#and harnessed natural power to fuel the thing

[foolishaetherguardian]

We Made Magic and then Went That Doesn’t Count as Magic.

All modern tech is just about magic, the only reason we think it isn’t is because we are so used to it. Computers are literally symbols carved into a specially treated mineral and then lined with expensive and rare minerals such as gold, silver, and copper bound together by melted lead. This rune tablet then has harnessed lightning, fire, wind, light, or water that is kept in a specially prepared mineral sack run through it and it somehow produces a thinking mineral trapped within that arcane rune. If it’s damaged the rune likely ceases to work until it is repaired properly. We’ve all but got blood from a stone at this point because we’ve tricked minerals into thinking and processing information for us. And it works faster than a human can, intaking and processing information in the instance it would take us to understand what we wanted our hand to do. Then we combine these rune minds with plates of thousands of specially prepared crystals and use them to let the rune mind show us what it’s thinking and to allow non-mages to utilize the rune mind more easily.  If you had to explain to anyone how a phone worked it would sound insane. We created thinking rocks and pumped them full of harnessed elements then chained them to a different rock (usually lithium for modern electronics) and then combined those rocks with specially made crystals so they could show us what they’re thinking. 

[pearlprincess02]

lilith in a woman's birthchart

aries lilith

lilith in aries intensifies a woman's connection to her primal urges and raw sexual energy. she embraces her desires unapologetically, often challenging societal norms or any expectations of passivity in love and sex. this placement fuels a fierce sense of independence, making her unwilling to submit to anyone’s control, especially in intimate relationships. in aries, lilith represents a relentless drive for self-expression, fearlessly exploring the darker aspects of femininity and sexuality. rebellion becomes second nature, as she fights against restrictions that seek to tame her, embodying the bold, untamed aspects of the feminine. rage and power are central themes—when provoked or oppressed, this lilith placement manifests as fiery outbursts, asserting her right to be free, powerful, and true to her instincts. her shadow emerges when she suppresses her desires, which can lead to frustration, impulsiveness, or an intense need for control.

examples from tv: daenerys targaryen (game of thrones), jessica jones (jessica jones), buffy summers (buffy the vampire slayer), maggie greene (the walking dead), olivia pope (scandal)

taurus lilith

lilith in taurus embodies sensuality and the deep connection to physical pleasure. a woman with this placement has a powerful sense of sexual empowerment rooted in the indulgence of her body and desires. she embraces eroticism through touch, comfort, and nature, demanding satisfaction on her own terms. her independence is expressed through self-sufficiency, particularly when it comes to financial stability and personal security. taurus lilith refuses to be dependent on others, especially in love, often taking control of her own life and resources. this placement's shadow emerges in the realm of possessiveness and greed—she may cling to relationships or material things, using them as a shield against vulnerability. rebellion comes when she's forced to conform to roles or standards that conflict with her need for stability and pleasure. feminine power in taurus lilith is steady, grounded, and fierce when provoked, manifesting as rage when her sense of security or sensual fulfillment is threatened. she harnesses her power through patience and persistence, standing firm in her boundaries and her right to enjoy life fully.

examples from tv: cersei lannister (game of thrones), cristina yang (grey’s anatomy), cookie lyon (empire), claire underwood (house of cards), fiona gallagher (shameless)

gemini lilith

lilith in gemini thrives on mental stimulation and variety, making her sexual empowerment stem from curiosity and the freedom to explore her desires in intellectual and communicative ways. a woman with this placement often uses her words and wit to seduce, understanding the power of conversation and playful banter in igniting desire. she rebels against limitations on her freedom of thought and expression, craving experiences that keep her mentally engaged. her independence is defined by her need for space to explore different ideas, lovers, and life paths, refusing to be confined to one narrative or role. the shadow side of gemini lilith may emerge as manipulative tendencies or using her words as weapons, particularly when her autonomy is threatened. she might also struggle with inconsistency, driven by the fear of being tied down or bored. in terms of feminine power, she’s sharp, quick-witted, and resourceful, with the ability to outthink her opponents or charm her way out of difficult situations. rage surfaces when she feels intellectually underestimated or silenced, often leading her to rebel through provocative words and clever schemes.

examples from tv: villanelle (killing eve), blair waldorf (gossip girl), samantha jones (sex and the city), lorelai gilmore (gilmore girls), margo hanson (the magicians)

cancer lilith

lilith in cancer embodies a deeply emotional and instinctual form of sexual empowerment. a woman with this placement taps into her sexuality through emotional intimacy and nurturing energy, using her sensitivity and vulnerability as sources of power. she desires deep, meaningful connections and is empowered by the safety of emotional bonds. independence for cancer lilith is defined by her ability to protect her emotional boundaries, often rebelling against roles that require her to sacrifice her needs for others. her rebellion is quiet but profound, as she fiercely guards her right to care for herself and her loved ones on her own terms. the shadow side of cancer lilith may emerge in the form of emotional manipulation or possessiveness, especially when she feels threatened or unappreciated. she may use guilt or emotional withdrawal as a defense mechanism. feminine power for cancer lilith is rooted in her ability to create and destroy, to nurture or cut off care when her emotional needs are not met. rage surfaces when her vulnerability is exploited or when her deep emotional world is disregarded, leading her to fiercely defend her sense of emotional autonomy and security.

examples from tv: norma bates (bates motel), gemma teller morrow (sons of anarchy), fiona goode (american horror story: coven), nora durst (the leftovers), rachel green (friends),

leo lilith

lilith in leo exudes a powerful, magnetic form of sexual empowerment that thrives on attention, admiration, and self-expression. a woman with this placement embraces her sexuality with confidence and flair, craving to be seen, desired, and worshipped for her uniqueness. she finds empowerment in shining brightly, unapologetically owning her desires and passions. Independence for leo lilith comes from her refusal to dim her light or be overshadowed by anyone—she rebels against anyone or anything that tries to suppress her individuality or diminish her power. the shadow side of this placement can emerge through arrogance, vanity, or a need for constant validation. she might manipulate situations to stay in the spotlight, or become excessively dramatic when her sense of self-worth is threatened. feminine power for leo lilith radiates from her charisma, creativity, and ability to inspire others with her presence. her rage surfaces when she feels ignored, undervalued, or disrespected—she will fiercely reclaim her throne and demand the recognition she believes she deserves, even if it means burning bridges to do so.

examples from tv: elektra abundance (pose), katherine pierce (the vampire diaries), lucille bluth (arrested development), margaery tyrell (game of thrones), rachel berry (glee)

virgo lilith

lilith in virgo embodies a unique form of sexual empowerment rooted in the pursuit of perfection and authenticity. a woman with this placement often finds her desires interwoven with her sense of self-worth, leading her to seek a deeper understanding of her body and sexuality through meticulous exploration and analysis. she is independent and rebellious in her quest for self-improvement, often challenging societal norms regarding beauty and sexuality. this independence is expressed through her insistence on high standards, whether in her relationships or her own self-image. the shadow side of virgo lilith may manifest as excessive self-criticism, anxiety, or perfectionism, leading her to suppress her desires if they don’t align with her ideals. she may also struggle with shame regarding her sexual needs, viewing them as messy or less refined. feminine power for virgo lilith comes from her analytical nature, as she harnesses her intellect to navigate her relationships and sexuality. rage can surface when she feels her boundaries are crossed or when her need for order and clarity is disrupted, leading her to assert her power in a calculated and sometimes cutting manner.

examples from tv: hermione granger (harry potter), molly hooper (sherlock), ann perkins (parks and recreation), daria morgendorffer (daria), miranda bailey (grey’s anatomy)

libra lilith

lilith in libra embodies a complex interplay of sexual empowerment rooted in relationships, aesthetics, and harmony. a woman with this placement often finds her desires closely tied to her ability to create beauty and connection with others. she seeks empowerment through partnerships, using her charm and diplomacy to navigate her desires, often wanting her relationships to reflect her ideals of love and balance. independence for libra lilith is expressed through a strong sense of self-worth and the refusal to settle for less than equitable partnerships; she rebels against any form of imbalance or injustice in her relationships. however, the shadow side of libra lilith can manifest as indecisiveness or a tendency to people-please, suppressing her own needs in favor of maintaining peace and harmony. this can lead to a build-up of resentment and rage when her boundaries are crossed or when she feels unappreciated. feminine power for libra lilith is found in her ability to captivate and influence others, often using her social skills to assert herself. rage surfaces when her ideals of love and justice are compromised, leading her to fight fiercely for her right to love authentically and demand respect in her relationships.

examples from tv: maya hart (girl meets world), marissa cooper (the o.c.), veronica lodge (riverdale), luna lovegood (harry potter), serena van der woodsen (gossip girl)

scorpio lilith

lilith in scorpio represents a profound and intense form of sexual empowerment, where desire is intertwined with emotional depth and transformative power. a woman with this placement embraces her sexuality as a force of both creation and destruction, often drawn to the darker, more taboo aspects of intimacy. she seeks to empower herself through experiences that probe the depths of her psyche, using her sexual energy to connect with others on a profound level. Independence for scorpio lilith is fiercely guarded; she rebels against emotional vulnerability and demands authenticity in her relationships, often taking the lead in navigating the complexities of intimacy. the shadow side of this placement can manifest as obsession, jealousy, or manipulative tendencies, as she grapples with intense emotions and the fear of betrayal. feminine power for scorpio lilith lies in her ability to transform herself and those around her through her magnetic presence and profound insights into the human condition. rage can erupt when she feels betrayed or her trust is violated, leading to a fierce and transformative confrontation that challenges the status quo and demands respect.

examples from tv: daphne bridgerton (bridgerton), raven reyes (the 100), faye chamberlain (the secret circle), jessica pearson (suits), annalise keating (how to get away with murder),

sagittarius lilith

lilith in sagittarius embodies a dynamic and adventurous form of sexual empowerment, where desire is closely tied to freedom, exploration, and a thirst for knowledge. a woman with this placement embraces her sexuality as a journey of discovery, often seeking experiences that broaden her horizons and challenge conventional boundaries. she finds empowerment in her independence, rebelling against any constraints that limit her exploration of love and intimacy. this desire for freedom can lead her to unconventional relationships or sexual experiences that reflect her adventurous spirit. the shadow side of sagittarius lilith may manifest as restlessness, a tendency to avoid commitment, or a disregard for the emotional needs of others, as her quest for personal truth can sometimes overshadow relational harmony. feminine power for sagittarius lilith is rooted in her optimism, charisma, and philosophical approach to life, inspiring others to embrace their own journeys of self-discovery. rage can surface when her freedom is threatened or when she feels stifled by societal norms, leading her to assert her desires with fiery passion and unyielding determination.

examples from tv: chloe decker (lucifer), jessica day (new girl), emma woodhouse (emma), arya stark (game of thrones), june osborne (the handmaid's tale),

capricorn lilith

lilith in capricorn embodies a grounded and pragmatic approach to sexual empowerment, where desire is often intertwined with ambition, responsibility, and a drive for success. a woman with this placement tends to view her sexuality as a powerful tool for achieving her goals, embracing her desires with a sense of seriousness and intent. she finds empowerment in her independence, fiercely rebelling against any societal expectations that dictate how she should express her femininity or navigate her relationships. capricorn lilith women often seek stability and security in their partnerships, and their desire for commitment can sometimes lead them to play the role of the caretaker or the one in control. the shadow side of this placement may manifest as coldness, emotional detachment, or a fear of vulnerability, as they grapple with the societal pressures to remain strong and composed. feminine power for capricorn lilith lies in her resilience, practicality, and ability to navigate challenges with grace and determination. rage can surface when her ambitions are undermined or when she feels her worth is dismissed, prompting her to assert her power in a calculated and formidable manner.

examples from tv: leslie knope (parks and recreation), miranda priestly (the devil wears prada), selina meyer (veep), betty draper (mad men), alicia florrick (the good wife),

aquarius lilith

lilith in aquarius embodies a unique form of sexual empowerment that is characterized by originality, freedom, and a progressive approach to desire. a woman with this placement views her sexuality as an avenue for self-expression and experimentation, often breaking societal norms to explore her identity fully. she finds empowerment in her independence, fiercely rebelling against traditional expectations around relationships and intimacy. this rebellious spirit allows her to forge her own path, valuing her individuality above all else. the shadow side of aquarius lilith may manifest as emotional detachment or aloofness, as she navigates her desires with a focus on intellect over emotion, sometimes leading to difficulty in forming deep connections. feminine power for aquarius lilith lies in her visionary nature, as she inspires others to embrace their uniqueness and challenge societal norms. rage can emerge when her ideals of freedom and equality are threatened, prompting her to assert herself in unconventional ways, often rallying others to join her cause for change and liberation.

examples from tv: harley quinn (harley quinn), raven baxter (that's so raven), jules vaughn (euphoria), eleven (stranger things), maeve wiley (sex education),

pisces lilith

lilith in pisces represents a profound and ethereal form of sexual empowerment, where desire is deeply intertwined with emotional sensitivity, intuition, and a connection to the mystical. a woman with this placement often views her sexuality as an expression of her dreams and fantasies, embracing the fluidity of her desires while exploring the depths of her emotions. she finds empowerment in her independence, rebelling against rigid norms and societal expectations, allowing her to navigate relationships in a way that feels authentic and freeing. this can lead to a rich inner world filled with creative and spiritual pursuits, but the shadow side of pisces lilith may manifest as escapism, emotional turmoil, or a tendency to become enmeshed in unhealthy relationships. feminine power for pisces lilith is rooted in her ability to empathize with others, her artistic expression, and her capacity to inspire deep emotional connections. rage may surface when her boundaries are violated, or when she feels misunderstood, prompting her to assert her needs and desires in ways that can be both gentle and fiercely protective.

examples from tv: rory gilmore (gilmore girls), willow rosenberg (buffy the vampire slayer), misty day (american horror story: coven), felicity smoak (arrow), cassandra cain (birds of prey)

in houses

lilith in 1st house: dominance, seduction, magnetism, self-possession, fierce individuality, rebellion, authority defiance, primal instincts, raw sexuality, unapologetic self-expression, boldness, power struggles, intense presence, liberation, untamed energy, fearless identity, taboo exploration, dangerous allure, radical self-assertion, outlaw spirit, rage against norms, subversive behavior, sensual dominance, mundane rebellion (e.g., fashion, body image), boundary-breaking, unconventional beauty, reclaiming body autonomy, embracing shadows, provocative demeanor, empowerment through defiance

lilith in 2nd house: sensuality, material indulgence, self-worth rebellion, desire for luxury, possessive power, financial independence, sexual value, taboo desires, reclaiming body autonomy, feminine wealth, empowerment through possessions, breaking societal value systems, self-sufficiency, erotic self-esteem, rage against dependency, unconventional assets, financial rebellion, ownership of desires, untamed sensuality, transforming wealth, valuing the taboo, monetizing sexuality, body as currency, empowerment through self-possession, rage against materialism, rebellious spending, resource control, luxury as rebellion, sexual magnetism for wealth, power through resources

lilith in 3rd house: seductive speech, provocative ideas, rebellious thoughts, taboo conversations, feminine intellect, outspoken power, unfiltered expression, rebellious learning, intellectual freedom, sensual communication, dangerous curiosity, breaking communication norms, manipulative language, empowerment through words, verbal independence, taboo knowledge, bold self-expression, radical opinions, persuasion through seduction, communicating desires, verbal power struggles, erotic messaging, empowering sisterhood, breaking intellectual taboos, subversive writing, secret messages, outrageous ideas, feminine rage in discussions, challenging mental limitations, verbal empowerment

lilith in 4th house: emotional independence, rebellion against tradition, home as sanctuary, feminine rage in domesticity, intimate desires, subversive family dynamics, sensual home environment, nurturing empowerment, hidden emotional depths, radical self-care, taboo family secrets, intimate power, feminine heritage, liberation from familial expectations, emotional authenticity, challenging home roles, shadow work, domestic rebellion, sensuality in privacy, reclaiming family narratives, attachment to the past, breaking generational curses, empowerment through vulnerability, nostalgic desires, emotional boundaries, secrets of the heart, transcending domestic norms, radical family structures, reinterpreting femininity at home, sovereignty in emotional spaces

lilith in 5th house: creative seduction, liberated sexuality, playful rebellion, passionate self-expression, daring romance, taboo desires in love, feminine artistry, joyful defiance, sensual creativity, radical pleasure, empowerment through play, challenging societal norms, erotic imagination, shadowy fantasies, romantic independence, unconventional love affairs, reclaiming joy & passion, desires for attention, feminine energy in performance, rebellion through art, embracing inner child, empowering flirtation, sensual games, exploration of taboo themes, joyful expression of rage, eccentric dating, breaking artistic boundaries, celebrating sensuality, nurturing creative passions, spontaneous empowerment

lilith in 6th house: empowerment through service, sensual self-care, rebellious work ethic, challenging health norms, intimate routines, radical wellness, subversive daily habits, erotic labor, feminine power in work, liberation through productivity, taboo health practices, emotional healing, breaking work boundaries, sensuality in the mundane, personal rituals, rage against conformity, redefining success, nurturing independence, empowered self-discipline, exploration of body mechanics, workplace defiance, radical approaches to fitness, emotional labor, transformative routines, sacredness of everyday life, awakening through service, liberation from toxic environments, embodied wellness, self-expression through work, challenging societal expectations

lilith in 7th house: empowered partnerships, desire for authentic connection, rebellion against conventional love, challenging relationship norms, feminine power in partnerships, seductive negotiation, intimacy through independence, taboo relationship dynamics, emotional power plays, radical honesty in love, defying societal expectations, erotic exploration of relationships, unconventional commitment, fierce loyalty, reclaiming personal space, duality of desire, rage against betrayal, negotiating boundaries, partnerships as power dynamics, sensuality in alliances, transformative relationships, flirtation with taboo, feminine rage in love, exploring polyamory, reinterpreting partnership roles, authenticity in social interactions, nurturing independence within love, unmasking social facades, empowering others through love, rebellion in romantic norms

lilith in 8th house: empowerment through intimacy, desire for deep connections, rebellion against emotional vulnerability, challenging societal taboos, feminine power in sexuality, transformative sexual experiences, radical honesty in intimacy, exploration of desires, shadow work in relationships, liberation through shared resources, subversive passion, unmasking hidden fears, erotic power dynamics, reclaiming sexual energy, resilience through loss, rage against betrayal & deception, mystical sexuality, exploring the taboo, emotional & sexual healing, challenging possessiveness, depth in emotional exploration, secrets of the heart, sensual transformation, empowered shadow self, reinterpreting intimacy, emotional alchemy, sacredness of sexual connection, defiance through shared intimacy, liberation from fears, navigating power struggles

lilith in 9th house: empowerment through exploration, desire for freedom & adventure, rebellion against dogma, challenging societal beliefs, feminine wisdom in travel, erotic journeys, radical perspectives on sexuality, embracing philosophical desires, taboo subjects in education, liberation through knowledge, exploring cultural taboos, adventurous spirit, rage against limitations, sensual exploration of beliefs, empowered spiritual journey, radical honesty in beliefs, freedom of expression, challenging traditional roles, transcending boundaries, mystical experiences, self-discovery through travel, passionate about diverse cultures, emotional & intellectual expansion, defying conventional wisdom, sacred sexuality in spirituality, evolving belief systems, liberating philosophical discussions, empowering education, embracing the unknown, shadow work through exploration

lilith in 10th house: empowerment in professional settings, desire for recognition & success, rebellion against corporate norms, challenging societal expectations, feminine authority in leadership, sexuality as a power tool, radical honesty in public persona, taboo topics in the workplace, liberation through career choices, ambition with authenticity, defying traditional roles, rage against patriarchal structures, exploring personal brand, sensuality in professional relationships, empowerment through visibility, unmasking public facades, emotional strength in leadership, transforming the workplace dynamic, passionate about personal legacy, navigating power struggles, reinterpreting success, challenging authority, feminine rage in professional spaces, shadow work in career choices, evolving public image, embracing unconventional paths, empowered ambition, sensuality as a form of influence, exploring taboo in reputation, redefining success on one's terms

lilith in 11th house: empowerment through community, desire for authentic connections, rebellion against conformity, challenging social norms, feminine power in friendships, radical ideas in social circles, exploration of desires in groups, taboo subjects in social discussions, liberation through social activism, defying collective expectations, rage against social injustice, passionate about shared ideals, challenging the status quo, emotional depth in friendships, sensuality in group dynamics, empowered through social networks, exploring alternative lifestyles, shadow work within groups, redefining friendship dynamics, feminine rage in collective movements, evolving social identities, unmasking hidden desires, transformative friendships, exploring sexual identity in community, empowered collective expression, subversive camaraderie, reinterpreting loyalty, navigating power within social circles, sacred bonds among women, embracing individuality within groups

lilith in 12th house: empowerment through self-discovery, desire for spiritual freedom, rebellion against repression, exploring hidden passions, feminine power in solitude, unraveling subconscious desires, radical authenticity in introspection, taboo themes in spirituality, liberation through self-acceptance, embracing the unseen, challenging internal limitations, rage against self-sabotage, passionate about healing, exploring mystical experiences, empowerment in dreams, shadow work & transformation, subversive insights from within, redefining personal spirituality, sensuality in isolation, navigating hidden emotions, feminine rage in solitude, evolving through inner conflicts, defying the subconscious, exploring repressed desires, empowered intuition, challenging spiritual norms, embracing the shadow self, emotional depth in solitude, exploring fantasies, transcending societal expectations

all observations are done by me !!! @pearlprincess02

main masterlist

[servantofthefates]

10 Reasons Why I Love Being a Witch

1) Witchcraft loves me back.

With witchcraft, you get what you give. If you respect a spell’s instructions and perform it with faith, it will work. If you treat your tarot deck with regard, it will give you honest answers. Witchcraft yields results here and now, instead of promising eternal happiness after death.

2) It embraces who I am.

Witchcraft will never censor your truth by asking you to suppress your emotions. Pride, anger, greed, lust, envy… These are what make you human. And they are fuel for rituals. The craft teaches you how to harness and direct them, so you can live up to your potential.

3) It does not care about money.

Whether you use a $30 or a $3 candle will not affect the outcome of your spell. And the number of tarot decks, crystal balls and pendulums you own does not reflect how good a diviner you are. With witchcraft, faith and power are the only currencies that matter.

4) It allows me to avenge myself.

Turning the other cheek may sound nice. But it and self-love cannot co-exist. And in witchcraft, you have to love yourself before the occult allows you command it. The craft lets me practice self-love by giving back malice to anyone who sends it to me.

5) It allows me to help myself.

When your natural gifts are not enough to survive a challenge or accomplish a task, witchcraft lets you call upon the old gods and their minions for assistance. Spells that protect and disarm, heal and harm, grant and transcend are all at your fingertips.

6) It allows me to help others.

Witchcraft requires you to give back. But not through tithes or other taxes like that. Whenever you come across another soul who you think deserves your assistance, you can cast spells for them or perform divination on their behalf.

7) It lets me master myself.

Most people only know their conscious self. As a witch, you will be introduced to your other selves: your higher self and your shadow self. When the three of you have a strong understanding of one another, there is no obstacle you cannot conquer.

8) It lets me glimpse what is hidden.

Through divination, witchcraft allows you to witness things that have not yet come to pass. It also gives you access to the concealed present and the hidden past. This means you can look into people’s souls and see all their hidden motivations.

9) It dissolves my fears.

As a witch, you know that you are always where you are meant to be. Any unexpected, painful or tragic detours are only meant to reroute you to your true purpose. Witchcraft leads you to your true path. It is impossible to get lost.

10) I am the Pope of my religion.

Even though my family taught me the craft, I was given the chance to put that knowledge to the test. Nobody forced me to believe in anything that did not show itself to be true. And whenever I want to talk to my gods, I do not need a middle man. I always have a direct line.

[postmoe]

MORE OBEY ME FICS!! PLS I BEG!! PERERABLY ONE WITH DIAVOLO IN IT PLEASEEE MY LIFE IS YOURS!!!

I LOVE THEM SO MUCH Let's do a little world building

sex for favour, contracts, apocolypse au, religious references, yandere

You really, really, really hate using your contracts. Not only does it take a toll on your body, a part of your soul being syphoned out each time but, the aftermath is also unpleasant.

Your story is typical, home demolished by Angelic monsters, rejects cast down from Heaven that didn't quite make it to Hell. Family and friends gone, only some survivors remained that were either not in your village or left with less body parts. The killing blow to your ideals was learning that the Capital had denied help from Exterminators, their best exorcist too far away and no one else willing to fight against a Throne of all creatures. No one even came to look for survivors since it was a waste of resources on a gamble not worth betting on.

Angels trudged all along the Earth, the lowest orders scattered around like pests. Middle orders tend to be the 'boss' of these groups. The highest order, Thrones, were much like natural disasters; sudden, with little warning.

It wasn't easy, and though many still prayed to the Heavens for help and despised any anti-religious behaviour, you had separated long ago from that group. An outcast of an exorcist, making deals with demons to gain enough power to kill angels. Years have gone by and no one knows how you manage to keep Avatars of Sin on your side.

No one knows you've had to sell yourself to young King of the Devildom, either.

You can harness their powers into your weapons, your soul used as fuel for very powerful attacks. To bring of them to aid you in battle, however, costs a little bit more.

.

Your arm is torn at the shoulder, fingers on your right hand bent backwards, broken. Your right eye was swollen shut, and your left leg had a flag pole through the thigh.

Ribs broken, blood coughing from your mouth, this Throne was more powerful than any other you've faced. You wonder if Lucifer could handle it, already knowing he requires your help with Thrones alone. Or maybe that was just him being a nuisance to you? You're not sure, and you're not really in a position to risk it now.

The angel before you rises, a dark mass covered in mouths, constantly laughing as you had sliced and cut through its body. When you thought you were doing well, it had suddenly stopped its incessant cackle, the hundreds of mouths on the castle-like mass opening wider than any creature you know, red veined eyes appearing and staring at you unblinkingly. Pure horror had struck you, though you were still able to force yourself to fight. Lucifer's power had damaged it enough, you really did think you won.

... Until it shed it's crust. Wet, tar-covered wings rose from the inside, two, four, eight, sixteen in all sorts of directions. You were lucky to not be hit, the tar latching to any living thing it flicked to and devouring it, turning it to a walking corpse. You were blinded by a golden light, more cracking of the crust, dust shredding once it finally propelled out. Your jaw slacked, it was somehow even bigger, the carnage of a mansion, houses, farmlands, all nothing but a playmat below it. Four of its wings dragged on the ground, the feathery limbs surrounding wheels of golden wings, mouths laughing at you, eyes unblinking and twitching in every direction. The very middle was a pair of black lips, human teeth like eyelashes over the outside of a giant, weeping eye.

You wonder if you can even pull this off?

Exhaling all your nerves, trying your best to focus as you sit slumped in the mud against a cracked boulder, you close your good eyes murmur under your breath, the words bubbling through blood, "In the name of the Exterminator, (Y/n), I call upon the aid of the demon monarch. Come forth, please, Diavolo."

Silence follows, as though a rushing river is hit with a sudden calm. When you finally open your good eye, you see Diavolo in all his glory, a low whistle reaching your hearing as he places his hand on his hips and admired the creature before you, "Just what have you gotten yourself into this time, Miss (Y/n)?"

You open your mouth to speak, only for your lungs to concave and more blood pushing up your oesophagus. The spell was apparently too much.

Diavolo smiles kindly at you, holding one of his hands up, a soft light from his palm sending all the aches and pains away, "Rest now, Miss (Y/n). You've done well to get this far."

If it weren't for the serene spell he used, you would have felt scared to become so vulnerable before a demon and an angel, contrarily you were all but eager to rest your head against the boulder and sleep.

.

When you next awoke, you were tucked into bed. Your fingers were back in place, you had bandages around your legs, arms, torso and neck. What was broken and out of place had been promptly fixed and the terrible, hellish pain you endured was now dull compared before.

You also didn't miss the way the demon lord was lapping his wet tongue between your legs, giving kisses to your clit before making out with your pussy.

His eyes met yours as his tongue delved deeper, an appreciative moan eliciting from him as you clenched around his tongue. Another kiss before he pulls away enough to talk, "Apologies, you weren't waking up and it's almost been 24 hours."

As much as you want to bark at him to get off, you recognise the pact. You needed to provide some sexual favour for the demons within 24 hours of summoning. It was embarrassing, demeaning, you felt horrible about it. They seemed to thrive off of all these feelings.

If you didn't do it, the energy depleted from the experience would double each hour, putting you out of commission for a longer time.

"I'm surprised you didn't wait," you croak, jerking when he goes back to tonguing your insides like a creature in love, "You would have gained more... food. Or, whatever it is you get out of this."

He chuckles and moves up, your thighs going over his own so he could take out his thick, throbbing cock and smack the fat of it against your stomach, "Believe it or not, I don't want to make you suffer just yet, I'll wait until I have you in my castle for that. Besides, I'm quite busy as the King." Your lips part when he nudges the head between your lips, rubbing up and down to gather your slick so he can push in nicer. The smile on his lips was too nice for a demon, "I'm quite surprised you lasted that long before summoning help, though."

Your stomach bulges from the length of his cock, humping into you upwards to really feel your body around him. His large hands graze over your hips, squeezing the flesh of your stomach before coming to cup your cheeks in a gentle embrace. Your tits rub against his pecs, and though it feels really good, you keep talking about what just happened, "It wasn't like any other Throne I've fought, hah... I think they're getting stronger."

"Throne?" He laughs, kissing you deeply, tongue tasting before his lips retreat with a wet smack, "That was no mere Ophanim, dearest. You were up against a creature on par with the Cherubim."

Of course, you knew the rankings of angels in the Celestial realm, everyone who has been forced into this situation does. It was just easier to name the monsters after those rankings. A lot of people didn't like it, though it didn't stop anyone. "Ngnn~" You move your hands to his shoulders, looking for purchase as his cock rubs deliciously inside you. You can feel your energy draining, the way Lord Diavolo holding you was like he was trying to cage you to him. "I thought only Throne rankings had made it to earth?"

"Cum for me, dearest. Only think about the pleasure you're feeling right now," he orders, biting into your neck and sucking on your skin. His lips move to below your ear, tickling you with a light flick of his tongue. One of his hands had trailed over your ribs, past your belly button and began circling and pinching your clit. Your toes curl before stretching out in pleasure, panting while you clench down around his cock, feeling the weight of his balls push into you as he empties his cum as deep as he can. You feel the trickle of your own fluid down your thighs from your orgasm.

His lips are panting over your own, though you know he isn't anywhere near as out of breath as you are. "Should I be worried?" You questioned, wishing he would avert his loving gaze from your own tired eyes.

Lord Diavolo gives you one more kiss, his cock slipping out and letting his cum overflow onto the sheets, "I have it on good intel that something big is coming. If you come across another Ophanim you must call one of us, if not multiple. And be careful..." he ominously states, standing to fix his regale, tucking away his satisfied dick, "I think a Seraphim might be visiting soon."

[probablyasocialecologist]

A paper published in the world’s largest science journal, Nature, in March 2020 — ironically hidden behind a paywall (you can buy the article pdf for £29.95) — by D’Alessandro et al find “several drawbacks to green growth”. By modelling what would happen in France over the period 2014–2050, green growth was indeed found to reduce emissions to just 23% of the 1990 baseline level; degrowth got it down significantly further to 17.8%. But presumably the degrowth model came at a greater social cost? In fact, unemployment went up to 11–13% in the green growth scenario; under degrowth, it came down as far as 2%. The Nature paper also looked at labour share, “defined as the fraction of post-tax value added that is paid to employed workers as wages”. In other words, a higher labour share means that employees, as a group, are getting a bigger slice of the income pie. Under green growth, inequality continues and labour share suffers. Under degrowth and associated policies for social equity labour share greatly benefits. We finally enjoy the full fruits of our labour, wealth is more evenly distributed, and emissions approach zero. And yes, GDP is negative. But if we are wealthier, healthier and happier — is that a bad thing?! In Jason Hickel’s influential 2020 book Less Is More (which has since become something of a degrowth bible), he asks: “once we have 100% clean energy, what are we going to do with it? Unless we change how our economy works, we’ll keep doing exactly what we’re doing with fossil fuels. We’ll use it to power continued abstraction and production at an ever-increasing rate, placing ever increasing pressure on the living world, because that’s what capitalism requires. Clean energy might help deal with emissions, but it does nothing to reverse deforestation, over fishing, soil depletion and mass extinction. A growth-obsessed economy powered by clean energy will still tip us into ecological disaster.” Hickel is not, to be clear, advocating against green tech. “Technology is absolutely essential in the fight against ecological breakdown”, he writes. “We need all the efficiency improvements we can get. But scientists are clear that they will not be enough on their own to fix the problem. Why? Because in a growth-oriented economy, efficiency improvements that could help us reduce our impact are harnessed instead to advance the objectives of growth, to pull at a larger swathes of nature into circuits of extraction and production. It’s not our technology that’s the problem. It’s growth.” Hickel calls green growth “a comforting fantasy… and in an era of ecological emergency, we can’t afford to build policies around fantasies.”

15 November 2024

[rascalentertainments]

Wish Granted Magic System ✨✨✨

Given that we're two chapters away from the halfway point of the story, its about to time I delve into the magic system of this AU.

So magic in this AU is powered through emotion. The more a person feels a certain emotion, the more it affects the magic they use daily. Let's start off with...

Magnifico and Amaya's Magic: 🐺🐍✨

Both of them have studied magic for years, together and apart. However, they still developed their own techniques to use it.

• Magnifico's magic is fueled by negativity and hate. (its a bit obvious, lol) He's been searching for a way to have ultimate power for years. And each time he's failed, that disappointment has fueled him. The angrier he is towards somebody or someone, the stronger it is. He learned to harness and control magic since his early 20's, and while it was substantial for the time, his desire to have more kept growing and growing until it became impossible to ignore. So much so that when he destroys his own home by accident, he's completely blind to his own destruction and blames the books for not giving him enough information. So he turns to dark magic.

•Dark magic gave Mags the boost he needed, but its still not enough. The more he becomes paranoid losing his power, and the more he gained power, he became more spiteful towards non-magic users. As Magnifico got older, his powers were solely used selfishly, under the guise of it helping others to get whatcha wants. Mags' magic is incredibly destructive when its not controlled, which is why Amaya keeps him in check. He could easily kill anyone with a snap of his fingers, or crushing a person's wish. He completely ignores the face that its slowly making him sick as well.

•Mags' magic specifically works well in deception, especially when it comes to stealing people's wishes, which is the polar opposite of Star's magic. And Star's magic terrifies him in a way. Mags uses magic on these performances during the Wish ceremonies to deceive people into thinking giving their wishes to him is a great thing. Its kind of like a parlor trick to hide the truth. However, mo matter how much he magic uses, its nothing compared to a star's. In fact, when Asha's father details his perceived connection to the stars, and how he feels they give him the power and inspiration to help others in his life, that's when the king got the idea to catch the magic of a star itself. He could finally achieve ultimate power! But he had to get rid of that damn philosopher first and make it look like an accident....

•Amaya's magic works with manipulation, both mental and physical. While she doesn't use her powers to the extent of her husband, she does aid him through the use of her potions. As a shout-out to Yzma, she keeps a collection of various potions in a large cabinet, and uses them when creating concoctions to give him the power boost to take a star from the skies. The other kinds deal with changing one living thing into another. Most of them were also animal experimentations, either to change unsavoury animals into ones she desired, or even changing their natural habits an entirely animal's, making said animal like other creatures.

• The Queen has always used her words of persuasion to get what she wanted. In most cases, she used her magic to make her words influence the minds of others. Amaya uses this to put the people at ease when they asked too many questions or started to worry about their wishes. She even used this on visiting royals from other countries, so that they didn't see or hear anything connected to the people's misfortune or rumors of the two being evil. This is why she was able to get into Star's head in chapter 6. She paid close attention to the pair's behavior around each other, and seeing part of herself and Magnifico in the two wanting to protect each other, she turned it against him. Adding a little bit of magic to it, he was completely influenced by her words.

•Amaya has used magic on Sabor, but not to harm him. (Sometimes she did heal him if he was sick or injured) Only so she could use him as a sort of watchdog, keeping an eye on any suspicious activity or possible traitors. (Which Sabor fully accepted) She created the "Sight Beyond Sight" type of spell so she could see what Sabor sees when he returns. This is how she trusted him to find the Hamlet without raising suspicion.

Star/Cosmo's magic 🌟😁

This fun ball of energy is indeed powerful, just as Magnifico feared, but he can't exactly do everything he wants. He has limits, which is mostly by his own imagination and a dash of classic Disney magic.

• Star's magic is fueled by all his emotions, but mostly joy. It can change depending on his emotions. When he's happy, all his magic reflects it. Joyful magic works on Disney classic energy, so talking animals, moving furniture, shape shifting into various creatures and even his human form are all homages to the past films. He can't turn into different people, so this form he usually is in is it. Mostly because he's had a wish to be a human on Earth for so long, he just took his astral look and applied human characteristics to it. Its also rear unusual for a star nomad to get attached to one place instead moving from place to place. As for other emotions, he feels them like the fairies from Peter Pan: one at a time. When he's sad, he's miserable. When he's angry, its absolute fury. But the longer he stays on Earth, they start to get more complex dealing with humans, since we can feel several emotions at once. Which is also why its a slow process for him to realize his love for Asha is different from his love for Earth.

•Like the rest of the star nomads, he has flight and its powered by thinking happy thoughts. That's incredibly easy for him, so it's why he can fly so high and quickly. However, he starts to slow down after Magnifico stabs him and takes a little of his power in chapter 7. He's only just a little faster than a human, and it kind of bothers him not being able to move as quickly. And he starts getting used to walking, which is unusual for a star nomad to do instead of flying.

• Star's shapeshifting can be done as long as he can clearly think of the animal he wants. He's seen animals from all over the world, but the catch is that he can't perfectly replicate one. He's always yellow with a white tuft of hair so he doesn't blend in with other animals. Plus Star can add or exaggerate different features as well. He can't turn into extinct animals like dinosaurs because he's never seen them.

There will be another post explaining more about the star nomads and how their different from "royal stars". It'll also come up later to explain why Star isn't a prince like most other Disney male leads. Its really the only insecurity he has.

And more art is coming, plus the Royal redesigns! Then I'll get started on chapter 9. 😉

Thanks for reading!

@oh-shtars @signed-sapphire @chillwildwave @your-ne1ghbor

@tumblingdownthefoxden @ishadow246 @annymation @kenihewa

@natsuki208 @uva124 @cocoapowderpictures @emptyblog7

@lazytitans-world

[a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all]

Sweeter Than Revenge Part 7

Fandom: Twisters, Tyler Owens, f!reader, Scott's Sister!reader Summary: After you kissed Tyler on his livestream, things between the two of you only continue to develop. Word Count: 3169 TW: Flirting, Kissing, Developing Feelings, Language Notes: A massive thank you to @blue-aconite and @green-socks for reading this over for me and for all the constant support! And to @mayhem24-7forever for always answering my late-night panicked messages

Divider created by me (please ask/credit before using)

Series Masterlist

You weren’t sure how long you and Tyler remained seated in the front of his truck with your lips pressed against each other, but far sooner than you would have liked, you heard Boone shouting from outside, “Hey, love birds! You’ll wanna see this!”

Reluctantly, you broke away from Tyler, both of you panting slightly as you gazed at each other. Then he winked before undoing his harness and climbing out of the truck. You took a deep breath, unhooked your own harness (after a momentary struggle), and opened the truck door.

The winds still rustled gently over the field as you eased out of the truck, your feet standing on the running board as you leaned against the door. About 100 yards in front of you, the tornado continued to twist and twirl through the grass as it made its way away from the truck. Now that your initial fear of driving into it had passed, you were really able to appreciate the magnificence and raw power of the towering wall of wind. It truly was a wonder of nature and you understood why people came from all over just to experience this moment.

You, Tyler, and Boone continued to watch the storm until it began to collapse several minutes later. The death of the tornado was in some ways just as beautiful as the raging storm itself. And as the last of the funnel disappeared, leaving nothing but dark clouds and a band of rain where it had once stood, it felt like a spell was broken as the world around you exhaled.

Looking at you from the other side of the truck, Tyler grinned. “Well, sweetheart, what did you think?”

“That was fucking amazing!” you cried as you jumped down from the truck. “It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in my life! Oh my god, Tyler, thank you!” 

As you reached him, you threw yourself into his arms, squeezing him tightly and burying your face in his neck. He laughed as he twirled you around and you could feel his heart racing in his chest, fueled by the same adrenaline that was flooding your system. 

When he stopped, you lifted your head. He was staring right at you, his green eyes sparkling like the stars he had shown you the night you met, his smile so wide that his dimples were on full display. You had never seen someone so breathtaking and full of life before. It was intoxicating.

He must have been thinking the same thing about you.

Tracing his fingers down the side of your face, he murmured, “What are you thanking me for? Chasing the storm…or the kiss?”

You licked your lips as you stared at his and whispered, “Both.”

“Good.” Tyler bent his head down until his mouth just barely hovered over yours. “As long as there’s no regrets.”

“Just that we waited so long to do this.” And you pressed your lips against his. 

You were still kissing when you heard several vehicles pull up beside you. You looked up to see Dani, Dexter, and Lily leaning out their windows, cheering and catcalling as they watched you and Tyler. 

Tyler took a step towards them, his hands raised, “All right, all right. Y’all had your fun.”

“Looks like you two did too,” Dani smirked as she held up a tablet and hopped out of her van. 

“I’m sorry we kind of ruined your video,” you said, sinking sheepishly into yourself.

“Ruined it?” Dexter chuckled. “We already have more views after twenty minutes than most of our videos get after being posted for a month.”

“Really?” You reached out to take the tablet from Dani so you could look, but she drew it into her chest.

“Um…you might not want to look at the comments.”

Your smile evaporated as you looked around at each of the Wranglers. “Oh. But I thought you said…”

Lily hesitated, fiddling with the goggles she just pulled off her head. “They liked the video but some people are just a little…” She hesitated as she struggled to find the right word.

Dani snorted, “They’re jealous. Tyler’s fangirls weren’t too happy seeing him swapping spit with the pretty new girl while they had to just sit there and watch.”

“Oh,” you blinked. That was not the answer you had been expecting.

Tyler placed his hand gently on the back of your arm. “We can go through and delete those comments and make sure everyone knows we don’t stand for that kind of stuff on our page.”

You shrugged. “Let ‘em talk.”

“Really?” Tyler asked, his brow furrowing under the brim of his cowboy hat. 

“Yeah,” you grinned. “If the cost of me getting to do this is a little online hate, I’ll gladly pay that price.” Then you planted another big kiss on his lips. 

Tyler wrapped himself around your waist and the next thing you knew, he dipped you backward, his muscular arms the only thing keeping you from crashing to the ground. It felt like a scene straight out of a romance novel. The Cowboy and the College Girl. 

Yet this was better than any romance novel because it was real. Tyler was real and he was kissing you and it was everything you had wanted since he drew you into his chest as you cried under the stars in the back of his truck the night you met. And you never wanted it to end.

Everyone was hungry after the morning of excitement so Dexter ducked into the camper van and reappeared several minutes later with a plate of sandwiches and individual bags of chips. Everyone else grabbed folding chairs from their vehicles, but Tyler lowered the tailgate of his truck, sat on the edge, and pulled you into his lap. You were a little uncomfortable at first, being so brazen in front of the rest of the crew, but you quickly settled back against his chest as you ate. Already, you felt like you just fit perfectly in his arms and you couldn’t stop the smile from stretching across your face as you chewed.

The other Wranglers exchanged a few looks and soft snickers, but they didn’t say anything. It was only as everyone was finishing up, that Boone addressed the elephant in the field. 

“So, is this gonna be a thing now?”

“Boone—” Tyler’s voice had a slight warning edge.

His friend held up his hands. “I don’t mean nothing by it, I’m just wondering.”

Before Tyler could answer, you leaned back so you could look at him directly. “You know, I’d like to know the answer to that too.”

There were a few ‘ooo’s’ from Dani and Lily, but Tyler ignored them. Holding your gaze, his green eyes shining with open sincerity, he said, “How about I like you a lot and am excited to get to see where this goes?”

“Yeah, I’m good with that.” He leaned down and gently kissed you on the lips. When he sat back up, you smiled. “You know, I’ve never been with a Southern cowboy before. It’s already been such a big change having a guy come pick me up each morning or walk me to my room every night.” Nudging his side, you added, “You might regret that because I’m starting to expect it.”

He grinned, his dimples on full display, and dipped his head. “Yes, ma’am.”

You settled back, snuggling into him as his arms tightened around you. 

“Aww!” Lily said. “You two are so cute together!”

“Yeah, just be careful you don't invite him in when he walks you to your room,” Dani teased.

Tyler rolled his eyes. “Oh, shut up.”

Everyone else started laughing but you had clearly missed something. “Um, why shouldn't I do that?”

Tyler sighed. “It’s nothing. They're all just idiots.”

Boone grinned at his friend’s annoyance. “Tyler said back in his rodeo days, the whole circuit traveled all over the country for competitions, staying in cheap motels like we do now.”

Dani leaned on Boone’s shoulder and picked up his story. “And whenever they’d hire a new girl to travel with ‘em, they’d warn her ‘don’t invite one of the cowboys into your room unless you plan on him spending the night’.”

“I never should have told y’all about that,” Tyler grumbled under his breath. Louder, he said, “It’s been a running joke since then. Even though it’s not true—” he shot Boone and Dani a sharp glare, and they held up their hands “—they never let me forget it. But I’m perfectly capable of going into a person’s room at night and leaving before the next morning.”

“Oh, so you’re love-’em-and-leave-’em kind of guy,” Dani said, nodding. “Nice.”

“Fuck you,” Tyler growled, tensing beneath you. It was obvious Dani was just teasing, but you had gotten to know Tyler well enough to know respect and courtesy meant a lot to him. And even just the insinuation that he might not treat you the way you ought to be treated hit a nerve. 

Placing one hand on his thigh, you gave it a tight squeeze. His face had lost all of the happiness it had just a moment ago, but you gave him a warm smile, hopefully reassuring him you knew the kind of man he was. 

Then, you turned back to the rest of the Wranglers. Popping a chip into your mouth, you asked, “So…any of you ever invite Tyler in just to test out that theory?”

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Then Lily spoke up. “No…but he does share a room with Boone.”

Boone’s head shot up at the sound of his name. He had started fiddling with his camera when things got tense between Dani and Tyler, so he blinked, clearly trying to figure out what he had missed. Then, with a huge smile, he exclaimed, “Oh yeah! Ty and I always share a room. Sleeping with a friend is much better than sleeping alone.”

There was a pause before everyone burst out laughing. Boone looked around, not quite understanding the joke. As the conversation shifted into poking fun at Boone and the other Wranglers’ sleeping arrangements, Tyler pressed his lips into your hair, just above your ear, and whispered, “Thank you.” 

You could already feel the tension easing out of him and you squeezed his leg again in acknowledgement. After all the times you had leaned on Tyler for support in the last few days, it felt nice to actually be able to do something for him for a change. 

The rest of the afternoon, you rode next to Tyler as the crew looked for another storm to chase. Boone had made some excuse about needing to talk to Lily about the quality of their live stream so he rode in her van. You weren't sure whether that was his idea or Tyler’s, but you weren’t complaining about having a bit of alone time with the lead Tornado Wrangler. 

It seemed now that the line had been crossed, neither of you could keep your hands to yourselves. The confined space of the truck cabin along with the restrictive nature of your seat belts limited your methods of contact but you still found ways around those obstacles: While Tyler told you about growing up in Texas, you nodded along as you trailed your fingers through his hair. While you explained what you were going to school for and what you wanted to do after graduation, he smiled and played with the strap of your tank top. While you both discussed your favorite movies and music, your hands were linked across the center console. 

By the time Tyler pulled into a motel for the night, your body was aching for more of him. At one point, you had to force yourself not to squeeze your legs together or let out a soft moan as he rested his hand on your bare thigh just below the frayed cutoff bottoms of your shorts. Yet you couldn’t stop your toes from curling in your boots as he began absentmindedly rubbing his thumb in circles over your skin. As soon as you got the key to your room, you were going to have to take a very lengthy cold shower.

But it wasn’t just the physical moments that had your heart racing as you climbed out of the truck. There was never a moment of awkward silence or uncomfortableness, just effortless, engaging conversation and laughter. You had learned so much more about the cowboy and every little new thing just made you like him all the more. 

After Tyler helped you out of the truck, he left to book the rooms for the night. You unloaded a few of the bags out of the back—including your own—and looked around. Strangely, you didn’t see the faintest trace of Storm PAR. None of their vehicles were in the parking lot and you couldn’t spot a single one of their signature polos mingling around in the crowd of people settling in after the day of chasing. 

Hopefully something hadn’t happened in the field today…

“Hey.” You turned to see Lily approaching, holding out a piece of paper folded into a small square. “I saw Javi when we stopped for gas. He asked me to give this to you. Said Storm PAR is staying on the other end of town tonight.”

Think of the devil… You took the paper from her. “Did he say why?”

“No, but I sort of got the impression he was in a hurry to get back to his truck so I didn’t ask.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

As Lily walked away, you opened the note. The handwriting was a bit sloppy and hard to decipher, almost as if it were scrawled in a hurry, but you read:

He’ll deny it, but Scott watched today. Might want to keep your distance for a while.

You smiled as you reread it. Yeah, Scott probably wasn’t too happy to see you locking lips with Tyler and you were sure to get an earful about that at some point, but Scott had watched the stream. Maybe it was just so he could say he told you so and rub it in everyone’s face if you chickened out, but you couldn’t help but think—hope—that he might have been watching because he was worried for your safety. Could it be that your big brother cared about you after all?

“What’s got you so smiley?” 

You looked up and held out the note for Tyler to see as he got closer. “You might want to avoid my brother for a few days. Seems he caught our little make-out session this morning and I have a feeling if he didn’t hate you before, he does now.”

“I’m not worried. I can handle Scotty.” He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you in, twisting you so your back pressed against his chest. Then he rested his chin on your shoulder. “But how are you feeling about him seeing that?”

“I’m…good. When I first got here and came up with this stupid plan, I would have been thrilled that he saw us. I would have tracked him down and rubbed it in his face just to see his blood boil. But now—” you tilted your head and nuzzled it against Tyler’s “—I don’t care what he thinks or how he’s reacting. I don’t want to waste any more of my energy on him. I just want to focus on us.”

“Hmmm,” Tyler hummed, the sound vibrating through your body. “‘Us’. I like the sound of that.”

“Not too presumptuous?”

“Not at all,” he said, tightening his arms around your waist. “I’d be more than happy to be part of an us with you.” 

The two of you remained standing by Tyler’s truck, swaying gently wrapped in each other’s arms for several minutes. You would have stayed there all night if you could, but the adrenaline of the day began wearing off and you struggled to keep your eyes open. Reluctantly, you whispered, “I think I should be heading to my room.”

Tyler nodded against you. “Would you like an escort?”

“Always.”

He gave you one final squeeze before releasing you. Then he grabbed your backpack from where you had tossed it on the ground earlier, and he threw his other arm across your shoulders. Walking with your head resting on his chest, the two of you made your way across the parking lot and up the stairs to your room. It was becoming a familiar routine but this time the walk seemed too short and, in no time, you were standing in front of your door. 

You opened it and turned to face Tyler. “Thank you for everything today. The storm a-and us.”

He reached out and brushed his thumb across your cheekbone. “I’m just sorry I waited. I shoulda kissed you the first night after I walked you to your room or when we were lying in the back of my truck. I knew then that I wanted there to be an us.”

“Me too.” Pressing your forehead against his, your eyes fluttered closed as you whispered, “Why does it feel like I’ve known you for years when it’s only been three days?”

He hummed back, “I don’t know, but I feel it too. Like...you’ve always been here with me. Is that crazy?”

“No. It’s a bit sappy but also romantic as fuck.” 

Tyler snorted, the brief burst of air tickling your nose. Then he whispered, “I should go.”

You nodded, opening your eyes. You didn’t want him to leave but the intensity and speed at which your feelings for him were developing almost scared you and you knew inviting him to stay was not what was best for either of you right now.

Yet as he reached for your hand, you pulled it away. With a sly smile, you said, “Uh uh. Tonight, I want a real kiss goodnight.”

Tyler grinned, flashing his dimples. “Whatever you want, sweetheart.” 

Wrapping his hand around the back of your neck, he pulled you into his lips. Though the two of you had been kissing throughout the day, none of them had been like this. There was a heat, a fire burning under his skin that had never been there before. He pressed into you, his body flush against yours, and you couldn’t hold back as you moaned into his mouth. All of the need you had been feeling in his truck came rushing back, and you could feel the tension already building in your core. 

But just as you began maneuvering so you could grind against his thigh, Tyler pulled back. You gasped at the sudden loss and looked at him, mouth agape. He just smiled and whispered, “Think of me tonight, sweetheart. I know I’ll be thinking of you.” Then, he was gone.

For the third night in a row, you went to bed cursing that son of a bitch who was quickly stealing your heart.  

Part 8 coming 9/30!

[radiantlight9]

PURVA ASHADHA

Unveiling the potential hidden within – this is the energy of Purva Ashadha, one of the Nakshatras (lunar mansions) in Vedic astrology. Here, under this starry influence, people discover talents they never knew they had, experience sudden bursts of insight, and find hidden strengths coming to light. It's a time of self-discovery, a push to turn inward potential into outward expression.

Ruled by Venus, the planet of love and beauty, Purva Ashadha natives have a natural charm and a keen eye for what's pleasing. They appreciate the finer things in life – art, music, and the pursuit of knowledge. But Venus also whispers about enjoying life's pleasures a little too much. The thrill of indulgence can be a double-edged sword, and finding balance is key.

Apas, the water deity associated with Purva Ashadha, represents the power of transformation. It's like a reservoir of emotions waiting to be expressed, but they're held back for now. This water is contained, like an underground spring – a sign of spirituality wrestling with materialism. Just as pure water can become polluted, people born under Purva Ashadha need to be mindful of outside influences that might cloud their judgment.

The symbol of the elephant tusk signifies strength and resilience. It represents the unstoppable force within Purva Ashadha natives. They are natural leaders with a clear sense of purpose that drives them forward. Like the elephant pushing through obstacles with its tusks, they too can overcome challenges.

The monkey, the animal spirit of Purva Ashadha, embodies unwavering loyalty and devotion. Just like Hanuman, the monkey god known for his dedication, these individuals are fiercely loyal to those they admire and fight for what's right. However, the monkey's playful nature can sometimes show up as impulsiveness or a tendency to spread themselves too thin.

Since Purva Ashadha falls entirely within the fiery sign of Sagittarius, there's a strong desire for knowledge and wisdom. Sagittarius, the archer aiming for the stars, fuels a quest to conquer not just the external world but also the vast inner landscape. This makes Purva Ashadha a powerful placement for those seeking personal growth and a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them.

For those born under Purva Ashadha, the path is one of harnessing their inner strength, nurturing their creativity, and letting their unwavering spirit light the way for the world with their unique talents and wisdom. It's a journey with both challenges and triumphs, a testament to the immense potential that lies within us all.

[ravens-inquisition]

⚔️ WELCOME TO THE INQUISITION 🐦‍⬛

This blog is dedicated to the recounting, archiving, and showcasing of "Raven's Inquisition". "Raven's Inquisition" is a Curse of Strahd prequel campaign where we get to explore setting elements and character relations that otherwise could not have been explored in the canon module. The DM @emp-roar is constructing the campaign as an adaptation of the "I, Strahd" novel, where Barovia has yet to be established, Strahd is still human, and the players are all inquisitors overtaking the Tsolenka Valley under the von Zarovich crest and the banner of the Morninglord.

The following tags are available for your eased perusal:

#journal entry (session recaps)

#public notes (in-world discovered lore)

#media (art/media)

#writings (personal inquisitor literature)

#inquisitorial mailbox (QnAs)

#AUs For tags pertaining to the individual inquisitors, please look at their personal accounts below.

By the decree of Count Strahd von Zarovich, the following names shall be knighted to receive upon them the title of

Inquisitor of the Tribunal of the Holy Office of Barovia, Ordo Solis:

Frank was a sergeant who served under the banner of House Dilisnya. Hindered by nothing but his own conscience, he chose to kneel to the Lord of Murder, Bhaal, so that he may strike the political enemies of his master without a pang to his sanity. He was later sentenced to death by his own general, not because of his crimes, but to control the unrest of the masses. This condemned his faith in Bhaal. After his release, his mind is ever-pregnant with the thoughts of meaningless murder, but he chooses not to, for while duty is in his hand, murder is never meaningless.

Ever since the attempted assassination against Strahd, Frank has been called to the battlefield, now riding and fighting beside the count, his commander, and the might of the Voronian army. [Frank's player has since left the table due to personal reasons. He will forever rage under the blazing heat of the morning sun. Sol Invictus, Frank.]

Everyone is entitled to fear. Not all are worthy of harnessing it.

Rising from the depths of enslavement, no one could have foreseen that a mere cripple would lead a savage onslaught against his masters. A gritty veteran, Cain's dreary origins gave birth to his singular conviction of dominance. This worldview born from despair molded his philosophy regarding the nature of power and the laws that govern all. Despite being fueled by darker ambitions, Cain is not without a heart of grace and kindness. The duality of the man who is both ruthless and compassionate is weighted in balance, reflecting symbolically his devotion to The Scales. Intent on liberating those in shackles and claiming power to ensure it, the "Dreadwalker" finds himself in the service of Strahd von Zarovich, planning to consolidate and secure both.

Anatomically speaking, how do you do?

Once a mere human consumed by an insatiable obsession with necromancy, Violet delved deeper into the dark arts, fervently worshipping the god Bhaal in her pursuit of forbidden knowledge. Gradually descending into madness, she adopted the guise of a pathologist, masking her heinous crimes as acts of scientific inquiry. Her obsession with understanding the mechanics of life and death twisted her mind, transforming her into a ruthless psychopath.

Calandrius Vaerethin is many things: a long-lived elf, a one-time hellrider, or the occasional robber baron. By all accounts he has the physicality of a golden knight, his fair skin complemented with his bright golden hair, as if stolen from the sun, with the composure of someone who has practiced a thousand strikes in his lifetime; though Caland would tell you he is anything but. In truth, he is the last of a long-dead order of knights, who were purged in the days of Old Voron. Now unfettered, whether it be the tenets of the old order of the noose meant for his neck, perhaps it is time to let the ghosts of his past rest. He was always told that his lot was to be the beating wings of the freedom of the sky. Though whether the Last Swan would herald weal or woe, only time and circumstance can tell.

Pikehead is imposing to say the least. Armored from head to toe in steel and spikes, little is known about him or what he looks like underneath the iron. Soft-spoken and tamed, his demeanor hardly lives up to the foreboding presence he commands. Mayhaps it was because of his duties to his late master in Old Voron. A soldier molded into a near perfect machine.

In war, the only thing stronger than fear is hunger. A tyrant is only different from a peasant in appetite.

Raised amidst the oppressive reign of the late King Barov, Omen had to learn how to navigate the streets of Voron as much as the various plights littering it. The circumstances of his birth, coupled with the struggles he faced growing up, taught him to attribute value to the few possessions he truly owned. Value he is willing to exchange for the only thing he ever hungers for: a home.

I promised them it would all get better, but all I brought them was ruin. I cannot fail again, but if ruin is what he needs, ruin I shall bring.

A soldier, a knight, a sword. Whatever he is, one thing that can describe him is loyalty. And why would he be the one that betrayed the kingdom? Who knows. But now, it seems like he got his second chance, and he will not waste it.

"My army settled in the valley of Barovia and took power over the people in the name of a just god, but with none of a god’s grace or justice." -- Tome of Strahd

☼ SOL INVICTUS ☼

[sunshinesmebdy]

Unleash Your Inner Warrior: Embracing the Power of the Moon in Aries

The vibrant energy of the Moon in Aries brings a dynamic shift to the world of business and finance. It’s a period characterized by bold initiatives, decisive action, and a surge of entrepreneurial spirit. As an astrologer and business consultant, I’m here to guide you through this potent transit and maximize its potential for your success.

Understanding the Moon in Aries Influence:

Fiery Leadership: This transit amplifies leadership qualities, encouraging assertiveness, initiative, and a willingness to take calculated risks. It’s an ideal time to step up, present your ideas confidently, and lead projects with courage and conviction.

The Moon in Aries ignites the inner CEO within! This fiery transit throws open the curtains on your leadership potential, boosting your assertiveness, initiative, and appetite for calculated risks. It’s prime time to shed self-doubt, step onto center stage, and confidently pitch your ideas. Lead projects with the conviction of a lion, unafraid to break new ground. But remember, true leadership isn’t a solo act — leverage your team’s strengths, delegate wisely, and inspire others with your fiery vision. Now go forth and conquer, leader!

Innovation & Creativity: The fiery energy sparks creative thinking and encourages out-of-the-box solutions. Businesses can leverage this time to brainstorm new products, explore niche markets, and implement innovative marketing strategies.

The Moon in Aries is creativity’s jet fuel! Unleash your inner inventor and ignite a brainstorming inferno. Dive deep into niche markets, explore unconventional possibilities, and let your ideas dance outside the lines. This is the perfect time to launch new products that disrupt the status quo, experiment with bold marketing campaigns, and implement innovative solutions that leave your competitors gasping for air. Remember, innovation thrives on a healthy dose of risk, so don’t be afraid to color outside the lines and ignite the spark of change!

Competitive Drive: Aries thrives on friendly competition. Utilize this energy to engage in healthy market competition, negotiate favorable deals, and strive for excellence in your industry. However, remember to stay ethical and respectful, avoiding aggressive tactics that could damage your reputation.

The Moon in Aries throws down the gauntlet, igniting a healthy competitive spirit within! Channel this fire to excel in your market, but remember, it’s a friendly duel, not a scorched-earth battle. Leverage this energy to secure favorable deals, negotiate with confidence, and push your industry boundaries. Remember, sportsmanship matters — compete fiercely, but ethically and respectfully. Think of it as a collaborative climb to the top, not a ruthless push to the bottom. By striking the right balance between ambition and integrity, you’ll emerge victorious, reputation intact and fire still burning bright. So, ready, set, go (with grace)!

Impulsive Decisions: The downside of Aries’ impulsive nature is the potential for hasty decisions and reckless investments. Before making significant financial moves, ensure thorough research, careful analysis, and a balanced perspective.

While the Moon in Aries fuels your fire, remember, impulse control is your armor! This transit can tempt you to dive headfirst into risky investments or hastily close deals. Don’t let the flames cloud your judgment. Before venturing into financial territory, douse the inferno with thorough research, careful analysis, and a healthy dose of skepticism. Seek diverse perspectives, consult trusted advisors, and prioritize long-term sustainability over short-term thrills. Remember, calculated risks are one thing, but reckless gambles can leave you singed. So, channel your fiery spirit wisely, and remember, slow and steady wins the financial race under this potent transit.

Tips for Harnessing the Moon in Aries Power:

Initiate New Ventures: This period favors launching new businesses, products, or marketing campaigns. Channel your creative spirit and develop strategies that stand out from the crowd.

With the Moon in Aries’ spotlight shining bright, it’s go time for bold initiatives! This is the astrological green light to launch that business you’ve been dreaming of, unveil that innovative product you’ve been tinkering with, or unleash a marketing campaign that blazes a trail unlike any other. Tap into your boundless creativity, ignite the spark of differentiation, and develop strategies that make your brand stand out like a supernova in a crowded galaxy. Don’t be afraid to break the mold — remember, Aries thrives on trailblazing and the world awaits your unique brand of brilliance. So, unleash your inner entrepreneur, channel your fiery spirit, and get ready to launch into the stratosphere of success!

Negotiate with Confidence: Don’t be afraid to express your value and negotiate assertively, ensuring you secure fair deals and partnerships. Remember, confidence is key, but stay respectful and collaborative in your approach.

Under the Moon in Aries, your negotiation game levels up! Don’t shy away from expressing your worth and confidently advocating for your goals. It’s okay to bring the fire, but remember, it’s a negotiation, not a battle. Assert your value with respect, collaborate to find win-win solutions, and remember, confidence is key to securing fair deals and partnerships. Think of it as a dance, not a duel — move with grace, power, and a clear understanding of your worth, and you’ll emerge victorious, leaving behind a trail of satisfied collaborators, not scorched earth. So, channel your inner diplomat warrior, and go forth and negotiate with confidence!

Invest Strategically: The Moon in Aries can be a good time for calculated investments, especially in innovative sectors or emerging markets. However, conduct thorough research, avoid impulsive decisions, and prioritize long-term sustainability over short-term gains.

While the Moon in Aries ignites the fire of investment fervor, remember — it’s a calculated burn, not a reckless inferno! This transit can offer fertile ground for strategic investments, especially in groundbreaking sectors or burgeoning markets. However, don’t let the fiery energy cloud your judgment. Conduct meticulous research, analyze trends with a cool head, and prioritize long-term stability over fleeting gains. Think of it as planting a financial seed — nurture it with knowledge, patience, and a sprinkle of calculated risk, and watch it blossom into a sustainable garden of success. Remember, impulsive bets might bring quick thrills, but informed decisions fueled by Aries’ fire will be the true key to unlocking long-term financial prosperity. So, invest wisely, fellow warriors, and let the Moon in Aries guide you towards a future as bright as your ambition!

Delegate Tasks Wisely: Delegate tasks wisely to capitalize on the team’s diverse strengths and prevent burnout. Encourage initiative and creativity within your team, fostering a dynamic and collaborative work environment.

Under the Moon in Aries, delegation becomes your secret weapon! Instead of trying to be a one-person whirlwind, tap into the diverse strengths of your team. Delegate tasks strategically, matching talents with workloads, and watch the collective fire ignite. Don’t micromanage, instead, encourage initiative and creative solutions. Foster a collaborative spirit where ideas flow freely, fueled by the shared energy of the transit. Remember, a united team with individual flames burning bright is a force to be reckoned with! By delegating wisely, you’ll not only empower your team but also avoid burnout and ignite a dynamic engine of productivity that propels everyone towards shared success. So, step back, empower your warriors, and let the collective fire of Aries work its magic!

Maintain Balance: While embracing the impulsive drive is important, remember to maintain a healthy balance. Take time for reflection, consult with trusted advisors, and avoid letting your enthusiasm cloud your judgment.

The Moon in Aries is a potent brew of impulsiveness and drive, but remember, even the fiercest warrior needs moments of calm! Don’t get swept away by the whirlwind of action. Breathe, reflect, and consult trusted advisors to ground your ideas and avoid rash decisions fueled by pure enthusiasm. Think of it as adding water to the Aries fire — it tempers the flames, allowing them to burn brighter, stronger, and for longer. Prioritize sleep, healthy habits, and moments of introspection to maintain balance. Remember, true success under this transit demands not just fiery drive, but also the wisdom to channel it strategically. So, embrace the passion, but fuel it with balance, and watch your Aries-fueled endeavors burn a path to lasting success!

Remember, the Moon in Aries transit is a fleeting opportunity to inject your business with dynamic energy and entrepreneurial spirit. By understanding its influence, employing strategic planning, and maintaining a balanced approach, you can turn this fiery transit into a catalyst for success and propel your business to new heights.

[bardofhype]

Sinners as D&D Classes & Subclasses!

we back at it again so last night @gregorsamsaautism and i ended up cooking up ideas for what classes the LCB Sinners would be in the D&D universe. not necessarily what they'd want to play as if they partook in the TTRPG- think of it as, essentially, what D&D identities would look like for them. i'll give a few explanations on each one as need be bc i know some of them are gonna need it but just bear with us on this NOTE: this doesn't dive into what races they'd be- that's its entirely own separate thing and this is long enough as is with that said. time to make these guys get more fantasy injected in their bones

Yi Sang- Circle of Stars Druid The man seems to be pretty associated with constellations, at least from a few bits and pieces I've seen here and there, so being able to harness their power in the way that a Circle of Stars druid would let him work at maximum efficiency. I could see him using the Dragon Starry Form often, and his Star Map most definitely takes the form of a scroll covered in numerous constellations. All this, and the fact that being a Druid probably gives him more of a natural resistance to the ills of nature, given the class's ability to control parts of it with magic. And given what we learned about him in Hell's Chicken... budding potatoes is going to be much more common a meal for him.

Faust - Hexblade Warlock

Her namesake literally makes a pact with a demon in her source material. She was going to be a warlock no matter what, but Hexblade feels like the one that most closely fits her. Dealing in hexes, curses, and starting out at level 1 already being proficient in medium armor, shields, and martial weapons- even if she does not fully utilize these, the knowledge still rests in her regardless, and that's not to say she will never utilize them. ... also Hex Nail EGO for Faust exists.

Don Quixote - Oath of Vengeance Paladin

Okay, hear me out here. I am of the opinion that a paladin's oath does not necessarily have to be one that's religious-coded, if that makes sense. Oaths can be made to anyone and anything- it doesn't fully matter to what at the end of the day, all that matters is how much power the oathmaker draws from it. Don Quixote swears upon justice and felling evildoers all across the city. We know not what exactly is fueling this sense of justice and heroism (or at least I don't, bc I haven't read her source material- but then again, given how much Project Moon's taking a lot of creative liberties in how they're adapting these stories, that may or may not matter. anyways, back to the matter at hand), but I feel like justice and vengeance can come hand-in-hand in some situations. Both deal with wanting to right a wrong in some way, whether it be more general or more personal. And a part of me feels like Don Quixote's enacting a vengeance she has against the inherent evil of the City by bringing what she feels is "justice" to those she can currently help. And stars know she believes in that enough to swear an oath upon it. And also I just think she deserves the Avenging Angel feature of the oath.

Ryoshu - Arcane Trickster Rogue

I don't think I need to really explain this one. She had to be able to sneak into the casino without anyone noticing she didn't have the Tingtang disguise on somehow, right? And everyone else about her feels like it screams "Arcane Trickster" to me. I dunno. Alternatively, Assassin Rogue.

Meursault - Battle Master Fighter

He's only in it for the Improved Combat Superiority features and nothing else. That's all he needs. He's going to wreck shop in the most average way possible. And y'know what, good for him.

Hong Lu - Lunar Sorcerer

You know he would.

Heathcliff - Battle Smith Artificer

Okay really hear me out here- Actually, no, there's not that big of an explanation for this one. For one thing, and I really must stress this, but Heathcliff isn't stupid dumb muscle, like I've seen a few people in the fandom interpret him as. He's pretty damn smart- being able to perfectly pick apart the circumstances of death for a fallen L Corp branch's few survivors & that stunt he pulled at the casino should be proof enough of that. Second, Artificers are best at making defenses and coming up with ways to magically attune their weapons to hit harder. And let me tell you, I am shocked at how many hits default LCB Sinner Heathcliff can take, and his Smackdown skill scares the shit out of me with how much Power it can stack, especially if paired with his Bodysack EGO. Third, Battle Smith comes with a little Steel Defender guy and I think Heathcliff deserves a little guy. Okay, maybe this was a big explanation.

Ishmael - multiclass of Oath of the Open Seas Paladin & Swashbuckler Rogue

That's right, Matt Mercer's official Homebrew's getting involved in this. Admittedly, part of this is because "oh hey there's two marine-themed classes here and Ishmael's Ishmael, this'll be funny". But there are genuine reasons for both of these. Oath of the Open Seas has a feature that allows you to push foes away by 10 feet, which can bludgeon them if they end up hitting a wall. Have you seen how many of Ishmael's attack animations involve pushing foes back with a bash-push of her shield? (Default LCB Sinner and LCCB Assistant Manager are both very guilty of this.) Not just that, but the lore and tenets of the Oath itself seem to just... fit Ishmael rather well. And Swashbuckler Rogue? Everything it can do feels like skills Ishmael could've learned while on the voyage. And combined with the Paladin's spellcasting and the Oath of the Open Sea in particular needing Charisma in some aspects, the two of them just go together like peas in a pod.

Rodion - College of Eloquence Bard

You know she would. Alternatively, College of Tragedy, perhaps once we get to learn more about her and she opens up some more.

Sinclair - Path of the Ancestral Guardian Barbarian

Shoutout to Grotto (aka gregorsamsaautism) in particular for the idea of Sinclair being a Barbarian. Imagine fighting a guy who's experiencing pure rage but he's also shaking and crying and screaming the whole time "Why Path of the Ancestral Guardian as subclass?" How else would he know Demian in this universe and have a strange and special gay relationship with him, with him being the unknowable deity granting him his power? (don't boo me i'm right /lh)

Outis - multiclass of Battle Master Fighter and Way of the Long Death Monk

She has old woman war criminal energies. You know she would. And unlike Meursault, she classed into Battle Master Fighter for all it's worth.

Gregor - Swarmkeeper Ranger

I don't need to explain this one. You know he would. (Probably not by choice, but still.) (also shoutout to Grotto in particular again for coming up with this. my old idea was circle of spores druid gregor but swarmkeeper gregor slapped ass)

Dante - Order Domain Cleric

Because this group needs at least one person in a dedicated healer role. And since they're the executive manager, why not try and act like it? Alternatively, Life Domain Cleric. Also, it would be very very funny if, before this whole amnesia business, they were an Order of the Ghostslayer Blood Hunter, until life kicked their ass and everyone else bullied them into a cleric.

[moonchild-in-blue]

Sleep Token X D&D

An expansion of this post because je suis trés unhinged and I miss playing DnD. I'm not including homebrew content for simplicity sake, guiding myself through this website. Feel free to add or change as you will. I'll leave some links for each class specs in case you wanna read more, or aren't super familiar with it.

At first it would make sense for all of them to be different types of Warlocks or Sorcerers, with Sleep as their common patron. BUT I think that would be an easy cop-out, and I want to make things interesting. This is just my headcanon so yeah, don't mean, don't be weird. Let me know how you'd do it!!

(and if there are any DnD players who happen to come across this post and want to take inspiration on it, you're more than welcome to do so!)

Let's get to it, nerds 🎲2️⃣0️⃣

[cut because this is LONG]

Vessel

Race: Tiefling. A lot of room for inventiveness here, and you can change his appearance as you'd prefer. Maybe that's why he's always cloaked and masked. Maybe he gets even more disfigured every time he connects with Sleep. Class/Sub-Class: Warlock, The Great Old One (mysterious entity whose nature is utterly foreign to the fabric of reality). Obviously Sleep would be his patron. I like to think Vessel had an encounter with Sleep whilst not knowing who or what They were, and eventually became their servant. For the pacts, I had thought of Pact of the Tome, where the Book of Shadows would be his lyrics, but Pact of the Talisman is also great, because of the mask. @a-s-levynn had suggested The Fathomless for his sub-class, which is also AMAZING, especially if you want to lean into the whole tentacle/water horror aesthetic. Alternatively, Sorcerer, Divine Soul is an EXCELENT class for Vessel (actually, now that I'm editing this, I kinda prefer this one lmao). Read this and tell me this isn't exactly what Vessel is: Sometimes the spark of magic that fuels a sorcerer comes from a divine source that glimmers within the soul. Having such a blessed soul is a sign that your innate magic might come from a distant but powerful familial connection to a divine being. Perhaps your ancestor was an angel, transformed into a mortal and sent to fight in a god’s name. Or your birth might align with an ancient prophecy, marking you as a servant of the gods or a chosen vessel of divine magic. Yeah.

ii

Race: Lightfoot Halfling (yes I'm making him a hobbit, what about it?) Fire Genasi is also very apt. Class/Sub-Class: Druid, Circle of Wildfire (these druids bond with a primal spirit that harbors both destructive and creative power, allowing the druids to create controlled flames that burn away one thing but give life to another). This primal spirit, of course, would be Sleep. They are a bit of a mysterious entity. ii was the hardest to come up with. I knew I wanted him to be somehow connected to the land/elements, because I think that would be the best translation for his rhythmic prowess (drums wouldn't make much sense as a Bard). And that photo of him with the painted red fingertips reminds me of fire, so it seemed like a perfect fit. Some other alternatives: Druid, Circle of Dreams or Monk, Way of the Four Elements (monk would be SO good because of his silence, like LoZ Link, and the ability to harness his energy).

iii

Race: Obviously a Dark Elf. Obsidian-black polished skin, pale blond hair, pale blue eyes, slim figure. Need I say more? Earth Genasi could also be a good option, due to his golden vein-like paint. Class/Sub-Class: Ranger, Fey Wanderer (a ranger who represents both the mortal and the fey realms. As you wander the multiverse, your joyful laughter brightens the hearts of the downtrodden, and your martial prowess strikes terror in your foes, for great is the mirth of the fey and dreadful is their fury.) I quite like this because the options of how you acquire the magic are endless, and can be traced to Sleep or even Vessel (maybe he granted them?). iii is our favourite chaotic boy, but he can be so intimidating at times, this one plays off his duality quite well. Plus you get Otherworldly Glamour similar to iv which makes sense. A cool alternative could be Sorcerer, Wild Magic, as it has a similar base to Vessel and it draws magic out of chaos.

iv

Race: I thought about making him a Genasi or Half-Elf, but honestly I love him as a Human. I just love the idea that this human is sooo charming and talented, that even all these supernatural creatures can't help but be enthralled by him. Changeling or even Eladrin could also work. Class/Sub-Class: Bard, College of Glamour (these bards are so eloquent that a speech or song that one of them performs can cause captors to release the bard unharmed and can lull a furious dragon into complacency). I like that iv appears to be super low-key, but is actually insanely seductive (I see you mask pulling) and talented. So out of all of them, he was my obvious choice for a bard.

The Vesselettes

I think they could either be sort of like a greek chorus or muses but for Sleep, that appeared at key moments to help the party, or actual campaign members. Race: Aetherborn Class/Sub-Class: Clerics, Twilight Domain (The twilit transition from light into darkness often brings calm and even joy, as the day's labors end and the hours of rest begin. The darkness can also bring terrors, but the gods of twilight guard against the horrors of the night). It would be awesome to have them as healers and protectors of the party, who serve Sleep directly (if Sleep is evil, they could also be secret spies? To make sure the party does as Sleep intents). Or maybe they are protecting the party from Sleep (they can never sever their connection to them, but they will do everything they can to make sure the vessels won't go too far).

I'm not sure how they would all get together, but my [abridged] story would place them all as servants of this magical deity, called Sleep. Vessel was the first to encounter Them and lives as an actual, living vessel for them. They believe that Sleep, albeit mysterious, is a benevolent creature, who was wrongfully cast away from Their plane/stripped of their powers or divinity.

As the one closest to Sleep, Vessel can sense that something isn't quite right, but he's already so entangled and manipulated by them, that he doesn't even care.

So they fight all these people and creatures, believing they're doing something Good, but then it turns out that Sleep was evil all along? The people they have conquered and killed were actually good, trying to stop them from giving this awful, terrible being their power.

Sleep basically uses them to defeat their enemies and get back to whatever place or power they no longer have access to. Maybe the vessels turn their back on them? Maybe Vessel doesn't want to and they fight with each other? Or maybe they just keep serving Sleep?

Or, you know, Sleep could also be an actual helpful deity, and they are genuinely doing good by fighting in Their name. But maybe in the end Vessel can't let go of Them and drama ensues and everybody cries.

I don't know, this is just an idea. I spent WAY too much time researching for this, but it was fuuun. I love talking DnD.

[thebeckster]

Ben again with a second prompt for that reverse trope game: Forte/Frey and the soulmates fated to kill each other? (;w;)

HI BEN GUESS WHAT WAS SO PERFECTLY UP MY ALLEY FOR A COMPLETELY TRAGIC STORY INSTEAD OF MAKING THIS A SHORT PROMPT FILL LIKE I INTENDED IT BECAME A 7.3K WORD MONSTER!

As soon as I saw the prompt and the ship I just immediately went "Well, that's perfect for a Dark!Empress Frey AU!" And then I went into an ADHD fueled fugue state for 4 hours and came out with this!

I am not going to post the whole story here, even under a cut, I won't do that to y'all. So you can read the whole thing on AO3!

I'll put the juciest parts here. it will still be quite long under the cut, be warned.

CW: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death, generally Mature content in the back half.

Forte only ever had her fortune told once. She had been a young girl, just about a year into her training – old enough to be concerned about the future, but young enough to believe in soothsayers. She went with a group of girlfriends, all giggling and nervous and excited to know what exactly fate had in store for them Would they find love? Glory? Power? One by one the girls stepped into the witch’s parlor, paid her the required coin, and asked their questions. Forte waited to go last. She didn’t know what she wanted to ask the seer. Before she made up her mind, the witch was calling her in. The parlor was dark, the air heavy with smokey incense. Candles flickered all around, they were the only source of light, aside from the faintly glowing milky crystal ball in the center of a small round table. The witch smiled kindly at her and held out her hand for Forte’s coin. “Take a seat, dear, and ask me what you would like to know.” Forte sat across from her at the table, trying to think of any question that was worth the seer’s time. Her mind was blank. “I… I suppose… I’m going to be a knight. I guess… what should my steed be? Horses are nice but…” What kind of question was that? It was so stupid! “A knight’s steed must match their nature. A bold knight can harness a mighty steed. A cunning knight knows to blend in as simple horse and rider. When were you born, my dear?” “No wait! Sorry, can I ask another. That was a stupid question.” Forte’s eyes had caught something when the witch set her cards aside. She’d set the deck upside down and the bottom card showed two figures holding hands, looking at each other. “Of course, dear.” The witch offered kindly, setting the star chart aside. Forte drew a breath. “I want to know if I’ll ever meet my soulmate.”

The witch’s smile widened. “Give me your hands.”

Forte held out her hands and the seer began carefully examining them, gently tracing her finger tip over the lines on Forte’s palm. “Your right hand is strong, the love line is long. When you fight for love, you will rarely lose. But your left hand,” she clicked her tongue softly in disappointment, “The hand with which you would hold your loves close… I’m afraid that love line has been cut short. This scar here, how long have you had it?”

“About a year.” It had been an accident in her early training, her hand had slipped while she was sharpening a blade.

The witch released Forte’s hands and placed the deck of cards in them. “Shuffle them however you please. When you are done, draw five cards.”

Forte shuffled a few times and drew her cards. She laid out a card with a woman on a throne, a card with a chariot, a card with a crumbling tower, a card with balanced scales, and a card with a man hanging upside down.

The witch spent a long moment studying the cards. The longer she studied, the more sorrowful she looked. Eventually she drew in a long breath and one by one pointed to the cards Forte had drawn. “The Empress, the Chariot, the Tower, Justice, and the Hanged Man. I am sorry, my dear, your future does not look to be a happy one.”

“What do you mean?” Forte asked. The cards didn’t look all that bad.

The witch closed her eyes, and when she spoke it was in a rougher voice, as if she was channeling some other spirit. “Your soulmate will come into your life most unexpectedly. She will be a force of nature, and a lover of it. Your time together will be short, but meaningful. Duty and ambition will drive you apart, set you upon different paths. Destruction will bring you together again, opposing forces upon a battlefield. She will be great and terrible, and you will be the mighty hand of justice. You reunion will bring death. Each falling to the hand of the other. So it is written. So it shall be.”

“Is this some kind of a joke?!” Forte jumped to her feet angrily. She expected some fluffy drivel about the right person coming into her life at a certain time, and a happily ever after to follow. Fortune tellers were just supposed to be good at telling people what they wanted to hear. Not go telling young girls of their death. “You’re just an old fraud, what do you know!”

The witch offered no counter. She merely watched Forte with a deeply piteous look.

Forte turned and stormed out of her parlor. The witch did not chase her.

Her friends were waiting by the door, ready to go, discussing their fortunes. They asked Forte about hers, but she wasn’t ready to answer, not until they were back in the street and free from the cloying stink of the fortune house, and those stupid cards were far behind her.

“Come on, Forte,” her friend asked, hooking her arm through hers to make her slow down a bit. “What did you ask her? What did she say?”

“Nothing,” Forte grumbled. “Nothing important. I asked her if I would ever meet my soulmate and she went on some crazy rant about how I’d end up killing her instead.” She kicked at a loose stone and sent it skittering off down the street.

“I wouldn’t worry about it. If you ask me, I think she was a fraud and just wanted to turn up the dramatics. You know what she told me? She said I’d marry some fat, bald, old baker and have eight of his kids.” She scoffed derisively. “As if!”

Her other friends joined in, weighing the validity of the seer’s prophecies. Half of them seemed to find hope, but the other half seemed to find their fortunes more than a little far-fetched. It didn’t take long at all for Forte to put the whole affair out of her mind entirely.

So when an amazing young woman, with the strongest powers Forte had ever seen, and an uncanny affinity for nature fell into her life, Forte didn’t think about a spread of cards from a decade past. All she thought about was the powerful connection the two of them shared, the way the air seemed charged with electricity whenever they spoke, the way her heart fluttered and her palms grew sweaty when Frey was around.

It didn’t take long for Forte to fall in love with Frey. She would stay up all night thinking about the future they could have together. The Earthmate Princess and the Dragon Knight – it could only ever be a fairytale romance. From the moment Frey entered her life, Forte couldn’t imagine a future without her in it. What they had together went beyond attraction and infatuation. She wouldn’t dare confess it yet, it was still too soon, but when she thought about Frey, Forte thought she understood what it meant to have a soulmate.

She didn’t work up the nerve to say anything before Ventuswill got sick. And Dragon Knight had to do her job and protect her charge. And Earthmate Princess had to play her role and go off and fix the problem.

In her waking and lucid moments, Ventuswill would tease Forte about how she loved Frey. Sometimes she would offer encouragement to the knight, telling her to tell Frey how she felt before it was too late. Once, she even fondly looked forward to seeing the two of them spend a happy lifetime together. They were meant for each other. Divine dragons know these things.

And Forte suddenly remembered a witch and a spread of cards and an ill-omened prophecy. And she wanted to ask Ventuswill if it could possibly be true. But the dragon had slipped back to sleep, and she was never lucid enough again to answer Forte’s questions about fate.

It couldn’t possibly come true. There could be no future where Forte ever saw Frey as an enemy. She loved her. The witch had been a fraud.

When this was over, the two of them would be together forever.

Except Frey ended up leaving Forte. She returned from battle victorious. She returned Empress. And Frey left Selphia, left Forte.

As suddenly and unexpectedly as she had come into her life, she left it.

The years passed. Forte dedicated herself to her knighthood. She never loved again, not in the same way she had loved Frey. She tried once or twice to fill the void, let other lovers heal her, but they were never quite right.

Eventually she stopped trying. She turned away potential interest and dismissed any who were bold enough to confess a desire to love her. She preferred it that way. She was a better knight without distractions pulling her from her duty.

Forte proved her place as a knight, time and time again. When she was challenged, she rose up to face it, and when she inevitably was victorious, she rose through the ranks. No longer a Dragon Knight, for there was no dragon these days in need of protection, she became a captain, a commander, a general. By the time she was the same age her father had been when he died, she had far surpassed his station.

In her time, Forte learned how to lead soldiers and command armies. Her troops quickly gained a reputation for their discipline, their efficiency, their prowess, their loyalty. General Forte’s command was built of people like her, people doubted every step of their journey, people who had to work twice as hard to get half as far as their peers. She knew promise and potential when she saw it. She loved a challenge, accepted the risks, bargained on the sure losers. And she was rarely disappointed. Forte was the best general among the best soldiers. When war broke, they would be the force to end it.

The war was brutal, and short.

Armies broke against each other. War machines slaughtered mindlessly.

But where the Empress thought that this war would be a show of her prowess, she was met with more resistance than she expected. Norad was no longer at the technological disadvantage as it had been in the last war. Their tacticians knew the enemy’s playbook well. Their generals were relentless.

Quickly the tide turned against the Empress. Steadily Norad pushed into the Empire, until the final battle was upon them.

The scattered remnants of the Empress’ armies had rallied around their beloved leader, and they were making a valiant final stand.

And the best of the King’s army was on the front line to meet her.

The Empire was beautiful. For everything the Empress had done, that had to be granted to her. She had inherited a land that had been nearly bled dry of all resources. Rivers ran poisoned, the skies choked with pollution, anything and everything was taken without thought. Her predecessor had so thoroughly ruined his own lands, even the famed most fertile valleys struggled to raise a crop. She had cured the lands; replanted forests, cleaned the rivers, cleared the skies.

Forte plucked a small yellow flower by her feet and twisted it thoughtfully between her fingers. Moondrops had been Frey’s favorite. She wondered if the Empress even had a favorite flower anymore. She tossed it aside.

It didn’t matter.

The Empress had long ago deviated far from anything or anyone Forte recognized. The young woman she’d fallen in love with decades ago was no more. Forte was hardly the same woman. Change came with the passage of time.

The girls of decades past no longer existed. The Frey that Forte had held onto since their parting, was not there. She had slipped away, piece by piece with every despicable act and crime against humanity she committed.

Forte watched carefully for signs of the Empress. It wouldn’t be long now. Soon she would have to come out and fight for herself. The signs would be subtle, a flash of gold, or destruction caused by something other than a war machine.

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end just moments before massive spiked of rock erupted in the middle of the battlefield, sending Norad soldiers flying. Hurricane force gusts sliced against lines of attackers. Solid walls of water slammed against machines. Tornadoes of fire burnt through the ranks.

Forte traced the attacks back to their source. The only Earthmate to be found in the Empire. The only Earthmate powerful enough to cause such death and destruction with little more than a wave of her hand. There! Riding her golden hunter wolf was the Empress.

Forte called for her own steed – a silver wolf she’d tamed after a long-lost love had encouraged and inspired her to do so – and leapt into the saddle. With a curt command, they were streaking across the battlefield. Her wolf was small and fast, perfect for moving unnoticed across the chaotic battlefield. Speed was of the essence. The longer it took her to get to the Empress, the more death she would deal upon the battlefield. If she was focused on a single target, her magic would not be turned against Forte’s soldiers, who had little defense against it.

The second before impact, before fangs pierced and claws tore, she leapt from the saddle, diving at the Empress, tackling her off the golden wolf’s back. They hit the ground together, separating on the roll. Both were quick to regain their feet.

The wolves clashed. Tearing, biting, snarling, grappling, rolling away down the hill. They had to be ignored.

Close enough for a proper look, Forte could size up her opponent. She wore minimal armor, a breastplate, sturdy leathers, some bracers on her arms. But she was dressed for ease of movement, as her magic required. She wasn’t even wearing a helmet, just a dark iron circlet on her brow.

Forte stared, her breath catching, her heart leaping into her throat. She hadn’t been this close to the Empress in decades. So much had changed. She was aged, as Forte was, there were lines and wrinkles and scars that had not been there before, her hair was faded with silver, styled in a practical manner for battle, her eyes were hard and cold and hateful, but they had not lost their sparkle. In that way, nothing had changed. She was still so beautiful.

Forte hated herself for thinking that.

Monsters, like the Empress had come to be, were not supposed to be beautiful.

The Empress tilted her head and smiled. “Finally, it’s you, Forte. I was beginning to think you’d never come to me. Pity it’s like this.” She readied her blade and shifted into a fighting stance. Quick as a flash, she threw a spell at her.

Forte was ready, dodging the fireball easily. “I’ll give you one chance to surrender.”

“Surrender? Not really my style.” She parried Forte’s sword. “What kind of empress would I be if I was not willing to make the same sacrifices as my own loyal subjects?”

Their swords met again. “You confuse fear and submission with loyalty.”

“Po-tay-to, po-tah-to,” the Empress shrugged, moving gracefully away and lifting a hand to whip at her opponent with a blade of air. Forte didn’t get a chance to dodge, but the air broke harmlessly over her armor. “Peace is peace; however it’s maintained.”

“I don’t think the thousands you slaughtered to make that peace would agree.”

A wicked grin and a cruel laugh. “Tell me the famous General Forte is not trying to take the moral high ground when it comes to slain enemies. How many have you killed over the years, my dear?”

“I do not revel in war. I find no glory in the loss of life.” They traded several blows, their swords ringing off each other. Every other attack or so, the Empress would throw another magic strike at Forte. “But your killing started long before the war.” She tripped up the Empress, sending her sprawling to the ground. “I didn’t want to believe it when I first heard the rumors. But when rumor proved true –” the Empress rolled away from her strike and regained her feet “—I knew you had changed into something I no longer recognized.”

“What have I done? I have brought peace and security to my Empire. You don’t understand. You couldn’t. You’ve never held the power I have.” Another flurry of magical attacks while Forte kept her distance.

It was risky, leaving herself open to attacks like this, but Forte knew that unless the Empress was drained of her magical reserves, she would be unbeatable. She remembered well her days of fighting alongside Frey, those moments when she drew beyond her magical limits and weakened herself terribly. She doubted the Empress was so inexperienced as to ignore her limits, and she knew time had only made her stronger magically. So Forte had to drain the reserves, make her spend and spend until there was nothing left, and the playing field was evened.

Forte saw an opening. She darted in, driving her sword into the Empress’ side. It cut deep; her blade came away red with blood. The Empress fell to her knee with a pained cry, clutching her wound. But when she met Forte’s eyes, she almost looked disappointed.

“Surely you haven’t forgotten everything about me, dear Forte.” Her fingers made the necessary signs, light flashed around them, she got to her feet as if nothing had happened. Only the blood on her shirt and the hole in the cloth showed there might have been an injury.

Forte was not daunted. A healing spell like that took a lot of energy. If she had to bleed the Empress dry with a thousand cuts, she would. This was what she had spent all her life training for. This fight was her destiny.

Forte got close enough to strike again, aiming for her neck. The Empress did a clever little twirl and transportation spell, appearing some yards away. “I will not be made a villain for using the tools I was given! The Empire gave me my position, gave me the authority to change laws, to be justice, to eliminate threats. Fate gave me the powers to bloom and wither, to create and destroy, to build and to burn.” She summoned another fireball and held it in her palm for a moment, examining it, almost enjoying the burn as it increased in size. “What do you think your king will do, if he wins this war and takes control of my empire? Surely you don’t’ expect my people to roll over like dogs? How many more deaths will your king order for peace?”

She threw the large fireball. Forte charged through it, ignoring how the flames licked at her exposed skin. She landed another hit against the Empress. With a frustrated snarl, the Empress leapt away, healing her injury as she ran.

“Well, you’re certainly still persistent and just as determined as you used to be,” the Empress laughed coolly, “Your courage seems to have grown. Pity you weren’t so bold back then as you are now.” She threw up a wall of rock just as Forte charged at her again. The knight collided with it with an unpleasant crunch.

The Empress made a series of lightning-quick slashes. Forte blocked and parried all of them, except the last one, which found a gap in her leg armor. The cut was shallow, but painful, and a new point of weakness for the Empress to exploit.

But Forte had noticed something. Her magic attacks were slowing down. Perhaps for dramatic effect while she taunted Forte, but instead of several attacks one after the other, she was only throwing one at her at a time. One fireball. One rock wall. She was using her sword for more than defense. Given how much magic she’d spent on the larger battlefield, and then again against Forte, she had to be reaching the end of her reserves. She was rationing now.

As if to prove her wrong, the Empress summoned two small blocks of stone right on either side of Forte’s injured leg. In the split second the knight was caught off balance from the injury, she slammed the blocks together around the leg.

Forte couldn’t help but scream as her armor buckled under the pressure. Joints and seams broke, jagged metal dug into her leg, and deep inside she felt something inside her break.

“Why are you really here, Forte? Why did you work so hard to orchestrate everything perfectly so that when it came down to it, it would be me and you alone? Guilt? Regret?”

Forte bowed her head, breathing slowly and deeply. She knew why she was here. She muttered it lowly.

“Come now, speak up. Don’t be shy.” She stepped close, close enough to get within inches of Forte’s face, so she could hear. Their eyes locked. There was… something like hope hiding in them. “Tell me.”

Forte’s hand wrapped around the handle of the dagger she had at her waist. She held the Empress’ gaze and she said slowly, and with much conviction. “I am here to end your tyranny.” She plunged the knife into the Empress’ gut and twisted it for good measure.

The Empress stepped back, pulling the knife out, closing up the wound. It healed completely. But Forte saw what she was looking for. That minute wince of pain, that heavy breath of exhaustion as the magic drained her strength.

The rocks around her leg crumbled to dust. Forte moved the instant she was free, bearing the excruciating pain in her injured leg, diving for her sword. She rearmed herself and got back to her unsteady feet just in time. She blocked one blow from the Empress. The second broke past her guard and cut deeply into her arm.

The Empress was no longer using the gracefully lethal techniques she’d used earlier. She was ready for this fight to be over. Now was the time for power. With a surprising show of strength, the Empress grabbed Forte and threw her to the ground.

She realized with a calm certainty that Frey would outmatch her. Her magical reserves may be exhausted, but physically she was faring far better than Forte. If this fight went on, Forte would be killed, and Frey would unleash her reign of terror upon the world.

The Empress knew this as well. She approached languidly like a cat playing with its food. She kicked Forte firmly in the chest to send her sprawling back, gasping for breath. Then she stepped onto Forte, grinding her boot into her injured leg, pinning her to the ground. Forte didn’t have the strength to throw her off, she couldn’t free herself. She stopped her struggling entirely when the Empress put the sharp point of her sword just under Forte’s chin.

Frey paused, looking at her with a mixture of pity and loathing. “I gave you the chance to follow me, do you remember? I asked you to come with me, and you refused.” She lifted her blade; the wet redness of Forte’s fresh blood caught the light. “Imagine what we could have been together. You would have been my right hand, my knight, my queen. Together we could have been unstoppable.”

Forte made a useless effort to throw her off. “Perhaps I should have. I could have stopped you when the darkness took you. I would have made it painless and saved countless lives.”

“Would you have even noticed? At that point, after so long together, would you have doubted me enough to raise a blade against me? I wouldn’t think so… but perhaps you have always hated me.” A look of regret crossed Frey’s face. “Do you know I loved you from the moment I met you? I never found the courage to tell you. But I always felt we were meant for each other. I’ve thought about you so much, my Forte.” She smiled, almost tenderly. “I was always so proud every time I heard you’d been promoted. I would have made you a general much faster than that fool of a king. I’d always hoped we would meet again.” Then that wicked, calculating look returned. “I waited until I was certain it would be you coming after me.”

Then the Empress surprised Forte. She moved her sword, and stepped off her, just for a moment. Just to reposition her feet, and lower down until she was straddling Forte’s hips. The Empress kept the General pinned with a heavy hand on her breastplate. She leaned over her and looked down. Her free hand cupped Forte’s face and tenderly wiped some of the blood and grime from her cheek and lips.

“You’re as beautiful now as you were the day we parted. I don’t want to kill you, Forte. And I know you don’t want to kill me. Join me, like you should have all those years ago. We may be much older now, but it’s not too late for us. With you next to me, all will finally be right. I know you still love me.”

Forte shook her head. Tears brimmed in her eyes, because for a brief moment, with the way the Empress looked at her, strands of hair fallen loose and framing her face, she looked like Frey again. “It isn’t you I was in love with. I was not meant to be with the Empress. It was always Frey who held my heart.”

The Empress’ face hardened. “Pity. You’ve made your choice then.” Her grip on Forte’s face tightened, squeezing her hard by the jaw. She leaned down and pressed a slow kiss to Forte’s lips. “I’m sorry my love,” she said as she got back to her feet. “Your death cannot be painless, but I will make it fast.” She raised her blade over her head and swung down swiftly with all her might.

Forte just got her own blade up in time to catch the blow. Steel screeched against steel until the blade caught against each other. Forte struggled to push the blade away, but she did not have the strength to fight for long, and the Empress had the advantage.

She leaned over Forte, putting her weight into the blade as well as her strength. Inch by hard fought inch, the point of her sword neared Forte’s chest. She took the time to angle the blade just so, to aim for the gap in the general’s armor.

Forte fought with every piece of her, until she realized, again with calm clarity, what she must do. Her mission was to end the Empress. Her survival was not necessary. So she dropped her blade, letting the Empress to fall the last several inches and plunge her sword into Forte. But that move would spell her doom. For Forte angled her own blade up and it slipped under the Empress’ breastplate and into her chest.

The Empress gasped, pulling away in shock, pulling her blade free only to drop it at her side. Her hands flew up to cup her chest, her fingers twitched instinctively to cast the magic to heal the wound, but there was nothing left inside her. Not even strength to sap and turn into magical energy. Her legs gave out. She struggled to breathe. Her hands vainly tried to stem the flow of blood.

Forte’s strike against the Empress had done much more damage than her strike against Forte. She was fading fast. She was dying.

“F-Forte?” Her voice sounded small, frightened. She reached for the knight with bloodied hands. They fell numbly against her armor, leaving red streaks on the steel.

Forte found the strength to sit up, to gather the Empress into her arms, to rest her head in her lap. The wound in her chest was fatal too, but not as immediately so. She might have an extra minute.

The Empress trembled as her body began to fail. A wry smile pulled at her mouth. “We might not have gotten a life together, but at least we’ll die together, my love.” Her eyes drifted to the grass they lay in, where, against all odds, Moondrops grew, untrampled by the battle, unmarred by war.

Her eyes slid closed. Her breaths were becoming more ragged, shallower. With great effort, she opened her eyes one last time. “I’m sorry for… In another life I would’ve…”

And then she was gone.

Forte let her tears run freely. She bent down and planted kisses on Frey’s forehead, her cheeks, her lips. “I’m sorry too, my love.” Her vision was dimming. She lost the strength to sit up. Air had no effect on her lungs. She was dying. With her last shreds of strength, she made her clumsy hands find Frey’s and she held them. With her last breath she whispered an apology.

[and-then-there-were-n0ne]

Eric Hoffer was a longshoreman-turned-philosopher.

In 1941, he wrote “My writing is done in railroad yards while waiting for a freight, in the fields while waiting for a truck, and at noon after lunch. Towns are too distracting.”

Ten years later, Hoffer’s masterpiece The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements was published when he was in his late forties. Its unexpected success led him to later be appointed as an adjunct professor at University of California, Berkeley.

A slim volume, The True Believer was a favorite of President Dwight Eisenhower, who regularly gifted copies to friends. The British philosopher Bertrand Russell was also an enthusiast of Hoffer’s book. The author and conservative commentator William F. Buckley Jr. described The True Believer as “deeply provocative.”

It’s one of my favorite nonfiction books.

Hoffer’s unusual background as a manual laborer and member of the working class helped to fuel his unique psychological and sociological insights which people continue to mine to this day.

Today, political polarization is at its peak. Out-party hate is now more powerful than in-party love as a predictor of voting behavior in the United States.

Eric Hoffer's ideas are more relevant than ever.

Eric Hoffer made the case that if you peel back the layers of any mass movement, you will find that frustration is their driving force.

Frustration, though, doesn’t arise solely from bleak material conditions. The dockyard philosopher argued that “Our frustration is greater when we have much and want more than when we have nothing and want some. We are less dissatisfied when we lack many things than when we seem to lack but one thing.”

He points out in the years leading up to both the French and Russian Revolutions, life had in fact been gradually improving for the masses. He concludes, “It is not actual suffering but the taste of better things which excites people to revolt” and that “The intensity of discontent seems to be in inverse proportion to the distance from the object fervently desired.”

Personally, I saw this when I first arrived at Yale. I recall being stunned at how status anxiety pervaded elite college campuses. Internally, I thought, “You’ve already made it, what are you so stressed out about?” Hoffer, though, would say these students believed they had almost made it. That is why they were so aggravated. The closer they got to realizing their ambitions, the more frustrated they became about not already achieving them.

Hoffer’s conceptions of frustration highlight how if your conditions improve, but not as much or as quickly as you’d like, you will be vulnerable to recruitment by mass movements that promise to make your dreams come true.  

In Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, “When inequality is the general law of society, the most blatant inequalities escape notice. When everything is virtually on a level, the slightest variations cause distress. That is why the desire for equality becomes more insatiable as equality extends to all.” For Hoffer, this insatiability cultivates frustration—a nebulous, simmering emotional state that can be harnessed by any ideology.

He describes what has now become known as the “Tocqueville effect”: A revolution is most likely to occur after an improvement in social conditions. As circumstances improve, people raise their expectations. Societal reforms raise reference points to a level that is usually not matched, eliciting rage and frustration.

In addition to the fact that reality seldom matches expectations, frustration also originates in a deep sense of dissatisfaction within oneself. We see this in the rise of social movements across the U.S., where individuals across the political spectrum feel disillusioned by their current situation, leading to a strong desire for dramatic change.

Hoffer argued that mass movements consciously attempt to cultivate and exploit frustration among their members. This helps to fuel their existence. The promotion of frustration is not incidental but is in fact the result of competition: movements that effectively nurture frustration outperform others by attracting and retaining the most fervent members.

In a passage that is reminiscent of today’s idea of the “horseshoe theory” (political extremes have more in common with one another than with moderates), Hoffer wrote that, “When people are ripe for a mass movement, they are usually ripe for any movement...In pre-Hitlerian Germany, it was often a toss up whether a restless youth would join the Communists or the Nazis.” Indeed, the official figure from the original paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party was that fifty-five percent of their members were former communists. According to Rudolf Diels, head of the Gestapo in 1933-1934, the actual figure was seventy percent.

According to The True Believer, the shared factor among extreme mass movements is not ideology or practice but a shared hatred for the present and a yearning for a (subjectively defined) utopian future.

In the marketplace of ideologies, the dogma that is most effective at harvesting emotional discontent often prevails. The danger of mass movements lies in their ability to manipulate these frustrations. Hoffer argues that these movements purposely foster frustration and dissatisfaction, pushing their members further into their cause. This, in turn, deepens their commitment, keeping them in a state of perpetual discontent and thus, devotion to the movement that promises to liberate them.

The formula goes something like this. Mass movements that are good at what they do make previously content individuals frustrated and further frustrate their adherents while pretending to advance the movement. This means that the strongest mass movements are inevitably going to be the ones that are the best at not delivering the goods. Any movement that actually advances the interests of its frustrated supporters will make them less frustrated. Hence, they’ll stop being members.

A core aspect of Hoffer's argument is that the root of frustration lies not just in external circumstances or “the system,” but fundamentally in the burdens of being an individual. Outsourcing decisions about your life to the movement comes as a relief. While practical organizations (e.g., an employer) cater to self-interest and offer opportunities for self-advancement, a mass movement appeals to those who wish to escape or camouflage an unsatisfactory self. Mass movements hold the implicit promise of fulfilling the desire for self-renunciation. [...] One sentence in the book summarizes the idea: “Faith in a holy cause is to a considerable extent a substitute for the lost faith in ourselves.”

The book goes on, “A man is likely to mind his own business when it is worth minding. When it is not, he takes his mind off his own meaningless affairs by minding other people’s business.” [...]

In one of the book’s most famous passages, Hoffer wrote “Hatred is the most accessible and comprehensive of all unifying agents...Mass movements can rise and spread without belief in a God, but never without a belief in a devil.”

For mass movements, hatred serves a useful purpose. It’s the glue that binds the disgruntled members together, turning them into a focused, potent force. The collective enemy helps maintain an atmosphere of constant alertness. It does not only keep the followers united, but it also attracts new members who share similar fears. Hatred fosters an atmosphere of persistent threat that can never be entirely overcome.

Hoffer writes that “in a mass movement, the air is heavy-laden with suspicion…the faithful strive to escape suspicion by adhering zealously to prescribed behavior and opinion…strict orthodoxy is as much the result of mutual suspicion as of ardent faith.” [...]

In a notable historical illustration of a mass movement using a “belief in a devil” as a limitless source of ideological fuel, consider the case of the “Recalling Bitterness” campaign in Maoist China. In the 1960s, the communist dictator Mao Zedong grew worried that ordinary Chinese citizens were developing lukewarm attitudes about the socialist revolution. In response, the regime forced people into rituals in which they publicly announced how bad life was before they had been liberated. Mao ordered writers and artists to rewrite history through the lens of class struggle to suit the needs of his political agenda. Regime officials held meetings encouraging peasants to describe how much better life was now compared to pre-liberation, hoping to convince them that the revolution’s successes outnumbered its failures. The “devils” here were reactionaries, landlords, rich farmers, and counterrevolutionaries. Documenting the rituals of the Recalling Bitterness campaign, the historian Guo Wu has written, “Only poor peasants were allowed to speak; former landlords and rich peasants were silenced.”

Rewriting history to demonize selected groups is an effective way to promote unity within a mass movement.

For Hoffer, the deliberate cultivation of fear and hatred serves to justify increasingly terrifying levels of cruelty and violence. The individual, convinced of his or her guiltlessness, relinquishes agency to the movement. This is yet another example of escaping the burden of the self.

These activities, Hoffer proposes, often manifest as futile tasks that seem to address problems but in fact accomplish little of substance. Rather than confronting the system they oppose, mass movements often end up targeting irrelevant figures or groups, engaging in meaningless protests, or turning on each other. Ironically, because the movement accomplishes so little, they ultimately give rise to increased fanaticism. This leads to further persecution in the quest to find a scapegoat to hold accountable for the failures of the movement.

A strong community can counter the attraction of mass movements. When people feel a sense of belonging, this can guide them away from falling into the trap of large collectives that dissolve individual identities. In our modern world, where traditional forms of community are fraying, and many feel unfulfilled by their work, the appeal of mass movements is amplified. Such movements thrive on shared frustrations.

Mass movements are not exclusive to the modern age. The True Believer, written in the mid-twentieth century, suggests that modernizing forces provide a fertile ground for their proliferation due to the lack of meaningful work, a sense of community, and an overarching sense of meaning in life.

Community is a safeguard against frustration. Hoffer suggests that those who see themselves as part of a close-knit group are less likely to be attracted to mass movements. The sense of accountability that comes from being part of a community and the reciprocal actions required to sustain membership counters the urge to lose oneself in a larger collective identity. The book points out that although mass movements can be seen as a kind of community, they differ in that they require only belief and identity, rather than reciprocal obligations and accountability.

In addition to membership in a cohesive community, engaging in meaningful work provides a buffer against radicalization. This is one reason why mass movements attempt to undermine the value of work, or claim that anyone who earnestly and unironically participates in the system is a victim of false consciousness or propaganda or has somehow been duped. The aim is to position the members of the mass movement as those who are truly “in the know,” and to undermine their targets’ confidence and turn them into potential recruits. 

The True Believer advises against supporting organizations without clear, attainable objectives. The dockyard philosopher reminds us that we should be skeptical of mass movements without clearly defined goals. Often, the ostensible aim of large movements is some nebulous idea of improvement. But the practical, concrete outcome is frequently more frustration, more anger, and more agitation, which benefits the organization rather than those they purport to help.

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Super manga ch. 74-76

Hey, it’s Granolah vs. Vegeta.

One thing I hadn’t really brought up before was how all through this battle between Granolah and the Saiyans, the Sugurians have been terrified by all the explosions and tremors from the fighting.  They have no idea what’s going on or who’s causing it, and they begin to evacuate for their own safety.

Last time, Goku took on Granolah and got his ass handed to him, so it didn’t seem like Vegeta would do much better.  And starting out, that seems to be the case.  I mean, Granolah wished to become the strongest in the universe, and the dragon granted that wish.  How could anyone defeat him?  What difference does it make if Vegeta is stronger than Goku or better prepared?

And yet, Vegeta manages to last longer.  He makes Granolah chase after him, and at once point Granolah does some sort of super-sniper move where he uses his eyepiece/computer, Oatmeel, to assist him. 

But Vegeta manages to outmanuever him anyway, and he lures Granolah into aiming at the Cerealian ruins nearby.  Remember, Granolah’s people, the Cerealians, were wiped out by Saiyan invaders, acting under Frieza’s orders.  Vegeta now knows that Granolah’s out for revenge, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out whose cities those ruins used to be, or that Granolah would have a soft spot for them.

So how can Vegeta hope to overpower Granolah?  Simple: He can’t. Instead, he relies on Granolah’s inexperience at fighting at this level.  Granolah’s been a talented bounty hunter and his right eye makes him a natural sharpshooter, but how many fights as he been in?  He’s only been the strongest in the universe for a few weeks, and he spent most of that time waiting for Elec to tell him where Frieza is. 

Ohhhh, so this is why people ship it. 

Well, anyway, as the two of them fight, Vegeta revels in the moment, and this causes him to power up into a new transformation, one that allows him to fully utilize the kind of Hakai power Beerus teased at the start of this story.  It’s fueled by Vegeta’s enjoyment of this battle, and it quickly closes the gap between their powers.  As Vegeta says, rankings are pointless.  Someone might be the “strongest in the universe” right now, but that can change at any moment.  So maybe Vegeta’s surpassed him during this fight, simply because of how much he’s enjoying the fight.

Granolah recognizes this new form as similar to the one Goku uses to properly harness Ultra Instinct, but Vegeta rejects the comparison.  Goku’s body may be able to move independently of his thoughts, but Vegeta’s new power is driven entirely by his conscious thoughts.  Accordingly, he calls this “Ultra Ego.”

Vegeta informs Granolah that the Saiyans were also wiped out by Frieza, which is why Vegeta considers Frieza an enemy, so they’re really not so different after all.  Granolah isn’t convinced, but Oatmeel buys into it, so Granolah just takes off his eyepiece and leaves it, saying he has no need for support, now that he’s the strongest in the universe. 

But Oatmeel isn’t finished yet, and it summons Granolah’s spaceship to pick it up. 

As for Ultra Ego Vegeta... well, he looked pretty fucking awesome in this fight, but he’s ultimately running into the same problem Goku had when he fought Granolah with Ultra Instinct.  He can overwhelm Granolah with this form, but only for so long.  In Vegeta’s case, it seems like less of a stamina issue and more about the fact that he’s constantly on the offensive, which means he’s been tanking hit after hit from the strongest warrior in the universe.  The damage starts to wear him down, and he realizes he has to end this quickly.

But to Vegeta’s surprise, Granolah has some room for growth as well.  As he resists Vegeta’s big finishing move, Granolah’s left eye turns red and now he has... double-sniper vision?  I’m not sure why that makes him more powerful, but I can’t argue with the results.  Granolah blows Vegeta away.

Meanwhile, the Heeters, who arranged this whole thing, are busy tracking down the Cerealian Dragon Balls.

Vegeta seems beaten, but just before Granolah can finish him off, Goku dives in to make the save. 

Vegeta doesn’t take kindly to this, and explains that he’s only ever worked alongside Goku because they had a common cause, whether it was the defense of Earth or whatever else.  This time, they’re just fighting some dude on a planet they don’t care about, so he sees no reason for teamwork.

Vegeta convinces him to let him keep fighting, since Granolah will eventually run out of gas the same way they have.  Goku agrees...

And Vegeta goes Ultra Ego again.  Granolah is confused, but this is all new to everyone, so I’m not sure it’s worth trying to understand the rules of Ultra Ego.  As far as Vegeta seems to be concerned, there are no rules. 

Vegeta knocks him into one of the Sugarian towns, and then as they fight, Granolah comes across a Sugarian mother and child, which reminds him of when the Saiyans came for him and his mother, like in his nightmares.

This gives Vegeta an advantage, but Granolah’s still too powerful, and he manages to defeat Vegeta anyway.

Vegeta even apologizes to Beerus for not being badass enough to use this new power effectively.  He seems resigned to death, when...

Oatmeel shows up with Monaito, the Namekian who lives with Granolah.  This diversion allows Goku to spoil Granolah’s shot, but before Granolah can attack them again, Monaito drops a big revelation on him.

Yes, the Saiyans did invade Cereal and they did wipe out all of the Namekians and Cerealians living there.  And yes, Monaito and Granolah were the only survivors.  But what Granolah doesn’t know is that the man who saved them back then was also a Saiyan, which sort of complicates his vendetta.  Oops.

Also that Saiyan’s name was Bardock, which seems like a random detail that couldn’t possibly matter...

[firebirds-roost]

o/ have a fruit salad!

🍌Three headcanons about how magic works in your lore 🍊A dragon you like based on looks 🍇A dragon you like based on personality 🍑Show off an expensive regening project 🍐Feathers, fur/fluff, manes: your Opinion

YEAHH I ACTUALLY GOT ONE okay okay let's see

🍌: Three headcanons about how magic works in your lore

Items that magically change a dragon's appearance, like gene scrolls or eye vials, are actually very common and a popular form of self-expression. Switching up your patterns is no different from buying a new outfit or getting a tattoo to better suit your personality! Honestly, most dragons would be shocked to meet someone who hasn't used an enchanted scroll at some point.

All dragons have an internal wellspring of magic that gives them life and fuels their natural abilities, essentially acting as their soul. This is the most potent and powerful form of magic on Sornieth, but trying to harness it for spellcasting is EXTREMELY dangerous and usually results in the death of the caster. Soul-fed spells are only used as an absolute last resort.

Basic elemental moves like fireballs or lightning bolts can be thrown around without much effort, but more advanced spells usually require some kind of ritual component. Specialized runes, spoken enchantments, careful talon movements, things like that. Being able to perform these rituals correctly is what separates trained mages from common dragons.

🍊: A dragon you like based on looks

I'm a big fan of Maelstrom's design! I haven't quite figured out a story for him yet, but I love the black-and-red color scheme and the mix-and-matched apparel sets. Shoutout to the Bloodscale helmet layered over the Ghastcrown.

🍇: A dragon you like based on personality

It's hard to pick just one, so I guess I'll go with a dragon I haven't posted to Tumblr yet: Parmesan! He's a pampered, sensitive sort, accustomed to the finer things in life, and approaches every new experience with the attitude of someone disarming a bomb. What if it's dangerous? What if it hurts? What if it sets him on FIRE?

Still, he's a good guy at heart, and is more than willing to face his fears if it means doing the right thing. He just... might have to do it while crying.

🍑: Show off an expensive regening project

Oh, this one's easy.

Riptide was my birthday hatch a couple years ago, and I got INSANELY lucky with his colors - Jade/Robin/Aqua. I knew he deserved something special, so I saved up for months and months to get him a fancy new look (complete with Coatl breed change, Glimmer, and a couple of expensive apparel items). Totally worth it!

🍐: Feathers, fur/fluff, manes: your opinion

I like 'em! I think hair and feathers are great for conveying personality in a dragon, since there are so many ways to style them in artwork. Great way to switch up the silhouettes. There's a reason Fluffington is one of my favorite dragons to draw.

Absolutely hate the way Spines looks on maned breeds though. Why are Tundras and Imperials like that. Stop.