#collector is a sea snake

[senselessalchemist]

I have to start teaching again on Monday so here are some things that I meant to finish but oh well guess it wasnt meant to be

[kaiju-tamers-official]

While far from being the heaviest, no other kaiju on record can surpass these serpents in sheer colossal length.

Mighty sea serpents native to the cold northern oceans, the Jormungantic are the single longest kaiju species on record.

Stories tell of these terrible serpents laying waste to mankind, destroying coastal cities and shattering ships to splinters with mighty waves. These stories are...... greatly exaggerated.

Jormungantic show little interest in humans or their creations, being content with hunting whale kaiju and other marine giants. Destruction caused by them is often accidental, as their sheer size means the mere act of swimming creates waves large enough to flood beaches and capsize boats.

Tamed Jormungantic are remarkably powerful yet lazy additions to any Tamer's roster. While captive specimens rarely grow larger than 40 meters, there are reported sightings of ancient wild specimens more than triple this length.

[felassan]

Rook's Coffer.

The rest of this post is under a cut due to length.

[link]

There is a lot of interesting stuff in here. 👁️

A coffer is a strongbox or small chest for holding valuables. The contents of the box is described as being Rook's "personal effects", the "tools of [their] resistance" (against the Evil Gods).

The Light-Up Lyrium Dagger

This is the dagger replica that BioWare had on display at their SDCC booth in a case. at the time we wondered if it glows (yes!) and whether it would be a merch item in the Gear Store or part of a collector's edition or something, and here we are. :D the name of the item confirms the idea that it's blue because blue lyrium (I wondered this here). the description on the Gear Store of the item reads:

"Its blade has torn the very fabric of the Veil."

and ~8 months ago I wrote,

"since we saw this image from the 2022 in-game cinematic and speculated that 1. this image shows Solas doing something to the Veil, and 2. the item he’s holding is the red lyrium idol in its ritual-blade form, what it’s reminded me of is the Subtle Knife from HDM (Pullman). Æsahættr cuts windows in the fabric between worlds; I wonder if the idol’s power as a magical ritual-blade is the ability to ‘cut’ through the 'fabric’ of the Veil (of reality), thereby tearing open the barrier that has been separating the two realms."

Cloth Map and Quiver

"Look to this illustrated map to learn about the world you defend."

First let's do the quiver. :>

A quiver to keep a map in is such a cute idea. going by the triangles, it's a replica of the quiver rogue Rooks store their arrows in in the game. ^^

Now the map.

Starting at the bottom right, where it all began~. Ferelden is depicted as a mabari (a symbol of Fereldan royalty), complete with kaddis. You can see the Brecilian Forest and the Imperial Highway snaking round Lake Calenhad. In the Frostback Mountains is the Inquisition’s hairy eyeball symbol, fittingly as that’s where Skyhold is located. North of the Arbor Wilds are the Dales, containing Dalish aravels. Orlais is portrayed as a reclining lion (the symbol of House Valmont is a lion). West and south of the lion are the Nahashin Marshes, the Abyssal Reach and the Tirashan. Across the sea from Ferelden is the landmark of Kirkwall, the Twins of Kirkwall (statues).

The north of the map is the most 👁️ tho, as DA:TV seems to be predominantly set in locales across northern Thedas. That part of the map has a lot of elements from the misted-out northern Thedas map from the Thedas Calls teaser trailer, only.. unmisted. :D we can see the Antivan city of Treviso with its spires and the Antivan Crows flying around Antiva. We can see the giant squid curling over Rivain, this time on a bed of treasure like gold and silver. West of the White Spire mountain is Arlathan Forest, with another aravel, ruins of the city of Arlathan, and floating rocks and floating ruins. in the sea south of Par Vollen is a Qunari dreadnought.

Tevinter is separated from Antiva by the Hundred Pillars. the way they look in this map, they remind me of Drumheller Alberta, where Mark Darrah once mentioned that DA:TV devs went to capture reference material for the game. in this post I wrote of the Tevinter coast that "much of the center is entangled in tentacle-like or snake-like tendrils". in this new map we can clearly see that they are snakes. makes sense, Tevinter is a nest of vipers metaphorically and snakes are part of Tevinter iconography. We can see the city of Minrathous and my all-time favorite guy, Floating Building. Weisshaupt is represented by a griffon and for the Anderfels we have  Our Lady of the Anderfels (the statue of Andraste). to the north, Tallo's Eye and the Donarks.

This part of the map is potentially super exciting:

This is a dwarven statue underground in the Deep. the location suggests this is representing Kal-Sharok south of the Anderfels (this is not anywhere near Orzammar, and Orzammar isn't represented on the map by a drawing either). omggg. I really hope we visit Kal-Sharok in this game oh shttt

In the center of the map is Nevarra and the Silent Plains. this map depicts the Silent Plains and surrounds as being full of the ancient bones of giant creatures and giant skeletons. that's 👀 since we saw giant skeletons in Nevarra in the new trailer. we can also see the Grand Necropolis with its eerie green glow as its reaches go down into the ground. it's attended by two [giant?] necromanced skeletons. the gold doodads on their heads remind me of the skeletons we've seen Emmrich necromancing.

There don't appear to be any depictions or landmarks shown in Seheron or Par Vollen. :< and in this last bit of the map it's a bit hard to tell due to poorer image quality that this section of the map is shown in, but east of Rivain is the map compass and south of Rivain, south of Llomerynn, in the whirlpool.. is that an island with an eluvian on it? maybe this represents the Lighthouse and the pocket dimension it exists in? watery Fade imagery and all that.

(Thedas Calls trailer map images below for reference. you can see that 'landmarks' from in that trailer are on this new map)

(^ ignore the yellow lines in the Rivain squid cap ^^;)

Rook's Card Deck

"A set of cards depicting people and places from Rook's adventures."

Like the map, there's a lot in these too. first of all the art looks so beautiful and I'm psyched that cards/card-style art is returning in DA:TV, the tarot card art in DA:I was so cool and gave so much inspiration to the DA art community! some of the art is familiar to us, some is totally new.

in this last image we can see that among the cards is the art for the Solas print that came with the BioWare Gear Store exclusive variant of the artbook. the design for the back of the cards is similar to the box for Rook's coffer. for the others I think I'm going to identify them with letters so it makes talking about them easier. ^^ (image without key is above). 26 x 2 = looks like there are 52 cards total, if this image contains the whole set. (if I've mixed up any of my numbers or letters in the below, pls lmk so I can correct it!)

please keep in mind that these are just guesses for fun. [thanku to mime who helped me guess what each card could be :D]

A - Venatori? red like red lyrium and they're always messing with it, diamond shape like their new symbol (two), cult-like vibe, mage robe-vibe. the pointy hoods remind me of the figure in the background of Neve's card. (given the shape in the background, is Elgar'nan messing with them or are they working for him? they could be without knowing he's an elf) B - dragons, dragon fights? (looks like a giant toothy dragon maw bearing down on a party) C - F qunari Rook? (like how there was a card for M and F of each lineage Inquisitor in DA:I. F qunari Inky for comparison) D - Harding companion card art from the Dragon Age website E - Veil Jumpers? gold, triangles, antler/halla-horn type pattern, looks like the person has a glowing gadget F - Grey Wardens? silver plate armor, Joining Chalice, shield with griffon wings on it G - Rogue Rook/rogue class (like there was a class card for each class for Inky in DA:I. Rogue inky) H - one gender of elf Rook? (like how there was a card for M and F of each lineage Inquisitor in DA:I. elf Inky cards for comparison) I - Arlathan Forest? it looks like it has ruins and floating rocks J - 'Fen'Harel' Solas from the in-game cinematic that we saw in this trailer K - Neve companion card art from the Dragon Age website L - Weisshaupt in the Anderfels (see this concept) M - Warrior Rook/warrior class (like there was a class card for each class for Inky in DA:I. Warrior inky) N - M qunari Rook? (like how there was a card for M and F of each lineage Inquisitor in DA:I. M qunari Inky for comparison) O - undead, giant green glow skeletons? P - ? Q - Minrathous R - Lords of Fortune? they have Taash vibes. blue sea in the background, gold trinkets at their waist, swashbuckling vibe S - ? T - Emmrich companion card art from the Dragon Age website U - another gender of elf Rook? (like how there was a card for M and F of each lineage Inquisitor in DA:I. elf Inky cards for comparison) V - red lyrium darkspawn W - M dwarf Rook? (like how there was a card for M and F of each lineage Inquisitor in DA:I. M dwarf Inky for comparison) X - Bellara companion card art from the Dragon Age website Y - Elgar'nan from back in the day before being Blighted? bald like ancient elves sometimes are shown, maybe the orb is his foci. Z - ? not sure, but something bad and maybe red lyrium-related. also blood and maybe an eluvian in the background

[block character limit text break!]

1 - Ghilan'nain from back in the day before being Blighted? creepy tentacle-vibe hair. 2 - Mortalitasi / Mournwatch 3 - ? not sure, but something bad and maybe red lyrium-related 4 - 'Humble apostate Solas' from the in-game cinematic that we saw in this trailer 5 - Blue lyrium dagger 6 - Red lyrium dagger 7 - Davrin companion card art from the Dragon Age website 8 - Taash companion card art from the Dragon Age website 9 - Grand Necropolis. undead city vibes, the eerie green glow 10 - part of this concept art posted on Halloween in 2021. (I think this may be somewhere in the Anderfels/Weisshaupt surrounds after something bad has happened. those creatures are red lyrium-afflicted darkspawn. the location has the same dark/night-time corrupted/Blighted vibe as here, complete with Blightsacs and red lyrium darkspawn. the bad dark Blighted ruined vibe is also like here from the Thedas Calls teaser, where if you zoom in there's some red in the image. when this image was shown in Thedas Calls, it was the segment about Weisshaupt and the Wardens. in the release date reveal teaser, we see a shot of the Anderfels in the day-time without Blight/before anything bad has happened. it looks nice and is a beautiful view. you can tell that is the same place as here because of the presence of the posts with the basketball hoops on top of them. lastly, in the companions reveal trailer, Davrin is shown fighting red lyrium darkspawn in the dark/night-time corrupted looking area, and in the background is a statue of a griffon. 11 - ? not sure, but something bad and maybe red lyrium-related 12 - this Solas art from the Gear Store artbook exclusive variant pack 13 - Treviso in Antiva (see images here) 14 - Elgar'nan? curving horn shape, eclipse 15 - demons? or Elgar'nan and Ghil in their prison together? 16 - Qunari, as in from the group that have been invading/occupying? 17 - mage Rook/mage class (like there was a class card for each class for Inky in DA:I. mage inky) 18 - The Dread Wolf? or the Dread.. wolves. there are 2 wolves in this. Two Wolf Moon 19 - Lucanis companion card art from the Dragon Age website 20 - F dwarf Rook? (like how there was a card for M and F of each lineage Inquisitor in DA:I. F dwarf Inky for comparison) 21 - the Deep Roads (concept art for comparison) 22 - ? but they are this figure from the full cover art of the regular edition of the artbook 23 - Ghilan'nain? horrible centipede creature, suggestion of Ghil's head-shape, suggestion of hands and faces 24 - feather. griffon feather? to represent Assan? 25 - Rivain. boats, sea 26 - Antivan Crows

I feel like I've made mistakes or missed something though because if there's a card for each faction, where is the Shadow Dragons? and if there's an M and an F card for each lineage Rook, where are the human Rooks? I'll revisit the cards and my list again sometime with fresh eyes. :D

One thing I wanted to highlight at the end of the section on the cards is the blue lyrium and red lyrium dagger[s].

Above we talked about how the item name Lyrium Dagger confirms the idea that the dagger is blue because blue lyrium (I wondered that here). in the same post I wondered about the other dagger that we first saw on the deluxe artbook cover:

"This artbook cover one is more gnarled in appearance and the 'ring’ of the handle isn’t complete. It has extra spiky bits protruding off it too and it looks like something is growing on it. Maybe this is what happens if/when the blue [lyrium?] dagger becomes red (Blighted)? because this gnarled kinda vibe reminds me a bit of Meredith’s sword Certainty in DA2, and of that body horror way in which red lyrium growth looks on people. It also reminds me of the tendrils of Blight corruption on walls and the ground and stuff in DA:TV screenshots, and the gnarled red lyrium darkspawn we’ve seen (look at this darkspawn’s back for example). Or maybe there’s simply more than one dagger?"

and here we are. 👀 the blue lyrium dagger Blighted to red lyrium, or else there's a red lyrium dagger out there too somewhere.

Enchanted Die

"This beautiful die will help guide you through the perils of conversation."

The Gear Store description for this item makes perfect sense as the symbols on the dice are the dialogue wheel icons. :D here we can see Romance, Anxious, Sad, Warrior, Investigate, Mad, Stoic and others. also I love the iconic purple-theme color of the dice. :)

Glass Potion Flask

"A decorative vessel that would be essential for storing healing potions."

I have no comments on this really other than it's pretty and that I think it resembles the design of healing potion bottles in the game. :)

Dragon Age™: The Veilguard Companion Lithograph

"This art depicts the faces of your closest allies, the ones who'll stand beside you against impossible odds."

This features the companion art pieces from here.

Thank-You Letter

"A note of gratitude from the creatives at the helm of Dragon Age™: The Veilguard. (From game director Corinne Busche and creative director John Epler)"

and this is a lovely and thoughtful idea 🥺 .. maybe it's the inscription inside the box with the Veilguard symbol?

Lastly there's the box!

It's pretty and is in the same style as the UI on e.g. the skill trees. it looks like there's a square with each companion round the outside, plus a square for Manfred, Assan, and Varric. the gang's all here. :D for the 7 companions, their image is from their 'tarot style' art, but for Manfred, Assan and Varric it's art we haven't seen before. around the outside is also each of their weapons, like an arrow for archer Harding and Lucanis' fancy rapier-sword. I guess in the middle the helmet represents Rook. (it gives me Warden vibes. maybe it's a version of the helmet Rook wears here?).

As a last thought, with the items being Rook's "personal effects", the "tools of [their] resistance", I really love the idea that they have a deck of playing cards and a dice/enchanted dice. I know these are common fantasy world items but idk it's giving a lil, Remy LeBeau. I dunno, Rook somehow has a rogueish kinda vibe to me (as in the trait, not the class). Varric describes them as clever and adaptable, words you might apply to a trickster. "You don't know when to quit" implies a certain incorrigibility. rooks are corvids which have trickster lore irl, and characters that play games with cards and roll dice often have that smart, rogueish, trickster kind of edge in tropes and stuff. it works in my brain in different scenarios too, like if Rook is a foil to Solas, or someone advised by Solas (trickster-mini trickster mentee), or someone opposed to Solas (takes a trickster to outwit a trickster), and/or someone who is in some kind of a way a sorta successor[?] to Solas in terms of story role or repeating history or foils again etc (if you remember the line "They call me the Dread Wolf. What will they call you when this is over?"). you know, like think about what is said about Fen'Harel today and was said about him immediately after the fall (elven voices in Vir Dirthara in Trespasser). what will they say about Rook when this is over? hope that paragraph made sense :D

[whitepolaris]

Some Classic Lake Monsters Encounters

Folklorists Charles E. Brown was an inveterate collector of monster tales. Many of the following stories are derived from his classic work Sea Monsters.

Elkhart Lake

A creature with "big jaws" and "flashing eyes" pulled a fisherman end over end into Elkhart Lake in the mid-1890s.

Lake Mendota

The scales of a sea serpent were found on Lake Mendota's Picnic Point in 1917. That fall, a fisherman angling off the point was startled when a "large snake-like head, with large jaws and blazing eyes" popped up from the depths less than a hundred feet away from where he was standing. And in that same area, a University of Wisconsin coed tanning on a dock reacted with a speed she didn't know she possessed when she turned over to yell at her boyfriend to stop tickling her feet, but instead witnessed the head and neck of a huge serpent whose long tongue was lapping at her toes. Bozho, as the marine anomaly was known locally, had a reputation as a prankster, overturning canoes and piers, chasing sailboats, and scaring swimmers half to death. Back in 1899, a group of ladies had spotted Bozho while they were out boating on the lake. They reported that the serpent's head, which reared some distance out of the water, was ten inches in diameter and that the end of its tail, decorated with two big horns, lashed the water into a frothy foam as the creature dove beneath the waves.

Lake Michigan

During one winter in the late 1990s, Kim, thirtysomething, was riding on a bus near Grant Park in Milwaukee when a movement in Lake Michigan caught her eye. Weaving in and out of broken chunks of ice was a dark object resembling the submerged roof of a Volkswagen Beetle. Kim immediately signaled for the bus to stop. She got off and, despite wearing a skirt and inappropriate shoes, went running through the snow to the water's edge to get a better look. The object appeared to be feeding as it moved farther out from shore.

Lake Monona

In June 1897, Eugene Heath of the Garr-Scott Company fired two rifle shots at a twenty-foot serpent plying the waters of Lake Monona, near Madison. The marine monster may have been responsible for swallowing a swimming dog a few days earlier.

Lake Waubesa

An Illinois resident who went rowing on Lake Waubesa in the 1920s claimed to have seen a serpent "sixty-seventy feet in length and of a dark green color" apparently sunning itself on the surface of the lake. In the same period, a couple swimming off Waubesa Beach were terrified when a creature with glittering eyes surfaced near them.

Lake Kegonsa

A "dragon" was frequently sighted during the 1920s in the waters of Lake Kegonsa, off both Colladay and Williamson points. Unlike the mild-mannered Bozho, this habitué of the deep was characterized as vengeful and destructive.

Pewaukee Lake

In the 1890s, a "huge green thing traveling like a gray streak" and "spouting water" was frequently reported near the resort hotels that at the time dotted the shores of Waukesha County's Pewaukee Lake. One man claimed he'd tried to spear the green leviathan, but his "weapon bounded back as though it had struck a rock or iron plate."

Red Cedar Lake

The famous sea serpent of Red Cedar Lake in Jefferson County was first seen by fishermen in 1891. One witness said it had a "very large head with protuberances like saw teeth on its back." It was fifty feet long.

Rock Lake

Not to be outdone by other Wisconsin lakes, Rock Lake in Jefferson County is the lair of a monster named Rocky. Although he became more benign with age, Rocky started his career much like the vengeful dragon of Lake Kegonsa. It was August 1882 that rowboat racers Ed McKenzie and D. W. Seybert spied what they thought was a floating log. However, as they approached the "log," it suddenly "manifested life," thrusting its "head about three feet out of the water" and opening "it's huge jaws about a foot or more" before diving out of sight. McKenzie screamed in terror as the creature resurfaced near his boat. Seybert yelled, "Strike him with the oar!" But McKenzie, terrified out of his wits, called in desperation to the group onshore. A Captain Wilson, shotgun at the ready, came to the rescue, but by then the monster had vanished, leaving the air "heavy with a most sickening odor."

That was not to be Rocky's only sortie. Passing boaters reported being hissed at by the monster form the rushes near the shore.

[hollowgirl136]

In the spirit of Halloween, I thought it would be fun to post an old AU that I was inspired to make before S3 aired based off the ragtag group that is the Coven Heads.

So before Thanks to Them aired, I got the wildest thought on a possible "What If" about the fate of the Coven Heads with The Collector being freed. Long story short, thought it would be a cruel twist of fate if they ended up cursed like Eda because The Collector, going to call them T.C. for now, wanted to make them more "fun" for the "Owl House" game.

Essential, when the kids came back they ended up going to Eda place and are ambushed by a fully Cursed Raine which. After Luz finds one of Eda potions still hidden in the house, Raine tells them what happened while they were gone. One resolution battle later with T.C. and Belos, it's now up to the kids to find the other heads and change them back cause, per Eda, no one deserves to lived trapped in their own bodies.

Half a season worth of adventures later to find and revert the heads back to their original forms, with no cure for being cursed discovered yet despite T.C. powers, Eda and Lilith takes it upon themselves to teach them how to lived their new lives.

Some rough sketches of what their "hybrid" forms look like once they harmonized with their curse beasts.

Additional details under the cut.

Raine curse beast is a "vampire" bat and the kids find them in Eda place cause they sought out a place of safety after transforming. Their compromise with the beast is to drink blood every so often, much to their disgust. Is granted night vision and flight when in hybrid form.

Darius curse beast is a kraken and the kids find them in the sea. Refused to fight Hunter, so the kids used that to their advantage to defeat them. Their compromise with the beast is to do long soaks in sea water, to his annoyance cause "sea water is horrible for his skin". Is granted the ability to breath under water and a octopus ability to squeeze into small places.

Eberwolf curse beast is a manticore and was found near Darius cause, despite being lost in their own mind they still sought out their friend/brother. Was the fastest to compromise with their curse cause they didn't mind eating raw meat. Is granted a prehensile "leech tail, alongside increased strength and speed in their hybrid form.

Adrian curse beast is a spynx and the kids find him in an abandoned theater/castle since some part of him still wanted to be near civilization. The only head who has a beast who the kids can understand in full curse form. Takes the longest to compromise with their beast cause they both have massive ego's, and the fact that Adrian does not want to read a whole philosopher book or eat rats. Is granted flight and increased cat like reflexes.

Terra curse beast is a giant snake, and the kids find her in an overgrown forest caused by her magic still being "active". Her compromise with the beast is to eat live animals and daily sunbathing. Her hybrid form turns her into a Lamia similar to a boa constrictor.

Vitimir curse beast is a mosquito/dragon hybrid and is found buzzing around a cliff face where Hettie curse form also resided. Their compromised with their cursed beast is to drink blood. Their hybrid form grants them flight, a needle tongue, and the ability to store liquids in a "throat sack" that they then can use to spray people with boiling/noxious liquids.

Hettie curse beast is a minotaur and is found in a cave on a cliff. Her compromised involved her eating raw meat. Her hybrid form grants her increase strength and improved sense of hearing and smell.

Mason curse beast is a lava golem and is found in a basin where they were literally melting the surrounding area where they walked. Matt and Steve have to help turn him back to normal. His compromise with his beast is to eat rocks/stones and sunbathing. His hybrid forms allows him to manipulate heat and create magma from the rocks he consumes.

Osran curse beast form is a giant spider and is found deep in a cave. His compromised with his beasts involves eating insects. His hybrid forms grants extra mobility, armor like chitin, web making from his snot (much to his chagrin), and improved night vision.

[madcatdaderpydrawer-blog]

In honor of it being mermay and me having nothing else to do I decided to make my oc Peter but as a mer. He’s a sea snake with a pet sea urchin that he keeps on his head like a hat. He’s a collector and likes to craft things out of the colorful natural materials under the water.

[kinghijinx22]

Thoughts on the Owl House- For the Future SPOILERS

So I have a lot of thoughts on the new Owl House episode For the Future. I watched the early leak because I hate waiting and I really liked it. More than Thanks to Them which was already good but it had its faults and I’ll also explain what I think For the Future did better. 

I suppose I'll just say it now, but this episode does a better job at giving screen time and importance to more characters. Thanks to Them was pretty much just about Luz and Hunter and also giving some welcome development to Camilla, but everybody else in that episode felt very side-lined and unimportant. And this especially sucked as someone who really doesn't like Hunter. Because Dana and the crew unfortunately like to side-line the show’s queer and poc main cast to focus on their favourite generic cishet white boy Hunter. Even in a show that promised to give the spotlight to severely underrepresented minorities we have to pander to the privileged majority. For the Future more evenly distributes its screen time to a lot more characters which I prefer.

Willow finally got some much needed screentime and development which was nice to see because despite being on the main crew, she had easily become the most irrelevant of them by the end of season 2 which was a shame because she's a really likable character with a lot of potential. It's nice that she finally got something, with her having to overcome her own insecurities. Although even then she had to be rescued by Hunter, because of course we had to give Hunter something but at least Willow felt like she had something of her own going on instead of just being Hunter’s love interest like she was throughout season 2 and in the last episode. 

Our protagonist Luz, who just continues to be such a lovable and VERY relatable character comes to a really satisfying conclusion to her development which was represented by her Palisman egg finally hatching. Also her Palisman was revealed to be A SNAKE LIKE I SAID IT WOULD BE, although to be fair by the last episode they were practically screaming at you that it would be snake. It's the most emotional scene in the episode, with Luz coming to the self-realisation that the thing that she always wanted the most was to be understood, and with that her Palisman also realises what she wants to be. A Snake named Stringbean. Very cute. I feel like Luz is now on a good path after how beaten down she had become throughout season 2, with Camilla now fully understanding and accepting her daughter, and Luz understanding that she is being understood. I know that as a queer person who had to come out to my family and didn’t get the best reception, being different and wanting to be understood is very relatable to me and I’m sure many of the people who are watching the Owl House. 

This is also why I firmly believe that Luz will stay in the Boiling Isles. She was planning on staying in the human realm because she thought it’s what she had to do and was even going to tell her girlfriend Amity this which would have been absolutely heart breaking. Although by the end of the episode I think Camilla was able to convince her to the right thing, which is to do what makes her happy. This show since the very beginning has been about loving yourself and finding the people who appreciate who you are and not conforming to what other people think you should be. Separating Luz from the Boiling Isles, her loving girlfriend, her close friends and her found Owl family would go against the entire message of this show which is why I’m confident she will stay in the Demon Realm. 

Something else I predicted was the Collector taking over most of the Boiling Isles and turning them into puppets to play games. I said this would happen a long time ago, thanks to “seething seas and puppet strings” line from the season 2 secret message. We get to see what happened to everyone else who was left, like Eda and Lilith who are in hiding, King who is playing along with being Collectors friend and the Hexside students who are hiding out at the school and have developed their own little system and hierarchy. Speaking of which while I predicted some big things, there were many pleasant surprises like certain characters being more important and getting more screen time than I thought they would even beyond the main crew. Like I REALLY didn't expect school bully Bosha to temporarily play more of an antagonist role, especially after she was irrelevant for the entirety of season 2 thanks to the raise in stakes. Former bully turned Gus's friend Mat also getting some screen time was nice too. They really do a good job and giving development to a bunch of the school kids. 

Amity got some interesting interactions with Bosha which showed how far she's come since meeting Luz and from when she and Bosha hung out. It was an unexpected follow up but a welcome one. And speaking of Amity, there of course was some adorable Luz and Amity moments which is always nice to see because they continue to be just the best couple. Amity coming to Luz’s side to comfort her while she was missing her Owl family and kissing her on the head was such a nice and tender moment. I also have to say that Amity’s reunion with her siblings Emira and Ederic was also sweet and got the moment it deserved. 

Luz and gang’s fight against Kikimora and her big robot was really good, and seeing Camilla actually help by making a glyph of her own and throwing the baseball bat was pretty cool to see. Daughter and mother finally fighting side by side. While I said that Bosha played the antagonist, it was more because of Kikimora’s manipulation of her while she was emotional from having lost her Grudgby team, the few people who were still on her side. This manipulation is eventually seen through however, and Bosha along with the rest of the students hold off Kikimora while our main crew makes the teleportation spell to get to the Collector at their own Owl House they created above the Titan’s skull. 

I think now is a good time to say that there really wasn’t a big moment where the animation popped off like what happened during the big fight scene in the last episode, and like what the Owl House is kind of famous for at this point. Not really a big complaint, just something I noticed. Although something else I noticed was that I think this episode might have the most reused music I’ve ever heard in an Owl House episode. They reuse the Collector’s theme during one of their scenes, Steve’s guitar riff when Matt shows up I guess to make the brother connection, and most notably the Amity vs Hunter song from Eclipse Lake is used while Luz is flying on her Palisman for the first time, and the gang is drawing the teleportation spell. Again, this isn’t a major a complaint but between the lack of big animation shift and the reused music I can’t help but suspect a lack of budget while making this episode. The presentation is generally good as it usually is with the Owl House, but there weren’t any special touches that the more important Owl House episodes usually get, and none of the music was particularly memorable beyond the tracks they reused which is a shame.

I suppose now I’ll finally talk about Belos. Belos needed a new body because his monster one was falling apart and he ends up taking over Raine who was already taken over by the Collector and is manipulating the Collector without them knowing it's Belos. Don’t think I don’t notice the irony in Raine being the one who gets possessed. After they spent the second half of season 2 pretending to be controlled by Terra, now they are actually being controlled not only the Collector but then Belos. I was very much on board with the theory that Belos might possess the corpse of the Titan, thought it would happen by the end of this episode but I can still see it maybe happening in the next. Although Belos is honestly the most unpredictable factor right now, as I thought we were going to get rid of him in the last episode to focus on the Collector being the main antagonist for the rest of the show. We’ll see were the show goes with him. 

All the pieces are put into place for a final showdown by the end of the episode, with the main kids about to confront the Collector and I'm really excited to see how that turns out in the last Owl House episode, presumably titled Watching and Dreaming according to the leaks. All around this was a great episode that confirmed some of my big theories while also having some pleasant surprises and improving on the couple problems I had with the last episode. I’ll give it a score of 9/10.

Edit- WAIT I FORGOT SOMETHING. So Lilith points out that Titan magic cancels out the Collector’s magic, which is why the Collector’s people killed the rest of the Titan’s. I guess because they felt “threatened”, an excuse that fascists will often use to genocide innocent groups. I thought the Collector might have done it themself, but I’m pretty sure they specifically state the Collector’s “people” as in the species of star people that the Collector is. All very interesting information and explains how they are going to defeat the Collector. King will clearly play a big role, either with his magic, his “Talk No Jutsu” that he learned from Luz considering he seems to want to solve things peacefully, or both. Although I’d personally kick that little shit like a football after all the suffering he’s caused. I don’t care if they are a child who wants to play, there’ s a difference between drawing on the walls and literally controlling people against their will, tearing the world apart and separating people who care about each other. Think about how much Willow, Gus and Amity suffered from being separated from their families. 

I also just want to comment on Lilith’s new orange hair, which looks good and it’s nice to see her getting a hair cut and growing it orange again like when she was young. Throughout season 2 Lilith started to look more and more like her old self with the return of her glasses and the curling of her hair, which I interpreted as symbolism as her returning to her routes as she reconciled with her sister and reconnected with her parents. So it’s cool to see that continued here. 

[behind-the-veil-of-sanity]

Tagged by @the-hollow-quiet for a Tag Game: Shuffle your library, list 10 songs, and tag 10 people. Shuffle your library? *throws collection of C90s into empty box* *shakes said box for 30 seconds, then empties box on floor* List 10 songs? *closes eyes and picks 10 random cassettes from the very dirty floor. Attempts to decipher the song lists and pick random songs* 1. Dio - Don’t Talk to Strangers 2. Monty Python - Sit on my Face 3. Richie Blackmore’s Rainbow - Snake Charmer 4. Whitesnake - Belgian Tom’s Hat Trick 5. Thin Lizzy - Sarah 6. Dire Straits - Lady Writer 7. Midnight Oil - Section 5 (Bus to Bondi) 8. Led Zeppelin- Four Sticks 9. Hunters & Collectors - Watcher 10. Cold Chisel - Northbound Tag 10 people? …😈 @randomlyjay @fakesurprise @caffeinatedcharlie @realsurprise @anjo-by-the-sea @oneweve525 @slouch-tells-all

[palabrasdoradas]

Discovered in the sarcophagus of Emperor Alexander Severus near Rome in 1582, the vase passed through the Barberini family, British ambassador Sir William Hamilton, and finally to the 2nd & 3rd Dukes of Portland who gave it to the British Museum. Author Thomas Windus (1778-1854), an English coachbuilder and collector of engraved gems, explores the iconography on the vase depicting Augustus, his family, and his rivals, as well as marine creatures such as sea snakes, and a marriage scene. This is an early and important study of this rare masterpiece of Roman glass.  

Source: A New Elucidation of the Subjects on the Celebrated Portland Vase (si.edu)

The scenes on the vase are divided into two parts by a bearded head (perhaps with horns), one under each handle. The first scene has four figures which include a young man leaving a shrine in the countryside and wearing a cloak. The man holds the arm of a semi-naked woman sitting on the ground preoccupied with stroking an animal resembling a snake. Above the woman is the flying figure of Eros with his customary bow and a torch in his right hand. On the right is a bearded male standing between two trees and depicted in a contemplative mood with his chin resting on his hand.

The second scene on the other side of the vase shows three figures all sitting on rocks with a background of a single tree. On the left is a young male next to a column or pillar, whilst in the centre is a young woman with her arm raised to her head and holding a torch which hangs down to the ground. On the far right is another half-dressed woman who holds a sceptre or staff in her left hand.

The exact significance of the scenes is not known for certain, but a commonly held speculation is that it is the wedding of Thetis and Peleus from Greek mythology that is being shown. Other interpretations include the dreams of Olympias, Alexander the Great's mother. This would make the reclining female figures in both scenes Olympias, the snake Alexander's father Zeus, and the young male leaving the temple as Alexander. Another interpretation is the similar story of Julia Mammaea and Roman emperor Alexander Severus. Finally, some have suggested the scene with Eros shows Mark Antony and Cleopatra, whilst the reverse scene has Augustus consoling Octavia with the goddess Venus looking on.

Source: The Portland Vase - World History Encyclopedia

Glass cameo vase, Roman, 1st century AD

from The British Museum

[kopathefox]

Caramelldansen (ft. My OCs)

Characters are:

Shiba (the blue & blonde sea-creature looking-something ahh)

Ringlet (the winged green snake)

Caramel (the orange-ish winged snake)

Explain time:

Today i watched flightrising animations (yes, im in a flightrising mood again) & then saw a video of the Arcanist laying on the floor, the title was something about the Arcanist being sleepy, i don’t remember exactly, but then i heard a music, a recognisable music, it was the caramelldansen music, i know its an old animation meme, but you know me, i have the taste of a old guy rather than a taste of an actual 13-18 years old (yeah, you can take a guess but I wont tell you my age, maybe when i will actually be 18 i will, who knows), so because of my current flightrising mood i decided to animate 2 new characters, Ringlet the Ringlet Amphithere & Caramal (I dont remember what kind of a amphithere he is), they just dancing a cool dance :p and DJ Shiba in the background :p

Also, fun fact: in flightrising i have currently 122 familiars, yeah, im a collector :p

[mad4toysuk]

Add to Your Collection with the Corlys Velaryon Funko Pop Vinyl Figure

For fans of the hit series House of the Dragon, collecting memorabilia is a way to keep the excitement of the show alive. One of the most captivating characters, Corlys Velaryon, is now immortalized in a unique and detailed Funko Pop Vinyl Figure. Available exclusively at Mad4Toys, this figure is a must-have for any collector or fan of the series.

Why Choose the Corlys Velaryon Funko Pop Vinyl Figure?

The Corlys Velaryon Funko Pop Vinyl Figure is not just a piece of plastic; it’s a meticulously designed collectible that captures the essence of this iconic character. Here are a few reasons why you should add this figure to your collection:

Detailed Design: Funko has paid incredible attention to detail, from Corlys’s signature look to his regal attire, making this figure a true representation of the character.

High-Quality Material: Made from durable vinyl, this figure is built to last, ensuring that it remains a centerpiece of your collection for years to come.

Perfect for Display: Standing at approximately 3.75 inches tall, it’s the perfect size for display on your desk, shelf, or in a dedicated collection case.

The Significance of Corlys Velaryon

Corlys Velaryon, also known as the Sea Snake, is a pivotal character in House of the Dragon. As the Lord of the Tides and head of House Velaryon, his maritime prowess and political acumen make him a fascinating figure. This Funko Pop Vinyl Figure captures his strength and charisma, making it a great addition for fans who admire his character.

Why Buy from Mad4Toys?

Mad4Toys is your go-to source for authentic, high-quality collectibles. When you purchase the Corlys Velaryon Funko Pop Vinyl Figure from us, you can expect:

Authenticity: We guarantee that every product we sell is genuine and officially licensed.

Fast Shipping: With our efficient shipping process, you’ll receive your figure quickly, ready to join your collection.

Customer Satisfaction: Our dedicated customer service team is always here to assist you with any questions or concerns.

Perfect Gift for Fans

If you’re looking for a unique gift for a House of the Dragon fan, the Corlys Velaryon Funko Pop Vinyl Figure is an excellent choice. It’s a thoughtful present that any fan will appreciate and cherish.

The Corlys Velaryon Funko Pop Vinyl Figure is more than just a collectible; it’s a piece of House of the Dragon that you can bring into your home. Its detailed design and high-quality construction make it a standout piece in any collection. Don’t miss out on owning this fantastic figure—visit Mad4Toys and add it to your collection today!

[tindogpodcast]

TDP 1251: 13A. Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor Adventures Series 13: Storm of the Sea Devils review

review

  This title was released in March 2024. It will be exclusively available to buy from the Big Finish website until 30 April 2024, and on general sale after this date.

13.1 Storm of the Sea Devils by David K Barnes (4 parts) Surgeon Lieutenant Harry Sullivan is supposed to be on holiday. But his arrival in Calcutta is intercepted by someone from the local branch of UNIT - a staff member called Naomi Cross.

A businessman in the area has mysteriously cancelled the opening of his new hotel... and local villagers have reported sightings of 'devils' in the swamps. Devils that look very familiar from the UNIT files...

The businessman requires medical aid so UNIT have decided to send him a doctor. Unfortunately, when Harry and Naomi arrive on site they find a different Doctor has got there ahead of them... And that's just the start of their troubles.

13.2 Worlds Beyond by Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky (2 parts) The Doctor, Harry and Naomi have arrived on a luxury resort world where custom-made holidays are provided for every visitor. Their minds are scanned and their ideal getaway is planned.

Naomi gets an activity break by the sea, Harry explores a crumbling ruin and the Doctor ends up playing chess with Alan Turing.

All seems idyllic... but every paradise must have a snake... mustn't it?

**Please note: the collector’s edition CD box set is strictly limited to 1,500 copies**

A new Tin Dog Podcast

[followthebluebell]

Sea snakes are also really, REALLY good at escaping, just like land snakes are.  And, much like land snakes, they can also move on land.  They’re good at hiding, so keepers may THINK they’ve escaped but really they’re just in some undiscovered nook in their hiding rocks. 

Most species are also HIGHLY venomous.  Mild mannered or not, they require pretty specialized handling, even for a hot. 

These are all really scary combinations for a public aquarium, let alone a private collector. 

what is it that makes sea snakes so difficult to keep? is it an issue of needing enough space, or something about their needs, or what? (dw just curious, certainly not planning on trying to get one or anything)

Haha no worries, they're often so difficult for even aquariums to find that I'm not really worried about anyone reading this and taking it as a challenge!

The biggest thing with them is they need a lot of space. They like warm coastal water and really need miles of space to swim, hunt, and dive in to stay happy and healthy!

Their diet can be very difficult to replicate, as well. Sea snakes eat almost exclusively eels, and aquariums who keep them can get them on f/t fish but it's not an easy task and requires careful nutritional balancing to make sure they stay healthy. That's not even mentioning the genus Emydocephalus - they eat exclusively fish eggs, which is...difficult to replicate in captivity, to say the least!

They're also finicky and fragile, so their perimeters need to be on lock. Water salinity, the temperature gradient, everything needs to be just perfect. They have a lot of tricky little behaviors - such as evolving to drink fresh water from rainfall on the surface of the seawater - that you need to account for.

They're just all-around tricky to manage! It's a shame, because by all accounts, they're supposedly very mild-mannered and lovely. I'd love to work with one someday, but I'd be happy if I even got to see one in person.

[zooterchet]

Scythic Genes:

To breed Scythic, we need to find a snake you resemble, to understand you Bali-Naga.

These are the objects of some debate.

Antwerper: Cobra. Known for performing a strange gesture when not restrained.

Ferguson: Sidewinder. Thought to be witches, before the New World. (Faith Plus One, Eric Cartman; true love).

King James: California mountain snake. Bred just for Pitcairn (woolen underwear, the pipes are itchy).

Stalinists: Python. The most common snake, the Gypsy kin; rumored to have Romajin; actually living freakshows, collectors of odd genes for patents engineering (the "politburo").

Kowloonese: Boa. Gay, and child molester, are reversed, in consequence, from flipping, upside down (inventors of the diary, to read their daughter's work; a secret gateway, into a stolen bloodline).

Manchurians: Viper. Confucians; you only say, what Confucius didn't say; impossble.

Neronics: Adder. A mission assignment, from a racist Church saying (some men, just want to see the world burn).

Taiwanese: Cottonmouth. Taiwanese, are not from Taiwan.

Pharaoh: Black Mamba. Moses (Anubis), Nefertiti (Osiris), Narmer (Set); the Scots, Mighty Whitey.

Copperhead: Liberian. The origin of a new naming scheme; the Dahomeys declare, espionage is to remove doctrines, to be replaced with linguistic traditions of engineering.

Sea Serpent: Manouche. Is it Rodrigues, Rodriguez, or a secret? Any Rods, could be Pretzel Logic; but not the Peace Corps.

Anaconda: Hiawatha. The First, and Last, pilots.

[bruiisedpetals-a]

                              𝔟𝔬𝔱𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔠𝔞𝔩 𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔰                                         𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐀

asked by   :   @blossomhcir​​

lavender :   how easy is it to gain your muse’s trust ?  once their trust is broken ,   how might one go about mending it ? 

   — it is harder that anything else when it comes to tiathia... trust , for her , is akin to giving someone her life in their hands.  after all ; she is an escaped slave of yunkai , she murdered her master , she is a skin-changer of both snakes and birds , a whore and brothel debt collector. tiathia is fully aware that her past, her skillset and services are enough to have her executed.   there is no person alive who knows the truth of her past , nor anyone who knows the truth of her skin-changing abilities and her connection to her snakes , khiara and stonesnake.

   —  once you have broken trust with tiathia , you will cease to exist to her.  there has never been a case where she has been betrayed and forgiven someone , as her trust so very rarely given out.  and whilst she certainly has the ability to end the life of someone who would treat her so or disrespect her si , tiathia doesn’t believe in that kind of killing ; she has only done that when the severity of the betrayal has been deserving of that kind of justice.

hollyhock :   how strong is your muse’s sense of ambition ?  what’s something they strive for in life ? 

   —  it is quite strong , but her goals have already been achieved.  in her own mind , anything she achieves from now on is a bonus for her — even a gift from her gods perhaps.  tiathia aimed to understand her abilities as a skin-changer and to control or even master them , which she has done  ( as best as possible )  — and she aimed to be free of her collar and life of a body slave ... and she has done that.   it was by the strength of her will and her faith in herself and her children  ( her snakes )  that tiathia saw her across the seas to westeros , and that inner strength sustains her to this day.

rose :   how much does your muse value other people ?   do they wish to have many friends ,   lovers ,   and/or associates ?   are they an easy person to love ?

   —   to tiathia , humans have a huge and indescribable value to her.  her time as a slave taught her this ...  but she is someone who is isolated by choice and doesn’t hold any individual people close to her.   she doesn’t have many , or any , close friends and nor does she hold a romantic love for anyone.   tiathia does have , and has had , many lovers outside of her workplace and very much enjoys the freedom of intimacy with another ... but the concept and terror of opening her heart and beyond is not one she has broached or mastered.

   —  tiathia does not consider herself an easy person to love , nor does she see herself as someone one would see out in love ; her view of herself is very distorted and broken and it does hurt her internally.  she is so scarred and damaged by her past that tiathia doesn’t envision that type of relationship eventuating for her.  because ... how can she be truly loved once she is honest?  and how can one have love without honesty?  and who would choose to lay their heart with her?

[staff]

tumblr tuesday: visions of space

52 years after two men called Neil and Edwin took a walk on the moon, MacKenzie Scott’s ex husband is not standing or sitting or swimming anywhere on this earth, but is instead hovering somewhere Above. For everyone else with your feet on the ground, here are some space-themed blogs to help you disappear into dreams of starry silence. 

@the-wolf-and-moon​​​ is a collection of art the universe makes behind the scenes while we’re all going about our dwindling days and tiny tasks. Here you can see the Cat’s Paw Nebula, otherwise known as NGC 6334. Birthplace of gigantic stars and cubic tons of trouble, probably, this finally proves who really runs all universes, known and unknown.

@startrekdesign​ grew from a personal quarantine project by a long-time Trekkie and new-time collector of design objects featured in the show. Think of it as home interiors, if ‘home’ were a big ol’ spacecraft fictitiously hurtling through time and space.

@mystarypi-astronomy​​ takes pictures of space! With a telescope! From the earth! And tells us what we’re looking at so that what at first glance looks like a black squiggle in golden glitter becomes the Snake Nebula, a whole world of knowable and unknowable worlds! Tttthhhpectacular! 

And lastly, @thevisualdon​​ is back with a spacey moment for our digital age, a neon-dreamed, glitter-pixelled nostalgia for obsolescent futures. Come on in. The sky’s the sea, and the water’s warm.