#and like mortals cannot be contained absolutely by rules - no matter how much some of them like the lawbearer might wish that were not true

[shorthaltsjester]

Why are your children bound by rules you will not follow?

Critical Role, Campaign 3, Downfall Parts 1-3 // Commandments of The Prime Deities according to the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn

[yostresswritinggirl]

Scholars’ Chit Chat Submission

Cyno x Reader (actually platonic, in a way I guess, study partners, but possibly romantic in the future)

*Lore dump warning; Spoilers for all the Archon Quests and speculations of Teyvat; Really it’s all serious talk

XXX

“Hey Cyno,”

The said male turned away from the book he was reading, and focused his attention on you instead.

“What’s the matter?”

“Do you believe in eternity?”

Surprised at your sudden question, the male went quiet for a few moments.

“You want my own opinion or an objective one?”

“As much as I would like to hear both, it’s almost lunch time. So I would like to hear your opinion first.”

Sighing at your carefree reply, Cyno closed the book he was reading shut.

“Well, I simply don’t. After all, all living things will come to an end, it is the law of the universe and the reason why they say time is money.”

“Well yeah, I mean, our former archon did die five hundred years ago...”

Puzzled at your deflated mood, Cyno realised that this question didn’t simply popped out of your mind, but rather something that you had been thinking hard about for quite some time.

“Why’d you ask, by the way? You worried about the future?”

“It’s normal to be worried or even sacred okay? This is the very reason why we seek knowledge in the first place. To survive is the natural instinct of humans, and curiosity stems out of it as we can predict the future with more known about the world...”

“And yet the world is so vast, and our lives are so short, but we can pass down our knowledge through our legacy... That is the most basic right of humanity...”

“Yet don’t you think that it is strange? The fact that it has been thousands are even more years that we humans had been existed, there isn’t much we know about the pre-archon war era?”

Cyno looked down as he realised what you said was true.

“Indeed, but there isn’t much we can do about it isn’t there?”

“That’s the problem!! Nobody questions about it and that’s what makes it fishy!”

You are... Quite the special type of student at Sumeru Academia, even though you do seek knowledge about the world you all reside in. Due to the lack of Mysticism studies you didn’t take part in, you were the type to question everything, even the principles that had been decided by the Academia for centuries.

But that’s what allows your breakthroughs in your findings in the past few years here. Rather than focusing on a particular study or field, you tackle anything that comes in your way. Becoming one of the people who had read the most books in this grand library of Sumeru Academia.

Cyno liked that part of you, new perspectives shed more light to the field and it never gets boring when you suddenly throw questions at him for no absolute reason.

“The part where you go ‘seeing is believing’ is the easiest way to deceive someone?” He guessed, letting out a small chuckle.

“Exactly!! ‘Show not tell’, because people believe in what they see so when they try to deceive someone they show what they want them to see.”

“Illusions, mirages... People get tricked so easily without asking their own rationality!”

“So what you’re trying to say is-“

“That we should question this world in the first place!”

‘Here we go again...’ Cyno thought, but he didn’t actually mind your rambling.

“First! Why do we have to trust the gods in the first place? *All we can do is observe the chess game that the gods are playing, we don’t know the rules of the game, but as soon as we speculate it long enough, we’ll be able to guess what the rules are.”

“But in the end, we won’t know if we understand all of the rules cause who can predict what happens in the future anyways?”

“But with Astrology-“

“Do. not. interrupt me.”

Ah, you were getting heated up.

“With enough information, anyone can predict the future, they say. But can we actually do it? We can’t! We’re human after all.”

“Which leads to the question of, why don’t the gods spill the beans if the really care about us so much? But they didn’t.”

“I know it’s hypocritical to judge gods through mortal standards, but I have evidence.”

“If the gods truly care for each single human being of Teyvat, then shouldn’t everyone have a Vision if they’re supposed to be the grace from the gods?”

“You’re saying that those without Visions are not important in the eyes of the gods?”

“Hah, as much as I prefer that they care for both, my instincts tell me that they don’t care for either of them for some reason...”

Cyno narrowed his eyes at your slightly hesitant answer.

“Is this about you not able to obtain a Vision for yourself?”

“Cyno, how many times have I told you? If I were to receive a Vision, I would have went all the way to the archon responsible and politely give it back to them.”

“Politely?”

“Alright, maybe throwing it in their faces before telling them off that I don’t need it.”

“Violent as always, my dear.”

“Elemental energy is not magic anyways, we all know that, and the Hexenzirkel doesn’t often share their findings about Irminsul either...”

“Your point is…?”

“What’s ’free’ is the most expensive, even hilichurls are a problem for normal humans, yet Vision holders see them as eyesores more than anything… Everything comes with a price, Cyno, and I believe that you understand that well.”

“Indeed,” he agreed with a sigh. “For knowledge, we sacrifice time and our energy for it. And the culmination of many scholars forms this very library we are in.”

“The crystallisation of human knowledge, or so I recalled,” you agreed with a huff “but what if that’s the gods want us to believe in? Away from their true purposes in order to keep humanity under the reigns?”

“…”

“You angry? Sorry, I know that it’s disrespectful to judge on people’s faith like this, but I just can’t help but worry about the future when something big is about to happen…”

“N-no, I don’t mind, it’s just-“

“Explaining is concealing and concealing is the truth, go on.”

Cyno realised something, despite you knowing he has a Vision himself, you had come up with theories about the secrets about Visions, mostly concerning ones actually. But he understands it is a way of you caring for him, there are rumours about those who have Visions would one day disappear from the world.

You were scared that one day he would go somewhere that you cannot follow.

But as your partner, he has no intentions of it until you finally seek the answers you had longed for.

“The Geo Archon’s passing, Mondstadt’s Knights of Favonius incapable of fully stopping the Fatui, the electro Archon Baal stopped giving out Electro Visions since last year… Not to mention the Fatui following the Tsarista’s orders by any method of sort…” Cyno listed out. “Yes… It is all quite alarming…”

“But that promise we made the day we met, I have no intention of breaking it.”he reminded with a soft smile on his face.

“I am, your partner in crime after all.”

…

“Here you are again, saying things like that so easily…” you huffed, trying to contain your happiness from his words.

“Until the day I make the gods confess their intentions, I’m not letting you go anywhere without me!”

Seeing you back in your normal mood, the male smiled in relief, all that’s left is to lift your spirits up a bit more.

“I’ll treat you something sweet for lunch, what do you want?”

“W-Wha?! Umm…”

Seeing you flustered at his sudden question, Cyno knows that he had succeeded as you mumble under your breath about what you should pick.

‘Don’t worry too much about the future, try focus on what we have right now, alright?’

‘We are raging treason against the very laws of this world after all, so please allow me to enjoy such little time with you, my dear.’

XXX

I don’t know what I’m writing… QAQ

Exiled, if you want I can make a few more short dribbles about this (well mostly about how they meet and other stuff they think about-)

-lies on ground-

-and dies out of embarrassment-

-snowdrop, out

ANY CYNO CONTENT IS GOOD CONTENT, BUT THAT LORE DUMP WAS NICE AND REFRESHING. YES SNOWDROP, I DO WANT EM GIMME

[lunar-magnolia]

@honestlyshamelesscollector thank you for asking me this!! I'm really happy to share my thoughts, I hope to answer your questions in the best way possible akdjsk

I absolutely agree with you about Xie Lian. He does indeed grow a lot, even though he does so in a traumatic way.

***A little disclaimer: these are just my thoughts here, first impressions having read the novel once, plus watched the donghua and read the manhua a couple of times. I'm no expert at all, but I have lots of feelings about this akdjskfmf

**Putting a read more because long lmao

Young Xie Lian's dream was to become a god and save the common people. And present Xie Lian does it everyday, as much as he can. The biggest lesson he got growing up was probably the fact that he can't save everyone at the same time, but saving (or helping) even just one person was enough. He might be a god, but he is still one person. Having godly powers doesn't make him omniscient or give him the ability to suddenly work on a bigger scale than he could when he was human.

Book 4 in particular highlights just how much the present Xie Lian has changed from the Crown Prince that Pleased The Gods, filled with the idealism of a young man and maybe just a little bit spoiled, to the kind and humble Scrap Immortal that does everything in his power to help the people he comes across.

We see him starting to change as soon as book 2 though. When he tries to both save the Imperial Capital from being invaded and save the Yong'an people from the draught, it's the first time Xie Lian faces the limits of his godly status and power. He divides his time to keep it going for a bit, but in the end he's exhausted and overwhelmed, and he can't do it anymore. Even though he is a god. The inevitable consequences of his own actions and the fall of Xianle challenged his idealism and destroyed his heart so hard that he almost gave in and took his revenge on innocent people. But one person is enough, right?

One could argue that Xie Lian never really had it in him to do it, and I'd probably agree. The whole waiting for someone to help him before releasing the curse, and then trying to sacrifice himself when it eventually was too late to avoid it was enough of an indication for me. It only took the kindness of one person to make him change his heart. If he truly sought revenge, one person wouldn't have been enough. And damn if that didn't ruin Bai Wuxian's plans wonderfully lolll

Xie Lian knew in his heart that the people of Yong'an didn't deserve to pay the price for what happened to Xianle. Even though Bai Wuxian tried (and for a while succeeded) to make him believe it.

Straying from the path that Bai Wuxian wanted him to walk was not as easy as it seems. Bai Wuxian carefully paved all the paths for him, pushed Xie Lian in the directions he wanted him to go with the most violent methods I've ever seen, but Xie Lian always found a way to avoid it, also thanks to Hua Cheng's presence, even when he didn't know it was him (I have so many feelings about that imma cry skfjkefj). Hua Cheng always believed in him and knew what Xie Lian was truly capable of, and boy was he right gdi.

When Xie Lian went through the betrayal of Jun Wu, Hua Cheng's presence reminded him of who Xie Lian is and what he's become. The doubts Bai Wuxian put in his mind, the danger of the Human Face Desease threatening to be freed again, and the resolution to not give in into grief and pain and staying true to the person he had become were again overcome thanks to one person. Xie Lian could have never actually become what Bai Wuxian wanted him to, no matter what he threw at him.

In the end, Xie Lian learnt how to save the common people for real. And he realized that didn't have to do it alone! Instead, the common people themselves were part of the solution (the human array to contain the resentful spirits yknow). It does send an important message, and it's probably the most important thing that Xie Lian learnt: that one person alone cannot save all, if all don't want to be saved. It's a group effort, it takes time and heart and not everyone has it in their heart to risk their lives for the sake of others. Godly powers can only do so much, and a god cannot change fate from above. A god must instead support and protect the people, work with them, give them a boost, and in the end the people will save themselves.

It's a really nuanced and complicated process, I don't know how to explain it properly ajdkfjdl.

It's also worth mentioning that the relationship with Mu Qing and Feng Xin had all the potential to prevent much of what happened to Xie Lian. But just as Xie Lian was young and inexperienced, so were they. And despite all, until Xie Lian stopped thinking of them as servants, he couldn't grow. He had to lose them to truly understand the depth and worth of people believing in him. Which doesn't make it any less painful or sad... Things could have indeed gone differently, but the outcome would have never been the same. I'm glad in the end they kind of sorted it out though.

And the fact that Mu Qing and Feng Xin still cared for Xie Lian when he ascended for the third time was so evident in hindsight. Made me smile when I realized.

Also I liked that in the end Xie Lian didn't go rule the heavens or even go back to it, and instead stayed in the mortal realm to continue doing what he did for the past 800 years. Considering that young Xie Lian said clearly that he wanted to become a god, it's an important thing. It shows that in his mind the concept of gods and their role has changed, and he will stick to his new views despite the possibility of achieving what his young self wanted. Though this isn't just a consequence of book 5, it was shown even earlier when he first visited his palace in the heavens. Xie Lian didn't want to enter it, it made him uncomfortable, and instead sat outside waiting for Shi Qingxuan.

There are so many things to say about Xie Lian but idk if I have the competence to express them all akdjskfj I love his character to bits. His development was not banal in any way, and even though we didn't see all the 800 years it took for him to change, we do feel how gradual that was. Just think of when he met Banyue.

He was still a bit idealistic, telling her that his dream was to save the common people, but he already grew enough of a thick skin to understand when it was worth to pick a fight or not, and he wasn't picky on food (even cooking it himself in his helmet, with outrageous results). It might not seem much, but all things considered, it was a change.

In his first banishment he learnt how hard life was without his Crown Prince status, but he still picked fights with people and refused to eat some things because they weren't as high quality as the food he used to eat at the Royal Palace.

During his second banishment, he learnt to be humble and how problems couldn't be solved with just the right idea. He learnt the grayness of morality and life, how right and wrong are not absolute concepts. He experienced the worst fortune (by his own choice) and learnt how to not let it get to him, how to grow enough of a thick skin to get up each time and not take his frustration out on others.

Truly, Xie Lian is a great character. I have read the novel only one time so far, but I'm planning to reread it soon. So who knows, I might notice more things next time around! This was just my first impression Ahah

As for things I wish that were better explored in the story, I'd say Pei Ming's growth and maybe Ling Wen's motives (though I might have just blinked and missed this last part, because I was still reeling from the Black Water arc lmao).

About Pei Ming, I think he went through a considerable growth since the first time we see him, when he tries to save Little Pei from banishment. At first he gave me the impression of being the usual arrogant womanizer, who would do anything to avoid having his reputation tarnished. But blinking to book 5, we see that he's... Idk, it feels like he's taken that shameless arrogance and put it away, especially after interacting with the Rain Master. Their story is extremely important to his development imo. Their shared past held a place in his heart, and it resurfaced when he met the Rain Master again. I think he was deeply signed by her actions in the past, and he never forgot her.

It's shown when Pei Ming refuses to be saved by the Rain Master and refuses the sword she wants to give to her (which incidentally is the same sword that, yknow, she used to sacrifice herself in front of him back in the days). He says (or better, the people around him say) that it was out of pride, because he couldn't accept that a woman saved him. But he never confirmed or denied it, instead he ran after her "to help".

At the end of the story Pei Ming is not as loud and proud of his reputation as he was in the beginning, instead he seems humbled.

I think the Xuan Ji case also had an important role in his development. Considering how we see her dissolve having found peace after talking/fighting with Pei Ming during the Mount Tong'lu arc, I do think that Pei Ming himself must have reflected on himself a bit too.

He also lost his two best friends, Shi Wudu and Ling Wen, so... Yknow, my hualian ship captain must have had some changes.

Especially when it comes to the Rain Master, I feel there are good basis for a good friendship between them, despite the past. The Rain Master never showed open animosity towards him, instead she helped him. It seemed to me that Pei Ming is the one who believed she hated him, but it was never confirmed.

And maybe if you squint there could be more between them, if you're into that ahah. I wish we could have seen more of his grown version, though I do understand that it happened in the epilogue and the book is already as long as it can be ahaha. So really I'm not that sad it didn't happen, I'm happy that there are signs in the background that "hint" at that instead (if they can be considered hints, idk ahha).

About Ling Wen, ehhhh I want to reserve the right to reread and reconsider. Right now I feel like the Brocade Immortal thing was almost unnecessary? I like her background, how she became the biggest civil goddess of the heavens, but I didn't get why she created the brocade. Again though, I might just go back and reread that part later. Tbh I was reeling really hard after the Black Water arc, so I just blanked on some things akfjskf

Did the Brocade serve any purpose in the end? Aside from being the catalyst of Ling Wen's story arc and being one of the two mighty ghosts in Mount Tong'lu (and also giving that nice hualian scene where Hua Cheng was trying so hard to get kissies from Xie Lian ahaha). Idk, I'd like to hear your thoughts about this!!

I think I rambled enough, if you got to this point wow you're amazing! And thank you for going through this long rant Ahah. I hope it makes some sort of sense! Thank you again for the questions, talking about tgcf made me really happy!

[mountphoenixrp]

We have a returning citizen in Mount Phoenix:

                                  Freya, the Goddess of Fertility,                     whose origins stem from Ancient Scandinavia.                          She is now the owner of Dagger & Roses.

FC NAME/GROUP: Im Jinah ( After School ) GOD NAME: Freya PANTHEON: Norse OCCUPATION: Owner of Dagger & Roses HEIGHT: 171 cm (5 ft 6 in) WEIGHT: 49 kg (108 lbs) DEFINING FEATURES: Warm Brown Puppy Eyes Turns Silver When Uses Her Charm. Beauty Spot Under Her Left Eye.

PERSONALITY: The fairest of them all, Freyja, the goddess who was devoted to a fault constantly wanting to make everyone in presence feel special and only wishes for small trinkets to show their love to her. Their most basic desire is to be loved and accepted. They may express this by being extremely attentive and attached to other people. Freya tend to suppress her own negative emotions, which, when done frequently, can lead to high levels of stress or unexpected outbursts. The goddess is altruist, and they take seriously their responsibility to help and to do the right thing. Despite her collection of her finer things, she does spend a lot of time volunteering for charity especial animal shelters. Overall, Freya values order, love, compassion and wishes for peaceful world for all. Encourage, lift and strengthen one another. For the positive energy spread to one will be felt by us all.

HISTORY: Once upon a time, they were two beautiful Vannir god twins Freyr & Freyja, she was the goddess of fertility, love & beauty who were believed to rule the Vanaheim the land of Vanir gods. The twins along with their father Njörðr were given to the gods of Asgard in exchange for a peace treaty. The goddess naive heart fell deeply for the god Odin who became her husband by charming him with her beauty & wits however he was mysterious man who only care for seeking knowledge leaving Freyja feel such loneliness so started to fill the void with companionship of others and material possessions. It all began where she would cry unique gold tears when she missed him greatly as he was off on his adventures and the time where she could not find him as she hunted him across the earth after her beloved but once again he couldn’t be found. Freyja became known as party girl of the Aesmir as she enjoyed the simple pleasures in life, creating friendships, sharing love & living in the moment. The goddess surrounded herself with many lovers & treasures to fill the hole which her husband left inside her yet despite everything her heart still stay true to him no matter whomever she slept with, her heart still belong to Odin no matter what.

There is lot more to Freyja other than being party girl, Freya is the archetype of the völva, a professional or semiprofessional practitioner of seidr, the most organised form of Norse magic. It was she who first brought this art to the gods, and, by extension, to humans as well. Given her expertise in controlling and manipulating the desires, health, and prosperity of others, she’s a being whose knowledge and power are almost without equal. Not only she is well versed in witchcraft, Freyja is warrior goddess and she shared Odin’s love of battle. She and Odin divided the chosen slain human heroes so that some of them would come to Valhalla to live with Odin and some would go to Sessrumnir “the field of the host” – the hall of Freya. Freya War Goddess was a master of the Battle Boar whose name was Hildisvini. Her boar became the symbol of war. Apart from the boar, people believed that Freya got itchy feet that she always wanted to travel in her chariot pulled by black or grey cats. She was also in possession of a falcon feather which she used to fly across. This falcon feather once appeared in the rescue of the kidnapped Idun the goddess guarding the apples of youth. It was clear that goddess could not stand by doing nothing, she always wish to be doing something never resting or pause to think about things.

After Ragnarok everything changed, Freyja found herself in once again in a beautiful woman body along with the curse of people seeming to do anything for her. The only difference is that’s some reason her features were Asian not Nordic which was fascinating to her. The goddess saw this as do-over start over maybe found some peace & love which her heart desperately craved trying contain her thirst for battle. Living as simple human in different lifetimes, adapting to the fast-pace world. Not really feeling she belonged anywhere, she sometimes live for mortal help raise their child for some time before disappearing into night as start ask questions on why she never ages. Freyja would give herself many names throughout her travels, from Eva meaning the giver of life which is Hebrew take on Gefn which she used before when travelling Earth when searching for Odin.

Eventually Freyja finally makes her arrival to the mysterious mount phoenix not even sure what to expect in a place like this. The goddess did becomes the new owner of the flower mill since she loves the scent of flowers & beautiful staff members. As her time pretending to be human she became fond of coffee as it was her life source to get through the day. Business is mere child play for Freya too since she is very good always getting what she wants through manipulation so running flower mill wouldn’t be problem either. Unfortunately Freya had to go away on some secret business to tend to, sadly letting go of the ownership of Flower Mill. Freyja decided to create own business from scratch since there is no store which sells weapons or antiques she decided to create her own collection even selling some of her treasures. Naming the store Dagger & Roses creating floral aesthetic store with beautiful ornate swords, daggers & bows in the glass cabinets. The most dangerous things tend to be most beautiful even Freyja offering lessons to people who wish to learn art of fighting and make perfect warrior out of the customer who would be welcomed to Sessrumnir.

POWERS:

Absolute Beauty: The power to be infinitely beautiful and use it to affect others. Freyja possesses the rarest type of beauty there is ( pure infinite beauty ), which is even higher up than supernatural beauty. No one, no matter how different their beauty standards may seem, cannot deny this person’s beauty as truly unfathomable as this person possesses infinite beauty. Because of this, she can use people to get what they so desire. Some people with this ability may even have magical abilities as a result of their beauty. She can literally charm anyone into doing her bidding with a simple smile or gaze, allowing them to gain a higher advantage. Plant Generation: The power can generate plants, including vines, moss, fungi, and parts of the plants, such as leaves, seeds, fruits and flowers, whether by drawing them from already existing plants, or by manifesting them anywhere they want. The reason why flower mill always covered in such pretty floral due to this power and helps grows the freshest ingredients for her baked apple pies plus the constant supply of fresh coffee beans. Enhanced Combat: The ability to possess enhanced levels of hand-to-hand fighting skills and excel in various forms of combat. Freya fought alongside her husband Odin & Valkyries she loves good fight. Over the lifetimes she mastered various fighting styles but only to protect herself & others never fights only if she is forced too plus she trains to keep herself in shape. What do you expect from war goddess?? She’s more lover than fighter.

STRENGTHS: Freyja has level of grace, physical beauty, sense of style and social poise above that commonly found on earth. Not only she is beautiful outside, she is inside since she see her compassion & love as strength than weakness. War goddess knows how to defend herself against anything, she had to learn from previous instances of being kidnapped on how to escape through with the power of strength alone not charm or wits. She’s got silver tongue, somehow she can easily talk into doing something or her bidding if she wishes or talk her way out of it. She knows how to use her womanly charms to get what she wants and not afraid to use it. Optimistic world-view and upbeat attitude, she likes to see the world can be wonderful place despite the dark secrets and the constant war among the humans due to petty things like greed. Freyja believes in the good things and likes to share her positive opinion around. Building deep, personal connections, she likes to know what’s in people hearts to figure out whether they are good person or not. Freya doesn’t care on who you are to the society but who you are in general. She is very good at creating connections with other people cause of that curiosity. Being adaptable in stressful situations, she remains cool as cucumber as some would say. Freya knows how to handle difficult situations since she is used to being in them a lot. She spent eternity dealing Loki antics, nothing will surprise her anymore and willing to help others through the ordeal. Communicating clearly and effectively is one of main strength since she is very much social creature. Without this ability she wouldn’t been able to create the connections she has with others. Passion for serving others, she loves to please and seeing what joy it brings to others face. That what made Freyja such a good wife since she would have done anything for Odin without even thinking due to her devotion.

WEAKNESSES: Highly noticeable, can attract unwanted attention. Does not on-and-off her beauty to allow direct control or subversion of others’ wills. No control so she doesn’t know whether the person feelings are genuine or it’s her beauty curse. Most Gods are immune to her absolute beauty yet only affects them mildly but only wanting to be in her presence however it can cause humans or demi-gods to become obsessive about her. Which can be dangerous. Magpie syndrome, an irrational affinity for shiny objects. When a highly shiny object is seen by the sufferer it often may induce a compulsive need to claim it and several minutes of staring at said object in the sun. Tendency to be overly competitive or obsessive, she does like to win in without silly challenge even it simple game or something more grand. Freya already known for obsessive nature when comes to shiny things and beautiful objects even people so it is one of weaknesses for certain. Not acknowledging their own needs, she thinks about other needs before her own. Freyja is loyal to a fault and willing to go out of the way to help someone need not thinking about her needs or whether she is capable. She hates letting down other people and that’s her downfall. Taking criticism personally, words can simply cut like a sharp blade crushing Freyja instantly even though she may put on happy smile. The goddess is bleeding from the criticism even if it was over her cupcakes weren’t good enough. Criticizing themselves and others when under pressure, she is constantly questioned whether she is good enough in general and sometimes blame the others surrounding her too. It’s toxic trait she is trying her best to fix but sometimes wounds can’t be fixed so easily.

[tinyshe]

Important read

Only 6 percent of all alleged pandemic deaths are directly related to Covid-19

The US public health agency CDC recently released an update showing that 94 percent of all Americans who are officially said to have died due to Covid-19, had an average of 2,6 other contributing diagnoses or even causes of death. Despite these sensational revelations, destructive shutdowns and restrictions continue around the world as if nothing had happened.

This comes a month after it was revealed in the UK that those who once tested positive were then registered as deceased in Covid-19 – no matter how much later or for what reasons they then died. At the same time, it is now announced that 90 percent of all those who test positive probably do not even have the virus, which since August, may explain why 90 percent are reported to be asymptomatic.

On Saturday, August 26, the US National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its website. It contained a sensational revelation: Of all those who officially died of Covid-19 in the United States, which on September 2 was reported to be nearly 190 000 people, only 6 percent actually did not have one or more other serious illnesses or possible other causes of death.

The other 94 percent also had an average of 2,6 [sic] other illnesses or causes of death. Many were stunned by the news and waited for the political and media establishment in the United States and perhaps even the outside world, not least the countries that had completely ruined their economies and populations through draconian virus restrictions, to comment and immediately change their guidelines and lift shutdowns.

But the only thing that was heard from world leaders was a retweet of the news from President Donald Trump, who that the CDC had quietly updated the Covid numbers. There were 9 210 deaths, and the other 94 percent had 2-3 other serious medical conditions and the absolute majority were very old.

The tweet was deleted by Twitter. The almost total silence is deafening.

The news is by no means unique to the United States, but it has emerged in countless countries that the figures for Covid-19 have been grossly exaggerated. One example is the United Kingdom, where the country’s Minister of Health Matt Hancock in July called for an investigation into the death toll for Covid-19.

This after it was revealed that those who had ever tested positive for the Coronavirus had it noted as a cause of death – regardless of how long after the test or of what cause, they had died. Scotland and Northern Ireland contented themselves with “only” doing so up to 28 days after the test.

The astonishing scandal was hardly given any space at all in the system media.

Among those who in the official US statistics are said to have died of Covid-19, some 5 133 had also died of “intentional and unintentional injury, poisoning and other side effects”. In total, seven causes were noted with internationally accepted diagnostic codes (ICD-10) and among these are suicide (T14), traffic accidents with pedestrians (V01), assault (Y09) and war-related deaths (Y36).

Overall, almost every conceivable way of dying seems to have been listed, but they are all reported in the media as having died of the “deadly” Coronavirus.

This information completely overturns what has been reported so far by authorities and the media in the United States, but despite this, mum’s the word.

The US president tried to inform his people by retweeting the news, but the tweet was quickly taken down by Twitter, arguing that it violated their rules. Financial analyst Jeff Berwick, one of the first to report it via his YouTube channel Dollar Vigilante, had his video taken down quickly every time it was uploaded. The system media’s and the big technology companies’ attempts to silence the news failed, however, as it spread like wildfire on social media.

An exception was the New York Post, which reported on the CDC’s figures on August 31 in an article entitled “94 percent of Americans who died of Covid-19 had a contributing disease state – CDC”. In the article, the newspaper writes that “the figures are based on death certificates, which the agency [CDC] called ‘the most reliable data source'”.

CNN had previously written that Covid-19 is so deadly that it could be compared to “two jumbo jets with Americans crashing every day” or “two terrorist attacks like 9/11 happening every week”.

Meanwhile, the high death toll continues to be officially reported, with the United States registering the highest number in the world, even though we now know that 94 percent of these have an average of 2,6 underlying serious diseases or even causes of death.

And if we compare the now official figures on September 2 of 189 964 to the current population in the United States of 331 million, we get a mortality rate of 0,057.

WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus, the communist génocidaire and former top member of a terrorist organization who is not even a doctor, sowed panic around the world on March 17 when he said that 3,4 percent of the world’s population was at risk of dying from the “new Coronavirus”.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on August 29 that potentially 90 percent of all those who have tested positive for Covid-19 have such insignificant amounts of the virus in their bodies that they do not need to be isolated, nor are they candidates for contact tracing. The newspaper further writes that leading public health experts are now worried about “over-testing”.

The question is not only why restrictions that have already destroyed the world economy and billions of people’s lives are allowed to continue, but how in the name of public health it can be justified that millions of sick people around the world are forced to wait in long queues to get treatment or even see a doctor. The media in the UK reported at the end of August that the restrictions there have now led to sick Britons being forced to wait until 2022.

German urologist Yves Oberndörfer, says he has had daily contact with dangerous and deadly diseases and infections for more than 30 years. “Covid-19 is not one of them.”

“Since the end of March I have advised every one of my patients who asked, to calm down and put aside their fear. Yes, I too was worried until February. The force of the media also impressed me.” But he says his medical responsibility forces him to acknowledge that this “pandemic” only exists as a “laboratory pandemic”.

“That means it is diagnosed in the laboratory, without it being known whether the person is or is becoming sick. And for whatever reason, testing continues. You cannot tell from a positive laboratory finding whether a person is or will be sick.”

According to Oberndörfer, the most important question that everyone can and should ask is, where are all the dead?

Published: September 11, 2020, 9:26 am

[deadendtabletop]

A SYSTEM AGNOSTIC MAGIC ITEMS POST

Gemstone of renewal Considered to be a true source of immortality, the gemstone keeps the user alive by fusing with their being. As long as the gemstone remains fused to the user, they will immediately be revived by any trauma but will not regenerate any lost limbs, prevent their aging, cure diseases, purge poisons or help them recover to full health. In the event that the wielder's body is atomized, the gemstone will keep the user alive and somehow aware, until its effects are undone by an appropriately powerful magical effect. The black hand of Aver Null When Aver-Null, high deathspeaker, perished on his final battle, his body was paraded across the length and breadth of the kingdom, where his body was picked apart by the pious and the overly zealous that came to view it. These body parts were gradually incorporated into a number of magical workings and items, leaving just his blackened hand as the last remaining vestige of his mortal remains. Magical users that wish to invoke the powers of the hand of Aver Null can break away a finger to bring a single powerful necromantic effect into being or use them to incorporate into a suitably powerful artifact. At this time, its little finger and its nails are missing, presumably having already been used by an industrious adept. Ever-Hammer This blacksmith’s hammer allows the user to create masterwork armour and weapons, even if they have never worked metal before. The catch? Once they start they cannot stop. Ever. After claiming the lives of its first few users the hammer was hidden away, to prevent further loss of life. However it was eventually uncovered and put to use once again. However this time its owner is a cruel slave master, who forces disobedient or otherwise useless slaves to use it, to milk as much possible profit out of them before they inevitably perish. The blade encarmine Despite its name, the blade encarmine is not in itself a weapon but instead an intelligent curse that infects its wielder's blood. When the blad encarmine wishes to assist its user, its shoots out of the wielder's body, taking the shape of a magical weapon that is appropriate to their situation which can harm even magiacally augmented creatures or otherworldly beings. This harms the wielder considerably and could tear older wounds. The blade, however, is also affected by its host's emotions while possessing a sort of intelligence and could lash out at someone that draws the host's ire or even attack a friend that attempts to remove it. In the event of the wielder's death, the blade can renaimate the body for a limited time, until it can infect a new host. Navel of Worlds A small grey pebble, looks like nothing really. Is much heavier than it appears. It can be used once a year to open up a portal to another plane of existence, and must then be given to a stranger on that plane for it to work again next year. The portal will be open for anyone of the opener’s choosing, until the next dawn. The Aeon Vambrace An ancient artifact of immense power, the Aeon Vambrace offers complete invlulnerability to its wearer's forearms and them alone, leaving the rest of the body susceptible to harm. This aspect has caused the rumor of an Aeon set of armor to exist, which makes the wearer functionally invincible and grants them a number of extraordinary powers as well. While there is no truth to these rumors, seekers of the set will often try to steal or gain ownership of the Vambraces, hoping that this will somehow unearth the remaining parts of the artifact. Amulet of Roses Created by an ancient order of assassins against a group of vampiric tyrants, the Amulet of Roses makes the user's blood and fluids highly caustic to any undead being. Prolonged use of the Amulet can cause the wearer to "flower", with rose-like growths blossoming over wounds, up to roots sprouting from their heels, rooting them to the spot. Any wearer that dies while wearing it will explosively blossom into a rose bush, the blossoms and wood of which repel the undead. The candle of dawn Seemingly mundane, the candle of dawn burns with a different magical fire depending on the spoken command word: The first causes a blade of silvery flame to whip out of the wick, grievously harming creatures of the night and the undead. The second command word causes the candle to shed an ord of bluish light that repels demonic and otherworldly entities. The third command word causes the candle to release a burst of golden light, instantly undoing any nearby illusions. Any use significantly consumes the wax of the candle, which is irreplaceable. Some say that it is the last remaining part of an ancient safegard against the Night Court, but those warnings go largely unheeded. Folly Intelligence-eating invaders from another plane of existence, the Folly disguise themselves as magical items of considerable power and appear to be so at first glance. Wearers that wield of use the Folly become absolutely convinved that these items are the real deal and will rationalize why an effect may have failed in any way possible, except by blaming the Folly itself. The effect persists until the Folly has turned he user into a helpless bumbling idiot, at which point it leads its weilder to a convenient position and consumes them, fueling their transformation to their next form to lure a new victim. Logovos An ancient Elvish long bow, said to be the first bow of the summer court. The wood is always blooming with small flowers and smells of long summer day. Legend says the wielder of the bow has the right to challenge for the seat of summer and rule the court. A Vorpal Sword named Pookie The last word to remain from the deadly lexicon of a forgotten civilization, Pookie is an intelligent sword reprusposed from an enchanted executioner's axe. While the sword remains as lethal as ever, with the ability to even cut through magical barriers with minimal effort, it is very much embarassed of its name (which it is compelled to utter when asked) and will avoid speaking unless circumstances force it to. Bagful of heads Used by necromancers to complete spells requiring skulls, or other parts of a humanoid head. Works like a Bag of Holding, in that the user can request a specific part of the head, and heads will not rot while inside the bag. Bagful of Heads will not be able to be used by anyone without an Evil alignment, and will use teeth at the opening of the bag to bite hands of non-Evil PCs attempting to use the Bagful of Heads. Heads must be furnished to the bag by the Evil PC, if a particular type of humanoid head is needed. Also useful for bounty hunters. Holds up to 50 regular sized human-type heads, or 10 Giant-sized heads. Bag remains the weight of one human head, no matter how full. If the bag becomes empty, a new head must be provided in 24 hrs, or the empty Bagful of Heads will attempt to eat the owner's head in one yawning bite once per hour until a new head is found for the bag. Signet Ring of Chaos Intended for use by michievous individuals or agents of Chaos, the signet ring will always create the illusion of the user possessing a rank that will more effectively allow them to spread dissent. When used to seal a document, the seal will not only produce an almost perfect replica of the intended seal but will alter the sealed document for maximum discord. These effects remain in place as long as the signet ring is worn and persist even after the wielder has perished. When a new wielder tries the ring, the events 'reshuffle', making them excellent choices for destroying historical or other records. These effects are beyond the agent's control however and may shift, often putting their own lives or missions at risk in the process. Collapsible Hive karak of Tammaz was an eccentric even amoungst enchanters. This however was one of his great breakthroughs. It is a golden figurine of a bee, about 4 inches long and immaculately detailed. When a woman who has had children wipes the figurines eyes with honey, it comes alive and multiplies into thousands of copies of itself, made of golden light. In the next hour, they will make a beehive that is about 20 feet tall and 50 feet wide from golden light and local materials. The person who activated the bee, anyone she touches on the eyes with honey, and any of her family or lovers will be welcomed and protected by the magical bee constructs, and fed a nourishing but sickly sweet honey. Anyone else who comes near will be viciously attacked. The next day the bees will industriously take the hive apart, and return bact to the initial figurine. The Reaper’s Mask A featurless sheet mask that covers the entirety of the wearer's face, the Reaper's Mask allows them to converse with the dead and interact with ghotly presences, as long as the user makes sure to dip the Reaper's Mask in blood regularly. However, the Mask attracts predators from the afterlife as well as overly ambitious necromancers, not to mention the original Reaper, who doesn;t appreciate the fact that their mask has been misplaced. Picky the Lockpick A lockpick once wielded by a legendary thief, picky instantly undoes any lock with minimal effort, up to and including magical locks, arcane barriers or metaphorical locks, like repressed memories or past lives. However, Picky ocassionally requires venting by its wielder. Failure to do so results in an explosive lockpick that undoes any kind of binding, attunements or containment measures within a very large area with possibly catastrophic results. Wizard burger Made of real ancient wizard (supposedly). The pickles humm and crackle, and the cheese whispers. When consumed, gain 100 temporary hit points, +12 to AC, and a faint onion aroma. Spell fades after four hours, and the eater of said burger gains poisoned status for another four hours. This can not be removed my magical means. If a non-wizard eats it, nothing happens.

Horn of doom or glory (1 remaining charge)     The horn was a gift from a god saddened by the deaths in a battle. It has been coveted by armies in dire situations snd changed the fate of many great events. When one blows the horn, the mightiest member of the opposition is magically compelled to enter into a duel with the user. No one else will have the strength to intervene. The winner of this duel turns the entire coflict in their favour, and the god curses the losers. The losing side's strength flees them. Their morale breaks. They become lambs to the slaughter. The scarlet standard Once the shroud of a child-king, whose mother attempted to resurrect in defiance of the gods, after he was tragically slain in his very first battle, the scarlet standard has the power to restore the dead to life but at the risk of incurring the gods' wrath. Any dead person wrapped with the standard will return to the land of the living but will be plagued by vermin, find that the earth they step upon is blighted or inexplicably drive those he meets into fits of rage. However, they will find that they are far more capable of placating the undead or the damned, who will consider them kindred spirits, of sorts. While this does not alter the resurrected person's character, it may very well cause them to cross paths with previously friendly and more pious champions they might have thought as friends. The forgotten prince's crown The most prized possession in the Beggar Lord's hoard, the Forgotten Prince's Crown allows the wearer to assume the form of a noble warrior, his name and deeds lost to history and time. While wearing the crown, the wearer is whisked away to a pocket realm, where their body is mended of its ails and wounds and they are pampered by beutiful otherworldly presences. While in the pocket dimension, they assume the role of the forgotten prince, walking in a perfectly sculted body and speaking with a voice that commands even the bests of the field into submission. They are returned back home the next day and while their wounds remain healed, their chronic ailments return within the next few hours, the experience lingering in their minds during the weeks it takes the crown to recharge. Archbeatous, the Geomancers Warhammer An enchanted menhir infused with a trapped elemental, Archbeatous guards the entrance to the Sepulchre of the Old One, smashing any grave robbers or cultist that venture to close to the UR-god. During the centuries, archbeatous has picked up a number of songs and can be heard humming a jig while smashing invaders to bits. A small cult of roving strongmen have also gathered around the Archbeatous, which enjoys the company as they use it to measure their strength against each other. Pickled Seer This seer that has been pickled can be consumed for temporary ability to see A) into the future B) a remote location or person or C) a person’s or object’s past. Bardoon's Instant Transposer This small silver box with engraved with caterpillar and butterfly imagery looks like it would only hold an item no larger than a fist, however the enchantment allows it to hold much more, similar to a bag of holding. unlike a bag of holding though, this item allows you to imprint an object using a command word, thereafter any objects you put in the box should they be made of the same materials, will be transposed into the shape of the imprinted object, for example, if one imprints a longsword to the boxes memory and then tosses in some steel wood and leather, they would be able to pull an exact replica of the imprinted object. Morgan’s Perilous Oddity The item always remains hidden, either obscured by a veil, stashed away in a box or hidden inside a bag. While in this state, the item is impossible to describe. Those exposed to the item are unwilling to do so and any attempts to divine its nature or specifics always result in failure. Exposing the item to another living, intelligent being always results in an extreme, catastrophic reaction: some fall to their knees at the sight of it, while others will go berserk and attempt to destroy it or the wielder. There appears ot be no connecting thread or means to deinfe what results in these reactions. After having been exposed, the item will obscure itself once again, inside another container or via other means. Book of the Mother A book of children’s stories and nursery rhymes that when read aloud to a small child at dusk will cause the child to be comforted and sleep soundly. The child is also bound to the reader for ever and will be at a disadvantage to disobey requests made by the reader until the enchantment is broken.

[aelaer]

Whumptober 20: Trembling

Guess who's back in this story.

This fills @stephenstrangebingo​ for "Curse" (and my first bingo on that card, finally).

If you want to get a feel for Narrator before diving into this, you can read his unpleasantness in #2: Explosion and #7: Isolation. It's not required to read those to understand this story, though.

Warnings: Nothing I can think of in particular, other than that the narrator delights in the suffering of others.

20. Trembling

Oh, you won't believe what happened— I mean it! You won't believe the gift I had dropped right in my lap just now. Sit still and listen for a second. I mean, time hardly matters here anyway, does it? So just— just listen. I need to share this with someone.

Now as you know, I get a lot of calls for favours and deals. It's what I do, what I look for, and it certainly keeps the place populated, which is the entire point of the business. Without a population, this whole dimension would eventually wither and fade, and where would that leave me? You get it.

Souls are what keep the realm going. While minor demons are useful, it is the souls from mortal planes that have power, though most mortals are completely oblivious to the vast amount of energy within their souls. And me, well, I have found that I have a taste for human souls. There's something about their capacity to be so good, only to fall to the most depraved acts imaginable that makes my metaphorical heart sing in joy.

Take the human I just met. He was rather bitter about being kicked out of his little group and wanted revenge on the leader. This is rather par for the course when it comes to those calling upon my dimension for some sort of task or power, so I let one of the grunts handle it.

The grunt came back and gave me the details and I nearly danced in joy. Gave the grunt a soul to play with; grunts that just know when I'm not needed and when I am needed are hard to come by, and I want him to know I appreciate it; can't have him being poached by some other entity.

So here I go up, putting on the shape the grunt was wearing for the job (which turned out to be more human-like than I usually go with, but that's fine), and to the human that reached out to us it doesn't look like anything's changed at all. For all he knows, he's talking to the same demon.

A quick review of the conversation so far later, I offer the summoner a sympathetic smile. "Tell me more about this Stephen Strange," I said, as if I didn't know anything about him. Play a bit dumb here and there, and humans grow much more comfortable around you, as if you're one of them. It's just adorable.

"He's an egotistical asshole," the summoner spat, "who has no business being the Sorcerer Supreme!"

I admit I had forgotten that they promoted him after that tiff with Nightmare (who's still the same moron he was five hundred Earth years ago, so you're not missing anything with him) and Strange had certainly proved himself capable enough. So for someone reaching out to me to help take down him?

Yeah, you see why I'm just so damn pleased.

Anyway, he went on with this and that, explaining that he didn't deserve to be kicked out of Kamar-Taj, that Strange was an idiot, et cetera, et cetera. You know how summoners can get. I let him rant for a few minutes until he finally stopped for a breath, and then I asked him, "What do you want to do?"

"Make him pay," the summoner replied. 

I must say, I kept my calm quite impressively at his useless answer. No good at blowing up at a summoner before we seal a deal, after all. "What would you like in order to accomplish that?" I asked quite patiently.

The summoner paused a moment, and really, I don't quite understand how some of these summoners are ready to sell their souls without a concise idea of what they exactly want prepared. While vague requests such as "power" and "wealth" are incredibly convenient for me, sometimes something more planned out would be a nice change of pace.

He eventually answered, "He has this doctor friend who knew him from before that comes to the New York Sanctum to still see him from time to time. Once even went to Kamar-Taj. I don't know if they're sleeping together or what, but Strange definitely cares for her. I want her cursed. Take her soul to tear him apart."

I admit, I was impressed by his thinking. I was expecting the usual "powers to destroy him" or something of the sort— you know how it tends to go— but this was a creativity I could appreciate. Curses and soul-taking, however? Two different things. "I can take her with me. Call that the curse." Not her soul alone, naturally, but I didn't say that I'd take her soul. But you know how humans are: they hear what they want to hear. "Do you know her name?"

"Palmer. Doctor Christine Palmer," he confirmed.

I could have found it myself if need be, of course, but he certainly sped up the process. "I will take Doctor Christine Palmer from this world, and in return, your soul comes to me upon your death." I then offered my hand

He didn't even hesitate! He gripped my hand and said, "Deal," and that was that. Soul in the bag. And what a treat to secure it!

Oh, yeah, I've already done as he asked. How could I help myself? It was a simple task and I was already on the mortal plane— and I had a bit of fun in the process, too.

I located the woman quickly in her apartment and put on the guise of Doctor Strange before appearing before her. She jumped and frowned at my sudden appearance, but as she has no skills in sorcery, immediately believed me to be him. "Stephen!" she said with a frown. "I told you not to portal into my apartment! You need to knock unless I say otherwise."

"There's not much time," I said, and her frown turned into a look of confusion. "You're in danger. You need to come with me."

She was worried, of course, and asked me, "What? Stephen, what's happening?"

"We need to go," I said. "Come with me." I then offered her my hand to take. You see where this is going.

Of course she took my hand. Interestingly enough, the moment she took it she realized something was not right; I could see it in her expression. And she told me, "Your hand isn't trembling."

Whoops; my bad, right? But the hard part was already done; she gave me her hand. She tried to pull it away, of course, but, well, it was something of a pathetic struggle on her part. "Stephen, let me go."

I decided to let the guise from my face fall and said, "No, I don't think so," as I looked back at her.

It's been a long time since I've heard such a wonderfully terrified mortal scream. It's really made me consider that I should go out and take a few more summonings rather than having the grunts do all of them, or at least find some interesting fulfillments.

The woman? Oh, she's fine. I just have her sleeping. She's not really important in this, after all. She's only a prop for the real prize. And I left Strange enough hints that I expect he will be summoning me in no time at all.

———— 

Oh, here we go. And a summoning to force me to come in person rather than giving me the ability to send a grunt in my stead; well done, Strange. But I was coming prepared.

A bit of a pull, and I found myself within a very well-warded and power-containing summoning circle. They put up runes to attempt to force my true self, but I've been able to beat those for over a thousand years, now.

So instead of facing the form that I tend to wear in my dimension, Strange and four other sorcerers were faced with the visage of the woman who called herself The Ancient One. And the expression on their faces? Absolutely priceless.

The one I knew as Hamir spoke first. "Reveal your true form."

"I don't think I will," I said, giving the sorcerers a small smile. I ran a hand over my currently bald head; not personally a look I'd go for myself, but I suppose it added to her enigma.

The woman called Minoru tried to cast a spell to remove my form and oh, that was precious. The summoning circle contained my power, but within its bounds? Her spells were nothing.

"What is your name, demon?" asked Hamir.

"It is mine, for now," I said. Let them think they were dealing with a lesser demon for now; I was saving my reveal for later.

Strange, now, Strange was outright trembling in rage. An unexpected bonus; I was expecting something more stoic. "What do you want with Christine?" he asked, and I appreciated his candour. Straight to the point.

"I don't want anything with her," I answered. "Unfortunately for her, someone didn't like her all that much and cursed her soul to my realm."

"No," said the sorcerer named Wong. "Demons can only entrap souls within their realms that deliberately submit to their will. You cannot contain her soul."

"Ah, someone's done their homework," I said, but I admit I was delighted; it is so difficult to come across anything remotely challenging in my existence, and dealing with sorcerers that understood how it worked? What can I say; it was a breath of fresh air. "You are correct; her soul is not mine. But there are no rules against containing her living body within my realm until her soul sees fit to depart. Usually it's not worth the effort, but a curse is a curse." It really wasn't worth the effort; humans had to eat and drink all the time and it was just so much busy work. I'll stick to souls, thank you very much.

The newly minted Sorcerer Supreme was staring at me with narrowed eyes; the trembling had lessened, but it was there— oh, and especially in his hands. I see why the woman saw, or rather felt, the difference. "But this is not a curse in the usual sense of the term. You cannot curse physical bodies to other dimensions. Someone must have made a bargain with you."

Oh, what a true delight! Doctor Strange lived up to his growing reputation. "Quite so."

His eyes remained narrow. "I would bargain for her safe return to Earth." Beside him, Hamir stiffened in dismay.

I gave Strange a toothy grin, which, upon the face of the Ancient One, seemed to disturb the sorcerers gathered; that was amusing. "A small price of a soul would do it in a heartbeat."

Before he could answer, Wong immediately said, "Rejected. A mortal lifetime is not of the same value as a soul for an eternity."

Damn. Well, it was worth a shot. Strange, though, Strange was unable to hide his pain and anger at Wong's comment. Interesting.

"Can't blame me for trying," I said in turn. "Still, I am willing to bargain with you." I set my focus on Strange. "But bargain with you alone and in my own realm. Besides, you want to see your friend, yes?"

He did not answer immediately, and from what I could tell, they were communicating silently with each other. The summoning circle was strong enough that I could not intrude upon their thoughts, sadly, but I knew what the answer was going to be. Even if the other four sorcerers were against him, Strange was more than stubborn enough not to listen to them.

Eventually Strange answered, "I agree to bargain with you within your realm concerning Christine Palmer's safe return."

Carefully worded. Not an idiot. This was going to be fun. "Come with me," I said, offering my hand out.

Strange spared a last glance at the other sorcerers before walking towards me. Sadly he did not take my hand, but again, he knew what he was doing. I have to say I was just a bit giddy for the challenge.

I set my hand on his shoulder and said, "Cut the cord." I could feel Strange exhale under my hand, and with a gesture he extinguished all wards that forced me to the mortal plane. We were pulled through the multiverse together and the blink of an eye later, we were within my dimension.

I let the guise of the Ancient One fall from my visage and I grew in height and my skin reddened as I shifted into my chosen form for my home dimension. Strange was tense under my hand that had yet to leave his shoulder; he looked at his surroundings with a completely stoic expression, but I could feel the despair edging in. And he hadn't even looked at my shifting form yet.

Once I became me again, I finally introduced myself, like a proper host should. "I am Mephisto," I said, and I couldn't help but grin. "Welcome to Hell."

Quick question: Naturally this series isn’t done yet, but I haven’t decided if I want to continue in the Narrator’s (well, Mephisto’s) POV or if I should go back to my usual third person limited with Stephen. Any opinions?

Oh and Mephisto’s characterization is basically all inspired by the Damnation arc. I adore how he was written in that arc.

[ozarkhealingtraditions]

Spirit Obsession

Relationships between mortals and spirits can be viewed in a positive or negative light. Sometimes when we encounter spirits the information given (and the experience in general) is enlightening and helpful. Other times we encounter spirits who just want to joke around, or who pose as well-meaning characters as a sort of trick. Identifying spirits of this type will be talked about at a later time. For this post I'd like to look at those negative interactions with spirits, or what people have historically called "hauntings" or "demonic possession".

In the light of Spiritism there are no demonic possessions, and there aren't really even demons, in fact. There are only higher and lower order spirits. These can be viewed as "good" or "evil" but I tend to view them on the "ignorant" and "altruistic" spectrum instead. In Spiritism we don't use the word "possession" because we believe that a person's spirit cannot leave its body until death. Instead we use the word "obsession" meaning the influence (negative or positive, but most often negative) of one spirit over another, and in this case a spirit over the spirit contained within a sentient, living body. Obsession is seen as one of the major dangers in being a spirit medium, as it is easy to get ensnared by a troubled spirit but very difficult to escape. Once you know what obsession is, though, and how to prevent it, you're not likely to be preyed upon by a lower level spirit, and you might even gain enough experience to help break other mediums free of such control.

There are three different types of obsession named by Allan Kardec. These are:

Simple Obsession

Fascination

Subjugation

Simple Obsession

Simple obsession in its basic form is when a spirit (in this case a lower level or what we might call a "maleficent" spirit) imposes themselves upon a medium so as to either block all communications with other spirits, or pose as certain spirits so that only their messages can be heard. This is the easiest form of obsession to verify through direct questioning, as these types of spirits rarely try and conceal themselves too much. If the medium can keep on their guard, and remain skeptical, they can perform a simple back and forth with the spirit and are usually able to figure out that there is a lower level entity trying to force their way into the conversation. At this point, the medium can stop all communication, or call in their own guides to deal with the situation, or they might even talk with the interrupting spirit and try to get them to elevate, or turn from their lower order actions. This is the hard way, but one that many mediums feel is an integral part of their life's purpose.

This category also includes all physical obsession, such as loud, spontaneous noises made not for communication but to annoy the listener. Most cases of haunted houses are connected to these trickster spirits trying to get a rise out of a person (which is in and of itself a form of simple obsession).

Fascination

This form of obsession is much more difficult to deal with. This represents a direct action of a spirit upon the mind of the medium. They are so enthralled by the confidence and messages given to them by the spirit that they are blinded to the fact that the messages are false and from a spirit who wants nothing more than to be a stumbling block for the medium.

Here's what Kardec has to say about the differences between simple obsession and fascination:

"The difference between simple obsession and fascination is easily understood, as is also the different quality of the spirits by whom they are produced. In obsession, the spirit who attaches himself to us is only importunate and annoying from his tenacity; he is a being we are impatient to be rid of. In fascination, it is quite otherwise, for, in order to compass his ends, the evil spirit must be adroit, cunning, and hypocritical, imposing upon his victim, and getting himself accepted, with the aid of a false semblance of virtue, and a lavish employment of words and phrases, such as 'charity,' 'humility,' 'the love of God,' &c., which men are apt to regard as credentials, though the tenor of his communications show a degree of inferiority which only the fascination he exercises over his medium can prevent the latter from perceiving. A spirit of this class, therefore, dreads the presence of clear-sighted judges who would see through his deceptions, and directs his efforts especially to inspiring his victim with the determination to avoid every one who could undeceive him. By so doing, he avoids contradiction, and is always able to prove himself, in the eyes of his unfortunate medium, to be in the right."

Subjugation

This form of obsession represents what historically we might have called "possession". Here the intruding spirit has complete control over the functions of the medium, essentially controlling their spirit with their own. This can be morally, whereby the medium is led to say and do things contrary to what they might normally do. Sudden bursts of hatred or envy might define this category. This form of obsession can also manifest corporeally, whereby the medium might be thrown into a sudden violent rage which is completely against their everyday character.

Signs of Obsession

From Kardec:

The persistence of a spirit in communicating, whether he is wanted or not, by writing, by sounds, by typtology, &c., and his persistence in preventing other spirits from manifesting themselves

The illusion which, notwithstanding the intelligence of the medium, prevents his seeing the falsity or absurdity of the communications which he receives

Belief in the absolute identity and infallibility of spirits, who, under respected and venerated names, say false and foolish things

The medium's confidence in the praises heaped on him by the spirits who communicate through him

A disposition to shun the presence of those who might give him useful advice

Offence taken at criticism of communications received by him

An incessant desire to write, &c., without regard to time and place

Physical constraint over-ruling the medium's will, and forcing him to speak and to act in spite of himself

Persistent noises and other disturbances around the medium, of which he is at once the cause and the object

Methods to Combat Obsession

The main method given to us by the spirit world is looking to a higher order spirit for aid. We all have guides, guardians, and ancestral spirits around us at all times, and we are told that well before you begin any acts as a medium you should appeal to and get to know your own guardian spirit. In most cases of obsession a medium either hasn't appealed to any higher order spirit (i.e. they just rush into channeling as a sort of game) or they are performing some act that their guardian cannot condone, and therefore they let them become obsessed as a lesson. A higher order spirit is more than capable of handling all cases of obsession, and many mediums won't ever even experience obsession within themselves because they have fostered good values within themselves and have trust in their guardians.

But some mediums are tasked with bringing others out of obsession. For this let's look at what Kardec has to say first about bringing people out of fascination:

"But when mediums are fascinated, it is altogether different; for, in that case, the authority usurped by the obsessing spirit over his victim has no limits. The only thing to be done for the fascinated medium is to try to convince him that he is deceived, and to bring him back to a state of simple obsession; but this is never an easy matter, and is sometimes impossible. The ascendancy of the obsessing spirit may be so complete as to render the fascinated medium deaf to every argument, and even to persuade him, when he ventures on some assertion contradicted by positive science, that science is in the wrong. As we have already pointed out, the fascinated medium generally receives advice with a very ill grace; he is irritated by criticism, and takes a dislike to those who do not share his infatuation. To doubt the superiority of his beloved spirit is a sort of sacrilege in his eyes; and that is just the state of mind which the obsessor desires to maintain on the part of his victim...the best plan, when we find it impossible to open the eyes of a fascinated medium, is to leave him to his illusions. The sick man cannot be made whole as long as he hugs his disease, and refuses to follow the wise advice that would cure him."

In cases of subjugation an outside source of help is always needed as mediums who are subjugated by a spirit are hardly ever able to help themselves. For people who are under this kind of spirit control the only help we can offer is by communicating with the spirit themselves, counseling them and asking them to leave, or communicating with a higher order spirit who is able to push away the imposing spirit with ease. These situations are always difficult and need to be approached cautiously. As Kardec says:

"We can only, in regard to this matter, give general counsels; for no physical action is of any use. There is no exorcism, no sacramental formula, that can drive away obsessing spirits...It is always well, in regard to the cure of obsession, to take counsel of a superior spirit, or of the guardian-angel of the person obsessed, through a good medium."

To conclude, there might be many asking themselves what the point of Spiritism is if there are so many dangers to contend with. To that question I would like to quote Kardec on the matter:

"To sum up: the danger is not in spiritism, since spiritism enables us, on the contrary, to guard ourselves against a danger to which, without it, we are incessantly exposed, while unaware of its existence. The real danger consists in the propensity of many mediums to believe themselves to be the sole instruments of superior spirits, and in the fascination which blinds them to the absurdity of the statements made through them. But those who are not mediums may incur the same danger, as is shown in the following illustration - A man has, without knowing it, a secret enemy, who spreads abroad the vilest calumnies against him. He finds his affairs going wrong, his friends forsaking him, and his domestic happiness destroyed; for, being unable to discover the hand which stabs him, he cannot defend himself; and succumbs to his unseen foe. But the latter at length writes him a letter in which, despite his cunning, he betrays his identity and his machinations; and, as he is now discovered, his victim is enabled to confound him, and regains his former position. Such is the part played by evil spirits, and such is the aid which is given to us by spiritism in discovering and defeating their attacks."

[heroes-hq-blog1]

TAROT IS OFFICIALLY READY TO JOIN THE ACADEMY!

› ASTRALIS OS’HE SOSTRARA › 991 YEARS OLD › ASTROLOGICAL MAGIC › 4 YEARS IN THE ACADEMY

POWER

Astrological magic. By tapping into the mystic energy surrounding astrology and their ruling planets, the user is able to wield cosmic magic. As this is a celestial magic, a user is able to use basic magic at all times, but the more powerful and offensive strengths lie with that which is directly empowered by zodiac houses.

STRENGTHS

ALIEN PHYSIOLOGY. Though she looks human, Astra is an entirely different species, and as such there are difference between her body and that of those born on Earth. ( + ) She has enhanced strength, endurance and speed compared to a mortal. ( + ) She has more durable skin and can handle prolonged exposure to extreme heat and cold.

ASTROLOGY MAGIC. Largely akin to any other magic, this is simply drawn from and powered by the celestial bodies and astrology. ( + ) Divination. A result of her magic, in the same way that horoscopes are researched and written by astrologers, Astra is able to interpret the future through the movement of celestial bodies through zodiac houses. This works quite well when interpreting for individuals, particularly when they have a singular topic they want to address (romance, career, health, etc). She can access this power at all times. ( + ) Magic telekinesis. The bulk of the power falls under this umbrella. By manipulating magic energy, she is able to lift, move, compress, etc objects. She is also able to use this for a kind of flight, though it’s not true flight, and instead created by propelling magic towards the ground or through the air to shift her position. ( + ) Magical energy blasts.

( + ) ZODIAC EMPOWERMENT. What is most notable about Astra’s powers is the changes they undergo. For the month of each zodiac sign, she is able to empower herself and embody them. The powers are different for every zodiac, but often include at least one physical aspect (eg. horns in Taurus season, feline physiology in Leo season) and manipulation facet (poison generation in Scorpio, earth manipulation in Capricorn).

WEAKNESSES

ALIEN PHYSIOLOGY. ( - ) Her body has a tough outer skin because of the very weak and vulnerable innards that all of her species posses. She is extremely perceptible to ingestible poisons - even slight dosages meant to subdue rather than kill could prove fatal to her. Her internal organs are so susceptible to mortal food that she even throws up quite easily. ( - ) Though it does not happen, when she catches a cold or flu, it goes beyond that of the effect on a mortal and can become far more serious, lasting a long time and sapping a great amount of her strength. ( - ) An attack that does manage to penetrate her skin can cause severe internal damage.

MAGIC FLAWS. ( - ) This is always limited to the user’s personal knowledge and skills. Lack of use may result in weakening of powers. ( - ) Due to Astra’s physiology, her magic differs from that of a humans, and as such it lacks things that other magicians or wielders of magic might easily possess. This is not the type of magic that allows her to broaden her skills by use of spells, potions, etc. No amount of practice will make this available to her. ( - ) In order to draw more power for magical attacks, she must raise herself closer to the atmosphere/stars. While this may get her greater power, it makes aim far harder. ( - ) Her magic is simultaneously like part of her body and another thing entirely; it must be upkept with great care. Her mental state and connection to the stars heavily influences the power of her magic. She must always maintain a clear and solid mental state in order to have a relationship with her magic, and this takes meditation and worship. ( - ) Magical energy blasts sap a great amount of her power, and can only be used in short spurts.

DIVINATION FLAWS. ( - ) Astra is unable to see the future - this is not at all a version of precognition. She does not receive visions of what is to come, nor can she see as much even after meditation.  ( - ) She is not yet strong enough to divine a feeling or future about a large group – that would require a better relationship with the stars. ( - ) She cannot use it to interpret what move someone may do next in a fight, or predict an action/movement, and it takes her several minutes to determine what the stars are telling her. It is more a sense of what is to come, a vague and broad feeling, than anything else. While answers will be accurate, they are not specific. In many ways, this subset of her magic is more of a party trick, as it has absolutely no use in battle, is not particularly strong, and has no ability against an opponent. Mostly it’s just for fun!

ZODIAC EMPOWERMENT. While it may appear interesting to have rotating powers due to the zodiac, this can present huge issues for her. ( - ) She has absolutely no ability to choose which zodiac’s powers she harnesses, but is 100% beholden to the season Earth’s sun is in. ( - ) Only one zodiac’s powers may be used at a time. ( - ) The zodiac powers she has may not be useful or even effective against the person(s) she is battling or the needs she has. EG. trying to drown someone with water manipulation in Cancer season will do nothing against someone with aquatic physiology – at which point her zodiac empowerment is nigh useless. ( - ) To be honest… some powers are rather… stupid. And yet again, she can do nothing about it. Using Cancer season as an example once more - the sign of the crab. The water part might be great, but who needs pincher grip? What’s she going to do, hold someone tightly to death? ( - ) Similar to the latter point, certain zodiacs may have overall stronger power sets than others. ( - ) Rotating through power sets means she has less time to practice them all, meaning it takes her a greater amount of time to wean out more skills or greater power volume.

THE BIG DEFECT. ( - ) There are two factors that weaken Astra’s powers on Earth: the differing atmosphere, and the farther proximity to the stars from which she draws her powers. As her home planet more directly drew energy sources from the Cosmos and Earth does not, she is significantly less powerful on Earth than she would be among other planets in the universe. Catch her grumbling about this at all times.

ORIGINS

She’s born where the stars are clear and within arm’s reach. A colony held so tightly to the bosom of the stars, it’s said that those born there swallow the magic of celestial power within their first breath. On the planet of Sostrar, a princess is born and raised without knowing her father because that is the way it is always done. Men are not among the things found amidst the palace of Sostari royalty; only queens and their kin, daughters and warriors and scientists. But still the child is raised by two forces: her mother, and the Cosmos. To be a Sostari is to know there is little difference between these two things: there are myths of how their people came to be, Valkyries that swallowed bits of stars and spat out starborn children, but the truth of the matter is that the truth does not matter.

And so the girl vows to be as consuming as all the constellations she prays to, as large and awe-inspiring as the celestial forces they pray to. Young as she is, her dreams swell and grow every day, weaned by the tales of justice, honour, and magick fed to her nightly by her mother. She pictures in her head what it is to be great, grand, the most powerful of them all, the way all young heroes in the making are ought to do. She is not the best yet, but she plans to be. These fantasies make her precocious yet determined, and the ladies of the kingdom merely chuckle at her ardour as she thrusts wooden practice swords into marble beams and floats above the gardens dictating to those that pass by. She adores nothing more than her home, that place where beauty and warfare meet, and in turn she is adored.

CHARACTER ARC.

It is Mother’s decision to send her to the mortal plane. Girl-child protests, whines (despite nearly reaching a century of age, she is no closer to a woman now than she has ever been), and puts up as much fight as she dares to noble queen-mother. But the ruling does not bend: should she wish to be as great a warrior as she plans, she is told, a princess must do more than stand on her own self-contained achievements. To be welcomed among the warriors and rulers of her planet, she will have to test herself against the mightiest heroes of all the realms in the place where they all gather. And so the star-women descend from their place in the Cosmos, walking hand-in-hand to prevent the younger from escaping back up into the firmament.

The princess is given a form that better resembles that of the mortals, feels as her powers lessen from this new dirt-stacked plane so far from the ethereal, watches with resentment as she becomes more like them. With time the bitterness fades, smooths and alters into an understanding; it takes years for her to settle to their customs, and no less time for the world around her to adjust to her peculiarities. Still she says and does what she likes, blunt like a bat carved from aether, but she finds her place. An alien she may be, but foreign to the world she no longer is.

[hiddlesgirl]

SH 314: A Kiss From a Rose

This week’s episode was definitely an improvement on last week, although it is not quite as good as 311 and 312. The flow felt better, there were a few great scenes and we are seeing the real beginnings of some major plotlines appearing. However, there was one major issue I had which pertains to the Maia and Jordan scenes; and I will be discussing it. I loved protective Alec and Magnus is making my heart ache; the Clace date was adorable and Jonathan is creepy but that’s no surprise to anyone.

The fact that Jonathan had a Seelie glamoured as Clary is several levels of creepy, but I found it really interesting that his perception of her is virginal. We know that Clary is not a virgin; we know that she had sex with Jace in 313 but I’m almost 100% sure that she and Simon had sex while they were dating in 2A and she may have even lost her virginity before that; we can’t know for sure. But the fact that Jonathan sees her as pure and untouched is rather fascinating; he is clearly putting her on some sort of pedestal, seeing her as this pure angel who can save and redeem him.

I really did not like that Maia was trapped in the same storage room that Luke locked her in, in 209; we know how terrified she is of being trapped in small spaces and I kinda hate that they did that too her again. Surely there was another way out, I mean the back door was right there which leads into a dock full of storage containers which while not great they would have been a little bigger and wouldn’t have brought back those memories from 209.

My heart really goes out to Maia because her phobia is clearly very present and distressing for her; I think that portraying phobias this way is good because it shows the reality of it and also brings panic attacks into the conversations Shadowhunters is often so good at starting. I liked that Jordan stayed calm and helped her through her panic attack, keeping her calm in a situation that causes her great distress.

I thought that the Clace morning scene was very sweet, they don’t often have these moments just to be with each other and it’s great that they are getting that now. Clary is clearly concerned about Jonathan and their bond, the message on her arm has disturbed her and has once again reaffirmed that no matter how hard she tries to forget or ignore Jonathan, he isn’t going anywhere.

It’s a little strange to see Jace so insecure and vulnerable, but in a good way; he hardly ever really opens up, especially romantically. To see him be vulnerable with Clary shows how far he has come since season 1 and how much her loves her to let her in, to let her know how important she is.

Izzy is determined to get to the bottom of what is happening at the Gard, even more so after Greenlaw’s death; she knows that it must be important if the Clave are willing to kill their own to keep their secret. Since season 1 she has loudly advocated for the rights and against the bad treatment of Downworlders and I love seeing that side of her again. Also, I am loving that she has her own, very important, storyline which is extremely relevant; she has a strong moral compass and she is not going to let fear for her own well being get in the way of doing what’s right. I am very excited to see where this storyline goes.

In case you haven’t read my 311 review, my loose theory at the moment is that they are somehow trying to purify the demon blood in Downworlders as a way to get rid of them because they know they cannot just keep killing them without backlash from the younger generations. By purifying the demon blood they would presumably just become mundanes, therefore the Clave can eradicate Downworlders without committing mass murders. This theory started because a while ago I heard theories and rumours that Luke may be becoming a Shadowhunters again (I think this started because there was a picture of Isaiah on set with runes applied, the crew said it was just a bit of fun but who knows); paired with the footage of Luke from the Freeform trailer in one frame of which he has the same glowing veins and eyes.

We learn that Lorenzo has forbidden all warlocks in New York from helping Magnus (which is so freaking despicable); I did see a few tweets wondering why Magnus didn’t contact one of his warlock friends from another county to help him. My opinion is that he didn’t because that warlock would have to travel to New York to help him (NY warlocks are not allowed to help him in anyway which would presumably include creating him a portal to someone who would help him) and in doing so would be in Lorenzo’s territory, and therefore (presumably) have to abide by his rules. Even those who come from somewhere else have to respect and obey the local High Warlock; so Magnus cannot portal to help and help would have to abide by Lorenzo’s rules if they came to him.

I cannot stand Lorenzo, he is revelling in Magnus’ situation and the pain it’s causing him; and is loving being able to hold power over him by making sure that Magnus would have to come to him for help. I hate that Magnus feels so lost and desperate that he is willing to ask Lorenzo for help, but I also understand it; you can see how severely losing his magic has affected him, he feels stranded and hates not being able to help people. Unfortunately, we all know that this isn’t going to end well as Lorenzo warns; and I am terrified. The thing is that this isn’t Magnus’ true magic it is a supply of Lorenzo’s, so he is still mortal and has a magic that is not his own. His body is going to start rejecting it and is unable to sustain the power of it, especially because it is not the magic he was born with.

Even though I was a little annoyed that Maia’s happiest memory was of Jordan I can understand why, in that moment obviously her memories that involve him would be at the forefront plus it might not be just because it was Jordan, but to have someone to rely on who will come to help you when you call.

I really like that Jace took Clary ice skating because it was something she used to do with her mum, to help Clary relive those memories and create new ones. The tone of the scene was very sweet, tender and joyful; I love seeing them having fun with each other and being able to enjoy something mundane together. Also, Kat actually learned to ice skate for this scene and I am in even more awe of her because she looks very at ease; plus, Dom can actually ice skate and had to pretend he couldn’t, it can sometimes be difficult to pretend to not know how to do something because your body automatically wants to do it from muscle memory.

When Jonathan turned into Jace I was literally screaming ‘no’ at the TV because you know that it is not going to end well, especially knowing the very skewed way he sees love and that he has kissed Clary in the past while glamoured.

I absolutely loved the looks of confusion on both Alec and Underhill’s faces when Magnus’ comes in and is using magic to sort through the documents; I was thinking that this was when Magnus and Underhill were going to meet but unfortunately not. But it is coming next week (if they haven’t cut it), hopefully we will finally learn Underhill’s first name and I am so hoping it goes really well. I also love Magnus’ look to Alec to make sure he is watching and looks appropriately shocked.

I love that Harry is keeping consistency with Magnus’ tendency to just throw things on the floor when he doesn’t need them or something else catches his attention. He is clearly trying to avoid telling Alec the full truth about how he got magic and what the consequences of it are, he feels so happy to have it back and knows that Alec would worry if he knew the details so has decided to not tell him right now so they can both enjoy the moment.

Alec knows that something is wrong and wants to know why Lorenzo was willing to help Magnus; he doesn’t trust Lorenzo and wants to be able to support Magnus. He knows that Lorenzo wouldn’t do something for Magnus’ without asking for something in return and he is worried about what that might be. Plus, surely he recognises that it isn’t Magnus’ true magic from the colour and is already scared about what might happen to Magnus if the situation goes badly.

I like that Clary is being honest with Jace about what happened, she knows that nothing good comes from keeping secrets and that he would want to know, to help and be there for her. She is confused with Jace’s replies of Jonathan being crazy about her and kidnapping her out of love, she is definitely put off by this but she doesn’t click.

Jonathan definitely looks angry, annoyed, put out? I can’t quite describe the exact emotion but he definitely is not happy to hear the implication that Clary and Jace have had sex, I’m not sure if this is some form of jealousy or if it is just because it is shattering his pure visage of her. I liked the scene and Dom does a really great job of acting as Jonathan, but you feel a bit annoyed that Clary didn’t get more of a sense that something isn’t right because Jace’s whole demeanour is off and she is smarter than falling for the thinly veiled deceit.

I really did not like that Jordan kept trying to talk about what he did to Maia, by turning her and abandoning her, despite the fact that she tells him twice (in slightly different ways) to not talk about it right now. He just carries on and it’s not even about how she feels, it’s about his feelings and self pity “I’ll never forgive myself”, instead of making the conversation about Maia, acknowledging that he wronged her and all her feelings about that are valid, once again it is about his need for forgiveness. The whole scene feels so Jordan orientated, getting him his redemption before he might die and I hate that because Maia is the person who was wronged.

Then it gets worse when she says “I forgive you”, I hated that because she is saying that because she is scared he is dying and that is the only reason. It has only been a week since he talked to her about what was going on with him back then and suddenly she is ready to forgive him when not a few days before she couldn’t bear to be in the same city as him? Also, if she is going to forgive him then it needs to be for her, because she is ready to move on and let go of the anger and upset; not because he is hurt and she wants to make him feel better.

Maia then goes on to say that she was feeling a lot of emotions because of what happened but that it doesn’t matter now, all this implies that she is the one at fault for feeling angry that he did terrible things to her and almost perpetuates victim blaming. By saying that the negative emotions she was feeling doesn’t matter implies that those feelings are invalid and sends out a potentially harmful message; Maia has every right to feel those things because she was attacked by someone she loved and trusted. Just because he was going through something difficult and is sorry doesn’t change what he did or how it made her feel.

Another thing (sorry I know I’m ranting but I do not like Jordan as a character and I don’t like how this situation has been handled), despite his constant insistence that he is sorry he has not shown development or change in his behaviour. He still insists on being heard whether the other person (Maia) wants to engage in that conversation or not, putting himself and his feelings first; he has not sort any help for his clear anger control issues (evident with him losing control with the vampires) which you think he would have done after his loss of control causing this entire situation in the first place; and he is still abandoning people, he was ready to just up and leave Simon now the mark is gone, granted that was the reason he was there in the first place but surely (with the Praetors job being to make sure new Downworlders adjust to their new lives) he would stick around for a few more weeks for make sure Simon is dealing properly; he was just going to leave without giving Maia full closure on their past, letting her work out her issues while he kept a slight distance but being available should she want to talk; and he was going to leave the Praetor without saying anything to them as we know from their phone call to Luke they think he has gone awol, so obviously he hasn’t spoken to them about taking some time away from them.

I saw a poll on Twitter the other day where they asked what people’s options were on why Jordan attacked Maia, and the three answers were ‘Abusive’, ‘First time wolf out’ and ‘Don’t care’; but I think that the situation was too complicated to just peg it down to one or the other. Yes, Jordan was turning so his emotions were heightened which caused him to lash out or react badly to a situation. However, him turning did not make him stalk is ex-girlfriend; he made the decision to follow Maia and watch her while she was on a date with someone else knowing that it would make him jealous, then he decided to follow and confront her about it. So, him turning caused the heightened state which led to his loss of control and turning her, but it was his own decisions and actions in stalking her that led to that incident; if he had left her alone then it would not have happened.

Some may argue that many wolves attack people when they turn for the first time, Maia did too; and yes, that happens, but from what I understand it is usually a stranger that just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when someone is experiencing that first turn.

I still find it hard to believe that Clary doesn’t figure it out until Jonathan kisses her, his behaviour and speech is very different from Jace’s that she should have known something was wrong before then. Plus, it just made me cringe because for one incest, ew, but also we already suffered through one incest kiss between them, did we really need another one? I know that it’s because Jonathan doesn’t understand the lines between sibling, platonic and romantic love and how to show it, plus probably some effort of putting a claim on her; but it just freaks you out. The only solid reason why I think they did another incest kiss is because he was disguised as Jace, and that this is the start of a wedge developing in the romantic side of Clary and Jace’s relationship, this is the only story relevant reason I could think of as to why they would do that again.

Magnus is enjoying having his magic by creating a portal, lighting the torches and removing the lid of the sarcophagus; but Alec is worried about Magnus over doing it, telling him to take it easy. He has no idea what this new magic, or the overexertion of it, could do to Magnus. We learn that the Morningstar Sword was stolen about 20 years ago and that it has the power to call an army of demons from Hell. Well, that kinda solves the mystery of the demons flying around in the trailers, shit.

Magnus finally tells Alec that Lorenzo asked for his apartment in return for the magic, Alec is absolutely fuming and ready to attack Lorenzo. His distrust has been proven right and he is furious that Lorenzo has taken advantage of Magnus’ situation and has taken his home from him, especially at a time that Magnus has lost so many other things. Plus, it has become home for Alec too; it hold’s almost all of his memories of his relationship with Magnus and he hates that Lorenzo is taking that away from them both.

Magnus explains that he willing gave up his apartment for the magic and why; magic is more important to him than the apartment, which at the end of the day is just a thing. This scene makes me cry, listening to Magnus describe how without his magic he feels cut off from the world, disconnected and that he doesn’t matter; I think that it is very easy for a lot of people to identify with those feelings, I know that I really identified with feeling those things in my darkest times and it is so refreshing and validating to hear a character talk about it.

Magnus is making Alec understand how being without his magic has completely changed how he connects with the world and with others, in Season 1 he told Clary that he thought Dot dead because he couldn’t feel her magic anymore. So not only did he lose a part of himself but he also lost his connection to his friends, his people; there is no wonder he feels so separate and adrift. Magnus reassures Alec that having him and his magic is enough for him to happy; you can tell that Alec isn’t happy with the situation and its consequences but he smiles because he can see the difference in Magnus and appreciates why he has done this.

I love seeing Luke and Simon scenes, I love their relationship; my heart aches for them because you can see their devastation upon finding the massacre at the Jade Wolf, Luke’s especially because you can see he is swimming with guilt as well. We know that Luke is going to blame himself for this, thinking that if he was there or if was still Alpha then they would still be alive. Luckily, Simon hears Maia and helps her escape the storage room.

When Izzy and Jace come to help Clary escape, Clary is unable to draw the sedative rune on Jonathan, she looks confused and horrified in the moment and after that she was unable to make herself incapacitate him. Personally I think that this was for a couple of reasons; firstly, in that moment Jonathan does appear vulnerable in his expression and that causes Clary to just see her brother, in that second she doesn’t see the murderer she just sees her brother, her last remaining blood relative; secondly, I think that the rune and their connection is going stronger, and that is causing them to not want to cause harm to each other or in this case cause their capture. It would make sense that the rune would grow in strength over time and that is going to cause behaviour changes, possibly feeding Clary’s darker impulses.

Simon helps Maia get Jordan to the Praetor while Luke allows himself to be arrested; it hurts because you know that Luke let that happen because he felt guilty, responsible for their deaths and didn’t just want to leave them. I know that he is going to keep feeling guilty about this but I hope that Maia, Simon and Clary will help him deal with it.

My absolute favourite scene of the entire episode, Alec confronts Lorenzo! I love it, Alec calls out Lorenzo for taking advantage of Magnus and wanting to humiliate him; he knows that Lorenzo dislikes Magnus and would not let this opportunity to get back at him pass him by. He despises him for hurting Magnus, for taking advantage of someone in a clearly vulnerable position but also because Lorenzo is supposed to be a leader and is abusing his power to get what he wants. He doesn’t allow Lorenzo to mock him and reasserts his power as the Head of the Institute; making it known that Alec will not tolerate any back talk or disrespect from Lorenzo.

He is willing to make a deal with Lorenzo to get the apartment back, he knows how independent Magnus is and despite what he says Alec knows that losing his home is going to hurt him. He is willing to do whatever it takes to protect Magnus. I absolutely love Matt’s acting in this scene, the distain in his expression and the little twitch of his face when Lorenzo talks about putting Magnus in his place. Matt is so fantastic at conveying so much in small movements and facial expressions, and you can tell that in that moment Alec wanted to rip Lorenzo limb from limb.

I love that Alec makes his distain of Lorenzo as a person and a leader clear, he hates how Lorenzo conducts himself as High Warlock and doesn’t respect him as a leader at all; a good leader supports those under their care and doesn’t take advantage of them for their own gain and petty vendetta. He makes it clear that he is going to be keeping an extremely close eye on Lorenzo and is waiting for him to slip up, Alec is going to bide his time so that he can punish Lorenzo when the time is right and in a situation that no one can refute his decision. I was literally laughing, hollering and clapping throughout this entire scene; it reminded me of 210 when he told Aldertree to stay away from his family, I love seeing him in hyper-protective mode.

At this point I cannot see any redemption arc for Lorenzo because he takes credit for Magnus’ achievements (the purified ley lines from 302), enjoys causing suffering and revels in humiliating Magnus in any and all ways possible. He may have some past with Magnus that caused his hatred, but we don’t know what that is, maybe Magnus did something to him or maybe Lorenzo is just jealous of him; jealous of his power and how many people like him, he knows that Magnus has the support of a lot of warlocks and that clearly rubs him the wrong way. But no matter their history, Lorenzo has acted despicably; especially as High Warlock, his job if to lead and protect no matter his own grievances and he has shown that he is incapable of putting aside petty rivalries to do that.

And I’m crying again; Magnus looks so happy enjoying a cocktail in Hunter’s Moon, you can tell that he feels so much happier and like himself now. I love his interaction with the bartender and seeing him smile so broadly. Then I breakdown when his head starts ringing and nose starts bleeding after he opens the portal, we know that this is the beginning of something horrifying and we are not ready. His symptoms are only going to get worse with time and continued use of the magic, but he is not going to willingly give it up because he has experienced living without it and cannot go back to feeling like that.

I love seeing Izzy back in the lab, and she finds a USB drive inside of Greenlaw; I need to see what is on there! Plus she looks gorgeous in these scenes, especially with the lighting.

Clary is angry with herself for not being able to detain Jonathan, she knows that he needs to be caught and poses danger to them; she feels like she failed and doesn’t understand why. Throughout the whole scene it appears that she has difficulty even looking at Jace which is understandable but also hints that my theory of a wedge between them may be right. She tells Jace about the kiss, she needs to be honest and to be able to express her feelings about it; she feels violated, she was kissed by someone under false pretences and that person was her brother. You can see the distress she feels at being kissed without her consent, I am glad that they addressed her feelings about this.

I really liked Jace’s ‘swear on us’ line, it shows his strength of feeling for her and how much he believes in their relationship; he believes that they can survive anything, together. It is clear that what Jonathan has done is going to have a lasting effect because Clary turns away from Jace’s kiss; it is completely understandable because all she will be able to think about is Jonathan taking advantage of her. I hope that they can move past this but that remains to be seen.

Jonathan is very pleased with the fact that Clary was unable to capture him and is sure that they will soon be reunited; I wonder if he knows the real strength and effect of the twinning rune.

But what I did find very interesting, and looking back you can kinda see it in 313 too, is the continuous reappearance of fire with Clary and Jonathan. Plus, in that last scene it was fire that transitioned their scenes; I thought it was very clever and interesting. I wonder if it is because of the twinning rune, Jonathan’s demon blood or because of Jonathan’s experience being burned and burning himself.

Okay, I really liked this episode and it was definitely an improvement on last week. Yes, I did have issues with the Jordan and Maia scenes, but hopefully I have explained them in a way in which you can understand where my opinion comes from.

In 315, Magnus is now living at the Institute, he meets Underhill, they are dealing with Heidi and we might be seeing Raphael return!

[thesilverdawns]

The Orologians

“Settle down- Settle DOWN!” The sharp sound of a book wrapping against the desk’s edge was just enough to get the others to fall back into an impatient silence.

“I don’t see why we need to be here- this is completely pointless. We should be out there fighting on the front lines and re-securing the mining facilities so that EVERYONE can use them again. Not so Orologio can keep on shutting us all out and insulting us further with high import rates!” One of the soldiers said aloud, arms crossed, leaning back in his chair while some of the others chimed in with agreements.

“We outnumber them technologically and with our own level of alchemy easily.”

“The fools still prefer to fight on the ground, with their hands no less,”

The confidence in the room was swelling. The drill instructor narrowed her eyes.

“You forget who exactly we are dealing with. Orologians.” She hissed, ears pinning back as she continued to pace back and forth at the center of the small auditorium they sat in. “As you pointed out, you are correct, their advancements in various other fields of science and alchemy are quite lacking to say the least. How they manage to get anything efficiently done absolutely makes no sense.”

Again, nods and looks of agreement.

The instructor paused. “Until you look closer.” She added, stopping to gaze back at the rest of them.

“Where the world sees scrappy, imperfect fighters running around in ill-fitted coats and steel helmets with simple rifles and other smaller weaponry, we have to see a clearer image. We see things differently. We know better.

We see an oversized colony of insects, ones that are highly coordinated and highly DANGEROUS, as unassuming they may be at first glance.”

“I have seen some of these fools.” One of the younger soldiers stood up. He had just graduated. A young man, the spark still in his eyes. “They really are not worth our trouble. We take them out easy enough with a few of the planes we have. Simple. They’re not as dangerous as you say.”

The instructor glared at him, marching right towards him, only mere inches from his face. Neither of them backed down and stared at the other right in the eyes.

“From afar, or up close?”

“Afar. What does it matter? He couldn’t touch me before I shot him dead on the spot.” The man said, proud of his victory.

“We have our basic training, it is true. Against our opponents in melee combat and a variety of other fighting styles and techniques.” She answered slowly and dangerously. In one swift movement she leaned in closer. Only a hair’s length away.

“But NO one, fights like they do. No one fights with as much underhandedness, no one fights with as much ferocity. They have not a single SHRED of mercy for you, or anything else about you, whereas we have certain ethical codes in place out of necessity. Our rights as living beings with minds. But the Orologians? They don’t have that. You are the enemy. And they will do EVERYTHING in their power, to destroy the enemy. Even if they have to use their entire armed forces on one target.”

“Impossible.”

“You still doubt me? Look at you.” The instructor looked at the man, scanning him like some kind of machine. “You’ve only just graduated. You don’t know any better yet.” She motioned for him to sit down and he did.

“The Orologians live by a code. And that code is war. War and death. The only two things that matter to them at all, in their daily life, at their jobs, that is their identity. That is who they ARE. “Death’s Harbingers,” they’ve called themselves before. “Death’s Messengers”. A load of nonsense, to worship a specter as Death and regard it so sweetly towards it. There is no progress in Death, and so, they intellectually rot before us.

However in a twist of fate, they seem to have made up for it in other ways. They always have.”

Coming over towards the book from earlier, the woman opened it up to a marked chapter.

“Speed is the essence of war.” She read.

“For every war they have ever incited, they have ended it within a matter of months, or a matter of several measly years. And they have not lost one. That is how their nation was gained at all. Any nation born of soldiers will birth more soldiers.

Their strength lies not only within the training these infidels receive, no, that is only a small part of it. They excel in melee combat, far greater than any other army seen in the modern age. They are a spirited lot. They are coordinated. They have something they believe in far greater than technology. Than science and alchemy. Than even Kemos himself. They believe in a force that comes to visit us all one day, and they are empowered by it. By the surest thing in the world.

And that is a very difficult enemy to fight.”

Doubt still lingered over the room.

The instructor looked up again from her reading, eyeing each and every one of them.

“We have so much more than them. But we squander our resources like fools, and play right into their hands. They’ve taken out several of our squads with simplistic gas bombs for pity’s sake.”

“Gas bombs?” Someone asked, before a few chuckles came here and there. “How insulting! We have masks to prevent this from occurring in the first place!”

“Gas bombs that have their alchemical formulas changed each time. Gas bombs that contain large particulars that stop up our masks’ fine filters so much that you must take them off to breathe. Gas bombs that eat away at the very metal the clean air from the tank comes in that you wear, at your clothes, at your skin. Gas bombs that make your throat close and your eyes burn, and set your lungs ablaze. You melt from the inside out, you die a slow and painful death, and we have nothing that can help you at that point, should it ever get to it.

And we cannot ever retrieve any worthy samples because the substance loses its potency in moving air in a matter of minutes, and is essentially useless by the time we can rush it to a lab to study. And if we get lucky and find an intact bomb? Then the alchemical formula has already changed for the next battle. No two have ever been alike.”

The chuckling ceased.

“You run out into the woods, you think you have the advantage of cover from the trees, from the surrounding hills, correct? Wrong. They know the woods far better than you do. They’ve lived there within them their entire lives. They fear them. They respect them, but they also control them, all at once.

When you step foot onto their land, they know where you are, they know what you are doing, perhaps even where you are going. Not that it matters by then, because they WILL spring up from behind you, from the dark, and strangle you with your own bootlaces if given the chance. No weapon is too unworthy or too small. No target too large, none too frightening. There isn’t anything they wouldn’t die for.”

The room was now completely silent.

“Whereas we have rules to cease all combat upon a gesture of surrender, the Orologians do not. They will shoot you, cut you down, run you over, dismember you, hang you, kill you in the most gruesome of ways. And even when your corpse is lying there on the ground, they still stop and plunge a knife through your chest, or shoot you twice in the head, until they are convinced you are completely dead. There is no hope in trying to pretend you are dead when you are not.

They will not bargain with you, they will not debate, and they will not spare you. They do not take prisoners, and what few they have in past years, never return home.”

No one so much as coughed.

“So you see, children. You have very much to learn. We are fighting dragons in these forests, if you’ll pardon the analogy. And as proverbial ‘knights’, you must be prepared to face them, for the good of all the world. Something that I and many others are here to teach you at your time in our camp. Progress slows down for no one, much less us here on this mortal plane. And not a one of us has any right to impede that progress.”

With a sigh, the woman brushed her hair back and straightened her coat out. “Now then… please try to pay attention to these next several hours. SOME of this information might prove useful to you one day. By saving your life out there.”

________________________

A thick sheet of rain battered the dense forest continuously, as it had been for hours now. The normally leaf-covered slopes and hills had now become unbearably muddy and nearly impossible to travel through on foot in a timely manner.

Off in the distance, the lights of the camp shone brightly in the dark of night.

Nothing moved. Only the branches of the trees rustled in the wind that occasionally made everything shake. No animals wandered, no birds called out. The moon was hidden away behind clouds leaving nature in complete darkness.

Only when a nearby vehicle passed by on the other side of a fence, did a figure lean out from a well covered hiding spot. The few lights shone off the figure’s goggles.

And then another appeared, as silent as the last. Silent like some kind of phantom.

And another.

And another.

And many more after that, with shining, wet rifles in their hands.

[kimberlylam1997]

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[mountphoenixrp]

We have a returning citizen in Mount Phoenix:

                                  Freya, the Goddess of Fertility,                     whose origins stem from Ancient Scandinavia.                          She is now the owner of Dagger & Roses.

FC NAME/GROUP: Joo Minhee { Ex Stellar ] GOD NAME: Freya PANTHEON: Norse OCCUPATION: Owner of Dagger & Roses HEIGHT: 168 cm (5’6″) WEIGHT: 45kg (99 lbs) DEFINING FEATURES: Warm Brown Puppy Eyes Turns Silver When Uses Her Charm. Beauty Spot Under Her Left Eye.

PERSONALITY: The fairest of them all, Freyja, the goddess who was devoted to a fault constantly wanting to make everyone in presence feel special and only wishes for small trinkets to show their love to her. Their most basic desire is to be loved and accepted. They may express this by being extremely attentive and attached to other people. Freya tend to suppress her own negative emotions, which, when done frequently, can lead to high levels of stress or unexpected outbursts. The goddess is altruist, and they take seriously their responsibility to help and to do the right thing. Despite her collection of her finer things, she does spend a lot of time volunteering for charity especial animal shelters. Overall, Freya values order, love, compassion and wishes for peaceful world for all. Encourage, lift and strengthen one another. For the positive energy spread to one will be felt by us all.

HISTORY: Once upon a time, they were two beautiful Vannir god twins Freyr & Freyja, she was the goddess of fertility, love & beauty who were believed to rule the Vanaheim the land of Vanir gods. The twins along with their father Njörðr were given to the gods of Asgard in exchange for a peace treaty. The goddess naive heart fell deeply for the god Odin who became her husband by charming him with her beauty & wits however he was mysterious man who only care for seeking knowledge leaving Freyja feel such loneliness so started to fill the void with companionship of others and material possessions. It all began where she would cry unique gold tears when she missed him greatly as he was off on his adventures and the time where she could not find him as she hunted him across the earth after her beloved but once again he couldn’t be found. Freyja became known as party girl of the Aesmir as she enjoyed the simple pleasures in life, creating friendships, sharing love & living in the moment. The goddess surrounded herself with many lovers & treasures to fill the hole which her husband left inside her yet despite everything her heart still stay true to him no matter whomever she slept with, her heart still belong to Odin no matter what.

There is lot more to Freyja other than being party girl, Freya is the archetype of the völva, a professional or semiprofessional practitioner of seidr, the most organised form of Norse magic. It was she who first brought this art to the gods, and, by extension, to humans as well. Given her expertise in controlling and manipulating the desires, health, and prosperity of others, she’s a being whose knowledge and power are almost without equal. Not only she is well versed in witchcraft, Freyja is warrior goddess and she shared Odin’s love of battle. She and Odin divided the chosen slain human heroes so that some of them would come to Valhalla to live with Odin and some would go to Sessrumnir “the field of the host” – the hall of Freya. Freya War Goddess was a master of the Battle Boar whose name was Hildisvini. Her boar became the symbol of war. Apart from the boar, people believed that Freya got itchy feet that she always wanted to travel in her chariot pulled by black or grey cats. She was also in possession of a falcon feather which she used to fly across. This falcon feather once appeared in the rescue of the kidnapped Idun the goddess guarding the apples of youth. It was clear that goddess could not stand by doing nothing, she always wish to be doing something never resting or pause to think about things.

After Ragnarok everything changed, Freyja found herself in once again in a beautiful woman body along with the curse of people seeming to do anything for her. The only difference is that’s some reason her features were Asian not Nordic which was fascinating to her. The goddess saw this as do-over start over maybe found some peace & love which her heart desperately craved trying contain her thirst for battle. Living as simple human in different lifetimes, adapting to the fast-pace world. Not really feeling she belonged anywhere, she sometimes live for mortal help raise their child for some time before disappearing into night as start ask questions on why she never ages. Freyja would give herself many names throughout her travels, from Eva meaning the giver of life which is Hebrew take on Gefn which she used before when travelling Earth when searching for Odin.

Eventually Freyja finally makes her arrival to the mysterious mount phoenix not even sure what to expect in a place like this. The goddess did becomes the new owner of the flower mill since she loves the scent of flowers & beautiful staff members. As her time pretending to be human she became fond of coffee as it was her life source to get through the day. Business is mere child play for Freya too since she is very good always getting what she wants  through manipulation so running flower mill wouldn’t be problem either. Unfortunately Freya had to go away on some secret business to tend to, sadly letting go of the ownership of Flower Mill. Freyja decided to create own business from scratch since there is no store which sells weapons or antiques she decided to create her own collection even selling some of her treasures. Naming the store Dagger & Roses   creating floral aesthetic store with beautiful ornate swords, daggers & bows in the glass cabinets. The most dangerous things tend to be most beautiful even Freyja offering lessons to people who wish to learn art of fighting and make perfect warrior out of the customer who would be welcomed to Sessrumnir.

POWERS:

Absolute Beauty: The power to be infinitely beautiful and use it to affect others. Freyja possesses the rarest type of beauty there is ( pure infinite beauty ), which is even higher up than supernatural beauty. No one, no matter how different their beauty standards may seem, cannot deny this person’s beauty as truly unfathomable as this person possesses infinite beauty. Because of this, she can use people to get what they so desire. Some people with this ability may even have magical abilities as a result of their beauty. She can literally charm anyone into doing her bidding with a simple smile or gaze, allowing them to gain a higher advantage.

Plant Generation: The power can generate plants, including vines, moss, fungi, and parts of the plants, such as leaves, seeds, fruits and flowers, whether by drawing them from already existing plants, or by manifesting them anywhere they want. The reason why flower mill always covered in such pretty floral due to this power and helps grows the freshest ingredients for her baked apple pies plus the constant supply of fresh coffee beans.

Enhanced Combat: The ability to possess enhanced levels of hand-to-hand fighting skills and excel in various forms of combat. Freya fought alongside her husband Odin & Valkyries she loves good fight. Over the lifetimes she mastered various fighting styles but only to protect herself & others never fights only if she is forced too plus she trains to keep herself in shape. What do you expect from war goddess?? She’s more lover than fighter.

STRENGTHS:

Freyja has level of grace, physical beauty, sense of style and social poise above that commonly found on earth. Not only she is beautiful outside, she is inside since she see her compassion & love as strength than weakness.

War goddess knows how to defend herself against anything, she had to learn from previous instances of being kidnapped on how to escape through with the power of strength alone not charm or wits.

She’s got silver tongue, somehow she can easily talk into doing something or her bidding if she wishes or talk her way out of it. She knows how to use her womanly charms to get what she wants and not afraid to use it.

Optimistic world-view and upbeat attitude, she likes to see the world can be wonderful place despite the dark secrets and the constant war among the humans due to petty things like greed. Freyja believes in the good things and likes to share her positive opinion around.

Building deep, personal connections, she likes to know what’s in people hearts to figure out whether they are good person or not. Freya doesn’t care on who you are to the society but who you are in general. She is very good at creating connections with other people cause of that curiosity.

Being adaptable in stressful situations, she remains cool as cucumber as some would say. Freya knows how to handle difficult situations since she is used to being in them a lot. She spent eternity dealing Loki antics, nothing will surprise her anymore and willing to help others through the ordeal.

Communicating clearly and effectively is one of main strength since she is very much social creature. Without this ability she wouldn’t been able to create the connections she has with others.

Passion for serving others, she loves to please and seeing what joy it brings to others face. That what made Freyja such a good wife since she would have done anything for Odin without even thinking due to her devotion.

WEAKNESSES:

Highly noticeable, can attract unwanted attention.

Does not on-and-off her beauty to allow direct control or subversion of others’ wills. No control so she doesn’t know whether the person feelings are genuine or it’s her beauty curse.

Most Gods are immune to her absolute beauty yet only affects them mildly but only wanting to be in her presence however it can cause humans or demi-gods to become obsessive about her. Which can be dangerous.

Magpie syndrome, an irrational affinity for shiny objects. When a highly shiny object is seen by the sufferer it often may induce a compulsive need to claim it and several minutes of staring at said object in the sun.

Tendency to be overly competitive or obsessive, she does like to win in without silly challenge even it simple game or something more grand. Freya already known for obsessive nature when comes to shiny things and beautiful objects even people so it is one of weaknesses for certain.

Not acknowledging their own needs, she thinks about other needs before her own. Freyja is loyal to a fault and willing to go out of the way to help someone need not thinking about her needs or whether she is capable. She hates letting down other people and that’s her downfall.

Taking criticism personally, words can simply cut like a sharp blade crushing Freyja instantly even though she may put on happy smile. The goddess is bleeding from the criticism even if it was over her cupcakes weren’t good enough.

Criticising themselves and others when under pressure, she is constantly questioned whether she is good enough in general and sometimes blame the others surrounding her too. It’s toxic trait she is trying her best to fix but sometimes wounds can’t be fixed so easily.

[clockworkopera]

LoS (Part 6): Predictions- Who Dies and Final Ships

Disclaimer: My theories are built not just on the Dark Artifices, but from all the previous books as a whole, and will contain SPOILERS if you haven’t read them. These ideas are based solely on book canon.

(edit: This was written before the release of LoS. Some ideas may be a little out of date...still interesting!)

The chapter titles of LoS are all lines from the poem Dreamland by Edgar Allan Poe. (I reposted the poem in my blog and the website Shmoop does an excellent line by line technical analysis for the truly dedicated) If it is a real place and not symbolic then it is a hard to find land in Faerie that crosses paths with the dead. Theory: The Lord of Shadows is the ruler of this obscure kingdom.

The Unseelie King may call himself the Lord of Shadows, but without the Black Volume, I don’t think he has the power to back that claim, like Gwyn without his cloak or the Queen without her crown. It’s probably why he put that line in the Faerie rhyme: “To regain what you have lost, Find the black book at any cost.” He wants the book so he may rule in truth…

PREDICTIONS ON WHO DIES:

Warning: These picks will be controversial—but not all I think will stay dead (will explain as I go)

Kieran is being held in Faerie for the crime of killing another Fae. I think he killed Iarlath when he was done questioning him in Lady Midnight--#1

I think some of the Centurions are going to die, maybe Jon Cartwright #2. And where the Centurions are, the Inquisitor won’t be far behind—Robert Lightwood #3. (Mostly I picked him because I have some great fan fic ideas and I need his character to be alive for them. I’m just waiting for all my well laid plans to get wrecked—I know that is not a sound basis for a pick, but there it is)  

I had thought long on Diana, but decided against her because I know we’re going to hear more from her POV: I think she will be revealed as the transgender character and a possible ship match with Gwyn. It just seems like her character has too much of a role to play to be killed so early, but she is still on my watchlist.

Catarina Loss is also high on my watchlist. There is a lot of rumbling with the rise of the Cohort and she is a warlock. And she also was teaching at the Scholomance which puts her running with the Centurions. She also has a history, background with Diana, Magnus, Tessa and Simon. Her death would cause a lot of ripples throughout. We readers are vested in her so her death wouldn’t be an arbitrary character, but would matter, and affect the future decisions on all of the above.

I think the Seelie Queen will die, but that won’t be until the third book. The title of Number 3 is Queen of Air and Darkness, so she would have to be alive for at least part of it.

That leaves my final pick:

Cassandra Clare said the ending would be ‘brutal’. The only reason I came up with the following is because I asked myself who is the one character that can’t die, coupled with the statistical improbability of seven children of one Shadowhunter family surviving into early adulthood. I worked from there. IF YOU DON’T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT A BLACKTHORN DYING GO NO FURTHER. (Although I don’t think he’ll stay dead)

Which Blackthorn cannot die?

Ty

The absolute and most brutal.

His death would absolutely crush everyone. He has such a unique and amazing relationship with everyone in the family that his death would have the most repercussions on every character. I have an awful image of them standing over his dead body. Helen. Mark. Julian. Livvy. Dru. Tavvy. And Emma. Kit.

And I think that Emma who believes in the Parabatai curse will think it’s the reason he died.

But, hope is not yet lost, because that Pandora’s box of hers will get smashed.

There is general fandom consensus that when Emma stabbed the Black Volume something happened to her. LM (597) Emma: “She shrieked with pain as what felt like a bolt of electricity went up her arm. She heard Malcolm laugh, and a wave of energy shot from his outstretched fingers, slamming into her body. She was lifted and hurled backward, magic tearing through her…”

Malcolm: “Oh, that was precious…That was the hand of God, Emma!”

What had the Black Volume done to her? Her chest felt as if something heavy had been rolled onto it, and her arm burned and ached.

Theory: It’s two-fold. CC has hinted that Cortana has some wicked capabilities and some magic of its own. I think the power of the Black Volume bound itself to Cortana much like Clary did heavenly fire to Heosphoros. But, I think what she was feeling was a sympathetic magic where she will become the only one who can wield Cortana’s power.

I think seeing Ty dead (or any of the children, and of course Julian for that matter) will shatter open that box and she’ll try to bring him back by wielding Cortana in some instinctual way. But, it wouldn’t turn out like how she thought, because the power would then turn Ty into the Lord of Shadows and he’d be half alive, half dead ruling this kingdom of Dreamland and then Cassandra Clare could keep us hanging there for two year. 2 YEARS, Gah!

It would be a good set up for QoAD. Emma wouldn’t be able to leave Julian until they found a way to get Ty back. A search for him would echo the Greek story of Orpheus and Eurydice. They would need to go to the Seelie Queen to pass through her lands, maybe need some other favors—which leads back to her Crown. Then, my thought would be when they got there they couldn’t return with Ty unless there was someone to replace him.

My first incarnation: In a gallant move of self-sacrifice and to prove his love to Mark, Kieran would volunteer thus becoming the new Lord of Shadows. Maybe he’d think he and Mark could then be together after he died, because this Dreamland seems like a place for the dead. But, then CC confessed that she isn’t the author to read if you don’t like the idea of Triads and knowing that is a possibility I’ve revised my theory. I think she’s going to have a lot of fun exploring messy relationships full of cultural differences, human emotions like jealousy and weaving different strengths and weaknesses of three personalities into one maybe (maybe not) congruous relationship. And that doesn’t even include what Cristina’s mother will say—  

I still think that someone will have to replace Ty, but I’m now voting for Gwyn. He’s got work experience on his resume and the hunt doesn’t allow women and if he is courting Diana it would be an incredibly tender gesture for him to offer her a kingdom to be his queen.

I write drafts, then sit on it for a week before posting, in case I have any other weird ideas. I was annoyed to have these, because I thought I might have this wrapped up:

Alt Theory: Malcolm Fade died while using of a mega necromantic spell from the Black Volume. What if the necromancy was enough to preserve his life and he is now the Lord of Shadows? There is Annabel still to consider. He would really want to find her. And, poor Emma—all she would have wanted was to kill her parents’ murderer and instead she gave him a promotion…

Alt Theory: Lord of Shadows is a title and we assume is a he, because of ‘lord’. But, if that power went through Cortana and Emma now wields it, could she then be the Lord of Shadows. (This goes back to Part 5 Theories) If she were a descendent of James Herondale whose warlock talent was becoming a shadow puts her as a prime candidate and with Magnus’ spell of forgetting and the belief that she is a ‘normal’ Shadowhunter could hide her from everyone, even herself.

FINAL SHIP PREDICTIONS:

Emma and Julian—with the irony that the Parabatai bond is the only thing that gives them enough power to fight whatever battles come in Fae, but when they return to the mortal world the Silent Brothers and Iron Sisters are waiting for them—eek!

Mark, Kieran and Cristina Triad—messy hot relationship

Livvy and Diego—but she’s only 15, and he’s 18/19, so they should be on a very slow track to dating. If Jaime turns Emma and Julian into the Clave I think she’ll blame Diego.

Ty and Kit—go for it! There is a lot of talk about Livvy/Kit parabatai possibility, but I think Julian will nix any idea of that given his own experience.

Dru will be one half of the main characters for Wicked Powers. She’ll be about eighteen then, and might have a latent warlock power too.

2 YEARS! Gah!

***Then you do know that by the time Cassandra Clare’s done with the Wicked Powers she’ll will be wondering about the futures of warlock Max and Rafael and Tavvy.

I don’t think she’ll be able to help herself :)

(Part 7 is coming, but it’s more random ideas about characters throughout the series—not necessarily Lord of Shadows specific—I have some good ideas on Tessa, some wacky ones on Church and few others. If you have any questions or thoughts please contact me! Then I’m officially done until the release!)

[chainzwebcomic]

Descent

PREVIOUS UPDATES: PROLOGUE 

“ORDER, ORDER IN THE COUNCIL! I hereby declare this meeting in session!” The droves of supernatural beings in the room began to settle down and look at their esteemed commander. Today’s meeting is on a particularly unique case.An event that hadn't transpired for 3,000 years This was the legendary Council of Ven. Here they discussed what was allowed and how they should handle unique situations. What was ethical and what was immoral and what they as a society deem crossing the line.

“Today, a human known as Winona Howle has done something the current council has yet to see, this woman has ‘fallen in love’ with her Spectre and in an inconceivable turn of events, is now carrying his child.”

The room awed collectively and hushed whispers echoed throughout the chamber until their commander demanded their silence once again. Then the room finally settled down.

“I know among many of you this is untreaded territory-”

“This is blasphemous! How long has this woman interacted with the Spectre issued to her for so long without our knowledge!” A long slender being bursted, many voices speaking in unison in the hivemind.

“How could that Spectre break our most important law and interfere with human affairs - to go impregnate some mortal scum? This is completely atrocious!” Another being interjected, A harpy-like creature multiple sets of wings and 2 sets of arms, impossibly large teeth with immense ivory canines protruding outwards like the tusks of a walrus.

“SILENCE!” Their commander bellowed with awe-striking power. Everyone remained silent. “Many of you have not seen the completely outlandish events I have lived through, many of you arrogant and young -and have never seen an event of this scope, but believe me when I say I have seen the world come to the brink of destruction and break all laws of nature time and time again; and none of you here can even imagine what those of my prestige have seen! So I encourage you to remain a silent and obedient council or I will find those who will!”

As the commander’s booming voice halted, baring an echo which reverbed throughout the ancient building, not a soul could be heard - not even the sound of breathing; some looking down in shame, others turning away in spite.

“I brought you all here to discuss what should be done about the matter, not to revel in how bewildering or vile it may be. The first point to discuss: what should be done to the Spectre. He has broken our most sacred bond and the punishment is non-negotiable.” “If I may interject, sir!” A young Spectre among them said meekly. He had a long slim torso, stretching an abnormally large length, with think branch-like pale blue arms to match. The upper half of his face masked with dark water swirling and concealing his face.

“Feel free to speak Filvéz” He pursed his lips hesitantly and then stated boldly, “The Spectre broke a doctrine that has been fed to us since primordial times, he knew the value this held in our society and broke it all despite that sake. What he has done is unforgivable, death should be non negotiable. We must make an example of him! He should be executed in the center spire for all to see.”

The room absorbed all of what was said, many hushed whispers rose again as the shocking statement was being absorbed. The commander himself was caught in a contemplative state as the others buzzed with thought and the rooms atmosphere grew tense. The commander raised his powerful arm and the room grew silent once again.

“I want to hear if the council has any objections to Filvéz’s idea.” The room grew deafeningly silent, all members glanced at each other and the captain bowed his head in agreement, “Then it’s settled Filvéz thank you for the marvelous suggestion it’s quite the concept, it's time all Spectre’s received a reminder of what will befall those who disturb the natural order. Our rules are not just for show!”

One being among the council looked clearly uneasy with the decision that was made - a fantastic creature with the torso of a man, with a hollowed out back. The magical being had it’s back filled with an ever changing ecosystem, representing the variety of life. A speck of snow began to fall all over the tiny biome and things grew cold with his uneasy demeanor. Where his head should be there was only smoke carrying all the colors of the sky. On his shoulder blades rested large magnificent wings, which carried shimmered with every color known to man, but carried a distinct green tone. Veins of life coursing through his wings as if electricity surged through them, carrying the vitality of the animals in the wild. In the dim light of the room they glowed a vibrant green. The lower half of his body was separated from his upper half, an eternal downpour of rain coming down. Four spectral legs hung below his torso, legs of a being not known to man. These legs never touched the floor and hovered above, gliding along the air. His bare chest adorned with a long wooden necklace, each round bit carved with incantations and contained a faint ethereal glow. Each large bead was said to contain the energy of life itself. This being was known as the patron of life in the council, also known as Uriah.

Uriah Setoah

Uriah stood up and slammed his arms against the table, “Commander with all due respect a punishment this harsh goes against everything we as a society stand for. The whole reason the Spectre initiative was founded was so every human gets their fair shot at eternity, and are we going to punish this lone Spectre without a trial by his peers without a Jury? Are we going as far is to kill him for the sake of a mere spectacle? What he did may have been the least moral thing I have seen in my time in this council but that doesn’t change the fact he’s just as much a member of this society we have built up for eons as me, as you, as everyone else standing in this room!”

The room sat back is awe, one dared to move in this high tension. The commander’s face twisted and gnarled with disdain. “You dare claim a higher moral ground than me, patron? Uriah, you have been a noble example member of this council for centuries - but how do you have the audacity to disgrace this committee like this? We are his trail of peers, we are the judge, we are the jury - and very soon we will have his lowly head posted on a stake for all to see and be the executioner.”

“But-”

“No more disrespect will crawl out of you or you will face severe punishment, do you understand Uriah Setoah!”

Uriah sat back down clenching his fist, defeated. There was nothing he could do if no one was willing to stand up with him. The rest of the council turned back to the commander while Uriah sank down with shame.

“Now I understand this is an extremely important issue which is why I will not hold it against our Patron for acting so rashly,” Uriah Looked away with nonchalant distaste. “However, we have only addressed half of the issue at hand. There is still a child who will be born who is half Spectre, and I’m sure you all know the gravity of this situation as last time this happened mankind made an entire religion based upon it. Now I ask all of you, what should we do with this unborn creature.”

The large toothed harpy spoke up once again, “Isn’t that obvious? We eliminate it. As you said last time, this was documented by humanity the consequences were practically catastrophic :-) wars were fought and entire empires rose and fell over their new found religion merely for the sake of us interfering briefly with the life of humans.” Uriah once again spoke up, “But we can not fault a creature for something it can not help! This unborn child did not chose to be half spectre and to punish somebody for something they had absolutely no fault in goes against everything we stand for. If we agree to eliminate this child too then we- Then we’re are no better than the monsters in the abyss!”

The council stirred with Uriah’s valid point. The Large Harpy and the commander exchanged a quick glance. A vapid sense of annoyance was spread upon their countenances. The council soon rose to an uproar of different opinions and they decided what to do. The commander now scared of the morale Uriah has inspired and his previous outburst of rage at his peer chose the kinder option against his will.

“Our Patron of Life raises a valid point, we can not punish this child for something it can not help, it would not be right to eliminate it. However, we cannot allow this child to have the same impact as it’s predecessor, we must keep a strict eye on it - and if it shows the same potential it must be eliminated.”

The Council all agreed on that outcome, while Uriah remained sulking in his seat.

“Alright everyone, thank you tremendously for your input. The After Lands wouldn’t be the same without you. The council members all bowed humbly and exited. The commander caught Uriah’s shoulder as he headed out. “And I want to give a special thank you to you as well Uriah,” The grip on his shoulder became bone breakingly tight. “Thank you truly for your input.” Uriah shook him off and bowed quickly before rushing out of the building.