#The entity’s realm has its own sense of time while the entity can break through earth at any point in time

[creatureshrieks]

I will say as a small addendum, the Entity exists in a completely different plain of existence which does have its own sense of time, hence why the Entity engages in yearly cycles. There IS the passage of time within the realm that reflects the standard amount of time on earth.

[bananapancakewithcondensedmilk]

The idea that consciousness originates from a different dimension, rather than simply being a byproduct of the brain, is a fascinating theory that resonates with both ancient philosophies and modern speculative science. From a multidimensional perspective, consciousness could be seen as something that exists independently of our physical reality, acting almost as an observer or an entity that interacts with the physical brain rather than being produced by it. This aligns with ideas from quantum physics, where some theorists suggest that consciousness might exist in a realm beyond space and time, influencing the material world through interactions that we don’t fully understand.

The internet, as a vast, interconnected web of information and communication, can be thought of as a digital analog to this multidimensional consciousness theory. Much like the way consciousness is thought to “plug into” physical reality, the internet links minds across the globe, creating a kind of collective digital consciousness. People from different cultures, with unique viewpoints and life experiences, contribute to and shape the narratives, information flows, and even social structures within this digital space. In this sense, the internet reflects a shared consciousness—a vast, virtual dimension where ideas evolve, spread, and connect in ways that transcend individual minds.

The internet could be seen as a model of consciousness in action. It’s a place where ideas from various perspectives blend and morph, creating a collective intelligence that seems to have its own “mind,” separate from any one person. This collective intelligence can be insightful and enlightening, but it can also be chaotic and influenced by dark currents of misinformation, manipulation, and conflict. Just as individuals grapple with the subconscious mind, the internet has its hidden spaces—echo chambers, misinformation bubbles, and ideological silos—that shape and sometimes distort the broader consciousness of society.

If consciousness indeed comes from a different dimension, one might view the internet as a bridge or an extension of this higher-dimensional awareness. This digital realm offers a space where people can explore abstract ideas, break boundaries, and even question reality itself. Through discussions, debates, and shared media, it facilitates a kind of communal evolution of thought. However, like consciousness, the internet is also vulnerable to corruption and influence, reflecting the shadow as much as the light within human nature.

This perspective on the internet as a collective expression of higher consciousness challenges us to use it responsibly and with mindfulness. It suggests that while the internet can reflect and magnify our best and worst traits, it also holds the potential to elevate understanding, foster empathy, and possibly serve as a channel through which humanity can connect to higher truths or even transcendental ideas. The idea that consciousness comes from a different dimension might imply that this digital network is a stepping stone for humanity—a reflection of our journey toward greater self-awareness, collective unity, and, perhaps, an eventual alignment with a higher dimension of understanding.

[sapientiiae]

What can completely break your muse?

@guideoftime untitled headcanon questions Going to go ahead and answer this one on behalf of Zelda because I honestly do no see her just answering this on her own. Speaking about this would put her in a situation of vulnerability, so it is really only a conversation she would have with people she is very close with and trusts wholeheartedly. 

The things that have the power to completely break Zelda fall into three categories: the kingdom, her family, and the people she holds closest to her heart.

Kingdom

Zelda is the Princess of Hyrule, and she has a sworn duty to protect the kingdom and its inhabitants. Her desire, however, stems less from being duty bound and more from a place of genuine care. She really and truly wants to see everyone in Hyrule thriving, regardless of race. It doesn’t matter if the other regions have their own leaders and do not view Zelda as someone they would ever listen to/take orders from, she still wants to see them successful in their endeavors.

If the Kingdom of Hyrule falls, it will be because she failed to do what was needed of her — the one thing she was born to do. The thought of knowing she failed in protecting so many people would be completely and utterly devastating. 

Her family

Zelda is already broken. Her mother’s death was a tragedy, and it was very hard to cope with the idea of never being able to see her again. It happened at such a young age, and the weight of it is something she better understood the older she got. There were so many pivotal moments of her life that her mother would never witness.

Having a family member, the person she is closest to, taken was heartbreaking. It is something she’s yet to let go of, no matter how many years and events have passed, and if it were to happen all over again it would still be just as world shattering. The only thing that has kept her from completely snapping is she did not lose everyone all at once.

At the time, she still had her father, which means less these days given their strained relationship. She, technically, still has Impa, and she has viewed the Sheikah as an extension of her family for as long as her memory will allow. If Isabetta and Impa had been taken from her at the same time, things might have looked very different.

We will also call the Sages an extension of her family. While she is closer to some than others purely because of how their personalities mesh, they are, in a sense, a makeshift family. They are the people she is most closely linked to because of the powers they all possess and their access to the Sacred Realm along with their experiences together. If she were to lose all of the sages at once, all hope would seem lost (and it could likely lead to the downfall of Hyrule, which is a problem as mentioned above).

The people she holds closest to her heart

Link, understandably, sits at the top of this list because she is very fond of him, and she feels so guilty about everything he went through (still blaming herself for beseeching him to seek out the Spiritual Stones, even if it was a fate pre-destined by the Goddesses). If she were to lose Link, regardless of time/timeline, she would be devastated. It would be like a part of her died that day, whether it is because they are tethered by the Triforce or because they have actually grown close to one another. If she were to, specifically, lose him while Ganondorf is still wreaking havoc on Hyrule, we are back to the first topic.

Next on the list would be Impa and then the other Sages (yes, they weirdly fall into several categories at this point).

From there, we see the sort of wild card options. Does Sheik exist as a separate entity? If yes, losing Sheik would also crush her as she likely holds Sheik as close to her heart as she does Link, though she would have spent more time with him/her than the Hero. Does Zelda have a romantic interest? If yes, losing the love of her life would be as overwhelming as losing her own mother, perhaps worse. And if Zelda were to ever have a child/children and lose him/her/them then by the Goddesses she will seek her revenge. That loss would be calamitous because there is no greater grief to a parent than the loss of their child. She would likely wither before ever making it to the acceptance stage of grief.

[div1nity]

𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐒   -   𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒 + 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄  ! ARSENAL :   a silver sword , the blade etched in old language prayers . bow and arrow , silver with gold bits dancing along it and has been bathed in the moonlight and blessed with prayer of all languages . a necklace ; seemingly uninteresting, though the stone is from the first ever spear that a human made and lights up when danger is nearby .

from the moment humanity existed , coraline was right there with them . she remembers a time before them , it was quiet , vast , empty , walking the earth on her lonesome , nothing but animals and the stars in the sky for companionship . then , humans happened , as strange as it seemed , even though they were new , she knew long before evolution took its course that she was there to protect them from forces they weren't built to face . she sees it as an honour to watch humans grow , to evolve into what they are in modern day . she remembers as if it was yesterday when humans were banging rocks together to create something , when they first discovered fire , she watched as human took the world in the palm of their hands and shaped it for themselves . she's proud of humanity , how far they've come , sometimes its hard to believe how quickly time has passed ; there's always a sense of pride that swells in her chest when seeing humanity ; through the good and the bad , she can't help but feel like a mother .

her job is a hard one , but it's one she does with pride ; it's her responsibility to protect humans , to protect the living from the forces of evil . since humans grew into themselves there have always been spiritual forces there to take them down , to take advantage of them and use their ignorance for their own interest ; coraline is there for one thing and one thing only , to protect the living from the dead , from entities and deities that only have bad intentions in mind . meaning she works 24/7 , 7 days a week with no breaks . it's on the regular how many spirits pass through the spirit realm , especially with humans performing magic , rituals that shouldn't be performed by anyone , let alone a human who can't put up the protection , no matter how advanced they claim to be .

coraline doesn't need people to believe in her, it's not needed ; though , that doesn't mean she doesn't exist in the eyes of humanity . she's still there , though less as a character and more like a concept ; she's the good in the air , the powerful force that keeps the bad away ; the aftermath of relief when the room feels lighter after eyes were closed tightly wishing the bad energy in the air would just go away , the safety of tucking your feet under the covers . coraline doesn't have a name in the eyes of humans , a protector that was never meant to be known - and while there is art work of her from the few humans that caught flashes of her , it's rare and she can never stick around . because of this , it means her life is lonely , coraline is okay with it … for the most part , it's been a norm for so long , it's something she just has to accept .

naturally , coraline has witnessed everything , this includes the creation of the guardians . she remembers pitch vividly , the nightmare reign on humanity . her job has always been busy , but it became so much worse with him not understanding the notion of balance . spirits who feed on negative emotions were at an all time high , tormenting children and adults a like with how vulnerable their state was from lack of sleep , depression and other things that manifested in humanity during this time . it died down when the moon brought about new forces ; something different , something new . sandman , north , the tooth fairy , the easter bunny - it brought a shift , a change ; the belief in these tales is what strengthens the mind and body , it's beautiful ; what stories can do , it brings a spiritual ward that is hard to break through. it made coraline's job a less frequent … at least in comparison to what it was .

her relationship with the other guardians ? it doesn't really exist, they know of each other , but don't know each other . coraline does not have the time to socialize , maybe the odd interaction here and there if in the same area - but for the most part , she keeps to herself and remains world focus.

personality : blunt, awkward , can be dense at times and can fail to understand social cues - her work dominates her life and unlike the others , coraline is very much a solider . though , don't let that fool you ; she's sweet, is plagued by good intentions and has a heart of gold - ultimately, she wants people to be safe and hasn't had the option to separate herself from work because she IS her work.

can people see her ? yes ! though there is a catch, only people who TRULY believe in humanity have the ability to see her ; those who hate people and have lost faith in them have no chance . people who have true love for others in their heart can see her ; though, as time goes on and people begin to lose hope in others , it becomes rarer and rarer till eventually , she hasn't been seen since the the renaissance . this is canon and what will be explored in headcanons , however , for the sake of threads and more interactions , we're going to ignore this part - especially because coraline is probably heart broken by those who can't see the good in others .

[badbirchenergy]

Despite everyone appearing to be in one piece, the enthusiasm behind the hope of finding an exit dwindles before evaporating completely. May exchanges a morbid glance with Dawn, and decides to follow her lead listlessly towards the vertical climb ahead—though, a climb it is not. Sharp breaths escape as May acclimates to walking upwards without any sort of gravitational interference, the sensations of this realm further obscuring everything she's ever known.

The forest of the damned, it's mangled trees eerily resembling twisted corpses crying out in agony, is no haven from the ever-altering world around them. The growling of the abyss rises to a higher decibel and rattles the path towards whatever awaits for them on the other side of the platform's relative peak.

Her mind feels much like a completed puzzle, one depicting a gorgeous and all-encompassing understanding of her existence, that slowly begins losing its pieces. One by one, the larger image becomes unrecognizable, foreign and strange and enough to bring May to briefly forget even her own name. Flashes of images of her past seem more like reels of a film she'd never seen, once familiars now reduced to actors on a screen.

Who had she been, before entering Hell? Who is she now, if anyone at all?

The sparkle in her eyes that'd glitter like a sunrise against the sea is no longer. She isn't even sure if the feet carrying her forth belong to her anymore. This world has tried since her arrival to rip anything meaningful from her hands—hands that'd previously cling to the death to anything she held sacred, are now limp. Lifeless. Phantom limbs, belonging to a body she no longer feels agency over.

Whistling of the void's winds cease as the group breaks free of the leafless forest, tilting over the angle of the platform as easily as they'd ascended it. Now, the vastness of its peak can be witnessed in full view: a massive, barren wasteland, littered by the same trees they'd passed through and overseen by rocky islands floating at unimaginable heights overhead.

Dawn's voice—her apology—distorts against the buzzing in May's ears, though the brunette nods softly in acceptance. Desperately she wishes to object to the other woman shouldering the blame for their inevitable ends. Futile, it'd be at this point. Even if the words would surface, May's unable to relay them: the realm is changing yet again, in rapid response to their arrival at this summit. The stage had long been set, she realizes; there never was any chance of escape.

The sky above shatters so suddenly that fear takes ahold of May's psyche and brings her body to tremble. This perpetual nightmare grows worse, an eldritch entity unlike any she's ever seen merging through dimensional fabric while ripping it into shreds. The cacophony of her arrival drowns out into white noise, only intensifying the buzzing in May's head that blurs every thought and emotion she'd once known, leaving only room for pure terror.

And, by the time the primordial goddess of chaos has fully acknowledged their presences, the woman is rendered utterly still. Frozen, stone-faced and pale before the monstrosity whose form further urges her closer to complete madness.

Then, comes the call, a haunting chorus of voices layering to deliver the god's displeasure: what they'd known all along—that this is no place they are welcome—confirmed, from the ruler of the realm herself.

The behemoth before them lifts up, her body dwarfing them completely while taloned feelers snake against the blackness of the void's sky. Giratina's glaring red eyes direct from May to Vega, who'd been trying the entire time to reach their trainer, in attempts to return her from the pits her spirit has plummeted to.

Though those efforts were previously failing, the threatening warning issued towards her pokemon companion, somehow, breaks through the Hoennite's numbness—Vega's voice rings now in the back of her scrambled mind, thankful that their human hadn't lost sense of herself entirely.

'Do not worry for me — this world will claim neither you nor I. Tend to the human. Do not allow for this god to convince you that you are powerless.'

May's voice begins rattling in her throat, words caught as she coughs uncontrollably into her hand—blood. Eyes regain light but speckle still with unbridled fear: Vega, gaze trained forward, sounds as though they are saying their goodbyes.

'The human and yourself both possess more agency than either of you can fathom — it is my wish that neither of you abandon this reminder. For you both have what the enraged ruler of this realm desires... Liberate yourselves.'

Rocketing upwards to hover before the draconic phantom, the size of a singular snowflake against a mighty blizzard, the Deoxys briefly glances down once more: May, through her coughing fit, stumbles towards Dawn in attempts to rouse the other woman back to her senses as well. Vega can feel their desperation, further igniting the core within their body to flash violently; slitted pupils lock onto Giratina while their defense forme begins to emit a peculiar light.

It's startling, how blinding the beautiful light is against this world of death. Astral energy wraps in ribbons around the extraterrestrial, the Cosmic Power bringing them to glow in alternating hues that encompass the gradient of the cosmos itself.

While the Distortion World seemed to 'like' Dawn as well as a dimension could, she was not its master. She was not Giratina - it would not heed to Dawn like it would to the Renegade that made this place home for so long.

Black swirled ominously overhead, replacing the lighter purples they'd seen previous, almost like ink spilling onto a page. It was the same feeling, and the same sights, as when Dawn was a child. Eerily and uncomfortably familiar in a way that made her want to retch at the feelings it was dredging up.

The first platform of the staircase falling into the endless void below with a mere breath slammed Dawn back to reality, teeth ground and clenched so tightly she swore they might shatter. Running was their only choice. In recent years, she could not recall a time where she had moved so quickly. They bound ahead with fervor, leaving fragile platforms of rock cascading in their wake.

Neither of them dared to look back - they could hardly see in front of themselves as it was. It wasn't long before the fog would clear, and Dawn felt her heart drop to her stomach. Only three 'steps' lay before them and the void, steps that actively crumbled and fell to pieces with each pass. There was nothing to go back to, and nowhere forward.

A dread unlike any other grabbed Dawn in a stranglehold. Her first death was too quick, too sudden to fully react or comprehend what was going on. This? This was impending. Her mind couldn't even form a coherent thought, faced with a fear only her worst nightmares could show her. Her knees felt slack, and her legs felt like gelatin as they had no choice but to make their final three steps. Cold sweat bead up on Dawn's forehead, biting the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted blood.

And then, before the sensation of an endless fall would hit, Vega hoists the two women into their arms and blinks away.

They were elsewhere in less than a second. Dawn felt her legs give out against her wishes, dropping hard to one knee as her breath came out in great, shaky heaves. The sensation of being moved slams into her before she has a chance to even think or recollect herself. Her eyes close shut tightly, unable to afford a repeat of her dizzy spell from earlier.

Trees rise from around them, seemingly out of nowhere. They flanked either side of the trio, as if coaxing them upwards. After all, where else did they have to go? Thick fog obscured whatever lay at the top of the platform, like with the platforms they dealt with moments prior.

"I'm okay-" Dawn manages to breathe out in response, slowly opening her eyes. "We can't afford to wait any more. We have to find a way out as quickly as possible." All of the crystals they'd been able to peer at before were miles upon miles away, mere blips shining in the distance.

"No way to go but up." Dawn steels herself, her heart still racing in her chest. "Let's go."

The ascent up the platform was a shockingly welcome break, despite the sheer vertical angle it had taken on. Like with all of the platforms that lay in unnatural directions, the gravity of the realm kept their feet safely planted to the ground. As they finally reached the peak, gravity would shift them again to be situated right-side up upon setting foot to a new, larger platform.

This platform was the largest Dawn had seen thus far, titanic in scale. The same trees from the platform previous were present at the perimeter, and waterfalls from the upside-down platform miles above flowed downwards into glowing, still pools of water.

Dawn's entire body felt eerily cold and clammy, a frigid bead of sweat rolling down the back of her neck and down her spine. It became increasingly hard to swallow. What little hues of pink her skin took on were gone entirely. She wasn't okay. She was not okay at all.

"May, Vega," her voice was thick. It was a miracle she could even speak at all. "I... I'm so sorry you got roped into this." Her gaze didn't rest on either of them, but on the empty space above. There was a sudden sound that echoed through the vast space akin to tinkling glass, before cracks appeared in the air - the very fabric of reality itself. The tip of a deep crimson spike poked through, and then another when there was more space.

"I'm sorry for... what's about to come."

The sound of the vortex being torn open was horrendous. It was a spine-chilling screech, like nails on a chalkboard, like steel and metal grinding across glass. Pieces of the air splintered and fell with thunderous noise, a deep rumble shaking the platform they stood upon. Six tendrils of inky black snaked from the opening, red pointed spikes adorning the end glaring menacingly as the portal was torn the rest of the way open. Red eyes glowed from the unfathomable darkness - a gaze that not only pierced one's entire heart, but one's very soul.

There was that same feeling from before, when Dawn was young. The feeling of being so small, and so weak. A human against a god was like a candle against a storm. So small, so insignificant, so easily snuffed out. No matter how accomplished Dawn was, she was mortal. Giratina was ageless. She had witnessed the beginning, and she would witness the end. Many eons she had seen - Empires rising, untouchable at their heights, only to crumble and fall. Countless lives and ages of humanity coming and going, like the mere changing of seasons to a being so timeless.

The power Giratina radiated was palpable, and the heavy feeling in the air from before only grew stronger. Even now, a decade later, it was still unfathomable to Dawn. It was... incomprehensible how a being could command such bottomless strength so effortlessly. Shadows would bleed away, pooling upon the platform below only to dissipate into nothingness. Giratina was titanic in size, making the platform they stood upon feel small, all of a sudden. Red accenting upon her body glowed in time with the swirling of the skies, and a deep, resounding chill fell over the area. There was no real sense of temperature in the realm, but for the first time in a while, Dawn felt cold.

Glowing crimson eyes pierced right through Dawn, and she felt herself grow even paler than before. Giratina's rage was suffocating - Dawn had to remind herself to breathe. And yet, the Renegade studied the woman silently, eyeing her up. It wasn't long before that same pointed gaze was on Dawn's companion, seeing right through them. She wanted to turn towards May, but her body wouldn't move no matter what she tried to do.

"Ỉ̵͈N̴̩͒Ṱ̸̑E̵͈̓R̸̪̐L̶̲͘Ô̵̬P̸̢̓Ḛ̵̌Ȑ̶ͅS̵̨̕.̷̹́" A loud cacophony would ring out in their minds. Giratina was a singular being with a singular voice, through it sounded like a thousand souls spoke with her at around the same time. The word echoed throughout Dawn's mind dozens of times, and she tasted more blood in her mouth as she bit the inside of her cheek once more.

The dragon would make herself rise, tendrils snaking along behind her. They lift and move independently from one another, sharp and ready to strike at any moment. Dragons were territorial by nature, and Giratina was no exception to this. She, perhaps, was the worst of them all - far worse than the infamous god of the skies, Rayquaza.

"Dawn," the goddess loomed over her champion, making Dawn feel even smaller than she already felt, "I would have thought you'd learn from last time. Yet again, you bring outsiders into this realm? I should obliterate you where you stand." A pointed threat that, by no means, was empty. Giratina's control over antimatter made her a terrifying force to be reckoned with, able to rend beings apart at the atomical level with a mere glance.

The Renegade soon took more time to eye up Vega. They were the only real 'threat', and even then... Giratina didn't seem overly bothered. The alien, if anything, would be a mere outlet for her to unleash her rage upon.

"Do not look away. I'll make this quick."

[thebakingqueen5]

KW 2021: The Sea & The Sky

Day 7 for Kataang Week 2021 hosted by @kataang-week with the prompt The Sea & The Sky!

Don't mind me crying in the corner that Kataang Week is basically over, but anyways I'm super proud of this last oneshot and hope you all enjoy it!

Links: AO3 | FF.net

Summary: Another year, another, another week of prompts celebrating our favorite couple. Kataang Week 2021 Day 7: The Sea & The Sky. Katara was the sea, Aang was the sky, destined to meet at the horizon where they were bound together for all eternity.

Word Count: 1.7K (barely)

The sea and sky, two entities as old as time itself. In some ways, as contrasting as the night and day, and in others, perfect reflections of one another.

The sea has always been below the sky, left to gaze upon the brilliance of the celestial bodies embedded in it for all eternity and reflecting the light of the bright stars beyond.

The sky has always been above the sea, forever peering down into its depths for the miracles and mysteries hidden beneath, and guiding its steady waves as they crash upon the shores of the Earth.

The sea is the reason the azure sky is adorned with feathery white wisps floating high above the ground, and the sky, in turn, fills the oceans and floods the rivers with the very liquid that makes survival possible.

The sea fosters life beneath its steady, undulating surface. It holds flora and fauna of all shapes, colors, and sizes, and it was a point of fascination for the sky. The sky, in all its glory, could not sustain anything for long. Even the birds that rode over its swift breezes had to eventually land somewhere below. And yet, the sky was free, a vast expanse of space that extended beyond what the sea could ever imagine to be possible. It wasn’t shackled by the chains of the planet, and the sea almost envied it.

In the days of old, when sailors ruled the seas, the ocean and her gentle waves would push them across great stretches of nothingness, while the sky and his stars would aid in guiding them on their journeys. Without the sky, those explorers would be lost at sea, and without the sea, their ambitions would remain sky-high with their dreams of traveling the world doomed to remain just that- dreams.

The sea and the sky have always been connected. Together, they make a thriving world possible. And so it follows that those so closely bonded to their elements, Aang and Katara, would be similarly linked by the fabric of space and time.

Though he was the Avatar, Aang’s native element was that of air. He preferred to soar on his glider high above the clouds, and gravity was a laughable concept to him. True to his airbending disposition, Aang’s natural inclinations were to evade conflict and obstacles in order to move forward, like a leaf on the wind.

Katara was born in the Southern Water Tribe, surrounded by ice, glaciers, and the frigid seas of the South Pole. She wielded the element of water, adapting and accepting things as they came since water was the element of change. She would experience swells of emotion similar to the waves, but she always came down into a steady balance, an ebb and flow just like tides.

Aang and Katara were not each other’s antithesis, far from it actually, but rather each other’s complements. Had they been such stark opposites, their relationship would’ve been much more turbulent, having the highest of highs but also the lowest of lows. They needed not a sharp contrast but rather a soft blend to allow them to communicate with and learn from one another. It was this that allowed them to work so well.

When Katara was firm and unyielding like a tsunami approaching the shore, Aang accepted her stance and often strengthened it. Consequently, if the airbender was flighty and indecisive, Katara would be there to ground him and guide him to something he felt confident in.

Katara was Aang’s earthly tether. When his head drifted up into the clouds, she pulled him back to the real world and allowed him to guide the four nations into an era of peace and prosperity. On the other hand, Aang showed Katara true freedom and what being unrestrained felt like. He brought her up with him on his glider and taught her to defy nature’s laws, to not be afraid to take exhilarating risks, and to keep her ambitions sky-high.

Their worlds collided like the brilliance of colors created as the sun set over the horizon, gradually leaving the realm of the sky and sinking into the sea. Some of their traits reflected each other like the sun’s rays on the sparkling surface of the water, and the others melded together well to make the glorious gradient that streaked the sky as night fell. Together, Aang and Katara created a rich harmony filled with overtones that mirrored the depth of their connection.

When they first met, that instant link, the bond that tied them together, was remarkably evident to all those around them. It was absolutely undeniable.

Though Sokka had mostly been joking when he had called Aang Katara’s boyfriend, there were still some astute observations lying under his exaggerated comment. Sokka knew his sister. She didn’t take to people too well, he had noticed over the years. Katara was protective, almost overly so, of the people she loved, and it was hard for her to let people in.

And yet here was Aang, a boy whom she had quite literally taken into her open arms without so much as a blink of hesitation, a boy whom she was ready to leave her tribe, everything and everyone she had ever known, and travel across the world for. It seemed so out of character. Katara didn’t usually make sense to her brother, but this was something different, something special.

Even Gran Gran had taken notice of the unique energy between them. “Aang is the Avatar,” she had told the Water Tribe siblings. “He is the world's only chance. You both found him for a reason. Now your destinies are intertwined with his,” and she was right.

That day, Aang and Katara had forged a connection that wouldn’t, that couldn’t, ever be severed. Breaking him out of the iceberg had been the catalyst for the rest of their lives together. Their adventures following only served to deepen and strengthen that link, allowing them to fall wholly and completely for one another and experience a love they didn’t know was possible.

Visiting Aunt Wu was the first time Katara had really stopped to consider how far their bond went and the strength of her feelings for Aang. She knew they had something unique, something exceptional, but she hadn’t ever thought it could run that deep. “The man you’re going to marry… I can see that he is a very powerful bender.” It made sense, didn’t it? The boy who had changed her life for the better would grow to be the man that she would spend the rest of her life with.

Their kiss in the Cave of the Lovers only further cemented the idea in her head, and a part of her began to believe that their meeting was fate, just like the tale of Oma and Shu. Aang, while still reeling from embarrassment at some of his words (“I’m saying I’d rather kiss you than die, that’s a compliment!”), also began to have similar thoughts, thinking that maybe they too had parallels to the starcrossed lovers and that the love that they shared would one day too be immortalized in legend.

The battle in the catacombs underneath Ba Sing Se seemed like an all too abrupt end to their story. It simply didn’t feel real. How could their link just have been cut off like that? No, Katara wasn’t ready to accept it. She couldn’t accept it. It went against the laws of the universe, it wasn’t possible.

She was going to do whatever it took to keep him there with her, and she did. She brought Aang back from the spirit world through the purest of love, light, and determination, and she made it her duty to never let such a thing happen again.

It was what allowed them to fulfill their roles as the Avatar and his waterbending master at Sozin’s Comet and have their kiss afterward, the early buddings of a relationship that would last a lifetime. Years later, they would go on to pronounce that love to all their friends and family, but, for now, they were more than just their fates.

Just as Aang was able to manipulate water along with his primary element of air, the heavens held clouds in its vast expanse of sky, connecting it to the sea. The sea sent water up in the form of vapor to create those fluffy masses above, and the sky releases the water that the clouds hold in torrents of rain back down to the ground, tying the two together in an endless cycle.

Similarly, waterbending was one of the many things that bound Aang and Katara. It was the reason they had met, the reason Katara was able to break Aang out of that iceberg, and it was the reason they embarked on their epic journey to the North Pole- to learn from the masters and even become ones themselves.

Waterbending linked them as sifu and pupil, strengthening their bond. Without waterbending, Aang may have never realized that fateful day of her adjusting his form of the effect she had on him, the full intensity of the pull, the attraction she held in his eyes.

Waterbending had made Katara especially attuned to the rhythm of the waves rising and falling, and it didn’t long for her to notice how her and Aang’s dynamic reflected it, ebbing and flowing in a delicate yet harmonious balance.

Their meeting had been fate, an event necessary for the survival of the world itself, but that did not define them. With each other, they were not their destinies. They were not the Avatar and his waterbending master, nor were they the beacon of hope for the future of the Air Nation.

No, they were Aang and Katara, two people who had defied all odds, overcome all obstacles, and quite literally gone to the Spirit World and back all in the name of love.  They were not the heroes who had saved the world, but soulmates, fated just as the sky and the sea were to meet at their own horizon. They were two people irreversibly linked to each other then, now, and till the end of time itself.

[ziracona]

I once read a theory about white glowing eyes being a sign of a killer being brainwashed/mind controlled, which is why Wraith, Spirit and Deathlinger hunt after survivors even though they have little to no reason to do so. If it's okay, could you please write how they would react if the mind control went off one day and they realised what they were doing the whole time?

Oh yeah! I’ve always considered the Entity-touched eyes to mean the killer has their visual perception of the world intentionally altered, and since Caleb canonically is made to hallucinate and has the same effect on him, considered that more or less confirmed by his chapter. I haven’t heard brainwashed/mind controlled before, but I can give that a go. If I’m remembering correctly, Hillbilly has that as well.

 Rin would be horrified. The Entity literally turned her into the thing she hated—into something like her father, who gives in to rage and mutilates and kills innocent people. She’s done the same thing to girls her own age her father did to her, and with no ability to stop it. Realizing she’s been used to do that? It would destroy her. She would be overcome with sorrow and confusion, and terrified, because she has no idea how to stop it, or if it’ll just happen again. And she would be so sorry, but what would you even say to someone you’d done that to? It all suddenly feels so impossible and scary and lost beyond repair. She’s a corpse and a killer, and she’ll never be free, and she’s beyond heartbroken.

Max would be confused. For so long, he’s been fighting off threats and he’s been hooking them because he wants to, right? Because it’s how he warns other people not to come to his home. But suddenly, the control on him is just gone, and it doesn’t make sense anymore. Where is he? How did this happen? What took him, and what is wrong with him to make him think this was normal? The farm is all wrong, and there are barriers he can’t get through, and it hasn’t been new threats—it’s been the same people! Over and over and over again, and he knows he killed them, but they’re back? And why? Why did he hook them? What was the thing in the sky? How did it make him do this? What else has it made him do? What can it make him do? What will it? Is this clarity just for a moment? Is he going to lose it again? And he’s scared then. He’s suddenly bricked up behind the wall, and the thing keeping him chained up is using him for sport he doesn’t want to be a part of, and mocking him, and hurting him, and he can’t beat it. Can’t get free. Can’t save himself. He’s back were he was as a kid, and the PTSD all comes back and hits him like a truck, and he’s terrified, and frenzied, just bashing himself against the barrier to his little cell of a realm, trying to get free, trying to save himself, and he sees it coming to claim him again, and there’s nowhere to run, and he just has to watch it get him.

Caleb is furious. He’s been used, again, and again, and again, his whole life. Every employer of any kind he ever trusted, stabbed him in the back! And it’s happened again. Somehow worse than ever before. This bastard demon monster dragged him from his world, and got in his head, and made him think he was getting revenge. It made him see all these total strangers as men he hated, so he’d be motivated to hurt them for it. It used his rage and his personal quest for vengeance like a dangled carrot, and moved him like a puppet, and he’s furious. He doesn’t really give a damn about the strangers, but he’s mad he was manipulated into giving them the punishment he wanted to give to Bayshore. The Entity was just…going to let him think he was getting that vengeance, forever. Didn’t even give him a real offer, or force him, or break him. It just drugged him. So that he’d do what it wanted, like so many things he’s served before. And he. Is. Angry. He doesn’t know if he’ll be controlled again. He doesn’t know if there’s a way to break it. But he writes what’s going on down in two letters. Leaves one in his jacket for himself to find, in case there is some way for him to break this control and get some god damn revenge if it takes him again, and the other, he takes, ties to a bottle of alcohol, and throws into the Survivors’ campfire area. Hoping one will see it. Because he doesn’t really give a damn about them, and they sure as hell don’t give one about him, but the enemy of your enemy is your friend, and he knows, no matter how much they hate him? They hate the Entity more. And if they can find a way to break its control, he’ll try to help them find a way to make it pay, like he has every boss who betrayed him before it, and it’s a longshot, but it’s all he’s got.

Philip is shattered. He’s spent his whole life just trying to live. Just wanting to be decent. To take no harm, to do no harm. To have just some kind of simple life, where he doesn’t have to fight to be in a small house that’s warm in the winter and cool in the hot season, and where he isn’t afraid he’ll starve, or be murdered on a street corner, and maybe can sometimes afford to go see a movie or buy a new jacket in a store every now and again. And those ambitions were still far too much. Life has seen him fit to suffer since the day he turned six. He lived through the horrors of genocide in his home as a boy, lost people, watched so many die, watched so much senseless and cruel and awful and unfathomable brutality. And he hated it. He wanted, more than anything, to be able to punish the people who burned others alive for no reason at all but a little bit of hate or a little bit of money. He wanted the people who didn’t survive the genocide to have the justice they deserved. But he had no power to do it.

He went to America, following promises of a safer and better life, and he survived, and that was nothing, but nothing was enough. He sometimes bought beers with the little extra money, and he made rent, and the food wasn’t great, but he was not afraid to starve. His job was simple, and he liked it, because he got to repair things. Some cars he crushed, but others he got to fix, and send back out, and as inconsequential as it was, the world was some fraction of a percentage better at night after work he’d done, and that felt good to him. And then he saw blood leaking out of a trunk, and rescued an injured young man from being crushed, only to watch his boss slit the man’s throat and take the life he’d just saved. He was only even able to buy the man an extra ten or so seconds of life. And then found out he’d been used to kill hundreds he hadn’t known existed, hidden in the trunks of cars, and his boss was doing it, like men always had. Killing others senselessly and brutally and mercilessly, for a little bit of hate, or a little bit of money. And so he killed his boss, to avenge the people he’d used his hands to kill. And fled, because no matter if the police or the mob found him first, it was going to be death the moment anyone did. And then the Entity took him. And it’s been years. Years of this quiet, peaceful, silent haze. Buried under so much fog. Hunting shadows, fleeting images of faces he doesn’t remember. What has he been doing? Has he really been aware of it at all? The worst part is he doesn’t know. And the control over him shuts off mid-trial, and suddenly he’s just Philip, just the Philip he’s always been, and he’s standing above a little girl, with her blood on his blade and her friend’s dead body beside her, and she’s cowering, waiting for him to kill her, and he knows he’s going to—he was going to. And he remembers all of. Every moment, like memories. But like memories he wasn’t there for. Like sleep-walking, and waking up, but gaining all the memories your eyes took in while you were asleep.

And he doesn’t understand it. He can’t. He never would have done this. But god, he did—he did. He sees himself doing it. He remembers it. And it wasn’t him, it wasn’t! He doesn’t know how, but it wasn’t! It was like being drugged, no, it was worse. There was something else in him. Moving him, and he was awake, but only a little. Buried beneath it, unable to fight back. Unable to stop it. But forced to be party to all the blood it shed. It made him something he was not, so much more completely and irrevocably and unforgivably than Azarov ever did. And there’s just. There’s no coming back from that. There’s no way to make peace with it! Or get past it! Or anything like that! It’s so beyond over. It breaks his mind. It breaks him. It’s too much to hold. He’s been using the bell. The bell that used to warn there were people coming to kill family when he was a child, and he’s been using it to announce he’s coming to kill, like he was one of the men who would enact genocide for a little bit of hate or a little bit of money. How, how has been doing this? Doing any of it. He killed one seconds ago, and there’s another at his feet now, waiting to die. And he just collapses and holds his head and screams, that muffled, choked scream from vocal chords damaged a little from their complete lack of use. And he doesn’t see anything at all for a minute, except pain and the past and the present and the possible futures, as he tries to bear more pain than is physically possible, and then he’s a little aware of the world again, and the girl is moving. She’s edging towards the sickle he dropped. And he could stop her. But he just stays still and watches her take it, and she closes her fingers around the hilt and shakily shoots to her feet and levels it at him.

Says, “Don’t move!” in a trembling voice.

Of all the things. He was about to murder her, and she’s telling him not to move. Like there’s a way she might offer not to kill him, if he complies. She’s so small. Maybe the smallest in all his memories. Maybe the smallest one there’s ever been here. In another life, she could have been him. Could have been his sister. She could have been the one walking down a road, wishing to kill people like the man who killed a friend. Maybe she’s there, right now. She must be.

He stays kneeled and looks at her for a second with eyes that, for once and only once, are his own deep brown like hers, and not glowing, and then he lowers his head and closes them and says, “Kill me.”

It’s the first thing he’s said in years. It’s the first time in years he’s had a reason to speak. He doesn’t want to take the words back.

She doesn’t. She hesitates. Says, “What?” Lost and confused. He can’t understand why on earth she would hesitate. She shouldn’t.

“I don’t know how long this will last,” he says, opening his eyes and looking up at her again. It’s hard to do. There’s blood matted in her dreads and the little pink shirt she’s wearing, and some of it is fresh, still bleeding, from where he was starting to kill her. “Kill me while you have the chance. Before I become like that again.”

“Before…?” She hesitates again. Trying to figure him out. Trying to do the right thing, somehow, even here and now. “’Like that’—you mean—you don’t…control what you do, as the Wraith? You can’t?”

“I don’t know,” he says in his voice that never speaks. He doesn’t. And he has a deep, troubling feeling, that if he lives, he is not going to remain himself long enough to understand it, either. “But that is not me. Kill me. Before I become it again. … Please,” he adds. It’s harder to get out than the rest. He doesn’t have a right to ask her for anything.

“B-but,” she stutters, suddenly so unready to kill him. She lowers the blade a little and it hurts to see. “If it’s not you—if the Entity uses your body, and you’re just somebody trapped inside, you’re a victim too. I could save you! There might be a way to stop it!”

She’s so desperate to help him. That’s almost enough to kill him on its own.

“Don’t try to save me, child,” he pleads with as much voice as he has left, “Whatever it has done to me, I have done it with it. I am not a thing to be saved. Kill me while you can. Avenge your friend.” She still doesn’t want to. He can see it in her face. She’s worried now—afraid to do the wrong thing. How can something so innocent and kind be left in her after being ripped apart so often in this hell. It’s almost comforting to see it, in spite of everything. There is no longer any hope for him, but if she is still like this, there must still be hope. For them. For other people. It will not always end for people like him like it is for him himself.

“You would be doing me a favor,” he says, because he remembers he doesn’t want her to have a death on her soul, and if she cannot see this as just, she must see it as mercy, or it will scar her too. He hesitates, lost. Thinking about what will happen if she doesn’t. Thinking again about what already has. “I don’t want to be this. Please,” he whispers. He starts crying. Or maybe he was before. He wasn’t aware, but he feels it now. Silent, but his face is cold from the breeze against it in the night air.

“I could save you,” she says again, pleading now too.

And Philip feels the Entity go inside him then. While he’s looking into her eyes. And he knows he’s going to be buried again in a second, and he may never wake back up, may just be trapped forever watching himself murder innocents like he was the kind of man who loved it. And she still has a chance to kill him if she does it now, but he sees her face, and the kindness there, and the worry, and concern for someone she should feel no concern for, and he knows even if he asks her this one last time, she will not do it, and whatever he tries, he only has an instant to do it in before he is gone again, maybe gone for good, and with everything he has of himself left in the second he has remaining, he shouts at her to run.

Also! Since I did Philip’s as a narrative, I’m doing a short one for Rin too, but under the cut. : ) Hope you enjoy these the Philip one made me cry. :’-]

 It wasn’t meant to be shut off.

The plan had never been for one of the killers operating under controlled illusion and compulsion to realize what they had been living. Why would it be? That was only going to cause the Entity problems. But blight was an unpredictable biological event, even for the Entity, and this year was a little different even than most. Different, because The Blight himself was tinkering maybe a little too much. The purge this year was deep, and intense, and the killers themselves were more involved than ever, and the system broke. Not for long. More a hiccup, than anything. A burst of static. But it happened, nonetheless.

Rin wasn’t in a trial. She was in the estate, waiting, like she always did between trials. She needed to get home to kill her father. Any day, any minute now, she would get to do it and avenge her mom and be free. She was folding origami cranes. 1,000 of them, and her wish would come true. She would go home, and finish her father, and be at peace. And she was excited. Happy. A stack of paper beside her, and she had been folding for hours. This was 987. So close now, it was in her grasp. “988, 989, 990. 991, 992,” she whispered to herself as she folded cranes, trying to go faster and faster and fumbling a little in her excitement. “993. 994—” A sudden burst of wind came out of nowhere, and the crane in her hands was torn away, and the little pile she had scattered, and as she turned to look after them, vanished into the inky black sky.

She felt her eyes well up with tears. “I was so close,” she whispered to herself, heart sinking. But that’s okay, she tried to tell herself, You were so close in just a few hours. You’ll get it this time. And, consoled, she started again, back to one. Sure she’d get it this time.

She was on number 413 when the Entity’s control was suddenly lost.

Rin faltered, hands halfway to making a fold, and stared at nothing, then slowly looked down at the bird in her hands.

Oh no, she thought, unable to assign any emotion to the thoughts except a vague echo of fear, I’ve done this before. Not once before. Not twice. Not twenty. Thousands. She had done this thousands of times before. And always, always on the nine hundred and ninety-fourth one, they were blown away, and she started again.

How long have I been doing this? she thought in a panic, a deep, real fear seeping into her body.

And then it hit her for real.

Not the cranes, and the endless cycle. But the time in-between. The trials.

“No,” she whispered. She went rigid, then twitched. It was too much to bear. Memories flooded her brain and it was more pain than she was able to take. People. God, so, so many people. Some of them could have been her own age, even, and all of them she had…God. The memories were harsh and unbearable. In her head, it had been her father. She had been…been killing him. Or been—been practicing. Been getting ready. God, god, it had made so much sense to her. Like she was meditating to work her way to the real thing. But how had she thought that? It had never been him at all! It had been people, people like her! Fuck—people running, people screaming, and bleeding, and begging, and crying, and being torn to pieces at her feet.

I killed them, she thought in horror, I killed them all.

So many times. So many times. And it was the same people? How? How did she keep killing the same ones?

Where am I? thought Rin in desperation. She shot to her feet and looked around. It—it was home, but, but no, no, no, no, it wasn’t home at all! It was wrong. It was like home in a dream, where you thought you recognized the place, but the moment you woke you realized how completely wrong the structure had been, and were lost as to how it had ever felt right at all! What am I? she wondered in horror as she caught sight of the hue of her hand. Stumbling over her feet, Rin tore out to the gardens, looking for something she could see herself in, and fell to her knees by the little nearly dried up stream, and looked. And brought her hands up to her mouth in despair and fear.

She wasn’t a person anymore. She was pale, almost blue, and her arm was detached. Glass in her shoulder—god, she could feel it now. Feel the agony. And her side? It was—it was in pieces—she’d almost been ripped in two! She started to wonder how she was even still alive, but she wasn’t. She wasn’t, god, and that was so terrifying to try to truly understand. Her eyes were white like a Yurei. No. No, she realized, starting to cry, No. An Onryo.

How long had she been one? How—? NO. NO! How will I ever get free? She had to kill her father! It would be the only way to ever end this? And where was he! Where was she!

Rin stumbled to her feet and ran, looking for an exit, to—to wherever was away from here. She made it to the edge of the garden, and saw trees ahead, and tore for them, and slammed against a barrier she couldn’t see and was knocked back onto the ground.

Struggling up, Rin found the barrier and slammed her hands against it, but it didn’t budge, and no matter how hard she pushed, she couldn’t make it through.

“Help!” she called as loud as she could, crying again in the impossibility of her situation, “Please! Someone! Anybody! Can anyone hear me? Is anyone out there!”

Nothing.

The whole world was empty, except for her. She kept pounding, kept calling, kept trying to get free, but there was no change. And exhausted, she fell to her knees and cried.

“Please.” Miserable, she curled up into a little ball and wept silently, trying to make sense of all the horrible murders in her head. Thinking of how awful the night with her father had been, how impossible it had been to understand a man like him would do a thing like he had done to her mother, and then her, and how she had known for completely certain she would never ever ever do such a thing herself, and now she was just like him.

“Did…did you say, uh…’help’?” came a voice Rin didn’t know.

She looked up in surprise, and through blurry dead eyes, saw a girl she recognized—a girl with three red braids in her hair, out of breath and flushed from running, looking at her warily from about ten feet back.

Rin’s English wasn’t amazing, but she was pretty sure the girl had asked her something about calling for help.

“’Tasukete’ right?” said the girl, eyeing her with a little suspicion and a lot of confusion.

I was right! I was right, she heard me!

Rin hurriedly sat up a little and nodded.

“…Why?” asked the redhead, moving a little closer.

And Rin was suddenly not seeing her. She was seeing hundreds of versions of this girl from her past. She was seeing one form last week, that she had chopped to bits with her katana the exact way her father had killed her, and she was sick, and couldn’t say anything at all. Could barely move. She wanted to hide. Wanted to curl up in a cold dark corner and never be seen again. She wanted to wake up and find none of this had ever happened.

“ごめんなさい。” whispered Rin, because ‘Sorry’ was the only word suddenly that she could even remember anymore.

The girl seemed to know that one to, and blinked at her in surprise, and took another step closer. “…Sorry?” she asked in a very different tone of voice. Less hostile. Less wary. More worried and confused. “For—what’s going on?”

Rin felt it coming while the girl was still speaking. There was a heaviness settling on her brain, and it was a terrifying heaviness. It was like finding another person with you inside your body, who had forced their way in, but they had not only joined you, but found a way to make your body more theirs than yours. She saw her vision flicker, and the girl was her father for a second, and things made less sense and more sense at once, but the things that made more sense were all wrong and murders and millions of paper cranes that would never be enough to buy a wish. And she reached out and put her hand against the barrier and tried to warn the girl, tried to say something, but suddenly there was no girl. Just her father, glaring back at her and filling her with rage and fear and hate, and she couldn’t remember the girl or why she was here, but she knew what the thing in front of her was, and she wanted to kill it.

[browningdryingflowers]

“What is locked... can be opened... What is hidden... can be found... What is yours... ...can be mine.” — Garrett, Thief: Deadly Shadows Official Trailer

Garrett is the protagonist of the Thief games - a cynical master thief who wishes nothing more than to be left alone to steal in peace, but who unwittingly becomes embroiled in a series of epic events.

Garrett exhibits a strong sense of survival and self-interest. While on the surface Garrett is callous, cynical and sarcastic, with loyalty only to himself, he does seem to have deeper feelings for a few of his contacts: Artemus, the Keeper that recruited and trained him; Basso the Boxman, a fellow thief; Cutty, his fence. In extreme cases this seems to extend to even to past antagonists such as Viktoria, although that may be a result of Garrett's own self-interest.

Garrett also exhibits a strong sense of professional pride as a thief: he usually refuses to kill while on the job, saying that he's a thief, not a murderer,[1] though Constantine and Karras died as a result of Garret's actions only because he was able to sabotage their evil plans. Lotus was a mercy killing, as he begged for death due to the inhumane conditions that Garrett found him in. Other than that, Garrett has not killed any humans in the Thief canon. It is implied Garrett also never steals from his allies or the poor.[Fact Check]

Orphaned, Garrett spent his youth on the streets surviving as a pickpocket and message runner.

One night, he saw Artemus walking on the street as people, 'just passed him by like he wasn't there'. Thinking the man had some valuables, he decided to make a grab. However, he was caught, and Artemus, impressed with his ability to see a Keeper, offered Garrett a new life. Garrett was then recruited into a secret organization known as the Keepers, dedicated to observing and maintaining stability in the City.[2]

Not much is known about Garrett's education with The Keepers, except the fact that he was given initial training in the arts of stealth and subterfuge practiced by the Keepers. But, he found that it was much more profitable to make use of these skills as a thief than to continue working for the Keepers as an agent.[3] He was called "the most promising acolyte" in the Keeper annals, but left around the age of 20 due to his "imbalance." It was brought before the council to deal with him using the Enforcers, but Caduca informed the council that Garrett would be needed in the future.[4]

At some point in time, Garrett is now working as an independent thief in the City, making contacts with people such as Basso the Boxman, Cutty and Farkus Bernard. Garrett's first known large score comes from stealing an expensive scepter from Lord Bafford. After which, he breaks into the Hammerite prison to spring his fence, Cutty (who dies while still in prison). This leads him deep into the old Hammerite catacombs looking for treasure. Shortly after this thugs working for the local Warden, Ramirez, attempt to kill Garrett for non payment of tribute. Garrett turns the tables, escaping and going on to humiliate Ramirez by looting his mansion, even going on to rob the local thieves guild. This brazen display of skill attracts the attention of Viktoria, a somewhat mysterious independent fence. She contracts Garrett to steal a magical sword from the eccentric nobleman, Constantine.

Upon successfully returning from Constantine's bizarre mansion, Viktoria reveals that she and Constantine are old associates who were testing Garrett. Constantine offers Garrett a fortune for the job of retrieving the gemstone known as The Eye. Getting to The Eye means Garrett must venture through the abandoned and walled-off Old Quarter of the City to the old Hammerite Cathedral. A mysterious catastrophe, rumored to involve great fires and many undead, caused the area's abandonment decades ago. Garrett finds the cathedral sealed, but the Eye itself tells him of an old Keeper library hidden nearby. Writings there tell of where the talismans that open the cathedral are hidden and how the Keepers almost revealed themselves in order to assist the Hammerites and the Hand Brotherhood in containing a great evil. The first talisman was found in a place called The Lost City, the ruins of an ancient civilization buried beneath the existing city, its entrance hidden by the Keepers. To get the second talisman, Garrett enters a Hammerite temple in disguise. The third talisman was kept with a brotherhood of Mages. The fourth lay inside Keeper secured caverns. Unbeknownst to Garrett, the Talisman was recovered by the guards of the Opera House above the caves. Successful, he then returns to the cathedral and collects The Eye from amid the many undead, escaping with the help from the ghost of Brother Murus, a long dead Hammerite priest.

Garrett visits Constantine to hand over The Eye and collect his payment. Instead of paying, however, Constantine reveals himself to be the fabled Trickster (aka The Woodsie Lord), the entity worshiped by the Pagans, and Viktoria, his consort.

They bind Garrett in vines and Viktoria plucks out one of his eyes, using it to seemingly activate The Eye stone, and leave him for dead. Some time later two Keepers find and free the unconscious Garrett from the vines. The Keepers then leave Garrett to escape by himself through the caverns beneath Constantine's mansion and amongst some new and strange beasts. Once he reaches the surface Garrett decides the only thing to do is visit the Hammerites and tell them about what has happened in the hopes they would provide assistance. He heads for the temple but discovers that the Trickster's minions have gotten there first. Venturing inside he finds the remaining Hammerites in a hidden sanctuary down in an underground cavern. With stealth being the only hope against the Trickster's army, the Hammerites provide Garrett with a booby-trapped copy of The Eye. Garrett descends into the Trickster's realm, where he finds the Woodsie Lord performing a ceremony with the Eye. Garrett stealthily swaps the Eye for its trapped copy, which then explodes, thus striking down the Trickster as he attempts to finish the ritual.

The coda shows Garrett walking back to town alone through the snow. Life appears to be returning to normal. A Keeper approaches, Artemus. The two converse and The Keeper warns Garrett, telling him of a book he should read, and that he can't run away from life. Close observation reveals Garrett now has a mechanical eye. Garrett rejects the Keeper's 'help' in his life and says to tell the other Keepers that "I'm through. Tell them Garrett is done". He then walks away into the city streets. Artemus answers quietly "I will tell them this: Nothing is changed. All is as it was written. The Trickster is dead. Beware the dawn of the metal age.", foreshadowing the sequel, Thief II: The Metal Age.

Garrett's role in The Metal Age begins innocuously. Garrett provides a favor to an old acquaintance, Basso, helping him rescue his love Jenivere, so that he may retire from thievery and elope. Next Garrett breaks into the dockside warehouses to get some extra cash for rent. It soon becomes clear that the City Watch, lead by the zealous Sheriff Gorman Truart, is waging a war on crime, brutally persecuting thieves and conducting nighttime raids on the poor neighborhoods with the intent of rounding up criminals. Truart stages a sting operation in an attempt to assassinate Garrett, but he escapes by using a Flash Bomb. With the newly strengthened police force making burglary more difficult, Garrett begins to wage a personal war against Truart, attempting to blackmail him into loosening his grip on the City by exposing his corruption. In the process, Garrett acquaints himself with the Mechanist Order, a splinter faction of the weakening Hammerites led by the charismatic Karras, whose robotic security devices have begun to guard the City's wealthiest businesses and residences. In addition, he discovers that the Mechanists are manufacturing some sort of weaponized "Servant," made from a human body and emitting a substance known as Rust Gas, and that Truart has agreed to round up vagrants under false pretenses to be used for the project.

When Garrett confronts Truart, he finds that Truart has been slain by a strange creature. Trying to unravel the conspiracy, Garrett reunites with Viktoria deep in the Maw. Viktoria identifies the Mechanists as the true enemy, and the two form a tentative alliance. The combined skills of Viktoria's pagan operatives and Garrett's stealth abilities reveal that the Mechanists are gifting the Servants to the City's nobility, and that they are working on a top-secret endeavour known as the "Cetus Project." The Cetus Project turns out to be a gigantic submarine, the Cetus Amicus, and that the Mechanists are using it to access the remains of The Lost City in search of ancient artifacts. By interrogating the head of the Cetus Project, Brother Cavador, the pair discover that the Mechanists have recovered an object known as a Cultivator, and that they have already begun mass-producing them and installing them inside of the Masked Servants. While Garrett stakes out the Gervaisius Estate and steals a mask and the prototype Cultivator, Viktoria's agents observe Karras hermetically sealing Soulforge Cathedral. The pair conduct an experiment with the Cultivator, revealing that the Servants could be commanded to release Rust Gas, which would react violently with the plant matter inside of wealthy nobles' gardens, wiping out all life in the city, with Karras safe inside of Soulforge Cathedral.

Viktoria claims that there is no time to spare and proposes a plan: Garrett must gain control of the beacon controlling the Servants and command them to return to Soulforge and trick Karras into releasing the Rust Gas, while Viktoria fills Soulforge Cathedral with plants, to wipe out the Mechanists instead of the city. Garrett claims the plan is "suicide", claiming he will think of a better plan, and re-affirms that he works alone. As he leaves, a Keeper informs Garrett that Viktoria has begun an assault on the Cathedral herself. Garrett hurries to the Cathedral but is too late to save Viktoria as she is attacked by an onslaught of Mechanist forces. Her dying action is to fill Soulforge Cathedral with plants, as promised. Left with no better plan, Garrett proceeds to assemble a new guiding beacon and redirects the Cathedral's signal towers back to the Cathedral itself. The plan succeeds, and Garrett locks the servants inside the Cathedral. When the rust gas is released, Karras is killed and Soulforge Cathedral is left in ruins.

Garrett returns to the Cathedral after the reaction is complete and is met by a Keeper, who explains that the events of The Metal Age transpired exactly as written, and that the prophecies contain even more predictions. Garrett, previously skeptical of the Keepers' mysterious ways, reluctantly requests to know more.

[shamandrummer]

8 Core Beliefs of Shamanism

Shamanism is the most ancient and most enduring spiritual tradition known to humanity. It predates and constitutes the foundation of all known religions or religious philosophies. One could view shamanism as the universal spiritual wisdom inherent to all indigenous peoples. It originated among nomadic hunting and gathering societies. These ancient shamanic ways have withstood the tests of time, varying little from culture to culture. Over thousands of years of trial and error, primal peoples the world over developed the same basic principles and techniques of shamanic power and healing. A whole way of life evolved that was based on everything being in right relationship. At the heart of shamanism are the following core beliefs:

1. Everything is interrelated and interdependent. If one species suffers, all others are affected. The health and well-being of humanity is, therefore, dependent upon the overall health of the sentient web of life. The shamanic practitioner is sensitive to this sacred interrelationship and serves as a bridge, linking the human and natural realms. The practitioner's prayerful communion with the natural elements and powers preserves an orderly, harmonious universe.

2. The natural world has two aspects: ordinary everyday awareness, formed by our habitual behaviors, patterns of belief, social norms, and cultural conditioning, and a second non-ordinary awareness accessed through altered states, or trance, induced by shamanic practices such as repetitive drumming. In a non-ordinary state of consciousness, the universe can appear fluid and nonlinear, moral absolutes vanish, death is but a transition and life exists in a variety of forms. Ordinary reality is matter-oriented, while non-ordinary reality is spirit-oriented.

3. Everything is alive and has a spirit. Shamanism is a way of perceiving the nature of the universe in a way that incorporates the normally invisible world where the spirits of all material things dwell. Shamans have different terms and phrases for the unseen world, but most of them clearly imply that it is the realm where the spirits of the land, animals, ancestors, and other spiritual entities dwell. Spirit encompasses all the immaterial forms of life energy that surround us. We are woven together into a net of life energies that are all around us. These energies can appear to us in different forms, such as spirits of nature, animals, or ancestors. The spirit world is the web of life itself.

4. Shamanic practitioners can access other realms of reality. Practitioners employ methods for altering consciousness so that they can send their souls into non-ordinary reality. The act of sending one's soul into non-ordinary reality is called the soul flight or shamanic journey, and it allows the journeyer to view life and life's problems from a detached, spiritual perspective not easily achieved in a state of ordinary consciousness. One of the most universal methods for altering consciousness for this spirit journey is a persistent, mesmerizing drumbeat.

5. Non-ordinary reality is more real than ordinary reality. When a shamanic practitioner enters non-ordinary reality, it is to obtain clarity and understanding about something in the everyday world that is not understood (e.g., Why am I sick? Why did this misfortune happen to me? How can I bring healing to myself and others? What is my mission and purpose in life?). Consequently, that is why shamanic journeying is sometimes called "going to the source." And that makes non-ordinary reality more authentic or real.

6. There are three inner planes of consciousness: the Upper, Middle, and Lower Worlds. The three realms are linked together by a vertical axis that is commonly referred to as the cosmic axis or World Tree. The roots of the World Tree touch the Lower World. Its trunk is the Middle World and its branches hold up the Upper World. This central axis exists within each of us. Through the sound of the drum, which is invariably made of wood from the World Tree, the shamanic practitioner is transported to the axis within and conveyed from plane to plane.

7. The purpose of shamanic ritual is to engage the spirit world to effect specific changes in the physical world. The ordinary and non-ordinary worlds interact continuously, and a shamanic practitioner can gain knowledge about how to alter ordinary reality by taking direct action in the non-ordinary aspect of the world. From a shamanic perspective, all human experience is self-generated. Experience is shaped from within since the three realms or resonant fields that define our experience of reality exist within each of us. Each human being is a hologram of the universe. Essentially, we are the universe experiencing itself in human form.

8. Shamanism is based on the principle that innate wisdom and guidance can be accessed through the inner senses in ecstatic trance. The essence of shamanism is the experience of direct revelation from within. Shamanism is about remembering, exploring, and developing the true self. Shamanism places emphasis on the individual, of breaking free and discovering your own uniqueness in order to bring something new back to the group. Shamanic practice heightens the ability of perception and enables you to see into the deeper realms of the self. Once connected with your inner self you can find help, healing, and a continual source of guidance. To practice shamanism is to reconnect with your deepest core values and your highest vision of who you are and why you are here.

Creative Commons photo of Mongol Darkhad shaman performing shamanic ritual by Munkhbayar.B.

[melias-cimitiere]

LHP, ATHEISTS AND SPIRITS

I see at times so many attempts to define or to "purify" what the LHP is, while forgetting perhaps that the truth of it is not in simple dissections or refutations, but in a greater understanding that encompasses all the undercurrents.

For example, the classic opposition between Noetic (or Philosophical Approach) versus Spiritual (not blind faith). Why do these have to be mutually exclusive? By all means, it's like condemning a part of the self to favor another. It makes no sense to me. There is a place for logic and philosophical arguments (without which we would be like animals) and there's a place for the spirit. I am all in favor for experimentation but this doesn't have to be in opposition to magic for example. I totally don't get why some choose to set themselves against the belief systems of their supposed brethren, even if they are quite close.

Perhaps my own understanding of LHP is at fault; I know that by being solitary perhaps one may mistrust groups/guidelines, but on the other hand, it's a Path - meaning that it is a Way of Life, a Practice and something that integrates certain sets of behavior with belief, evidence, practice (ie ritual) and many more depending on the definition. So for a LHP person to call another person or a group not LHP just because they are focused more on the magical/ritual element instead of the noetic, seems absurd to me. I know that it is quite trendy to go against the theistic principle or anything that resembles faith or a spiritual system, but surely any person that would refute that as LHP would have to discredit the Yezidis, the demonolater communities everywhere, those who accept Set as a distinct Entity external to us, those that practice draconian magic, the Vodou and so on...  there are simply too many examples of LHP that the materialist or overtly sceptical tends to discredit all too easily, in favor of what? his mind?... and why would this be More LHP than those who practice on the Path under the tuition of demons, for example?

I personally think that all modalities of thinking have their use, much like the Aeon of Horus has/d its use but that doesn't mean that the Aeon of Set for example is not the prime example of xeper and deification. So why would anyone seek to adopt a certain stance that only would be useful in serving as a modality and not as a universal tool? Crowley's Thelema and La Vey's attitudes certainly served the LHP well, but to become stuck on these is to limit oneself while there are so many more things to experience and to explore. And in private conversations I have lately heard the same old argument, that faith stems from christianity... I would like to remind that faith predates christianity (or other monotheistic religions) for dozens or even hundreds of millennia (depending on whether one studies ancient Egyptian - Kemetian scripts or Sumerian including the Isin King List). Faith is much like logic; it's a tool. Faith, in the right hands can achieve certain altered states and access different experiences that could transform the self. Of course, we have seen the misuse of faith all throughout history with the fanatics, the burning of the libraries of the ancient world, the crusades, the inquisition etc... but just because monotheistic religions perverted faith and spirituality, doesn't mean we have to throw away traditions predating them since the Dawn of Man.

Evidently there are many LHP practitioners who are atheists and who simply choose to exalt the Self as the centre of everything in their universe. Whereas the Self is indeed very important in freedom, choice, and consequence, I never was an atheist nor do my personal experiences validate a cosmic paradigm devoid of spiritual presences. I also do not subscribe to the notion that all Deities/Entities/Spirits/Demons are parts of our brain. I believe that they correspond to areas of our brain (like linking to old phrenology charts) but that is all; correspondence is not the same as Identity, so through my own experience such entities have a truly external Essence and Identity. While correspondence to brain parts is probably essential in order to sense something that would normally lie outside the realm of human senses, I am certain that they do exist externally to me. The Self is important for many things such as initiation, becoming/xeper, constructing an interface with reality, however I don't accept that the Self is the only deity there is.

For example, let's take Set. I have significant personal evidence (but not proof to convince cynics) that this deity is Indeed a true Deity, external to me. Some would argue that Set is the only true deity, others could say there are others (neteru or something else) that are also true.

So assuming that one accepts the existence of deities that are superior or external to Self, there are different stances/ paradigms as to dealing with this: demonolatry for example would worship or offer ritual honors to such entities. While others would seek to control them for own gain using grimoires/demonologies etc which is something entirely different. Some would attempt to use such energies in order to "harvest" specific results for themselves, either as part of self-transformation or as part of micromanaging life with its problems. On the other side of the spectrum, RHP would use parts of this knowledge to attempt to exorcise these deities (for them they would all be classed as demons anyway).

Something metaphysical truly exists beyond the Self, whatever that is. Any model of self-transformation does not contradict to the existence of said deities/spirits/demons nor do I see any issues with tuition from such immaterial beings.

As for the other worlds and their denizens/ deities/ daemons etc, I accept the existence of a mental stratum acting as the interface between the entities and the mind. Even if the Otherness is extreme so that the entity cannot be easily discerned, this mental interface allows for it to be "clothed" in a particular disguise that is somewhat acceptable within certain parameters of the socio-cultural paradigm as well as the era in which one lives. Perhaps from a different stance all worlds are one in essence, despite their individual differences, much like hues in color in a vast and incomprehensible painting. If such entities / creatures of Otherness are known to exist, there must have been some evidence in the works of those that worked with them, such as Michael Aquino when contacted by Set, Aleister Crowley with regards to Aiwass etc. These Beings were described in such a way as to imply independent existence and individuality. Whether these voices were symbolic, or partly covered in archetypal forms, or actual Entities, matters very little since they had tremendous impact on the entire LHP spectrum. In terms of validity, it's almost impossible to discern whether these are actual Beings external to the Self, but even though LHP people like to believe in total freedom, they commonly accept what widely known figures such as LaVey, Aquino, Crowley say as authorities on the path. But even their words would have to be validated through personal experience. And here the endless arguments take place, hopefully eloquently and politely and with mutual respect between those who support the archetype theory or the beings from another world/dimension. Even if the conversation takes place with the best of intentions, I doubt whether much will be gained from it due to the fact that each side tends to be firmly entrenched and frankly it's quite difficult for experienced people to just change their mind. It is true that there's no clear yes or no to these things; for example demons could be true actual beings from another dimension, or they could be shells, almost robotic in nature, or they could be an Order's egregore, or a thought-form, etc. All these could be argued that they could produce results, but for different reasons / mechanisms. And sometimes this makes all the difference.

To me LHP is about the only type of Spirituality that can access and harness the power needed to break the chains put on us by monotheistic paradigms for millennia. It frees the mind from many illusions while redefining social cohesion under a new light, while assisting the individual achieve Luciferian Gnosis and at the same time, xeper as in Becoming and a state of being initiated all the time.

[apparitionism]

Run 2

Other than a few select details—and the overall conundrum of the appropriate role(s) for technological advances in sports—this story is entirely fantastical. Very little of what I’m describing works in the real world as I’m pretending it does here. Of course very little is working in the real world as it usually does right now, so why should this be any different? Honestly, I don’t know what I’m doing. More than ever, I’m writing words down solely to write words down, and I can’t get any sort of tone to cohere, and while I’m sure it would be nice to be inventing calculus or writing King Lear, sometimes all that’s even vaguely achievable in the creative (or “creative”) realm is some poorly constructed fanfictional narrative about too-springy shoes. Which began in part 1.

Run 2

The man sitting next to Helena Wells in first class—his window 5A to her aisle 5B—was a talker. He was in sales, he began explaining the very moment he sat down, and his three vodka tonics over the course of the 90-minute flight did nothing to slow the torrent of information he felt compelled to convey to Helena about the endlessly fascinating (to him) world of medical devices. And the sale thereof. Helena could have informed him, a bit, about certain likely future directions of that field, for Helena knew a bit about a great many fields, but she kept her own counsel. He said nothing of consequence, and she did not feel any need to expend energy on him, even as little as it might have taken to freeze him with a look. “Mm hm,” she would say, when he paused for breath, and after every such interjection, off he would go again.

Not until the end of the flight, not until she had already risen to pull her bag from the overhead, did he bother to ask, “And what do you do?”

Helena smiled a smile that showed only the biting edges of her teeth. “I win.”

She did indeed win. More precisely, she negotiated deals to the best advantage of those who employed her, so her newest position, with the Zelus athletic corporation, suited her competitive nature perfectly. She found it delicious to be facilitating the endeavors of, and even working with, athletes, for they were straightforward, unabashed in their desire to show that, on a given day, they were better than any competition they faced.

Helena did, however, envy them their openness about that desire, their freedom to be visibly coldblooded. While ideals of “good sportsmanship” did keep most athletes from dancing on their enemies’ graves, that sportsmanship at base required going all in to win, and showing it. In Helena’s bailiwick of corporate dealmaking, on the other hand, every position had give; every outcome reflected some of that give—that is, some loss—on each side... or at least, it did so externally. Every party might in fact achieve their desired outcomes, but regret was what one had to perform.

From this, Helena knew that no person or business or any other entity was ever as strong in their supposed stance as they claimed to be. And oh, how they did claim: so many ways there were to righteously say “this far and no farther.” And then so many ways to try to save face when that crumbled to “perhaps, in fact, just a bit farther.”

Where Helena excelled was not in nailing down the finer points of contracts, but rather in discerning weak points and, on their basis, obtaining agreements in principle into which her opposition needed to enter—and out of which they could not wriggle—without causing public embarrassment or shame. She relished in-person meetings, for physical presence could serve as motivation when recalcitrant parties needed goading, or cover, to make the required concessions. Particularly when Helena gave every indication of being entirely willing to walk away. And to talk about having done so.

“Here, ultimately, is what I must have from you,” Helena would say, at an appropriate point, to some such reluctant interlocutor. And then she would, often, present an outsize “ultimate” ask.

Her counterpart would, naturally, be nonplussed, and would sputter something such as, “We can’t afford that!” or “That’s unreasonable!”

Helena put the theatrics undergirding face-to-face to good use: she was quite practiced at engaging in a lengthy process of standing up and restoring implements to their appropriate places in her attaché. “Then I suppose further discussions will be unproductive,” she would say as she carefully housed a pen, her telephone, and various other assorted technologies in zippered pockets. “Such a shame, when I’m sure you could summon some extra effort.” She would, on occasion, sigh.

Observing this production, observing its “finality,” her counterpart would waver. Then would come the beg of “Wait, wait.”

Helena would, of course, wait as requested. As she did so, she would begin to muse, aloud, something along the lines of a quiet, “I might be willing to offer certain... considerations...”

Eventually an agreement would be reached, one in which she would have given up no more than she was authorized to concede, and usually far, far less.

Requesting the moon, being ready to bark about not receiving it, and then yielding some sweetener, was not her only tactic, but it was consistently—surprisingly consistently—effective.

The additional leverage provided by Zelus’s money, prestige, and international reach in such situations was gratifyingly robust. It had made this new position singularly attractive, to start, and would, she hoped, make it satisfying, both in the long term and in the short-term highest-of-stakes dealmaking on which she was about to embark with AAI.

She was licking her chops at having been tapped for these talks, though she knew that Dan Badger—Saint Dan, as he was known at home, with a nationally uncharacteristic lack of irony—would not sully his ethically pristine hands by engaging in them. He had underlings for that. Speaking to Zelus would imply that he spoke to Zelus, and thus that he might be influenced by—that is, that his principles might fall victim to—the company’s money, prestige, and international reach.

Funny that anything of consequence in her life would come down to Saint Dan... but she had no need or time to concentrate on that now, what with her flight with Mr. Medicaldevices, what with getting herself to her hotel and then to AAI’s headquarters.

“I win,” she repeated aloud, as a firm reminder to herself, upon exiting the elevators on the 40th floor to confront the winged AAI logo on the wall of a large lobby. She wasn’t nervous as such, but the initial conferences involved in any such negotiation, particularly one like this with such enormous repercussions, did tend to make her feel as if she were being put through qualifying. As to whether she would qualify, there was no doubt. But having to do so was an annoyance.

“I win,” she said again, as she realized, after some purposeful striding through hallways, that she had no idea where she was, or where she was supposed to be. How could she have been so foolish as to have misread the COO’s office number?

Well. She was considered a shark, was she not? So she kept moving, entering the nearest office space, determined to push her way to a righted course. Someone would know where she was meant to be. She found herself in a large area featuring several desks, at the nearest of which sat a womanly figure, her back to Helena. She had long, dark, curly hair. Helena had once upon a time been dramatically drawn to women—well, be honest: one woman—with long, dark, curly hair... she tried not to be, anymore, but here she was again, drawn, as if no one else were present in the space. She tapped the woman’s shoulder and received an annoyed response, and upon hearing it, Helena thought, Wait...

Then the woman looked up, and Helena thought, Oh no, followed swiftly by, Myka.

She could not summon a single word to say. Judging from Myka’s wide eyes and unmoving mouth, neither could she.

As they gaped at each other, Helena’s thoughts galloped along: She hasn’t changed. She looks like herself. She still has that whorl of hazel in her eyes...

She tried to shake herself back to sense by noting that people’s eyes didn’t change color over time; of course the hazel would still be there. The hazel and the green and the lashes that overswept them both...

“Lost,” Myka at last said, lighting on what Helena vaguely remembered was a word she herself had said.

“Lost,” Helena affirmed. It was all she could do to utter that syllable, even though, standing here, staring at Myka, she felt no longer lost at all. Or perhaps she was lost again, or lost anew, lost as she’d been, nearly two years ago... the distance between then and now had not been sufficiently impressed upon her until this moment. You are different now, this reminder of emotional depth and breadth told her. You are intentionally different now.

A man seated near Myka said, “Call me crazy, but I think you two know each other.”

The ensuing silence stretched into near-insurmountability.

Then: “Yes,” Myka said.

Helena was surprised that she would acknowledge it, but she had, so: “Yes,” Helena echoed.

Nothing else happened.

“Okay,” the man said. After a moment, during which Helena and Myka continued to stare at each other, he said to Helena, “Um. New lady Myka knows, what are you doing here?”

Helena found something like her voice. “I’m from Zelus,” she said.

“When you say it like that, sounds like an alien planet. How many suns does it have?” he asked.

Whoever this was, he was good at breaking tension. Helena coughed a little laugh and said, “You see my healthy tan.”

“So, zero,” the man said. “Mykes, you never told me you knew an alien from a system with no suns.” Then, to Helena, “Okay, alien from the planet Zelus, how can we help you? But I’m not sure I believe you’re from there at all. Don’t they make everybody wear the gear? Where’s your headband or whatever?”

Helena laughed a bit more strongly, this time at the idea of herself in a headband. “Your COO can attest. I have an initial appointment regarding what to do about the shoes. The Deceits, that is.”

The man snorted. “Trust me, we know which shoes need something done about ’em. But anyway you took a major wrong turn at the elevators.”

“Did I?” Helena resumed staring at Myka. Wrong turn? The turn I took was in no way wrong. Or it was, because I am seeing a sight I never thought to see again, and it is reminding me of things I cannot bear to be reminded of.

“You want the bigwig offices. Other side.”

“Do I?” Helena asked. I don’t think I do. I think I want to take up residence right here... or rather, in the past. The part of the past that involves this person who is right here.

“Yeah,” he said, but a bit heavily, as if he had heard her thoughts and wanted to honor them. “Because we’re just certification and compliance.”

In response to that, Helena could think only, Of course you are. Or rather, Of course she is.

She hadn’t seen Myka... since.

Helena’s then-employer had been looking into the acquisition of a company. Helena was sent to visit that company for some days in order to see what best face it could put on for an acquisitive outsider... and what could be extrapolated from that about its value. The books were being gone over by others, and they would provide useful quantitative data on corporate health, but Helena’s nose for frailties was unsurpassed.

All the meetings she attended were watched over by a rotating cast from the legal department. Those types always thought themselves hawklike, their senses finely tuned so as to correct any employees’ statements that might give Helena the wrong impression. Helena was fully prepared for whatever “clarifying” interruptions they would offer.

She was not at all prepared for their intern.

“This is our 3L from Stanford,” said one of the lawyers, explaining that intern’s presence at one such meeting. “Myka Bering. She’s trying corporate on for size. We’re hoping it fits.”

Helena took Myka Bering’s hand for what was meant to be a simple business shake. But at the touch, something happened to her breathing: in-out became out-in, and she coughed. “Sorry,” she said, then coughed again. “Does it?” she asked, sounding nothing at all like herself. “Fit, I mean?”

“Still trying it on,” Myka said, and with a little duck of her head—she was tall—she stepped away, toward the back of the room, a movement that said I know what my place is here.

Helena knew what her own place was, and she tried to occupy it appropriately, sitting in a position of significance at a not-quite-sturdy conference table. Yet throughout the meeting, her attention was drawn to Myka, who was not at the table but in a chair against the wall, drawn to her serious brow-furrow as she took notes. At one point, Myka looked up from those notes, meeting Helena’s eyes, and after a blink of connection, she performed the duck of head again.

Helena spent the remainder of the meeting hoping that some similar blink would reconnect them... well, not only hoping, but also attempting to magically will or engineer it into happening. She took no notes of her own, and when she saw blank paper in front of her, once the meeting’s participants were released at its end, she had to acknowledge, certainly to herself if no one else, that she had been thrown entirely off her stride.

That wouldn’t do, so she had to do something about it.

For a day and a half, the “something” she did was “ignore it aggressively.” If she concentrated solely on the professional tasks at hand, she would surely forget the stumble Myka had brought to her breath. She would surely forget that blink of connection and would give up wishing for it to be repeated. Surely that was what would happen.

As a strategy for regaining her stride, aggressive ignoring was unsuccessful.

Helena then told herself that if she sought Myka out, that if she talked to her one-on-one, whatever momentary spell had been cast would surely break. Myka would show herself to be merely a law student, and Helena could... put her in perspective. She made a plan to catch Myka at the end of the day, which would allow her to dismiss this spell for the mirage it was and start fresh the next morning. Surely that was what would happen.

As a strategy for breaking the spell, seeking Myka out was unsuccessful.

Myka was exiting her small closet of an office when Helena approached her, ready to say a simple “hello” and inquire about her internship. But when she was once again the focus of Myka’s attention, Helena was barely able to choke, “The other day. In the meeting.” (She could not even say, “The meeting about,” because she did not know what should follow “about,” because she did not know what the meeting had been about.) She continued, inadequately, “I... noticed you.”

“I noticed you too,” Myka said. “I mean, you did sit at the big table. At the front. And you did some talking.” Helena did not remember doing any talking. “So of course I would have. Noticed.” Playful? As if she knew that Helena had wanted their eyes to meet again. “Plus we were introduced. Before it.”

If Helena had known she needed to brace herself against so much today, she might have been able to do it; her spine might have remained straight. Instead it bent her body toward Myka’s so that she could murmur, “Would you... would you want to have a drink with me tonight?” Bent so she might now magically will or engineer her into saying yes.

Myka didn’t say yes. What she did was lean back a bit and give Helena a look of appraisal. What followed was a surprise: “When was the last time you had a meal cooked by someone you know?” she asked.

The seeming non sequitur was strangely calming, and that calm gave Helena space to consider how to respond. She contemplated a boastful answer, one that might remind both herself and Myka who they were in relation to each other: “Certain restaurateurs with Michelin stars know my name and have recently cooked meals for me.” She then pondered an attempt at humor: “The chef at my hotel knows that I’m demanding when it comes to room service.” No, the latter was asinine. And the former made her sound like... well, it made her sound too much like the person she wanted to be most of the time, the person whom others feared. She didn’t want Myka to hear that. As it happened, she wanted, uncharacteristically, to tell Myka the truth. “I can’t remember,” she settled for saying.

More appraisal, as if Myka had been waiting for Helena to decide on an approach and now was deliberating in advance of her verdict on the choice. And Helena’s breathing might have faltered in response to Myka, but Myka’s, here in response to Helena, was resolute, measured. Helena watched her body inhale and exhale, once then twice, two very full breaths. Then Myka said, “I do want to have a drink with you. But I think you should let me cook you a meal instead. Or also. Nothing fancy; all I’ve got is some pasta and cheap wine.”

She could have said she had stale saltines and grape juice. Cardboard and lukewarm water. All Helena wanted was to be in her presence. You really shouldn’t do this, some vague conscience-voice said, altogether inadequately.

TBC

In place of a tag essay: This is a short part because my ability to sustain thoughts is limited. But did you see the reveal coming? I thought I leaned on it so hard in the first part, but maybe I should have leaned harder... anyway, I’m going to try to get better, structure-wise, going forward, but that is going to depend very much on the state of the world. With regard to that state, I want to say out loud that everyone in the Bering & Wells community is precious to me. Precious. So please stay as safe as possible: wash hands, physical distance, stay home if you can. And if you’re on the front lines, doing essential work, my gratitude is boundless.

[obeyme-and-you]

Lucifer Son of the Morning Star

Italics is Gabriel

Bold is Kimimela

Normal is Verses

Lucifer Son of the Morning Star

Uh, who exactly are ya?

*Spoilers for chapters 16 and onwards, especially after chapter 20. Minor spoilers for the Lamp and Baddies events and the Search For Self Devilgram.*

There’s a few key pieces of information that is important to note before diving into information about Lucifer, both biblically and Obey Me wise.

( https://bible.org/article/lucifer-devil-isaiah-1412-kjv-argument-against-modern-translations explains this more in depth, but for the TL;DR points these points are all from this website. It also explains that “Morning Star” is not synonymous with evil, it’s a descriptor)

The KJV of the bible, is a translation, of a translation. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, while The New Testament was written in Greek. Those were both translated into Latin by a scholar, and then that translation was translated into English, aka the KJV Bible. The translators knew Latin better than Greek and Hebrew, so when they didn’t know a word in Hebrew or Greek, they did their best with translating the Latin word. The word lucifer was similar to this but not quite. 

Lucifer was not originally the name of The Devil/Satan/whoever, but a word that roughly meant “Morning Star”. The translators who were translating it into English, didn’t translate the word, and through the many years, it eventually became what people assume the name of the fallen angel was before his fall.

There’s only one verse in the KJV that uses the name Lucifer, there are other passages that do use “Morning Star” and other variations of this.

Lucifer did not originally mean The Devil, and is not synonymous with evil, so because of this, there are verses that use “Morning Star” while referencing Jesus.

So what does this mean and why is this important?

Lucifer Morningstar means Morningstar Morningstar and therefore should be bullied for it

It’s important to note because there are instances of “Morning Star” not actually talking about The Devil, there will only be 2-3 verses used that use the term when explaining Lucifer from Obey Me. The NASB version never uses the word lucifer, and only uses variations of “morning star” throughout the texts. And one last thing to note, typically (but not always, it’s dependent on some factors) The Devil/Satan/Lucifer/etc. are talked about as one figure, but for the sake of Obey Me, they will be thought as completely different entities. (One passage (the king of Tyre) that will be used is not universally accepted as a story about Lucifer, but will still be used because there are plenty of people who use it when talking about Lucifer and The Fall)

(Who are we talking about again?)

                                                                                  Okay let’s try this again  

                                               (Again they say) 

                         Lucifer Son of the Morning Star

                                                  Who are ya?

                    (You want a real answer or a sarcastic one?)

There are two important passages needed to understand Lucifer as a character, and some possible foreshadowing further into the story of Obey Me. The book of Isaiah (specifically chapter 14) and Ezekiel 28 (The King of Tyre).

Isaiah 14

 “When the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and again choose Israel, and settle them in their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob.

The peoples will take them along and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them as an inheritance in the land of the LORD as male servants and female servants; and they will take their captors captive and rule over their oppressors. 

And it will be in the day when the LORD gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh service which you have been enslaved,

that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say, “How the oppressor has ceased, And how fury has ceased!

“The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers

Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes, Which subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution.

“The whole earth is at resent and is quiet; they break forth into shouts of joy.

“Even the cypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, ‘Since you were laid low, no tree cutter comes against us.’

“Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come; It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.

“They will all respond and say to you, ‘Even you have been made weak as we, You have become like us.

‘Your pomp and the music of your harps Have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you And worms are your covering.’

“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!

“But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.

“I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself the Most High.’

“Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.

“Those who see you will gaze at you, they will ponder over you saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,

Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?’

“All the kings of the nations lie in glory, Each in his own tomb.

“But you have been cast out of your tomb Like a rejected branch, Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit Like a trampled corpse.

“You will not be united with them in burial, Because you have ruined your country, You have slain your people. May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever.

“Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the inquiry of their fathers. They may not rise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities.”

“I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and survivors, offspring and posterity,” declares the LORD.

“I will make also make it a possession for the hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts.”

I included this chapter because I do believe it is very important, but I do not have an entire explanation for this chapter and how it pertains to Obey Me. It should be noted though, verse 12 (“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!”)   is the only verse in KJV that mentions the word Lucifer.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!”

There is some information that can be taken from this chapter and applied to Obey Me’s story, but until future information within the story is released it won’t be a verse by verse explanation. Once more is learned within the story, this will be further broken down if it turns out to be important information, but it will be mostly unexplained and theorized until said information is presented.

Verses 1-11 could be used for something that has yet to happen within the story of Obey Me, because it involves MC.  (Flash backs maybe? Maybe there is Devilgrams we need to read?)

“1) When the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and again choose Israel, and settle them in their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob.”

When the exchange program became in effect, strangers did come into each of the realms. MC, Solomon, Simeon, and Luke all came to the Devildom as exchange students, but the demons did know who Solomon, Simeon, and Luke were before the program began. Solomon was famous for having 72 demon pacts and being a very powerful warlock, and Simeon and Luke were angels that the brothers already knew personally. MC on the other hand is considered a stranger in their eyes because they never knew them.

“2)  The peoples will take them along and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them as an inheritance in the land of the LORD as male servants and female servants; and they will take their captors captive and rule over their oppressors.” 

The demons brought MC to live with them as a roommate at the House of Lamentation, and each of the demons there do have their own way of saying they “own” MC. Mammon is most notable in this aspect, by his consistent insistence to MC and his brothers that he was MC’s “first” and therefore has more power and privilege when it comes to anything involving MC. Lucifer tells MC after they make a pact with them “As of this moment, (MC), you are mine.” (chapter 20-14) But all of the brothers have shown jealousy or possessiveness when involving MC.  (Beels Devilgram ‘Queen of jealousy’ shows a possessive side to a boy i thought was pretty laid back for the most part) MC, even though not technically a servant, has been tasked to help the brothers many times by the brothers, and is charged with helping cook and such at the House of Lamentation. While, neither the brothers or MC can truly be considered captors or oppressors in a literal sense, the brothers are MC’s “captors” in the sense that MC didn’t really have a choice in living there and MC does end up having power over them through the pacts. It will more than likely have to deal with something in the future, specifically with Diavolo if this passage was in fact used as inspiration for Obey Me. (<_< Spoiler chapter unknown)

V 3-9 sounds like foreshadowing for something we have yet to get foreshadowing for within the game. (galaxy brain)

"10) They will all respond and say to you, ‘Even you have been made weak as we, You have become like us."

This has happened once to Lucifer when he and Satan switched bodies. Lucifer, in Satan's body, was unable to punish Mammon because he was in a body weaker to Mammon's. Mammon ridiculed him and constantly made fun of him for it, while Satan told him that now he's stronger so Lucifer has to listen to him. This is possible foreshadowing that all the demon brothers will have this happen to them in some form or another later into the story. (Beel and Asmo also swapped in a side story)

"12) How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!"

This is in reference to The Fall. The civil war between the angels would have weakened the Celestial Realm, and could have affected both the Earthly Realm and the Devildom if they were stuck in the crossfires/participated. It would have weakened the link (politically) between all the realms, because of the resentment towards humans, and the fact that angels fell into the Devildom. (The fact that Lilith was mortally injured in the process as well)

“13) But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.

14) “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself the Most High.’”

Biblically, one of the big reasons why Lucifer rebelled against God and the other angels, is because he wanted to, essentially, dethrone God. Lucifer was full of pride and wrath and wanted to be on top. We have yet to learn all the events that transpired for the demon brothers to rebel and fall from heaven, but it’s safe to assume that one possibility is he thought he would be a better leader, or at least wanted the power that came with being God. Even though a non-canon side story, we can look at the Lamp event and see some insight into Lucifer’s personality. In the event, Diavolo is an oracle and says that whoever marries the MC is the person who will rule the world. Lucifer is very adamant about marrying MC because he wishes to rule everything, and when Satan comes up with a plan that all the brothers will marry MC, he agrees to it, saying that he doesn’t need to marry MC in order to rule the world.   (I’m sure we got told more when Satan was giving us a history lesson but noooooo)

“15) “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.”

When he lost the civil war, he was cast out of the Celestial Realm, down into the Devildom. (Sheol is not technically hell but a place spirits go when they die but like a transition point)

“16) “Those who see you will gaze at you, they will ponder over you saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,

17) Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?’”

When Simeon comes down to the Devildom and sees Lucifer for the first time since the Celestial War, he seems surprised by his appearance and both him and Diavolo talk about Lucifer and his beauty, and how he hasn’t changed much while Lucifer asks them to stop.

“18) “All the kings of the nations lie in glory, Each in his own tomb.

19) “But you have been cast out of your tomb Like a rejected branch, Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit Like a trampled corpse.

20) “You will not be united with them in burial, Because you have ruined your country, You have slain your people. May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever.

21)“Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the inquiry of their fathers. They may not rise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities.”

We do know that angels can die, because Lilith was going to die until Diavolo made his deal with Lucifer, and the fact that there are tombs in the Devildom (which is where the grimoire is located) it can be assumed that demons can die too. Lucifer attacked his country (the Celestial Realm) (or at the very least a fighting retreat) and caused a civil war which could have partially ruined the Celestial Realm, at least for a short period of time. Knowing that angels can die, it is very possible that Lucifer killed angels that fought against him. “May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever.” could be either about the demon brothers, because they are the “offspring” of their former angel selves, or it could be about MC because MC is the offspring of Lilith (a few thousand years down the line) and in the eyes of God, and the Celestial Realm, evil because she interfered with the life of a human, something considered very bad. Verse 21 could be foreshadowing further down the line.Another thing to mention, “You will not be united with them in burial” could be in reference to Lilith, because they didn’t get to be with her in the end.

22) “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and survivors, offspring and posterity,” declares the LORD.

23) “I will make also make it a possession for the hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts.”

These verses are possible foreshadowing.

“I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and survivors, offspring and posterity,” declares the LORD.” This could be specifically against MC, because if the Celestial Realm learns about Lucifer and Diavolo’s deal, and that Lilith was reincarnated as a human, and that MC is offspring of her, could cause a war. There’s a possibility that MC will be put to death for Lilith’s crimes.  (Spoilers? Glad we didn’t meet Michael)

“I will make also make it a possession for the hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts.” If a war were to break out between The Celestial Realm and The Devildom, God may order the complete destruction of the Devildom.

Ezekiel 28 is debated on whether the passage is talking about Lucifer or not but it is used to talk about him and The Fall even though not everyone agrees on it. In the case of Obey Me, it would mostly be about him but it will talk minimally about others.

Part 2 HERE: Lucifer Son of the Morning Part 2

[jaylightning]

Chapter 14 - The Boogeyman

The room was quiet for a brief moment with this appearance of the violet-eyed male.  The atmosphere of the room had seemed to change to an eerie calm.  If one was to explain it, it was the calm that came from an acceptance.  Only issue was that no one was willing to accept this feeling.

“Oh, dear.  After business hours, and letting in people?  Y’know, one of ya could at least offer our friend here something to drink?  He’s traveled quite the distance,” Lotus would speak out as he came back down to see the scene before them.  Raven was on his feet, on edge.  One move he saw out of place would see an attack.  Lotus could see this from a mile away.  Meanwhile, Ria and Matthew were keeping back, nervous.  Everyone was simply on edge.  This wasn’t good.

“C’mon, guys ~ Just relax.  It’s only natural to be tense around--”

“That’ll be enough, Lotus.  Plus, I don’t really need a drink right now.” the male spoke, stopping the chef from speaking anymore.

“Okay so this is another secret that Lotus is keeping? if you two know each other, then I’d like to know what exactly is going on... STILL,” A red head was growing more furious by the minute with these new puzzle pieces showing up in the form of Lotus’ background.  Just how much he was hiding was setting off a bomb.

“Don’t worry.  This isn’t much of a secret he chose to keep.  Rather, it is a tale a little too silly to believe.  Much so that I’m sure with this guy’s sense of humor that he’s told you several times, but you shrugged it off as bad humor.”

“Speaking of bad humor, it’s not nice showing up three months early for an audit, Health Inspector, but I assure you everything is fine and dandy here,” Lotus told him.  It wasn’t often that the goofy smile was missing from Lotus.  It was more solemn, almost worrisome.

“Yes, I am more than aware.  As I said, I am only here to help in an issue that you all seem to be having.  I was sent to investigate the matter of your former boss, Lotus.  As you all are staring to learn, there is a bit of a disturbance in your world.  Many species are being invaded and stolen from their homes for a purpose we’ve yet to discover.  We do know a lot of lives have been lost, and we can only assume only more will be taken if this isn’t stopped.  So for starters,” the male approached Lotus with a hand going around the other’s neck, “Let’s take care of one thing--”

“Alright, enough!” Raven had enough and made a charge considering this looked more of a threat than anything.  Within a split second, a flash from Lotus’ neck followed by him collapsing and holding the back of his neck, actually in pain for a change.  The male had spun around to meet Raven and a duck under a fist that was charged with wind.  For a brief second, the violet-eyed male examined the shot and wind before throwing an open-handed palm that would send Raven back with enough force to crash into a booth and break it.

“Raven!” Ria was up and at it to check up on the detective while Matthew was just staring at the male.

“I think ... I get it.  The violet eyes, Lotus’ connection, and this... air.  Along with everything else you just said.  You’re a servant of the death gods, aren’t you?” he asked with Ria looking back over with a little more horror to her features.

“What do you mean--”

“Someone’s read their legends.  Wouldn’t say Servant, but I am of the family of the original Death God, or Shinigami.  Whichever is easier.  My name is Kuraduro Iroth, and I’m here to aid you guys in dealing with Yuuma Samil.”

Standing back up, Lotus would rub his neck as he already had an idea of what had just happened.  Seeing Raven starting to stir and get up, he had to whistle at the damage caused.  “Well ... He did ask for it, but could ya been a little more gentle on the store?” he asked before glancing over to Matthew next, “Also, that’s our little genius.  He reads a lot of things thanks to Mia... Who’d be screaming at us both if she knew I was involved in you guys.  Not that I have a choice.” Lotus commented with the Iroth laughing.

“My apologizes.  On the bright side of things, as of today you are free from your restrictions for this mission.  I believe your friends will need you now more than ever ... but I also think you will need to face your past, eventually.  This goes well enough, I may be able to fully free you-”

“Free him..? You tellin’ me this guy has been confined here in his own store and this city all this time because of you?” Raven asked as he got himself back up, properly, though he had stumbled in doing so.  The question had Kuraduro raising a brow with Lotus giving a small nod. 

“It’s the condition of the power I possess. I told you my dark days were a little chaotic... So what happens when you kill many people and their souls don’t quite make it to the afterlife?  You know that’s a part of my Realm, but... I never quite told you the full truth of my power.  It’s a power that you’re not quite born with.  It’s a power transferred in dreams.” Lotus spoke with Kuraduro patting the shoulder of Lotus.

“Along the course of time, a single entity plagued the nightmares of people it found appetizing.  It preyed on anyone with powerful dreams, and it would consume their very being through those dreams. People would go to sleep, but they’d never wake up.  Lotus had been visited by this demon ... but unlike past victims, Lotus woke up.  The demon’s soul was killed and absorbed into the soul of  Lotus here.  Basically, he is the new dream demon, or Boogeyman as one may call it in this world.”

“Basically, I had a wild imagination the guy couldn’t handle ~” Lotus spoke with a laugh.

The three would just stare at Lotus and Kuraduro that seem to know the full story of Lotus before any of them even knew a thing.  They just knew Lotus had spoken of his power as just his imagination running wild and taking form.  But to go as far as to say he’s a boogeyman?

“Whiiiich is why I have to be restricted and have these visits. This power is very much a mystery considering no one even knew if this thing was real.  It exists only  in its own realm, never seen by a person that lived to tell.  Sorry for not saying anything, but-“

“Look, I’m not going to pretend I fully understand, but I don’t need anymore explanations.  All I need is for this death god to give me a plan.  Boogeyman or not, we got work to do,” Raven spoke before groaning.  Standing still hurts.

“Also, Raven.  Yes?  After we discuss matters, I have something to ask you in private in concern of that power of yours..” Kuraduro would add on with the male looking rather irritated at the comment.  He did not feel the desire to speak to the guy that just launched him like a home-run baseball.

“Wait!  How can we talk if Lotus will die if he speaks anything?” Matthew would ask out with Kuraduro cracking a quick smile.

“The curse has been burned away by my own-ah ... What you might call magic? ability?  Maybe it’s better to call it ‘Anti-magic’.” he explained with Lotus nodding.

“Yeah... Burned.  Could had warned me, by the way..” Lotus muttered the last part, not exactly enjoying that sort of pain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was hustling out to catch up to Naito that should be close by.  Sure enough, she was able to spot him which she was ready to call out to her love.  What stopped her was a look of seriousness to him.  He was hiding which meant there was something or someone close by.  Ducking low, she would approach the other without a sound and simply just wait for a command from the pyro master.

“Heh... Good thing ya went and changed to something more fitting in spy work,” Naito commented with noticing quick of Mia being out of her typical dresses and more into darker, tighter clothing.  Loose articles could prevent movements which Mia would need being on the field like this.  The issue was that she had no idea what was even going on.  Frankly, she was growing upset by the minute.

“Comment on m’ wear all ya want.  Ain’t gonna change that yer not talkin’,” she whispered with a hand being raised to shush her.

“Chill, hun.  Check it out...” he motioned as he moved away from the bush for Mia to take a peak and view out from what was in front.  She could see a couple of people tied up and being held prisoner by a single woman with long-brunette hair.  She also seemed to be dancing to a song that no one could hear.  ... Wait.

“Hey, Idol?  Do you hear violin music...?” Mia asked with Naito not exactly responding, but he was starting to sweat.

[pixylate-archive2020]

Here’s what I have regarding the origin of fae. This all is purely my own headcanon, and as it will most certainly clash with other people’s headcanons regarding some Legendary Pokemon or otherwise, I want to remind everyone that you don’t need to consider what I write here to “effect” your blog in any way. This is just for my blog and mine alone.

First off, I’m gonna incorporate the lore I built for my Xerneas muse in the past, where Xerneas "gave birth” to the first lifeforms on Earth after being accidentally created by Arceus upon it being injured by Giratina. Life as we know it was an accident, go figure.

Yveltal was created by Arceus as a counter to Xerneas’ power so life wouldn’t be infinite like its own, and Zygarde was created to uphold the balance between the two. A plain parallel to Earth’s reality was created by Arceus as well, where the souls of the lifeforms who died would pass through a river (later deemed the “Lifestream”) before being put back on Earth in a new body. This cycle made it to where Arceus or Xerneas wouldn’t have to create more lifeforms to replace the ones lost.

Also around this time, Arceus created the “Consciousness Embodiments”: Mesprit, Uxie, and Azelf, so lifeforms not directly tied to it would have independence.

These lifeforms “birthed” by Xerneas were what pokemon and humans eventually evolved from, though some of them didn’t change. The lifeforms that didn’t evolve took form of what people today have recognized as “Mew”. Mew is the being that humanity has deemed “the ancestor of all pokemon”, which isn’t fully correct or incorrect either. Mew isn’t so much of an ancestor, as its genes has it be what pokemon used to be. Humans as well. Should scientists ever capture a Mew and study it in detail, they would discover some truly ground-breaking information. But, that’s not the focus of this post.

The fae originated from this group of early lifeforms. Xerneas’ influence on them was strong, and while they evolved, they never deviated from Xerneas unlike a lot of the other lifeforms on Earth did. Xerneas became a patron deity to them all, and remained close to them as the eons went by. Its aura had special effects on them, putting a little bit of itself in them all. This can be considered the beginning of Fairy Pokemon.

Arceus however, didn’t like this. While other life on Earth was changing and becoming something truly remarkable, Xerneas’ entities weren’t doing the same. They were changing, but not in a way similar to the rest of the lifeforms. Even though Arceus left Xerneas in charge of Earth’s mortal life, it didn’t want for them to continue living on Earth and potentially create anomalies, completing throwing Earth off of the track its on.

To accommodate Arceus’ wish and not have its “children” erased, Xerneas desired for them to be able to live in the place where they wouldn’t impact other life, a place where the souls of Earth’s lifeforms would only pass through after death and be prepared for reincarnation. Arceus allowed it, creating a different plain in the afterlife for Xerneas’ children. 

Away they went, to the world that would become known as “fairyland”, among other names in future legends. Bordering “fairyland” was “The Other Side”, where the Lifestream was located. The fairies were prohibited from getting near the Lifestream, as to not interfere with the souls in it and the course of reincarnation in general.

There were some of the early lifeforms that were drawn to Yveltal and ended up being transformed by its own aura. These lifeforms became like what some were to Xerneas: fairies in a sense, but also something different. This can be considered the origin of Dark Pokemon. 

Like Xerneas’ children, these lifeforms were also sent off to live in fairyland for the same reasons. Yveltal naturally had access to The Other Side as its existence was half of what kept the Lifestream running (the other half being Xerneas’ existence), but unlike Xerneas, it didn’t feel too attached to its “children” and thus loomed in Earth’s realm a lot of the time. 

As eons went by and the Earth changed in countless ways, and Arceus fell into slumber, fairies did eventually creep out of fairyland to Earth. Some frolicked about and used Earth as a “playground” of sorts before returning home, while others chose to live on Earth and soon have families, where their children had their own families in the future and passed down fairy blood. Since Arceus was sleeping, they could do whatever they wanted.

Xerneas’ itself jumped from dwelling in fairyland to Earth and vice-versa, being a mere observer from now on. Fairykind and life as a whole had already taken their own reins; its main purpose now was to keep the Lifestream going.

The fairies who continued to live in fairyland (still to this day), ended up becoming so drastically different from the fairies (now mainly pokemon, though there are humans that exist which have distant fairy ancestors) that lived on Earth. These fairies, called “the fae” for differentiation, became so impacted by Xerneas and its aura that they were granted special abilities which evolved as they did. 

The fae established their own society in fairyland, their own rules and their own customs, though they do still sometimes visit Earth. This has caused the dozens of myths and folktales about them to be created and passed down through generations, most notably in humans. Humanity itself has become almost a “rival” of sorts to the fae, particularly since humans have intelligence that rivals their own.

Yes you can interpret all this as me saying fairies in general are anomalies dshghdgsk, not exactly MEANT to exist (at least on Earth) but they do!

[yi-dashi]

On Master Yi’s Combat Prowess

One.

//I’m sure I’ve made posts in the past about Yi’s abilities and how they translate to headcanon, but I figured I’d reiterate for the sake of having it on this new blog. That, and so I can remember. I was just going to post about his healing powers, but I figured I’d work through his in-game abilities as a whole. It’s fun to discuss, because I like laughing at how dumb and broken some of his abilities are when considered for their greatest narrative potential. Or at least, it’s fun to discuss how to you make wuju practitioners miserable create consequences for dumb broken abilities.

  But anyways. General Wuju technique primer inbound, plus the problem Yi has made of his Ult.

  The ultimate philosophy of Wuju as a martial art is to coalesce thoughts and action into one. That is to say, Practitioners value instantaneous resolutions, as well as internal and external awareness of as many simultaneous things as possible. Over time in canon this has been called Absolute Spiritual Awareness, both of one’s self and one’s enemy. I’ve always taken it in a less literal sense, especially as Wuju evolves to be a non violent art form. An enemy is metaphorical for any other entity, real or imagined, that might come into conflict with one’s perception or protection of logic. The most important factors of every day life are how you feel about something, whether it is logical to feel that way, and how that comes together with your intuition about everything else. To know you don’t know is considered Aware, oh boy, even if there is a negative category for such Awareness.

  Ideas or people are either superior or inferior, and there is no gradient in between. Every problem needs only one solution, because why spend time thinking of more than one? Better ones might come, but all the nuances of Wuju begin when they must try to consider A over B and admit someone was wrong. To a Wuju Practitioner the fastest solution is often considered the most superior, even if another solution might be more ethically sound or have a lower skill bracket. Of course, the faster you execute on a plan, the less time others have to retaliate, and the less variables the Practitioner has to calculate. This underpins every technique the art has. The goal is to find the strategy that works for as many conflicts as possible, memorize any common variables, and execute it perfectly every time. One mistake and you might die, but then you might also have deserved it for a lack of Awareness. Cautionary tales are a staple of Wuju.

  Wuju is ultimately a magical discipline though, even if they would tell you otherwise. Whatever spiritual or magical constructs that surround its Practitioners feed on literalism, and rigidity of thought. While the physical training certainly plays a role in both their speed and dexterity, their devotion to specific patterns in combat are basically the rituals that enhance their skills further. They give their way of thinking power through their reverence to symbolism they consider unarguably correct, which in turn feeds into their stern black and white thinking. With that, what Yi might call ‘The Way of the Highlander’ is this ritualism taking form. His ultimate ability is his Absolute Spiritual Awareness, even if his Masters wouldn't agree with its form.

  While it doesn’t switch off his freedom of thought completely, it heightens his tactical and physical abilities such that they come as naturally as breathing. It’s a feeling of euphoria that pumps him right up, making him feel invincibly superior. He can’t be slowed or tripped, because its almost as if he already knows how someone might do these things to him. Nearly ghost-like, there are some interactions similar to the Alpha Strike and its realm hopping too. That’s not even considering the insight he gains from being able to view magic through the lenses. He can move to the absolute limit of his physical ability, aided by magical counterbalances. They don’t regard his general health very much, but they utilize his form to its breaking point. Unless taken off guard by something even magically altered senses couldn’t predict, he is generally in a state of tactical advantage over any normal foe. Many other champ abilities might catch him off guard, unless they play into his ability to avoid entanglement by subtle realm shifting.

  He thinks of this as a technique of his own design, as it came naturally from his time in active combat. If a Master looked at him though, they’d be horrified. To be in this state is the number one demonstration of your Wuju mastery. But that being said, the way this ritual magic manifested in Yi incentivizes him to kill, and continue killing for as long as possible. Any other Wuju Master would give life to this magic through nonlethal demonstrations of swordplay, or otherwise harmless pursuits like dance and musical arts, written and knowledge works, or general athletics. It would be unthinkable in the art for Yi to use it violently, let alone to have his Mastery defined by this. Yi is only somewhat aware of this himself, though only through the vague notion that his Masters would not have wanted him to kill. He was never trained this far to know what is truly happening to him. For him to discover this, it would be a matter of piecing together burned parchment that was ancient before it was destroyed.

  At this point though, the damage is mostly done. He has to fight himself to not enter this heightened state fully, as he is more likely to end someone’s life before he can conceive of a non violent solution. That’s not to mention how Wuju, when used to its fullest, can injure him, though that’s a discussion for later. It is a technique born of slaughtering large groups of people at once with reckless abandon, and as such calling upon it expects the slaughter to continue. Over time he might be able to change his baked perception of combat, but it is a long journey to change a ritual. The meaning has already been spoken to magic. His best solution currently is to keep himself grounded, such that a situation can be considered for the sum of its parts. The ‘fastest solution’ aided him and his country in the past, but today he wants to humble himself back to Wuju’s roots.

  The blade is too sacred to spill a drop of blood, yet his always seem to thrive on it.

[illegiblewords]

FOR CONFUSED BYSTANDERS

I know that I have a lot of followers who have been (very patiently) witnessing a stream of pictures, commentary, and general posts related to Final Fantasy XIV. This is going to be my attempt to present the game and its story with context for you guys who have no idea what’s going on.

I’m doing this for two reasons, the first being I LOVE THIS GAME. If I can share the positive experience I’ve had with other people, I’d like to do that. The second reason is, for people who still follow but aren’t necessarily going to play themselves--it might offer enough background info to make posts that go up more entertaining at least. I know I don’t personally mind seeing bloggers, writers, artists, etc. share something I’m unfamiliar with, but it gets more fun when I have some clue what it’s about.

Parts of this post will be just about my own subjective experience, some will be recapping the story, some will be going over different ways I’ve seen people play in case that appeals. So on and so forth. I’m aiming to offer an honest reflection on whatever seems important.

Putting this under a cut because really, this is fucking long. Not as long as it looks because pictures are included but even still. For anyone who reads, I hope you enjoy and if you have questions don’t hesitate to hit me up! :)

BACKGROUND - NON-MMO PLAYER LOVES THIS MMO

I have never played an MMO before this. I’m pretty apathetic about them for the most part. When I play games I like to design things, get good pictures, and kill baddies for stress relief. I'm here to immerse in an exciting world and story, meet characters I can invest in. Stuff in that vein. So far as gaming goes I’m pretty simple.

There are people who put heavy emphasis on the social elements of FFXIV. They’ll play with their friends specifically, either because they’re focused on fighting together or because they want to roleplay or just to hang out. I’m not really in that category.

I entered knowing no one, and while I’ve made some friends through FFXIV I mostly interact with them outside the game itself. This can happen on tumblr, on forums, on the official blog platform, etc. In-game, I encounter other players all the time but it is generally something like “I was running around the city doing stuff and other people were also running around the city doing stuff”. You can approach people. You can message them and do little emotes like waving or hugging or slapping or whatever. You can do these emotes directed at nobody and just see your character go through the animations, which can be fun for taking pictures.

More detailed encounters with other players happen in dungeons, trials, and raids. These are called registered duties. Guildhests and PVP (player versus player) exist too, but I haven’t done them. I’ll elaborate later, but the gist you need to know here is that you are grouped in with a fixed number of additional players and then placed in a setting with a pre-set encounter or encounters to overcome. Some of these are straightforward, some require strategy.

In FFXIV, people usually chat to varying degrees during duties. Most are polite, pleasant, and focused on gameplay. At least where I am, which I’ll also go into later. Occasionally there are people who are jerks in the sense that they are inconsiderate or rude to other players. Also occasionally, people are incompetent. More often though I’ll encounter someone with a great sense of humor or people who have helpful tips to improve.

This is a game where, if you see a player marked as new struggling with low level monsters, a more experienced player might pause to oneshot that monster so the newbie can escape. People are casually nice most of the time.

Since I’d normally be doing single-player anyway, for me this is very refreshing. I get to do all the things I’d be doing in a single-player video game, but I also get light exchanges with other fans in ways that aren’t disruptive. There’s enough meat to the Main Quest Scenario (MSQ) and side quests that I don’t feel bored or lonely at all.

FFXIV does cost money to play and has a subscription. This can be paid in varying increments. I personally think it’s worth it because 1) the developers are adding new content on a pretty regular basis 2) the developers actually care about quality and having happy fans 3) the game keeps getting better over time 4) there is SO MUCH you can do in the game. It is truly expansive beyond anything else I’ve seen. I might not be ready to do a subscription with every game, but for this one absolutely.

This essentially plays like a normal final fantasy game in most respects. You might run around solo by-and-large, but there is an NPC supporting cast. They and the villains get fleshed out very well. Same goes for civilians and other background characters. The biggest difference off the top of my head is the story’s beginning...

OBSTACLES

I’m going to get this out of the way early, but in essence I think there are two main obstacles as a beginner. The first and most notable of these is that the game’s entry point, called “A Realm Reborn”, is less well-written and EXTREMELY LONG.

Seriously. I’ve only gotten one character past this point and it took me a stupid amount of time. Some of the quests at this stage are things like “my dad doesn’t like the stinky chocobo please spray it with perfume so it is less stinky”.  Or “jump through all these stupid hoops so you can fight the exciting boss you’ve been waiting for”.

However, the length at least is slotted to be fixed in the future. I’ll probably announce that when it happens in case that’s the deal changer for anyone.

On writing quality, it starts off mediocre. However, later writing is so strong that it actually manages to make past scenes WAY more interesting. The initial setup also kind of lures you into a false sense of security, at which point shit gets real very fast.

The second obstacle for beginners involves a degree of not knowing what you don’t know. For example, there is an extremely powerful attack that can be used in registered duties called “Limit Break”. Initially I didn’t even know where to find it to put in my move hotbar. Then I didn’t know that using it would take limit break away from other players in the group. Then I didn’t know that the limit breaks of different jobs needed to be used under different circumstances. An example of this would be that spellcaster SHOULD use a limit break attack on freakishly large groups of enemies, but SHOULD NOT use limit break on a lone boss unless there is literally no other damage class (DPS) available to do it. This is because the overall impact of caster limit break is comparatively low, but effects more enemies at the same time. Using limit break inappropriately can frustrate people.

There are other things similar to this, such as when you use Duty Finder (a roulette that sets you up with completely random people interested in the same registered duty) and when you use Party Finder (where you announce what registered duty you want to do with what circumstances, then people volunteer to join), or being aware of which moves are supposed to be used in which order for top efficiency. That said, if you tell people you’re completely new they’ll usually be willing to explain.

If it’s something like “how do I use the glamour plates to switch into designs I made easily” or “how does crafting even work”, youtube is very helpful too! Overall just take initiative and communicate to people your experience level while in groups and things tend to work out.

THE STORY

Disclaimer: Recaps get less detailed over time to avoid spoiling too hard.

SHORT VERSION

You are a god-slayer, or more precisely the slayer of false-gods. False-gods drain the land to make it lifeless and are prone to brainwashing people. You also regularly fight the rough equivalent of angels who believe the world as you know it has gone horribly wrong and are trying to force things back into their natural forms. Excessive death ensues anytime they are successful, so high stakes. Meanwhile, an authoritarian and technologically advanced nation is causing issues on the regular and has to be stopped.

PRELUDE/LEGACY

Final Fantasy XIV had a rocky start with patch section 1.0/the true beginning, which I did not play. While there are videos online of what it was like for those curious, the gist is that five years before the current opening the world was stricken by a terrible calamity. The nation of Eorzea (an allied collection of city states) was at war with the Garlean Empire--otherwise known as Garlemald. During this war, one of Garlemald’s scientists implemented a genocidal strategy against the Eorzeans by dragging the lesser of two moons down upon their heads. This moon was called Dalamud. However, what took this situation from bad to worse was that Dalamud wasn’t actually a moon but a prison.

Thousands of years prior, the technologically advanced nation of Allag had been performing experiments using dragons and entities known as primals. Primals are summoned into being using a combination of aether (life energy, the source of magic), ritual, and the belief of their summoners. One of Allag’s experiments involved murdering a powerful dragon then using the tortured prayers of his lover and his kin to summon a warped, primal imitation of him. This primal was then trapped as a power source and left to fester in rage and insanity.

The dragon’s primal is Bahamut. Dalamud was his cage.

When Dalamud burst open above Eorzea, Bahamut was released in all his apocalyptic glory. A collection of heroes, allied to an organization called the Scions of the Seventh Dawn (dedicated to eliminating primals for the toll they take on the land and its people) stood against Bahamut. A man named Louisoix Levellieur, leader of the Scions, cast a powerful spell by summoning the Twelve Eorzean gods to stop Bahamut. This spell cast the primal, Louisoix, and the heroes five years into the future. It also wiped the heroes, known thereafter as the Warriors of Light, from memory.

Part of what makes 1.0 really cool looking back--when the developers saw how many problems existed in the MMO, they knew they would need to reboot it. There was a date set for that to happen, which would involve taking Final Fantasy XIV offline until an improved version could be released. Players knew the real world reasons behind all this. What they didn’t know was how the hiatus and reboot would be presented within the narrative.

People who were up-to-date in the storyline knew that war had erupted and that the moon was falling. They also knew that a particular time, the game would be taken offline.

This is what they saw.

A REALM REBORN

The average player, and likely anyone reading this, will not have played patch 1.0. For us, Final Fantasy XIV begins five years after Bahamut’s calamity. The world is still recovering and has been irrevocably scarred in the dragon’s wake. Refugees from both that event and Garlemald’s conquered territories pour in even as the empire bides its time for another invasion.

The player is a fledgling adventurer endowed with a gift called The Echo. The Echo is an ability that first, prevents them from being brainwashed (or “Tempered”) by primals. This is important because like I said before, one of the things that gives primals their power is belief. This extends to prayer. If a person is tempered, they will worship and empower the primal responsible until they die. This means most people can’t even approach primals safely, much less fight them. More than one character (including NPCs) possess The Echo, but it remains a rare ability.

Another aspect of this gift is that it allows someone (without any deliberate control) to see into the memories of others, superimposing emotions and perspectives of the event over the witnessing Echo-user. It also translates all direct speech into an understandable form to the Echo-user. There are additional abilities that become unveiled over the course of the story, but these are most important and consistent going in.

The player initially is just one of many such adventurers, a guild of independent mercenaries willing to undertake odd jobs using their skill in combat. After coming into conflict with a mysterious, masked organization, however, it becomes clear that the player has been chosen as champion to Hydaelyn herself.

Because you see, Hydaelyn isn’t just the name of the planet. This is also a sentient mothercrystal claiming the role of protector to all life on Her surface.

The masked organization consists of spirits with varying degrees of immortality. They also have the ability to body snatch. These are called Ascians. Ascians argue that the world was split into fourteen pieces thousands of years ago by Hydaelyn, and that their dark crystal god--Zodiark--is the true will of the star and represents a natural state of being that must be reclaimed. Their way of pursuing this objective requires causing a series of apocalypses or near-apocalypses, always coming with innumerable casualties.

As Hydaelyn’s champion the player joins the Scions of the Seventh Dawn in combating primals, fights against lingering threats from Garlemald, and thwarts Ascian plans to continue rejoining the world through calamities.

A trailer for this arc can be viewed here.

HEAVENSWARD

Shit goes pear shaped in a big way and you have to flee territories held by the Eorzean Alliance--city states including Ul’dah, Limsa Lominsa, and Gridania. Ishgard, now a frozen, mountainous landscape ruled by a religion dedicated to the goddess Halone, takes your character in.

Ishgard has been at war with the draconic nation of Dravania for thousands of years. Dragons are immortal by natural means, but can be slain. Ishgard no longer remembers, by and large, why the war even started except that they have been losing loved ones in horrifying ways for as long as they can remember. They refused to send aid during the struggle against Garlemald specifically because they couldn’t spare forces from their war with Dravania. They have a reputation for being hostile to outsiders, having extreme class divides, and inquisition-style zealotry. Nonetheless, there are good people here and over the course of A Realm Reborn the player manages to befriend some of them.

This arc delves into Ishgard’s war, and involves the player taking part while clearing their name in the Alliance. Toward the end, it is also extremely important to note that the player encounters a group calling themselves “Warriors of Darkness”, who are in-league with the Ascians. It comes to light that they hail from one of the divided worlds, that their world is in terrible danger, and they believe the path to survival comes from confronting you.

A trailer for this arc can be viewed here.

STORMBLOOD

One of the antagonists we encounter forces the Alliance to involve itself in freeing Garlemald’s conquered territories, namely the nations of Ala Mhigo (largely Middle Eastern) and Doma (East Asian). In undertaking this task, the hero comes into repeated conflict with Garlemald’s crown prince, Zenos yae Galvus. Zenos is basically a serial killer with the resources of a prince but no actual investment in being a prince. It’s pretty wild.

A lot of this plot focuses on the consequences of Garlean rule. Over time though, it comes to light that the founder of Garlemald was a high-ranked Ascian and is still very much alive.

A trailer for this arc can be viewed here.

SHADOWBRINGERS

The plot set into motion with the Warriors of Darkness resumes as the player is forced to travel to their home world. Dealing with a setting on the brink of Armageddon, this current arc has a ton to do with examining different perspectives while getting much clearer insight on lore metaphysics. Most notably, we finally learn why the Ascians act the way they do and discover more about the nature of the player character and Hydaelyn.

I’m aware this is vague, but honestly this is my favorite of all the expansions/arcs so far. Seriously it is fucking killer.

A trailer for this arc can be viewed here.

YOUR PROTAGONIST/THE CHARACTER CREATOR

The main character of Final Fantasy XIV is known as the Warrior of Light, regardless of whether you play from the Legacy version of the game or A Realm Reborn. Similar to the Dragon Age games, in Final Fantasy XIV you get to design your own main character and shape their identity to varying degrees through the story. Some people like to imagine their protagonist as existing within a completely different role in the world of Hydaelyn for roleplay purposes (so not a Warrior of Light), but that involves essentially disregarding the main quest scenario narrative provided. It’s fine to do that of course, but I’m going to be explaining things that essentially fit within the canon approach.

There are currently eight playable races for the Warrior of Light. These include hyur (human stand-ins), elezen (elf stand-ins), roegadyns (orc or giant stand-ins), miqo’te (cat people), lalafells (dwarf or gnome stand-ins), au ra (tiefling or draeni stand-ins), viera (female-only bunny people at the moment), and hrothgar (male-only lion people, the beast race).

Each race option has two subraces attached. The most dramatic differences between subraces come up for hyur, where there are Midlanders (shorter and slighter frames) and Highlanders (taller and beefier/curvier). Otherwise it’s more minor differences.

It is common for players to develop their own personal interpretations of who their Warrior of Light character was before the story begins and how that impacts progression. This can be shaped by what race they belong to and what lore is attached to that race according to region. It is also possible to shape things according to which of the Twelve (Eorzea’s pantheon) the Warrior of Light worships. These deities are loosely described and made available for selection at the beginning of the game.

It isn’t unusual for people to pick names in-keeping with lore. A good site to turn to for this is over here, although there are also spots that go into what different names actually translate to. Other people just go with whatever they feel like. I think I saw someone named Cheese Whiz once.

Stat variation is pretty negligible between races, and it’s mainly an aesthetic/tonal choice. Currently there is some pressure on game developers to make Viera and Hrothgar playable for male and female gender options both, and it seems likely that at some point this will happen. Currently there are indications that the release for Viera and Hrothgar was somewhat rushed due to some behind-the-scenes circumstances, so while they are less versatile than other options this is likely to change at some point.

As someone who is a sucker for character customization, I want to mention that while it might be easier to get some of the fantasy races to fit a particular ethnicity--Final Fantasy actually does a great job in terms of visual versatility and has made it possible to hit a wide range of options well. For example, it might be easier to make an East Asian au ra or a French elezen, but you can easily break with that in totally believable ways. You might not have the precision adjustments of Dragon Age: Inquisition or Bloodborne, but the options presented are pretty flexible.

In terms of how the Warrior of Light works through the game, again while there is some wiggle room there are certain aspects to their identity that stay pretty consistent. They get jaded and worn out by the narrative as time goes on, they experience loss, they become increasingly chatty and sarcastic. They have powerful neck muscles from years of communication by nodding. Commonly, the personality of the Warrior of Light is also influenced by the job they choose.

THE JOBS

Something I wish got explained to me early--you only get certain jobs as options starting out, and any others you hear about getting added are only accessible at higher levels. In Final Fantasy XIV, basically when it comes to combat you start with a very basic class, which graduates to a job (better versions of the class) when you fulfill certain requirements.

There are notably three main roles a combat class or job can fall into. These include tanks, healers, and DPS. Tanks are responsible for leading the charge, provoking aggression, directing mobs, and enduring attacks in groups. They don’t deal the most damage but have the highest defense and are generally right in the thick of the action. Healers can deal damage but their main purpose is to keep themselves and everyone around them from dying, especially in groups. At the moment all of the healer jobs use magic. DPS (Damage Per Second) are the jobs that are mainly responsible for taking chunks out of the enemy’s health. Within DPS there are additionally three subcategories, these being Melee DPS (non-magical and close-range), Physical Ranged DPS (non-magical and fighting from a distance), and Magic Ranged DPS (magical and fighting from a distance). There is also a limited job and Crafter/Gatherer classes, but I’ll get to those later.

Some DPS jobs, additionally, focus more on playing support to other party members while others are geared toward boosting their own damage output.

The classes you can choose from in the character creator include:

Gladiator (Tank, Sword and Shield)

Marauder (Tank, Axe)

Lancer (Melee DPS, Lance)

Pugilist (Melee DPS, Fists)

Archer (Physical Ranged DPS, Bow)

Conjurer (Healer, Wand)

Thaumaturge (Magical Ranged DPS, Staff)

Arcanist (Magical Ranged DPS, Tome)

At level 10, if your armory system is unlocked (you need to complete a quest for your starting class NPC mentor to do this) you can approach an NPC in Limsa Lominsa to unlock the Rogue class as well. This is a Melee DPS class and uses twin daggers. If your character starts with Marauder or Arcanist this takes less time.

To graduate each of these early classes into a job, the following requirements need to be met:

Paladin (Sword and Shield): Requires Gladiator level 30, Conjurer level 15.

Warrior (Axe): Requires Marauder level 30, Gladiator level 15.

Dragoon (Lance): Requires Lancer level 30, Marauder level 15.

Monk (Fists): Requires Pugilist level 30, Lancer level 15.

Bard (Bow): Requires Archer level 30, Pugilist level 15.

White Mage (Wand): Requires Conjurer level 30, Arcanist level 15.

Scholar (Tome): Requires Arcanist level 30, Conjurer level 15.

Black Mage (Staff): Requires Thaumaturge level 30, Archer level 15.

Summoner (Tome): Requires Arcanist level 30, Thaumaturge level 15.

Ninja (Daggers): Requires Rogue level 30 and completion of quests Sylph-Management and Cloying Victory.

I’ll describe these in more detail in a bit, but there are waaaay more combat jobs than this. Currently the others are:

Dark Knight (Tank, Greatsword): Requires having purchased the Heavensward expansion and having completed all of the Seventh Astral Era Quests up to Before the Dawn, which is needed to unlock the city of Ishgard. This job starts at level 30.

Gunbreaker (Tank, Gunblade): Requires having purchased the Shadowbringers expansion and having a Disciple of War or Magic job at level 60. This job starts at level 60.

Astrologian (Healer, Star Globe): Requires having purchased the Heavensward expansion and having completed all of the Seventh Astral Era Quests up to Before the Dawn, which is needed to unlock the city of Ishgard. This job starts at level 30.

Samurai (Melee DPS, Katana): Requires having purchased the Stormblood expansion and having a Disciple of War or Magic job at level 50. This job starts at level 50.

Machinist (Physical Ranged DPS, Firearm) Requires having purchased the Heavensward expansion and having completed all of the Seventh Astral Era Quests up to Before the Dawn, which is needed to unlock the city of Ishgard. This job starts at level 30.

Dancer (Physical Ranged DPS, Chakrams): Requires having purchased the Shadowbringers expansion and having a Disciple of War or Magic job at level 60. This job starts at level 60.

Red Mage (Magical Ranged DPS, Rapier): Requires having purchased the Stormblood expansion and having a Disciple of War or Magic job at level 50. This job starts at level 50.

So total, right now the jobs include 4 Tanks (Paladin, Warrior, Dark Knight, Gunbreaker), 3 Healers (White Mage, Scholar, Astrologian), 4 Melee DPS (Dragoon, Monk, Ninja, Samurai), 3 Physical Ranged DPS (Bard, Machinist, Dancer), and 3 Magical Ranged DPS (Black Mage, Summoner, Red Mage). Total is 17 jobs. When I describe these combat based jobs, I’m not going to focus on the actual gameplay aspect because frankly I don’t know how to play all of the jobs. This is gonna be a quick and dirty explanation based on the scientific approach of “idk that’s just my impression”.

Paladin: You are a holy knight and you can heal a little sometimes maybe (???) and you are very good and noble with great defense.

Warrior: You are a beserker who loves to release your inner beast and kill shit in really violent ways and are kind of a badass and do the most damage of the tanks.

Dark Knight: Super super edgy and kind of magical but also straight up crazy, you hate corrupt authority figures and are willing to get your hands dirty and darken your name in order to protect others. One of the most beloved job questlines.

Gunbreaker: You have a sword that is also a gun and you can shoot people with it, soldier style. Basically if you have ever fantasized about having a knifegun this is like that but better.

White Mage: Very pure, focused on nature and communing with elemental beings, all about that land/sea/sky thing with ties to the elements earth, water, and air. One of three magic traditions that got involved in a next level magic fight, this one stemming from the city of Amdapor. Amdapor is full of fungus and poison spores now.

Scholar: Takes a highly intellectual spin on magic with ties to weird geometries and so forth, figured out how to summon fairy familiars from aether. Does a lot with shields and preventing people from taking as much damage in the first place. One of three magic traditions that got involved in a next level magic fight, this one stemming from the city of Nym. Nym is a floating city and is basically hovering in ruins now, with any surviving residents having been transformed into tonberries. Tonberries are little green creatures that like to stab people.

Astrologian: A fortuneteller take on magic that combines tarot cards, astrology, and crystal balls. The idea here is that Astrologians are messing with fate and time in order to heal you, sort of undoing damage. Snazzy dressers, intimidating moveset.

Dragoon: Jumpy people with spears who struggle to live down their legacy of animation lag-related deaths, my understanding is that today’s Dragoons do solid damage and are decent at survival. Their reputation, however, is that if someone is going to die in a fight it’s probably them. They are very broody and like to hang out in high places with capes billowing in the wind. They also wear spiky armor and fight dragons and have the soul of a dragon. People make jokes at their expense a lot but with affection.

Monk: You punch people to death and get gauntlets of varying levels of sharp. You also get to master chakras and go through forms associated with different animals. In a series like Final Fantasy where people carry swords bigger than they are, you’re the job that said lol who needs that and made your body the weapon.

Ninja: Very very sneaky, used to be sort of a state-sanctioned criminal. If anybody is a spy it’s you. You are very fast and can basically turn invisible and sometimes smoke bombs go off. Mudras are used and I don’t understand.

Samurai: Deal a solid amount of damage and are very flashy and cool, probably one of the highest damage outputs for Melee DPS. Very neat and fancy katanas.

Bard: Draws a connection between the strings of a harp and the strings of a bow, is able to both shoot the crap out of enemies, make enemies more vulnerable with some songs, and make allies more powerful with other songs. I think Bards are very pretty and fancy.

Machinist: These are tech nerds who realized that guns are an option. So are flamethrowers. So are robots. This job has a reputation for being ungodly complicated to play but this has apparently been rectified recently.

Dancer: Similar to Bard in that they do a lot to boost allies in a fight, do lower damage as a result but damn do they boost their allies. Also have ridiculously swanky outfits and are super flashy in fights.

Black Mage: The edgy magic users, they are disciples of Eorzea’s death god and all of their magic ties into destruction. If you wanna make the biggest explosions Black Mage is where you go. Magic ties to fire, ice, and electricity but primarily puts focus on the shift between fire and ice. Black Mages also have a reputation for being involved in demon summoning because they were kind of the assholes in that magic war against White Mages and Scholars. Black Magic as a discipline has ancestry in Mhach, which is of course now crawling with demons. Black Mage is the DPS king in the sense that if you want the biggest numbers of damage dealt, this is where you go. They are however tragically slow and squishy so expect the Black Mage to be somewhere between standing right where an attack will land or dodging frantically between spells.

Summoner: Has the ability to summon small familiars in the form of defeated primals, these being namely Ifrit (fire-based), Titan (earth-based), Garuda (air-based), Bahamut, and Phoenix. Apparently their questline is covered in Ascians too. One of two DPS capable of raising fallen allies.

Red Mage: Very fancy, fast-moving swordsmen covered in ruffles. The founders of Red Magic were Black and White Mages who came together in the wake of that magic war mentioned above. They essentially work to balance Black Magic and White Magic alongside physical attacks. They don’t get the numbers of some DPS but are again extremely fast and are also capable of raising allies. Versatile.

The limited job is called Blue Mage, currently being lamented because it’s unable to fight in dungeons or main quest situations to the extent of other jobs. Blue Mage gets abilities by fighting monsters and learning magical abilities from them. They use a cane and are massive dandies who will hopefully get the opportunity to do more in the future.

If you want to actually make in-game money without blood sacrifice, you want to get involved in a Crafter or Gatherer job. These don’t deal with combat but instead let you acquire, develop, and sell in-demand resources to other players.

Gatherer jobs include Fishers, Botanists, and Miners. Crafter jobs include Carpenters, Blacksmiths, Armorers, Goldsmiths, Leatherworkers, Weavers, Alchemists, and Culinarians. I am not good at these and so can’t explain them properly, but some people do play the game exclusively so they can level these jobs. I think that besides getting mad cash, this is probably because Crafters and Gatherers also get to make really fancy houses and get very pretty clothes with their vast amounts of wealth, skill, and resources.

THE SETTING

There are three city states that, at the start of A Realm Reborn, comprise the Eorzean Alliance. Your character becomes a hero to the Eorzean Alliance before any other nation. The three nations are Ul’dah, Gridania, and Limsa Lominsa. Ul’dah is a desert city (someone mentioned it being Byzantine), ruled by a Sultana, and watched over by the dual-aspected god of death and commerce. Gridania is a forest city (to me it looks Western European but unsure?), ruled by a spiritual Elder Seedseer, and is watched over by the nature goddess Nophica--her will embodied in the form of spirits called Elementals. Limsa Lominsa is an ocean city (Greek influenced, although some territories read Caribbean), ruled over by an Admiral, and is watched over by a sea-goddess.

Ul’dah is a major trade center and known for having a solid amount of crime and corruption, harsh wealth divides, huge reverence for the dead, and general canniness. Gridania is super spiritual and has massive reverence for the forest and maintaining both it and the boundaries necessary to co-exist peacefully with Elementals. Limsa Lominsa is literally pirate town and have the most kickass military/naval fleet ever.

Depending on what job you choose in the character creator will effect which of these three cities you start out in. It’s ambiguous where the Warrior of Light comes from so conceivably you could be a native to that city state or a foreigner from somewhere else. It mainly matters in terms of if you’re making a story up for your character or not.

Another city state is Ishgard (technically Eorzean but isolationist), which has parallels to Norse mythology, France, and the Catholic church. It is covered in snow and full of mountains. Ala Mhigo is also a city state, and while like Ul’dah it is also a desert environment this one seems to place higher emphasis on different regions within the Middle East and India. One part looks strongly reminiscent of the Dead Sea, for example. Idyllshire was formerly a territory of the nation Sharlayan, which dedicates itself to the scholar-god. However, Sharlayan up and bailed when Garlemald showed up so that whole city got evacuated.

Those city states are all based on the continent Aldenard. Garlemald comes from a continent called Ilsabard that we haven’t gotten to see yet. It’s supposed to be cold and shitty there. Also worth mentioning, Garleans are on the one hand atheists and on the other hand borderline worship their emperor.

Othard is the Far Eastern continent and represents Asia. The two main city states we’ve seen there are Kugane (Japan) and Doma (China). There are other nations in the surrounding areas that we know about as well but haven’t explored. Both Kugane and Doma worship entities known as kami, omnipresent spirits who appreciate treasure and sometimes play a role in manipulating the fates of mortals. There are also animal spirits who through wisdom and longevity gain power and the ability to change form. These are called auspices. Special shout out to the Azim Steppe of Othard as well for representing Mongolian tribes and a plains environment.

There at least two other continents around but we don’t know a lot about them yet. One is The New World and draws from pre-Columbian North America. The other once housed a nation called Meracydia that opposed the ancient Allagan empire.

Shadowbringers takes place on a world called The First, which is one of the fragmented realities split by Hydaelyn. This world is called Norvrandt. It parallels Hydaelyn in some ways but not others. The desert environment of Ahm Areng geographically resembles the red deserts of the Southwestern US, but the architecture doesn’t match. The Rak’tika Greatwood is an A+ perfect jungle setting and heavily modeled after Mayan civilization. Eulmore kind of reminds me of the idea of pre-French Revolution excesses surrounded by poverty but with almost neon circus aesthetics married in. Il Mheg is rainbow fields and glassy lakes and fae creatures fucking with you 24/7. Very pretty and art nouveau.

The Tempest is full of secrets.

THE COMMUNITY

People focus on different things in this game. It’s huge enough to make that extremely doable.

One group involves the combat-focused players. These are people who just want to take on content labeled Extreme or Savage and beat it as smoothly as possible. Very talented bunch but tend to be short tempered sometimes, also often can’t wrap their heads around people playing any other way.

Glamour hounds are people who are in this for the A E S T H E T I C S. They want their characters to look a very specific way with certain gear in certain colors and god damn it if they have to run savage to achieve their goals they are going to do it. Often also are very into exciting mounts and housing, will frequently do artsy screencaps and share them online.

Lore hounds are people who focus mainly on the main quest scenario, overall storytelling, NPCs, setting, metaphysics, etc. Some of these people just want to analyze and make predictions. Some are independent fan creators. Some are roleplayers.

Worth noting--the most active roleplay communities are on the Crystal server, on the worlds Balmung and Mateus. My understanding is that these worlds are pretty packed and come with their own collection of pluses and minuses. More drama and a high likelihood of being ambushed for erotic RP, but fun community storytelling too. You can absolutely join servers outside your geographic location, by the way.

I’m on Primal server. It’s pretty chill.

Crafters, gatherers, and gamblers as far as I can tell are out to get top tier gil and fabulous prizes. I think some just honestly like the process too tbh and it happens to pay swimmingly. By the by, yes there is an in-game casino.

Last major group off the top of my head is the people who are mainly, specifically there to hang with friends and otherwise socialize with the game as a medium for that.

OKAY BUT I FOLLOW YOU SPECIFICALLY, WHO THE HELL ARE THOSE CHARACTERS YOU KEEP REBLOGGING?

EMET-SELCH

He is an Ascian who showed up fashionably late, would rather be napping than villaining around. Massive troll and also responsible for single-handedly making the fandom care about Ascians after four arcs of apathy. Secret sad boi. I am omitting a bunch because he’s basically a walking spoiler, but someone once described him as having absolutely relentless theater kid energy and I have yet to see it put better than that.

ELIDIBUS

Another Ascian known as the Emissary. Talks more about balance than ZODIARK!!!??!!!?11111!! and sometimes tries to have conversations instead of fistfights. Is not as good at having conversations instead of fistfights as Emet-Selch but is significantly better at it than Lahabrea, who will be described next. Elidibus is notable for spontaneously adopting a child and then passing that child off to the heroes as discreetly as he could.

LAHABREA

The third major Ascian and the first recurring one players meet in A Realm Reborn. Lahabrea seems like he is probably a few screws loose, fucking loves to blow shit up, embarrasses all of the interns who get stuck with him, and spent years in charge of PR before his colleagues realized that was a mistake. Makes very poor life choices. Apparently he used to be a fantastic orator and was praised for his imagination but these talents have since been replaced by ZODIARK!!!??!!!?11111!! and explosions. Has been described as an idiot by Emet-Selch and “unique” by Elidibus, who needed to take a very long pause before saying so.

G’RAHA TIA/THE CRYSTAL EXARCH

Honestly this is only pseudo spoilers, basically everyone figured out who he was well before Shadowbringers got released. Catman is currently doing battle with another character called Haurchefant for the position of #1 fan to the Warrior of Light. Has some wild misadventures with you that involve exploring ancient ruins, excessively long fetch quests, clones, and getting sucked into a demon world. Later runs across time and space to save your life but kind of almost gets you killed in the attempt. Says he is very sorry for this later. Just doing his best.

NERO TOL SCAEVA

A scientist who fights with a massive hammer, formerly worked for Garlemald but finds himself unemployed later. Is better than the engineer Cid, who gives you all your tech. He is also a troll, an egomaniac, and fucking hilarious. It takes a while for the extent of this to be revealed because A Realm Reborn still had some issues.

AYMERIC DE BOREL

Basically in charge of Ishgard, for a while literally but now only mostly. A very reasonable authority figure, runs the the Warrior of Light across several countries when you get injured in battle then chills at your bedside. Thinks you should relax sometimes. Encourages this by taking you to dinner once.

ESTINIEN WYRMBLOOD

Broody Dragoon McAngst of Ishgard, fucking hated dragons for the longest time because they murdered his whole family. Goes on an extended journey with you and in the process reveals he also hates moogles with a burning passion. Chills out a lot later, has demonstrated he is in fact a real bro.

YSAYLE DANGOULAIN/ICEHEART/LADY SHIVA

Delusions of grandeur and good intentions, also chosen by Hydaelyn and possessing The Echo. Figured out she could use her possession of The Echo to literally become a primal without losing her mind or body. Wants peace at any cost and will kill shitloads of people in the name of peace. Morally questionable but an interesting lady. Disagrees strongly with Estinien about moogles.

HAURCHEFANT GREYSTONE

Name sounds like a sneeze, is currently fighting G’raha Tia for the title of #1 fan to the Warrior of Light. Apparently there was an event where he said he wants the Warrior of Light to be his pony, as in he wants to ride you. Has shirtless men doing squats in his office. Saves your ass when shit gets real for Heavensward and then saves your ass again when the Pope’s bodyguard tries to murder you. It does not go well.

ZENOS YAE GALVUS

Absolute serial killer who feels like you complete him and give his life meaning and are his BFF. Probably wants you to fuck him. Also the crown prince of Garlemald and has spent years trying to engineer situations that will produce someone who can actually fight him as an equal. Doesn’t give a fuck about most things but jesus does he go yandere.

FRAY

If you become a Dark Knight, Fray becomes your NPC mentor and basically takes the Warrior of Light on a journey in becoming batshit insane. 10/10 Best teacher hands down.

SOPHIA THE GODDESS

A primal who I love to pieces, basically shows that the only way you can have perfect balance forever is if you are literally dead. We know this because the song that plays during her fight is about her murdering an entire family because they were unstable.

SRI LAKSHMI

Another primal who I love to pieces, just full throttle lotus eater in action where she encourages you to go fuck everything and be happy. Super pretty.

SEPHIROT THE FIEND

One of my top fav primals, pure id and distorted Kabbalah. I have a lot of feelings about him and have analyzed his fight to pieces.

CENRIC ASHER

Lol he just my Warrior of Light. I have a story for him but it is not official or anything.

THE FIVE BILLION OTHERS

Probably other people’s characters! I just really love seeing what people come up with, whether it’s their version of the Warrior of Light or going full-throttle into OC territory. It’s really refreshing to me, seeing how passionate and inventive people get. ^^ There are plenty of other important NPC characters, some I would even consider favorites of mine, but I just don’t post them as much.

IF YOU MADE IT THIS FAR JESUS CHRIST GET YOURSELF A COOKIE OR SOMETHING. GOD DAMN.