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alexhwriting · 1 year ago

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Pilgrimage and the Lands of Lothric: The Medieval Narrative in Dark Souls III

Here is the essay that got me started on my route of video game studies and digital media. I was taking a class with a medievalist professor that was talking about the ways that medieval themes and thoughts are still prevalent in the world today. She is a huge soulsborne fan so when I pitched this idea she was super into it, with this essay going on to become my grad school application essay. I hope you enjoy it!

Pilgrimage and the Lands of Lothric: The Medieval Narrative in Dark Souls III

I. Introduction

Dark Souls III is, although frequently lauded, a very opaque narrative. Little of the narrative is told to the player at any point during the thirty to forty hours of grindingly difficult roleplaying game action and adventure. What little bits of story are present, however, are delivered from sought out sources, such as non-player characters (NPCs), items descriptions, and flavor text throughout the game world, as well as inferences from the dilapidated kingdom of Lothric that the player gets to explore on their quest to “link the fire” on behalf of one of the few more friendly characters that they come across during their time in the game. In this paper I am going to summarize the general overview of the story of Dark Souls III and show that it is a modern analogue to the pilgrimage practices of the Middle Ages. In doing so, this paper strives to shed some light into the abyss that is the in-game lore plotted so masterfully by FromSoftware, the studio behind the Souls series.

II. Background

Opening up with a cinematic, Dark Souls III lays out the four bosses that the player must fight, explaining that, “In venturing north, the pilgrims discover the truth of the old words. / ‘The fire fades, and the lords go without thrones,’” [1] as part of the sixteen lines that accompany the showcase of the world and bosses before the game actually starts (Dark Souls III). From here, the game does not volunteer much other information, aside from brief sections of dialogue when interacting with the NPCs that are necessary for game progression.

As to set a baseline to draw from, then, here is a manual explanation of the main events of the game and its world: Dark Souls III cast the player as “the unkindled one,” an undead being who is awoken in response to the fading of the light of the world in order to restore, “link,” the flame and continue the current in-world epoch, the Age of Fire (Dark Souls III). Along the way, the player is tested in several environments that are central to the narrative, as FromSoftware relies heavily on the environment to form the majority of its storytelling, each of which is usually completed with the defeat of one of the games many bosses. Four of these such bosses, which the player must seek out, are called the Lords of Cinder, each of which has abandoned their duty to continue the light of the world, and therefore must be fought and their cinders brought back to rekindle the first flame. Once that is finished, the player is given a few choices based on their actions in the game in a kind of moral choice ultimately; do you link the fire, continuing the age limping along, extinguish the fire and let the next age of humanity begin, or do you usurp the fire and become a god yourself?

The world of Lothric itself begins in a sort of high citadel, The High Wall of Lothric, before the player descends into the dilapidated lands of the Undead Settlement, Road of Sacrifices, and Farron Keep and its swamp, all of which have a sort of overgrown, crumbling aesthetic of a tightly packed and mountain-locked countryside. From there, however, the player wanders through the ruined underground of the Catacombs of Carthus, a winding tunnel that eventually leads to the societies of old and the mythic city of Irithyll of the Boreal Valley and Anor Londo, where the old gods once lived. Lastly, the player descends into the depths again in search of the Profaned Capital, before returning to Lothric Castle to face off against the rulers of the land themselves, the twin princes Lothric and Lorian. The entire movement of the game is based on looping back to places that are familiar and making shortcuts between places that are safe to get quickly through dangerous areas that would otherwise be tedious and difficult to pass through separately. This whole journey is punctuated by bonfires, checkpoints where the player gets the chance to rest and level up and do all the other things that are central to gameplay mechanics. One of the most vital being the recovery of what the game calls “Estus Flasks” but are essentially healing items that hopefully keep the player from getting killed and having to reset to the last bonfire they visited (Dark Souls III).

More specifically, the world of Lothric is intentionally meant to be oppressive as the player makes their way through the course of the game. The landscape is made up of harsh cliffsides and thin pathways, ravines that lead down to bottomless pits, and overgrown roots that make almost every surface feel unstable. When there is architecture in the world, it takes on either a sort of ramshackle and dangerously leaning appearance in the case of the spaces like The Undead Settlement, where it is clear that the place may have once been a kind of pleasant village but was patched and repaired over and over again into barely standing structures. Otherwise, the architecture is grand, heavy, and old medieval styled. These are usually the places that have some additional historical importance to the game world, such as Lothric Castle, the home of the twin princes who rule the kingdom. Though even these structures are falling apart, tied to the themes of the game, and most of the locations that the player visits have long past their prime when they are visited. For example, the Cathedral of the Deep, an area once home to a legendary Lord of Cinder, is now nearly empty, with tattered cloth all over the floor and walls, as well as the central chambers all having been filled with a sort of black sludge (Dark Souls III). The pathways through these places are, in many cases, actual roads that have been left to the sands of time and have not been kept up, not dissimilar to the old Roman roads that were left behind after the collapse of the empire.

On another note, though also necessary for the background of this paper, is the term “narrative” in reference to videogames has been a subject of some debate, due to the non-linear nature that many games take in their storytelling (Ryan-Thon, 173). Dark Souls III, however, sticks to a relatively linear structure in its plot and keeps the important information in sequence. Therefore, in this instance “narrative” will serve as a good term to examine the story being experienced by the player and make it easily relatable in the context of literary pilgrimage narratives. In his chapter on game abstraction in Storyworlds across Media: Toward a Media-Conscious Narratology, Jesper Juul also suggests an alternative phrase, “fictional world” (Ryan-Thon, 173), following in the footsteps of a similar phrase used by Jan-Noël, “Storyworld” (Thon 289). While both of these are good alternatives, they will be employed here more specifically to refer to the world of Lothric that Dark Souls III is set in, as the world space itself is a core part of what makes the game a game and allows it to communicate its message.

Finally, in terms of background, there is the more formal games language that is used to describe Dark Souls III on a kind of meta level. The game is considered to be a roleplaying game (RPG) due to its elements of levelling up and encouragement of the player to approach problems in-game with a variety of different strategies. The setting invokes the traditional hallmarks of the medieval fantasy genre as well, as the player encounters knights, dragons, giants, castles, kings, and princes. With this established, invoking the Middle Ages as pretext for the storyworld (Eco, 68), a baseline understanding of the game and its tone has been established.

III. Foreground

Religious pilgrimage is almost synonymous with the Middle Ages and was an important part of the travel culture at the time. Roads themselves were recognized as being extremely valuable and were supported often by those who could afford it, especially those main thoroughfares that would take merchants, pilgrims, and general travelers across medieval European landscapes (Allen, 27). Pilgrims in particular made a core part of the necessity of roads as the quest they undertook was both holy (Osterrieth, 146) and economically beneficial for pilgrimage sites (Osterrieth, 153-4; Salonia, 3). What makes a pilgrimage distinct from other travel through the medieval landscape, however, is that they often focused on the relics and holy places of Christianity (Salonia, 3). Matteo Salonia suggests, in his article, “[The] reverence and physical journeys towards relics and saints were less theologically controversial than reverence and pilgrimages towards holy sites because of the new place assigned to the human body within Christian cosmology,” a sentiment that is mirrored in the bodily nature of the travel that would take place to visit such a relic (Salonia, 5). This is tied into a sort of Medieval Christian interest in the body, specifically the body as a means to channel spiritual energy into miracles and shows of faith (Salonia, 5). This differed from the Platonic view that had dominated before the Christian tradition, which placed the body as adversarial to the mental and spiritual pursuits of an individual (Salonia, 6).

Anne Osterrieth, in her article on pilgrimage as a personal quest, comments on the body-centric nature of the pilgrim’s movement, saying, “The pilgrim also drew pride from his capacity to undertake his task. He was becoming a seasoned traveler and derived pleasure from this new competence” (Osterrieth, 152). In popular media, which depicts pilgrims in a much more dower light, this attribution and celebration of prowess seems almost antithetical. However, Osterrieth emphasizes the pilgrim’s journey as one of death and rebirth, from the person they were who needed divinity into the person who has come in contact with divinity and is ready to advise the next on their journey (Osterrieth, 152). This shows that the person on a pilgrimage was, of course, seeking out a relic or holy place to venerate and receive blessings from, but also that along the way there is an unintended but necessary physical growth as they become a competent traveler and learn to deal with the challenges of long road travel.

This travel was far from unguided otherwise, as people consulted other travelers, maps, or guides to get them to their shrines of destination (Allen, 28). In the minds of the pilgrims, explored by Valerie Allen, the road was not always present, “we might call this [instrumental] representation of the road as means to end the default understanding of roads, in which they function as connectors between settled communities” (Allen, 33). Allen is looking at the pilgrimage narrative in the Book of Margery Kempe, which describes the travels of 15th century titular businesswoman, Margery Kempe (Allen, 27). This narrative, however, is where Allan draws the almost complete disregard of the road from, as it seems that Kempe herself did not find that part of the experience worth keeping track of in the same detail as the rest of her visits and exploits (Allan, 29).

Ritual, here, becomes a big part of the discussion of pilgrimage, which is itself inseparable from conceptions of rituals. “Ritual as a type of functional or structural mechanism to reintegrate the thoughtaction dichotomy, which may appear in the guise of a distinction between belief and behavior or any number of other homologous pairs,” is a definition of ritual put forward by Catherine M. Bell, in her work, Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice (20). She goes on to summarize that ritual is always tied to opposing forces in a culture or system of practice (Bell, 23). This provides a kind of structure that creates something of a cultural habit, something that fascinated scholar Pierre Bourdieu, is part of a kind of societal generative principal (Bourdieu, 78). Bourdieu takes this idea into a kind of forgetting of history and being left with only practice (Bourdieu, 79), which in some ways can be seen in some of the later ideas of pilgrimage to non-religious places or referring to the colonial settlers in America as “Pilgrims.” These tie into the discussion of pilgrimage as it establishes that pilgrimage as a ritual is always opposed to something else. In the case of historical pilgrimage this tension is between the safety of the village and staying in one place and the fulfillment of the journey at the end of a long and dangerous road.

IV. The Ground

Pilgrimage and Dark Souls III already share one thing in common, though debate has ensued about what role this takes in the narrative sphere (Bierger, 11), and that is the central necessity of space. It is space and travel that characterize a Pilgrim wandering medieval England, as well as the player character in Dark Souls III, embarking on their journey into the world of Lothric to link the fire. While the literal space is different, as there is the space that it takes to physically walk from place to place, there is a kind of abstracted sense of space that is present in Dark Souls III that is necessary for the nature of the story world (Ryan-Thon, 183). In this space between destination and starting point is where the pilgrim acquires their expertise and endures the hardships that will form them into the person worthy of accepting the blessings at the relic when they arrive (Osterrieth, 152). While in the game, the path works on a very similar level, having the player face challenges and gain experience to level-up their character so that they have the necessary competence when they come to face a boss like the first Lord of Cinder, the Abyss Watchers. Both the pilgrim and the player come across these various challenges, twists in the road, wild animals, other people threatening them, they also come across various moral encounters as well, such as to give aid or do favors for those they meet. In the reality of the past, this was much more literal, while in Lothric these moral actions take the form of side quests more often than not. In one example of a moral action that can be taken in the game early on in the Undead Settlement area, the player finds a woman, named Irina of Carim, trapped with a knight nearby. The player is told by the knight, “taken an interest in her, have you? Well, she's a lost cause. Couldn't even become a Fire Keeper. After I brought her all this way and got her all ready. She's beyond repair, I tell you" (Dark Souls III). To actually save her, if the player wants to, the process is pretty involved and includes gathering a whole other trail of items to get the door to Irina open. Alternatively, there is no real punishment for the player avoiding this action, much like in real life, and all further interactions and possible benefits of the NPCs are lost.

The main idea linking these two actions is the concept of The Quest, which is incredibly broad. But more specifically, the quest for contact with divinity, during which the central actor develops their own abilities in order to be ready to receive the divinity when the time comes. While this is plainly evident in the nature of the pilgrimage, in Dark Souls III the same concept applies. This is due, in-part, to the transmedial principal of minimal departure that was developed by Marie-Laure Ryan and adapted by Thon. The principal is “at work during narrative meaning-making that allows the recipients to ‘project upon these worlds everything [they] know about reality, [making] only the adjustments dictated by the text’ (Possible Worlds 51). It is worth stressing, though, that recipients do not ‘fill in the gaps’ from the actual world itself but from their actual world knowledge” according to Thon as he cites the original principal by Marie-Laure Ryan (Thon, 292). This principal allows for the game world of Dark Souls use the quest form much more naturalistically, allowing the player to take on the grand quest of their own pilgrimage through the Lands of Lothric in a mentally analogous process.

There is a pilgrimage here is part of the very core of the gameplay of Dark Souls III, as well as the narrative proper. Throughout the game, the player is told that it is their job to gather the necessary relics in order to link the flame, a process that proves an arduous journey and a game experience that FromSoftware has come to be known for. On the level of environment alone, there is a similarity here to the kind of landscape that a pilgrim might move through in medieval Europe, with its crumbling, ancient, ruins and overgrown roads. The oppressive and dark game atmosphere with the bonfires as checkpoints give a sense that would be not too dissimilar to that of a real-world pilgrim, going on an arduous journey only to find rest at a campfire by the side of the road. It is significant as well, that, in the very last segment of the game, the place that the player finally arrives at is a religious site, the city of Irithyll, where the most prominent buildings are those of churches. In this game area the player visits three, one called The Church of Yorshka, one that is unnamed but is home to the boss Pontiff Sulyvahn, and finally the grand cathedral of Anor Londo, where the gods once made their homes and is now home to Aldritch, a kind of heretical saint (Dark Souls III). It is after this point that the player must return to the starting citadel of Lothric to continue their journey.

It is also at this point of the game, as the player has made their way all around the kingdom of Lothric and even to places from the first couple of games in the Souls series, that this quest has been done before by others in the storyworld as well as by scores of other players before them. Combining this with the lack of direct story throughout the game, makes the player an agent in the meaning-making activity that the game has you go through, creating a kind of “intentionless action” (Bourdieu, 79). That is to say, with how little the game tells the player before their pilgrimage begins, the player is left to follow the game path and explore the story for themselves without fully clear intentions for what it is the in-game character is actually participating in. This is, in action, the kind of ritual repetition that leads to the unconscious repetition of the history of the players actions in the Bourdieusian sense (Bourdieu, 78).

Where the pilgrimage metaphor really comes full circle, however, is in the difficulty. It’s ironic to compare a medieval pilgrimage’s difficulty a videogame, but in its own space the Souls series stand as monoliths of difficulty. This difficulty, which is formed from a balance of timing-based combat and harsh punishments for failure, creates a kind of demand for focus. Whether the player wants to or not, the nature of the game demands that they pay full attention or risk losing hard-earned progress. This leads to, a kind of phenomenon where the player becomes more focused on the skill-based challenges and tunes out (or abstracts) for themselves the more complex elements of the game during the challenge (Ryan-Thon, 185-6). In a way not dissimilar from what Allen noticed with the Pilgrimage of Margery Kempe, where the repetitive action of travel was not as memorable as the destinations, the challenges and skill building (leveling up) being secondary to the large experiences of destinations (boss fights). Both walking for days and grinding through difficult game areas build patience in those who partake in each activity as well, becoming something of a meditative activity (Unknown, “Dark Souls is More than Just a Game”).

The moral component, while hard to measure, is an example of some micro-moral game morality throughout most of the game, much like in real life (Ryan et al, 57). However, much like the pilgrim’s ultimate quest being tied to the much more cosmically important goal of the afterlife of their soul, so is the ultimate morality of the quest in Dark Souls III, a large macro-moral choice to determine the fate of the storyworld (Ryan et al. 57). However, this is the area where Dark Souls III, much like other remakes and updated retellings of the stories of the past, adds in its own twist. The three endings of the game, usurping, letting die, or carrying on the flame, constitute a moral ending that does not present itself in the traditional stories of pilgrimage. Instead, the game asks its player at the very end of the game what they believe the best course of action is for the storyworld, one that has been limping along since the very first game in the series. This macro-moral decision is almost jarringly major in comparison to what minor interactions that the player has had up until that point and brings a sense of ultimate closure no matter what ending is taken. The game of course has additional content and gameplay to enjoy after the credits roll, but the narrative itself concludes finally in one of three ways. Each option, however, recolors the actions that the player took to get to that point, either as a would be king of humanity, a savior sacrificing themselves to keep the world going for another cycle, or as a savior in another sense, finally letting the limp and broken world fade into darkness.

V. Conclusion

From the content on the story itself, a lone character looking to keep the fire of the world burning and trekking across the land of Lothric, to the player’s experience of the game play, Dark Souls III sets itself in the same style of narrative as that of the experience of pilgrims. Both game and historic action culminating in a building of skills and triumph over adversity that many others may not be willing to undertake. Even with little motivation in a bleak and harsh world that appears stacked against almost every move that the player and their character work towards. While Dark Souls III may only be channeling this kind of mentality for the benefit of the player’s experience, it casts its spell regardless and has left a lasting impression on both individuals as well as the games industry as a whole (resulting in the Soulsborne game genre). However, more than just affecting the entertainment industry as a whole, Dark Souls III gives a mediated experience of one of the time-honored traditions that was once a massive undertaking across Christendom, calling up the past as it seeks to tell its own story about a medieval-like fantasy world, and also the unidyllic descent into ruin that every age face, both in the world of the game and outside of it. From a narratological perspective, it gives an interesting challenge to where the border between game world and narrative actually divides two different experiences. While from a medieval perspective, it gives a unique look into the kind of crumbling and uncertain side of what history used to be through player experience. And all of that is without delving into the rich optional or expanded content that was added after the original release of the game.

Bibliography

Allen, Valerie. “As the Crow Flies: Roads and Pilgrimage.” Essays in Medieval Studies 25 (2008): 27–37.

Bell, Catherine M. Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice. Oxford University Press, 2009.

Bieger, Laura. “Some Thoughts on the Spatial Forms and Practices of Storytelling.” De Gruyter 64 (2016): 11-26.

Bourdieu, Pierre. Outline of a Theory of Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.

Eco, Umberto. "Dreaming of the Middle Ages." Faith in Fakes: Travels in Hyperreality. Transl. William Weaver. 1973. London. (1998) 61-72.

Miyazaki, Hidetaka. Dark Souls 3. Bandai Namco (2016).

Osterrieth, Anne. “Medieval Pilgrimage: Society and Individual Quest.” Social Compass 36 (1989): 145-157.

Ryan, Malcolm et al, “Measuring Morality in Videogames Research.” Ethics and Information Technology 22 (2020): 55-68.

Ryan, Marie-Laure, and Thon, Jan-Noël, eds. Storyworlds across Media: Toward a Media-Conscious Narratology. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2014.

Salonia, Matteo. “The Body in Medieval Spirituality: A Rationale for Pilgrimage and the Veneration of Relics.” Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion 14 (2018): 1-10.

Thon, Jan-Noël, “Transmedial Narratology Revisited: On the Intersubjective Construction of Storyworlds and the Problem of Representational Correspondence in Films, Comics, and Video Games” Narrative 25 (2017): 286-320. Unknown, “Dark Souls is More than Just a Game” GameFAQs (August 30th, 2014) https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/606312-dark-souls/69969309

[1] Quotes from in-game dialogue are sourced from https://darksouls3.wiki.fextralife.com, a website that has transcribed the text of Dark Souls III’s dialogue and other in-game text in its entirety.

#Medieval #medievalism #pilgrimage #essay #my essays #class essay #dark souls #dark souls 3 #soulsborne #undergrad research #narratology #world building #video games #medieval literature

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cigarashexpert · 2 years ago

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arthur conan doyle's words

sadly i just realised there's a word limit, so the rest will be in a reblog. this is just a list i created using the genius of chatgpt, so thank him hahah. it's just a list of words prominent in arthur conan doyle's writing and in victorian dictionary in general :) i just sorted the list in alphabetical order, that's all. also, there's around 300 words, so sorry for the misinformation. here we go :)

Aberration - A deviation from what is normal or expected; often used to describe something that is unusual or unexpected.

Abstemious - Moderate in eating and drinking; often used to describe someone who practices self-restraint or frugality.

Abstruse - Difficult to understand or obscure.

Adumbrate - To give a faint or partial outline of something; often used to describe a rough or preliminary sketch.

Agglomerate - To collect or gather into a cluster or mass; often used to describe something that is densely packed or crowded.

Anachronism - A thing or person that is out of place in a particular time period; often used to describe something that is anachronistic or outdated.

Anathema - A person or thing that is cursed or greatly detested; often used to describe a feeling of intense dislike or hatred.

Anodyne - Something that relieves pain or discomfort; often used to describe a remedy or treatment that soothes or eases.

Antediluvian - Extremely old or ancient; often used to describe something that is prehistoric or from a bygone era.

Apotheosis - The highest point of development or culmination; often used to describe a person or thing that has reached the pinnacle of success.

Arcane - Secret or mysterious; often used to describe knowledge or information that is difficult to understand or access.

Arrant - Utter or complete; often used to describe something that is considered to be extreme or without reservation.

Asperity - Harshness or severity; often used to describe a rough or difficult situation or personality.

Attenuate - To weaken or reduce in strength; often used to describe something that is diminished or made less intense.

Augury - A sign or omen that is used to predict the future; often used to describe a prophetic or foreboding event.

Autodidact - A person who is self-taught; often used to describe someone who has acquired knowledge through their own efforts.

Avaricious - Having an extreme desire for wealth or material gain; greedy.

Avuncular - Kind or affectionate, like an uncle; often used to describe someone who is friendly and helpful towards younger people.

Bellicose - Inclined towards aggression or conflict; often used to describe a person or nation that is warlike or aggressive.

Bifurcate - To split or divide into two branches or parts; often used to describe a forked or divided structure.

Brobdingnagian - Extremely large or immense; often used to describe something that is colossal or gargantuan.

Cabal - A secret political clique or group; often used to describe a conspiratorial or secretive organization.

Capricious - Unpredictable or impulsive; often used to describe a person or situation that is subject to sudden or erratic changes.

Carnal - Relating to the body or physical desires; often used to describe something that is sensual or sexual in nature.

Censorious - Highly critical or fault-finding; often used to describe someone who is excessively judgmental or disapproving.

Chagrin - A feeling of embarrassment or humiliation caused by a failure or disappointment.

Chicanery - Deception or trickery, often used to gain an advantage over others.

Clandestine - Secret or hidden; often used to describe something that is kept concealed or confidential.

Cogent - Clear, logical, and convincing; often used to describe a persuasive argument or case.

Compendium - A concise summary or collection of information; often used to describe a comprehensive overview or review.

Concomitant - Accompanying or associated; often used to describe something that is closely linked or connected.

Contiguous - Touching or sharing a common boundary; often used to describe things that are adjacent or neighboring.

Contravene - To violate or go against; often used to describe a breach of rules or regulations.

Convivial - Friendly, lively, and enjoyable; often used to describe a festive or social atmosphere.

Coruscate - To sparkle or glitter; often used to describe something that shines or glistens brightly.

Coterie - A small, exclusive group of people with shared interests or tastes; often used to describe a close-knit community.

Cupidity - Greed or avarice; often used to describe an excessive desire for wealth or material possessions.

Decorous - Proper or socially acceptable; often used to describe behavior or actions that are appropriate or respectable.

Defenestration - The act of throwing someone or something out of a window; often used figuratively to describe a sudden and dramatic dismissal or removal.

Deleterious - Causing harm or damage, often in a gradual or subtle way.

Deleterious - Harmful or damaging; often used to describe something that has a negative impact on health or well-being.

Demagogue - A political leader who appeals to people's emotions and prejudices rather than their reason or intellect; often used to describe a charismatic but manipulative speaker.

Denouement - The final resolution or outcome of a story or plot; often used to describe the climax or conclusion of a narrative.

Deracinate - To uproot or remove from a place of origin; often used to describe the displacement or forced migration of people or cultures.

Desuetude - Disuse or neglect; often used to describe something that has fallen out of practice or become obsolete.

Diaphanous - Light, delicate, and transparent; often used to describe fabrics or materials that are gauzy or sheer.

Didactic - Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.

Dilatory - Slow or sluggish; often used to describe someone who is procrastinating or delaying action.

Discomfiture - Embarrassment or frustration; often used to describe an uncomfortable or awkward situation.

Disparage - Regard or represent as being of little worth or value; speak of in a derogatory manner.

#sir arthur conan doyle #arthur conan doyle #acd watson #acd sherlock #acd johnlock #acd john watson #victorian literature #victorian johnlock #victorian sherlock #victorian dictionary

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emeraldcatears · 2 months ago

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Another walk sprite thing.

It's been a while since I did anything focusing on the graphics side of making a game, huh? Let's change that.

Now, I'm not all that experienced with making sprites. I just sort of make them when I'm in need of a little art project so this isn't really a guide to making a good sprite. It's more of a compilation of tricks I've learned for the sake of completeness of this sideblog.

Of course, there's the overview I did ages ago over how RPG Maker animates a set of sprites into a walking character and how to put a png of your character into the game. But even if you're making your own sprites from scratch the Generator can provide some starting points to study from.

Not every character you want to put in your game can be made with the built-in generator, especially if you're not into the default generator's aesthetic. But you can get the general principles of what makes a sprite work from there.

One way to get started is to look at the generator characters at their base. No frills, just a character set that gives you a look at poses and shading. If you want to use the generator's style but don't like the outfits it comes with you can just draw your own outfits over a naked sprite in your art program of choice!

But I'm not doing that. I'm going to create this guy.

So let's look at what we can learn.

It may not be obvious at first glance because it's only a pixel of difference, but a quick study of the generator's sprites shows that the stepping images are actually one pixel shorter than the standing ones to simulate the bobbing of the character's head as they walk.

At the same time whether walking or standing still, the sprites' feet are on the ground. Which makes sense...

... because the height gets distributed into the legs when the character walks.

In other words, once you've built yourself a workable front-facing sprite then making the stepping sprites is a matter of copying that one over and moving it one pixel down from the original height. From there, erase the legs and redraw them in the walking pose.

You can make the back from a copy of the front, too, in order to get an easy pose to work from!

The same trick of removing the parts that need changing (arms and legs) of a copied sprite works for the back and side stepping poses as well. Just remember to make them the same height as the front-facing ones with the stepping ones one pixel down.

Another thing you can learn from the generator sprite?

There's a lot that simply copying and flipping can do. Save yourself time - especially if you're making a lot of original sprites. If the generator sprites look good enough that you don't notice the light source flipped between the right and left facing sprites until it was pointed out then you don't need to worry about it either!

You can test the sprite in the game before it's even done, too. For example to test how the stepping animation looks in game for the front sprite before you've even made the other directions, all you have to do is add the png to the game's character images (as detailed in a previous post) and create an event with the stepping animation turned on.

Then simply save over the test version with your adjustments as you make them.

Now one thing of note about that the finished sprite...

A sprite in one style won't always play nice with the rest of the tiles. Stegrow here is way paler than the tiles and sprites that come with RMXP. If I wanted to use them together I'd change up Stegrow's colors with deeper greens, likely color picked from the greens available in generator sprites or the tiles that came with the base package.

The style is also different in other ways: the generator-created player is a chibi sprite with a large head that takes up as much as the rest of the body while Stegrow's head is more proportional by comparison. Stegrow is pretty much vertical while the barrels from the default tiles are shown to be at a slight angle.

If you're adding to an existing tile/sprite set, you'll want to study it's style and adjust your own work to fit in. Otherwise, you can always make everything in your own style from the literal ground up.

I'll admit, I've kinda been stalling on the next bit, which will be beginning to explore the battle system. I never did much with XP's as Pokemon Essentials had it's own highly customized version so getting used to the one that's built into MZ will be completely new for me. Not all games need a battle system but I have decided that this is a learnalong so I will indeed be learning things instead of just playing with stuff I knew from XP but in MZ this time. Now I just need enough oomph in the tank after work....

#emeraldcatears's rmmz learnalong blog #rpg maker mz #rpg maker #pixel art #sprites

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tavyliasin · 11 months ago

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Pfp and blog header image by Juiciebox_art also here: @juicieboxart

Welcome to Tavylia Sin's Tumblr

This is your guide to my content and links to all of my most relevant posts and content! Please peruse at your leisure~

I'm going to keep updated links here to my posts, sorted by topic, which honestly it's 50% just for me so I stop forgetting what I've done! Please be aware that most of my content is unsuitable for minors, but I will be marking posts as SFW or NSFW as well as even those 18+ may prefer to filter content which is completely valid, so I'd like to give you that choice. Please use the titles to skim down to what you're looking for! The list in order of appearance: - Abdirak Cameo for Chronic Pain Pals - Essays and Fandom Discussions - Community Posts and Events - AO3 FanFic Directory and About Me - Character Comfort Shorts - Drabbles and Short Fics on Tumblr - Full Chapter FanFic on Tumblr - Ask Box Responses - Other Posts/Misc Side Blogs If you'd prefer reblogs of the works grouped into types: @atavsguide has all of the ongoing longfic ATG, A Tav's Guide. @tavyliaonlyfics is home to all other fanfic and one shots. @tavyliasinessays hosts the essays and thought pieces. @sins-of-the-dragon will house any Dragon Age posts I make (less common but I love DA too) @lostplotbunniesbg3 is a place to send all of your loose fic ideas to find new homes, or to find new ideas to write your own fics.

The Declan/Abdirak Cameo for Everyone Who Suffers Chronic Pain (SFW)

This one was crowd funded by a few Abdirak fans, who tend to have a deeper understanding of pain. Please feel free to share this post to anyone who might need to hear it.

Essays and Discussions Around Characters and Fandom

These are all deeper examinations on characters, story, fandom, and the ways we connect to those characters~

The Abdirak Essay - Fandom, Pain, and Loviatar's Love (Some Mild NSFW References)

A discussion around how Abdirak helps us to relate to pain, chronic pain, and each other, with a vague discussion around why pain can be pleasurable in kink.

Raphael - Archduke of Asexuals (Mostly SFW)

A look at how Raphael is actually a potential representative of Asexuality in the game, and how those under the Asexual umbrella relate to him - and each other - through this representation.

Villain-Fucker Angst Hours aka The Appeal of Raphael and Villains in General (Some NSFW References)

A general examination of the appeal of villains as romance options, with a focus on Raphael in particular.

The Highs and Lows of Being A Fandom Creative (SFW)

How our moods and confidence levels follow the same cycle, from starting a new work, to posting it, to feedback, and how to deal with those low points when a lack of feedback feels too painful to bear. Not BG3 exclusive, covers all kinds of creative things in any fandom.

Body Positivity and Representation in BG3 and Fandom (SFW)

A discussion - very much open to other experiences and backgrounds - around the importance of representation and the positivity that can be found in fan creations and in the game itself.

Tagging and Censoring FanWorks (NSFW)

A look at what kinds of content needs tagging and why we tag content in the first place. Also a brief discussion on censoring topics.

Curating Fandom Experience Online (Mostly SFW)

An overview of the online spaces we have access to for fandom, and how we can best look out for ourselves and each other when using them.

Beta Reading Guide for Readers and Writers (SFW)

A guide for new beta readers and writers to seek and give useful feedback in order to make fic writing the best it can be.

Community Posts and Events

This is where you'll find events that I am hosting, or have hosted in the past.

Discord Server I own and run the creative focused fandom server: The House of Hopeful Sinners - see link post for details

Advice on setting up a Discord Server for Fandom (Based on HOHS layout and tools)

Redbubble Shop - silly items for silly people, with only 2-5% markup to keep the prices lower for you~

Active No Active Events

Past Events and Collections

April Foolishness - Comedy Smut Event (NSFW) Baldur's Date Collection NSFW (NSFW) Baldur's Date Collection SFW (SFW) TaValentine's Day Collection (NSFW) GaleCord - Gale-ntines Collection (NSFW)

GaleCord Secret Santa Collection (NFSW)

Baldur's Date Open Creative Challenge! Artists, Writers, Creators of All Kinds! (18+ Only) (But there is an SFW side of the event)

AO3 FanFic Directory & About The Author

This has a whole lot about me, what I do, and what I aim to write, but if you'd just like the Works Directory then these are the links you need Each directory contains links to the individual works on AO3 as well as a brief summary of the piece and word count.

Carrd - Main Page and Contacts (General links and info) Carrd - Ongoing Series Directory (ATG and Scent of Cinnamon) Carrd - One Shot Directory (Standalone Stories)

Character Comfort Shorts

Short fanfiction pieces designed to feel comforting to a reader in some way or another. Some are specific to pains (eg, Migraine) but others are more general for any suffering (physical or psychological). They're generally written in 2nd person (you/your pronouns) and are gender neutral.

Abdirak - Migraine Comfort Yurgir - Migraine Comfort Tav - General Comfort, with Audio Multi-Character Comfort Drabbles (Astarion, Halsin, Abdirak, Raphael, Haarlep, bonus from Tavylia)

Please feel free to make requests for these in my ask box, and I will add more as I write more too.

Drabbles and Short Fics on Tumblr

A selection of short fanfic pieces, each of these is the full piece on Tumblr.

Raphael and/or Haarlep Brat Raphael and Haarlep (NSFW) Haarlep x Non-Gendered Reader/Writer (Mild NSFW) Haarlep x f!Tav x Brat Raphael (NSFW) "Raphael is Bad in Bed" Raphael x f!Tav (NSFW) Haarlep x Raphael x f!Tav (NSFW) Haarlep x Non-Gendered Writer 2 (2nd Person, mild NSFW) Haarlep Won't Let Lia Sleep (SFW, mostly.) Raphael is a Party Favour (NSFW) Raphael and Haarlep on Fiendmas Eve (NSFW) Raphael and Haarlep Drabbles (NSFW) Haarlep x m!OC Soft Drabble (Mild NSFW) Dom and Sub Raphael (NSFW) Falling for You - Soft Raphael/Haarlep (Mild NSFW) Forbidden Papers - Raphael/Haarlep (Mild NSFW) Devil Gets His Due - DomBottom Raphael/m!Tav (NSFW) Haarlep Angst Short - The Price Of You (Mild NSFW) Raph/Haarl Angst Short - All That We Hide (NSFW) Haarlep x GN Tav - Speak of the Devil... (NSFW)

Gale Dom!Gale x f!Tav (NSFW) Dom Professor Gale x AFAB Reader (2nd Person, NSFW) Dom!Gale x Non-Gendered Reader (Mild NSFW) Dom!Gale x Non-Gendered Reader 2 (Mild NSFW) Switch!Professor Gale x Non-Gendered Assistant (NSFW) God!Gale Angst (Mostly SFW)

Halsin Halsin x Reader (2nd Person Short, Not Gendered, SFW) Dom!Halsin x f!Tav (NSFW) Halsin x GN Reader - Flu Comfort (SFW)

Others Volo x Tav (Cursed, NSFW, Non-Gendered Tav) Shadowheart x AFAB NonBinary Tav (NSFW) Daggers and Gods, Shadowheart x Lae'zel (mild NSFW) Drabble Selection Assorted Characters (NSFW) Durgetash Trans Gortash x NonBinary Durge (NSFW) Gortash x m!Tav (NSFW)

These pieces are often warmups, and sometimes from prompts. I use them as a fun exercise to get going before working on longer chapter pieces.

Full Chapter FanFiction on Tumblr

Complete FanFics available to read in their entirety on Tumblr, no need to go to any external links! Series titles are links to the AO3 collections for the series, individual works chapters link only to those works.

ATG Chapters are reposted on @atavsguide Nothing else is on that side blog just FULL chapters of ATG so I won't list them here too.

The Book Of Loviatar

This series centres on Abdirak and He Who Was. It started as a single one shot that got out of hand, and became so much more. This is the heavy BDSM series so please do not go in expecting only some cuffs and a light whipping. Every chapter has the CWs.

Pain and Penance (NSFW) Suffering and Serenity (NSFW) Agony and Adoration (NSFW)

The Scent of Cinnamon

A series focusing on the relationship between Raphael and Haarlep from the time they first met up to the events of the game.

The Scent of Cinnamon Tumblr Masterlist (NSFW)

Coming Soon

BG3 FicFeb Challenges (some SFW some NSFW)

Daily writing prompts, posted on AO3 and on my main Tumblr here. I will make a link summary compilation post later to go here~

One Shot Fics

A Feast Fit For A Fiend (NSFW) Raphael, Haarlep, and Tav

Iron Flowers Never Wilt (SFW) Barcus Wroot and Zevlor

Above Him, Down Below (NSFW) Yurgir and Gender Neutral Reader

All We Cannot Have (Mostly SFW) Halsin x f!Tav, Angst/Emotional

The Meaning of Pain (Mostly SFW) Wyll and Abdirak discuss pain's purposes.

Learning to Dance on Hot Coals (NSFW) Wyll x Haarlep

More Coming Soon

Current WIPS:

Yurgir x Halsin "The Bear Hunt" (working title)

Planned Fics and Upcoming

God!Gale x Raphael FanZine Works ATG 16 Scent of Cinnamon 7 Barcus Wroot Collab (on hold, release tbc)

Ask Box Responses

A collection of responses to things that have landed in my Ask inbox! Please feel free to send some in if you like~

NSFW Alphabet - Raphael and Haarlep (NSFW, Obviously) Raphael and Haarlep Works (Nov 2023, NSFW) Raphael and Haarlep Turn On/Offs (NSFW) Raphael, Haarlep, and Jealousy (Headcanons, NSFW) Raphael and Haarlep Modern AU (Headcanons, NSFW) Why isn't Raphael at The Druid Camp (Headcanons, SFW) Raphael Jealous of Tav and Yurgir? (NSFW) Raphael Jealous of Tav and Yurgir? Pt2 (NSFW)

I'll try to get to these relatively quickly if I can!

Other Posts

Headcanons and Misc that don't fit anywhere else~

A Little Art (Mostly SFW) Tavylia's Raphael/Haarlep Headcanons (NSFW) Fandom Positivity Discussion (SFW) Cerudinae's Art of The Halloween Special (NSFW) Prequel Sample and Haarlep's "True" Form (Mild NSFW) Festive Cards from the BG3 Characters (Mild NSFW) Raphael and Haarlep Lia Fic Links Jan 2024 (NSFW) Tavylia's Top Ten Writing Tunes (SFW) Lia's New PFP by JuicieBox (SFW) Haarlep vs Harleep - A Silly Look At Spelling (SFW)

So there's a nice little mix of things, and more will be added! I didn't link every reblog or short post, just the more interesting ones.

This list will be pinned and updated with new posts to keep a good log because Lia has such bad memory she can't remember half of what she has written or where~

#bg3 #bg3 fanfiction #masterlist #blog masterlist #directory #blog directory

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neathyfashioncoalition · 1 year ago

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Overview/Potential Questions

What is the goal of this event?

The goal here is to give everyone a reason to draw their Fallen London Characters in fun outfits, and then collect them all together at into a little compilation.

In order to give everyone free reign with how long they wanna work and to work around their own schedules, you can work on and submit a piece anytime!

Who can participate?

Everyone who wants to should! The only requirement is that you have a character (or multiple) who you want to dress up!

How do I participate?

To submit you can simply post it and tag this blog and I will reblog it here, or otherwise you can use tumblrs submit feature!

The goal is to collect everything together at a certain point, in create our own sort of fashion magazine.

How many times can I submit a piece?

As much as you want! The skies the limit- or well. The roof is.

What content is accepted?

Not intending to be too picky here! So long as it fits around the theme of Fallen London characters in outfits, it will be accepted.

Whilst the aim here is to fit along the lines of a fashion catalogue or a paper doll format, there’s no pressure to fit any format exactly. This is just for fun!

Do we have to be entirely historically accurate?

There’s no such thing as complete historical accuracy, just taking educated looks back into what the past was most like.

All that is to say: don’t sweat it. Whilst we do have an overall goal of fitting with the fashion of the time, and being inspired by historical items, I don’t want people worrying over being 100% historically accurate. Treachery of clocks and the devils and all that. Feel free to have fun with it.

And don’t feel like you have to stick specifically to English fashion either. There are plenty of other fashions of the time period. If you and/or your character have a different background, please feel free to take inspiration for those historical clothes too! People in the neath come from many different backgrounds.

Do I have to draw an OC (original character)?

Whilst this event is intended to focus on people’s own original fallen london characters, if you truly dont have one you want to dress up, canon npcs are accepted as well!

Is there any content that is not allowed?

Everything created must be of your own work. Referencing and inspiration is 100% fine as always, but don’t like, upload someone else’s drawings directly. No computer generated/’”a.i” content will be accepted.

Eyestrain. Please take caution towards anything falling too heavily into the ‘eyestrain’ category. Whilst Victorian fashion was often super brightly coloured and that is accepted, pay mind to avoid anything with psychedelic color pallets, loud patterns, etc. This rule is here to make the event inclusive of those with disabilities triggered by eyestrain content.

While it likely won't come up often, it would be preferred if gore and body horror were not submitted to the blog 👍

If you’re uncertain if something will be accepted, feel free to just ask! I don’t bite, promise.

#overview #information

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allbeendonebefore · 11 months ago

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hiya, would you have any book or podcast recommendations for a brief overview of Roman/Classical history? not looking to get into the academia side of things, just wondering if there's a go-to Coles' notes with more of a critical rather than reverential eye!

Hi there!

I don't really listen to podcasts and the only one I've really heard is History of Rome by Mike Duncan. It was complete by 2013 but you can still find it on spotify etc. I listened to it and jumped around a lot between events when studying for exams and I also played episodes for my dad while he was driving when we were watching HBO Rome together.

I also recently listened to a two part series on Thucydides that CBC Radio's Ideas produced, not sure if this is accessible outside of Canada or not: part one is from 2011 and is about Thucydides as the first journalist/war correspondent and what set him apart from other early historians, part two is from 2020 and revisits pieces of that podcast in order to talk more about Thucydides' experience with the great plague of Athens. It's not exactly the sort of general overview of history you're seeking, but I bring it up because its something that is immediately relevant to the world today and thus easy to get into without context (particularly because reading Thucydides is a pain)

you've caught me Not-At-Home-With-My-Books which means I can't look over my shoulder and peruse my own shelf, alas. Apart from textbooks though, I'm not sure what I have for somewhat entry level books that I have even actually read and can vouch for. I really like my Classics 110 textbook but I can't remember the title/authors for the life of me. If you come ask me again in February when I'm for sure back home, I'll be able to tell you that, at least!

If you are interested in the how-we-know-this historiography side and writings from people in antiquity themselves, I'd also recommend seeing what's out there about specific ancient historians for periods or places you might be particularly interested in. For instance, you might look for books on Herodotus, Thucydides, Pausanias etc. for Greek history, or Livy, Tacitus, or even Suetonius (who is a hell of a gossip) for Roman, and so on. There might be some good annotated versions out there that have nice introductions with maps and context, etc.

If you're thrifting or browsing bookstores, generally I would avoid pop history books that focus on shock value ("eww i can't believe how depraved those romans were!") or, as you say, anything too reverential ("i cannot believe how downhill civilization has gone since the parthenon!"). The tricky thing about classics is that many if not most authors with a background in the scholarship will specialize in either literature or archaeology and not both, so you might want to look for authors and co-authors who talk about a little of each.

Thanks for asking, I'm sorry that I'm a bit less than helpful at the moment since I haven't formally been studying classics for a few years and I'm out of town away from my own collection where I keep my brain.

And of course as always, if anyone reading this has particular recommendations, please do say so in the notes! :)

#Anonymous #hapo replies #oh and as always SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY

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exmcrtis · 1 year ago

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you can sit beside me when the world comes down...

(a general overview of what my muses have been up to post-event)

ARTEMIS has mostly been laying low. she was unaffected by the destruction in town, but the emotional damage was enough to convince her she needs to keep her head down, and she's been spending more time at home or at work. she's been feeling more and more lonely these days, and as a result has decided to stop using physical intimacy as a coping mechanism. long story short, she's a reformed hoe.

BELLA has been splitting her time between jerico, the cruz-duttons, and her friends, but has mostly been with jerico. his injuries have worried her enough that she's in full-time panic mode, but is doing her best to hide it from everyone. she's also formed a new friendship with jessie, one that she plans to hold near and dear. just don't tell other people that she has a heart, she'll probably kick you in the shins.

CAIN suffered an eye injury during the earthquake, and has been sentenced to wear an eye patch for the foreseeable (pun intended) future. not being with val during the ordeal freaked him out, and they have been shacking up at his place for the past couple of weeks. he really only leaves the house to go to work, but he's been rendered useless since he needs both eyeballs in order to do his job properly. just call him captain cain and slap a pet parrot on his shoulder.

EZRA did not attend the event, as the idea of being around that many people freaks her out. she happily stayed at home with her books, but often visits the large cracks in town to inspect them. can usually be found staying out dangerously close to dark, but thinks nothing of it.

HALLEY sustained sprains to both her wrist and shoulder, but is otherwise unscathed. she's still quite emotionally stunted when it comes to her family situation, but chooses to distract herself by visiting mo as often as possible. she also spends a lot of time with zarina and knightley, but still doesn't fully open up about her feelings. she also confessed her feelings for saffron and doesn't regret it, but the very thought of liking someone that much terrifies her.

LAVENDER hasn't been doing so great for the past couple of weeks. the disappearance of her mother has left her feeling like a shell of a human, and no matter how much she tries to distract herself, she just can't shake it. she spends most of her time at work or around town, no longer feeling like the commune is home. however, she has no plans of moving out, so she's stuck in a limbo state currently.

LEIA was beebopping around until the earthquake hit, and then she scrambled home. she visits draven and salem more often than not, wanting to make sure that draven is okay despite how heavy things are at home.

LUCA has been hovering around parker as often as they'll let him. he didn't attend the event, but seeing so many people grieving and recovering makes him tense, so he's been spending most of his time at work. he does regular check-ins with all the weirdlings, and while he wants to pretend that he has no feelings, his concern for his little siblings for all intents and purposes outweighs any façade that he tries to put on. basically, this is the best time to try and befriend him.

ONDINE has been trying to adjust to life in town rather than the commune. her life has been uprooted in every sense of the word, and it's caused a lot of trust issues to develop that weren't there previously. she's made quick friends with celia, a good thing considering she's been bringing joei to work with her, and has begun settling into the idea of being around people outside of the commune. ondine wants to believe that she and joei are safe now that there's some sort of separation from absinthe, but she can't help but feel paranoid that something bad will happen at the drop of a hat.

PRUDENCE is living in a current state of grief and sadness. the loss of minnie hit her hard, so she's been trying and failing to find as many distractions as possible. she hasn't been sleeping much (if at all), and the exhaustion is starting to show. conrad's offer for her to stay over at the greene residence whenever she wanted has been accepted every single day since the earthquake. she's started to feel like a burden as of late, but she continues to show up at mason and conrad's door on a daily basis. she worries that she's overstaying her welcome and is waiting patiently for the day when they kick her out. spends most of her time crying but has become a pro at hiding it.

SALEM sustained some pretty serious burns from her shoulder down on her left side. in the past couple weeks she's visited the clinic a few times to make sure she's taking proper care of herself, but unless she's there or at work, she's spent most of her time at home. though draven tries to fuss over her, salem still keeps her focus on him, trying not to think too hard about what happened to her. however, she plans to cover up for quite some time, not wanting to draw attention to her burns. garnering extra attention is too scary.

SARE has spent most of her time working. she tries to check in with spencer even more now, not wanting to feel like a helicopter sister, but also wanting to make sure her little sibling is doing okay. she's finally coming around to the idea of having a closer relationship with sycamore, but she's choosing to take that one step at a time.

VIOLET has been a worrying mess since the earthquake. she's been trying to give saffron space, but has done at least one check-in (even if it's met with a grouchy attitude). she knows how worried rex is and has been spending as much time with him as possible so she can keep both of their minds at ease.

WOLF has been coping with his injury by cracking jokes and annoying arty. his hand was crushed badly by debris, and he anticipates that it'll never gain its full functionality ever again. while it's been extremely painful to deal with, his aversion to going to doctors (and being touched, for that matter) has made him refuse to go to the clinic. he will continue to cope with humor.

WYLIE is doing the worst of them all. minnie's death has left her feeling like she barely exists, and she cries most of her days away. she has stopped going to work all together, and when she is around other people, she mostly stays quiet until someone addresses her. wylie feels like there's no point to life anymore, and has no idea how to channel any of her emotions. coping mechanisms don't currently exist, and being around her can only be described as 'miserable'. she misses the love of her life.

#artemis hayes: musings #bella darling: musings #cain barlowe: musings #ezra blum: musings #halley macgillivray: musings #lavender parsons: musings #leia tolentino: musings #luca russo: musings #ondine feng: musings #prudence wheaton: musings #salem salazar: musings #sare holmes: musings #violet beauregarde: musings #wolf lykaios: musings #wylie bateman: musings

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siriusblack-the-third · 2 years ago

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Hi Ambrose <333 can you talk to me about some Marathi wedding traditions? (Its for very important prongsfoot research 🙏🙏 thank youu)

Ooh yay Marathi weddings! I love them! Let's get started right away!

First things first: Indian weddings are almost festivals in their own right. There is a lot going on during wedding season, and it all condenses down into a very chaotic week that makes you feel like you're stuck in a whirlwind you never want to get out of.

I'm going to go off of my experiences with Big Fat Indian Weddings (which: I've seen many of those, each and every wedding I've been to has had around 2500 guests), so buckle up.

There are many rituals and events in an Indian wedding, and you can pick and choose which events you want, or you can have all of them, it's entirety up to you. There used to be regional traditions to weddings before, but now they are blending together, for example: Sangeet is a typically Punjabi affair when it comes to weddings, but every Maharashtrian celebration I've been to has held a Sangeet.

I'm going to give a sort of overview of all the things that take place and in which order, so here goes:

The Lagnaach Bedior: before any festivities begin, the horoscopes (Patrika) of the bride and groom are matched before any events. The family of the bride and groom get together and call on a family priest who checks their Patrika and details them out, offering advice for any difficulties that they may face in married life.

Then comes the Muhurta Medha; where the families of the bride and groom to be plant a tree as an auspicious beginning.

The wedding season starts with— you guessed it�� an engagement ceremony. In Marathi, it is called Sakhar Puda (Sakhar– sugar, puda– packet) or Vangnishchay (verbal agreement). The bride is gifted with packets of sugar, clothing and jewellery, and the groom is given coconut, gold/silver coins, and clothes as well. The sugar signifies a sweet beginning of the marriage. Engagement rings, while not traditionally a Hindu thing, are also exchanged by the bride and groom to be.

Sometimes, a family may choose to have a pre- Sakhar Puda mehendi ceremony, it's not very common. A mehendi ceremony is when women who are invited to the wedding (hint: a lot of women) get together for a day to get their hands stained with mehendi. The bride is the star of the show, and her mehendi usually goes up to her biceps, and even her feet are stained. This is in general a very relaxed setting, with lots of cushions to lounge on and lots of food and refreshments (as is typical of any Indian get together lol food is important). A mehendi is always held before the main ceremony of marriage vows, though.

After the Vangnishchay comes the Muhurta— the priest is called once again, and this time a specific time is fixed for the beginning of the ceremony of vows. And then, the preparations begin in earnest, months before the wedding day.

Five Savashani (a married woman; the Hindi word is Suhasini) are invited by the bride’s mother on an auspicious day. They make turmeric powder and Sandege (pulses and spice powder) in mortar and pestle to be used later in the wedding, and Papad is rolled for eating. The women then hold a Rukhwat by decorating artistically and exhibiting bridal lehengas and sarees, jewellery, kitchen utensils, sweets and all sorts of bridal trousseau as a part of the wedding rituals of Maharashtra.

Next: the Sangeet! Sangeet is held anywhere between two days to a week before the ceremony of vows. There is food, lots of music and dancing to both traditional wedding songs and Bollywood songs, and it's generally a time for people to come together and have as much fun as possible. They're possibly my favourite part of weddings. (They're also not traditionally Maharashtrian, they're Punjabi, but lots of families still do it.)

Sometimes, the pre wedding mehendi is done right alongside the Sangeet, and other times it is done a either the day after Sangeet or after Kelvan (explained below). Again, lots of women come together and draw mehendi designs on their hands. Bridal mehendi goes all the way up to the biceps, and the feet are also decorated. It's very fun.

After the Sangeet comes the Kelvan, where the parents of the bride and groom to be invite each other's family for a meal. Gifts are given and aarti-puja for the Kuldevta (family deities) is performed, and in general it is a very simple yet beautiful affair. This is typically done two or three days before the wedding. The Kelvan ceremony invite also includes close family and relatives from both sides. The idea behind the ritual is to show respect and know each other better.

The day before— or sometimes the morning of, depending on the auspicious time— the ceremony of wedding vows, a Halad Chadawat is held. The bride and groom's respective families rub turmeric powder and water into their skin with the help of freshly picked mango leaves. It's a playful event, with lots of laughter and pranks. Halad (turmeric) is used for cleansing and purifying one's body before entering into a holy matrimony. It symbolizes the happy start of a new life together, and is said to protect the couple from any bad omens that may harm them before the wedding.

Now comes the actual wedding. This one's a doozy muahaha!

The day begins with a Puja of the Lord Ganpati, who is always honoured and worshipped at the beginning of any venture (there is a myth behind this, if you want to know). After the Ganpatidev Puja, the Kuldevta is also invoked to bless the couple.

The groom enters the venue of the wedding with a procession on the back of a horse, sometimes with a sword and scabbard strapped to his waist. The Seemant Puja is performed. The bride's mother washes the groom's feet and gifts are given to the groom's family by the bride's family.

The bride, wearing either a red or a yellow wedding Shalu (a type of saree) and with a Mundavalya (a string of pearls or flowers) tied across her forehead, performs the Gaurihar Puja with her parents. Rice is placed on the idol’s head as mantras and shlokas are recited. Prayers to the Goddess Parvati for a happy and prosperous married life are said.

The Antarpat ritual is the main one. A silk shawl is hung between the bride and groom while the Brahmin chants the mantras.

After the Antarpat comes the Sankalp, where the silk shawl is removed after the mantras are finished. The guests showers the newly married couple with Akshata (unbroken rice grains) to bless them with a happy marriage.

The Kanyadaan follows: here, the father of the bride gives her hand to the groom, who ties a mangalsutra around her neck and applies sindoor (red powder) to her forehead. The bride presses chandan (sandalwood) to the groom's forehead in return.

For the Saptapadi, the couple takes seven rounds around the holy fire. The bride is required to touch seven betel nuts placed on top of small mounds of rice with her right foot. Once the seven rounds are done, she places her foot on a grindstone, while the groom holds her hand or foot, symbolizing that she needs to be strong and he will always support her.

The bride’s father along with the couple pray to god for blessings in the Karmasamaapti (meaning "end of the act")

A grand feast fit for royalty follows the wedding ceremony, and there is again a lot of dancing and music. A separate Reception is also held, which is just another party so that the bride and groom— who had been busy with the wedding itself— can mingle with everyone who had attended.

And this is it! That's your traditional wedding! It's a lot of fun, and i absolutely love attending functions like these!

I hope you got what information you wanted, and my asks are always open for any questions anyone may have. Go ahead, people, don't be shy! If anything is missing or I've gotten something wrong and you notice it, please go ahead and correct me or add on, it'll be much appreciated.

#dani tag #i absolutely loved this ask #i can always talk about tradition and heritage #especially if its Indian #thank you for asking me this Dani!#amrut answers

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tgm-all4one · 2 years ago

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FAQ

Main Challenge Post

Challenge Overview

If you have any questions about any part of the challenge, please feel free to send in an ask or DM. But here are some common questions below the break. It will be updated as more questions come in:

What is the prompt?

"Last summer was one no one could ever forget. Now, a year later, character(s) still feel(s) the effects of that time."

Does it have to be set one year after Top Gun: Maverick?

No. While you can set it then if you would like, your creation can be set literally whenever you want. Anywhere from the Big Bang to the collapse of the universe (or beyond!).

Can I use characters from Top Gun (1986) without mentioning Top Gun: Maverick?

Absolutely! While this challenge is timed around the anniversary of Top Gun: Maverick, the release of that film also reignited a love for the original and helped that part of the fandom grow as well. So if you prefer the OG characters, go right ahead and use them!

What sort of medium is allowed for the challenge?

Literally, anything you can think of! Writing, artworks, GIF sets, edits, moodboards, playlists, Pinterest boards, etc. If you want to decorate a cake with a scene or make a piece of needlepoint, those are allowed too! However you express yourself is a valid way to enter the challenge.

The only exception is that AI resources are NOT allowed. While I know people may have differing opinions when it comes to the use of AI in art or fanart. the point of this challenge is for creators to show their individuality through their art. Not a computer programs ability to compile information. So, any submissions involving AI will not be reblogged.

Are there any minimum or maximum guidelines to follow?

There are NO minimum or maximum limits for words, time, number of GIFs, etc. WIPs are also permitted if you want to submit it now and finish it later.

Can I do more than one submission?

Sure! If you want to write three fics, draw two pieces of art, and make a moodboard, go for it!

What if I am about to post and see someone else has a similar idea already posted?

Then please still post yours! The spirit of the event is to demonstrate how diverse and unique we all are even when we have similar elements. So just because someone else's submission might have the same pairing and trope, I guarantee their creation is not the same as yours. Because no one else will ever be able to recreate the exact story you want to share. Because only you can tell that story your way.

If I'm under 18 can I participate?

Unfortunately, no. Since this challenge allows NSFW content, it is only open to those 18 and older. So in order for your work to be eligible to be reblogged, your blog must have your age indicated on it (18+, 20s, over 21, 35, etc.). Sorry to any minors who were looking to participate. But hopefully, this is successful and we might do it again when you would be old enough to join in!

Is AI generated art of any kind allowed?

No. Since this challenge is focused on our differences as creators that make our art unique, AI generated submissions are not allowed.

If I post on AO3 and share the link on tumblr, can that count as a submission?

Absolutely! Some people prefer to post only on AO3 and that is a totally valid way to participate. Here is the collection you can share your creation with:

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tgm_all4one

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pepper-doyle · 10 months ago

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Phoebe "Pepper" Doyle | Virgo Sun | ESFP-A

Archetype — The Joker/Innocent Child Birthday — September 12th, 1999. Zodiac Sign — Virgo MBTI — ESFP-A Enneagram — 8 Temperament — Choleric Hogwarts House — Slytherin Moral Alignment — Chaotic Good? Primary Vice — Hot Tempered Primary Virtue — Loyal Element — Water

Overview: Mother — Dorothy Doyle Father — Dylan Doyle Mother’s Occupation — Co-Owner of the Black Spire Bar, pack leader Father’s Occupation — Co-Owner of the Black Spire Bar, secondary pack leader Family Finances — average, middle class Birth Order — Second born, middle child of the triplets, also older sibling for her younger twin siblings Brothers — Roland, Lucky, Denver Sisters — Declan Other Close Family — Douglas Doyle (Uncle), Delilah Doyle (grandma) Best Friend — tbd Other Friends — tbd Enemies — her ex, some mundus, vampires Pets — none currently Home Life During Childhood — Nice and peaceful, Pepper grew up loved in her community. Town or City Name(s) — What Did His or Her Bedroom Look Like — Different posters of bands, musicians she admires, Any Sports or Clubs — Anime club growing up, also DnD Favorite Toy or Game — FFXIV, Ark: Survival Evolved Schooling — Graduated from High School Favorite Subject — Any music class she had Popular or Loner — in between Important Experiences or Events — getting dumped by her first boyfriend in high school, her brother and therefore her exposure to hte public Nationality — American Culture — Werewolf Pack Culture Religion and beliefs — Atheist

Physical Appearance Face Claim — Emily Rudd Complexion — Pale Hair Colour — Brown for now, she does dye it Eye Colour — Blue Height — 5' 5" Build — thin Tattoos — a pack tattoo on her back Piercings — ears, and belly button Common Hairstyle — usually just down, sometimes in a pony tail, not very styled Clothing Style — jeans and a shirt, sometimes flannel, leather jackets common Mannerisms — drumming her fingers on her leg Usual Expression — a neutral sort of face?

Health Overall (do they get sick easily)? — No she stays pretty healthy Physical Ailments — none Neurological Conditions — None that she's aware of Allergies — penicillin Grooming Habits — She keeps pretty clean most of the time Sleeping Habits — Late nights gaming so she can sometimes wake up really late Eating Habits — she likes a good steak, but generally she eats relatively balanced meals. Will eat ramen for days though if the budget's tighter Exercise Habits — she occasionally goes to the gym, mostly does zumba classes Emotional Stability — Semi stable Body Temperature — Warm Sociability — Social Addictions — None Drug Use — None Alcohol Use — Socially

Your Character’s Character: Bad Habits — picking at split ends Good Habits — tidying up after herself where she can Best Characteristic — Loyal! Worst Characteristic — Hot Tempered Worst Memory — The day her brothers fought and everything fell apart Best Memory — When she first learned to play the drums! Proud of — her band and how it progressed Embarrassed by — her brothers sometimes Driving Style — somewhat chaotic Strong Points — Her personality Temperament — A little hot as said Attitude — Confident Weakness — She's a bit judgmental Fears — losing her brothers for real, never succeeding, anti-werewolf rhetoric Phobias — Claustrophobic Secrets — she thinks if she had been in charge of the band they might never have fallen apart Regrets — Not stepping between her brothers and their tension sooner Feels Vulnerable When — anyone calls her on her bs. She's put up a lot of barriers, so if anyone catches her in a lie, or when someone realizes she's not so tough as she likes to act Pet Peeves — Being interrupted Conflicts — Her werewolf status exposed to the world Motivation — to find her brothers and help them reunite Short Term Goals and Hopes — Find Lucky, figure out what's up with the band Long Term Goals and Hopes — Get past the werewolf bias and become a successful solo artist. Sexuality — Heterosexual probably Exercise Routine — somewhat regular Day or Night Person — Night Introvert or Extrovert — Extrovert Optimist or Pessimist — Realist Greatest Want — to become a well respected solo artist Greatest Need — to connect with her brothers again

#about #the muse

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outoflimbo · 2 years ago

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Because people on the internet, especially viz-a-viz AI image generation, seem to have a hard time understanding what fair use is in U.S. copyright law, here's a quick summary:

Fair use is an affirmative defense that protects artists' uses of preexisting material that might otherwise be considered copyright infringement. Being a form of affirmative defense, it is case-by-case, and it is decided in court whether or not a usage constitutes fair use and is thus protected on an individual basis. These decisions are based on precedent and individual judgement.

There are four quasi-official factors that are used to determine whether or not something constitutes fair use. I want to make clear that this checklist is not an automatic arbiter of the decision; it is used to aide the decision making.

The four factors are:

Transformative use. Does the new work utilize the borrowed materials in a novel, original way? Does it have a significantly different purpose, meaning, aesthetic or medium? There are certain purposes that are often evoked in favor of fair use as well: is the new work educational, critical, or satirical? Does it comment upon the original? Does it not merely reproduce but turns the original into a new work in and of itself? The nature of the copyrighted work. What is the nature of the material that you're borrowing from? Is the original piece in and of itself fanciful, artistic, or creative? Or is it documentary, utilitarian, "un-artistic?" Think of the difference between using a news photograph vs. an original oil painting. Also, is the original still in market? Can it still be bought? (This ties in with the fourth factor.)

The portion taken. How much of the original work is used in the derived work? Does the derived work use the main "heart" of the original piece, or only bits and pieces? Can the derived piece be seen as a replacement for the original? Are multiple different derived pieces, copyrighted or not, used as well? The effect of use upon the market. This is the most important to the decision: does this new work pose any sort of threat to the borrowed work on the market? If I use pieces of news photographs in an original collage, for example, it's safe to assume I am not significantly replacing the original in its market.

Now let's look at some cases! These are taken from https://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/fair-use/cases/ :

Fair use. Publisher Larry Flynt made disparaging statements about the Reverend Jerry Falwell on one page of Hustler magazine. Rev. Falwell made several hundred thousand copies of the page and distributed them as part of a fund-raising effort. Important factors: Rev. Falwell’s copying did not diminish the sales of the magazine (since it was already off the market) and would not adversely affect the marketability of back issues. (Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Moral Majority, Inc., 606 F.Supp. 1526 (C.D. Cal., 1985).)

Here, we see one of the most common fair use arguments: that the new work does not present a threat to the original in the market.

Fair use. The black comedy, Hand to God, features the famed Abbott and Costello routine “Who’s on First?” The routine is spoken by a repressed character, whose hand puppet persona mocks him for pretending to be the author of the routine. Important factors: Though the use of the routine in the movie and play both elicit laughs, the play’s usage is transformative because the audience must be aware of the original in order to “get the joke.” TCA Television Corp. v. McCollum, No. 15 Civ. 4325 (S.D. N.Y. Dec. 17, 2105).

The novel use of the comedy routine is transformative. It utilizes the original in a novel way that is aesthetically distinct and presents a new artistic voice.

Not a fair use. A company published a book of trivia questions about the events and characters of the Seinfeld television series. The book included questions based upon events and characters in 84 Seinfeld episodes and used actual dialog from the show in 41 of the book’s questions. Important factors: As in the Twin Peaks case, the book affected the owner’s right to make derivative Seinfeld works such as trivia books. (Castle Rock Entertainment, Inc. v. Carol Publ. Group, 150 F.3d 132 (2d Cir. 1998).)

Here, the question of "does it affect the copyright holder's market share?" rears its head again. Note that the decision was made on potential monetary avenues.

Fair use. A search engine’s practice of creating small reproductions (“thumbnails”) of images and placing them on its own website (known as “inlining”) did not undermine the potential market for the sale or licensing of those images. Important factors: The thumbnails were much smaller and of much poorer quality than the original photos and served to help the public access the images by indexing them. (Kelly v. Arriba-Soft, 336 F.3d. 811 (9th Cir. 2003).)

The resulting thumbnail images were found to not serve as a replacement for the original pictures, and served a public use, combining the first and fourth factors.

Full disclosure: I'm an anti-copyright socialist who thinks that the idea of intellectual property in the first place is abhorrent. However, fair use presents a very powerful, if limited, defense for artists to engage in the right to reuse, remix and plunder as they see fit. As all artists should!

If you see attempts being made to constrict fair use in any form, even in the name of "artist's rights," do not be duped.

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williamsarthur430 · 1 month ago

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Explore the Best Options for Skip Hire in Blackheath, West Midlands: A Complete Overview

When it comes to managing waste effectively, especially in bustling areas like Blackheath in the West Midlands, skip hire emerges as an invaluable solution. The process of hiring a skip can seem daunting at first, yet it is an essential step for homeowners, businesses, and contractors alike who are intent on maintaining cleanliness and order during renovation projects, events, or everyday waste disposal. Understanding the landscape of skip hire options in Blackheath can streamline this process, ensuring that individuals make informed decisions tailored to their specific needs.

Understanding Skip Hire Services

Skip hire services provide a practical means of waste disposal, allowing clients to conveniently remove unwanted items from their premises. The concept is straightforward: a skip is delivered to the client’s location, filled with waste, and then collected for disposal. The importance of using a reliable skip hire service cannot be overstated, as it not only facilitates efficient waste management but also promotes environmental responsibility through proper waste sorting and recycling.

In Blackheath, various companies offer skip hire services, each with unique features and capabilities. Clients can choose from different skip sizes, ranging from small skips suitable for domestic use to larger skips designed for commercial projects. Understanding the dimensions and capacities of these skips is crucial for selecting the right option, as it directly influences the efficiency of waste disposal and the overall project timeline.

Choosing the Right Skip Size

Selecting the appropriate skip size is a pivotal factor in ensuring successful waste management. Skips come in various sizes, typically categorized as mini, midi, and maxi skips. A mini skip, which usually holds about 2 cubic yards of waste, is ideal for small home projects such as garden clearances or decluttering. On the other hand, a midi skip, with a capacity of around 4 to 5 cubic yards, suits moderate renovations or small construction jobs. For larger projects, such as extensive home renovations or commercial construction sites, maxi skips, which can hold anywhere from 6 cubic yards to over 12 cubic yards, are recommended.

Understanding the specific requirements of a project is essential for determining which skip size will be most effective. For instance, a homeowner in Blackheath embarking on a bathroom renovation may require a midi skip to accommodate the waste generated from old fixtures and tiles. In contrast, a contractor working on a new build might need multiple maxi skips to manage the significant volume of waste produced during construction.

The Environmental Impact of Skip Hire

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the environmental impact of waste disposal. Skip hire companies in Blackheath are increasingly implementing eco-friendly practices to mitigate this impact. Responsible waste management involves not only the efficient collection and disposal of waste but also ensuring that recyclable materials are diverted from landfills. Many reputable skip hire services actively sort through collected waste to separate recyclables, such as metal, plastic, and cardboard, which can be repurposed or recycled.

By choosing a skip hire provider that prioritizes sustainability, clients in Blackheath can contribute to environmental preservation while effectively managing their waste. Such practices align with the broader movement toward sustainable living, where reducing the carbon footprint is a priority for many individuals and businesses.

Navigating Local Regulations and Permits

When hiring a skip in Blackheath, it is crucial to be aware of local regulations and possible permit requirements. Depending on where the skip will be placed, especially if it is to be situated on a public road or footpath, a permit may be necessary. This requirement is intended to ensure public safety and maintain order in the community.

Skip hire companies are often well-versed in local regulations and can assist clients in obtaining the necessary permits. They may handle the paperwork and even liaise with local authorities to ensure compliance. Understanding the legalities surrounding skip hire not only prevents potential fines but also fosters a smoother waste disposal process.

The Importance of Choosing a Reputable Provider

With numerous skip hire services available in Blackheath, choosing a reputable provider is imperative. A reliable skip hire company will not only offer a variety of skip sizes but also provide excellent customer service, transparent pricing, and adherence to environmental standards. Researching customer reviews and testimonials can offer insight into the experiences of previous clients, helping potential customers make informed decisions.

Furthermore, a trustworthy skip hire service will usually have a well-maintained fleet of skips and vehicles, ensuring that deliveries and pickups are prompt and efficient. The professionalism of the company can significantly influence the overall experience, from the moment of initial inquiry to the final collection of the skip.

How to Prepare for Skip Delivery

Once the appropriate skip size has been selected and a reputable provider has been chosen, preparing for the delivery of the skip is the next crucial step. Ensuring that the delivery area is accessible and free from obstacles can facilitate a smooth drop-off. It is also essential to inform the skip hire company of any specific requirements, such as preferred delivery times or special instructions regarding placement.

Additionally, clients should consider the types of waste that will be placed in the skip. Some materials are prohibited from being disposed of in skips due to regulations aimed at protecting the environment and public health. Items such as hazardous waste, electronics, and certain chemicals must be handled separately and taken to designated disposal facilities. Being aware of these guidelines will ensure compliance and avoid complications during the waste disposal process.

Understanding the Cost of Skip Hire

While this article refrains from discussing specific costs, it is essential for potential clients to understand that the price of skip hire can vary based on several factors. Factors such as skip size, rental duration, and the type of waste being disposed of can all influence pricing structures. Many skip hire companies provide online calculators that can help clients estimate the cost based on their requirements.

Moreover, some companies may offer additional services, such as same-day delivery or extended rental periods, which can also affect the overall cost. Clients should always seek detailed quotes from multiple providers to ensure they receive competitive pricing while maintaining quality service.

Conclusion: Making an Informed Choice for Skip Hire in Blackheath, West Midlands

In summary, the landscape of skip hire in Blackheath West Midlands is rich with options tailored to meet diverse waste management needs. By understanding the various skip sizes, the environmental implications, local regulations, and the importance of choosing a reputable provider, individuals and businesses can navigate the skip hire process with confidence.

Moreover, being well-prepared for the delivery and aware of potential costs can further streamline the experience. For those seeking effective waste management solutions, engaging with a professional skip hire service can lead to remarkable improvements in project efficiency and environmental responsibility. Whether it’s a small home renovation or a significant construction project, the right skip hire service stands ready to assist in maintaining cleanliness and order throughout the journey. For more information about skip hire options, visit Thandi Skips, where clients can find comprehensive services designed to meet their waste disposal needs.

#skip hire blackheath west midlands

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