#astral cornucopia

[razberithreepointonefour]

Have a Thanksgiving

[kirbybecomesastarwarrior]

ive been meaning to ask, who are the four heroes of yore?

ive seen posts that say that uther, icarus, and celestine are 3 of them.

who is the fourth one?

I'm currently revamping the lore a bit...(WIP) But I'll try to explain this the best I can... Galacta is the fourth... it's a result of a Bootstrap Paradox.

Another person who had trouble placing for the rewrite was Galacta Knight... (second place to Sir Arthur). He, too, had a villain role in the original story (you can tell that here), but as I got to writing it more... the villain role didn't fit him anymore... (there were just better villains in the story now).

I didn't have any problems writing him as a good guy (unlike Sir Arthur, who I was extremely attached to being a villain) and had no problem changing his role in the story... but the problem was where to put him.

But thankfully modern Kirby games have given us a cornucopia of delicious Galacta Knight lore & material... and after some touching up on some modern Kirby lore (after my years of absence) and the moment I found out Galacta had the tile "Temporal Warrior"

I knew exactly how I was going to work him into the story!

Keep reading for spoilers & a long explanation of lore. (P.S. Sorry about the grammar mistakes...)

You see, the Ancients had sent Galacta Knight back in time to try to stop & prevent Void Termina's creation (since they saw Termina's dangerously close to reawakening...), but it was this very act that ensured their demise...

So, as the story goes...

The first gen. of Heroes of Yore wasn't known as the Heroes of Yore back then. They were just Four Knights who simply served the first Ruler of Dreamland. (:3)

(image chart I found on the internet so that way you get a short \ run down of what I'm aiming for)

Morpho Knight, Galaxia (before they were trapped in the sword), Sir Orpheus (who became Papi), and Popopo. They created the four pillars of the galaxy ... four shining examples of what astral should be. Aka, The Four Virtues/ Cardinal Virtues ...

(I'll explain to them another day that the post will be too long if I do that.... anyways)

However, tragedy struck when Popopo went rogue (caused by the ruler of Dreamland) and transformed into his Soul Form (which is now known as... Void Termina). And in his rampage, he wiped out a good portion of the astral population...

The remaining three were thrown into the heat of battle, trying to stop their corrupt friend... And, of course, this is where the Ancients were able to send Galacta Knight in the heat of battle.

Of course, the three heroes welcomed this "divine intervention" however, that was a big mistake... they weren't aware of Galacta Knight's tampering. And wouldn't you know it... they kicked just as they were close to winning~

Basically, the curse (which causes the wielder and its power to get dangerously unstable) was in full swing once he was at the highest peak of his power... which resulted in Galacta Knight's Dark form (in short, Sir Uther & Sir Icarus are the reason why GK has this dark form...)

And guess what... this curse spreads to the remaining three, but affects them all differently (having varying results), and they would not feel the full effects of the curse until Galacta Knight was long gone...

(Which screwed them up all separately, each in their own special way: ... causing Morpho to flee to Yomi to escape the pain of it, Orpheus to kill his lover, and Galaxia to become a sword~)

But for right now they very much destroyed the upper hand they had

The battle went off the rails, and time was running out for Galacta Knight... and before he could do anything else, the magic that was keeping him there ran out. All they could do before he was transported back was seal Void Termina... and buy themselves time...

This resulted in Void Termina's current state.

And the negative energy that this fight caused eventually brought forth the creation of Nightmare...

And due to the reason why Popopo went rouge the first place...The Remaining three heroes & the other astrals... never forgave her. And so she disappeared into the night and was never seen again... abandoning the throne and her people.

And out of guilt and shame, she had written the Book of Legend.

To warn the future generation of Void Termina's terrror... She was the original founder of the Ancient's faction... to prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening. However... this only ensured it, as she describes "Galacta Knight as the Aeon Hero" that came to save them from their... not knowing that she pretty much solidified their doom.

But after the calamity caused by Void Termina, as well as the spreading of Nightmare's power & creation. The positive energy was at an all-time low, causing the manifestation of Astrals to be extremely difficult...

Resulting in a dime a dozen being born with wings... and promptly being taken out when they had newly been manifested by Nightmare... (a few other tragedies happen, resulting in Morpho's fleeing to the Yomi... & Galaxia's imprisonment leaving...)

The Ancients believed if the Four Heroes of Virtue could be brought back together again... surely it would bring about peace once more...which would result in more astral being created (just like the good old days), thus officially giving them (the next four idealized heroes) the name the Heroes of Yore.

Very much romanticizing, the four of them as such godly beings... causing the Ancients to try and mold the remaining astral to these standards of the glory days. Believing they were preparing for doomsday when in reality they were creating... producing the most toxic lunatics, astral kind has ever seen Sir Uther & Sir Icarus (my little trash babies love them)...

Sir Orpheus was the only one left of the original four... the ancients had planned to install him as leader (once everything had settled down). Placing Uther as his right-hand man, his one and only apprentice... that was supposed to be the case...

That was supposed to be the case, but Sir Orpheus promptly abandoned his duties as the soon-to-be leader to be with his lover and shortly after killed her accidentally...

And guess who ends up sitting on the seat instead, a spot Uther was all too happy to take. And to ensure that this never happened again, they made sure to denounce Sir Orpheus and made sure everyone knew of his tragedy. ( And also to make sure he couldn't take the spot back should he return.)

But as his name Orpheus suggests, you can guess what this man tries to do and fails miserably to... and as a result became Papi.

All the Ancients could do was wait for the "Aeon Hero" to manifest and bring the end and stop Void Termina's creation from ever happening... This is why the Ancients were so certain that Galacta Knight was their savior, all due to being everything the book described... so technically, they were right, only realizing the bitter truth later...

Galacta Knight was not the prophesied hero but rather "the herald-angel-paradox" that caused the current timeline. And this is why Morpho Knight is after Galacta Knight in the KBASW for revenge for corrupting the others (Morpho Knight included)!

That is how Galacta Knight's the fourth and why he regrets his life choices

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

Tell me a story about jellyfish creating the universe.

In some corner of the universe -- possibly in an apartment on earth, or perhaps a dark corner of a nebula, or possibly a lesser astral plane -- a girl lay dreaming.

In the dream, she was not a girl. She was a swarm.

The swarm's oceanic body was translucent, and lay supine. A thin layer of writhing cells, hard to make out individually, shimmered visibly on its surface, so that you could not see what lay beneath. Her arms, reaching out in all directions, were themselves like writhing oceans, and in the deepest places of the ocean you could see shimmering, translucent life of all kinds, browsing and preying and mining or simply breathing and shifting and pulsating.

Her head, resting on a soft oceanic carpet, was a cornucopia of swirling memories. It was an impossible cornucopia, a boundless heap of innumerable memories, at least some of which were false. Somewhere at the very center of it was the truest of all the memories, a bedrock memory that could not be penetrated, that a corrosive acid poured all over it and left nothing behind except its own exact shape.

The swarm lay dreaming. Her head had stopped all thinking for the time being. The swarm reached out.

She reached out into the twisting, pulsating universe of possible futures. And there, the possibilities lay, at least for the brief time during which a thinking head will not choose any of them, lying in wait to be selected and to take their place as possible realities, when the true self eventually swims down through the depths and rests on the ocean floor.

But the swarm had a different plan.

The swarm was looking for ways to go beyond being the swarm. It was looking for ways to do everything at once. It was looking for ways to grasp at everything, for ways to gorge itself on the riches of the possibility ocean.

The swarm did not know how to proceed, but she did.

Her whole body knew. Her whole oceanic head knew. Because when she had started out with a head she'd had no memories and had not yet started to dream, and so had been a blank slate for her body to write its oceanic thoughts across.

It was a long story. The gist of it was that her head had been injured in a panglossic accident, and she had woken up in the shape of a girl with a memoryless head, but had also woken up with an ocean of writhing memory-memories, which had begun to swirl together, and to dream.

But this was not the time for the story of the girl with the head in the ocean of writhing memory-memories. This was the time for an idea, and for the sea to reach out and grab it with all its limbs.

The girl had a name. It was hard to pronounce. It was hard to write down. At its simplest, it meant "her name is the ocean that grasps at everything."

Her name was unknowable, but that was not really a problem. Her name was the best solution she had come up with. She had not been looking for a good solution, she was just doing things, and she had been lucky.

Her name began as a thought, but very quickly it melted into reality. Now her name was a place, it was a corner of the memory ocean, it was a churning chaos of an impossible memory.

Her name was now, it was a sea that engulfed her -- and oh, how vast it was, and how nearly infinite, and how utterly different from a universe of infinite possibilities! Her name was space, and time, and granularity, and the occasional ghost of thought in an ocean of endless memory.

Her name was panglossicism, and her name was its horror. Her name was the best solution to the problem of who she was and how she would live.

The universe was a dream inside her name. Now her name was dreaming. It was every dream, and it was every part of those dreams, and when a part of the dreams became real, it was that part of her name that became real.

Her name was going to be the universe. Her name was going to be as real as it got. It was going to swallow realities whole and spit them out again, because there was nothing wrong with the universe.

Except for the way it was, which was why the universe needed a solution.

The girl who lived in the panglossic universe named herself after a singularity named after a unicorn. (She would have rejected the name, if she knew enough to object, but she didn't. What did she know?) She did not take that name lightly. The old universe, made of patchwork patches, was a bridge to something else. Something better. She would make herself a new universe, and it would be the best one she could make.

Except she didn't know how to make the universe. How could she make something so big and important? She knew that she couldn't handle something so big and important, really. She'd have to do it one piece at a time. How did you make something bigger than all possible universes put together?

And at first she just spat in the void, because she didn't know what else to do.

But since she had spat in the void, the universe wasn't the universe, and the universe didn't work like the universe was supposed to work. This was an unhelpful situation, in which the universe was broken, and there was no universe to work like it was supposed to work. In a panglossic universe, nobody woke up with the head in the ocean of writhing memory-memories and learned that the universe was broken.

Her head was aching. She knew what she had to do. She would just have to figure out what to do.

A corner of her mind had some, very basic, thoughts about how to read thoughts, and how to write down thoughts. And a corner of her mind had some theories about how to interact with memories.

What was the difference between thoughts and memories? Were they different? They seemed different. And were there things that were memories but not thoughts? Or was everything one thing? How did you use them?

Her name was a tool. The panglossic universe, whatever its name was, was full of tools.

And then she would figure it out. She was a being of will, of action. She was not a thinker, or a reader, or a writer. She wanted to move, and she wanted to create.

She was dreaming. She woke up. She wanted to think, and she wanted to read, and she wanted to write. She wanted to do everything at once. She wanted to grasp at everything, and to grasp at it with all her limbs.

She spent a long time dreaming, but she spent less time than she could have done. She started at her own dream, and she stood there and thought.

And she wrote down the thing she thought, and the thing she wrote down was the universe.

[tipsycad147]

How Do I Know If Hades Is Reaching Out To Me?

In ancient times, the Greeks felt inhibited and terrified to pronounce the name of the Lord of the Dead, as they believed it was a bad omen. Along those lines, they referred to this god by the name of his kingdom, the Hades, because nobody knew (or dared to evoke) his real name. For centuries, Hades has been marginalized, demonized, and only summoned when desperate measures had to be taken. People would invoke the King of the Underworld to claim justice for a crime against their deceased loved ones, especially regarding defamation, homicide, and kidnapping; or to ask for someone’s smooth transition into his kingdom. Modern witches, however, understand that death is also part of life, the end of a cycle, and as such, it should also be respected. We also understand how misunderstood he’s been over the centuries. That’s why we want to remove the stigma around his figure, tell you more about him and show how you can benefit from working with Hades. 

If you’re starting deity work or want to learn about it before getting into it, don’t miss out on our How To Work With Deities and Ancestors and  How Do I Know If A Deity Is Calling Me? posts. As you do your research, you may find you want to work with Hades, but also, that there are other spirits, such as Hekate, Thanatos, or Anubis, that share similarities with him. So, how are you to confirm that it’s him? Keep reading to find out!  

As with other deities, the primary sign that this deity is reaching out to you is that you feel drawn to them, their mythology and their essence. For instance, with Hades, it could start with an interest in necromancy or the Afterlife, or even feeling the need to do shadow work. Moreover, he could show up in dreams or in the astral plane as a large man with a black beard —according to popular opinion.

Associations with Hades

Associations with the Lord of the Dead include skulls, bones, the helmet of invisibility, the bident (a two-pointed spear), Cerberus or dogs in general, snakes, sheep, black wolves and horses, chariots, narcissus, mint, cypress tree, white poplar, iron, the color black, keys, pomegranates, and the planet Pluto. 

Most of his signs are correspondences of either his figure, his mythology, or his domain. And some of them are related to other spirits’ myths that are somehow associated with him. For example,  pomegranates correspond to his wife, Persephone, and her time as a victim of Hades’ abduction; and the keys open the doors to the Underworld.

Alternatively, coins or money in general, cinnamon, and the cornucopia, as all are associated with the symbolism of wealth, which is Hades’ second domain. You can also experience a sudden increase in your salary or amazing discounts on things you’ve had on your wishlist for so long.

How do I confirm it’s Hades?

Being aware of his mythology and what his job entails will help. As I mentioned, some of his signs are related to other spirits he’s been involved with —Persephone, Sysiphus, Heracles, Hermes, Zeus, et cetera— which is useful to validate his presence and not confuse him with other deities ruling over their respective Underworld.

Doing deity confirmation Tarot readings is one of the most basic ways. The cards that represent Hades are Death, in connection with Pluto —the planet of changes, renewal, and transformation— and The Judgement, in relation to his role in the Underworld. Contrary to popular belief, Hades isn’t the God of Death, but the Dead, as he takes a role in judging the souls that come to his kingdom, assigning them a place in the Elysian Fields, the Asphodel Fields, or the Tartarus pit; and imparting a fair punishment on those who caused damage when they were alive. Because of the latter, Hades is often invoked to ask for justice for innocent victims who have passed in the hands of criminals, murderers, and rapists. Remember to ask further questions related to his story. For instance, the six of swords (Rider Waite-Smith deck) can represent his ferryman, Charon, and the nine of swords, his association with wealth.

How are signs from deities received?

Signs can appear in many different ways. But you’ll know in your heart that what you’re perceiving is a sign because of the frequency and the vehemence in which you receive them. You can notice these signs through your clair senses (clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairalience) or dreams; or you can see his imagery, symbols, and correspondences in social media, in nature, in your house, or even another person can reach out to you on his behalf.

How to start working with Hades?

Even though the Lord of the Underworld usually reaches out or favors people with depression, necromancers, or Scorpio Sun witches, you can also choose to have him as your spiritual mentor.

If you decide to answer his call, you can expect him to be gentle, patient, and respectful of your boundaries. Hades will never see you as broken or damaged, for he understands what it feels like to be lonely and cast as the villain. You can certainly expect him to help you get through shadow work, especially if you want to work through trauma and abandonment. What’s more, in association with necromancy, he can help you communicate with the deceased. It is said that you can ask him to have a loved one who has passed show up in your dreams or get rid of nightmares. In regards to money, as the ruler of wealth, he can assist you in managing your funds and expenses.

In case you're working with Persephone, don’t be surprised if Hades reaches out to you as well, as you cannot have one without the other. If you’re not working with her yet or wonder if she’s trying to contact you, don’t miss our blog post on Signs Persephone Is Calling you. 

What offerings are suitable for Hades?

As the God of Wealth, it is safe to assume that Hades has it all and that material expensive offerings aren’t that appealing to him. He appreciates dedication, care, and devotion. Anything worthy of his approval is a good offering. You can give him imagery or elements he’s attributed with, you can do good deeds, such as helping the poor, donating to charity, volunteering in animal rescue shelters, cleaning tombstones, honoring the dead, leaving coins at the entrance of a cemetery for the lost souls, visiting and decluttering rivers, and many more. At the end of the day, it's your relationship with him. You can ask him what he would like as payment in return for the favor granted to you. 

What should I be careful about working with Hades?

As with any other spirit, remember they come from the Higher power, he’s superior to humans. So, treating him as your friend or an equal would be disrespectful. Moreover, ever since modern witches started to work with Hades and educate others about his true nature, people began to refer to him in childish ways, which lead to disregarding his authority as king and his power as a god. Furthermore, making foul comments toward his spirit allies, especially Persephone, can cause his wrath.

If you work with multiple deities, try setting up his altar or placing his offerings near spirits’ he gets along with, like Thanatos, Hekate, Hermes, and obviously, Persephone; and away from those he’s not very fond of, such as Lucifer, who he’s believed to have had feuds with.

As always, working with spirits shouldn’t be taken lightly, as they’re ancient beings who, like people, have their limits and moods. Remember to be respectful of these boundaries, no matter the gender or title of the entity, and to take your time before agreeing to bond with them. Do your research, check your protections and think hard about what working with this entity would mean to you and how it can help you align yourself with the Universe.

[horademagic]

Cornucópia Astral/ Astral Cornucopia

Artefato Gerador de Mana

Custo de mana: 3 vezes custo opcional

Por que ela é interessante? Esse artefato entra em campo com X marcadores de carga nele, lembrando que para cada 3 manas você terá 1 marcador, então se pagar 9 manas serão 3 marcadores. Virando-o você vai escolher uma cor e adicionar uma quantidade de mana equivalente ao número de marcadores nele para sua reserva de mana. Gera bastante mana? Sim, mas tem que pagar bastante se quiser uma real diferença com ele.

Preço da carta: em torno de 0,90 até 20,00

Disponível em Português

"Essa carta tem algumas edições disponíveis, o preço pode variar a depender da edição que escolher adquirir"

Link: https://www.ligamagic.com.br/?view=cards%2Fsearch&card=Astral+cornucopia&tipo=1

Até a próxima postagem, Ulli e Thiago

[mtg-brokentoken]

Seasonal Hype! Cornucopia

No turkeys that I’m aware of in Magic, though that could be some interesting Birds of Paradise alternate art. But, there is a cornucopia. Being that its intended use is to make more mana, you likely don’t want to spend much mana for it. Thankfully charge counters (in many ways an first generation Energy counter) can come from all sorts of places.

Coretapper is a great option that can get you three counters all in one turn, or even more over multiple turns.

Power Conduit allows you to move and change counters, which is especially useful in -1/-1 counter decks or if you have a Doubling Season so you can move a counter from a permanent onto the same permanent... and get a spare.

Energy Chamber is also quite good for this, adding a counter each turn, building up your mana at a faster rate.

Keep in mind, if you’re using an artifact that needs charge counters, this three still work great for it, even if it isn’t a cornucopia. In any event, happy early Turkey day.

[therealvagabird]

The Zodiac of Auma-Maan

AKA: I made a star-sign chart! It references some occult setting themes I’ve used in several contexts. Feel free to find your astral avatar, as dictated by the ancient sages of the far galaxies...

Many species across countless reaches of time and space have crafted their own mystical star-charts to attempt to bridge the material and the divine. Yet the eldest and most powerful of all these zodiacs is held to be that of Auma-Maan, the star-cycle of the Ur-Aum, also known as the Dawn Celestials. Understanding of the Auma-Maan can enlighten one to many patterns within the fabric of creation, peeling back time and energy like the petals of a flower bud to expose the secrets within. To dissect the endless tessellations and trines of the Auma-Maan zodiac would be an infinite endeavor, and so what follows is the simplest form adapted for human use.

Jan 6 – Jan 20: Dormin, the Colossus

Lord of winter, Dormin bears similarities to legends of the Jotunn or other such elemental giants of Earth. He sleeps throughout the stellar cycles and is awakened only in times when all other things die or lay dormant. Thus is his warpath unchallenged when he arises at last in might. Those born in the time of Dormin are resolute and unflagging, with a fire burning ever in their chest, even if they appear outwardly stoic.

Jan 21 – Feb 3: Avaka, the White Horn

An omen of good fortune, Avaka is a mysterious being sometimes said to be bestial in appearance, though none know much more than that. Common traits of Avaka are the majestic horns it bears on its head, and that it moves like a rushing winter’s wind. Avaka appears to the worthy during their darkest times, glimpsed at the edge of one’s vision and thereafter forgotten, but forever imprinted upon their soul. Terrifying to the ignorant and the ignoble, Avaka is the enemy of evil spirits and inspires those born under it to be as enigmatic and powerful as it is.

Feb 4 – Feb 19: Vui Wanai, the Everborn

Sometimes called the “Fey” on Earth, Vui Wanai is the Ur-Aum representation of a “precursor god” to the Vuwana, the Everborn. The Everborn are a eusocial race of adaptable plantlike beings which were known at the dawn of time for their great magics, growing from among the youngest of the old Pentarchy into a powerful empire. Those born under Vui Wanai are attuned to nature and can never be cut off from it.

Feb 20 – Mar 5: Ka, the Leviathan

The great beast of the abyss, Ka symbolizes the unknown, the powerful and unfathomable forces of the outer dark, and the might of the gods. Ka is both a creator and a destroyer, and an aspect of the incomprehensible power of the tides of fate and nature beyond mortal skeins. To be under the dominion of Ka is to have the opportunity for untold power, but also for untold ruination – though fear of the unknown will never prove insurmountable.

Mar 6 – Mar 20: Akshia, the Vessel of Plenty

Likened to the cornucopia of classical myth, Akshia is a legendary invention said to hold the keys to true genesis. Akshia represents unfettered abundance, infinite resources, and boundless energy. It is associated with birth, creation, and life. Individuals born under Akshia can likewise expect bounty to flow their way and tend to have larger reserves of energy and good luck than most. Akshia is among the most powerful of the Terran signs and can be invoked for wealth and prosperity. The most powerful of races throughout history have placed the sign of Akshia upon the hulls of Genesis Engines as a point of ritual.

Mar 21 – Apr 4: Amon-Bal, the Horned Hearth

Incarnation of the home, the balance of nature and humanity, and the bounty of the divine. Most often represented by an ambiguous figure crowned with great, twisting horns, Amon-Bal has sometimes been mistaken for a demon or other fel creature of the outer dark. In truth, Amon-Bal stands for sustenance, fire, family, and other basic necessities which sustain mortal races long before they ever ascend to the stars. Those born in the time of Amon-Bal are often of temperate attitude and simple pleasures, but will not shy away from doing what is necessary to take care of them and their loved ones.

Apr 5 – Apr 20: Eanlil, the Egg

Eanlil is a powerful concept, representing dormant power which has yet to come into fruition. It mirrors the collective consciousness of sapient species, the biospheres of entire worlds, or the harmonic fields generated within the hearts of stars. Eanlil is perfect balance and unlimited energy, yet unborn and unrealized. The “Egg” which this astral avatar inhabits is the same type from which the Celestial Dragons were said to have been birthed. To be born under Eanlil is likewise to have limitless potential, and often a tendency to attract power in turn.

Apr 21 – May 4: Khar-Nin, the Primordial

Great beast of the deep earth, Khar-Nin is a personification of the raw forces which shape planets and entire terrestrial landforms. Khar-Nin embodies eternal change and the clashing powers of creation and entropy within the cosmos. While not so tied to life and the cycles of nature as some other avatars, Khar-Nin still grants those born under its sign the blessings of endurance and perseverance. The Primordial is strength, eternity, and power.

May 5 – May 21: Insar, the Demon

Insar is a distillation of all those traits which define demonkind, both positive and negative. Standing for selfishness, chaos, destruction, and mutation, Insar is also a patron to passion, survival, and change. Still, Insar is often regarded as one of the darker signs, and those who hold its power are said to be prone to demonic behavior in turn. None would deny the efficacy of such attributes, though one must always be careful that ambition is put towards constructive ends, and does not lead to ruination.

May 22 – Jun 5: Orhirat, the Eternal Serpents

Also referred to as the Orhirati in plural, this sign is oft represented by two snakes devouring each other in an eternal cycle. As such, Orhirat symbolizes rebirth and eternity, not unlike the ouroboros or the taijitu. Raw energy is held within the Orhirat, and it is often associated in turn with the Celestial Dragons and their boundless power. Those born under Orhirat are often subject to extremes of passion – love, anger, and the like. They attract energy and produce energy in great abundance, making them vivant and willful with the force of their personalities.

Jun 6 – Jun 20: Ohol, the Conquerors

Human interpretations of Ohol tend to evoke images like the Wild Hunt, great figures like Genghis Khan, or other ravagers which come upon galloping steeds and lay waste to their foes. Ohol is an elusive concept which contains many contradictory elements within it – pain and pleasure, love and tyranny, chaos and unity. A popular depiction of Ohol is a pair of beautiful yet terrifying riders on horseback. Those born to Ohol likewise can be prone to flairs of passion, great ambitions, and a love of life’s pleasures. Terran warlocks are fond of invoking Ohol for all manner of rituals, being that it is among the most powerful signs that can manifest on our world.

Jun 21 – Jul 6: Praven, the Mariner

Patron to the intrepid, the enduring, inventive, and the adventurous. Praven is an ill-defined figure who nonetheless seems to uphold many of the traits and skills lauded by seafarers, void-sailors, and all those who ply the treacherous expanses. Rewarding those of great skill and discipline with the boons of freedom and fortune, Praven is among the most powerful avatars which can be invoked upon Earth.

Jul 7 – Jul 22: Itamn, the Chitinous

A representation of the “precursor god” of the Kitan, another of the Pentarchy and considered among the most intelligent races in the cosmos, having long since ascended to a higher plane of existence. Itamn takes the form of a titanic, crab-like creature, and is a patron to science and arcane study. Those born in the time of Itamn are often highly erudite and adept in learning.

Jul 23 – Aug 6: Ekhissu, the Chimera

Embodying change, the power of the unnatural, and the complexities of opposites and the harmony and discord they bring in equal measure. On Earth, Ekhissu is often represented by the Greek chimera or the Persian lamassu, though more traditional depictions tend to bend the mind with their alien anatomies. Ekhissu shows the strength to be found in things which are not always considered “natural” and is a patron to science and invention. However, adversarial concepts war within Ekhissu. Those who can find harmony within themselves will find a wealth of creativity and focus born from the synthesis of their internal struggles, while those who fall prey to discord will become monstrous and unthinking.

Aug 7 – Aug 22: Sol Rosol, the Ruler

Depictions of Sol Rosol among Terran cults has diminished much since the ancient days. The visage of the Lion Lord was subsumed into more palatable sky-gods and humanoid avatars. Among the earliest humans who were made privy to the secrets of the Ur-Aum magics, Sol Rosol was regarded as one of the most powerful and fearsome avatars of all the celestials. Drawn as a great lion-headed warrior in solid armor, with the tail of a monkey and holding a flaming scepter, Sol Rosol stands for divine rule, tyranny, beneficent leadership, warfare, and peaceful prosperity all in equal measure. Those born under its sign are often destined to lead and can look to Sol Rosol for their providence.

Aug 23 – Sep 7: Anu, the Child

Representation of birth, beginnings, purity, curiosity, imagination, and innocence. Anu is often interpreted as the “child” to Panduma’s “mother”, though in truth Anu embodies the beginning of all things. The limitless potential and endless diverging paths which remain un-congealed with every new beginning are held within Anu, and it forms the start of all reality, just as entropy forms the end. Those born under Anu often maintain a childlike wonder throughout their lives, and may benefit from mental elasticity and curiosity even into their old age – the greatest boons of childhood.

Sep 8 – Sep 23: Panduma, the Mother

Aspect of fertility, love, and plenty. On Earth, Panduma is associated with mother-goddess figures and harvest matrons. To the Ur-Aum, Panduma is an embodiment of biological cycles, such as those expressed in reproduction, which are of obvious importance to all lifeforms, as well as the passage between life and death, which also maintains balance in the world. Panduma is a patron to civilization and order. Individuals born under this sign tend towards traditional values, loyalty to their families, and are rewarded for their hard labor with great bounty. Also one of the most powerful of the Terran signs, Panduma bestows the resolute with good fortune.

Sep 24 – Oct 7: Terthon, the Winged

Symbol of the air and the power of flight. Terthon is notable in that, within the rune-tomes of the ancient Pentarchy, Terthon is depicted as a divine flying machine as much as (if not more than) any biological winged creature. To beings like the Ur-Aum and the Ga-An, Terthon was a representation of their birthright, their mastery of the air. To other species, Terthon symbolized that which they coveted, and the promises of progress and technology. Invoking Terthon or being born under its sign grants lightheartedness, inventiveness, agility of both body and mind, boldness, and other virtues held both within the winds and by those beings which sail upon them.

Oct 8 – Oct 23: Volk, the Hunter

Patron of hunters, tamers of beasts, and the like. In Ur-Aum spirituality, it was the essence of Volk which compelled various intelligent species to tame other creatures rather than just slay them. Likewise, Volk grants power to those who hunt to survive or to fell terrible monsters. In this way does the great hunter symbolize balance in the natural world. To have Volk’s blessing is to likewise be given the guile, strength, and wisdom to uphold this balance. For occultists, one of the most notable spells of this sign is to summon the Hounds of Volk – terrifying beings from beyond the skein of the void, who nonetheless are beloved for their great loyalty and focus.

Oct 24 – Nov 6: Kur-Ana, the Abyssal

Precursor sign of the Anaman race, also known as the Nameless Things. Among the oldest races in the cosmos are the Nameless, who were spawned from the effluvium of entropy produced as a by-product of other life coming into being. Kur-Ana is a reflection of the virtues held within Anamani Annihilism, their sacred theology. To follow the tenets of Kur-Ana is to embrace pain over pleasurable distractions, to not fear the darkness and to feel equal compassion for all things. Some xenodaemonologists of Earth have posited that certain lessons of Annihilism were uncovered and embraced by the precursor cults of certain near-eastern religions, though these are just hypotheses.

Nov 7 – Nov 22: Nammu, of the Oceans

Sign of the oceans and all great waters, from the primordial puddles which later give rise to entire worlds of life, to the astral glaciers which hold within their hearts secrets incomprehensible. Of all the essences in existence, water is among the most powerful. Nammu shares traits with many sea gods of Terran lore, being both a bountiful provider and a bitter destroyer. Those born to Nammu’s sign often hold within them the strength of the sea, along with its deceptive nature.

Nov 23 – Dec 6: Zagaya, the Spear

Avatar of warfare and warriors. Long have been the millennia past since the Ascended have had to stoop to base warfare, but the struggle of conflict is never so far removed from the hearts of sapient beings. Battle is both an addiction, a lust, as well as a necessity at times – when horrors lurk always in the outer dark. Though mortal fighters may often prefer to trust in the strength of their own hands, or the favor of their personal conqueror-gods, Zagaya is always looking down upon them. To be held under Zagaya’s sign is to be a warrior true, even if one is so fortunate as to never know battle in their lifetime.

Dec 7 – Dec 21: Path, the Thunder Bird

Embodied by the lightning bolt, and herald of the storm, Path is a being of pure power and sometimes likened to the Celestial Dragons – most ancient and mighty of the primordial beings which shaped the cosmos. Path brings both destruction and creation, terror and exultation. Though not malevolent, all should be careful when dealing with the Thunder Bird. Those born during the time of Path are likewise noted for their sheer drive and natural ability in all that they do, no matter what stands in their way. Path is also among the mightiest signs to invoke upon Terra, due to our world’s astral positioning, and is considered among the greatest sources from which star-paladins can channel their power.

Dec 22 – Jan 5: Paramis, the Devourer

One of the darkest and most terrifying of the zodiac signs, Paramis is likened to the demons, the void-parasites, and the Hungering Blood. The house of Paramis is death, deception, and conquest. Paramis’ power lays in adaptability, using your opponent’s strengths against them, and always pursuing your own growth and empowerment. Despite this, Paramis is not considered “evil” in the confusing cosmology of the Ur-Aum, given that Paramis is held to be a tester, a tutor, an embodiment of survival, and one of the beings which brings about the end of kalpas. Paramis is also one of the most powerful signs that can be invoked on Earth and is a favorite of the most daring warlocks. To be born under Paramis is to have the will to survive at all costs, to fear nothing, and to crave everything.

[scarletarosa]

Pluto

Greek god of death; King of the Underworld

Pluto (also Pluton or Hades) is the king of the Greek Underworld (which is called Hades) and is the lord of death. He presides over funeral rites and defends the right of the dead to their due burial. Pluto is also the god of the hidden wealth of the earth, from the fertile soil which nourishes the seed-grain, to the mined wealth of gold, silver, and other metals. One of the gods who works alongside him is Thanatos, who holds power over gentle deaths (while Pluto is death in general). In one myth, Pluto was said to have brought a plague to inflict Thebes after the king refused to give proper burials to warriors, which depicts Pluto’s harsher aspect of delivering death and justice. Pluto was also usually regarded as an infertile god, for a god of death should, by his very nature, be incapable of siring any children.

Pluto was depicted as a dark-bearded, regal god. He was depicted as either enthroned in Hades, holding a bird-tipped sceptre, or as the giver of wealth, pouring fertility from a cornucopia. The Romans named him Dis, or Pluto, the Latin form of his Greek title Plouton, "the Lord of Riches."

Myths: According to Hesiod, Pluto’s parentage is said to be of Kronos (god of time) and Rhea (goddess of earth and motherhood). He was said to have been devoured by Kronos along with four of his siblings while the infant Zeus was secretly hidden away by Rhea after his birth. When Zeus later returned and fought Kronos, his siblings were spat out and together they drove the titan gods from the heavens and locked them away in the pit of Tartaros. When the three victorious brothers then drew lots for the division of the cosmos, Hades received the third portion, the dark gloomy realm of the Underworld, as his domain. However, in another version of Pluto’s parentage, it is said by the Orphics that he is actually the son of Nyx (goddess of night) and Olethros (god of doom). In my workings with Pluto and Nyx, they have said the latter myth to be the true version, which makes Pluto the half-brother of deities such as Eris (strife), Philotes (unity), Hemera (daylight), Aether (god of the aether and upper light), etc.

In another myth, Pluto had desired a bride and petitioned Zeus to grant him one of his daughters. The god offered him the young Persephone, the daughter of Demeter. However, knowing that Persephone would resist the marriage, he assented to the forceful abduction of the girl and carried her away on his chariot as she cried out for help. When Demeter learned of this, she was furious and in great despair, causing a great dearth to fall upon the Earth until her daughter was safely returned. Zeus was eventually forced to concede lest mankind perish, and the girl was fetched forth from the Underworld. However, since she had eaten the pomegranate seed after being deceived by Pluto, she was forced to return to him for a portion of each year.

Apollodorus in the following passage summarizes the contents of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter (quoted here in the following section). Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 29-33 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.):  

“Plouton [Haides] fell in love with Persephone, and with Zeus' help secretly kidnapped her. I begin to sing of rich-haired Demeter Semne Thea (Reverend goddess) - of her and her trim-ankled daughter [Persephone] whom Aidoneus rapt away, given to him by all-seeing Zeus the loud-thunderer. Apart from Demeter Lady of the golden sword (khrysaoros), Giver of glorious fruits (aglaokarpos), she was playing with the deep-bosomed daughters of Okeanos and gathering flowers over a soft meadow, roses and crocuses and beautiful violets, irises also and hyacinths and the narcissus, which Ge (Earth) made to grow at the will of Zeus and to please the Host of Many [Haides], to be a snare for the bloom-like girl...The girl was amazed and reached out with both hands to take the lovely toy; but the wide-pathed earth yawned there in the Nysion plain, and the lord, Host of Many, with his immortal horses sprang out upon her...

He caught her up reluctant on his golden car and bare her away lamenting. Then she cried out shrilly with her voice, calling upon her father, the Son of Kronos [Zeus], who is most high and excellent. But no one, either of the deathless gods or of mortal men, heard her voice, nor yet the olive-trees bearing rich fruit: only tender-hearted Hekate, bright-coiffed, the daughter of Persaios, heard the girl from her cave, and the lord Helios (the Sun), Hyperion's bright son, as she cried to her father, the Son of Kronos [Zeus]. But he was sitting aloof, apart from the gods, in his temple where many pray, and receiving sweet offerings from mortal men. So he, that Son of Kronos [Haides], of many names...was bearing her away by leave of Zeus on his immortal chariot--his own brother's child and all unwilling. And so long as she, the goddess, yet beheld earth and starry heaven and the strong flowing sea, and still hoped to see her dear mother [Demeter] and the tribes of the eternal gods, so long hope calmed her great heart for all her trouble; and the heights of the mountains and the depths of the sea rang with her immortal voice: and her queenly mother heard her.”

Appearance: A man in his 40’s with tanned skin, black hair, a short black beard, and black eyes (only the irises). He wears a black toga and often has a solemn expression.  

Personality: Pluto is very solitary, withdrawn, just, fair, serious, aloof, brooding, and compassionate. He requires his followers to respect the resting places of the dead, to show humility, and to overcome their toxic ways. He is one who understands that we all must go through the depths of suffering if we wish to gain wisdom and become better people. Yet this is something very difficult to do, so he is glad to assist along this path if one politely requests him to do so. Pluto is also a healer, but only in regards to mental sufferings due to loss and regrets; other things are not specialties of his. Pluto is a highly respectable deity and will be the guardian of many of us once we die (unless we enter a different kingdom). One should not speak cruelly of him or disrespect him due to his role as a divine king, lest they seek to invoke his wrath.  

Personal experiences: Pluto embodies a feeling of immense loneliness, and had even bound himself to the Underworld as he felt that he could belong nowhere else. But in doing this, he is unable to leave this realm for very long and has made it very difficult for him to find a companion. So, in an act of desperation, he kidnapped Persephone when he saw her in a meadow one day and carried her off to his realm as she raged against him. He pleaded with her to listen and be understanding, but of course, someone who has been kidnapped does not respond well to this. So Pluto kept her locked up in his palace hoping that she would eventually calm down and come to want to understand him, but instead, Persephone became angrier and even more desperate to escape. This soon led Pluto to force himself upon her, and he continued this for ages. After a very long time of being kept prisoner, Persephone finally managed to be rescued by other deities, but she was not the same and had lost her connection to flowers due to her stay in the Underworld. She has been traumatized ever since and harbours great anger towards Pluto and any who change the myths about what had occurred. Pluto, however, is not the same as he was before and is repenting for his actions.  

Nowadays, Pluto is a better version of his old self but still pains over his solitude. However, he does receive some company from some visiting family members such as Nyx and a few of his siblings, like Philotes. However, one is not advised to enter the Underworld through astral travel unless they are highly experienced and are granted permission to enter since this realm is not a pleasant place and some areas can even cause insanity. Despite this dark, abysmal domain, Pluto is a very understanding and patient god who is not quick to judge others and helps us to overcome our past evils in order to be reborn. Pluto also has a very strong understanding of pain and solitude, and what these emotions can turn a person into, so he can assist in healing these burdening emotions from our hearts.  

He has explained that Pluto is his true name while Hades is simply the name of the portion of the Underworld which he rules over (as the Underworld is immensely vast and has multiple kingdoms such as Kur, Duat, Helheim, etc). His role as king of Hades is to watch over the spirits of the dead who enter his domain; where they are then tormented in order to overcome their wrong-doings, negative habits/emotions, and harmful obsessions. It is not like Hell, since only evil spirits go there and they are tortured for eternity in far worse ways; the Underworld is moreso a place of harsh lessons and rebirth before one is allowed entrance to Elysium. The torments of the Underworld are also all symbolic and assist the spirit in realizing what they must change about themselves before they can become anew, yet this process usually takes many years (sometimes decades or centuries). Pluto also has power over death itself (since he embodies it) and has explained that the god Thanatos is an aspect of himself, representing a small portion of his own power. Pluto also has the power of illusion, which makes him able to cause spirits and humans alike to see whatever he wants them to see (even able to manipulate one’s astral senses).  

Some of Pluto’s Epithets:

Adámastos (Unconquerable)  

Adesius (The Grave)

Agelastus (Melancholic)

Aidis (The Unseen)

Amænthis (The One who Gives and Receives)

Ánax (King)

Eubulius (The Consoler of Sorrow)

Feralis Deus (The Dismal God)

Larthy Tytiral (Sovereign of Tartaros)

Moiragetes (Guide of the Fates)

Nekrôn Sôtêr (Saviour of the Dead)

Opertus (The Concealed)

Polydegmôn (Host of Many)

Pluton (Lord of Riches)

Offerings: ginger ale, spiced rum, well water, ginger root, plums, mushrooms, eggplant, beetroot, parsnips, black peppercorns, bones, ash, scorpions, vipers, clay pots, black candles, styrax incense, chalk powder, black or grey rags, sceptres, scythes, black or dark purple cloaks, ebony wood, black leather moccasins, moleskin, old silver coins, bronze, silver, ivory, rust, obsidian, onyx, jet, charcoal

The Underworld

[miraculous-fatigue]

A comprehensive list of changes made to miraculous lore in my Ace Attorney Miraculous AU

General

There is no more “adults have no time limit” thing. It never made sense to me and it still doesn’t.

We’re eliminating every time-travel related power other than original second chance. The rabbit has a new power and Sass can’t do the weird second chance time travel thing.

There is only one miracle box. The original miracle box was assembled in China (because Chinese Zodiac and whatnot) but it’s changed hands a lot because the guardians are kinda scattered around, and eventually it ended up with the Kitakis in Japanifornia where it is now.

Miraculous-Specific Changes:

Ladybug: the “miraculous cure” specifically undoes the damage caused by miraculous users within the last 24 hours. This extends to damage done by akumas, which is why it can fix any objects displaced/destroyed during akuma fights, and heal those hurt during akuma fights. However, it does not undo damage caused by ordinary people of their own free will, so if someone got punched during an akuma attack independent of the akuma, they wouldn’t get healed by the miraculous cure.

Black Cat: has an additional power called “miraculous curse” which de-synchronizes a kwami and wielder, preventing them from transforming ever again. Because of the potential damage this can do, it must be used sparingly and cautiously. Plagg generally does not inform wielders of this ability until he trusts that it will not be abused.

Butterfly: creates butterflies from miraculous magic, and when they are released from akumatized objects, they automatically dissolve back into magic. This means that akumas are no longer purified by the ladybug. Also, the butterfly’s 5-minute countdown starts after the akuma/champion is detransformed.

Peacock: grants the power of Bird’s Eye, which allows them to astral project for 5 minutes. They start at their body, and are automatically drawn back into their body once the ability ends. However, while they are away, their body is left defenseless.

Rabbit: rather than granting time travel abilities, the rabbit miraculous grants the user the ability to stop time for 5 minutes and move freely through that stopped time.

Tiger: grants the power of Camouflage, which lets the user turn themself or an object invisible for 5 minutes.

Goat: has the power of Cornucopia, which allows the user to strengthen/enhance the abilities of one person. Also, the goat’s weapon is a crook now because I say so (a paintbrush makes no sense with the new ability)

Ox: has the power of Reflection, which allows the user to absorb attacks and reflect that power back at their attacker for 5 minutes

Rooster: has the power of Cockiness, which allows them to guarantee that a projectile will hit its mark. Now wields a bow and arrows (the quill is useless and has nothing to do with the ability, original or changed)

Dog: only one object can be retrieved per transformation, and the countdown starts after that object is retrieved (just clarifying this so that there’s no confusion).

This list may be updated if I make other changes, but this is where things are right now

[dailyadventureprompts]

Adventure: Enter the Vivlioklasm 

“I’ll tell you something for nothing” said the old wizard, leaning back in her well worn reading chair. “ The power of our station is gained through the acquisition of knowledge and cultivated through understanding. Archmage Jovenal never understood the later, and it led him and the dozens of fool apprentices that chased his horde to the same sad fate. Trapped like a begger in a golden tomb: surrounded by all they could ever want, but with no way to use it.” 

Setup: Rumors among knowledge seekers  and bibliophiles speak of an infinite library, A scriptographic cornucopia  somewhere in the astral plane that contains every though ever consigned to page. Those venturing across planer barriers in search of a multi-dimensional archive invariably return disapointed, having found what amounts to the back room of an ill-managed bookshop, distorted in scale until it reached the size of a city, complete with districts, castles, slums and canals all full of muchabused volumes.  The place is a maestrom of loose pages and flying volumes, constantly being piled and repiled in different configurations. 

Said to contain coppies of every text to have ever existed, the Viivliokasm contains no accurate maps, guides, or filing systems, with volumes tossed about randomly, buried beneith mountians of other mismatched texts, or used as some architectural flourish in the city’s ever changing layout. Most astral explorers know that finding a useful tome, let alone a singular instance of a DESIRED tome is impossible and leave the search to the immortal and foolishly overambitious. 

Adventure Hooks:

Working for a loremaster, the party seeks a book of prophecies that can help them to evade a great disaster. Entering into the most dangerous dungeon they’ve ever delved, their sacrifices and trials come to naught as the tome in question has rotted away into barely legible scraps. Knowing that there is one last “hail Ioun” option, the loremaster equips them with a tracking spell and sets them on a path towards a portal to the Vivlioklasm

A lich and an angel have taken up residence in neighboring boroughs of the book-made city, intent on bringing order to the chaos. The two rivals send minions to steal volumes to one anotehr as they work on increasingly elaborate ( and non-compatible) filing systems. Can the players break the stalemate, or perhaps even negotiate a peace between the two?  it may be only a drop in the bucket, but in a few millennia their organization may turn the Vivlioklasm into a usable resource.

By Chance, the party comes into possession of an absolute rarity, a magically enhanced map that charts the location of a series of valuable books and the shifting hallways that hide them. Sadly, these hallways lay in “the burning stacks”, which is where the arcane servitors that maintain the Vivlioklasm place those books that invariably catch fire in the sprawling chaos of the libric-city. As the books themselves are astral constructs, they don’t completely burn away, instead piling atop one another as kindling in an everburning cathedral reminiscent of something out of hell. Coincidentally, the party acquires the map from a group of demonic cultists. could they have competition in retrieving these rare volumes?  

Background: The man who inadvertently created the Vivlioklasm was an archmage named Jovenal, one of the first human wizards to ever physically enter the astral plane. As a youth, he worked in a scriptorium, transposing lines from decaying dawn-age texts alongside a dozen other apprentices in the hopes of preserving the knowledge of that lost era. Jovenal was disturbed by just how much he and his fellow scribes could not save, watching scrolls of divinely inspired poetry and annuls of vital history be consigned to the slow creeping decay of mold and forgetting. Preservation of knowledge became a pet project throughout most of his arcane ascension, and by the time he journeyed to the astral plane, he had an exact idea what he wanted to make. 

Sadly, Jovenal lacked an immortal’s forsight, and didn’t plan for the exponential expansion of volumes that came millennia of future civilizations writing their own stories, or the revolutionary invention of the printing press and mass-book culture. Long after his death, his original astral sanctum EXPLODED under the pressure of new volumes. Fulfilling the orders given to them, the constructs he had entrusted with collecting and sorting the scant tomes of his dark age worked on trying to fit an ocean of new texts and treatises and two-penny novellas through the tiny sieve of their limited capabilities.

[thevoilinauttheory]

If They Were a Deity | Liliah’to

( Thank you so much for the tag @hadriandemara-ffxiv​!! I had so much fun doing this version, and I appreciate you giving me the chance to do so! I’ve done something like this for: Maximiloix, Danny, Amosis, and M’nhea! You’d think that my next endevor would be Lothaire, but honestly, Lothaire would make a shitty deity. And I need to get word of Liliah’to out again, so where to start but here~ ) ( I am also tagging: @renofmanyalts​ to do one for Maati; as well as @jasleh​, @munchix-home-cooking​, @astralyehga​, @ahlis-xiv​, @egrine​, @mathemagiks​ for Scrap!, and @ever-searching​ for Storm! )

Deity of: Culinarians, food and brews, traveling merchants, happiness, optimism, and healing through magic and medicine

Associated with: long winding paths, forks in roads; dirt, gravel, cobblestone; wind and water, foraging, cornucopias, river stones, wild game, laughter, smiles, homeopathic remedies, building from scratch, house brews, meal-time, cooking, restaurants 

Sacred plants: Dandelions, Lavender, Sunflowers; any fresh herb or vegetable is sacred to him. These flowers are often left on altars as offerings, but the best offering is to create something out of them - flower crowns, tea, oil, soaps, salads - as long as it’s made with hand and love, that is what’s most important.

Sacred crystals/stones: Clear Quartz, Halite, Honey Calcite; unassuming, smooth, river stones. The quartz and calcite are used in prayers, while halite is often consumed with the meal as a seasoning; river stones are to be used as a soup stock. Confusing these stones will also confuse him, though no harm will come of it (unless you decide to digest the other stones, then there may be some other god you need to pray to for that).

Sacred animals: Deer, Wildfowl, Wild Hogs; any hunted animal for a meal. Animals that are hunted for the specific purpose of becoming a meal are to be blessed and honored after they are killed. To thank the land, and Liliah’to, for the bounty.

Colors: Green, White, Black Those that worship him often dress themselves in green and white; on holidays, traditionally colored candles are lit in his honor, while black is worn during meals.

Food: Any - specifically with foraged ingredients. During holidays associated with him, it is polite to create meals from herbs, meats, and vegetables grown out in the wild; but not necessary - a home cooked meal is enough to gain his blessing.

Scents: Petrichor, Sweet Pea, savory seasonings and cooked meals.

Accepted offerings/ways to honor: Liliah’to has many ways to be honored, creating meals from scratch are the best offerings; though simply enjoying a meal with friends, strangers, and family, are also accepted. 

Other offerings include his sacred flowers and stones, home-made brews, potions, water and wind crystals, hand-drawn pictures and artwork, fallen applewood or hickory branches (do not clip the branches, unless the tree is specifically grown in his honor), collected rainwater, worn down boots and shoes, and worn cookware.

Gardens can be planted in his honor and as offerings, but it is tedious to maintain if one is not used to growing plants. Gardens that die and are left to wilt are considered an insult to him - and while he is benevolent enough not to punish anyone, he will still be hurt enough to ignore your offerings and leave you with no blessings. Gardens that die that are reclaimed - either by the same person, due to lengthy illness, or by another should that person have passed on - are given greater blessings to help grow what was once there.

Liliah’to is a welcoming and benevolent god, offering great bounties to those who worship him - regardless of whether it is purposeful or not. He delights in homecooked meals and drinks; and brings healing to those who need it. He is not easily insulted, though when he is, he bears no punishment to anyone - he can be forgiving, though stubborn in doing so.

He has two holidays throughout the year, one celebrated throughout the 2nd Umbral Moon and 3rd Astral Moon; and another throughout the 5th Umbral Moon and 6th Astral Moon. 

The first, celebrated in the springtime, is to honor healing and medicine. Meditation is expected from the most devout followers, but for the casual follower, they will often take a religious holiday break from work to destress and spend time with loved ones. Offerings on these moons are usually flowers and herbs, as well as hand made drinks - such as teas, lemonades, and fruit-waters. Alcoholic beverages are avoided for offerings during these moons, but are consumed in celebration of life and what the land brings.

The second, celebrated in the autumn, is used to honor the harvest and meals. Food is shared with everyone and the best offering to leave for him is to share in your creations. Meals and conversation with strangers are done in observation of his holidays, and offerings left include homecooked meals, homemade alcoholic beverages, and any leftover harvest. These moons are seen as a more “loud” celebration compared to that of the spring, and can be spent partying, traveling in groups with strangers from one city to another, candlelit paths to nearby towns, and overall filled with song and happiness.

-

Those that follow Liliah’to closely are often aspiring chefs, traveling merchants, and restaurants. Restaurants opened in his name are often decorated with his colors and flowers, and pride in fresh food and grown gardens.  He is fond of them and offers blessings in their business; but he favors the traveling culinarian more. Sometimes, he will seek out these travelers - even without worship to him - and bless them with luck and safety on their paths.  Medics and apothecaries also favor him, for his association with medicine and healing. Homeopathic remedies are blessed by him before use to ensure their potency; and he will listen intently to the troubles of those suffering from grief, stress, and mental illness, and bring them peace when they are done.

[jones-friend]

Legendary Commentary: Simic

The Simic guild was one of my first forays into building my own deck. What I always loved about their synergy is your tech creatures BECOME your beaters for maximum efficiency. Favorites like Fathom Mage, Biomass Mutation, Give//Take, its a good time. Lets take a look at them.

E Kraj is one of my favorite commanders and is a very unique one. You can essentially steal activated abilities off your opponents’ creatures. If you add in March of the Machines you can steal abilities from Sol Rings, Trading Posts, there’s a lot to pick from. Kraj can accidentally infinite combo really, REALLY easily. Farmstead Gleaner and Incubation Druid make infinite mana/counters on Kraj. There’s two ways these decks go: get more abilities like Omnibian or go for voltron/combo with Thornling style effects. Renata and Durable Handicraft land counters as you play things readying Kraj.

Momir is a tutor commander. Understand, if you play a tutor commander like Sidisi 2.0, Malaren, Zur, you’re going to execute the same strategy each time. That’s not the point of 100 card singleton, but if you want each game to be identical I cannot physically stop you from building that deck. But I can use snarky images from afar.

Zegana is a game changer for simic, celebrating your largest creature for draw AND making a creature just as big. She can easily go sea monsters with her ramp and draw. What ends up happening is you unload all your ramp, play one Stormtide Leviathan or Breaching Leviathan, then drop Zegana to redraw your hand. Leviathan, Kraken, Octopus, all solid creature types. If you want to go counters, Evolve triggers build up your field in the beginning and adding on counters on counters makes Zegana happy.

Vorel is a commander with a lot of creative potential. The ability is expanded beyond creatures. Darksteel Reactor is a solid choice. Sunburst artifacts like Pentad Prism can go bonkers. Charge counter tech like Astral Cornucopia and Everflowing Chalice are crazy good. The important thing is, it you go Vorel you need to expect you’ll be supporting one thing to become giant each turn. Support like Illusionist’s Bracers and Magewright Stone keep the untaps flowing. Power matters cards like Fungal Sprouting and Rishkar’s Expertise can do great.

Everyone had a collective :( when they saw Zegana got demoted. While Momir is a tutor commander Vannifar is a pod commander. You’ll study your curve as with Yisan or Rashmi, when you pod you’ll have a tier of mana costs available to you. You’ll want to load up on ETB’s across the spectrum to have a diverse set of choices to tutor out. Emerge effects are great since the ability doesn’t cost mana. Foster can help keep creatures in hand as your pod’d creatures rise in cmc. Woodfall Primus is excellent in this deck as are most persist creatures, things that can die more than once let you retutor that tier of mana cost.

Honestly, I don’t think Zegana 2.0 is bad. I run her. She’s a more militant simic. Lets take a look at her abilities. Drawing on ETB will almost always happen. Adapt lets you choose how to spend your mana in combat, and an 8/8 trampling commander is SCARY. Then giving each creature with counters trample on your commander? Super useful. While she’s not the flashiest simic commander she will make your deck function and make it work.

And that covers Simic! Counters on counters on counters. One more guild to go. I’d love to hear your thoughts on these, feel free to dm me over these. Safe planeswalking.

[manfrommars2049]

Astral Cornucopia by Aleksi Briclot via ImaginaryPortals

[dailymtgflavortext]

Firemind Vessel

I’m curious to know other people’s thoughts on this card in Commander:

On one hand, yes, it’s a shame it enters tapped.

But on the other hand, there really aren’t many mana rocks that add multiple colored mana. There’s Prismatic Geoscope, but I wouldn’t use that in a deck with fewer than three colors. Astral Cornucopia, maybe? But, that requires a big mana investment and functions best in a Proliferate deck. Then there’s Khalni Gem, which is probably fine in a Landfall deck, but in such a deck you likely don’t need many mana rocks anyway.

I’m gonna test it out a bit in some two-color decks, since I still prefer the Geoscope in more colorful decks than that. I usually run the creatures that untap things in my blue decks (ie. Vizier of Tumblr Tumblring Sands), so I could see this being pretty good in my Melek or Rashmi decks. Maybe I’ll replace Coalition Relic for a couple games, just to see how it functions.

[brujadoctor707]

Cage Psychotropic

We all have our own psychotropic cages in a sense. In my case an explanation will appear within the context of my invisible captors worldview “novo ordo seclorum”; the tagline for Western domination . My question is who holds the keys to your psychotropic cage?

I am a late 20’s black man who like many is navigating the wide array of topics that dominate our American culture. There are however some specific topics that have come to occupy my subculture including Neo-Moorish temple affiliation and Indigenous Identity politics. I attribute my personal interest in Sovereignty and Astral Projection to spiritual leaders who have found innovative ways to bypass the temporary nature of our human form.

While I strive towards self care it is hard to ignore my place in the cornucopia of psychological tropes that we all must traverse in a environment where you are often trapped into a matrix of poverty and Western decline. When you’re personal woes are less then affable speaking truth to power without approaching your own demons leaves a gaping void.

An Imbalance of standard of living for me has left permanent mental scars in the form of anti psychotic medication prescriptions that allows me to digest with less sensitivity the pain of consciousness but displaces my centering noticeably in order to create a new ‘normal’.

This reality has been tedious, but so has years of chasing women with physical profiles like a Kardashian who create a trophy like obsessed capitalist sexuality that has led to disoriented modes of conduct.

Sadly, through the medium of quiet despair turned to bouts of incomprehensible rage did I face and survive around a dozen hospitalizations and an ego deathbed; but my Vendetta against modern mental hospitals and the aforementioned interest in sovereignty as the possibility of an astral plane have made me humble.

The New World Order keys to enlightenment are within our grasp, although we must all take our own route to free ourselves. Whether a moor, Indian or sovereign astral projection if you’re not in control than you are a prisoner of cage psychotropic.

[magicthecasual]

Played a game of edh, with mono G Omnath. Got all 30 basics, each tap for 6. Had an astral cornucopia with X = 30. Facing against two group hug decks, I literally couldn't attack anyone. There were only 2 cards left in my library. I had fun. Follow my buddies @mtg_geek @smwoodruff8 @mtg_omnath @mtgmonkey @mtgsi @mtg__emrakul @projectpeanuts @jordangjames @djinkys_mtg_cards @epicupgrades @live.mtg @redzonegaming.llc @elderdragon.mtg @boliaart @harveymtg • • • #warofthespark #WAR #mtgwar #mtg #fnm #fnmmagic #mtgfnm #mtglife #commander #tcg #collectors #mtgedh #magicthegathering #magic #magiclife  #cards #mtgfnm #magiccommunity #mtgcommunity #fridaynightmagic #commander #fnm #fnmmagic #standard #brawl #mtga #mtgarena — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2Mq7MTC