#a sword wielded by one of the two gods of creation and used by the god of storms to kill orochi !!

[ikusayu-no-hana]

ame-no-habakiri as a touken danshi please god. the sword closest to the divinity that others can only dream of.

[gaslightgatekeepgirlbosscombat]

Group E, Round 3, Poll 3:

Propaganda under the cut

Lady Rhea

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE GAME AHEAD This lady gaslighted, gatekept, and girlbossed for a little more than 1000 years. Her story starts in ancient Fódlan where she was a member of a magical dragon race called the Nabateans, children of Sothis. After Sothis was killed and her corpse desecrated by a bandit named Nemesis (who believed himself to be fighting for the freedom of humanity), he made a sword out of her body to arm his allies and massacred the Nabateans. Rhea gathered the last few Nabateans left and some human allies and, under the name 'Seiros', waged war on Nemesis and his army. Victorious, Saint Seiros rewrote history to cover up the existence of the Nabateans and created a religion around her mother, now calling Sothis the Progenitor God. As the years go on, Lady Rhea used her holy influence to give rise to the Adrestrian Empire. It's implied that her church, the Church of Seiros, played a part in wars that resulted in the creation of the Holy Kingdom of Faergus, a nation that broke off of Adrestria, and the Leicester Alliance, another nation which broke off of the Kindgom. FE16 makes a point to note that she continues to censor history up to the present, including limiting technological advancements for 'blasphemy'. Her advisor, Seteth, once served her as Saint Cichol and even he has shown shock and horror at how far she has gaslit, gatekept, and girlbossed. The protagonist of this game is the child of Sitri, the 12th human vessel in a project that Lady Rhea personally conducted to try and revive her mother. Rhea never admits this to the protag's face until she is either in a weakened state or an enemy of the protagonist. She even tries to restart the experiment on the protag without their knowledge. The game splits into four routes and in one of them the protagonist turns on Rhea. In this route Lady Rhea girlbosses so hard that she turns into a dragon and reclaims her Saint Seiros persona as she tries to kill the protag and reclaim her mother who, at this point, exists as a weapon the protagonist wields and as an organ Lady Rhea implanted into them as a baby. In two of the routes where the protagonist sides with Lady Rhea she'll accompany them to combat the forces that orriginally allowed Nemesis to attack her peeople (who have turned into a highly advanced underground race at this point). This girlboss moment is so cool to me because Lady Rhea had been a prisoner for 5 years but still manages to turn into a dragon and take a literal ICBM to the face to protect the protag. TL;DR: Lady Rhea has gaslit society and made a fake history. She gatekept by personally executing members of her own church she made because she disagreed with their ways. She girlbosses by being the Archbishop of her religion for 1159 years and turning into a dragon to KILL "

She created a thousand year old church to control an entire continent. She rewrote history to be able to control the continent and keep the power she gained, under a belief that she was all that could protect humans from themselves.

The ULTIMATE example of gaslight gatekeep girlboss!! (((Major FE3H spoilers))): Gaslight: constructs an entire centuries-old religion centered around her dead mom with herself as the leader, hides the identity of herself (secretly the founding saint and namesake of said religion) and her compatriots (secretly other major saints), rewrites continent’s history as well as the origin of the nobility’s hereditary crests and holy relics, hires homeschooled mercenary seemingly for nepotism/skill reasons but doesn’t tell them that she actually implanted her mother’s heart into them as an infant in hopes to revive her dead mom. Gatekeep: intentionally withholds continent’s secret history, church covers up and censors some of humanity’s technological/medical advancements in order to obscure aforementioned history as well as to prevent the development of more efficient weapons of war/destruction, instructs faculty and students not to leak dangerous side effects of powerful holy relics to the wider public, executes rebels/assassins/conspirators that seek to remove her, literally hires a Gatekeeper known only as Gatekeeper. Girlboss: Canonically bisexual pope with hips for days and de facto leader of an entire continent. Powerful warrior. Proficient in instructing hand-to-hand combat. The first cutscene of the game shows her sword-fighting in heels with a muscular man and, after being disarmed, beating the shit out of him in hand-to-hand combat and stabbing him to death with a dagger. Girlboss.

Morag Ladair

She is an inquisitor for a despotic colonizing empire, who is ruthlessly efficient, a master manipulator, and also a genuinely charming characters. She creates a rumor of the execution of a party member to successfully lure out the rest of them, and they only escape because she chooses to let them go

[thesherrinfordfacility]

I think that if the Book of Life DOES work the way they claim it does, Aziraphale isn't the one who's going to be in danger. It's absolutely going to be Crowley. Heaven wants humanity to come together in the Kingdom of God, which is why we need the Second Coming- to restore it. Aziraphale wants to stop the Second Coming and save humanity. But the only reason humans LEFT the Kingdom of God in the first place is because of the serpent tempting Eve. That's what Jesus is here to fix. If Crowley doesn't exist, then there's no need for a Second Coming or the end of humanity at all. Aziraphale can stay with Heaven, avert the Apocalypse, and prevent the end of humankind. Make it so that humans NEVER knew death or suffering. Because it's Crowley's fault they learned about those things, right? He just has to allow Heaven to get rid of Crowley. Sounds like an ultimatum the Metatron would give to force Aziraphale's compliance.

hi anon!!!✨ this is literally the only way in which i think the BOL being exactly what s2 describes it to be, could possibly work narratively - you've summed it up beautifully... but then i still am left wondering why they didn't just... use it? like, why not use it after the fall of humanity? why not use it after the nopocalypse? why not just... use it now?

cue some ramblings that you never asked for but im the captain of this good ship so im gonna put them (but seriously if you don't want to read, skip to the end - i do end up yammering a bit about stuff youve probably already seen on my blog, anon!*):

if the BOL does erase existence, why not even use it during the fall itself? i think we're relatively certain that god is AWOL, and probably has been, for the most part, since the fall (i think that her encounter with aziraphale after adam and eve left eden was, very much, an anomaly). now, it could be because of the great plan, sure - certain events have to happen for heaven and earth to be fully realised as One... at which point, would they dare go so far as to eradicate other key points of the great plan in order to do so?

it's all a little paradoxical. but back to (somewhat) basics, as i personally see them: i do think that the ineffable plan is going to come down to free will, and that if we track this through the story, it all rather seems to be cause-and-effect, that perhaps the two depend on each other symbiotically:

creation of angels, then the universe - the great plan

the rebellion, the fall, and creation of demons/hell - the ineffable plan/free will

the beginning, with adam and eve in the garden - the great plan

tempting of eve to the apple, knowing the difference between good and evil - the ineffable plan/free will

exile of adam and eve from the garden, the fall of humanity - the great plan

aziraphale gives adam the flaming sword - the ineffable plan/free will

the bet with satan concerning job - the great plan

crowley and aziraphale lie to protect them - the ineffable plan/free will

jesus is born, and spreads the teachings of god - the great plan

jesus dies for the sins of humanity - i think, possibly, the ineffable plan/free will

antichrist is born, and is to precipitate the apocalypse - the great plan

the antichrist gets mixed up, and the chain of events leading to the apocalypse being diverted - the ineffable plan/free will

the second coming, heralding the last judgement - the great plan

firstly, the whole business with gabriel in s2 - the ineffable plan/free will

and secondly, let's face it, s3 is going to have a happy ending whatever happens (or else, gaiman 💀) and id place money that it will be because of - the ineffable plan/free will.

so this is where i think 'erasing existence', whilst in part/after a certain fashion may be true, i don't think it's the whole truth. there are so many points where heaven could have wielded it to put the great plan back on track... but they don't, because all of the events lead to the second coming - which is the goal, right? "the final victory of heaven on earth", as michael puts it.

and the thing is, aziraphale and crowley are so intrinsically wrapped up in the ineffable plan, the plan that seems to specifically counter and trigger next phases of the great plan, that i think realistically erasing either of them would derail it completely. this in turns also makes me think that the great plan never came from god - but has come from the metatron instead. previously, metatron possibly hasn't understood why his plans towards final victory over hell, and the creation of a true paradise, keep being thwarted: not until s2, perhaps even s1, when he cottons on that it's because of our two incompetent, eldritch renegades, stationed on earth and who have loved it a bit too much.

so each time it's thwarted, he comes up with a new stage of the plan to keep it on track, to realise the Goal. but if he erased either of them, it'd fuck up the whole thing, right? presumably, it would take them all right back to the start, right back to eden, because all the events that followed could never have happened without them? it could even take us right back to the fall, if we accept that AWCW was fairly instrumental in the fall itself? without him, the fall might not have happened?

this is why i don't think 'existence' in the context of the BOL means literal existence - i think it refers more to what was going to happen to gabriel; that it's to do with memory. if you can't remember who you were, did you ever truly exist?

the way the metatron separates and localises the concept of gabriel being 'Gabriel', and the use of the word 'erased' both suggest to me that this has something to do with the BOL. gabriel is obviously one step ahead, puts his 'Gabriel' into the fly, and saraqael cannot find him on the system to erase his memory. this could be because gabriel has already left heaven, but i think it's because of putting the memory into the fly - ie. gabriel is no longer in the BOL.

i do think that BOL is going to play a part in s3 because, well, obviously - but i wouldnt even be surprised if it were all a bit a red herring where the threat of the second coming is concerned. alternatively, it is threatened but they work out that it might have used - at the very least - on crowley during his fall:

im still in two minds as to whether, in a pre-fall context, erasure from the BOL = falling itself... i think it could be, and ive previously said so, but im now in two minds; would this mean that all of the fallen were erased from it? lost their angelic memories? well, that can't be the case in basic principle - furfur remembers from before the fall, as does beelzebub - but could it be that demons are getting their memories back? and crowley still has some missing, but is steadily clawing them back together? idk, it's feasible, but a little messy.

and nowadays, well heaven doesn't want to lose its angels to hell, right? especially ones that are powerful or may well have been - so instead their memory is erased, and they are simply demoted. we know this from gabriel to have been his fate... and it looks more and more like it might have happened to muriel.

*but let's go back again to thinking about the BOL being as it says on the tin, now that ive plugged my own ridiculous theory-

ultimately, i don't think it's a threat that would feasibly work on aziraphale (to erase crowley completely from existence); aziraphale likes humanity the way it is, and has learnt important lessons from being witness to their suffering... and even more so, is so deeply entwined with crowley emotionally and - dare i say - spiritually, that i don't think it's a threat that would ever land. if anything, i think it would be a threat used against crowley; choose between yourself or aziraphale being erased, because that is ultimately a choice where crowley would only ever choose to sacrifice himself.

i do truly love the idea angst-wise, but again i do wonder how it could work narratively without becoming so overly complicated... maybe it does mean that they go back to the very beginning, perhaps to the very pre-fall scene where they first meet, and aziraphale realises that something is off... there should be stars here, exploding into being, and a pretty angel giggling at them. and maybe he does force himself to remember what alternatively happened, but doesn't know AWCW's name. instead, he writes 'crowley', because that's who crowley actually is, not the angel he once was, and this saves him, brings him back?✨

[kitshiki]

        001.  /  kitsune hamlet worldbuilding

what does rai love doing more than completely off the cuff worldbuilding for small isolated populations from which only like 1-2 canon characters come from. nothing. so let's geaux.

⠀◦◞ ORIGIN ﹗

this was lightly foregrounded in the interview i wrote for nishiki ( where i sprinkled in some original lore surrounding the kitsune hamlet ) but the kitsune of hoshido believe in a fairly uniform creation story that explains how they got to be where they are today:

it's believed that in the ancient times, hoshido was once a land of mostly water and swamp, the majority of it uncultivable and uninhabitable. mankind at this time lived in pockets of civilization, separated from one another. during a time of great famine, the goddess o-inari descended from the heavens to aid life in this land, bringing with her her children and servants: the foxes 　

o-inari exists in the kitsune mindset as a being separate from the dragon-gods of fates lore, originating from a different place ( heaven ). there is no apparent relation between the two beliefs systems 　

the legend continues that after saving life from starvation, o-inari departed again for heaven, but left her children behind as stewards of the land in her stead. as time passed however, people forgot the purpose of the foxes, and grew to see them as any other animal. from the foxes' watchful, playful, and secretive manner, they drew many stories that painted them as malicious and selfish tricksters. they grew to fear them and see them as omens of bad luck, and then finally to hunt them for the beauty of their fur 　

defenseless, the foxes prayed for help, and o-inari descended again. she made for them a home in the mountains of hoshido and established the kitsune hamlet, a place where they could live safe and peacefully free from human persecution. and to defend themselves from incursions, she granted them human-like intelligence, a unique magic ( the power of illusion ), and the ability to transform and hide themselves. this was the beginning of the modern-day kitsune race 　

the age of this story far transcends the life of any living kitsune today, so none of them know exactly how long ago this was said to be. but it is how they've lived ever since, passing down this story and the cautionary tales of humans that hated and feared them

⠀◦◞ BELIEF SYSTEM ﹗

accordingly with the above legends, the kitsune see themselves as descendants of the god/goddess o-inari, an essentially genderfluid being, though she is often depicted in artworks with feminine features and often colloquially referred to in feminine terms. o-inari is believed to be a goddess of fertility, agriculture, and abundance, and is thus also associated with goods like rice, bread, sake, and cotton.

o-inari is believed by the kitsune to be a kind goddess who detests violence since bloodshed is antonymous with the bounty that she represents. she is depicted to be sheltering, as when she chose to shield the foxes and give them the means to defend themselves rather than punish the humans that hunted them. however, there are stories passed down that show that o-inari can also be strict and vengeful; at times, she is shown wielding a sword or a sickle of heaven with which she burns huge swaths of crops.

o-inari herself is believed to be a shapeshifter, another trait passed down to the kitsune in the form of their illusory magic. in certain stories, she appears in various forms such as snakes or humans or spiders.

reciprocity, one of the strongest tenets of kitsune culture that nishiki shows us in canon, also is rooted in their belief system. it is believed that o-inari greatly emphasized and praised reciprocity and the repaying of debts, as the constant ongoing cycle of give and take between individuals and societies was what generated the karma that allowed the world to turn, and thus abundance to spread. it's believed that without reciprocity, the karma of the world would shrivel and decay, leading eventually to the end of all life. to demonstrate reciprocity and live by this tenet, therefore, is to show great respect to o-inari as well as to honor the cycle of life and the laws of heaven. concurrently, it's believed that shirking reciprocity is an actively harmful act unto life itself, and that heaven keeps a checkbook of sorts on how good you've been about it, and thus how much karma you've helped to generate.

⠀◦◞ MISC. KITSUNE HAMLET NOTES ﹗

some other worldbuilding that's more directly related to the kitsune race and hamlet life:

just like o-inari herself, kitsune are genderfluid beings conceptually. they believe that the older a kitsune grows, the more powerful they become, and at certain benchmarks in age, one gains the qualities of masculinity and femininity equally. it's unclear exactly what this means functionally as the kitsune tend to only talk about it in spiritual terms, but nishiki would tell you that the elders of the hamlet that were centuries old were definitely no longer defined by a singular gender 　

kitsune are not illiterate, but due to spending most of their time in fox form and usually only taking humanoid shape for either convenience or when traveling outside the hamlet, reading and writing aren't large parts of their native culture. instead, they have a strong oral tradition; stories and legends are passed down by word of mouth and occasionally through artwork. this is supplemented by the kitsune's naturally long memory 　

leading the kitsune hamlet is like leading a colony of street cats. though kitsune still retain some natural inclinations toward the sense of community and belonging ( we see some of this in nishiki's hinata support ), they're much less socially-bound than humans, and nishiki's behavior of coming and going from the hamlet for long stretches of time with no set return date, etc. is not uncommon. as a result, leadership among kitsune is a loosely-defined term, and there aren't a lot of rules, structure, or determinate hierarchy among the kitsune, nor much sense of obligation. the chief takes on some sense of doing what's best for the hamlet and protecting it from danger, but outside of times of strife, don't assume much of a leadership role from day to day and everyone is more or less allowed to do what they want. in essence, the chief exists as the point of decision-making in emergencies when one is needed, but other than that the social structure is very laissez-faire. the position of chief is also at least partly hereditary, as seen by nishiki telling us that his father was chief before him 　

this individuality, independence, and loose attitude toward social structure, along with the kitsunes' aversion to violence, is ultimately why they lose the battle to defend themselves so spectacularly against a trained and disciplined army despite the danger that an individual kitsune poses and the advantage they had of being on home turf

[49-ibr]

14 DAYS REMAINING!

49: VOLUME 01 is out on May 7th 2024!

A caged princess. A too-trusting hero. A blood-drinking pirate.

A secret to uncover.

And, just in case that isn't enough, here is a oneshot set in the world I've only just begun to explore! How does it relate to the book coming out? You'll see...

(NO CONTEXT NEEDED)

“What do you know of the gods, Adonis?” 

A gentle wind whistled through the berry-scented air, pulling delicate leaves from the gnarled twigs they grew from. Each fluttered through the sky like feathers in the breeze, and then slipped from their branch-woven balcony, disappearing into the mist below. 

A table and two chairs were planted on this balcony, planted being a literal term. Flowers wound around wooden legs, and the bumpy bark-covered table had perfect indents to hold glasses of wine. 

Adonis ran his fingers over the crystal-encrusted hilt of his sword, humming to himself. “I know much,” he said. “But who doesn’t?” 

There was not a being in this world that did not believe in the gods, and how could there be? Mankind would not exist with no creator, and their magic-wielding followers were further proof of the divine. 

Silent, the storyteller took a moment to ponder, and Adonis took the moment to sip at his brimming cup of wine, finding it oddly tongue-tingling and sweet. It was far from what he was used to. 

The storyteller’s lips parted once more. “What do you think of the gods, Adonis?” he finally asked. 

As he lowered his wine, Adonis quirked an eyebrow, though still ran his other thumb over the most starlike of the sword’s jewels, tracing a beloved constellation. “What I think of them, sir?” 

“Yes, Adonis. What do you think of them?” 

Adonis found himself pausing, as pensive as his mentor. “I think... they’re more forces of nature than anything. They aren’t something to praise or to battle or to scorn, more... something to live amongst. I respect my god, of course, but I don’t consider him to be anything more than an equal. My equal.” 

A chuckle slipped from the storyteller’s lips, especially as he lifted his own mug of dark wine, taking a long, slow sip. “And who taught you that particular mindset, Adonis?” 

“I taught myself. Is there something wrong with it?” 

“Not at all.” The storyteller took another sip of his dark wine, staining his lips like a bruise. “But I have a tale of sorts that just might change your mind, Adonis, if it doesn’t confirm your every belief.” 

“What kind of tale?” 

The storyteller hummed a low, deep tune. “A belief, something rooted in both mythology and fact. But I won’t criticise you if you choose to believe in every part of it, nor if you refute it all.” 

Adonis laughed lightly, and sat back in his wooden chair, adjusting the sheath at his hip. “And do you know if it’s true, sir?” 

“No,” said the storyteller in a tone that spoke of finality. “I don’t.” 

“Then I’ll gladly uncover this great mystery with you.” Adonis crossed one leg over the other, taking on a posture that was a little more relaxed. His hands were far from his sheath. “Go on.” 

A moment passed. Two. Three. 

The storyteller placed both hands onto the table, interlocking his scarred fingers in a manner that brought great attention to them. For a moment, Adonis could focus on nothing else at all. 

It looked as if several rings had once donned those dark fingers, but that all of them had been violently stolen away. 

Had the storyteller once been wed? More than once, even? 

“Many men say that the first creation of the gods was not the land, nor the air, nor the fire in their hearths,” said the storyteller, speaking as if to the sky, “but the water that stretches into infinity and cradles every island of Ungode, like a mother embracing her dear womb.” 

Adonis nodded slowly, and said not a thing. 

“Those who say this,” the storyteller continued, in that same slow, pensive tone, “are incorrect, though the foolish believe them to know all. Those folk think far too literally.” 

“And you don’t?” 

The storyteller’s wine-stained lips quirked, though only a little. He leant in, just slightly, holding Adonis’s gaze. “I’ve always been better at seeing the bigger picture than most, seeing magic over matter. My god doesn’t bless those who don’t deserve these gifts, after all.” 

Adonis’s tongue darted to wet dry lips, before he realised he still had his cup of wine. Raising it to his tongue, he took a hearty sip. 

“You cannot begin with only the physical, Adonis. You cannot begin with the land and the sea and the sky.” 

As Adonis lowered his half-empty cup onto the table, he half-smiled at the man sat opposite him. “How could they begin with anything but the physical, sir? We need earth below our boots, after all.” The irony of this statement emerging from his lips in a kingdom of Air did not escape Adonis’s notice. 

“What would be the point to a flourishing forest without a single beast? Would be the point to a city without any human to fill its homes? What would be the point to a physical world with nothing alive lurking inside? The living aren’t the physical, after all.” 

Adonis’s brow furrowed, but he had nothing left to say, nothing but questions he was sure were about to be answered, or ignored no matter how much he pestered.  

He simply listened without another thought in his mind. 

“The gods did not make land first, and then the soul, Adonis. The gods made land for the soul, for mankind in its entirety.” 

Another moment passed. Two. Three. 

Even the wind was silent, though in this kingdom of Air, it was usually as plentiful as a heartbeat. Not a thing kept Adonis from listening to his mentor. His mentor he still hardly knew. 

The storyteller finally leant in. “Do you think man worships the gods, or do you think the gods worship man?” 

[rulerofthelayersofhell]

The Four Horsemen of The 10th Layer

They are the Devil's most loyal creations. Okay, I wanted to start it off with a joke but that's all of the Devil's creations. They adore them because the Devil gives them all absolute freedom in hell and treats them well. Even the hell geese adores them. Now they don't really represent war, famine, death and such. They're meant to be keeping the demon lords of the 10th layer in line.

This is the human form of the Horsemen of Judgment and also the leader of them all, her name is Cecilia. Her weapon of choice is every type of sword, knife and dagger, basically if its a blade she specializes in it. So she has options for both in her horsemen form and her human form. Cecilia is serious about her job but with more and more creations being left to run rampant on the 10th layer, she has more free time. Because of this she has taken up to reading novels and manga the Devil casually gives her. Her library basically the safest place in the 10th layer. But only the Devil, God and her siblings can visit it. For the record I say siblings because they all have the same creator and thus they're family.

The Horsemen of Truth, Kaen. Compared to Cecilia, her weapon of choice is more if it can be used up close, she'll wield it. From swords to spears to axes. But she's absolutely no good at long range unless its an energy attack or magic. The reason? She finds long range weapons boring. Speaking of Kaen nature as the Horsemen of Truth means she can tell when someone is hiding their true appearance or lying to her. But she usually doesn't care because she's riding around hell causing havoc for Beowulf in particular. She enjoys reminding the demon of how her creator ripped out his eye and fashioned it into gauntlets and greaves. Needless to say, she's not a fanatic but Kaen considers her creator her parent and for the sake of her parent, she'll cut down anyone. That said God is the Uncle/Aunt they wave at whenever they drop by Cecilia's library.

The Horsemen of Detection, Sein. He wields a sword and throwing daggers. Honestly compared to Kaen, he is more calm but that's because his job is to use his ability to uncover all secrets and schemes. They can try to hide them from him but his ability will let him notice them all. Getting the truth though is on Kaen and so the two siblings usually ride off together when its him heading off to do his job.

The Horsemen of Punishment, Shin. The second in command of the four horsemen. He specializes in using guns both for close range and long range. That said because he may get summoned to some medieval worlds he has a sword and a magical bow for when guns aren't viable. Shin is the second in command because him and Cecilia abilities are also a pair. She gives out the judgment after hearing the truth and secrets dug up by Kaen and Sein. Then he administers the punishment. That said him and Cecilia abilities can actually be exchanged between the two of them, in which case, one will wish it was him being the executioner, not his sister.

The four of them have a unique phrase for when they ride out 'By the Devil's grace, we ride.' But they only really say it when going from human form to their true form. That said they're all strong even without their abilities. Stronger than any demon lord in hell. Its just Shin prefers spending time with his pet hell hound while Cecilia a bookworm. Kaen and Sein regularly torment one demon lord in particular. They're really obedient kids if you ask the Devil.

[thefemdomenchantress]

The Enchantress: Thighs and Reminders

The hero stayed silent. His arms and legs were bound totally and he had no plans to escape. His silent defiance was his only rebellion.

The enchantress walked up to him, smirking. She parted her gown, showing her legs, each wrapped in nylon leggings. The hero hid his arousal, though the enchantress’s supernatural senses could not be fooled. His heartbeat rose, his breathing deepened. She chuckled, shaking her head at this ridiculous man.

Enchantress: You know, hero, I think this game we’ve been playing has lost a bit of its bite, wouldn’t you say? You are aroused, yes.

The hero looked away. The enchantress crouched down and, with on hand, guided his gaze back to her.

Enchantress: But there was a time when you not only desired me... You feared me... I think I must remind you just what it means to face the enchantress, my hero.

She directed a finger to the air and casted her spell. The two of them were whisked away.

*** *** ***

The world ceased spinning and the hero felt his back gently land on a hard, marble floor. He and the enchantress were in a temple of some sort. White marble floor tiles and white concrete walls were illuminated with enormous, wide windows with no glass. The hero did not hear any people, within the building or from the outside. Was this place abandoned?

The enchantress snapped her fingers, and the bindings released the hero. He stood up, cautiously holding the hilt of his sword.

The enchantress walked toward a room, beckoning the hero to join. He did so.

The other room seemed as large as the previous, though the hero could not be sure. There were no windows, and at the far end of the hall was darkness that he could not make out anything from within. His instincts flared up... if it were not for the presence of the mighty enchantress he would dare not travel further in the room.

Enchantress: Be silent, hero, and do not panic at what you will see.

The enchantress held out her hand, and light poured into the room from her palm. With the room illuminated, the hero gasped and drew his sword.

Hero: Are you insane, enchantress? That’s... that’s...!

Crouching in the end of the room was a creature even the seasoned hero had never before seen, but had heard many tales of. The enormous metal creations of bronze and iron. A torso and head of brass, iron arms and legs. Gears visible between its extremities. A neck of copper wiring.

Great creaking and hissing as the creature turned its metal head to the hero and enchantress. The hero saw its face: eyes snout and jaws that of a lion, but hair of a man. Its eyes glowed red, and ancient magic reawakened. The spinning, grinding gears turned at a faster speed as it stood up, an aura of magic surrounding it.

A metallic set of wings unfolded from its back. It wielded a great spear in one arm and a shield in another, each weapon twice the hero’s height.

It was one of mankind’s greatest sins. A hundred years ago these beings were created by men driven with mad ambitions. Using great technology, science, and powerful magic, they wished to create for themselves that which is reserved for Gods: they wished to create their own angels.

The creaking abominations of man’s powers were too great, perhaps close to those of the real deal. But their artificial minds were animalistic, if not mad. Their creators were unable to control their power, leading to the destruction of an entire ancient kingdom.

And now, a century later, the enchantress and hero stood before one of the few remaining specimens still alive.

Enchantress: Have you seen one before, hero? One of the most dangerous mistakes of mankind’s hubris? A Clockwork Cherub.

It gave a roar, half metallic and garrish, half hauntingly human like a choir. It lunged toward the duo.

The hero made to attack, but the enchantress held him back. Smirking she herself leapt toward her metallic prey.

The cherub thrust its spear at the enchantress, who weaved around it midair.

The enchantress landed on the creature’s metal arm, wrapping her legs around it to hold herself steady. The cherub’s lion-like face glared at the enchantress, who was as small as a pixie compared to its massive body. The enchantress gave a coy smile.

There was a horrific crunch. The clockwork cherub screeched and slammed its shield against its arm, which the enchantress dodged. She landed perfectly as the cherub stared at its arm. The hero was horrified and awed to see that it was damaged where the enchantress had squeezed it with her thighs.

The cherub made to smash the enchantress with its shield. The way it glowed as the cherub held it in the air let the hero know it was powered with great magic, and would be harder than steel. As it came crashing down the enchantress, with a movement far more lithe than the hero thought she was capable, gave a kick. Her foot stopped the shield, and with a thunderous crash, crumpled it and sent the cherub backward with the force.

The great magic glow around the creature faded against the enchantress’s presence as she walked toward her opponent. The hero stared in awe as, with one finger, the enchantress’s magic sent the steel creature on its back.

She grasped its enormous left leg and hopped atop it. The hero watched with incredulity as she destroyed it with one squeeze.

The angel thrust with its spear again, but couldn’t hit its smaller, invincible opponent. The enchantress was already wrapping her legs around its other leg, crushing it with ease.

The enchantress then grasped the cherub’s gear-like wrists and crushed them, making it drop its weapons. With one twist of her legs she destroyed them.

She turned to give a smile to the hero before sitting down on the giant brass torso of the giant. She almost felt sorry for the great machine. It was going to be a shameful way to be destroyed.

She slid down on the now squirming automatron’s iron neck of gears and gizmos. She wrapped her thighs around the machine’s great head and slowly squeezed.

To the hero it was like watching a hydraulic press. The creature’s power source was crushed slowly until it ceased to move. But the enchantress did not stop yet.

Hero: En-enchy... It’s already...

Suddenly, there was further cracking noise, but this time it sounded like smashed glass. Satisfied, the enchantress reached into the destroyed head and took out what seemed to be a smashed glass vial. From inside the vial’s now crushed prison ascended a white, feathery orb. The blashphemous source of power of these machines that remained a secret to all but its original creators and the very few beings in the continent capable of slaying them: a tiny angelic essence. The enchantress and hero watched the freed sprite rise and fade into the ether.

Then the enchantress stood up, and adjusted her messy hair. She walked up to the hero, smirking at his awe. She recognized the fear, and respect, that she missed in him. She gently grasped one of his hands and made him touch her thighs. They were soft and warm, not a hint that they were capable of such feats of horrible strength.

With one wave of her arm both she and the hero wisped away.

*** *** ***

The hero lay in the enchantress’s bed, nude. His head leaned against the enchantress’s crotch, the enchantress herself looking down at him. She smiles.

Enchantress: Are you ready, dearest?

Hero: Never.

She chuckles as she very gently closes her thighs around his head, squeezing and cradling him. She sways him left and right and knows he is very grateful she is only playing with him, knowing what she could very easily do. And she herself is grateful to see his unhidden cock grow erect almost immediately as she teases tightly.

*** *** *** *** *** ***

[I feel the need to iterate on this one: I actually did NOT feel the more violent parts of this story as erotic, despite my shameless fetish at powerful women and strength. This story was just to explore the idea that the enchantress wants the hero to be in awe of her, to be grateful that she would never do to him as she freely inflicts on others.

Oh, also thighs. Thighs. Thighs thighs thighs thighs.]

[pedrovrc]

The Power of Destruction - A theory on RWBY’s Relics

I have a theory about the Relics, particularly the Relic of Destruction and what its power might be.

This is just a thought I had a few weeks ago. It does have flaws, but I think it's something fun to think about.

Just as a recap - The relics are powerful artifacts created by the gods of Remnant as manifestations of the gifts they bestowed upon humanity.

They are:

The Relic of Knowledge

The Relic of Creation

The Relic of Choice

The Relic of Destruction

I will now go through all four of them in that order.

First up - The Relic of Knowledge (Lamp)

This is the relic we know the most about, being revealed since Volume 5 and used more than once in the show already. The relic is capable of answering any 3 questions per century regarding anything from the past. Since this relic can only provide information regarding the past, I will be referring to it as the Relic of the Past.

As it hopefully will become apparent shortly, the concept of time could be a theme common to all the relics.

Second - The Relic of Creation (Staff)

This relic is the most recent one shown in the series. It allows the user to create any one creation at a time. If there was a creation before, it will cease to exist as soon as the new one is created. One could say, then, that the creations exist only in the present. As in, the relic allows only for the existence of one singular creation at a point in time. For that, I will be referring to it as the Relic of the Present. This logic applied to this relic is not completely flawless, but it does carry some sense to it.

Third - The Relic of Choice (Crown)

We don't have much information on this one. The only account regarding its powers come from a fairy tale - The Indecisive King. In it, the crown shows its user visions of the future, and the user has no control over what visions those might be. This is not a lot of information, as fairy tales can be cryptic and have points changed over time and retellings. The fact still remains, as to all we know about it, this relic provides information about the future. I will, then, be referring to it as the Relic of the Future.

Fourth and last - The Relic of Destruction (Sword)

This is the only relic we have almost no information on. The only things we know is that it has the form of a sword and that it is located in the summer maiden's vault in Shade Academy.

And here is where my theory comes in. Looking at the relics through a time-related lens, the first three cover Past, Present and Future. What is left to the Relic of Destruction then?

I say it either acts on all of time, or stands completely apart from it. I propose that a fourth category regarding time in this way must cover all of time or be independent of it.

It is not hard, then, to imagine the destructive power to be something like complete erasure from existence. As in, whatever its user wishes to destroy not only ceases to exist in the present, but will never exist in the future and also has never existed in the past. This last part sounds weird because we are not used to being able to change the past, so the language doesn’t really have a way of communicating that properly.

So, by acting on all parts of time, the relic also stands apart from it all, creating new time. This could basically be a "new timeline creation" type of thing, where the new timeline does not contain whatever was destroyed. In that case, it could be called the Relic of Time. It is useful to note I think the effects of this new timeline creation would deliberately be left vague, so that it might play into the “genie” aspect of the relic’s spirits.

Also from that, this would probably mean the Relic of Destruction is the most powerful of them all.

Now, onto two possible flaws in this theory:

One thing that might come up to refute this theory is the World of Remnant series episode regarding the Great War. In it, we see the Warrior King wearing a special crown and wielding a special sword. It is never explicitly stated, but those are probably the relics.

So one could say the Warrior King used the sword to win that battle, and that would go against the relic power I theorized about. However, not much is known about the details of said battle, only that it was very violent and devastating for Mistral and Mantle.

Since the king is seen with both relics then and there, it is not that much of a stretch to believe he had both maidens there as well. And as we know, maiden's powers are a massive tide changer when it comes to battles. So that would explain why that battle was won in that way, with the destruction caused not being necessarily related to the relic’s powers. For that, I believe this theory still stands in relation to that story.

Another, unrelated point that might be a flaw in this theory comes from Volume 5 Chapter 10. In that episode, Ruby asks Ozpin if Salem had already found the relic of beacon (the crown), since Cinder had gotten the full powers of the fall maiden by then.

Ozpin then tells her that he made the relic at Beacon a bit more challenging to find. This implies that Ozpin felt the need to take additional measures to hide the crown and ensure Salem didn't get to that one, specifically.

While not much is known about both the crown and the sword, seeing as the sword might actually be the most powerful of them all, why would Ozpin choose to hide specifically the crown in a different way? Why not do that to the most powerful relic?

That's, of course, provided that the sword is actually the most powerful one and that Ozpin didn't do anything special with the way he hid it, while not telling anyone about it. Judging by how he kept secrets from everyone, that is very much possible.

That was all for this post. It was just a fun thought that popped into my mind one day and I wanted to share with whoever wanted to know about it. I hope it was a fun read for you! Thank you for reading until the end :D

[hyrule-in-a-pokeball]

The timeline and figuring out which games "happened" and which ones didn't (this'll be a long post lol)

We can no longer think of the game's before Breath of the wild as being "historic" fact within the Zelda canon. But we are in the unique position of not being fictional characters in a fictional world and can look at each of the games events rather than being told about them and wondering "what if?"

But first...

Every other game in the franchise takes place so long ago, that even 10,000 years ago they were considered ancient legends. Nobody alive now is sure which ones happened, and which ones are just stories. They know some of them must have happened though, because there are things mentioned in these old stories that still exist in the present day. Relics from this long lost age.

The master Sword is probably the most concrete piece of evidence modern day hylians have to support the ancient legends. A magic sword capable of destroying evil, wielded by a hero clad in green. The hero himself isn't a relic, however. Very rarely has the hero been reborn to wield the sword again, but instead, one who embodies the virtue of the hero, unwavering courage, steps forth to wield the sword when the hero is needed.

The second relic is the sacred power passed down through the Hyrulean royal family, which apparently only manifests in its female members. The power to seal evil and commune with the gods

The third and final relic then is the one other constant in these beyond ancient legends.

Many centuries after these ancient stories, Hyrule became a technologically advanced civilization thanks to the sheikah, but coming to fear the technology, the Hylians banished the sheikah and abandoned the technology some time after it was used to seal away Calamity Ganon

The people alive in BotW know the events of 10,000 years ago happened, because they found relics spoken of in that legend. The divine beasts and the guardians. Solid evidence that the Calamity of 10,000 years ago happened.

They know SOME of the events in the ancient legends from before 10,000 years ago must have happened, because, as mentioned above, they possess two relics from those times. The Master sword and the royal family's magic

If the sword, Royal magic, and the divine beasts exist, then surely Ganon exists too. It attacked 10,000 years ago, but is spoken of in even more ancient legends, meaning there's truth to its endless cycle.

The calamity happens and Ganon lays waste to Hyrule. 100 years later, Hyrule is a shadow of its former self. But the demon is destroyed and peace returns. But now, a few years later

The man. The literal myth. The literal legend, has returned in the flesh. A man who lived through those beyond ancient times. Only he really knows which ones happened and which ones didn't, because a lot of them are things he was present for.

SO Now that the concept of the "relics" is established (Master Sword, Royal Magic, and Ganondorf himself) and why they can be used to point to things as factual, we can examine the games in the "myths and legends" section to determine which ones likely took place. I won't outright declare a game as "myth" though. Just "Suspect" However, if I declare it Suspect, then it means I personally believe it to be a myth. I would also like to note that even though I declare a game's events "fact", it is possible that some aspects of these factual events have been embellished over centuries of retellings. SKYWARD SWORD: Fact

The oldest chronological game in the timeline. It tells the story of the Master Sword's creation, offers an explanation for why the Royal family possesses magical abilities, and an explanation for the endless cycle Hyrule finds itself in. Now, one would *think* this story is a myth, and was simply invented by Hylians to explain these things. But...

Relics in the forms of the springs exist in modern-day Hyrule.

THE MINISH CAP: Suspect

This legend tells the story of an evil mage, and a young boy who gains the ability to shrink and grow thanks to his magic talking hat, who is actually also a mage who was cursed by the evil mage. We learn of the Picori, a tiny race who can only be seen by good boys and girls. It also serves as the origin story for the Four Sword, which appears again in legends, but there is no Four Sword in the present day. No relics exist from this legend.

FOUR SWORDS: Suspect

Another entry in the four swords legend, a magical sword that splits its user into four sentient copies of himself. The hero(s) once again defeat the evil mage and seal him away in the sword.

OCARINA OF TIME: Fact

The first appearance of Ganondorf and his first attempt to claim the triforce and hyrule for his own. The master sword appears in this legend. The titular Ocarina of time, however, has been lost to time and its whereabouts are unknown in present day.

The events of this legend, more specifically the ending, has led to much debate among Hylian historians in the modern day. Those who believe the hero traveled back home to his true time believe he went on more adventures. Some believe the hero's absence lead to the flooding of Hyrule, which explains why Rock salt is so abundant in Hyrule. Others believe that the hero actually failed in stopping ganon, and the sages spoken of in the legend sealed him away.

Because of this, I believe that every game after Ocarina of time, but before Breath of the wild falls into the "suspect" category, and these legends were the results of people from an era sometime after OoT trying to make sense of the time travel shenanigans Link embarked upon in this legend.

Only one of these timelines can be factual. None of them can exist together at the same time from the point of view in BotW, because only one of them can lead to present day. But Breath of the wild contains elements and relics from all 3. Therefore, none of them can happen separately from the other. This time after Ocarina of time and before the calamity 10,000 years ago is the true age of myths and legends. Historians looking at ancient stories and relics, and trying to make sense of it all, and coming to different conclusions. All three of these "timelines" leading to Breath of the wild means that they all exist together at the same time in the same space, both confirming and contradicting each other. The only logical conclusion is that its all speculation on the part of modern day Hylian historians.

BREATH OF THE WILD: Fact

Modern day Hyrule. The present. A time so far removed from these old stories that it no longer really matters if they happened or not. Be they historical fact or just myths cooked up in people's imaginations. They know the cycle is real. They know the master sword, the royal bloodline's magic, and "the calamity ganon" are real. And thats all that matters for now. It doesn't matter if Hyrule was flooded and a new country founded. It doesn't matter what the ancient hero did when he was sent back in time, or if he actually died in battle against Ganon.

We do know that some of them must have happened though. Ganondorf had to have returned at some point to set the precedence for the cycle, because the advanced ancients of 10,000 years ago knew he would come back, and were prepared for him, meaning he had already come back at least once after Ocarina of time. Whether that was in a calamity that resulted in the land being flooded, or through revival using an unwitting pawn in the form of a wannabe king of twilight, or just him busting out of pig prison, will remain a mystery.

Maybe Tears of the Kingdom will shed some light on things...

[ofdarkestdesires]

If you could make a RWBY weapon of your own, what would it be?

You do realize I make OCs as a hobby? I design characters as a passion. I am gifted in the art of creation.

So, starting this off we have “The Problem Solver” named for the idiom “if all you’ve gots a hammer, every problem looks like a nail”. This is a weapon created for my OC Russet Vulcan who is famously based off of the Greek god Hephaestus, a cripple. As such, the weapon is a giant warhammer composed of a walking crutch that locks into toolbox, which also then can fold and extend together into a dust-powered rail gun.

Next up are the Frost and Flame Ravagers, the iconic weapons of my OC Fenris Silbern, who is inspired by the Fenris wolf. His weapons are a pair of collapsible axes that can snap together to become a double-headed greataxe, or fold up to become two bolt guns. As the names suggest, one is powered by Ice Dust, the other by Fire Dust, and they are loosely inspired by Hati and Skoll, the wolf children of Fenris that eat the moon and sun respectively.

We also have Ebony and Pitch, the weapons of my lesser-used OC Jett Blythe, who is inspired by the Black Death and the specter of the Black Knight. As a medieval-themed character, his weapons Ebony and Pitch are a sword and shield combo, with the sword locking into a sheath within the shield, which then allows it to extend and become a greataxe.

Finally on our list we have Snickersnack, wielded by one Midnight “Madds” Maddison, a Mad Hatter allusion. Snickersnack, named for the sound the Vorpal Sword famously makes when it strikes down the Jabberwock, is an enormous pair of steel scissors that can be separated and wielded as longswords. The blades can then fold back, and become bolt guns.

[gaslightgatekeepgirlbosscombat]

Group E, Round 1, Poll 6:

Propaganda under the cut

Lady Rhea

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE GAME AHEAD This lady gaslighted, gatekept, and girlbossed for a little more than 1000 years. Her story starts in ancient Fódlan where she was a member of a magical dragon race called the Nabateans, children of Sothis. After Sothis was killed and her corpse desecrated by a bandit named Nemesis (who believed himself to be fighting for the freedom of humanity), he made a sword out of her body to arm his allies and massacred the Nabateans. Rhea gathered the last few Nabateans left and some human allies and, under the name 'Seiros', waged war on Nemesis and his army. Victorious, Saint Seiros rewrote history to cover up the existence of the Nabateans and created a religion around her mother, now calling Sothis the Progenitor God. As the years go on, Lady Rhea used her holy influence to give rise to the Adrestrian Empire. It's implied that her church, the Church of Seiros, played a part in wars that resulted in the creation of the Holy Kingdom of Faergus, a nation that broke off of Adrestria, and the Leicester Alliance, another nation which broke off of the Kindgom. FE16 makes a point to note that she continues to censor history up to the present, including limiting technological advancements for 'blasphemy'. Her advisor, Seteth, once served her as Saint Cichol and even he has shown shock and horror at how far she has gaslit, gatekept, and girlbossed. The protagonist of this game is the child of Sitri, the 12th human vessel in a project that Lady Rhea personally conducted to try and revive her mother. Rhea never admits this to the protag's face until she is either in a weakened state or an enemy of the protagonist. She even tries to restart the experiment on the protag without their knowledge. The game splits into four routes and in one of them the protagonist turns on Rhea. In this route Lady Rhea girlbosses so hard that she turns into a dragon and reclaims her Saint Seiros persona as she tries to kill the protag and reclaim her mother who, at this point, exists as a weapon the protagonist wields and as an organ Lady Rhea implanted into them as a baby. In two of the routes where the protagonist sides with Lady Rhea she'll accompany them to combat the forces that orriginally allowed Nemesis to attack her peeople (who have turned into a highly advanced underground race at this point). This girlboss moment is so cool to me because Lady Rhea had been a prisoner for 5 years but still manages to turn into a dragon and take a literal ICBM to the face to protect the protag. TL;DR: Lady Rhea has gaslit society and made a fake history. She gatekept by personally executing members of her own church she made because she disagreed with their ways. She girlbosses by being the Archbishop of her religion for 1159 years and turning into a dragon to KILL "

She created a thousand year old church to control an entire continent. She rewrote history to be able to control the continent and keep the power she gained, under a belief that she was all that could protect humans from themselves.

The ULTIMATE example of gaslight gatekeep girlboss!! (((Major FE3H spoilers))): Gaslight: constructs an entire centuries-old religion centered around her dead mom with herself as the leader, hides the identity of herself (secretly the founding saint and namesake of said religion) and her compatriots (secretly other major saints), rewrites continent’s history as well as the origin of the nobility’s hereditary crests and holy relics, hires homeschooled mercenary seemingly for nepotism/skill reasons but doesn’t tell them that she actually implanted her mother’s heart into them as an infant in hopes to revive her dead mom. Gatekeep: intentionally withholds continent’s secret history, church covers up and censors some of humanity’s technological/medical advancements in order to obscure aforementioned history as well as to prevent the development of more efficient weapons of war/destruction, instructs faculty and students not to leak dangerous side effects of powerful holy relics to the wider public, executes rebels/assassins/conspirators that seek to remove her, literally hires a Gatekeeper known only as Gatekeeper. Girlboss: Canonically bisexual pope with hips for days and de facto leader of an entire continent. Powerful warrior. Proficient in instructing hand-to-hand combat. The first cutscene of the game shows her sword-fighting in heels with a muscular man and, after being disarmed, beating the shit out of him in hand-to-hand combat and stabbing him to death with a dagger. Girlboss.

Arlecchino

I barely know a thing about her, but I do know that she’s a high ranking individual working for a half-criminal half-military organization based in the fantasy equivalent of Russia. Also runs an orphanage and apparently raises the kids up to be child soldiers.

[fantajoseph]

I realized I haven't put all the Centurions bios in one place before so I'm gonna make this post :)

Braniac 5000 aka Fivek: the descendant of Braniac, he lives in a time near incomprehensible to us. He made it his mission to protect the timeline, and chose to mimic Braniac 5's method of pulling Superboy into the 30th century. As the Centurions hop around time, unlike Superboy's time in the Legion, memories are stored in their rings. He uses a "time gun" which he uses to empower Buddi (siphoning off the Brother Eye Satellite in it's own time) and Superboy (when they aren't in a place with a yellow sun) when necessary.

The rest of the team is under a read more :)

Eo Thawne aka Anti-Zoom: Fivek needed an expert in time travel to double check his work. and attempted to trick a young Eobard Thawne into helping him by pretending to be a villain. Eo attempted to thwart him, learned the truth and was horrified to learn he was destined to be the Reverse Flash, and so begged for a place on the team, to do some good before he does evil.

Kyle-Wayne aka Red X: the heir to the Wayne fortune, or they would have been if it hadn't been lost in hostile acquisitions and mismanagements. They live in a Gotham even more cyberpunk then Terry McGinnis had, where everything about the place gets bought and sold. They play the role of gentleman thief with a punk more than they do vigilante, partially focusing on regaining Wayne Family heirlooms, partially on just undermining those in charge. Both of their identities are named after the first thing they did upon coming out: crossing out their dead name in red ink.

Ekron: in the aftermath of Krona's experiments, Maltus was filled with waves of Creation, Corruption, and Chaos, the latter two also escaped to the rest of the universe. These three things destabilized physics, restarting scientific progress while creating unique magics, essentially throwing them into an era of sword and sorcery. Ekron is a boy born during this era, a barbarian sorcerer who believes, as many of his kind do, that it is Maltus' duty to find a way to make amends for what Krona did to the universe. He wields an axe, and glowing green tattoos leading to his eye, the center of his magic powers.

L'lé aka Superboy: in the far future, a mysterious rocket landed on an alien world oppressed under the heel of a tyrannical growth of the Green Lantern Corps known as the Green Lantern Armada. A kindly couple raised the child, whom they at first thought was human. It becomes clear, however, that the child is a legend returned...

Otrera aka Wonder Girl: In a time almost unremembered, Zeus was not king of the gods. He and his queen, Metis ruled the skies, but the people took little note of it, and the Gods believed that Zeus had drawn the short straw with Poseidon and Hades ruling from the underworld. Otrera was Metis's loyal servant, and the first to see the change that heroes were bringing to the world. Men looked to the sky... With wonder. It was this decided that her becoming a heroine would best serve her Lord and Lady.

Aztar: the apprentice to Galid, Angel of Wrath, spends his time in ordinary angel hobbies. Playing harp, singing hymns, dancing on the heads of pins. Nevertheless, he takes his duties seriously, and looks up to his teacher. Unfortunately, it is destiny that one day Wrath goes too far and Vengeance will then supplant it.

Buddi Blank aka OMAC: Buddi was an orphan and so given the last name Blank, as was custom in her era. Everything changed when the mysterious eccentric old man known only as The Whiz adopted her. He dabbled in many things, toy design, record distribution, orphanages, and, most crucially to her story, satellites. With his Brother Eye satellite, he turned Buddi Blank into The Champion of the Future, OMAC!

A lot of them have major tragedies in their future they learn about throughout their time together, but Fivek deliberately did not inform them of when they joined, it's one of the major factors of how all their stories evolve.

[hellsblood]

ABILITIES AND WEAKNESSES

ABILITIES AND WEAKNESSES OF ANGELS

HE IS THE FIRST NEPHILIM. Nephilims are fated to become more powerful than their angel parent once they achieve mastery of their power. Sage was conceived for one single purpose only: to become Lucifer’s greatest weapon against the Host of Heaven. But history repeated itself and Sage ended up rebelling in the long run, just like Lucifer with God. 

Angels are born warriors and so angelic reflexes and fighting skills are written in the blood of nephilims (every offspring of a pure-blooded angel and/or nephilim conceived with a supernatural being or a human). For example: a nephilim who has never used a sword in their life can find themselves knowing how to wield the weapon. 

Angels are created as entities outside of the binary. The angel themselves chooses which appearance they will take as well as the pronouns they will use. Angels can alter their appearance at will. They tend to pick the ones that are more soothing for the person they wish to approach. An angel’s body is whatever they want it to be but their touch remains the same in each form. The touch of an angel is special Calming and comforting, it  makes one feel at ease. All beings, except for demons, are naturally drawn to angels and/or nephilims.

Pure-blooded angels (actual creations of God) are rendered practically mortal when they truly fall in love with humans, which they often call their soulmates. However, When an angel or nephilim falls for a supernatural creature, all parties involved in the relationship develop new abilities, acting as an amplifier for one another. They’re called twin flames. Warriors of God usually annihilate them before they can cause any damage as union between angels and supernatural creatures are forbidden since they aren’t creatures of the Lord.

Up until recently, the only known way to kill angels was with an angel sword. Since celestial siblings rarely turn on each other, angels are practically considered immortal creatures. HOWEVER, HIS CHILD IS CHANGING THE RULES OF THE GAME BY EXISTING. Nephilims (all creatures mixed with angels) rarely survive that long. In fact, Heaven usually strikes the angel and their love before they even get a chance to conceive a child.

Angel blood can heal humans. Meanwhile, HIS CHILD’S BLOOD CAN HEAL ALL CREATURES, including demons and angels, only when given freely, otherwise is like poison to both angels and demons that come in contact with it. It is the HEAVENLY FLAME’s own protection system against those who wish to take that power for themselves.

Angels wield the power to create and go along with god's will. Sage wields the same power as his father Lucifer before the fall as well as the power of destruction.

ABILITIES AND WEAKNESSES OF INFERNAL VAMPIRES (HELLIONS)

SAGE IS THE FIRST HELLION, with two other female siblings that Lilith created. He made a pact with his father’s wife a long time ago, promising her something she desperately wanted in exchange for her help in turning him into something which the soul would never end up in his father’s realm once he dies. And Lilith took the opportunity of cursing him to feed off the very creatures (the humans) he so loved. ALTERNATE ORIGIN STORY FOR HELLIONS:  The angels who fell with Lucifer and were cast out of Heaven with him were turned into bloodthirsty creatures, making them the first vampires who’ll later be known as infernal vampires or HELLIONS because they first found refuge in Hell. Sage has inherited some of those vampiric traits from his father Lucifer but thanks to his mortal mother’s DNA he can walk the Earth without too much trouble, but still finds the sun incommoding. 

Exposure to sunlight weakens their abilities but does not burn/harm them so they will most likely appear at night or inside buildings or just keep to their original infernal plane.

Regular Hellions can invade people’s minds when they’re vulnerable (like when the target is sleeping or drunk) and manipulate their dreams. Sage can do all of those without any issue but chooses not to tamper with people’s mind and will get lucid, informed and enthusiastic consent before he drinks from anyone. 

Hellions can harness the power of those they turned and the kills they made. The more they kill/turn people, the more powerful they become. Sage, on the other hand, refuses to turn anyone. He’s turned two people in his life and the first one, NYX, is how he found out he could turn people. It happened during the war against Hell. He’d meant to heal her but she died with his blood in her system. Since then, he hasn’t turned anyone and hasn’t gotten over the fact he condemned the woman he loved to eternal life.

Sage trained himself to feed off of supernatural creatures' blood as downstairs there aren’t regular human bodies to feed from. But the temptation to drink from mortals is there still. 

Using a great amount of power on Earth will weaken them and they’ll need blood to recharge.

Starvation for a long period of time can lead to a state of desiccation.  and eventually in a deep slumber, which will require blood to wake up from and they might even drain (unintentionally or not) the person who’s waking them up.

[damnedsoulsneedsleep]

ABILITIES AND WEAKNESSES

ABILITIES AND WEAKNESSES OF ANGELS

HE IS THE FIRST NEPHILIM. Nephilims are fated to become more powerful than their angel parent once they achieve mastery of their power. Sage was conceived for one single purpose only: to become Lucifer’s greatest weapon against the Host of Heaven. But history repeated itself and Sage ended up rebelling in the long run, just like Lucifer with God. 

Angels are born warriors and so angelic reflexes and fighting skills are written in the blood of nephilims (every offspring of a pure-blooded angel and/or nephilim conceived with a supernatural being or a human). For example: a nephilim who has never used a sword in their life can find themselves knowing how to wield the weapon. 

Angels are created as entities outside of the binary. The angel themselves chooses which appearance they will take as well as the pronouns they will use. Angels can alter their appearance at will. They tend to pick the ones that are more soothing for the person they wish to approach. An angel’s body is whatever they want it to be but their touch remains the same in each form. The touch of an angel is special Calming and comforting, it  makes one feel at ease. All beings, except for demons, are naturally drawn to angels and/or nephilims.

Pure-blooded angels (actual creations of God) are rendered practically mortal when they truly fall in love with humans, which they often call their soulmates. However, When an angel or nephilim falls for a supernatural creature, all parties involved in the relationship develop new abilities, acting as an amplifier for one another. They’re called twin flames. Warriors of God usually annihilate them before they can cause any damage as union between angels and supernatural creatures are forbidden since they aren’t creatures of the Lord.

Up until recently, the only known way to kill angels was with an angel sword. Since celestial siblings rarely turn on each other, angels are practically considered immortal creatures. HOWEVER, HIS CHILD IS CHANGING THE RULES OF THE GAME BY EXISTING. Nephilims (all creatures mixed with angels) rarely survive that long. In fact, Heaven usually strikes the angel and their love before they even get a chance to conceive a child.

Angel blood can heal humans. Meanwhile, HIS CHILD’S BLOOD CAN HEAL ALL CREATURES, including demons and angels, only when given freely, otherwise is like poison to both angels and demons that come in contact with it. It is the HEAVENLY FLAME’s own protection system against those who wish to take that power for themselves.

Angels wield the power to create and tend to go along with God's will. Sage wields the same power as his archangel father Lucifer before the fall as well as the power of destruction. 

ABILITIES AND WEAKNESSES OF INFERNAL VAMPIRES (HELLIONS)

SAGE IS THE FIRST HELLION, with two other female siblings that Lilith created. He made a pact with his father’s wife a long time ago, promising her something she desperately wanted in exchange for her help in turning him into something which the soul would never end up in his father’s realm once he dies. And Lilith took the opportunity of cursing him to feed off the very creatures (the humans) he so loved. ALTERNATE ORIGIN STORY FOR HELLIONS:  The angels who fell with Lucifer and were cast out of Heaven with him were turned into bloodthirsty creatures, making them the first vampires who’ll later be known as infernal vampires or HELLIONS because they first found refuge in Hell. Sage has inherited some of those vampiric traits from his father Lucifer but thanks to his mortal mother’s DNA he can walk the Earth without too much trouble, but still finds the sun incommoding. 

Exposure to sunlight weakens their abilities but does not burn/harm them so they will most likely appear at night or inside buildings or just keep to their original infernal plane.

Regular Hellions can invade people’s minds when they’re vulnerable (like when the target is sleeping or drunk) and manipulate their dreams. Sage can do all of those without any issue but chooses not to tamper with people’s mind and will get lucid, informed and enthusiastic consent before he drinks from anyone. 

Hellions can harness the power of those they turned and the kills they made. The more they kill/turn people, the more powerful they become. Sage, on the other hand, refuses to turn anyone. He’s turned two people in his life and the first one, NYX, is how he found out he could turn people. It happened during the war against Hell. He’d meant to heal her but she died with his blood in her system. Since then, he hasn’t turned anyone and hasn’t gotten over the fact he condemned the woman he loved to eternal life.

Sage trained himself to feed off of supernatural creatures' blood as downstairs there aren’t regular human bodies to feed from. But the temptation to drink from mortals is there still. 

Using a great amount of power on Earth will weaken them and they’ll need blood to recharge.

Starvation for a long period of time can lead to a state of desiccation.  and eventually in a deep slumber, which will require blood to wake up from and they might even drain (unintentionally or not) the person who’s waking them up.

[maxinajar]

rewatching Foolishs lore stream from after the red banquet and this moment from his conversation with the Egg is just, its so beautiful and also sums up why i love c!foolish as a character “You think- you think I’m- I’m weak. You think- there’s strength- ok, there’s strength in what I do. Let me explain to you- Let me explain to you why I build. Before, I was, reckless and- and wild. I used to believe wielding god like powers and- and a sword gave me some kind of control. But it only led me down a path of violence and anger, mistrust. I can’t- I can’t control the actions of the world through overwhelming power, it- it doesn’t work. It just doesn’t. But building? Provides two important elements in my life, creation and control. Even- even when the process of building drives me crazy, and it has, and if you can read my thoughts you know it has, but- but its no different than- than an author stumbling to find the next words or an artist figuring out the next stroke of paint. In the end I’m- I’m still the one in control of the build. I get to choose the blocks, the colors, the style, the size, interior, exterior! Building guides my mind, gives me a better sense of this relentlessly cruel world.”

[sylviah98]

The concept of Gold in the world of Elden Ring

So there is a concept that I have been pondering over a lot with regards to Elden Ring lore, i.e the concept of various kinds of Gold and maybe significance of other metals in the metaphysical sense. In the game we have come across three kinds of Gold- Primordial Gold, Gold associated with Golden Order and Unalloyed Gold. Lets find items related to these three types of gold:

Primordial Gold: The color motif associated with this is a reddish hue. That is quite commonly associated with a metal commonly used.

Ordovis's Greatsword - Greatsword of Ordovis, one of the two honored as foremost among the Crucible Knights. This sword is imbued with an ancient holy essence. Its red tint exemplifies the nature of primordial gold, said to be close in nature to life itself.

**Siluria's Tree-**Siluria's Tree, weapon of one of the two honored as foremost among the Crucible Knights. The primordial form of the Erdtree is close in nature to life itself, and this spear, modeled on its crucible, is imbued with ancient holy essence.

Crucible Hornshield -Greatshield of red-tinged gold carried by Crucible Knights. Features a great horn. An ancient holiness dwells within. The crucible horn skewers foes when performing shield bashes.

  This is the Crucible axe set. Notice the tint of the armor which also closely resembles the red tint, associated with Primordial gold.

  This is the crucible tree set. Same thing as above.

These items that are associated with the crucible knights have a reddish tint. Similar to a metal we know and is extensively used in our day to day life. Copper. The primordial gold is said to be extracted from the Crucible, which was basically a foundry of creation. The world prior to Erdtree was chaotic in a way there was no defined set of rules governing the world and this crucible, which was a cauldron for differing ideas provided the first base for creating life. Just like Copper was the first metal used by Mankind for its usage.

 Gold associated with Golden order and Erdtree: The color motif associated with this is the actual golden color. the bright yellowish hue that is assocaited with the precious metal i.e Gold.

Sacred Relic Sword -Sword wrought from the remains of a god who should have lived a life eternal. Thoughts on what the weapon portends are many and varied. Some consider it the mark of a great sin, or a sign of great devastation. Some think of it as the end of an age, while others; the beginning.

Inseparable Sword  -Sword forged by compounding silver and gold.A sacred weapon to hunt Those Who Live in Death.Deals holy damage.The inseparable twins found solace in the Golden Order, the only institution not to revile them as accursed beings.

Twinned Armor-Armor depicting entwined twins of gold and silver. The two known as D are inseparable twins. They are of two bodies and two minds, but one single soul. Not once do they stand together; not one word do they speak to one another. Perhaps this armor longs to find its way to the other D. 

  Golden Halberd- Weighty halberd forged of gold. Wielded by the Order of Tree Sentinels, heavily equipped knights.  Deals holy damage. A masterfully crafted weapon that lives up to its heft, but is difficult for one mere human strength to wield.

Erdtree Greatshield  Weighty greatshield forged of gold carried by the order of Tree Sentinels, heavily equipped knights. Blessed by an old incantation of protection.The living rampart of the Erdtree, the Tree Sentinels are the standard to which all defenders of the Erdtree aspire.

Tree Sentinel Armor -Golden armor of the heavy cavalry Tree Sentinels who serve the Erdtree. Adorned with a cape featuring the mark of the sacred tree. Imposingly sturdy and nigh unbreakable, the grace of old yet lingers.

  Notice that all the items I mentioned are actually made of Gold, Gold that is specifically extracted from Erdtree. Thus everyting related to Erdtree(like Erdtree incantations ) and Golden Order( like Golden Order incantations) are associated with this particular motif and is considered to be the symbol of order in Lands Between.

 Unalloyed gold: The color motif associated with it is dull gold or a dull yellowish hue that is associated with pure gold that hasn't been alloyed with other metals.

Unalloyed Gold Needle -An intricately crafted needle of unalloyed gold, snapped in half. A ritual implement crafted to ward away the meddling of outer gods, it is thought capable of forestalling the incurable rotting sickness.

**Miquella's Needle-**One of the unalloyed gold needles that Miquella crafted to ward away the meddling of outer gods. Capable of subduing the flame of frenzy if inherited, allowing one to cheat fate and avoid becoming Lord of Frenzied Flame. However, the needle is as yet unfinished and can only be used in the heart of the storm beyond time said to be found in Faram Azula.

Haligtree Crest Greatshield -Metal greatshield depicting the Haligtree with unalloyed gold. Carried by knights who have vowed to serve Miquella's Haligtree. Possesses high holy damage negation. Yet now, with the Haligtree misshapen, this wondrous rendition is a fleeting fantasy.

Miquellan Knight's Sword -Sword forged by servants of Miquella of the Haligtree, with a design modeled after those carried by Carian knights. Instead of glintstone however, amber from the Haligtree is embedded in the blade. A sumptuous piece, yet it has never been offered to any knight — an ill-starred sword with no master.

Malenia's Armor -Armor made of unalloyed gold. Worn by Malenia, Blade of Miquella. Malenia awaited Miquella at the foot of the husk. "My brother will keep his promise. He possesses the wisdom, the allure, of a god - he is the most fearsome Empyrean of all."

Hand of Malenia- Blade built into Malenia's prosthetic arm. Through consecration it is resistant to rot.Malenia's war prosthesis symbolized her victories. Some claim to have seen wings when the weapon was raised aloft; wings of fierce determination that have never known defeat.

 Valkyrie's Prosthesis- Golden prosthesis once used by the one-armed valkyrie. A masterwork of craftsmanship, with practice and skill it can be used as proficiently as a real arm. When Maleigh Marais, Lord of the Shaded Castle, embraced this prosthesis, he claimed to feel the presence of his personal goddess.

Haligtree Knight Helm- Helm worn by knights sworn to the Haligtree. Graced by a crown of unalloyed gold.Increases faith.

  Here notice the color motif of items. They are dull gold. The unalloyed gold is supposedly extracted from the Haligtree i.e Haligtree sap is the unalloyed gold. But it is dulled because haligtree never reached its full potential of growing into something that could rival the Erdtree. Thus it never reached the perfection it was supposed to reach.

 So what was the point of showing all these?

It was to suggest that gold is very much related to trees. Its the sap of the trees that is responsible for creation of all kinds of gold. The tree is very much related to an alchemical cauldron.

The Primordial gold( or Copper which is a lower rung metal in alchemy) was created from the Crucible, from the first experiments on creating life, which was chaotic in nature and thus hadn't reached a level of perfection.

Then comes the Elden beast which consumes the crucible and with its power, circumvents and perfects the process to create the Erdtree, whose sap is considered the Gold( which signifies the perfection of Alchemical process) that is associated with order( and everything related to Elden Beast- the Erdtree incantations and items, the Golden order Incantations and items). This basically suggest that Elden Beast restricted the natural process of creating order from chaos which would eventually have reached from the crucible had not the Elden Beast consumed and circumvented the process, thus assuming a direct control on cauldron of life.

Then comes Miquella, the greatest genius of Lands Between, who studied the Golden Order and Erdtree and himself invented Golden Order spells like Discus of light or rings of light and understood the true process of the alchemical cauldron that created Erdtree. But since an outside influence perfected the process of alchemy in the Crucible, Miquella devised a way to replace it with a process that is derived from the world itself. Thus comes Unalloyed Gold which is basically the sap of the Haligtree. But if Miquella had not been kidnapped by Mohg and perfectly have grown the Haligtree, the unallyed Gold will have reached the perfection it was intended for and then it would be capable of opposing the Gold from the Erdtree i.e Haligtree would have co -opted and consumed the crucible which is directly related to the life force of the world and it would have still reached the level of perfection (in alchemical terms) but without any outside influence.

That is the reason why Malenia considered Miquella the most fearsome of all Empyrean and Gideon didn't want him to wake up. Its because Miquella is so intelligent that he reverse engineered the creation process that governed the world and was circumvented by Elden Beast and Greater Will and used it to create an alchemical process to reach perfection of Gold, that means it could replace the entire world structure that was co-opted from the crucible by the Erdtree and replace with Haligtree such that it can essentially allow him to banish the planes from which any Outer god can influence the world.

That is also the reason why Miquella's needle can only be used in Placidusax's arena. Since that arena is locked away in a time where Erdtree was not created and the Crucible still goverened the world, that means Miquella's needle can tap into the Crucible and perfectly reach the pinnacle it was meant to reach.

 There is also another metal that has been in Elden Ring that can be considered precious in our world but it is always hampered by the brillinace of Gold. i.e Silver.

Silver Tear Husk: A hardened husk shed by a formless life form known as the Silver Tear, found in and around the Eternal City. Material used for crafting items. The Silver Tear makes mockery of life, reborn again and again into imitation. Perhaps, one day, it will be reborn a lord.

Silver Tear Mask: Mask fashioned from the corpse of a formless Silver Tear, supported by its hardened, shed husk. Greatly increases arcane to the detriment of physical attack power. To imitate the imitator is a cunning play indeed.

Mimic Tear Ashes - Legendary ashen remains. Use to summon the spirit of a mimic tear. Summoning consumes HP rather than FP. This spirit takes the form of the summoner to fight alongside them, but its mimicry does not extend to imitating the summoner's will. Mimic tears are the result of an attempt by the Eternal City to forge a lord.

Larval Tear -Core of a creature of mimicry known as a silver tear. As much as a substance as it is a living organism. Material required by the amber egg cradled by Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, to birth people anew.

See all these suggests that the Eternal city tried to replicate the process of alchemical perfection of Gold that Erdtree and Elden Beast had reached so that they can rival them. But just like Silver mimics the brilliance of gold and never reaches the same level of perfection, the Silver related items also never reached quite the level of perfection to rival the Gold of Erdtree.

So guys, what are your thoughts?