#The most powerful wizard must be the WIzard Source

[lookin-reproachfully]

To all the Fans of WBN

If you are Pro-Citadel, You are Pro-Plagiarism <3

Turns out the S-Names stand for Somerton,

Like, for real, they all clapped when they discovered how to copy wholesale from witchcraft

Every Language and every meaning and every translation of "Steal" and they ended up having their super Anti-Witch Spy device be something that copies from both Primary (Stars) and Secondary (Indri) Sources?

No wonder the Antivali went independent, they knew there was no Intellectual Integrity there...

Also also, The Reflexive Indicative could even be another tracker-copier technique... And that's not even getting to their BS Axiom of Proliferation... they knew spreading around the spells would let people know that their writings are stolen

AND THEY HAVE THE AUDACITY TO GET MAD AT HEDGEMAGES FOR "COPYING" AND "STEALING"

[drchucktingle]

trans wizard harriet porber is not a work of spite. not even close

there is common refrain from well meaning buckaroos that i wrote TRANS WIZARD HARRIET PORBER out of spite and this is absolutely not true. i have never written anything out of spite and never will.

this may seem like pedantic way but I think it is important to talk on. i create from the fuel of love and my biggest advice for artist buckaroos when they ask for it is also to create from a place of love. 

this does not mean everything you make must be light and fun. in fact, love shines BRIGHTEST in darkness so theres plenty of reason to bring this fuel to your most frightening or heart wrenching ideas. in art, the fuel of love is o negative blood type. it is a universal source

not only is it universal, it is perpetual. love is the most powerful resource on this timeline, and while its shape can change it does not go away. hate and spite will falter. they are tiring to create with, and they are tiring to witness as a viewer or reader or listener

so no. i will say it loudly this time and likely again in the future: TRANS WIZARD HARRIET PORBER is not a creation of spite, it is a creation of love for trans buckaroos and autistic buckaroos and disappointed buckaroos. it is a creation of joy as protest

[prokopetz]

On the one hand, it's true that the way Dungeons & Dragons defines terms like "sorcerer" and "warlock" and "wizard" is really only relevant to Dungeons & Dragons and its associated media – indeed, how these terms are used isn't even consistent between editions of D&D! – and trying to apply them in other contexts is rarely productive.

On the other hand, it's not true that these sorts of fine-grained taxonomies of types of magic are strictly a D&D-ism and never occur elsewhere. That folks make this argument is typically a symptom of being unfamiliar with Dungeons & Dragons' source material. D&D's main inspirations are American literary sword and sorcery fantasy spanning roughly the 1930s through the early 1980s, and fine-grained taxonomies of magic users absolutely do appear in these sources; they just aren't anything like as consistent as the folks who try to cram everything into the sorcerer/warlock/wizard model would prefer.

For example, in Lyndon Hardy's "Five Magics" series, the five types of magical practitioners are:

Alchemists: Drawing forth the hidden virtues of common materials to craft magic potions; limited by the fact that the outcomes of their formulas are partially random.

Magicians: Crafting enchanted items through complex manufacturing procedures; limited by the fact that each step in the procedure must be performed perfectly with no margin for error.

Sorcerers: Speaking verbal formulas to basically hack other people's minds, permitting illusion-craft and mind control; limited by the fact that the exercise of their art eventually kills them.

Thaumaturges: Shaping matter by manipulating miniature models; limited by the need to draw on outside sources like fires or flywheels to make up the resulting kinetic energy deficit.

Wizards: Summoning and binding demons from other dimensions; limited by the fact that the binding ritual exposes them to mental domination by the summoned demon if their will is weak.

"Warlock", meanwhile, isn't a type of practitioner, but does appear as pejorative term for a wizard who's lost a contest of wills with one of their own summoned demons.

Conversely, Lawrence Watt-Evans' "Legends of Ethshar" series includes such types of magic-users as:

Sorcerers: Channelling power through metal talismans to produce fixed effects; in the time of the novels, talisman-craft is largely a lost art, and most sorcerers use found or inherited talismans.

Theurges: Summoning gods; the setting's gods have no interest in human worship, but are bound not to interfere in the mortal world unless summoned, and are thus amenable to cutting deals.

Warlocks: Wielding X-Men style psychokinesis by virtue of their attunement to the telepathic whispers emanating from the wreckage of a crashed alien starship. (They're the edgy ones!)

Witches: Producing improvisational effects mostly related to healing, telepathy, precognition, and minor telekinesis by drawing on their own internal energy.

Wizards: Drawing down the infinite power of Chaos and shaping it with complex rituals. Basically D&D wizards, albeit with a much greater propensity for exploding.

You'll note that both taxonomies include something called a "sorcerer", something called a "warlock", and something called a "wizard", but what those terms mean in their respective contexts agrees neither with the Dungeons & Dragons definitions, nor with each other.

(Admittedly, these examples are from the 1980s, and are thus not free of D&D's influence; I picked them because they both happened to use all three of the terms in question in ways that are at odds with how D&D uses them. You can find similar taxonomies of magic use in earlier works, but I would have had to use many more examples to offer multiple competing definitions of each of "sorcerer", "warlock" and "wizard", and this post is already long enough!)

So basically what I'm saying is giving people a hard time about using these terms "wrong" – particularly if your objection is that they're not using them in a way that's congruent with however D&D's flavour of the week uses them – makes you a dick, but simply having this sort of taxonomy has a rich history within the genre. Wizard phylogeny is a time-honoured tradition!

[chocodile]

Amaranthine Magic System PART III: Spellcraft for… Everyone Else (Including Unicorns)

This is Part III of a three-part worldbuilding set.

Part I - Part II - Part III (you are here)

So, we’ve now established how magic works and how it can be manipulated by a wizard. But wizards aren’t the only ones capable of using magic... as mentioned in Part I, even a tree can do it. How does THAT work? Surely it must be pretty rare, right?

Well, actually, a number of plants and animals have evolved to harness magic. Something about them—either a physical organ, body part, or some sort of instinctual behavior—is able to warp magic in a way that happens to be beneficial. Some examples:

A predatory cat that can use magic to bend light around itself and appear “invisible” thanks to the molecular structure of its fur

A mole that can vibrate its claws in such a way that they increase the charge of magic in the earth around it, causing solid stone to temporarily liquefy

A flower whose roots absorb magic from the earth and use it to resist freezing, allowing it to bloom all winter long

A bird who sings at a strange, disorienting, warbling song, the vibrations of which interfere with the magical frequencies used by its most common predator

A carnivorous plant that paralyzes its victims not with venom, but with numbing bolts of magic produced by a specially evolved structure whenever it detects nearby movement

You may notice that, with the exception of the carnivorous plant, all the other examples are simply using magical energy already in their environment rather than producing it themselves. Which brings me to the next detail… magic can be “cast” from two types of sources:

“Enchantments”/Ambient casting/passive casting: Happens by gently shaping the background radiation of magic already in the environment, like most of the examples above. It is typically done by passing the magical energy through some sort of physical structure in order to alter its frequency. Most enchanted jewelry functions on this principle. Studying animals that perform passive casting can be useful for wizards to learn new casting and enchanting techniques themselves, and many methods of spellcraft are based on patterns of magic wave manipulation first observed in nature. 99% of animals and plants that use magic fall into this category. Also, this sort of magic waxes or wanes in power depending on the ambient background magic radiation levels of the area… your magic locket may fail you at the worst possible moment if you take it someplace with very low magical background radiation levels.

Active casting/”Casting spells”: Magic where the power source comes from within the creature itself and can be actively turned off or on, such as the carnivorous plant example above. Animals and plants that are capable of active casting are typically quite dangerous indeed, though their bodies tend to make for incredibly valuable spell ingredients and materials for crafting magical devices. Luckily, this ability is extremely rare in nature… the ability to truly “cast a spell” is found almost exclusively in wizards.

As a half-celestial, Ambroys sits at sort of a weird position. He technically is an active caster, as he has his own magical field and he can summon his abilities up at will (or, more often in his youth, accidentally) using his mind/will as the primary trigger. However, half-celestials and half-infernals have the shape of their magical “filter” predefined by their heritage and physical anatomy—it is not consciously shaped the way a wizard’s is. They may be able to choose which of these predefined forms their magic takes, and may even discover new variations on their powers throughout their life, but they can never consciously teach themselves brand new spells from scratch, and will never be able to switch fluidly through several different types of similar magic without interruption the way a wizard could.

To Hyden, this makes Ambroys closer to a beast than a person, magically speaking (no offense, of course). He can’t talk spellcraft with him because he’s not doing anything on purpose… he’s just brainlessly clicking his silly little claws together to dig through rock like the mole mentioned earlier. He will never truly understand all the complex mental hoops Hyden jumps through every time he conjures up a flame to light his opium pipe, even if Ambroys can do the same exact thing by just thinking “ok, fire time now”. It’s just not the same, you know?

Aaand that wraps up the Amaranthine magic guide! This should hopefully provide a clearer view of how everything works in this setting. :)

[jadeshifting]

— GALAS AT MALFOY MANOR

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔

a MALFOY GALA is less about having fun and more about proving you belong—if you can keep your wits about you and avoid spilling wine on your robes, you might just make it out unscathed

— the INVITATIONS are delivered by sleek black owls with embossed emerald parchment, each one radiating a subtle but unmistakable don’t even think about declining energy. declining is possible, but only if you want to be talked about for months

— FIRST IMPRESSIONS, arriving guests are greeted by enchanted lanterns that light the winding driveway, their flames flickering in perfect synchrony. a house-elf in pristine livery opens the grand doors, and Narcissa herself offers the faintest of smiles as you step into the marble-floored foyer

— the ATMOSPHERE practically drips with opulence, from the enchanted chandeliers glittering like constellations to the string quartets playing hauntingly beautiful tunes. it’s all about showing off—not just wealth, but power

— the MANOR is decked out to perfection, with enchanted roses blooming in every room and marble floors that reflect the candlelight. guests can wander the gardens, but you do not open random doors—who knows what cursed artifacts are lurking

— the GUESTS are a who’s-who of the wizarding elite, with sharp smiles and sharper tongues. everyone’s dressed to kill, literally dripping in jewels and designer robes, and no one’s above a bit of genteel gossiping in the corners

— DRESS CODE is strictly black-tie, wizarding style. robes must be tailored to perfection, and any magical embellishments—like self-adjusting hems or floating crystals—must be tasteful. Narcissa will notice, and Draco will most definitely make a subtle dig at you if your outfit doesn’t meet the mark

— THE MALFOYS; Lucius and Narcissa glide around like royalty, greeting everyone with icy politeness. Draco’s usually lurking near the drinks table, equal parts brooding and charming depending on who’s watching

— the banquet tables of FOOD are insane—tiered platters of exotic delicacies that practically float into your hands. expect flaming desserts and cocktails that shimmer like liquid starlight

— DRINKS, the bar is stocked with rare vintages, including Malfoy estate wines and liquors that glow faintly in the dark. The signature cocktail of the night features some absurdly rare ingredient like powdered unicorn horn (ethically sourced, allegedly, but you know no one truly believes that)

— the SEATING ARRANGEMENTS are very strategically assigned by Narcissa herself. expect rival families seated just far enough apart to avoid an outright duel but close enough to exchange cutting remarks. if you’re at the main table, congratulations—you’ve made the inner circle for the evening

— the POLITICS make every conversation a chess game. compliments are laced with subtext, and alliances are solidified or shattered over a glass of wine. it’s not unheard of for a marriage to be proposed or a business deal to be sealed between bites of pheasant

— GARDEN STROLLS, between courses, guests often wander the enchanted gardens. hedges shaped like serpents and peacocks loom large, and fountains spout shimmering streams of water that occasionally form words like Prestige or Legacy. don’t get lost—the statues might move if you’re somewhere you shouldn’t be

— the ENTERTAINMENT is always top-tier—enchanted ballet performances, fire-breathing dragons (contained, of course), or dueling demonstrations in the courtyard. if you’re lucky, the family’s private orchestra might play a piece commissioned just for the evening

— occasionally, a guest might be granted a private tour of the MALFOY LIBRARY, which is more like a cathedral of books. if you’re invited in, it’s a signal that Lucius or Narcissa considers you very important—or that they’re about to offer you a deal you can’t refuse

— the DANCE FLOOR of the ballroom opens up after dinner, and it’s the place to be seen. couples glide across the floor to live orchestral music, their robes trailing behind them like spilled ink. if you don’t know how to waltz, you’d better fake it or stay far away

— someone always makes a DRAMATIC EXIT and leaves in a huff. whether it’s over an offhand comment or a subtle power play gone wrong, there’s almost always a flurry of robes and the slam of the front door as a disgruntled guest Apparates home

— the GOSSIP is unbelievable, and by the time the gala is over, the rumor mill is in full swing. who danced with whom, who got too drunk on enchanted champagne, and who dared to challenge Lucius in a political debate? everyone talks about it for weeks

as the evening winds down, you’ll find Narcissa giving parting gifts wrapped in silver and green, while the house-elves discreetly clean up without a sound. no one leaves feeling quite the same, not that they’ll admit it

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔

[dragonagitator]

Timeline of major events during Gale Dekarios's lifetime

Here is my attempt to compile a timeline of major events that took place during Gale's lifetime, including his personal history, happenings in his hometown of Waterdeep, and major world events that would have affected him personally or affected everyone in Faerun. I hope this is useful in writing your Gale-centric fanfics!

The time period covered assumes that Gale is 40 years old during the events of BG3 and thus was born in the year 1452 DR. AFAIK there's no canon age given for Gale, but most fanons seem to peg him as being between 35 and 45, so I went with the middle of that range. Please feel free to adjust his estimated age for each event up or down depending on how old you think he is in BG3, e.g., if you think he's 38 then subtract 2 years, if you think he's 42 then add 2 years, etc.

Some of the more interesting implications of this timeline revolve around how much Mystra's powers and presence in the world significantly changed during Gale's lifetime. When Gale was a child or teen and first attracted the attention of Mystra, she was weak, not in contact with her Chosen, and assumed to be dead by most of the world. Gale was ~27 years old and already her lover by the time a "much diminished" Mystra called to Elminster for help, and Gale was ~35 years old when Mystra fully regained her powers as the Goddess of Magic. She seems to have dumped him shortly thereafter.

Detailed timeline and sources under the cut. It's long.

Most of the text that isn't specifically about Gale is copypasted from the Forgotten Realms wiki. See bottom for links. I haven't read all the novels and modules referenced by the wiki for these events yet and thus will likely need to revise this timeline as I work my way through those.

Birth to age ~27: until 1479 DR worldwide: Mystra was generally considered to be "dead"/missing during Gale's childhood and early adulthood because Mystra/Midnight was "murdered" by Cyric in 1385 DR (67 years before Gale was born).

However, Forgotten Realms canon of Mystra's timeline clashes with what Gale tells us about the timeline of his relationship with her:

Gale: "Once upon a time, not quite that long ago, there lived a wizard in a tower. The wizard was what one might call a prodigy, who from an early age could not only control the Weave, but compose it, much like a musician or a poet. Such was my skill that it earned me the attention of the mother of magic herself. The Lady of Mysteries. The goddess Mystra. She revealed herself to me and she became my teacher. In time, she became my muse, and later, even my lover." PC: "What did Mystra's attention feel like?" Gale: "Love. Perhaps it was not quite love, but you see, the wizard was but a very young man. It was most certainly love to him."

Speaking as a middle-aged person myself, while most 40-year-olds would consider 27 to be "young," the modifier of "very" suggests he that was much younger than 27 when he first became Mystra's lover. I'm older than the oldest estimates for Gale's age and I still wouldn't characterize myself at age 27 as being "but a very young woman." That description seems more fitting for someone in their late teens / early 20s.

Also, if he was "but a very young man" when they became lovers, then that means he was even younger (a child or teenager) when she first revealed herself to him and started teaching him magic.

So Gale's relationship with Mystra must have started during the period that the rest of the world believed she was dead or missing. Mystra did still have some sort of disembodied "presence" during this period, so maybe she was simply not able or interested in speaking to Elminster or her other previously established Chosen. Or perhaps she was fragmented, and Gale's relationship began with one of those fragments? Part of her "presence" ended up possessing a bear, but I'm assuming not the part that Gale was fucking.

Birth to age ~30: until 1482 DR worldwide: Gale was born and grew up during the "Era of Upheaval," which was known for widespread wild magic and dead magic zones, a lot of changes in the pantheon of deities, and a lot of wars and political conflicts amongst mortals.

Age ~16: c. 1468 DR in Waterdeep: "Dagult Neverember, the richest man in the city, became Open Lord."

Age ~27: 1479 DR in Waterdeep: "By this year, the Field Ward had been established, and Skullport was no longer inhabited."

Age ~27: 1479 DR in Waterdeep: "The 8th walking statue, the Griffon, appeared in Waterdeep and to defend Ahghairon's Tower. It eventually settled down near the Peaktop Aerie on Mount Waterdeep and eventually became a landmark of the city."

Age ~27: 1479 DR in western Cormyr [roughly 1050 miles / 1690 km southeast of Waterdeep]: "While recuperating in a cabin in the King's Forest, Elminster felt Mystra's presence calling to him. He found her much diminished, possessing the body of a bear that had guarded a cache of items Mystra's still-mortal form had collected. She asked her most trusted servant to find new candidates to become Chosen and to recruit Cormyr's War Wizards. Only a few weeks later, having been restored to his full powers as a Chosen by absorbing the silver fire of the dying Symrustar Auglamyr and then that of the Simbul and Manshoon, Elminster returned to Mystra (in agony from absorbing too much of it) and returned much of it to the Lady of Mysteries, restoring much of her power and divinity. This event became known as Mystra's Return."

I'm assuming that Elminster's acquaintance with Gale must have begun sometime after this because otherwise you'd think Gale would have mentioned "oh yeah she's not actually dead, we've been banging for a while now."

Mystra reestablishing contact Elminster, regaining some of her power, and the rest of the world learning that she was alive is pretty huge and therefore must have been a significant turning point in her relationship with Gale as well.

I'm also assuming that Gale did not become one of Mystra's official Chosen until after this, since it seems like Mystra's Chosen weren't active while she was laying low and letting the world think she was dead?

Ages ~30 to ~35: 1482 DR to 1487 DR worldwide: "The Second Sundering, also known as the Sundering of Toril and Abeir, was a great catastrophic event in the history of the worlds of Abeir and Toril."

Age ~32: 1484 DR worldwide: "Most of the gods created many Chosen among mortals, trying to gather as much power as possible to be as high in divine ranking as they could before Ao completed the new Tablets of Fate, sealing their status and portfolio. People started to claim they had been 'chosen' by the gods and granted special powers, some apparently for 'divine purposes' while others had no idea why."

It's possible that Gale was recruited to be a Chosen of Mystra by Elminster per Mystra's instructions to Elminster to find candidates, but given that the gods were also choosing people directly during this period and that Mystra had a preexisting relationship with Gale, she may have also Chosen him directly herself. Poor Elminster out there trying to find the best candidates and then Mystra surprises him by adding her boyfriend to the roster. Gale being a nepotism hire despite having otherwise been qualified would be pretty funny.

Age ~34: 1486 DR in Waterdeep: "Neverwinter and Waterdeep began to clear the rubble in their cities that had built up over a century of neglect."

Hey, remember when Gale said that he used to be able to levitate an entire tower back when he was an archmage? Maybe this is when he was doing stuff like that.

Age ~35: 1487 DR worldwide: "Stars reportedly fell from the sky, gods long thought dead walked the land and armies led by Chosen clashed everywhere. Major geological instability resulted in numerous earthquakes and volcanoes, as the worlds of Abeir and Toril were separated once again, and areas once consumed by large chasms were restored to their pre-Spellplague status. Ships arrived on the mainland continent from Evermeet, Halruaa, Lantan, and Nimbral—all realms previously thought lost to Toril."

Age ~35: 1487 DR in Candledeep [roughly 650 miles / 1050 km south of Waterdeep] : "In an attempt to fully restore the goddess Mystra and the Weave, Elminster Aumar began his search for Khelben Arunsun's writings on the Weave, heading towards Candlekeep. Laeral and Alustriel Silverhand had also been hiding within the library: the two sisters' duty was to prepare their own destruction, so that no one could use their power to gain control over the Weave." ... "The energies of the destroyed Wards were absorbed by the Shadow King, who then left for Myth Drannor, followed by the three Chosen of Mystra."

Although Gale was likely a Chosen of Mystra by this point, he wasn't one of the three mentioned here.

Age ~35: 1487 DR in Myth Drannor [roughly 1350 miles / 2170 km east of Waterdeep]: "Meanwhile in Myth Drannor, Larloch, the Netherese, and the Chosen of Mystra (allied with the elves) clashed in a catastrophic battle." ... "As Elminster defeated Tanthul in a mage duel, the Netherese enclave crashed atop Myth Drannor. Elminster himself was saved by Mystra, who gained full control over the Weave once more, stopping Shar from turning it into a new Shadow Weave."

Age ~35: 1487 DR worldwide: "As 1487 DR came to a close, the Second Sundering ended with the full return of Mystra and the Weave, the separation of the worlds Abeir and Toril."

Gale was not a character in the novel about these events so any personal involvement would have been minor, but I'm including them in his timeline because he would have been impacted by the "full return" of Mystra to the world. I imagine he would have experienced many of the same issues that spouses of someone just elected to a high-level office go through.

Gale's lack of personal involvement in Mystra's restoration despite being her Chosen AND her lover is kinda weird, which makes me wonder if things were already starting to sour between them? I really wish that I could lock Ed Greenwood and Jan Van Dosselaer in a room together until they came up with a coherent explanation for what the fuck Gale was up to while all this was going down.

Age ~35 to ~39: 1487 DR to 1491 DR: Sometime during this period must have been when Mystra dumped Gale and he went looking for a lost bit of Weave to win her back but got a Netherese orb lodged in his chest instead.

Mystra was newly back to her full power as the Goddess of Magic and laying down the law, and Gale didn't take that very well:

Gale: "We enjoyed each other's company - body, mind and soul. But even so, I desired more. You see, no matter how powerful a wizard we mortals can become, we never scratch more than the surface of the Weave. Mystra keeps us in check. There are boundaries she doesn't let us cross. Yet every time I was with her, I stood on the precipice, gazing into the wonders that lay beyond. I sought to cross her boundaries." PC: "How exactly did you try to cross those boundaries?" Gale: "I tried to convince her. I pouted, I pleaded, I swore my ambition was only to serve her better. But she only smiled and told me to be contented. As inconceivable as it seems to me now, I shared a bed with a goddess and yet I wasn't satisfied. So I sought to prove myself worthy to her instead."

Gale's description of what happened after she dumped him sounds like it took place over a multi-year period, since I'm assuming that he had to spend some time searching for the "tome of gateways":

Gale: "The goddess spurned the mortal. The veils were drawn once more, and the wizard was left behind heartbroken." ... "Poor wizard. Silly wizard too, for he wouldn't take no for an answer. Like so many of the heartbroken, he did something infinitely foolish. One has to think big if one seeks to win back a goddess. So the wizard thought big." PC: "Define big." Gale: "Here goes: Once upon a time, very long ago, a mighty lord lived in a tower. A flying tower to be precise. I'll save his story for another time, but the gist of it is that he sought to usurp the goddess of magic so that he could become a god himself. He almost managed, but not quite, and his entire empire - Netheril - came crashing down around him as he turned to stone. The magic unleashed that day was phenomenal, roiling like the prime chaos that outdates creation. A fragment of it was caught and sealed away in a book. No ordinary book, mind you: a tome of gateways that contained within it a bubble of Astral Plane. It was a fragment of primal Weave locked out of time - locked away from Mystra herself. 'What if', the silly wizard thought, 'What if after all this time, I could return this lost part of herself to the goddess?'" PC: "What was the answer to his question?" Gale: "The answer was to try, and the outcome was to fail."

Not sure how much Gale was around for the next few events, since he might have been gallivanting around the Astral Plane looking for the tome instead of spending time in Waterdeep. But one assumes he'd notice the physical changes to the city whenever he returned, and that he'd hear about local news from his mother and Tara, so he would certainly be aware that these things happened.

Age ~37: 1489 DR in Waterdeep: "In response to increasing dragon and cultist activity, the Council of Waterdeep was formed, bringing together representatives of realms from all across the Sword Coast. The threat of the Cult of the Dragon was driven home when Masked Lord Arthagast Ulbrinter was assassinated, though it inspired more resolve than fear. In the midst of these events, Open Lord Dagult Neverember was ousted by a vote of the Lords of Waterdeep, replaced by Laeral Silverhand. Although Waterdeep was largely spared due to the dragonward, the Field Ward was still burned to ashes by dragon attacks, displacing huge numbers of people."

Age ~38: 1490 DR in Waterdeep: "The cloud giant castle of Count Nimbolo and Countess Mulara appeared out of clouds and hovered over Waterdeep for a while, triggering mass panic. Heralds sent out by Lady Laeral Silverhand tried to calm citizens and promise that there was no danger. In fact, the giants wanted to research Waterdeep's history and meet its leaders, as they search for traces of the ancient giant realm of Ostoria."

Age ~39: 1491 DR in the Astral Plane (I think?): Gale finds the "tome of gateways" and becomes afflicted with the Netherese orb:

Narrator: "You see through Gale's eyes, staring down the corridors of a dread memory. A book, bound, then suddenly opened. Inside there are no pages, only a swirling mass of blackest Weave that pounces. It's teeth, it's claws, it's unstoppable as it digs through you and becomes part of you. And gods, is it ever-hungry…"

Age ~39: 1491 DR in Waterdeep: Gale begins a year-long isolation in his tower in Waterdeep and eventually stops communicating with anyone except Tara. Not sure exactly when his isolation began relative to the other events of this year, so he may or may not have been personally affected by or even aware of some of the Waterdeep events below.

Age ~39: 1491 DR in Waterdeep: "The returned Eilistraee appeared under the walls of Waterdeep causing an influx in the amount of her followers in the city. They eventually sought out Remallia Haventree and asked her for a holy forest-glade in the ruins of the Field Ward. By Mirtul, the housing crisis in Waterdeep had worsened as a mysterious sickness killed or drove out all of the inhabitants of Downshadow, the Field Ward remained desolated by dragonfire, and Mistshore was burned down by agents of Masked Lord Braethan Cazondur, rendering all three unofficial wards uninhabitable."

Age ~39: 1491 DR in Waterdeep: "Fear threatened to overtake Waterdeep once again as the cloud giant castle of Burruld hovered over the ocean near the city. After the Blackstaff Vajra Safahr panicked and threatened the giants, Open Lord Laeral Silverhand calmed the situation, negotiated with Burruld, and learned that their purpose was to search for the lost daughter of King Skyvald, Princess Irie."

Age ~39: 1491 DR in Waterdeep: "In mid-Mirtul, numerous Masked Lords and other people were gruesomely assassinated as part of Cazondur's conspiracy to seize control of the city. Open Lord Laeral Silverhand, assisted by Elminster and Mirt, worked to maintain order in the city while investigating the murders. While attempting to apprehend Cazondur, Laeral herself was killed and disintegrated by a surprisingly simple trap involving falling rocks, but recovered with Elminster's assistance. An exceedingly dramatic showdown at the Palace of Waterdeep between Laeral and Cazondur in front of assembled servants, nobles and guildmasters resulted in Cazondur's death at the hands of an unexpected third party, Xanathar agents Belvarra Bowmantle and Suthool. Including Cazondur, a total of thirteen Masked Lords and scores of others were slain, and several more Lords publicly unmasked."

Please note that our best guess for the location of Gale's tower puts it couple blocks away from Mirt's Mansion and Gale has mentioned being a patron of the Yawning Portal Tavern, so it seems likely that Gale and Mirt would have been acquainted. If Gale was already in isolation by the time all this went down, perhaps Elminster and Mirt tried dropping by Gale's tower at some point but were repelled by the wards that Gale had set up to keep everyone away? Gale seemed very certain that no one cared about him enough to check on him but I wonder how much of that was the depression talking.

Age ~39: 1491 DR in Waterdeep: "A delegation from the city of Mirabar disappeared while en route to the city, having been waylaid by cultists of the Elder Elemental Eye."

Age ~40: 1492 DR in Waterdeep: Gale abruptly departs his tower and doesn't tell anyone where he's going per Tara's line in his origin, "You left the tower in such a hurry, and you didn't leave an address."

Age ~40: 1492 DR in Yartar [roughly 310 miles / 500 km north of Waterdeep as the crow flies]: Gale is kidnapped by the nautiloid. As explained in a previous post, I believe that he was headed north to find an unpopulated area to die and explode in.

Sources:

FR wiki: Gale Dekarios

FR wiki: Era of Upheaval

FR wiki: Second Sundering

FR wiki: Mystra

FR wiki: Mystra (Midnight)

FR wiki: History of Waterdeep

FR wiki: Yartar

BG3 datamined dialogue transcripts

Map of Faerun

Sad headcanons posted to Tumblr by various people over the past few months that I unfortunately didn't save links to. If you saw something in here that you've posted about then I probably got the idea from you. Please feel free to drop links in the comments so people can read the original post(s) about it, thanks!

[narsh-poptarts]

Old Man* OC Poll

*"old man" being more of a vibe rather than any indication of gender

just wanted to do this for fun haha more info about these guys under the cut

Andromedus (he/she/they) - genderfluid wizard acting as (unwilling) mentor to Barnes, a young apprentice who would very much like to learn magic please. A grumpy misanthrope who loathes having to interact with other people and ESPECIALLY with other mages. She's an incredible stickler for rules and procedures surrounding magic, because they know a mistake can change the result into something unpredictable or even dangerous. Believes in the art of experimentation and doing it well. They dabble in all things potion, illusion, divination, and other Stereotypical Merlin-level Magic not specified. Despite a generally cold exterior, does have a heart of gold somewhere in there. Does genuinely care despite what most people might think, though the approach to this usually has a lack of compassion (except on rare occasions).

Belongs to my wizard+apprentice story I'm temporarily calling Cursed Apprentice (I'm so bad at titles)

Bartholemew "Art" Hykes (he/him) - chief forgemaster of the Carapace Knights, soldiers that don pieces of the large locusts and bugs that terrorize the land in an effort to fight back. The integration of these pieces into armor must be highly monitored to prevent a host take-over of the Knight, and Art is in charge of manufacturing these pieces to their perfection. Uses the nectar sourced from the Locusts to power the forges and after decades of work has gone blind from working so directly with it. A man of few words and fewer cares to give, can occasionally be found grumbling over the state of the world and how they're not ever in a position to be called "winning" against the locusts, but as long as he's got a job, there's not too much to complain about. Wishes the Carapace Knights would be a little less headstrong and worry more about how they're always at risk of being taken over by the Hive.

Belongs to my medieval dragon-slayer type story I'm temporarily calling Locust

Ulada Vertison (she/her) - one of the last remaining mechanics that has a fascination with tech from the old world and is willing to tinker with it along with the new. Was the one to repair the Robot and give it the ability to interact with the rest of the new world and sent it on its way. Has a penchant for stupid jokes and "positive attitudes", much to her assistant's chagrin. Approaches most things like a mad scientist with too much time on their hands and the soul of an old woman. (That is, diving head-first into experimental technology with a grin and emerging out the other side pinching the "experiment's" cheeks and checking to see if it eats enough). On the shorter side of stature, but that's okay, her large assistant has more than enough height for the two of them, he can be the one to fetch the stuff on the upper shelves (and the lower shelves, and the stuff from across the room, and hey also sweep the floor. She's got a bad back, don't you know!)

Belongs to my scifi post apocalyptic robot story I'm temporarily calling Mezzanine

[saintsenara]

ik the draw of snoldemort is that it's as delicious and healthy as fibreglass-riddled cotton candy but have you ever considered them being happy?

yes, all the fucking time.

i am genuinely of the opinion that snape and voldemort are each other's most plausible romantic pairing, and while i sustain that opinion mostly thought the power of being delusional, i do think there's a legitimate grain of potential for snapemort to actually be strangely wholesome.

and so, since this is not the first request I've had for such a thing...

...here comes the snapemort manifesto.

i am also of the opinion that the series presents an extremely narrow and unhealthy definition of love - love as suffering and sacrifice and secrecy - which voldemort can't allow himself to experience because his life has unsurprisingly made him unwilling to suffer or sacrifice and which snape forces himself to experience to the clear detriment of his physical and mental health.

but love is also - fundamentally - about comfort and pleasure and not being bored in someone's company.

the canonical voldemort clearly actually likes snape. he also clearly enjoys spending a substantial amount of time alone with him - especially in deathly hallows: voldemort teaches snape how to fly unaided [the only death eater he seems to do this for], which is canon proof they were going on lots of romantic midnight swoopings; snape is obviously voldemort's source for the information that tonks and lupin have recently married, which means they're gossiping over glasses of wine just as much as they're planning to take over the ministry of magic; voldemort visits snape at hogwarts while he's headmaster, and while that's to steal the elder wand, he does say that he'll join snape once his grave-robbing is done...

the two are clearly intellectually compatible - not simply in terms of level of intelligence but in how that intelligence manifests itself. snape has a very voldemort-ish view of magic as something whose boundaries can constantly be pushed and whose authorities must constantly be challenged - that magic is really about power [and those too weak to seek it] - and it's clear in canon that dumbledore's unease about allowing him near the defence against the dark arts job prior to half-blood prince [when snape agreeing to kill him - and revealing how his love-as-suffering for lily drives him - finally convinces him that snape has rejected the dark side entirely] is because he fears snape's way of understanding magic, since it reminds him of voldemort [and - in reminding him of voldemort - reminds him of grindelwald].

but snape and voldemort's intellectual compatibility has something underpinning it which goes beyond how they understand magic and its purpose in the world. they think the way they do about magic because of the similarities in their life experience.

as harry walks to the forest, he sets himself, snape, and voldemort up as a trio - the "abandoned boys", whose lives have all been shaped, to varying extents, by dumbledore. but, while harry and voldemort are each other's narrative mirror - due both to the overtly mystical pseudo-fraternal [or, if you're so inclined, soulmate] connection which voldemort establishes between them by making harry a horcrux, and to their shared experience of orphanhood - harry actually has much less in common with either half of snapemort than they have in common with each other.

for example, while they're all half-bloods, harry's pureblood parent is his father - which gives him a wizarding name, and the social cachet this brings in a world which is so obsessed with blood, family, and male lineage. snape and voldemort have muggle fathers and muggle names, and this gives them a radically different social standing - even if they are, ostensibly, within the same blood-category - to harry.

similarly, while lily is muggleborn, she is still a witch, attends hogwarts, is known and liked within wizarding society, and - like many muggleborns seem to - separates herself entirely from the world of her birth in young adulthood to live in a way indistinguishable from someone born and raised in a magical family.

tom riddle sr. and tobias snape are actual muggles - which means they exist in a world completely divided [and with that division scrupulously maintained by the ministry] from the magical one. while snape is brought up by his birth family and voldemort isn't, their lives are still dictated by their fathers' experiences of, fear of, and disconnection from magic - and this shapes their lives very differently even than harry's experiences with the dursleys.

harry also heavily resembles his pureblood father, which provides similar social cachet. one device which canon uses a lot is the idea that every member of a pureblood nuclear family unit looks alike - narcissa malfoy is blonde and pale, while her sisters are dark-haired, so that she is immediately identifiable as lucius malfoy's wife and draco malfoy's mother; molly weasley is red-haired and freckly, even though these are weasley, rather than prewett, traits, for the same reason.

in having harry look so much like james - while its primary intention in doing this was clearly to help obscure lily's role in the series' central mystery for as long as possible - the text allows him to smooth his path through the wizarding world because he looks like a pureblood, like someone who is understood to belong in the society through which he moves.

voldemort, in contrast, looks exactly like his muggle father. which parent snape resembles is more ambiguous - in deathly hallows, harry says that snape "greatly resembled" his mother, but both order of the phoenix and half-blood prince suggest this isn't the case, and the person he resembles is his father. this makes more sense, since snape resembling tobias means that he - like voldemort - lacks the visual connection to the wizarding world which would - like a pureblood surname - ease his way of belonging within it.

snape and voldemort are also from the same working-class background and have the same experience of childhood poverty. harry - no matter the financial aspect of the dursleys' neglect of him - is still middle-class in the muggle world by virtue of being raised in a place like little whinging by people like vernon and petunia.

and - crucially - harry's financial circumstances and class-status change utterly when he enters the wizarding world. he ascends to being upper-middle-class; he has the resources to buy everything needed for school new - meaning there's no visual distinction between him and his wealthy peers caused by him having, as voldemort does, secondhand possessions; he is able to treat these possessions casually; and he never, ever worries about being able to afford them [when his nimbus is smashed by the whomping willow, he's upset because he liked the broom so much and because he's embarrassed by the circumstances in which it was damaged, he doesn't worry one bit about not being able to afford a new one - he also considers buying himself a firebolt and, of all the things the one sirius buys means to him, it never seems to seriously cross his mind that it's a stupendously expensive thing for a teenager to own].

harry's class ascendance once he enters the wizarding world also gives him access to the ways of connection and network-forming which dictate how magical society runs. while much of this is voldemort's fault - since it's bound up in the fact that harry is a celebrity - it's also evident that this isn't entirely the case. slughorn's attitude towards harry is influenced just as much by his fondness for lily - and the clear reading of canon is that, if harry was the average hogwarts student and james and lily were still alive, harry would be "collected" for the slug club in the way that cormac mclaggen or regulus black are: people that slughorn wants to keep around in case they offer him something, not people he wants to keep around so that he can manipulate and control them.

voldemort and snape, in contrast, exist outside the social networks which govern wizarding society by virtue of their birth [hence why voldemort sets up a parallel social order - with him at the top - among his followers].

voldemort plays the game the way he's expected to while at school - sucking up to slughorn; leaning in to being, as he puts it, "poor but brilliant" - and then rejects a lifetime of being dependent on slughorn's patronage [he could be minister for magic, but only "if you keep sending me pineapple"!] for the only job he can get on his own merits.

snape rejects the idea of playing the game while at school - the teen snape we meet in order of the phoenix is conspicuous in his difference, not only in appearance but in behaviour, from his peers, and the marauders' bullying of him is motivated just as much by his existence outside wizarding social norms as it is by james' sexual jealousy of his friendship with lily and his own deliberate provocation of james and sirius.

and he also rejects the social convention the series values [by which i mean, the series thinks the class system is good as long as the good guys are the ones insisting on maintaining it] in young adulthood. i bang on about this a lot, but it's clear in canon that the reason snape becomes a death eater - and also the reason why he thinks the death eaters will help lily, even though this initially appears to be nonsensical - is because voldemort offers him a chance to transcend the limitations placed upon him in a world with such a restrictive class system. voldemort is the only person who offers him the things he desires - power, respect, recognition - in a context in which his background is [seemingly] irrelevant.

there's an element of snape seeing what he wants to see here, of course. he's clearly voldemort's exception in terms of social class [just as bellatrix is his exception in terms of gender], and this is a grooming technique on voldemort's part which sets snape apart from the other death eaters and makes him more dependent on maintaining voldemort's favour than men like lucius malfoy or rodolphus and rabastan lestrange, who are inherent insiders to the elite male social circle from which the majority of the dark lord's minions are drawn.

but there is also an element of recognition in voldemort choosing snape which has a heavy blast of affection - platonic or otherwise - behind it.

one of the things which dumbledore gets wrong about voldemort throughout the six books in which he appears is that he believes that voldemort is secretive to the point of repression about his origins, childhood, and life experiences. instead, the canonical voldemort is a certified yapper - he needs virtually no prompting, as a child with dumbledore, a teen with harry, or an adult with harry, to start talking about his life in a way which gives quite a lot about himself away. the proto-death eaters we meet in half-blood prince know all about the teen voldemort's search for his lineage. barty crouch jr. knows his birth name. lucius malfoy is completely unbothered to hear harry state that he's a half-blood.

and this shouldn't surprise us - what orphan wouldn't be on a desperate quest to be perceived, to be understood?

snape is clearly one of voldemort's great favourites because he's someone the dark lord implicitly understands - a clever, awkward, lonely boy searching for respect and power which the stagnant wizarding world refuses to give him. it stands to reason, then, that snape is also one of voldemort's great favourites because the dark lord thinks that snape can understand him.

and, in a situation where he's actually given a chance to offer voldemort this understanding, snape therefore has the power to give the dark lord the thing he's been searching for his entire life - someone who knows who he really is behind the elaborate mask of unassailable majesty and loves him anyway.

none of this has to change the future - voldemort can still be a terrorist who kills his wife guy's only childhood friend, the snapemort will slap nonetheless.

but it still can.

[iamnmbr3]

I honestly hate that it's framed as The Wizards Are Hiding From The Muggles For Fear Of Persecution like. No.

'They're scared of magic' the magic you're using to kill and torture? The magic you're using for dominance of other sentient species?

Also. The Muggles don't know they're there. The wizards make sure of that.

Yeah.... Honestly the whole Statue of Secrecy is just weird because wizards are so much more powerful than muggles. The explanation that Hagrid gives to Harry about why wizards are in hiding sounds like JKR didn't think her world building through very well propaganda made up to conceal the truth.

Wizard supremacist ideas are pretty common, even among people who aren't as extreme as Lucius Malfoy. And remember, that until the end of book 5 even Lucius was an extremely influential and well respected member of wizarding society. Yes, he kept some of his most violent ideas to himself, but very obviously he was able to openly voice a lot of what he believed and influence policy without significant backlash. Instead, it's people like Arthur Weasley who are looked down for being weird because they like muggles too much (and even Arthur doesn't truly see muggles as equals).

So given all of that it strains credulity that someone like Lucius wouldn't have been all 'you know what? let's just enslave the muggles.' This leads me to suspect that some muggles must have developed ways to fight wizards. Maybe they allied with other magical creatures or developed tech or got ahold of magical artifacts like the cursed necklace from book 6 that you can use to kill a magic user even if you don't have magic yourself. Perhaps muggleborns who sided with their muggle heritage were even the source of some of these means of fighting wizards, hence the fear and distrust of muggleborns among pureblood supremacists. I mean, using the same principals as the opal necklace, Hermione could probably make a gun with cursed bullets that a muggle could use to kill a wizard, if she wanted to.

This, combined with the fact that there are a LOT of muggles, could be the real reason that wizards exist in hiding and covertly influence the muggle world and make sure to wipe everyone's memories. I mean, they clearly have contact with muggle governments. I doubt Fudge is reporting the British Prime Minister out of the goodness of his heart because he cares about Muggles so much. There could well be a treaty of some sort. Yeah the Prime Minister doesn't know anything about it when Fudge shows up, but that's probably because his staff figured he'd be more receptive to the 'so magic is real actually' intelligence briefing AFTER meeting fudge.

The fact that wizards go to such lengths to conceal their presence and wipe people's memories suggest they are worried about what will happen if they get caught. Wizards are able to use their powers to maintain dominance by hiding their presence and influence and making sure that most people remain ignorant of their activities, since if they openly tried to just enslave everyone or openly went around treating muggles like animals, everyone would be able to band together and stop them...kind of like a less evil version of Russia now I think of it.

So yeah. They're in hiding not because muggles persecute them but because they want to get away with persecuting muggles.

[drarryspecificrecs]

Draco Tops Harry Fest 2023 : (fics only)

@dracotops-harry || official masterpost || AO3 || ∑ = 16 works The Mod(s) : @digthewriter  Banner © : @digthewriter (official banner) + @fantalfart’s All I See is You (x)

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1. (Never) Let Me Go by @maraudersaffair [E, 17k]

Harry and Ginny are married, but she abandoned him for her Quidditch career overseas. He is lonely and desperate for love and very interested in sleeping with a man. Then, one night at a party, Draco Malfoy whispers in his ear: Do you want to leave with me? [...]

2. all I see is you by @makeitp1nk [M, 12k] --- ART by @fantalfart

The war is over, and all Harry Potter wants is to not feel like he's about to crawl out of his skin. Draco Malfoy is stuck with Voldemort's parting gift. One yearns for a soulmate while the other has no idea that they even exist. In a world where soulmates can only see each others' true selves, the past becomes the past and the two embrace their future over cups of milky coffee.

3. Brandishing The Wand by @ladderofyears [M, 2k]

When four Eighth Year boys overhear Draco and Harry having sex in the dormitory bathroom, each jumps to a very erroneous conclusion.

4. The First Source of Happiness by Lomonaaere [E, 13k]

Harry Potter is literally the most powerful wizard in the world- so powerful that the Unspeakables keep trying to devise challenges he can't meet. But Harry is also interested in having a lover who can take charge of him and won't be frightened off by his magic. In Unspeakable Draco Malfoy, Harry has perhaps found someone who can satisfy all his desires, and whose desires he can do the same with.

5. The First Time He Held Me by @shewhomustnotbenamed [E, 11k]

Draco works for a Muggle escort service, and uses a Polyjuice potion to disguise himself when meeting clients. [...] One night, he’s called to the room of the one man who he has always wanted, but could never have. Now, he needs to decide whether or not to reveal his true identity, or to remain in this polyjuiced body so that he can keep the attention of the Boy Who Lived.

6. Hair of the Cat by Enchanted_Jae [T, 2k]

Draco must scramble for an antidote after Potter tests one of his potions and turns into a cat.

7. Mirror Mirror by epiphany_dex [E, 33k]

Harry’s new year starts with a bang when he encounters Draco Malfoy at the Ministry Ball.

8. Now I Know In Part by @dodgerkedavra [E, 39k]

Harry Potter is the savior of the wizarding world. Draco Malfoy is a reformed Death Eater turned Ministry Curse-Breaker. Five years after the war, they're brought together by another mysterious curse.

9. only you, only us by @viridianvalor [E, 3k]

Years into their marriage, Draco and Harry share a fantasy: Draco watching as Harry gets fucked by another man. Now they’ve come up with a plan to make it happen, but with a twist - and they’ll need magic to pull it off.

10. Rekindled by @coffeedrgn87 [M, 5k]

Sometimes all it takes is a meet-cute in Greece.

11. The Way You Say My Name by InnerLilith [E, 5k]

In which Malfoy calls Harry pet names to get him flustered and riled up, and Harry gets flustered and riled up because he secretly likes it. The problem is that Malfoy is only teasing…or is he?

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✔ other fests in 2023 ✔ fests in other years ✔ Draco Tops Harry Fest : 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011

[soylent-crocodile]

Vizzerdrix (Monster)

(Vizzerdrix by Dave Dorman)

(Behold, a late Easter AND an April Fool's Day special, all wrapped up in one not-so-fluffy bunny! I wanted to capture the idea of a puzzlingly high-value creature with no special effects and not as much combat capability as its peers, so I went with a mad genius. There's also just a couple of tropes here that I tend to avoid- or lean on- if you can spot them. Enjoy!)

CR16 CE Large Aberration HD25

Vizzerdrix are savage beings created by a mad wizard, ravenous beasts who tear apart any who meet their path. It is generally accepted that the vizzerdrix were the last creation of said wizard before being torn apart by vizzerdrix. Unfortunately for the world, her creations bred true, and now vizzerdrix can be found leaving swathes of blood and death in their path. 

A vizzerdrix is a hybrid between a rabbit, a giant, and a piranha, creating a being with incredible intelligence, sharp claws, a craving for destruction and flesh, and big floppy rabbit ears. Vizzerdrix are among the most brilliant beings to exist, and use this to their advantage- they’re expert at evaluating threats, manipulating others, and devising cunning traps. Fortunately for a vizzerdrix’s enemies, they lack any particular abilities to put this brilliance to use, and without external help or tools, must fall back on ripping and tearing. This isn’t to say that a vizzerdrix has distaste for such combat- indeed, tearing other beings apart with their claws and incisors is the deepest pleasure a vizzerdrix can experience, and all their goals and conniving generally works to the end of getting a vizzerdrix a never-ending source of innocent victims to destroy. 

Vizzerdrix are obligate carnivores, only able to digest animal flesh. Despite this, they have a deep craving for root vegetables, which give them incredible indigestion and, occasionally, food poisoning and intense gastric distress. It is suspected that this was a failsafe created by their master and the reason to include rabbit parts, as vizzerdrix will do anything for proper digestive aids that allow them to comfortably eat their favorite food. 

This hulking, clawed beast has powerful human musculature, furless skin, and the head of an angry rabbit. Misc- CR16 CE Large Aberration HD25 Init:+8 Senses: Perception +27 Darkvision 60ft Stats- Str:28(+9) Dex:18(+4) Con:18(+4) Int:32(+11) Wis:9(-1) Cha:20(+5) BAB:+18/+13/+8/+3 Space:10ft Reach:10ft Defense- HP: AC:30(+4 Dexterity, +17 Deflection, -1 Size) Fort:+14 Ref:+12 Will:+17 CMD:39 Resist: Acid 20, Cold 20, Electricity 20, Fire 20 Immunity: Fear Special Defenses: DR5/Adamantine Offense- Bite +24(2d6+9), 2 Claw +25(1d8+9) CMB:+25 Speed:40ft Special Attacks: Rend (2 Claw, 2d8+14) Feats- Improved Initiative, Power Attack (-5/+10), Weapon Focus (Claw), Iron Will, Great Fortitude, Vital Strike, Combat Expertise, Improved Dirty Trick, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Greater Dirty Trick, Critical Focus Skills- Acrobatics +27, Climb +17, Escape Artist +32, Knowledge (Arcana, Dungeoneering, Engineering, Geography, Nature, Planes, Religion) +26, Knowledge (Local)* +29, Perception +27, Sense Motive +24, Spellcraft +39, Stealth +32, Survival +27, Swim +17, Use Magic Device +30 Spell-like Abilities- (Caster Level 20, Concentration +25) Dispel Magic /at-will Special Qualities- Ferocity Ecology- Environment- Forests, Swamps (Any) Languages- Common, Aklo, Abyssal, Draconic, Giant Organization- Solitary Treasure- None

[theshiftingwitch]

https://www.tumblr.com/creature-wizard/761018683964424192/the-law-of-assumption-isnt-a-cult-mmm-are-you?source=share

That's a very interesting read, thank you for sharing it!

(The Law of assumption is a cult)

Allow me to explain my side:

1- I don't believe in everything the "founder" teaches. Some rules work for me, others don't. I use critical thinking and past experiences to take whatever works and isolate it. Remember, his teachings came out in the 40s + he is not omniscient. Humans are bound to make mistakes.

2- I never guilt, shame, or turn away anyone who asks questions. If you scroll through my page, you'll see I'm trying to answer all questions and help everyone to the best of my ability. And all I ever insist on is having fun.

3- Everyone is you pushed out doesn't take away people's agency. It is a spiritual rule that suggests since we are all part of the great consciousness, we are all Spirit, the universe having a human experience. We are all One, and with that knowledge, we must face our shadows when people trigger us because they are merely holding a mirror to us and exposing parts of us we refuse to see or deal with. I know that when most people in loa community use EIYPO they mean no one else has free will in the world and you are the main character and you get to do what you want (that only applies in your reality, everyone's else reality doesn't have to conform to your beliefs) but I personally always say do not do onto others what you wouldn't do to yourself.

4- if loa is a cult, then by that definition so is the law of attraction, so is every religion and every spiritual practice that gives sole power to its founder/creator/god. If you're not allowed to question it then you're dealing with the wrong people and you should seek knowledge/advice somewhere else.

5- Try it out for yourself. Forget about Neville Goddard, forget about the community, let everything go, and try changing your assumptions about one single thing. Stick with it for as long as you can, and then we'll question the validity of the law. Too many people with great success stories started out as doubters too. (If it's not your thing, I totally understand, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do.)

TLDR: Law off assumption is as much of a cult as anything else that has a great following. If it works, then amazing. If it doesn't, feel free to try something else. And as usual, you're more than welcome to ask any questions 😊

Happy manifesting?

[nobredoesart]

Magic in The Dragon Prince

The Arcanums are something that has always fascinated me, but I feel like they are only explored on the surface level. Such a deep, conceptual part of the world building should be expanded on, and payed far more attention than it is, because it simple deserves it, ya know? So, with the elf redesigns semi-established, let's establish some basics. I originally was going to also post about the individual Arcanums in this post, but it was getting overly long, so, we'll get to it eventually.

The Primal Sources are the sun, moon, earth, sky, ocean and stars. They all play a role within the world, and have their equal and opposite in one another, sources of power and encompassing most of living existence, with their apex (besides what represents them) being found within the dragons.

Each of the sources have an Arcanum, which is effectively their philosophical meaning, the meaning behind them, the identity forged within the soul of each being that is tied to them. Arcanums can't just be studied, they must be groked to achieve connection, and each individual one can take a lifetime to understand if one doesn't have the aid of a teacher or tool, though most elves and magical creatures are born with an inherent Arcanum that they know already. Learning an Arcanum shifts how you view the world, and for creatures that already have an Arcanum, it's a horrible, cognitively dissonant experience, akin to heavy dysphoria.

The Primal Sources do also have associated types of magic, though most do overlap a decent amount. They can bend the rules to create something that would usually be considered part of the other source's prerogative. Due to this divide, different mages often rely on creative solutions to similar problems, or lean hard into the support of differing primal mages, due to the simple reality that is helpful for them to do so. Mage groups are somewhat frequent in travelers, as is the sharing of knowledge and spellbooks throughout the Academic Circles in Xadia, though it is a minuscule number when compared to the Human Kingdoms, which have whole libraries of spellbooks publicly accessible. There are exceptions, because some mages, be they wizards, witches, shamans, artificers or sorcerers of any kind, can develop a great deal of secrecy regarding their magic. Dragons especially, because OF COURSE DRAGONS ARE MAGES IT'S SILLY THAT THEY DON'T USE MORE MAGIC. They are the apex of their primals, and most mages have learned magic from dragons, hence why most primal magic stems from Draconic Runes (which are just, the written version of Draconic Speech).

Establishing something important: Humans do not understand Arcanums, nor are they even super familiar with the concept. To them, the Primals are just different flavors of magic and symbols that the elves use. They are not some grandiose deep understanding of the world, but simple sources of power. Which every human mage in the series would eventually be confronted with eventually. Personally, I believe that Callum would still primarily connect with the Sky, and given the opporunity, Viren would connect with the Stars and Claudia would connect with the Ocean, which I think will become clearer once I explain the Primals properly.

Dark Magic is different. Dark Magic, much like the show, is the practice of tearing out the magic from a creature that possesses it, and using it for your spells. But even this will have some slight alterations:

1. The mage in question isn't just tearing out the magic. They are effectively imbuing themselves with a fleeting understanding of an Arcanum, and using that understanding to create a magical connection within themselves. The knowledge of the Arcanum fades immediately after the spell. It corrupts the Soul, forcing the mage's mind to process a complex philosophical identity that is not their own, which damages the body as well. 2. This damage is, in part, irreversible. Callum, for example, upon using Dark Magic has categorically corrupted part of his mind, which affects how he will process the Arcanum he used in those spells, due to the simple nature that whatever part of him that would've naturally accessed the Arcanum is now strained. Physical changes, like the ones seen in Viren and Claudia are a sign that the body is starting to break down under the stress. 3. Incantations aren't just reversed fancy speech, though that is a cool idea that I want to keep! They are, effectively, the translation of what piece of the Arcanum the Dark Mage in question is drawing on.

That is all for now, more to come!

[darklordazalin]

Azalin Reviews: Darklord Hazlik (5e)

Domain: Hazlan Domain Formation: Not Specified (714 BC older editions) Power Level:💀💀💀⚫⚫ Sources: Van Ricthen’s Guide to Ravenloft (5e)

In the good doctor’s most recent guide, Hazlan has transformed from a Domain of suppression and ancient magics to one that can be best described as a large magical experiment gone wrong. These chaotic casting result in supernatural disasters and a populace that would have faired better in face of the Spell Plague.

Hazlik’s descent, that resulted in his imprisonment in the Mists, is similar from previous accounts. He rose quickly among the Red Wizards of Thay in Toril and made many enemies by scaring his rivals with his spellcasting. One such rival, Indreficus, became Hazlik’s lover and the two shared a sort of love-hate relationship.

Hazlik learned that Indreficus planned to betray him to the ruling zulkirs. Brokenhearted, he did what any rational man would do - he performed experiments on his former lover and turned him into a living portal, then presented this portal thing to the zulkirs.

In true monologuing-villain fashion, the zulkirs revealed that they had tricked Hazlik because they were weary of his and Indreficus’s rise in power. And as punishment for creating the living portal, which they dismissed as an affront to magic, they declared that all those Hazlik had defeated in the past could choose their own penance against him. Likely this would have been a rather drawn out death sentence, but Hazlik decided to risk jumping through his living portal/ex-lover instead.

Hazlik is supposedly a powerful wizard. Perhaps he should have looked into the memories and thoughts of his lover before assuming all he was told was true? Hazlik has always been a rash fool driven by his emotions and this logical course of action clearly evaded his mind.

Stepping through his lover-portal, Hazlik found himself in the Nightmare Lands where Indreficus’s voice tormented him. But, as before, he fled and his personal prison was formed.

Hazlik can no longer learn new spells. I wonder what that’s like…Though, it must be far more limiting for a mortal who is only mid-career. He is also tormented by his former lover whenever he sleeps, so that curse still holds him and he still attempts to stay awake as long as possible.

His obsession is to escape. Again. I wonder what that’s like…Though his goal of escape is not for any clear reason, such as revenge or being able to learn new magic so you can bring your long-dead son back and restart as a non-specific example, but because he wants to see what lies beyond Hazlan. This obsession leads him and his apprentices to preform countless experiments that really just amount to them causing all sorts of supernatural disasters. I wonder…Never mind. I think you get the point by now.

Lastly, as if he did not already take enough of my aesthetics, the Eyes of Hazlik are everywhere in Hazlan and our little red wizard can see through them all. Hazlik’s new limitations and youth indicate he is not as powerful as he once was. Still, he’s an archmage with few rivals and little to oppose him.

[mask131]

Exploring the Ice King (4)

Here's at last the final part of this series! I wanted to release this post for the Day of the Kings, but I was too busy IRL... So it's today instead. After going 'round and 'round the elephant in the room, we finally get to touch the heart and core of Ice King: the inspirations of the monarch of ice and snow, and the ancestors of a winter sorcerer!

The most common and widespread trivia you will find around the Internet is that the Ice King seems to have been mainly influenced by the character of the "Winter Warlock" from the Rankin/Bass "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town". Indeed, we find the same lushious beard, pointy features, weird crown, penguin companion, ice-magic and antagonistic role

A similar evil ice sorcerer appeared in "Ruldoph and Frosty's Christmas in July", the wizard Winterbolt - whose name reminds of Ice King's "ice lightning"

The world of Rankin/Bass animations seems to have had a certain influence over Adventure Time. The duo formed by the Heat Miser and Snow Miser can have a vague echo in the duality of the Ice King and Flame King....

... While the huge Snow realm ruled by Father Winter in Rankin/Bass' "Jack Frost" reminds one of the various ice and snow creatures of Ice King's empty domain:

However there is a MUCH more direct inspiration to be listed... An animated movie that clearly was one of the roots of Adventure Time. 1971's The Point, about a boy with a strange hat and his dog going on an adventure... And where the king of the land looks like this:

I don't think I need to make anymore explanations - outside of mentionning that 1971's The Point was actually the animated adaptation of a musical album, and that the starting point of the writing of the story was someone's acid trip... Literaly. Both elements which also echo a LOT with Adventure Time's own style and uniqueness. Though the king in this version was a shy, timid, benevolent and magic-less ruler - a far cry from AT more dangerous and unstable ice-wizard.

Speaking of direct inspirations for Adventure Time, it has never been a secret that 1977's "Wizards" had been one of the main sources of Adventure Time's world. An earth returned to a world of fantasy, magic and fairies after a nuclear war, with a half-skeletal evil wizard leading armies of mutants and robots against the excentric, quirky and weird forces of "good"... The homage is neat and clear.

Why am I speaking of this however? No Ice King ancestor seems to be hiding there... Well, I suggest you take a look at another one of Ralph Bakshi's animated fantasy movies... No, not the animated "Lord of the Rings" movie. But 1983's "Fire and Ice". An animated collaboration with Frank Frazetta himself, about bluish-skinned, white-haired ice-rulers using snow magic to invade a fantasy land and capture a princess, only for a brave, sword-wielding blond hero to have to rescue her... While he is much more youthful, sexy and sane than Ice King, prince Nekron IS definitively one of the characters' ancestors.

The presence of an ice queen ruling alongside Nekron makes me think back on a specific topic... In fantasy, the role of sorcerous evil lords with powers and affinity for ice, snow and the cold is traditionally taken by a woman. Probably as a remnant of the popularity of Andersen's Snow Queen fairytale:

To mention a few famous examples, you have the White Witch of Narnia (which was C.S. Lewis taking Andersen's Snow Queen and fusing her with Lilith and She-who-must-be-obeyed):

Or Tad Williams' Utuk'ku, Queen of the Norns (the literary ancestors of Game of Thrones' White Walkers, Martin literaly ripped them off):

And Warhammer's Tzarina Katarin, first of the ice-witches of Kislev

Adventure Time did have some female characters wielding the powers of the ice - from the Ice Queen to Patience St. Prim, but it stayed mainly focused on the snow magic being male-owned (Ice King, Ice Finn, Evergreen, and all the recent alternates like the Winter King)...

... And by stayed quite "male-focused", Adventure Time echoes once more an ancient mythical archetype, a legendary character whose many incarnations go from Old Father Winter of England to Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) of Russia, passing by Jack Frost and Boreas...

I could have talked about the large presence of ice spirits, spells and entities within the world of "Dungeons and Dragons" but this post is getting way too long, so, to conclude, I will also point out something many have noticed before - how a blue-skinned man-freak freezing everything over a tragic love story is strongly reminiscent of Batman's Mr. Freeze

[anneofteenfables]

The Maze of Bones

Title: The Maze of Bones

Author: Rick Riordan

Genre: Mystery

Length: 5 hours

Summary: 

Minutes before she died Grace Cahill changed her will, leaving her descendants an impossible decision: “You have a choice – one million dollars or a clue.” 

Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world’s most powerful family. Everyone from Napoleon to Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. 39 Clues hidden around the world will reveal the family’s secret, but no one has been able to assemble them. Now the clues race is on, and young Amy and Dan must decide what’s important: hunting clues or uncovering what really happened to their parents.

Review:

My first book of the year, The Maze of Bones, is a book I chose as part of my library’s reading challenge. I’m really excited to be able to start my library’s yearly reading challenge at the beginning of the year instead of halfway through, and I already have a couple books started for various categories. The Maze of Bones fulfills the “First Book in a Series” category. I read this book in middle school. (I realize a lot of the books on this blog are ones I’ve read before.) I didn’t really have high hopes as I reread it, I remembered it being good but also knew there was a possibility that it hadn’t aged well. While some parts of the book have indeed not aged well (Jonah Wizard’s whole ‘gangster’ thing, a lot of the descriptions of the Kabras), a vast majority are still really good and even better than I remember it.

The Maze of Bones is an interesting mix of mystery, adventure, and emotion. It’s what I would call a history-mystery where the clues are all related to a historical figure or event, in the same vein as National Treasure. I am a history nerd and therefore love it and think it’s a really cool technique to teach kids about history and also science and math at times. I’m a bit older than the intended middle grade audience but the clues/plot doesn’t seem silly or overly obvious. I think the mystery element is really good, within each book the mystery plot is seemingly well thought out. I know within the series this gets more complicated and disjointed since the whole series has different authors. At least, in the first book the mystery is both easy to follow but also not too obvious or easy to guess. I think the adventure element is also really good. Dan and Amy have to escape a burning mansion and a museum explosion, along with various other dangers. They also do all this while travelling the world and the United States. I also appreciate the realism of the adventure element. Finances are a real issue for Amy, Dan, and Nellie, they are constantly worried about money and it’s nice to read that especially when most books would brush over those details or have one character be really rich or inherit money just so that it isn’t an issue. There are also real consequences to the situations they get in, Amy and Dan don’t walk out of fires or explosions or the catacombs unscathed, physically or emotionally. They experience temporary hearing loss and asthma attacks and they also feel bad/sad/guilty about the other people involved. This also has to do with the surprisingly emotional aspect and real consequences of this book. The book starts with Amy and Dan’s real grief over their grandmother, and then real grief and trauma reactions to the mansion fire. They also struggle greatly with thinking their competitors are dead after the museum explosion. Even when Amy and Dan learn that they aren’t dead, they still feel very bad. There’s also the emotion and grief that comes along with their parents death and the consequences of that. I think they especially struggle with it because they are so young and they were so young when their parents died. I was enjoyably surprised with how real their emotions feel and how understandable their decisions are for their characters. Obviously, they make silly and often rash decisions but it makes sense how they made those decisions.

While most of this book seems well thought out, there are still some things that don’t make sense. While it is clear that this series would have to start with the first clue, it doesn’t make much sense to me that no one else in the Cahill family would’ve known about the clues. Grace and Amy and Dan’s parents know about the clues and obviously have figured out various clues. However, it seems no one else in the family or at least the people at Grace’s funeral even knew that there were clues. While I read the entire series at one point, I don’t remember much but I also feel like if these clues have been around for centuries someone else would’ve solved them by now. It just seems unrealistic to me that no one else in the Cahill family knew of or was looking for these clues at the time of Grace’s death.  Anyway, I really enjoyed this book, I think a lot of the portrayals are very realistic. All of the siblings act like siblings, and every team has pretty clear motivations about why they chose the clue. I think the writing is very good, the plot is well thought out, though it makes sense because this is a Rick Riordan book. I most definitely will continue to read this series because I plan to use the second book, One False Note, for another category. All in all, this was a quick and easy read that I highly recommend.

Divider: @/cafekitsune

Header Paintings: Head of Skeleton with Burning Cigarette by Vincent van Gogh + Paris by Daniel J Keys