at figuring out the consequences of face-biting, he's just memorised the common consequences of doing so.

(If you want to go all in on Mike being the major mover and shaker in the region; Nikodemion only even has a pet zombie dragon because Mike killed the last dragon to show up and contest his turf but wasn't going to eat a whole dragon by himself. Nikodemion got to stick around and amass that much power because Mike ate the Hero of the Realm while he was adventuring because he figured the Hero would come and try to slay him at some point. Nikodemion got started because Mike ate half the leadership of the Academy of High Magic who typically keep evil wizards and necromancers in check. And then eventually this product of Mike's casual, careless actions becomes a big enough problem to bother Mike personally, at which point Mike eats him too.)

He doesn't even really fail upwards, either! He is regularly reduced to nothing but the glacier he stores his hoard in, but he's Face-Biter Mike so nobody wants to commit to actually ending him forever lest they get their faces bitten the fuck off. And his hoard's in a huge-ass magical glacier so nobody can get to it without running into the Invading Russia problem; it's hard to wage war when everything is frozen over and you're both starving and freezing to death. Once he's been beaten back to his central lair and has lost all his holdings… I mean, he's still a problem, but he's a far away problem. So he loses his assets and spends a decade in a cave brooding it up while no one dares risk trying to actually kill him, and then a generation or two later he flies down to a kobold colony and gets himself some minions, or a dragon-worshipping mage comes to offer his service against a pittance from his hoard, or a particularly stupid cult starts thinking they can get in good with him and leech off his power, and then he's (hah) snowballing again.

He's also got a very… well, the kind of weird Charisma that Grineer bosses do. Like Sargas Ruk, who's a malformed idiot, but oddly charismatic. As he's a dragon, that makes him a natural sorcerer and thus Charisma is all he needs. He's pretty relaxed when he isn't in a face-biting mood, and he's kind of infectiously optimistic, because his life has taught him that he will succeed as long as he perseveres. So he just believes it.

And sometimes that's really refreshing to work for, as an evil minion of darkness! It's like, you're coming to your Evil Dragon Lord with terrible news; you've worked for evil overlords before, you know how it goes. You fall to your knees weeping and tell him that you've failed to seize the incredibly powerful magical artifact, you think your life is forfeit. And he's just like "Eh, it's okay, these things are all over the place. Better luck next time. You remember the guy who took it, right?" and you go "Y-yes, oh great lord!" and he's like "Sweet tell me his name later and I'll grab it" and then eats a frozen adventurer he kept around as a snack.

His followers tend to quickly realise that if they fail him, bringing some temple's silver or a sack of brightly coloured beads or a couple of dead cows means he's super forgiving because at least he's got something out of the day. "Oh boy, cows? It's been forever since I had those, ever since the Orc Steppe Nomads took over it's all about goats and onions. Today is a good day." He's a master of delegation by dragon standards, in that he just tells you "Just go get it done, I don't care how" rather than micromanaging you and constantly appearing as an image in smoke or taking over your campfire.

The key part of Face-Biter Mike as a threat to players (because he exists in the context of a D&D campaign) works well in that you can rely on several known quantities:

He will not pull sneaky shit that you don't see coming

He will not make convoluted plans that you must work to unravel

He will consistently attempt to come down and wreck you personally if he finds the opportunity and you are a threat to him

You cannot fight him head-on (at least not until the last leg of the campaign, and ideally as an optional boss rather than mandatory)

So as long as you are good at staying under the radar, thwarting his minions (whom he gives broad orders to with almost zero oversight) and not putting yourself in face-biting range, you can deal with him. If you succeed, it won't be the first time Mike has lost his assets and had to go brood in his glacier for a decade or two before rebuilding. It happens; he can deal with it. And that's a win for you within the context of a single campaign, so take the win.

And if you're not going to use him as an enemy, he works pretty well as a quest-giver, too! The costs for failure are obvious and straightforward, and "do whatever, just get me mine" means that players have a lot of freedom in accomplishing their goals. As far as evil overlords go he is actually one of the least dangerous to work for; his pride is relatively subdued by draconic standards, his goals are simple and typically achievable, and he is easily pleased.

(There's also a good chance he is the forefather of any draconic sorcerer in your party, because Face Biter Mike is a deadbeat dad.)

[thatonesapphicreader]

PAC : Physical Appearance + Personality of your future girlfriend/partner.

Pile 1: The Corn, The Sun, The Hunter, Hummingbird rx, Eagle rx

Tall.

Bright personality.

Could also be a Dom Fem.

Homebuddy.

Slower personality (her movements, voice and walking style)

Confident in who she wants, and will court you, no matter how hard or long it takes her.

Pile 2 : The staff rx, The Andean Cross rx, Arrow, Child, Tree of life rx, Earth rx

I'm getting a feeling that the people who chose this pile are still tweens or teens...

Very short!

I see that if you're not a teen, then your gf could be legally younger than you but will have a natural "Baby-face."

Very detached person.

Could still be trying to find a way around.

Also very unique personality, not one to be easily grounded AT ALL!

Pile 3 : The Lower world rx, Water, Gatherer rx, Wild Woman rx, Vision Quest

What an absolute sweetheart!! <3

She is a very beautiful women, with a really kind soul!

It seems like she could have a small group of friends, to actually having 0 friends.

Very calm and collected women.

Would not be surprised if she has dancing as a hobby, or could be a professional dancer.

If her eyes may not be blue, the colour blue would definitely suit her A LOT!

Pile 4: Ancient Ones, Serpent rx, Ghost dance rx, Soul Retrieval, Sacrifice rx

Now tell me... which one of y'all got a thing for older women?! :0

Very compasionate woman!

She is not sneaky, and will most definetly NOT go around cheating on you.

She will enjoy being really close to you, and enjoy every single moment of it!

If you're having any issues, or want to have deep conversations, she'll be there to give you advice.

Another conformation, that she wouldn't want to lose you for somebody else!

give me your game card pile 4!!

[iberiantalesif-game]

Genres: Heavy romance, Fall of your entire culture, Ancient history slice of life, Found family

Rating : 16+ for depictions of violence, mature themes and language. (List to be expanded on)

Summary

Life was once tranquil on the isolated coast of your city, surrounded by a loving family and promising prospects for success in your societal position. However, tranquility shattered when the Romans emerged victorious in the Punic War against Carthage, signaling the impending demise of the Iberian people.

As flames engulf your city, escape becomes the only viable option, if luck favors you enough to evade the soldiers blocking your path that is.

Yet, amidst the chaos, you realize that the existence of a stray and that of a Roman slave may not be so disparate.

If the gods truly have a plan for you, their track record thus far suggests they're not worthy of your trust either. But when a fate worse than death is upon your door, you really cant get picky can't you?

Features!

Assume the role of a member of an Iberian civilization dwelling along the coast.

Customize your protagonist's background as a warrior, priest, or noble, shaping both personality and appearance.

Flee from the Romans (or choose otherwise) and embark on a quest to find a new place to call home.

Reconnect with or forge new bonds to create your newfound family, if circumstances allow.

Decide between preserving your culture from extinction or embracing the dawn of new societal norms, and confront the repercussions of your choices.

Engage in romantic pursuits with one of the available romance options. (Witch will be expanding as the game develops and progresses)

The RO´s Cast

Theodosius (Theo) Aurelius [He/Him]

Theo resembles his father´s features, tall, blond and with eyes coloured by the sea. He also has a cold temperament and a tendency to keep people at arm's length.

But being a powerful Roman family heir might make him a good ally. The truth is that you have no option but to please him or his father who bought you, all in hopes of a change of fortune. Or so you tell yourself, as the cold man shows you a mercy not proper of Romans. Maybe they are not as beastly as you thought after all?

Tropes: Snow Prince with warm heart, Fake love to Soulmates.

Eon[He/Him]

Eon is a huge man, with signature red hair, heavily tanned skin and a green stare. So is his entire family, a mercenary group from the northern city of Numantine.

With a world of differences in between and a war that has shaken the safety of the entire peninsula, he is as good a bet on survival as it gets. But when the times can't seem rougher, this giant man offers a sweetness that you have rarely known amidst despair, maybe one strong enough to survive hunger?

Tropes: Buffed fluff/could kill and is a cinnamon roll.

[astralexpressarchives]

The Renheng Iceberg Explained

Alright so there's this renheng iceberg on twitter that I was recently informed about. I'm wayyy too deep into the lore so I skipped to the bottom and everything there was stuff I was already more than familiar with.

So I figured why not put all this information to some use and make a post explaining the more obscure items on the iceberg and leaving out the self-explanatory ones, doing my best to reference as well as possible.

Blade gazing at Imbibitor Lunae statue

This was a hidden interaction where you could find Blade standing near the statue of Imbibitor Lunae at the scalegorge after revealing Dan Heng's vidyadhara form. He says he is 'mourning for folly' and asks you if Dan Heng is happy. You can watch a video about this here.

Good friends who are bad for each other

This is Kafka's description of what she knows about Blade and Dan Heng's history in her companion quest. This answer is a "truth" in her game of truth and lies.

"Apparently, they used to be good friends... Well, good friends who were bad for each other. Bladie forgot nearly everything, so he doesn't remember well. Together, they did something bad — something terrible. It led to horrific consequences. That's the information I managed to piece together. Bladie refused to tell me the details."

Dan Heng gets nightmares about blade

We see this in-game in the cinematic leading up to the Xianzhou questline. This is also suggested in the Only Silence Remains lightcone description.

Matching Jade Ornaments

Referring to this idea.

There is also a vidyadhara egg that says:

"You edge closer to the pearlescent shell and have a dream in which you are a Pearlkeeper who rides the waves, and travels across the ancient sea with your true love. The time you have spent with your lover is full of happiness, but the time of hatching rebirth is determined by destiny. You secretly put a jade pendant in your mouth so your lover can recognize each other in the next life."

And considering that DH:IL 4 story has him refusing to speak during the entirety of his interrogation, death sentence, and final verdict, it definitely leaves room for imagination.

Bracer Lore

This one encompasses a few of the other ones on the iceberg, too. Really, it's worth reading the entirety of the Passerby of Wandering Clouds relic set lore. Keep in mind all relic sets are in chronological order of head/gloves/body/feet. The bracer also mentions this part about 'That owner also once shared company and drinks with the unnamed, the two of them simply gazing at the moon with no words exchanged.' This has an interesting meaning in CN that tells us this drinking was an engagement ceremony. People thought this must be a typo but, despite many tickets from people, their only response has been that they're unable to comment further. They still haven't changed it as of patch 1.4.

Dan Heng polishes and gaze longingly at Cloud Piercer

A recent addition in patch 1.4 where Pom-pom now says:

"Passenger Dan Heng often carefully maintains and polishes his spear. Although the Express is very safe, it seems that he is not willing to drop his guard. Hmm, Pom-Pom can tell that when he polishes his spear, there isn't just alertness in his eyes, but a glint of longing, too. Don't underestimate me, Pom-Pom had dealt with all kinds of different passengers!"

I'm sure by now everyone knows that cloudpiercer was made by Yingxing (Blade).

You can see screenshots of this interaction in this post.

Mirror Inverted Colours

Apparently, a big part of CN character design focuses around the concept of inverted colour palette designs for ships. Because Blade and Dan Heng share inverted colours, this is considered a good sign for the ship as it indicates they were most likely designed together.

Danmei Coded

Danmei is the CN genre for mlm. It has a lot of stereotypical tropes that are very common in this genre and apply to renheng also. My personal opinion is that renheng is very similar to something written by Meatbun in particular - this is a danmei author who wrote erha, yuwu, and casefile compendium. The associated tropes are:

Lovers to enemies back to lovers angst timeline often including misunderstandings involving tragic betrayal

Black/red character x white/blue/green character

Under the moonlight

Amnesia and/or reincarnation themes

Protag did something that made everybody turn on them + complicated political drama plot

Redemption in death/isolation/retreating from the world at the end

Waiting frankly ridiculous amounts of time to be with the lover again

One character pursuing the other character literally

One character considered dead or demonic in some capacity, the other is ethereal and godly

Mortal x immortal

Afterlife/spirit realm shenanigans usually involving fractured souls as a result of torment

Contrasting personalities + others don't think they should get along/are bad for each other (usually the deviant personality is considered to be corrupting the noble/revered personality in some way which often involves a rebellion)

Mirrored Ultimates

Their ultimate animation sequences are very similar with close eyes with weapon - open eyes - attack.

And both of their ultimates take place in different versions of the same location:

Vidyadharas can't identify items belonging to their past yet Dan Heng got the bracer, jade pendant(?), and cloud piercer

There is an NPC named Lingling in the alchemy commission who is responsible for assisting in vidyadhara hatching rebirth. She collects the personal belongings of vidyadhara who claim that they want to keep the items for their next life. She says that:

From what I've seen, most Vidyadhara lack emotions fresh after their rebirth, and are unable to understand the sentiments of their previous selves. Not a single one has ever been able to identify which one of these items used to belong to them.

This is a big indicator that DH = DF and that their romance will be continuing in this life, too. We know from Passerby of Wandering Clouds relic set that Dan Heng is still in possession of the bracer because of the line: "His fingertips could still faintly feel the temperature from the other."

The stars always accompany the moon

This is a reference to their names in CN where the Xing in Yingxing means moon and the Yue in Yinyue jun (Imbibitor Lunae) means Moon. Their ship name Xingyue means Star and Moon, which is often why you will see them referred to with the Star/Moon emojis as well as the sword/leaf emoji.

Blade came to see Dan Heng blushing when Xiyan asked him to act the character in his story

This is referring to this video on weibo where Dan Heng is talking to Xiyan. You can see the characters in the crowd then Dan Heng starts blushing. The next time you see the crowd, Blade has arrived third from the right.

"Eternal Regrets of a High Elder" and "Dreams from a Past Life"

These are arias from the Cloudcry Songbook written by a Vidyadhara named Lingjie who reincarnated into Chunfen. Lingjie was an opera singer and apparently a big fan of Dan Feng and his romantic life.

My friend wrote the poem analysis of both of these arias. I would strongly recommend reading her translations.

TW: These translations do include mentions of a new leaked poem. Some of the content is NSFW.

Dan Heng named himself "Dan Heng" due to the "Dan" character carved by Yingxing/Blade

We know that Vidyadhara do not usually name themselves based on their past lives as they have no attachment to them. The other iteration of Dan Heng was named Yubie for example. Dan Heng's name in CN is  丹恒. The Dan 丹 means red/pellet/powder/cinnabar. You can see Dan is inscribed on his spear that Yingxing made for him, thus the logical conclusion is that Dan Heng saw the inscription and chose it as his name.

The Star of the East (Jupiter, Wood Star)'s god is Ying Xing, and their guardian beast is Azure Dragon/Canglong/Qinglong

This one is the only one I didn't understand when I first saw it, so I had to request the help of my CN knowing friends to figure it out.

Yingxing's name is 应星 (where the 星 means star).

The CN god of Jupiter Taisui Xingjun 太岁星君 is known as Yin Jiao 殷交

Jupiter is the planet associated with the Chinese wood element, known as the wood star

Azure Dragon is known as Canglong or Qinglong in CN. This is the guardian of Jupiter (the wood star).

Blade's fansong equates Yingxing with 听星 (judging star) which is an alias for Taisui Xingjun

You can read my friend's explanation of the relevant line in the fansong below.

Dan Feng's crime was inspired by Chang'E, the moon goddess for stealing an elixir of immortality and Yingxing was inspired by Hou Yi, a mortal and husband of Chang'E (he was given immortality but didn't, this parallels and contrasts Yingxing's immortality)

So there's actually a bit more to this. I'm going to just use my friend's explanation here:

According to Shang dynasty’s Guicang, It is said that there is a moon maiden who escaped to the moon after stealing an immortality pill. This story was eventually given more details: The moon maiden became known as Heng’e 姮娥, who was the wife of Hou Yi - the hero who shot down the 9 suns. Hou Yi was given an immortality pill/herb as a reward, but Heng’e stole it and flew to the moon. In some versions, upon finding out, Hou Yi tried to shot down her to prevent her from floating to the moon, but he hesitated and ended up choosing not to in the end because he still loved her. In the moon, Heng’e stayed in a palace called 廣寒宮 (the Vast Palace of Coldness) and cursed to be separated from her husband, alone with only the moon rabbits and the immortal osmanthus tree forever. Later on, her name was changed to Chang’e 嫦娥 because Emperor Wen of Han’s name was 劉恆 Liu Heng, and so the 姮 Heng part of her name became a taboo. The interesting here is that 姮 (Heng’e), 恆 (Liu Heng), 恒 (Dan Heng) are all alternative ways to write the same character, 姮, which originally means moon, Heng’e. In addition, we also have a lot of official artworks depicting Dan Heng with the moon and osmanthus flowers:

Yeah so I think that just about covers everything. I left out the ones that were self-explanatory but if anyone is still confused about any of them I can try to elaborate further in the replies.

[holmsister]

The labru chess meme but like serious: why Kabru bets on Laios and wins

If you're like me (mentally ill (I can say that I'm diagnosed) about labru) you have seen several variations on this meme:

With Kabru and Laios. (To see a small collection of them, please click on the "labru chess meme" tag on this post). Would you like me to hyperanalyse this aspect of their dynamic to death and not even in a shippy manner, therefore sucking all of the fun out of the meme? Keep reading!

Spoilers for the whole manga ahead. Contains also a quantity of Winged Lion.

First of all: as noted several times, it's not that Laios is eating the pieces to win at chess, it's that he's hungry, chess pieces are available, and he thinks Kabru is a fellow chess piece eater as well. Because he offered him a chess piece. And kabru ate it. While still trying to play chess because he thinks Laios is playing chess in some novel way he wants to understand better. If you think I'm beating this metaphor to death now you haven't seen anything yet.

The thing is. Kabru's whole thing is about finding someone who can defeat the dungeon, whatever shape that takes. And Kabru knows he cannot do it. He lacks what it takes, again, whatever exactly that is. And at some point, he makes the call that Laios has that something.

What's that something? Well. He's eating the chess pieces.

In another post I have already talked about the parallels between Kabru and the Winged Lion. Without going into it again: I think that all things aside, those two have very similar types of intelligence. They're fascinated by people and finding out what motivates them. They can be manipulative and even cruel in the quest for what they believe to be the "good ending". And they both think their end can be achieved through Laios.

See, *those two* are playing chess. Have you ever played? It's a very ancient and noble game, you know, very storied.

Two opponents, Black and White, take turns moving pieces on a checkerboard according to rules that depend on the piece itself (Towers move only horizontally but of as many squares as they please, Pawns only of one square at a time and only move towards the opposite side of the board, Bishops move only diagonally, etc etc). Players can only move one piece per turn, once per turn. Two pieces cannot be in one square. When a player moves a piece in a square that is already taken by a piece of the opposing colour, the piece that was there already is "captured" and removed from the board. The rules are actually much more complicated but this is the barest bones.

I hear sometimes the win condition in chess being described as "capturing the King". That's not entirely it. The win condition in chess is putting the opposing King piece in checkmate, that is, in a position in which the King will be captured by the opposing player by the next turn no matter what moves either of them makes.

Chess matches between masters are notorious for being impossibly long. Some last YEARS. Not only that, it's possible to draw in chess - when none of the pieces on the board have legal moves left but nobody is in check. This condition is called a stalemate.

Since the pieces can move in limited ways, mathematically, it's possible to calculate a most efficient way to move them. In 1997, the AI (real AI, not the stuff that passes for AI nowadays) Deep Blue beat then chess world champion Garry Kasparov for the first time in what is considered a milestone achievement.

It's a complicated game with very set rules and almost infinite yet calculable possibilities, is what I'm getting at. It's why it's a favourite mental exercise for mathematicians and people with similar minds. It's a problem to solve in a certain number of steps according to certain rules. There's a solidity in chess reasoning - even when you're trying to guess your opponent strategy, you still know there are things they are NOT going to do. Like eating the pieces. That's why the meme is funny. I think. I've lost sight of what normal people find funny years ago.

This is the game Kabru and the Winged Lion are both in. They are both positioned to move in checkmate (conquering the dungeon/escaping the dungeon), but they have both reached a point in which they cannot move further on their own power. They're in stalemate and they know it. They both need Laios to move them out of the stalemate.

The difference is what they choose to do.

The Winged Lion treats Laios as another check piece. An important one for sure (the Queen, even. That's a chess joke AND a gay joke). But a piece he can manipulate, that moves around in predictable ways.

Kabru, however, has spent enough time chewing on chess pieces to realise thats not where Laios' potential really lies. What he does is step aside and leave the board to Laios. He says "OK, dude. Eat the damn pieces if you must. I trust you know what you're doing."

You see. There's no rule in chess about eating the pieces. I think. Maybe they added one. But still. Most people when teaching someone to play chess would not think to add "and don't eat the pieces!" There at the end because they will assume that goes without saying. It's an unspoken rule that when you are playing a game involving pieces on a board, the pieces are not for eating.

Laios, our beloved autism knight, needs his rules spoken. Otherwise he's just gonna do whatever comes to mind. And that's what he has that Kabru lacks, and what leads him to outsmarting the Winged Lion. Because he does not think in terms of rules and limits. He does not try to guess what's the catch. He does not go after the King.

When Laios figures out what the primary motivation of the Winged Lion is (wanting to eat wishes), he does not wonder about his wider plan. He stops and thinks. That makes human wishes sound so tasty, he thinks, that a creature so powerful can give up on its life of perfect bliss and immortality on another dimension to taste them. I wonder if I could eat them too. I wonder if I could eat away the Lion's desire to eat desires - I could kill two birds with one stone!

He doesn't know or care what the aim of the game is according to the rules. *His* aim now is to eat the Winged Lion's desire. Because it would solve things, because he wants to know how it tastes like, who knows, who cares. The point is: what's the fastest way to get at his aim?

Well. The Lion promises to turn him into his ideal monster... the same one he wrote about in his book. Maybe he can add a line about the monster being able to eat desires. That would work, right?

It's such a stupidly simple plan that almost has no right to work. Neither Kabru nor the WL think about it. Because of a variety of reasons, but most importantly, because *that's not in the rules*. The rules are: Laios makes a wish, the WL realises that wish, in exchange he gets Laios' body. Laios' wish: to be turned into his ultimate monster that he wrote about in his book. It goes without saying that he can't just go ahead and add whatever to the book description. Right?

Kabru would not have thought to add a line in the book in a MILLION years. The WL does not think to check if Laios added any strange condition. It's like using one wish of the genie to wish for infinite wishes - I mean yeah nobody SAID you couldnt do that but it's obvious right? It's basically cheating... Who does that? ...what's this? Laios, what are you eating? Spit the King out!

Ps: in Italian, the word for "capture" on a chessboard and the word for "eating" are one and the same.

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

A random thought, during the Mr. Qi's Crop Challenge (you know the one were you have to plant and shipped 500 Qi Beans) how will the SDV/SVE Bachelors gonna react to their lover (the Farmer) planting this weird looking crop that looks like a blueberry with sunglasses across the farm fields. 😂

Ah, Qi beans... Probably my least favourite quest, because spending a whole month growing this stuff, and also getting these fucking beans instead of cool gifts in chests or fish.... Ugh. Oh well, sorry for that 😅

Even though this fruit is annoying to me, the ask itself regarding the reactions of others to it is pretty funny, hee hee. Thanks for the ask, and enjoy! 🫰💖

_________________________________________

SDV/SVE bachelors react to the Qi fruit:

"Looks creepy..... And cool, by the way. What did you do to make them grow like that?" Sebastian's spouse is a virtuoso at growing all sorts of unusual crops, and he thinks it's a mega cool ability. Just a week ago they ate a salad made from an 'ancient fruit', and the day before yesterday they cut up a giant mushroom crop that was the size of a large pumpkin (even though Sebby's doesn't like shrooms, it was still cool!). Now it's the weird fruit with sunglasses. He wonder what unusual plant Farmer will grow tomorrow...

"Oh, I know! Are those fruits and vegetables that grow in different shapes?" Sam recently watched a video about gardeners who grow square watermelons or tomatoes in the shape of hearts using plastic moulds. So the guitarist reckoned his spouse had decided to join the trend too. A strange choice, yeah, but hey - bonus for cool sunglasses! And what does this 'Qi' fruit taste like? Looks like a giant blue melon, Sammy wouldn't mind a tasty snack. Anyway, he doesn't know much about gardening himself, so he'll leave that to Farmer.

"Did you buy sunglasses for every fruit you grow or what?" And tell us, dear Alex - why would your beloved Farmer do that? These things maybe look like sunglasses, but are hardly sunglasses. But who knows? It's definitely an unfamiliar fruit for an athlete, especially compared to what his grandmother Evelyn used to grow in the community garden all the time. But if it's edible and full of vitamins (no), then Alex doesn't really care about the look of the Qi fruit. "Hey, even if this tastes awful, we'll have plenty of pairs of sunglasses!"

"That's some ugly ass fruit right here. Do people really eat that stuff now?" Truth be told, while working at JojaMart, Shane had managed to see stranger products labelled as 'novelty'. This applied not only to obscure sauces and snacks of dubious origin, but also to fruits and vegetables. The blue colour of the "Qi" fruit Farmer grew generally gave Shane the idea that his spouse had purchased the seeds just from Joja.co. It looked strange, but Shane didn't even mind tasting it. If it's edible at all. This fruit certainly doesn't get any worse than Joja's 'special' sauce for nachos, of that he's sure.

"Honey, are you sure it's safe to eat?" Every time another crop of obscure origin ripens on the farm, Harvey's heart begins to pound with worry. What if it's poisonous? What if it's not handled properly and you could get food poisoning? Why is it such a strange shape? "Farmer, please..." The poor doctor goes through all the books on vegetables, fruits and berries, hoping to find some information about this Qi fruit and whether it's okay to eat it (spoiler - to no avail). Either it's another "healthy" product from Joja or something else. Either way, Harvey will be sceptical, to say the least.

"...If I understand correctly, my soul, this is our dinner for today?" Elliott could have sworn the fruit had just winked at him! The writer had heard that some farmers and gardeners deliberately grow their crops in a variety of shapes to make them look extravagant and sell them for more money, but... Of all the shapes, his spouse chose the face... But maybe that's the kind of crop that's in high demand on market right now. Elliott hoped that if they were to bake strudel with this 'Qi' fruit today, it would taste better than it looked. Also... sunglasses?

"Hmm, I wonder... Where exactly did you get those seeds, my love?" It is not appropriate for Lance to judge the strange crop that Farmer has grown, when the adventurer himself has a monster crop ripening in a corner on the farm, with an appearance similar to a huge eyeball. Nevertheless, this strange fruit arouses a share of suspicion in the pink-haired man. Something is not right here.... If his dear spouse doesn't mind, Lance would also like to take a look at this fruit, for he is very curious to know if this crop has any magical properties. Or anything that might threaten him or Farmer.

"This... thing is unnatural. What in the name of all spirits did you grow this abomination from?" Magnus's whole gut screams that this is not just a fruit, but the spawn of a dangerous mage or witch. Thin threads of dark magic emanate from this fruit, and the wizard certainly doesn't like Farmer being in contact with that magic. "Eat it? Absolutely not! And is it even edible?" A worried Magnus questions his spouse about who gave them these seeds and why. Hearing the name 'Qi', he sighs heavily. Mr. Qi. Of course... This name definitely promises a lot of chaos for everyone.

"Erm... That's wonderful, darling! You've managed to grow this, um... What's it called again?" Victor had spent two whole days in the town library and looked all sorts of books at home - not a single mention, about this mysterious 'Qi fruit'. It's not, to tell the truth, the strangest thing Farmer grew in their fertile fields (monster crops will always be at the top of the list for strangeness. Especially the one with the giant eyeball). Maybe it's some new fruit his spouse has discovered? Victor is sure the Farmer knows what they're doing. But yeah, he's supportive.

[superconductivebean]

#994: Hogwarts Inquires - 117

Did you know? - 18

The text on the Boards from the Undercroft:

appears before the In the Shadow of the Estate quest.

Few attempts on text legibility were made here and in the reblogs of that post. And no, these notes do not belong to Sebastian -- it is a headcanon.

We do not know the author. Howevor, Isidora is the most probable candidate for the authorship due to the name 'Percival' appearing but the what is likely a timestamp, 1632, veils on that probability, if to assume it is a timestamp, of course. It might be not. We don't know.

Interestingly, the artist tasked to fill up the boards wrote the spellings of the Middle English words: weter, strem, ston, chaungeable.

Diacritical marks were not widely used in the writings done in this language, if at all. You can read about it in more detail here.

These symbols are the triskelion and the valknut:

The latter although predates the Viking era, may not be as old as the former; the former is common in many of ancient art, going as far deep into the ancient history as Helladic and Mycenaean eras of the Ancient Greece and the neolithic mound in Meath, Ireland. Weirdly, the stone objects MC can throw with magic have blue-ish carved symbols on their surface; the carvings look somewhat distinctly Pictish, the choose for colour therefore sounds… like it's Let's Throw Everything Ancient To The Region To The Greater Mix Of Things.

This knot:

is the doire / dara knot; symbolises the oak tree, perhaps the most sacred among Celtic people.

This bit could be important to remember: according to this website, Oak's astrological period starts at June 10 and ends at July 7.

These:

are half Alchemy symbols for basic elements (tin, lead, silver, gold, mercury, etc), half transfiguration alphabet as seen from this image:

This little fella is Saturn/lead:

The congregation of the points at the lower left eludes me but the number of points is 7 and the number 7 appears on the end point of the dimensional door aka the wall MC and Sebastian appear at after they are teleported back to the Undercroft from the Isidora's estate:

Perhaps it tells us Isidora had 7 hideouts and not 3? Besides, the number 7 is the number of the planets corresponding to the 7 metals:

Sun - Gold - ☉

Moon - Silver - ☽

Mercury - Quicksilver - ☿

Venus - Copper - ♀

Mars - Iron - ♂

Jupiter - Tin - ♃

Saturn - Lead - ♄

Uranus, Nepture, and Pluto aren't a part of Alchemy due to a very simple reason: by the time Uranus was officially discovered in the 1781, Robert Boyle had already published the book The Sceptical Chymist: or Chymico-Physical Doubts & Paradoxes, in 1661. He'd effectively removed the word 'Alchemy' from the use and replaced it with the word 'Chemistry', thus also avoiding the confusion between branches of Alchemy that did research on various materials (that includes spagyric teachings; Paracelsian physicians were the people turning poisons into cures and remedy) -- and what people inspired by Hermes Trismegistus developed smooshing many different things together, such as philosophy, alchemy, astrology, etc, creating a wtf.

I'd say it gives geodesy but may also be a weird depiction of the sal commune err common salt:

What to say about these I can't decide, but they look like ~compound names for various alchemical substances, from left to right: Spiritus Fumans (Stannic Chloride), Aqua Tofana (the infamous tasteless belladonna poison), and Verdigris (Carbonate of Copper, once used as a green pigment; was mildly toxic):

What it's supposed to mean eludes me, besides, it is an assumption.

What I suppose it should mean: something Isidora, if that belongs to her, found; all things besides Verdigris were discovered after her death in the late 1400s, however, there is a person who could've been trying to decipher… these things.

In the In the Shadow of the Undercroft quest Sebastian mentions:

No, someone in his family knew about it [the Undercroft]. The Gaunts are full of secrets.

That Gaunt should've been alive in 1632, assuming it is a timestamp. They also needed to be at school at the time, so could be a professor, a member of the staff (a gamekeeper, for example), a Headmaster; unlikely it was Corvinus Gaunt, who was a student by the time the castle would receive plumbing update (late 17th--early 18th century).

'Aura? Ancient Magik' has to become my favourite kind of explaining things to meself because I, too, have no idea what this means:

I can only tell some text is in Greek. An attempt to type after this bit yielded some results:

Ιαεω is probably Ιασω, recovering&recuperation;

ΒαθρεμονΝΟΝΙΛα is probably βαθμολογία, a degree of smth or a grade;

ρπδ is a greek numerical for 184;

φ, a golden ration mention?;

πδ has to do with the Ptolemy's table of chords?

May not be linked to the much speculated Ancient Magic's capability of healing anything but more so of a celestial body's movement, tied, anyhow, to the Magic's power. Probably.

Speaking of which, Is this the constellation of Lacerta? The number of stars doesn't match, however. Lacerta has 9, this one appears to have 10 or 11; likely 11 + it has a satellite constellation of just 3 stars. I summon astronomy nerds to solve this one + the text and the table below is likely have something to do with Astronomy. I might also suggest: weirdly drawn Draco.

[cheesemonky]

Chapter 5: Deeper Into the Forest

pairing: fairy!felix x fairy!reader

Series Masterlist

Word count: 1.5k

summary: A fairy gets their wings once they're 13. A normal one at least. You're 23, and still without any. This leaves you without a mate, because who would love a wingless fairy? So when you decide to leave, it's quite the surprise to find a fairy with a wing missing…

warnings: i dont think theres anything other than it being absolute word vomit and garbage, NOT PROOFREAD

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the windows of the holiday house, casting a warm glow over the room. You and Felix stirred from your makeshift beds, the events of the previous night still vivid in your minds. As you stretched and rubbed the sleep from your eyes, you couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of purpose. The mysterious clue in your pocket seemed to pulse with an unseen energy, urging you forward on your quest.

Heeseung and the other vampires were already awake, gathered around the ornate table in the centre of the room. The atmosphere was markedly different from the night before, filled with a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Heeseung greeted you with a warm smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough," you replied, glancing at Felix, who nodded in agreement. "Thanks for helping us last night. That clue we found… it feels important."

"It is," Heeseung agreed, his expression serious. "The journey you're on is not an easy one, but it's clear you have the strength and determination to see it through."

Felix looked down at the glowing rock still clutched in his hand, its light now a soft, steady pulse. "So, what's our next step?" he asked, looking around at the group of vampires.

Jay, the responsible one, spoke up. "The clue mentions 'those of green.' It could be referring to a group or an entity associated with the colour green. There are many possibilities, but one stands out: the forest guardians."

"Forest guardians?" you echoed, intrigued.

"Yes," Sunoo chimed in, his sweet voice filled with excitement. "They're ancient beings who protect the forests and all its creatures. They're said to have a deep connection to nature and are known for their green attire and abilities."

Felix's eyes lit up. "That makes sense! But how do we find them?"

Riki, the youngest vampire, grinned mischievously. "Leave that to me. I know a guy who knows a guy. We'll get you in touch with the forest guardians in no time."

As Riki set off to make the necessary arrangements, Heeseung turned to you and Felix. "While Riki handles that, we need to prepare you both for what's to come. The forest guardians are not easily convinced to help outsiders. You'll need to prove your worth and earn their trust."

You exchanged a determined look with Felix. "We're ready," you said, your voice steady.

Over the next few hours, the vampires helped you and Felix gather supplies and prepare for the journey ahead. They shared stories of their own encounters with the forest guardians, offering valuable advice and insights. Despite their intimidating appearance, the vampires proved to be kind and generous hosts, their initial theatrics long forgotten.

As the sun began to set, casting a golden hue over the forest, Riki returned with good news. "I've made contact. The forest guardians are willing to meet with you, but you'll need to travel to their sacred grove deep within the forest. It's a long and challenging journey, but I have no doubt you can make it."

Heeseung handed you a map, carefully drawn and marked with key landmarks to guide you on your way. "Stay on the path and trust in yourselves," he advised. "And remember, the forest guardians value honesty and respect above all else. Show them that, and you'll have their support."

With the map in hand and a renewed sense of purpose, you and Felix bid farewell to your vampire friends, grateful for their help and hospitality. As you stepped out into the cool evening air, the forest around you seemed to hum with anticipation. The journey ahead was fraught with uncertainty, but you felt ready to face whatever challenges lay in wait.

Together, you and Felix set off into the forest, the clue in your pocket guiding you forward. The path was winding and often treacherous, but you pressed on, driven by the promise of discovery and the hope of unravelling the mysteries that lay ahead.

“Do you think we can trust them?” Felix asked, glancing back towards the now distant house.

“I think so,” you replied, stepping over a gnarled tree root. “They helped us, after all. Plus, they seemed genuinely interested in helping us find the Heart of Eris.” Felix nodded, though his brow remained furrowed.

“I just can’t shake off how strange that whole experience was. I mean, vampires?” You chuckled softly.

“I know. It’s a lot to take in. But if we can accept that vampires exist, I suppose forest guardians aren’t too far-fetched.” Felix smiled at that, his mood lightening.

“You’ve got a point there. It’s just… this whole thing feels like a dream.”

“A very weird, vivid dream,” you agreed, sharing in his wonder.

As night fell, the forest came alive with the sounds of nocturnal creatures and the rustling of leaves. The moon cast an ethereal glow over the landscape, illuminating your path and filling you with a sense of wonder. Despite the challenges, you felt a deep connection to the world around you, as if the very forest itself was guiding you towards your destination.

“Look at that,” Felix whispered, pointing to a cluster of glowing mushrooms growing at the base of a tree.

“They’re beautiful,” you murmured, pausing to admire the bioluminescent fungi. “It’s like the forest is welcoming us.” Felix knelt down, gently touching one of the mushrooms.

“Y’know, seeing things like this make me forget a little about how dangerous this whole thing is…”

“I know what you mean,” you said, crouching beside him. “But we can’t lose focus. You convinced me to help you with this mess, so you better not forget about it.” Felix stood, nodding resolutely.

“Right. Let’s keep moving.”

The path grew narrower and more winding as you ventured deeper into the forest. Trees loomed overhead, their branches intertwining to form a natural canopy that blocked out the starlight. The only illumination came from the moonlight filtering through gaps in the leaves and the occasional glow of phosphorescent plants.

“According to the map, we should be getting close,” Felix said, studying the parchment by the light of a glowing flower he had plucked earlier.

“I hope so,” you replied, feeling the fatigue of the journey beginning to set in. “I could use a rest.”

“Me too,” Felix agreed, his steps slowing. “But we have to stay alert. We don’t know what might be out here.” After hours of walking, you finally arrived at a clearing bathed in moonlight. In the centre stood a towering oak tree, its branches reaching towards the sky like ancient arms. Surrounding the tree were figures clad in green, their eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. Felix grabbed your arm, his grip tight.

“This must be it.”

You nodded, heart pounding with anticipation. Or maybe it was the way his hand felt against the skin of your arm. “Stay close.” As you stepped into the clearing, the figures turned towards you, their movements graceful and fluid. One of them, taller than the rest and adorned with a crown of leaves, stepped forward.

"Welcome, travellers," he spoke, his voice a melodic blend of authority and kindness. "We have been expecting you." You and Felix exchanged a wary glance before stepping forward.

“We’re here seeking your help,” you said, trying to keep your voice steady. The figure nodded.

“We know. The winds of the forest have carried your story to us. But tell us, what brings you to our sacred grove?” Felix took a deep breath and began to explain, recounting your journey and the clues you had uncovered so far. The forest guardians listened intently, their glowing eyes never leaving your face. When Felix finished, the leader of the guardians stepped closer, his expression thoughtful. “Your quest is a noble one. But to earn our aid, you must prove your worth. We cannot grant our trust lightly.”

“What do we have to do?” you asked, your determination unwavering. The guardian smiled, a hint of challenge in his eyes.

“There is a trial you must undertake. It will test your courage, your wisdom, and your heart. Only those who are truly worthy can succeed.” Felix looked at you, his resolve mirrored in your gaze.

“We’re ready,” he said firmly.

The guardian nodded. “Very well. Follow me.” As you followed the guardian deeper into the forest, the air around you seemed to thrum with ancient magic. The trees parted to reveal a hidden glade, bathed in the soft glow of fireflies and moonlight. In the centre of the glade stood a stone altar, inscribed with runes that seemed to pulse with a faint, otherworldly light.

“This is the heart of the forest,” the guardian said, his voice reverent. “Here, you will face your trial. Prove yourselves, and the forest will aid you on your journey.”

You and Felix stepped forward, feeling the weight of the guardian’s words. The trial awaited, and with it, the next step on your path to unravelling the mysteries that lay ahead.

“So travellers, are you ready to take on what is to come?”

taglist: @mumusreblogs @2minstan @painstakingly-juno @jinnie-ret @juskz @nvmkyuu @cinnabunnyongbok @mirbokk @stardustlixie @vampcharxter @michelle4eve @silverstarburst @abovenyx @palindrome969 @hyunjinloverrr @asp3ntr33 @starrymactavish send an ask to be on the taglist!!

leisel's note: am i back? yes! am i writing again? yes but very inconsistently! i had a brain wave and lost it halfway through writing this. ill be posting random short stories and writing peices more often than actual fics or chapters but please show support still !! reblogging helps a lot with motivation :3

[astroyongie]

ᛉ ϟϟ ᛒ Runes Introduction: Part Two ᛒ ϟϟ ᛉ

Day 11 of October Calendar -> Runes are an ancient alphabet used during the Old Norse times. It is written in the norse mythology (Poetic Edda) that Freyja as the goddess of seidr magic, she used the runes for magical purposes (evocation, invocation, healing, divination, ect). Odin has sacrificed himself by hanging himself from Yggdrasil to gain knowledge of the runes.

-> Today the Elder Futhark are set of 24 symbols used for divination purposes but also for their incubations and evocations during rituals. The first runes were carved into wood, bone, or stone and then painted with various colours to make them more visible.

-> In this Introduction, I will share the meaning of the 24 symbols and how I personally use them for readings and for rituals. This second part, will be revising the last 12 runes.

-> Part one: Here

The Runes:

ᛇ - Eiwaz

-> This rune represents strength, reliability, trustworthiness and dependability. It also indicates a reasonable and honest venture or individual.

Meaning:  wisdom, the mystery of life & death

Reserve Meaning: confusion, dissatisfaction or weakness

ᛈ - Perthro

-> This rune represents secrecy, uncertainty, mystery and the occult. It can involve one’s future path that is currently hidden or uncertain. Relates to feminine energies, fertility and potential for change

Meaning:  Divination, casting of lots, quest for self-knowledge, fate

Reserve Meaning: addiction, confusion and shame

ᛉ - Algiz

-> This rune represents protection or a shield. It can be the urge to protect oneself or others, to ward off evil and protect what one has. It can also represent another protective force.

Meaning: luck & protection, connection to the higher self, sanctuary

Reserve Meaning: hidden danger, a repelling force or a block

ᛊ - Sowilo

-> This rune represents power, success, achieved goals and a sense of honour. It can appear in the form of health, life-force, positive change and success. Wholeness, power, influence

Meaning: spiritual power & enlightenment, success, personal growth

Reserve Meaning: This rune cannot be reversed. In some cases it can be read as false goals and success, poor counsel, gullibility, and vanity

ᛏ - Tiwaz

-> This rune represents a force of honour, justice, leadership and authority. Understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses. Self- sacrifice. Victory and triumph.

Meaning: bravery, a fight for justice & honour, sacrifice for greater good

Reserve Meaning: a sense of paralysis, injustice, imbalance, strife or failure

ᛒ - Berkanan

-> This rune represents fertility, birth and growth and can be related to mental, emotional or physical aspects. Regeneration, renewal, promise, and new beginnings. Love, blossoming and creation.

Meaning: Birch, rebirth, a new phase, relationship, or project

Reserve Meaning: family problems, domestic issues, carelessness, sterility

ᛖ - Ehwaz

-> This rune represents transportation or a vehicle, and/or movement in a better direction. It indicates gradual change, progress and development as well has trust, working with others and being loyal

Meaning: partnership and cooperation, forward progress, movement

Reserve Meaning: restlessness, feeling confined, recklessness, disharmony, mistrust and betrayal.

ᛗ - Mannaz

-> This rune can represent the self, or humanity as a whole. Social order, friendships, divine structure, and cooperation. Suggestion of some kind of aid or cooperation.

Meaning: Humanity, balance, divine potential, development of talents, creativity

Reserve Meaning: depression, cunning, manipulation, self-delusion, lack of support

ᛚ - Laguz

-> This rune represents the flow of water or a source of healing power and renewal, life energy and growth. Related to imagination and psychic matters, dreams and fantasies.

Meaning: Imagination, Water, flow, journey inward, depths of the self

Reserve Meaning: confusion, poor judgement and decisions, lack of creativity, fear, avoidance, obsession, perversity and sickness

ᛜ - Ingwaz

-> This rune represents masculinity, fertility and internal growth. Virtues, common sense, strength, family bonds, human warmth and caring. It can also represent the home or a time or relief and refuge where everything falls into place, leaving you free to move in a new direction.

Meaning: Fertility, sexuality, potential energy, family lines, and ancestry, virtue

Reserve Meaning: This rune cannot be reversed. In some cases it can be read as impotence, toil, labour.

ᛞ - Dagaz

-> This rune represents a breakthrough , clarity, awakening or awareness. A time for planning, change directed by will, transformation, security, certainty, hope and happiness. Balance.

Meaning: Will, light of the gods, awakening to enlightenment, inspiration

Reserve Meaning: This rune cannot be reversed. In some cases it can be read as completion, ending, or a limitation

ᛟ - Othala 

-> This rune represents property, possessions, a home or some other important source, often inherited. It indicates aid in spiritual and physical journeys, a source of safety, increase or abundance.

Meaning: Ancestral property, wisdom, inherent talent, homecoming, source.

Reserve Meaning: bad karma, poverty, lack or obligation

[daftpatience]

Dm tips! I'm quite passionate about ttrpgs so I've been having a think about things that might help, I really hope this comes across more as helpful and fun rather than overwhelming!! tldr Have fun with creating a story together and don't put too much pressure on yourself to do everything

- Don't be afraid to ask for help from the table when keeping track of things! Sometimes it can be hard to keep everything in your head as one person, and there's nothing wrong with asking others to help keep track of initiative, jot down notes, look up how magic items and spells work, exc.

- If you haven't heard of them yet/used them before, I would recommend looking into 'lines and veils' and other safety tools for playing ttrpgs; even if you think your game won't get too dark, in a game where people can get deeply emotionally invested in the world and their characters, its good to set clear boundaries and safety nets for what people are comfortable exploring + to what depth.

- Have plans that allow the world to bring the story to the players; players can do the darnedest stuff sometimes, and if you have a set module or story in mind, it can be easy to start feeling out of depth as the players take actions that lead them further and further away from what you had in mind/planned. There are a few things that can help with this, some examples being:

a) be loosey goosey about where things are until the players travel there: if your players need to find a specific ancient sword in an abandoned, cursed town, but they travel in the opposite direction of where you had planned the town to be, just move it so it crosses their path. If you want them to be able to choose between a few different paths but still want them to find this sword no matter what, you can also change the aesthetic of the town but keep the quest details the same: for example, if they choose to go to bright Bloomshearth rather than Wroughtfield, the town they find mysteriously abandoned might be overgrown with mysterious, colourful flowers, the sky always lit in a golden afternoon glow, rather than deep, dark vines and howling winds... that way there's still an element of choice without putting in too much extra work.

b) Ask yourself 'if the players don't accomplish xyz, what are the in-world consequences?' If they fail a quest to defeat all of the slimes in a tavern cellar, does the tavern keeper throw them out? Does the building later become overwhelmed with the infestation and cause an even larger fight than before? Do the party gain a negative reputation in the area for a job poorly done? On a larger scale, if they fail to prevent a villain from collecting all the artefacts they need to start an apocalypse, do they kidnap a player/beloved NPC to complete the ritual? Do local kingdoms start preparing for war, with soldiers marching the streets? Are villages the players visit become empty as people flee, or destroyed by enemy forces? You don't need to have absolutely specific answers, but asking yourself these kinds of questions beforehand gives you more control over where the story goes and means you don't have to rely on players successfully completing tasks in order to keep the ball rolling: the players don't always need to succeed, and failure can actually lead to some fascinating paths! It also gives you a chance to set stakes and get the players more invested in their world by giving their actions tangible weight and consequence. Said consequences don't have to been super serious in order to be engaging either, especially if you're playing something lighter or more silly: fit the consequences to the type of story you want to tell.

c) If the players don't do xyz, are there any NPCs that might instead? Or any NPCs that might be competing to complete a task/grab an item before the players can? This can invite a sense or urgency and challenge that some players enjoy, or if the NPC is on the players' side it can allow certain necessary/fun story points to continue on even if the party don't quite make it. This can be combined with the previous point too: if the party do not accomplish an important task, does the NPC have to make any sacrifices to complete it on their behalf? And if they're challenging the players and win against them, what will they do with that accomplishment/item?

- Invite the players to describe things and help paint the world: things like 'how does your character feel about this?', 'What memory or emotion does this scent/sound/place/exc. bring your character?', and 'what is your character hoping to find/get out of this situation?' can be great ways to gain insight into what's important to that character (great to note for any future shenanigans) and also invites people to openly collaborate on storytelling. If a character rolls incredibly well (or sometimes if they fail spectacularly too) on a skill check or attack roll, it can be fun to hand over the reigns and ask them to describe how they succeed at the task at hand, you might be surprised + inspired by what they come up with.

- if you're confused by a player's actions, it's okay to ask them what they are hoping to accomplish with their actions: sometimes it's not always clear and people are often eager to clarify when given the chance to do so, you don't have to try and guess! This also helps avoid situations of disappointment when a player rolls well and the results in-world aren't what they wanted to happen

- Have fun! Don't be afraid to improvise things in the moment, have a laugh with friends, and try to remember how awesome it is you're putting in so much thought and effort into making a story together: it can be really easy to fall into the trap of not feeling good enough as a dm, especially if a session doesn't go as you expect, and if that's the case don't be afraid to reach out and ask for some positive vibes/feedback on the game. Even the best dms can feel low after a sesh sometimes, so don't feel bad if it happens, especially in the first few sessions whilst getting the hang of it! Giving each other small compliments on player actions and dm storytelling immediately after a session has ended is a great way to check in with everyone and leave the session on a positive note too, in my experience!

Hope this is okay to send, I hope you have a blast!! :D

thank you so much, this is all WONDERFUL advice!!!!! ♥♥♥ im noting it all down in my little dm bible ✍

[roncheg]

Just a personal opinion - I feel like Dragonage Veilguard is a disappointment of the year for me:'(

and I was so ready to love this game, I am a hardcore fan of the series, of the lore, of the universe((

It's just...plastic.

Very beautiful and smoothly moving, but still plastic(

the game never lets you forget that you are in a game - brightly coloured health potion jars conveniently placed right before the battleground; nothing in the environment is really interactive; resources haphazardly but conviniently strewn on your path; quests are just endless corridors, you can't really explore anything (in DA2 it was like this too but I didn't mind, the atmosphere was idk atmospheric enough to go through those corridors over and over!);

companions are helpful, brightly coloured, very self-sufficient, immortal..dolls. They speak to you only to offer reassurance, or to help if you are struggling with a puzzle, or to state the obvious - IT'S A BIG DARKSPAWN! (no shit, I can see it too:/), or to add exposition; they don't talk with each other and you can't see their stats on the screen, so I even forget that they are there, and companions were one of the best stuff in the series, ALWAYS.

Subject-wise there is..no intrigue? Every NPC for some reason is very knowledgeable about ancient elven gods, and it feels like Veilguard is set up to quickly answer all of the questions posed in the previous games of the series.

I can go on, but overall it feels like I am fed a bowl of brightly coloured cereal, some kind of lucky charms or smth after being dining at a king's table for years.

So yeah, I am disappointed..

[bestiarium]

Wiston castle (Castell Gwys) is an old estate in Haverfordwest, Wales. As with many old fortresses in the region, there is a local folktale associated with it:

As the story goes, ownership of the castle was at one time disputed between several claimants. The situation was further complicated by the presence of a horrible monster: a basilisk had made its lair on the bank of a nearby river. Though the creature was only about 2 feet (60 cm) long, it was exceptionally deadly, being able to kill people merely by looking at them. Any would-be heroes who tried to sneak up on the basilisk from behind were swiftly disposed of as well, as the monster had a separate set of eyes on the back of its head. It was a black and yellow reptile, and those who managed to avoid its 360° death vision would succumb to its deadly noxious breath. But it had a weakness: if the basilisk was seen by a living human, without being able to see that human, it would drop dead on the spot.

And so the locals agreed that if anyone managed to look at the monster without being seen by it, deserved to inherit the Wiston estate. Several adventurers attempted to do so, emboldened by the promise of wealth and titles, but all of their quests ended in deadly failure.

As is often the case with legends about quests and monsters, the hero of the story – curiously, I could not find his name – succeeded through wit and trickery rather than force. He rolled a wooden barrel up a nearby hill and climbed aside. The barrel rolled down the hill past the basilisk’s lair and he cautiously looked through the bunghole (the tiny round gap in the side of a barrel) as he rolled by. He yelled at the monster and mocked it, but the creature could not see him. ‘Ha, bold basilisk!’ he shouted, ‘I can see you, though you can’t see me!’

And so the basilisk fell to the ground. Having fulfilled the requirements of the quest, the hero became the rightful owner of the Wiston castle.

Basilisks are a rather well-known type of monster, usually being portrayed as a dragon-like creature or a monstrous rooster in modern times. I will not detail the entire history of basilisks here, but one account by the ancient Roman author Plinius Maior describes the basilisk as a frighteningly noxious snake: these monsters are supposedly so dangerous that the very grass on which they move will burn away from their presence. Its vile breath destroys shrubs and its gaze is lethal (this last trait is commonly attributed to basilisks throughout time, like in the Welsh story we just went over). Plinius claimed that these serpents are about twelve fingers long and can be distinguished by the crown-like white spot on the forehead.

Finally, according to Plinius, there is an older belief that the venom of a basilisk is so horrifyingly potent that if a rider on horseback kills one of these monsters with a spear, the venom would somehow flow up the shaft of the spear and kill both the rider and his horse.

Additionally, it is said that these beasts hatch from the egg of a rooster. Such an egg doesn’t have a normal eggshell, but instead is covered in thick skin. It is round and has a muddy colour, unlike a normal egg, and is supposedly laid when a rooster reaches a certain (old) age, and then can only be laid in summer. Even then, the egg has to be sat upon by a rooster, and it is supposedly very difficult to keep the rooster away from its egg.

Edward Topsell, in his 1658 ‘history of four-footed beasts and serpents’ proposes a possible origin for this story: a rooster living in unsanitary conditions might vomit a compact cluster of undigested food, which might appear as a weird egg to a superstitious farmer. It is possible that such clusters sometimes included a parasitic worm, which appears to ‘hatch’ from the ‘egg’ when the worm starts to move. It is not impossible that such a story was exaggerated through many retellings, until the worm became a snake.  

Sources: Roberts, T., 1984, Myths and Legends of Wales, Abercastle Publications. Naturalis Historia, by Plinius Maior, book VIII, chapter 33. Which you can read here. Edward Topsell, 1658, “The History of Four-footed Beasts and Serpents”, which you can read here. (image source 1: Wenceslaus Hollar, 17th century, plate depicting a basilisk with its natural enemy, the weasel.) (image source 2: Edward Topsell, 1658, “The History of Four-footed Beasts and Serpents”)