#consider whether this power animal the wolf

[starzpsychics]

The wolf power totem animal

You may have heard people refer to power animals as tutelary spirits, which means deity or guardian spirit, patron or protector of a specific culture, place, person, lineage, or nation.

Over your lifetime you will probably have more than one power totem animal with you, in Shamanism it is the belief that we all have tutelary spirits or power animals that empower, protect, and teach us.

Out of all the power totem animals the Wolf has one of the strongest symbolisms. Native Americans have long regarded the wolf as a teacher and pathfinder, the wolf is also thought of to find and connect to the deepest levels of self and inner knowing. Having a wolf power totem animal implies a strong connection with instincts and is thought to be an aid in understanding and perceiving the world around you.

Probably one of the best known stories surrounding the history of the wolf comes from Rome, legend has it that Romulus and Remus the two founding brothers of Rome, were raised and suckled by a she-wolf.

In astrology, the Wolf is characterized by the Dog, Sirius, believed by many Aboriginal tribes to be the home of the Ancients. They also believed that animals and humans shared the same spiritual essence between each other and that animals are attracted to us or present themselves to us during specific moments in our lives to reveal messages.

In Asia, the wolf is the guardian of the entrance to heavenly, celestial realms. It is also said that the Wolf is among the ancestry of Genghis Khan.

Wolves are very much misunderstood despite their friendly, intelligent, and social traits people still believe the wolf to be a cold bloodied killer. The Wolf has emerged noticeably right through history, with negative qualities for example as the darkness that mythical Werewolves represent.

The wolf is a symbol of the night, a time which for many can be quite scary, it is a time where we dream, during our dream time we revitalize, and re-energize, it is also a time to discover through your dream’s things about yourself.

The wolf power totem animal typically symbolizes:

Intelligence, deep connection, and expression of instincts

Appetite for freedom

Leadership and loyalty

Feelings of being threatened

Having a lack of trust in yourself and someone else

Social and Family Values

Symbol of Wildness

Communication

If you have the wolf as your totem power animal the likelihood is that he is with you to teach you about your inner strength and self-discovery. To do this you must face your deepest fears. The wolf provides extraordinary powers and endurance to help with our quest of discovery he helps you to listen to the inner voice within you. The wolf totem power animal guide whether appearing id dream or meditation may imply you are using your instincts and intuition to grasp a situation well. The fact that the wolf totem power animal guide appeared could be a call to use this capacity to deal with a recent challenge you have experienced in your life.

The wolf as your power totem animal is probably a signal that you are a great teacher or thinker. But if this is not so this wolf appears to ask you to consider if there is something perhaps you need to expand your views about. The wolf totem power animal guide therefore is asking that you be open to new concepts or ideas.

When you are open and receptive to innovative ideas you gain wisdom! Wisdom is also gained through experience as well as knowledge.

Let us look at the social order of the wolf pack; typically, this pack will have a highly ordered and structured base. The wolf will mate for life and be loyal to their mate the other adults in the pack will all help with raising the young. Even though ordered wolves remain free spirited and will go out of their way to avoid a fight a shift in posture, a growl, or a glance gets the point across without violence.

The message therefore that the wolf power totem brings you is to attempt to avoid trouble or confrontation and instead try and reason things out, be diplomatic! It also denotes the ability to make quick yet firm attachments. The wolf also wants you to trust your own instincts and reminds you that he will be there to guide you. You must regain control of your own life and restore harmony and discipline.

Although free spirited wolves are typically very social animals and are good at communicating with each other and having this power totem animal can imply the need for freedom within you, as well as the need to lead life by following your instincts. It may also imply the need to have more freedom, ask yourself if you are being to restricted or limited.

Wolf is a social animal, enjoying the company of others. Therefore, the message of the wolf power totem is that there does not need to be a hard separation between the solitary and social paths.

Therefore, when you spot a lone wolf in the wilderness it symbolizes freedom. When seen in a pack it symbolizes community. If the wolf has come into your life and appears on its own or in a pack this is a symbol to you to do the same - either take alone time or gather people around you!

This can also be implying that you may need to go it alone right now to achieve your desires and goals.

When you have the wolf power totem animal beside you it can also be a sign that there is loyalty and trust issues in your life. Quite often a wolf totem is a message that you have become too apprehensive of bonding with another or that you have trust issues.

Power totem animals the wolf may also appear as a warning to you and be speaking about your preconceived idea that someone or something is acting in a threatening manner and wants you to take time to consider why you feel this way.

If the wolf is your power totem animal, it may be implying that you feel threatened by something or someone.

For example, the wolf could represent something which feels predatory and has made you feel vulnerable – therefore the message of the wolf power totem is to look at what it is that makes you feel this way!

Wolves are not domesticated and having this power totem animal can imply a need to consider this area of your life, and what needs to be altered, it also tells you to trust your natural responses. It teaches the need to stay loyal to the pack, whilst not losing your own identity. Look also at where you are being too reliant and where you may be too self-contained.

A wolf has a high intelligence in addition to powerful instincts which is observed in their hunting tactics, habitation habits and their migration behaviours.

The Wolf is believed to be an independent explorer returning to his pack to impart what he has learned. Your message here of the power animal guide wolf is to explore the hidden paths, you may uncover new truths to share with the rest of your pack.

The message to be taken also by the power animal guide wolf is that of faithfulness, inner strength, and intuition. This power animal the wolf might be asking you to consider the role of instincts, and how you trust or mistrust your instincts and intuitive guidance.

This power animal the wolf is a path finder and is with you to give you the message to trust your instincts to lead you back onto the right path.

Consider whether this power animal the wolf is asking to look at personal boundaries, is it that you are too exposed within a situation and need to withdraw for protection? Perhaps your message is to not be so trusting of a person around you at this point.

Or consider whether this power animal the wolfis telling you that you are too closed and need to be more open, have you shut yourself off too much? It can be asking that you look at your own trust issues and wants you to look at whether you are being loyal to your own beliefs and principles. It can also be asking you to trust your own gut feelings.

Or are the people around you acting like a pack of wolves, maybe the competition is stiff?

When it comes to hunting though wolves hunt in packs, depending on perseverance and determination to to run down weak and older animals, it has been noted that wolves can run sometimes up to thirty-five miles a day in pursuit. The message of the wolf power totem therefore is of endurance and strength, teaching you to know who you are, and to develop strength and belief in what you do.

The wolf will use its howl to find pack members or to let other wolves that are not in their specific pack know their territory boundaries. If you hear a wolf howl, this may be telling you to stand your ground and defend your boundaries.

If you have the wolf as your totem power animal the likelihood is that you are intelligent and have strong instincts, if your wolf appears through meditation or the dream state your message could be either you are using your intelligence wisely at this time or you are not using it at all!

To learn more about power animal spirits’ visit: https://starzpsychics.com

[barrenclan]

PATFW: Animal Name Systems

As more non-Clan characters get introduced to the story, I’ve been having fun coming up with the naming systems for various animals. In real life there would probably be more natural variety within a whole species, but also making up little systems is fun so I don’t care. Also, as a technical note, obviously none of these names are in “English”. They’re in whatever language animals speak. So, like, Hacksaw is not literally “hacksaw”, it’s the animal word for that object. 

Cats - with the exception of warriors (who obviously have an incredibly specific naming system), cat names tend to be more loose, and can be named after many things. In general, they are shorter. House cats are also an exception, as they are named by people and so their names can be very different. Ex. Cashew, Summer, Rowan, Egret, Thrasher, Jackalope

Wolves and coyotes - like cats, wolves also have a more loose naming system. Often wolves are named after someone else, to honor them. Coyote communities are heavily linked to wolf communities, so their rules are similar. In general, they are longer. Ex. Coldbreath, Nightshade, Lucky-Foot, Antlerhorn, Ranger

Deer - deer are always named after plants. No exceptions to this. Often the plants are ones that the parents admire or enjoy. Ex. Wild Rose, Juniper, Hyssop, Maple, Lingonberry

Mountain lions - they are named after some kind of aspirational trait at birth that their parent is hoping they fulfill. Sometimes this leads to funny, ironic circumstances, but usually the kitten is shaped by their name and strives to embody it. Ex. Ferocity, Swiftness, Cunning, Power, Caution

Porcupines - for the first year of their life, porcupine kits are named after the order in which their mother gave birth to them. Ex. First, Second, Third, etc. When the porcupine has come of age, they are given their adult name. These names are short and functional, usually no more than four letters. Ex. Mud, Snap, Snow, Blue

Falcons - chicks are never given names by their parents, and are generally treated as indistinguishable when young. Once they leave the nest, falcons name themselves whatever they like. Frequently these names are inspired by human artifacts, as falcons (and many other bird cultures, as well as raccoons) value their liminal relationship to humans. Ex. Hacksaw, Highway, Black-Wing, Perils, Artemis

Bears - at birth, bears are given short, silly names, meant to be inconsequential. Ex. Fuzz, Seed, Bug, Baby. When they come of age, they are given an adult name by the eldest bear, whether it’s a large group or just a family. These names are structured as some kind of brag about the individual’s qualities, to impress others and display dominance. They are composed of two words in the trait separated by a hyphen. Ex. Longest-Claws, Fiercest-Roar, Strongest-Jaw, Thickest-Pelt. However, if the bear is disliked or considered weak, they can be also be called a version of this structure that is an insult. Ex. Dullest-Mind, Weakest-Strike, Softest-Heart. The greatest shame of all, though, is an adult bear forced to keep their childhood name. 

[linkemon]

Genos (selfship)

Selfship was made for Sus-Chan on Wattpad.

You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you’re interested. Other selfships can be found here.

× Being a category A hero was an everyday occurrence for you. It was hard not to hear about the exploits of Saitama and Genos at work. However, you didn't feel brave enough to initiate any attempts at contact with either of them.

× That all changed when you were reading a flyer about a great sale at the supermarket one day. The bald hero approached you and spoke to you with great interest. At first you didn't recognize him at all. It wasn't until his apprentice joined you a moment later that you realized who you were dealing with.

× Mentor arranged to meet you in a long line at the store. You were supposed to take turns but in the end he ran off somewhere because he saw a sale on rice and you stayed with Genos.

× To say he was stiff would be an understatement. Your silence didn't help. You stood there silently for a long time until a monster appeared on the horizon. There was no time to waste. You decided to help the civilians.

× Your wolf power awakens partly animal instincts in you. It also made you much bolder than in everyday life. During the fight, you complemented the cyborg perfectly. Together, you helped the city before Saitama dealt with the opponent with his fist.

× Since then, you started training together. Mainly because the bald hero was tired of his student and so he recommended that he get rid of him for a while. You considered it a valuable opportunity and that's how you spent your days together.

× The people at the agency were amazed that you were spending time together. You once overheard a conversation between Genos and another hero, who said that you always seemed cold and emotionless to him. The robot denied it in a calm voice, starting to list your advantages. You felt incredibly happy that he stood up for you.

× Since then, you've started to see him a little differently. Shortly after, you asked him out on a date. He wasn't entirely sure whether to agree. As a not so human being, he wouldn't want to give you unnecessary hope because he's not entirely sure what he feels. He likes you a lot but a future with him will certainly mean a lot of sacrifices and unusual things. However, you told him that you wanted to try it and took him out for ramen.

× Genos is new to all things when it comes to dating. You didn't have much experience either. You're starting from scratch, watching other couples, asking friends and looking for information. But that makes your relationship all the more special.

× You do a lot of everyday things together. A lot of your time is taken up by the two of you dealing with ordinary life problems. You've been paying bills together lately and Saitama suggested that you move in with them since you're there all the time anyway (he wants to squeeze rent money out of you, of course). You're actually considering it.

× You go to all the promotions and sales whether you want to or not. Collecting coupons, loyalty cards and stickers is your daily bread.

× You learn to cook. It often turns out that the food products you buy don't go together at all and then you have to improvise. You recently spat overly salted soup on a cyborg and were afraid he would short circuit.

× The loss of your parents was something that connected you and Genos very strongly. He had no problem talking about it with others but he usually just didn't consider it as useful information for others. So sharing some of your experiences from your youth related to it was refreshing for him. He believes that you understand him perfectly.

× Cyborg took you with him to one of Dr. Kuseno's check-ups. He's like a father to him and he really wanted you to meet him. You spent a nice afternoon in the old man's lab.

× Genos thinks you underestimate yourself. He encourages you to try to get into the S ranking instead of the A. He believes you deserve it more than many other people of that rank. He is very fixated on justice. He believes you embody it.

× You often put your boyfriend back together after various battles. You have instructions prepared so that you don't mess anything up. In return, he bandages your wounds.

× You're both very shy. For now, you've settled for holding hands and kissing each other on the cheek. You often do this before work right before each of you goes on patrol.

× You like quiet, shared breakfasts at sensei's house the most. The sun is just rising and Genos is preparing a meal. You join him to make sure it's edible. You secretly dream about what it would be like if he didn't stay at Saitama's house but at yours. For now, though, you're content with the fact that he wears your apron and the bowl of rice from the sale is tasty...

[ecargmura]

Wonderful Precure Episode 7 Review - Friend Liberale

This was a nice way to conclude Komugi’s struggles over her argument with Iroha and what being a Precure truly means for her. In a way, she takes a step forward into becoming a human. I really like how this episode was written!

Komugi’s troubles are consulted by Satoru, who continues to be the best character in the show. Satoru asks her important questions like what why she became a Precure and why she got upset in the first place. In the previous episode, I did say that the reason Komugi was unable to use the Friendly Wand was because she mainly became a Precure for selfish reason—to be with Iroha. Komugi actually realizes this in this episode as she knows that Iroha’s reasons to become Friendy is because she’s someone who chooses selflessness above her own wants. She learns that if she wants to be with Iroha, she needs to put others before herself and that’s how she manages to activate the Friendly Wand!

The part where Komugi and Daifuku talk is super adorable. Daifuku doesn’t make much noise, but Komugi is able to understand him. I do like how Satoru isn’t shocked that Komugi’s eating grass, but he’s more shocked that she’s able to understand his rabbit and even wants to know what he’s saying and what his feelings for him are. Daifuku’s a bit grumpy-looking expression wise, but his tone seems very hard-boiled, which is how Komugi worded it. Also, she tells Satoru that Daifuku considers him a ‘mabudachi’ which is like a ‘true friend’ or a ‘real one’. This causes Satoru to blush when looking at Daifuku because this is his own confirmation that his rabbit loves him dearly. I’m delusional as heck, but this is definitely foreshadowing Daifuku becoming a Precure. He has to become one! It’s a must!

In Iroha’s side, she gets comforted by Mayu who bravely comes to the Inukai house to deliver a thank-you present to Iroha; she made her a harness shirt that Komugi can wear on walks. Iroha notices the numerous amounts of scratches on her arms. Mayu says that Yuki has a tendency to scratch her and even if she does so, she will always find her adorable. I think this is the sort of comfort Iroha needed. Iroha doesn’t hate Komugi, but needs to know that even if Komugi has bad qualities, she needs to learn to accept them.

The fight with the GaruGaru has more depth this time around! It’s revealed that there’s a source behind the GaruGarus as there’s a mastermind. It seems to be a wolf voiced by Takeo Otsuka. Whether he is a minion or a boss is yet to be determined, but it’s cool how they managed to cast another rising star for a big franchise. There’s also a bit more self-defense involved as Friendy is using her hands more for this fight than she did before. I thought that Kirarin animals was one per user, but that’s not the case as both Friendy and Wonderful used the Penguin’s power. The Friend Liberale looks nice too!

It feels like a closure of one arc and now onto a new arc with the gang going to school now. Mayu might become a Precure soon alongside Yuki, but who would become one first? I do wonder how Komugi is going to cope with Iroha going to school. Will the separation anxiety kick in or will she go to school with her as she can change into a human. Can she even comprehend the curriculum? What are your thoughts on this episode?

[applesjuice]

Oh! I'm curious to know how the Legendaries are acting in your Akari/Kiki project!

Are they more "Thoust art but a mortal, yet braveth enough for I to seek your company" or more "Hey, I know u a mortal and don't live long but u kinda cool, mind if I chill with you for the rest of your life bro?"

These tought just kinda poped in my mind hehehe xD

I actually had to think about this for a while and I made some notes to help me going forward LOL. So the Legendaries in Hisui are worshiped, like Palkia and Dialga and are treated like gods but the clans. But ultimately they are Pokemon. So I think what makes them differ besides from the GRAND COSMIC POWER from say, the average Pikachu, would be their intelligence, or their cognitive ability to interact and communicate with people. Like, most if not all pokemon can, but Legendaries in particular would operate more like kami. They understand human language and can respond in some way or even speak it.

Sort of like say, Princess Mononoke, where the older gods like Moro the wolf can speak but the newer generations are like more intelligent animals who have lost their ability to do so. That's how Legendaries operate in my AU. They're gods in the sense that they are ancient, powerful beings but can form human connections if they want to. Most don't, but Palkia and Dialga in particular are very fond of the clans since they literally worship them.

I think the Lake Trio would make more appearances because they don't generally live on a whole different plane of existence. They would be very skittish but also curious about people. But their powers can hurt humans if they're not careful and they aren't very careful. They just cannot really comprehend humans are squishy.

Post PLA Palkia and Dialga I think would pop in on the fringes to check on their worshipers, kind of like seeing bigfoot in the distance every time you have a bbq. They would only actually go out of their way to interact with those who have earned their respect, so essentially the Clan Leaders every so often, or Akari. There's lots of reverence from the clans so it's more of a "how art mine believers faring these days" sort of interaction a few times a generation since they have zero concept of time. While with Akari, who treats them like strong pokemon rather than gods because Akari is technically a modern trainer, they would visit more often because they are more curious about them.

They're kind of like stray cats that just wander in whenever to check on their human and possibly bug them for treats. I'd also like to think that come the future since worship of Palkia and Dialga isn't as in your face as Arceus, Palkia would actually take an interest in Ingo since he is technically a member of the old Pearl Clan. So as a Warden he's something like a priest to Palkia. Ingo would need to discuss with his brother whether or not Palkia is allowed on the subway.

But long story short Legendaries play favorites, especially with their "champions" (protagonists of that particular game) and Akari is no exception. Only thing is there's a bit of a pissing match going on between Arceus, Palkia, Dialga and Giritina for their attention post PLA. Arceus will sometimes call or FaceTime them on the arc phone because why can't god face time their favorite little guy? Palkia and Dialga will actually visit sometimes. And i think I mentioned this before but I like to believe post PLA Akari would erect a tiny shrine for Giritina since the clans have little in home shrines for their particular deity and they felt bad that Giritina was being left out. Because of this Kieran is essentially blessed by satan.

Also the legendaries are not used in battle here. As funny as it is to see Arceus use like, perish song or something in a battle, unless they are fighting eachother (other legendaries) it's considered disrespectful in the AU to even consider doing that. Pokemon world religions or whatever. It would be like sending Jesus into a cage match people would lose their minds.

Also in case anyone is wondering yes Palkia and Dialga would absolutely pop into the BB Academy Terrarium for funsies were Akari to go back to school. They would have cryptid status.

[cozycryptidcorner]

Monster Match for @zestymoo

I'm 5'3", ace, middle aged and feeling a lot of grumpiness these days. I always try to maintain a cheerful and friendly outlook though (not always possible considering how people drive nowadays! *old lady yells at clouds*). I do enjoy non-sexual intimacies like hugs, cuddling, etc, though not a big fan of smooches. I can be a bit on the clumsy side, but it just gives me funny stories to tell. People tell me I have a good sense of humor, and I'm not above the gallows variety. I enjoy writing letters with my fountain pens, knitting, recently picked up crochet, watching classic films, and listening to all sorts of music. I really love music. I have an elderly cat named Yoshi, who the vet says is in very good health for being almost 17 years old, and I will absolutely choose her over any person in my life (she deserves all the good things even if she scares me with all the leaping about she still does at this age!). I am claustrophobic and have an irrational fear of zombies and zombie-like creatures.

He’s an enormously tall individual, ripped to the nines, with ears stretched from gauges he’s long since put away. His eyes are a light, honey-like brown, catching hints of amber in the sunlight, and when he smiles, and his fangs gleam slightly behind his lips. His hair is a mousy brown, somehow simultaneously shaggy and well-brushed, usually in a low bun when working. Despite his size, grizzly beard, and tattoos covering every conceivable inch of available skin besides his face, his presence doesn’t ever seem threatening at all. Well, maybe only to you, because most shady-looking folks will steer clear of him. 

He’s a ranger for a nearby nature reserve, and is well-respected by the locals. In fact, there’s a group of elderly women who cannot get enough of him, and he usually sits with them on Tuesday mornings while taking breakfast in a beat-up diner. The waitresses have his order memorized, and he’s a good tipper, so they’ll usually have his food made before he even walks through the door. 

When he isn’t out clearing trails and checking up on shelter cabins, he’s guiding biology undergrads through tours. There's a program with a few relatively nearby universities where their students will spend a few weeks in the reserve, taking samples and going through data as field training. Despite his outwardly gruff demeanor, he really enjoys the teacher-esque role of herding about 30 students through the forest. 

Despite his more nurturing side, he is more than capable of laying down the law with folks who are harming the forest or others, and as a ranger, he has come across dangerous individuals lurking in the trees. Normally, it’s just some wayward drug users who need help, but occasionally he finds himself face to face with a beast that poses a threat to everyone in the park. 

Luckily for everyone, he has a preference for using words to de-escalate situations. If that doesn’t work (which it usually does, he’s very charismatic when he wants to be), he can make himself to be a bigger, more vicious beast than most. While he can transform into his wolf form at any time, he is far more powerful at night, and much more when closer to the full moon. During the full moon, he cannot retain his human body, and must transform whether he wants to or not. When he was younger, he didn’t have as good a handle on his animal side, but as he got older, he tempered himself better. He can retain most of the night’s activities, save for a few memory gaps that most people will get after a night out. 

His wolf form is as large and intimidating as his human form, about the size of a lion, silver fur, and bright orange eyes. All the same, he’s more of a giant teddy bear than a carnivorous predator. Usually during the full moon, he’s content to lounge around and stretch. He is no better than a lapdog in that aspect, he would crawl into your lap if he fit. You never worry about your safety when you’re with him, wolf form or not, and you’d say he’d never hurt a fly… but he would hurt any invasive bugs that threaten his bees. 

He’s a hobby beekeeper, hosting hives of local bees native to the area. These bees don’t make a surplus of honey to harvest, he just likes the act of keeping bees, nurturing the local ecosystem that’s still recovering from unsafe lumbering a couple dozen years ago. He is, as previously said, more protective of his bees than anything else. Bee-killing wasps and parasites don’t stand a chance against him, especially with the little crossbow he made. 

Now, he doesn’t want to go after the wasp hive, because they’re good for the ecosystem as well. But he doesn’t want those wasps anywhere near his bees, and you don’t blame him. The bees are good to kill the wasps when detected, but that ends with unnecessary bee casualties, and he will mourn each fallen soldier dead by wasp sting. So on days where the weather is hot and the wasps are out, he will sit outside on the porch with an ice-cold beer and snipe the brutish invaders with a toothpick, launched from a crossbow made of office rubberbands and other toothpicks. His eye site isn’t the best, but his sense of hearing and smell are unparalleled. 

He might not be the smartest dog out there, but he does care a lot about his people, his family, his friends. He tries his best to please those he cares about, even if he seems gruff in the face of romance. Really, he just struggles with putting those kinds of emotions in words, and he is easy to render speechless. He tries to carefully think about what he says, rather than stammering out confusing sentences that make no sense. People think he’s quiet, but really, he’s just thoughtful. He wants to avoid bad communication, so he just chooses his words carefully. No flowery language. 

Everything he does for you is an attempt to please you. He didn’t fall in love with you at first sight, because love is something nurtured. Love grew in his heart from a seed, then blossomed the more you interacted. Despite cats and dogs not getting along, he seems to have taken to your cat most expeditiously, and whether or not those feelings are reciprocated are up for debate.

[besiegedhunter]

Projekt Red's arts/why she walks on walls

So, I went down another rabbit hole for Red. I'll be making more posts soon but yeah this one is what it says on the title.

It's based off of how Red's arts are depicted within Arknight's animated trailer and similarities with her Skill 2.

So there should be no spoilers but nevertheless it'll be under the cut.

So this is the trailer wherein we see Red in her full animated glory, alongside an interesting depiction of her arts which I'll post an gif of just for easier access going forwards:

I'll also post a bad gif of Red's Skill 2:

Now, on the surface there's not much too similar between these two animations besides the elements of red within.

It's mostly because of two things:

The Wolf image in her Skill 2 animation

Her skill animation is her coming down while in the animated pv she's going up

But I don't think that they're too different when you look at individual frames. What do I mean? Well, I'll show a sequence of frames, in order, from the animated pv:

As she runs a red cross appears in front of her that when close enough creates an upwards force, launching her up and creating red energy.

So then look at how her Skill 2 works:

She comes from the sky, her ability activates and there's an eruption of red energy which degrades quickly. Something which does happen in the animated pv as well:

After the initial explosion, it lingers for a bit before disappearing, like like her Skill 2 does. It's like Skill is the reverse of the Animated PV, activating an explosion on her landing instead of using it to launch herself up.

Think of it maybe like how Blaze can heat up the air in the area she's going to land after jumping out of the dropship, allowing her to cushion her fall. Red is creating this upwards force to cushion her landing. Or just to scare her enemies, which I mean she is an ambush expert.

But that's not the only connection I want to make, because this is cool and all (maybe you can imagine just how cool) but I said this answers her wall walking, right? And yes. Because of a moment that the pv hides quite well.

See when she launches herself up, she turns her body midair. Specifically so that her legs face the right wall:

And then:

There's a staticky effect and it appears like she's been pulled onto the wall.

And then she jumps from that wall to the other wall, the lightning disappears.

And it's her own strength that she uses to propel herself and is able to latch onto the side of the wall without being affected by gravity.

This is a clear showcase of her using her arts to magnetize herself to the wall.

And since both the pv and her skill 2 animation depicts her using a burst of red energy I feel confident that the pv is more accurate than initially thought.

Maybe compounded by this frame of her skill 2:

Which I would paste if I could but I exceeded the image count. Anyway, it is up above as the first frame of her Skill 2 which you can see, before the red explosion that there's a red blur following her and dark red triangles.

Now I know it's a stretch to claim this blur is the static that she uses in the pv but it is a thought as at this point she hasn't used the red explosion below her and it's not on her Skill 1.

As for the red triangles, they're appear frequently in her Skill 2 animation. Particularly at the beginning and end. And appearing before the red explosion I personally consider interesting. Like whether they're similar to the red cross in the pv.

Now, that's all I have regarding the wall walking Red exhibits and I can't post any more images. However, I want to point out the implications of this pv being canon accurate.

Specifically: Red being able to great such a powerful upwards force.

Because it's not mentioned once that this is how her arts work. Nor even that she can use arts. She literally has a "Normal" in Arts Adaptability which I believe is the worst besides the Sui Siblings' "Flawed" aka non-existent.

And personally I feel that her having the ability to create such an upwards force would be quite powerful.

Imagine how useful it would be for her to get around. She can use it to quickly ascend buildings. If she can use it horizontally and not just vertically, she can use it to dodge attacks, cover great distances quickly.

She can likely use it to do such things on her fellow operators or better yet, on her enemies. Like a Pusher Specialist without a fire hose or water canon. Able to just create a upwards force on an enemy.

I could say 'imagine the Alter possibilities' but I shan't. Just that I would love for this to be a canon ability of hers and I hope we do see it sometime in game.

And that I hope this came close to answering the question of why Red can walk on walls.

[lairofdragonagelore]

Ancient Elven codices; Fen’Harel’s mountain ruins

These mosaics are located in the Ancient elvhen mountain ruins, a place created by Fen’Harel to give shelter to slaves of the Evanuris and remove their vallaslin. His followers protected this place and taught others the truths about the Evanuris to fight them. Along the towers, there are mosaics focused on Fen’Harel, made of a material similar to Veilfire, which narrate a kind of positive “propaganda” of the Dread Wolf. As Solas says by the end of Tresspasser, they are not accurate, even though they are closer to the truth than the Dalish tales.

[Index page of Dragon Age Lore]

At the top of all the following set of mosaics appears Fen’Harel’s face, framed in a circle, with swirls behind him. We have learnt along the DA series that swirls can potentially mean “Fade” or “Fade magic” [as well as lyrium]. It seems fitting for him to represent Fade [especially if we take into consideration the Mural self-portrait, where we can see Solas as a wolf in the fade and as an elf in the waking world].

We also learnt, when people dug into the game files, that these same exact mosaics had alternative versions with different heads inside the top circle. Two of them resemble the Sun-head creature and Bull horn-head creature. The third one seems to be related to the heads of the statues found in the Brecilian Ruins in DAO, whether representing Falon’Din or Urthemiel. I personally think this shape is closer to the Archdemon Urthemiel than to Falon’Din [we see the prominent shape of three spikes].

This link to Urthemiel makes me be inclined to think that the other two heads belong to other Old Gods, but so far our exploration in Trespasser, it’s truly impossible to say what these symbols _really_ represent. We have a certain level of confirmation with the last trailer of DA:D, where we see these symbols representing the “guardians” [potentially the Old Gods for the Tevinters] of what’s hidden in the golden city. But before any analysis on this matter, there is a bigger question to answer: what are the Old Gods? The lore has been quite scarce about them. To be mere majestic animals such as high dragons seems to fall short. On the other hand, we know that Tevinter co-opted a lot of their arcane [and potentially religious] knowledge from the elvhes. Tevinters considered dragons as sacred creatures to create the idea of the Old Gods, but the elvhen had also previous, ancient divinities from which they wanted to emulate “its shape”. The elvhen codices only speak about a shape that allows flying, and due to the context surrounding the elvhen, it seems reasonable to think that they also worshipped dragons in ancient times when The Evanuris were not contemplating the possibility of becoming gods themselves. So, the link between two civilisations as worshippers of dragon-like entities is not so far reaching and I personally like it more than any comparison of the Old Gods with the Evanuris. After all, Dragon Age Franchise is the story of how the stories modify along the ages and through the civilisations that co-opt them. The “tale” of the Old Gods and what they truly are is still a mystery. 

In any case, since these extra “heads” of the murals is material discarded from the game I will not waste time trying to understand it; we should be managing the already complex narrative of the lore of DA with what we were given, or clear Dev’s notes in order to keep using our principle of Occam’s razor.  Material like this tends to mud the speculations.

Wolf Welcome

Wolf's Welcome, found at the Smoke Tower, which has an Elven Tree Statue on its top.

A wash of powerful magic carries an impression of welcome. Images flash by: elven slaves fleeing to this place in ancient times, greeted by others who then tend their wounds. Words are not so much heard as felt.

"Fen'Harel bids you welcome. Rest, knowing the Dread Wolf guards you and his people guard this valley. In this place, you are free. In trusting us, you will never be bound again."

Considerations of the codex and comments

Each mosaic of Fen’Harel carries a feeling. This one inspires welcoming.

The Dread Wolf appears once more as a protector, as it has been doing in all the ancient elvhen ruins, specially in those with Mythal.

The followers of Fen’Harel protect this valley [this reached to the point that they bounded themselves to these ruins as those purplish-spirits that Solas awoke seem to imply]

The word bound appears once more in an elvhen context, and we know what a heavy concept it implies in DA lore. This is the important detail in the text, in my opinion. In this mosaic we are hinted that the slavery of the elvhen may be related to a bound process.

The comment of the Inquisitor adds a little bit more of information:

These mosaics are made with something similar to veilfire.

This place was a refugee for elven slaves, made by Fen’Harel and his followers, so these symbols present in the towers [the Elven Tree Statue, Elven Archers, and Elven Owl statue should be related to him or The People, and not to the Evanuris [these statues annoys me the most].

Cole confirms that this place was a shelter for resting and recovering.

The design of the Mosaic

The mosaic shows a central object that can be interpreted as different things:

First, an spherical Elven Tree Statue. However the bottom of the tree seems to be connected or being one with the ground. This detail makes me suspect two potential interpretations:

One is about a pocket in the Fade, a “bubble” created from the Fade [as Raising the Sonallium shows]. DA franchise accustomed us to understand the swirls as representations of Fade magic, Lyrium, or Magic in general. These elven trees seem to represent the “source of power” that comes from Magic, that in contrast with the swirls of the mosaic, one could suspect it means “it was created by using the Fade magic” [like we see they create these spaces in the previous codex]. The way that this “bubble” is not completely disconnected from the “ground”, makes it look like a small pocket in a bigger membrane, so the nature of this place is similar to the Crossroads’. Morrigan told us that the Crossroads gave her refuge. During that time, Flemeth could not detect her, so it seems quite straightforward to interpret this mosaic as a visual representation of the nature of these “elven mountain ruins”. Here, the slaves would be isolated from the Fade, unable to be found by the Evanuris, while they recover.

My second interpretation is not too different from the previous one, but the source of power of this pocket can be interpreted differently: the fact that the tree is connected to the ground, and the Elven Tree’s branches always looked to me like ramifications of lyrium vein, it changes the interpretation to a heart of a Titan or a Titan Guardian. It makes not much sense for Titans to give shelter to slave elvhen, but it could be an interpretation meaning that these pockets in between the waking world and the Fade are created by or use the power of the Titans [which are always related to creation and reinforcement of the reality, shape, and form]. In fact, both previous interpretation can exist at the same time, since powerful magic can be done via lyrium too, so the creation of these pocket space can potentially be done with magic enhanced with lyrium.

On a side note, I cannot help but relate the symbol of the swirls inside this pocket/tree with the symbol we find in the stained glass of the Chantry, in the Maker’s heart.  The fact that in the stained glass we have a tree made of these swirls, in similar fashion to this mosaic, does not escape me. We know the Maker and Solas’ actions are strangely similar. It doesn’t seem too off for me to think that some elvhen survivor of this time spread the legend of Solas, and at some point, humans turned Solas, the elvhen rebel god, into the Maker, an entity that suited more the needs of the disconnected human groups spread all over Thedas. We know with the series of codices of “Before Andrastianism: The Forgotten Faiths, by Sister Rondwyn of Tantervale”  that humans have been developing a lot of strange sects before the Chantry established itself as a strong institution. It seemed vital to unify the human religions in order to have some resemblance of peace and control over them.

Taking into account these similarities between the Maker and Solas’ actions, I support the idea that the Myth and the Folklore that gave origin to the Maker as a religion may have been inspired by Solas himself. It may have been done by an elf, who saw the actions of Solas [or was taught to into them]. We know that once Solas created the Veil, he disappeared, since he went to slumber. Fen’Harel followers may have wanted to keep his legend alive, as the Fall of Arlathan and the invasions of Tevinter put a full stop in the elvhenan empire. As the remaining elves escaped the slavery of Tevinter, the legend may have reached human ears who turned it into a tool to unify the so fragmented Thedas with the creation of the Maker, in combination, later, with the presence of Andraste. This is how, after all, most religions in real life history are made of: pieces of previous ones, modified to suit the needs of a certain population.

We know that those who created these mosaics were followers of Solas even though Solas rejected divinity, so they portrait Solas more perfect than he truly was in the past.

Curiously, this symbol in the mosaic tree seems to have been re-interpreted by the city elves and their Vhenadahl, which is decorated with white swirls in a red background. It seems to be inspired in this concept of the swirly tree of Fen’Harel mosaic as well as in the stained glass of the Chantry. Which makes a lot of sense since as city elves, they are the synthesis of the cultural aspects of the humans and the elves/dalish.  So, in  conclusion, I’m inclined to think that the trees keep representing source of power that may come from [Fade]Magic and/or Lyrium.

The Promise of Fen'Harel

The Promise of Fen'Harel, found at the Silent tower, which is the one that has several Elven Archers around

A wash of powerful magic carries a pang of hope. Images flash by: a man in wolfskin standing with a group of freed slaves, clasping one's arm in friendship. Words aren't so much heard as felt:

"Fen'Harel has been falsely named a god, but is as mortal as any of you. He takes no divine mantle and asks that none be bestowed upon him. He leads only those who would help willingly. Let none be beholden but by choice."

Considerations of the codex and comments

This mosaic carries the feeling of hope.

It basically reinforces the idea that Fen’Harel is not a god, and was falsely turned into an Evanuris

Beside no taking divine mantle [I suppose this is the reason why Fen’Harel is a wolf instead of a dragon, he didn’t take “divine shape”] Fen’Harel only encouraged the willingly to join the rebellion [which we can suspect it may have had some frictions].

I think in this aspect we can see the grain of non-truth of this propaganda: those who read The Masked Empire know that Solas is capable of killing and removing the elements [Felassan] that will endanger what he considers the just cause. We don’t know how Felassan ended up as an agent of Fen’Harel, but clearly his perception that the city elves were “People” and should have a chance in leading the change, costed him his life. Fen’Harel did not accept such a deviant concept even though it also implied rebellion. Fen’Harel do not accept rebellion that will endanger the cause in his inner circle [which makes sense, otherwise, his organisation would have ended as a purposeless entity of chaos, like Red Jenny’s].

With Sera, he will have banter that reinforces the idea that any organisation is victim of corruption and needs constant cleaning. So the implied free will line in the mosaic may be an understatement.

Solas: Once you have the aristocracy weakened, Sera, you will have to redirect your lieutenants. Sera: Oh, this again. All right, what am I doing? Solas: Some of your forces, valuable until now, have no interests beyond creating disruption. Chaos for its own sake. They must be repositioned where they can do no harm, or removed if necessary. You replace them with organizers willing to build a new system and carry out the ugly work that must be done. Sera: What? Why? What ugly work? Solas: That is up to you. Do you wish to disrupt the nobility, secure a title? Or change the political structure entirely? Sera: None of it! I don't want any of that!

The design of the Mosaic

The mosaic shows a circle with Fen’Harel in the center, and several elves around him, yielding spears. Five spears and four elves, which implies that the Dread Wolf “fights by your side as well”.  The circle on the top with Fen’Harel’s face is connected with the other circle bellow, through an undulating pattern. Inside this undulation, at the bottom of the mosaic, we see veins and swirls, that we have always seen them as representations of the Blight, or Lyrium veins. Since these have no thorns [and the context makes no sense for a representation of the Blight], we assume they represent lyrium and/or Fade magic. The veins are inside the line that contains this Pocket, but there are also some swirls outside.

The inquisitor’s comment adds nothing to what we read in the codex. Cole  explains to us that the true motivation of Solas for all of this was truly to help. Dorian reinforces to the player what we can infer so far: Fen’Harel was a rebel against the Evanuris.

The Lies of the Evanuris

The Lies of the Evanuris, found inside the Silent tower [with archer statues around], is placed in a very dark corridor that depict the “zombie” elves and the armoured figure which have been analysed time ago in Nation Art: Elvhen.

 The mosaic gives access to a room that has a replica of the forgotten sanctuary and the three towers.

A wash of powerful magic carries a sensation of bitter fury. Images flash by: elven mages enslaving tens of thousands, making arrogant proclamations of godhood. Words are not so much heard as felt:

"The gods, our Evanuris, claim divinity, yet they are naught but mortals powerful in magic who can die as you can. In this place, we teach those who join us to unravel their lies."

Considerations of the codex and comments

This mosaic carries a feeling of bitter fury.

There is not much to say about this text. It shows that through slavery, the Evanuris could proclaim a fake godhood. It’s not clear at all if the process was similar as it is in DnD: the more followers/slaves you have, the more powerful a god becomes. We know, however, that Falon’Din went to extremes to starts wars in order to increase his worshippers, so quantity seems important. He also filled pools as big as oceans with the blood of his defiants [Solas’ words, Temple of Myhtal]. So maybe there is power in the quantity, or in the amount of blood you spill .

The Fen’Harel propaganda reinforces the concept that the Evanuris are mortals. Which is a bit confusing to me; we have been told that elves were immortal during the time when the Fade and the Waking World were one [Solas’ words at the end of Trespasser]. Solas also tells us that the Evanuris are not easily killed. We conclude with Jaws of Hakkon that this must be because spirit-like entities reborn when they die, even though they may change in the process. So claiming here that they are mortal mages… feels strange. Maybe here is the half-truth of this propaganda? The Evanuris are not gods, but they still have their ancient elvhen spirit-like nature? Or maybe I’m just being too picky with the wording and they are saying “mortals” as an antonymous of “god-like”.

Still, it seems very strange to read the word “mortal” in a pre-Veil world. Then again, as the companions and the Inquisitor speak later, maybe it’s just a tale to rebuild the confidence of the slaves and get rid of the old propaganda.

The design of the Mosaic

This mosaic is one of the most curious one of the series in my opinion, and not by chance placed in a room we can barely see due to its darkness. This has to be a mosaic with interesting lore.  First, let’s analyse what we see, and then how we can interpret it.

What we see:

It shows a creature with horns and pointy ears, chained around their waist. At the sides of the creature, there are two central branches of what looks like lyrium veins [they end in a swirl, making it look even more related to lyrium veins]. They also may look like columns. There are three drops of a blue liquid that fall from the captured creature. These drops are the only element in the mosaic made of an intense blue colour, making it an indicator, almost undeniable, that it is lyrium. Between the “horns” I see a dark circle that may or may not be relevant. The horns could potentially have an interpretation of “two spheres overlapping, one central dark one, another golden in the background.” This golden sphere comes from the head of the elf.

Regarding the branches, they are drawn in a different direction that we usually see them in the DA art: which is from the bottom spreading upwards. They appear at the bottom of mountains [or mountain-like visual], to emphasise the concept of lyrium vein [this can be seen a lot in the presentations of DAO, DAO Awakening and DA2 act presentations: Act 1, Act 2, Act 3 ]. In DAO we see more the association of the swirls with the Lyrium. In Awakening, we see veins raising from the bottom of mountains. In DA2, the veins grow from bellow [mountains or buildings] in concept art and in-game murals [like the one representing Flemeth], and in the DLC the Mark of the Assassin, we see only one vein in a different direction of what we usually see in the mountains.

It has several potential interpretations:

First interpretation: Since the direction of the branches is unusual, maybe the creature is not hanging upside down, but they are sinking into the circle that displays Fen’Harel’s face. The top of the image would be the “bottom” from where the lyrium branches grow. The body of the creature seems to be one with this circle [some lines that seem to draw the robe of the creature are fused into the circle, bringing the idea of The Horror of Hormak, where we learnt that slaves were sent to the bottoms of the mountains to be submerged into pools of a strange liquid altered with lyrium crystals, in order to produce chimeras or monstrous merges of souls. The book provides enough evidence to be quite sure that this was Evanuris’ doing, and if we combine it with the information of the codices Ancient Elven codices; Vir Dirthara and the codex of the mural of the titan: Veilfire Runes in the Deep Roads, we know that the Evanuris did something terrible underground that required them to collapse part of the Deep Roads to hide it. 

Cons of this interpretation:

It makes no sense that the “bottom of the mountain” leads to Fen’Harel’s circle.

The book of Tevinter Nights says that over the piles of brine liquid there is a lyrium crystal, not three. Those three drops of lyrium could be seen upside-down, as diamond-shape crystals, but in any case, it makes no sense that there are three of them when it’s only required one according to this book.

If the horror happening in Hormak is what truly made Solas banish the Evanuris, we also know by the Dev’s note we find in the Unknown Ruin [read “The Crossroads [DLC Trespasser]: Deep Roads; Unknown Ruin”],  that he had decided not to share what the Evanuris did to avoid future temptation from anyone else. So it seems unlikely for him to share it with his followers so they can put this secret in a big mosaic, lol.

Second interpretation: The creature hanging in this mosaic has horns. They may be interpreted as a qunari. If we see the Tevinter Mosaics, in particular “sacrifice”, we will find out that this situation looks pretty similar to the central figure in the Tevinter mosaic who is hanging upside-down. We learnt that this figure used to have horns. Gatsi says it may have been a Qunari. But the time of the elvhenan is quite more ancient than the time of Tevinter, so this creature hanging in the Fen’Harel mosaic could have been a Kossith for all what we know. Or anything else. Exactly because we keep in mind  The Horror of Hormak, this creature could have been any creature made by the elvhen using those strange merging-pools: it could have been a Qunari, a Kossith, or even a proto-darkspawn chimera. 

The darkspwan have been venerating a figure with beetle horns since DAO, so maybe there is a link there. 

We also know that there is a link of this symbol with The Architect [those weapons can be bought through the nexus golem]

One could argue that makes no sense for a proto-darkspawn to be here, but I think it’s worth considering because the dwarves [specially the shapers], unlike the surface humanoids, do not attribute the origin of darkspawn to the Sin of the Magister Sidereal [Darkspawn], but to an underground cause, potentially an original broodmother living deep into the Stone [ The Eternal Battle: Darkspawn]. So, the origin of the darkspawn could be explained through these pools from The Horror of Hormak; where a creature, equivalent to an underground broodmother concept, was born. [This concept of a corrupted, underground creature as the origin of the darkspwan is not super reliable, but it seems to have some level of certainty since it’s supported by two shapers. Even if this information is a leftover of some alterations to the truth, the concept that the origin of the darkspawn comes from below and not from a violation of the Fade remains].

Regardless the race of the victim in the mosaic, we can interpret it that the Evanuris hang this creature upside-down and make it bleed lyrium. The Tevinter Mosaic tells us that Tevinter performed this ritual in their history: qunari were left to bleed in order to cast powerful magic. Since Tevinter has an old History of co-opting elvhen knowledge, I don’t find it too out of reach to consider that the Tevinter took this ritual from the elvhen past as the foundations of their own and adapted it to their own needs [as they always do] and started to use Qunari [in case the elvhen had nothing to do with the Qunari]. In the Tevinter version, the ritual seems to need the spill of blood, while in the elvhen version, it’s lyrium.

Cons of this interpretation:

The race of the victim is not clear at all and tarnishes more than confirms all the speculations we had developed up to this point. It releases the wild conspiracy-guy board attitude I want to avoid. 

The lyrium drops makes no sense with any of the races I’ve listed.

Third interpretation:  This mosaic may represent part of the Tale that Solas told us in the Temple of Mythal - Part 2: when Falon’Din went too far killing followers, Myhtal [and apparently Fen’Harel as well if this mosaic is correct] rallied the gods to stop Falon’Din and bloodied him in his temple. So this figure is Falon’Din, bleeding.

Cons of this interpretation:

This would relate Falon’Din to a figure with horns, which seems to be incoherent with all the iconography we have found about Falon’Din [the statues of DAO].

Even more incoherent is the fact that he is bleeding lyrium. Do we know if Evanuris bleed blood? no, that’s true as well.  Flemeth doesn’t count since she is a possessed human. And even though Solas bleeds blood, it is never clear if he can be considered an Evanuris, since he “rejected the mantle of divinity”, and his massive power seems to come from an accumulative artefact [orb] and not from himself. This changes only when he absorbs Flemeth.

That tale and the text of the mosaic, in combination with its title make little sense. Falon’Din was bled in his Temple to stop him in his mass killing, not for lying. 

He doesn’t have any element of Falon’Din’s mosaic to identify him as such.

Fourth interpretation: Following an interpretation more simplistic and using the Occam’s razor to the maximum: we focus on the fact that the creature bleeds lyrium and the horns may be, in fact, two spheres overlapping. In this way, we can interpret this creature as the only one who we know, lore-wise, bleeds lyrium: a titan.  It would make sense to see the chains around its waist as a symbol of defeat, while the two branches at the sides could still be considered “veins of lyrium”, but also they can look like “columns of the earth” taking into account all the commentary I’ve already done about the direction of these veins. The titan is trapped in the depths of the mountain where the origin of the lyrium veins start.

This interpretation links this mosaic with the mural of the Titan’s Death and its codex: Veilfire Runes in the Deep Roads. We know the Evanuris mined the body of a defeated titan, and made “something else”. Whatever that “something else” entails, I don’t think Solas would reveal it to his followers, because that’s the determination we read in the Dev’s notes of the room where this mural has been painted: 

Dev’s notes: “A final eluvian is situated in a peaceful bolt-hole where Solas has painted murals. Fen’Harel was here and wanted to make sure nobody ever found what the other gods were doing. This place was the breaking point for him that turned him against the gods.” [Source: Corseque]

He wants the “something else” to remain a secret so nobody is tempted to use such power. More details in “The Crossroads [DLC Trespasser]: Deep Roads; Unknown Ruin”.

So, in short, we see this mosaic called “The Lies of the Evanuris” which explicitly says that the Evanuris are gods because they are “powerful in magic” [this is the concept that should be a lie], and when we put it in contrast with its image, it seems to imply that such power comes form Lyrium [the blood of the titans]. So, a simplistic approach to interpret this mosaic is that we are seeing the representation of mining a Titan, which is what grants them great powers.

Now, titans are of colossal size, so it’s unlikely to have them chained upside-down, but this drawing may be a representation of the process of mining their bodies through a process that will leave them helpless. But what process does it?

We know through Cole as we explore the series of posts “The Crossroads [DLC Trespasser]: Deep Roads” that the titan seems to be sleeping, unable to awake [”Songs screaming far away. It wants to wake up but can't remember how. No one should be here”], and we can assume it may have been caused through some procedure that the elves did onto it. After all, we know via the Ancient Elven codices: Vir Dirthara, that titans were active before the war against the elves, and put in danger their fluid civilisation. For the elvhenan was vital to force the Titans to stay “quiet”. Probably when they discovered the power of the lyrium, they needed to keep the titans even quieter, to control the shake of the world, but also to proceed to mine them. 

 At the end of the exploration of the Deep Roads, we find dozens of coffins with elves in Uthenera [we know this because Cole says “They're all singing. Coffers, coffins, corpses that aren't dead. A song crying out in the dark”], suggesting [when we combine it with the other lines that Cole drops in the same place] that  they may be the reason why the titan sleeps. I’ve have been toying for a long while in many posts with the idea that Uthenera was not what the Dalish say it is, but a more horrifying procedure with a different objective. The Deep Roads of Tresspasser seem to suggest so, as well as codices as A Flowering Imago, explained in Ancient Elven codices; Vir Dirthara. 

Now, what annoys me of this interpretation is the visual of horns. However, the design of the mosaic suggest that these golden protuberances are not part of the head, as horns usually grow from the skull of the creature. This detail in combination with the suspicious, perfect dark circle inside, made me reconsider this image. 

What if, instead of horns, it’s two overlapped circles, one bigger than the other.  If the smallest one is not centred, it can allow the creation of a looking similar to horns. However, as it can be seen, it doesn’t look like the case. This idea is a bit useless.

Another similar possibility to consider: these murals and a lot of art in DA franchise is related to [gold] halos around heads or behind bodies. They tend to be a representation of godhood and sanctification. If we understand the “horns” as a golden sphere [or halo of supposed “divinity”] which is slowly covered by a dark sphere [orb, true source of power], one could come to see  something similar to this [this is seen in the corridor behind the statue of Mythal in the Inverted Ward]:

The orb [which seems to be related to power according to Solas’ own words in  Attack to Haven and in the end of Tresspasser, where he says the orb accumulated his power through millennia of slumber] and the Golden Ring  [which seems to be related to mental control of the creatures according to Nation Art: Elvhen], inside a bigger golden ring, which could be the “golden halo” of divinity. Maybe all these elements can be related to the vegetative state of the titans in current times. [I hate this explanation, it’s so complicated, it should not be like this!]. This process may allow the creature to be drained of its precious liquid that gives god-like powers to the Evanuris without reacting at all.

Somehow, this interpretation gives room to the second interpretation in the sense that this knowledge could have been co-opt by Tevinter at some point in the History, and emulated it with different races [even maybe finding the need to create qunaris to reproduce the potency of this elvhen ritual]

Cons of this interpretation:

Still there is a lot of speculation. A Lot for my taste.

I’m not convinced at all about the explanation of the horns. This explanation is very far from any Occam’s razor. However, bleeding lyrium is a very strong argument to relate the central creature to a titan.

The chains around the waist of the creature may be a representation of being defeated, but it seems unlikely that a Titan has pointy ears. It’s true that we have no visual reference of them, but if they are similar to dwarves [I’m assuming the trope of gods creating their children similar in image to them, of course], makes little sense to present them with long pointy ears.

There is no room to make the events of  The Horror of Hormak fit in this interpretation, if they are related. But on the other hand, we didn’t have this book when the DLC came out, so the most natural interpretation should come from the information already given in the game.

The fact that you need the presence of the orb to interpret this is questionable, specially when it is suggested in several murals and mosaics that the orbs are creations from the heart of titans. You may need to kill one titan first to create an orb and use it to control the mind of the rest. This hypothesis hides too much over-complication later.

Conclusion: I can’t have a strong, integral interpretation of this mosaic.

The Lifting of the Vallaslin

The Lifting of the Vallaslin, found at the Forgotten Sanctuary, right after the mural of the removal of the Vallaslin.

A wash of powerful magic carries an sensation of determination. Images flash by: former slaves in ranks with Fen'Harel, armed and strong. Their skin is clear; their face tattoos, the elven vallaslin, are gone. Words are not so much heard as felt.

"The brand of the Evanuris can be lifted from you, that all may know you oppose their cruelties. None here are slaves. All are under our protection. All may choose to fight."

The Inquisitor who romanced Solas adds at the fresco found before this mosaic: "That's Fen'Harel removing Dalish vallaslin? Solas said they were used to mark slaves."

Considerations of the codex and comments

The emotion it carries is determination.

The text says little extra information. The former slaves became rebels that fought by Fen’Harel’s side for their freedom.  

These elves could remove their vallaslin, so they looked like cleaned skinned elves.

Here we are repeated once more that the vallaslin is a brand of the Evanuris.

The design of the Mosaic

In the mosaic we see that the figure of Fen’Harel has rudimentary arms and hands that hold an orb [as we can see, the design of it is different to the one we wanted to interpret in the previous mosaic]. This potentially means that these orbs contain the power to remove and apply the Lyrium Vallaslin through which the elves became slaves. From it, an undulating thick line divides the elf’s face below. We have a suspicion that the elven lines of this kind are associated with slavery.

We know that the aravel are ships where they sent their elvhen slaves to the horrifying mountains where they were victims of experimentation [The Horror of Hormak] and they are decorated with these lines. The lines in the mural of the removal of the vallaslin, as well as the water from where these elves come, seem to be represented with blue undulating lines [once more, the idea of lyrium is reinforced].  Submerged in that water there is a clear elven orb. In the mural of the creation of the Veil, we find two orbs: one golden, another blue. The blue one has the undulating lines downward, which is mostly how we see them in this mosaic. This blue representation of the orb may be interpreted as a tool related to lyrium, while the golden one, I’m more inclined to think as god-related in the Evanuris sense, containing the power to produce slaves [hence the lines].

Returning to the mosaic, the Vallaslin lines on the left side of the face are in blue, meaning they were done with Lyrium. The Evanuris branded their slaves in similar fashion that Fenris was marked. This makes us suspect that, once again, Tevinter had knowledge of these ancient elvhen practices and tried to make their own versions to fulfil their “necessities”.

I don’t know if I’m seeing too much, but the removal seems to cause changes in the physiognomy of the face: there is an important asymmetry between the two halves and it seems that the left angular shape was rounded once the vallaslin was removed, and the eyes increased its size. Even though the text doesn’t say anything about this, and due to the context of seeing Dalish elements in these ruins which are still present among the modern Dalish [like the snucksuit and the banners and flags], I’m tempted to infer that this removal of the lyrium Vallaslin caused a change in the elvhen shape, making them look more like the Dalish [brand-free elves]  which physique is very distinguishable in comparison with the Elvhen’s, [through the lore of the Sha-brytol (melted faces) and Fenris (white hair), we know that infusing lyrium may produce physical changes, but these are supposed to appear _after_ the infusion, for this reason I’m a bit sceptical about this interpretation. Maybe I’m seeing too much.]

However, we know that in Masked Empire, while exploring an elvhen ruin, Briala remarks how big are the steps of a stair, and Felassan answers in his evasive style: maybe we were taller before, implying that elves truly changed physically. It’s not clear to me if it was because the Veil or because some effect of the vallaslin.

The staircase widened as they went down, until all four of them could comfortably walk abreast. The steps themselves were slightly longer than was normal. It took just a bit longer than a normal stride to cover a single stair, but not enough for two, and Celene found herself settling into an odd rhythm, taking two short steps and then a long. It made her think of the dances written in three-beat form, and she had to stop herself from humming.

“These steps are oddly sized,” Briala said ahead of her.

“Perhaps we were once taller,” Felassan said with a chuckle.

Is all of this true?

At the end of Trespasser, we have a long conversation with Solas and several details arise. When the inquisitor claims to know the truth about Fen’Harel due to these mosaics, Solas says:

“You saw another story, written in desperation to give me more credit than I ever deserved.” [video]

“They are closer than the Dalish legends, though still prone to making me into something more than I am.” [video]

Solas implies that the elven mountain ruins belongs to a time before the sealing of the Evanuris. These mosaics clearly depict Fen’Harel as a concept, as a creature which is the embodiment of Rebellion against the Evanuris, not a person. En these mosaics, Fen’Harel is shown in a better way than the unreliable Dalish tales do which make out of him a god of trickery.

The mosaics focus too much on the presence of Fen’Harel, and maybe this is the “Fen’Harel propaganda” that Solas refers to. After all, the mosaics are written in a way that suggest that those who worked with the recently escaped slaves, feed them, give them shelter, and taught them about the truths, were followers of Fen’Harel, not Solas himself.  Solas may have created this space, but it was sustained and maintained by his followers who almost, ironically, worshipped Fen’Harel. In fact, during the exploration of these ruins, we see fighters who had bounded their spirits to the place to defend it, and invoke words and passwords related to Fen’Harel [and potentially to Anaris]. I found this a disturbing thing considering how averse Solas is to bounding spirits.  

“I did not lead a rebellion against immortal mage-kings without getting my hands bloody”

“You were people, and you deserver better… like all the rest I have used in one hopeless battle after another”

“You created a powerful organization, and now it suffers the inevitable fate of such: betrayal and corruption”

“Briala controlled part of the Labyrinth. One of my agents was supposed to take it from her, but he did not succeed. I had to override the magic personally.”   [video]

The main aspect that the mosaics show is that Fen’Harel is a fatherly figure that will give choice to fight against the Evanuris and will offer shelter no matter what. However, by Solas’ words, and his own actions through the book The Masked Empire, we know that this is an idealisation created in these mosaics. Solas could have never led the Rebellion without killing and using people. He seems to regret it, but the actions were taken, it was the “dirty work” that had to be done to free his people. He speaks of organizations suffering corruption and degradation, and with Sera, we know he speaks about “cleaning” the group when some member begins to shift away from the original purpose of the organization. We saw this action with Felassan, even though Solas regrets it [Cole says in this aspect: “His friend (Felassan) had to die. Because he thought they (city elves) were people. A slow arrow (Felassan) breaks in the sad wolf's jaws”.] 

“I sought to set my people free from slavery to would be gods. I broke the chains of all who wished to join me. The false gods called me Fen’Harel, and when they finally went too far, I formed the Veil  and banished them forever. Thus I freed the elven people and, in so doing, destroyed their world.” [video]

“Had I not created the Veil the Evanuris would have destroyed the entire world. [You did not kill them]. You met Mythal, did you not? The first of my people do not die so easily. The Evanuris are banished forever, paying the ultimate price for their misdeeds. [what did they do that made you move against them?] They killed Mythal (chuckle). A crime for which an eternity of torment is the only fitting punishment.” [video]

“[Mythal] was the best of [the Evanuris]. She cared for her people. She protected them. She was a voice of reason. And in their lust for power, they killed her.” [video]

The mosaics claim that everyone is free first and then can choose to fight against the Evanuris. Solas’ words imply this in the other way around: if you promise to fight against them you will be granted freedom. It may have been a security procedure in order to avoid the proliferation of free elves that may end up selling out the rebellion. I don’t know. My point here is that we can see in Solas’ words how “real” situations and events are rawer and cruder than what legends and tales explain [which is what we read in the mosaics]. This concept is continuously repeated along the DA series.

All these mosaics are from the time when the fight was against the Evanuris, but he seems to imply that when Mythal was killed [which is an event related to the Titan’s death, something he wanted to keep in secret according to Dev’s note] he stopped working with his rebel groups and took the most drastic option: the creation of the Veil. He did it because what the Evanuris had caused [which we can speculate could have been the Blight, the creation of the Red Lyrium, or something else that we had seen in The Horror of Hormak] would destroy the whole world. To protect the world, he ended up altering the nature of the elvhen forever.

[paragonrobits]

i'm considering an idea to reconcile how vampires work in my stories, and i basically have two goals: the first is to have vampires be cool without actually making them seem overly aspirational or taking away the monstrous aspect, and two, they might function as a kind of baseline supernatural creature

point one: vampires are usually seen as just cool nowadays. Depictions of them as inherently evil or personifications of abuse can come off as reactionary, and they CAN make interesting characters, though i personally disapprove of the idea that they are INHERENTLY sexual or cool; those aren't inherent qualities. and making them a species with a weird feeding requirement or a somewhat gimmicky superhuman without any real negative aspects isn't fun to me

vampires are monsters. its a big quality of what makes them compelling, and most often for me this manifests as how they deal with the monster they're becoming; whether they embrace it to hope there's a kind of freedom on the other side, because their lives have been so miserable that becoming a horrible beast is preferable. Or they try to restrain it, slipping and falling and trying to maintain the goodness in them, played for tragedy as they succumb to the monster inside, or for heroism as they manage to let the compassion stay alive even as they're technically dead, or at least something Else now

so, vampires need to have that element of monstrosity. A vampire CAN be elegant, and charming, but its not a default aspect. otherwise, its more or less a power fantasy and while that's perfectly fine, im not sure there's much point in MAKING that a vampire in classification senses

secondly, vampires can work as a sort of catch-all 'cool monster character' archetype, with many different sub-types that lean closer to other supernatural entities such as werebeasts, ghosts, fae and so on, without having to run the risk of them infringing on those territories or making actual fae/werebeasts redundant. In short, a vampire character who stays on top of it can evolve into a very wide variety of monstrous qualities; if you take the idea of a vampire as a grab-bag of aspects to make something intimidating, this is the logical extreme of that. Vampires are generally strong and can influence people mentally or emotionally, with some degree of transformation powers, but apart from that, they're all somewhat unique and can be just about anything

as they grow in power, they might feed on blood, or spiritual energy, or negative feelings, or just about anything that has some kind of power to it (though they ARE fundamentally predatory). Combine this with the above versatility, and they can be very flexible to have a specific kind of creature that also fits a compelling 'struggling with the monster inside' or a fearsome antagonist. Want a ghost? Vampire with emotion-leeching properties who can turn invisible, intangible and assume new shapes. Want a werewolf or something? Vampire with a strong focus on shapeshifting and becoming a wolf and monstrous variations on a werewolf. want some kind of frankenstein thing? A vampiric curse patched together a number of animal and human corpses, mingling them into an abomination that is ravenously hungry AND growing in awareness of the harm its existence does to others and grapples with the desire to be kind vs the hatred for the people who have attacked it (even in self defense, or because of misunderstandings)

[shadowwolfmemes]

Goretober Day 2: Starvation (TW: Blood)

Survival of the fittest

Scenario:

Liana was taken in by a group of scientists, they told her they were going to conduct experiments on her. At first, she denied because she had a bad feeling they would do one of those cruel lab experiments like they would do to animals. However, they convinced Liana that it wasn't like that. They just wanted to see how she behaves/interacts with her environment, or so she was told.

They also said she was going to be in a room with another person so that she wouldn't be alone. It seemed innocent enough to Liana, but she was not told about the circumstances she'll be in until much later. The next day passed by and Liana and the stranger were getting noticeably hungry. They both asked if they were gonna get fed.

To their disappointments, the same scientists that were conducting the experiment told them they will NOT be fed, but will be given water. However, water can only do so much until both subjects pass out due to the lack of nutrients in their bodies. Liana was much more upset than the other subject because she gets very cranky when she's really hungry.

As days and nights pass on, both subjects were gradually getting thinner and thinner until their bones were protruding through their skin. The other subject noticed that Liana was staring at them oddly, almost like she's contemplating whether she should eat the subject or not. If you ask why Liana hasn't teleported out, it's because the scientists activated a force field that doesn't allow you to use supernatural powers. Liana didn't realize until she tried.

As time went on, Liana continued contemplating whether she should eat the subject in the room. The subject was getting notably anxious as they stayed far away from Liana. Liana was considered gentle and compassionate, she would NEVER hurt a person with malicious intent. However, due to these circumstances, she believes that there is no other choice.

There's only one option left.

But Liana isn't close to this person. It won't be much of a problem, right?

As much as Liana hates to admit it, it's only logical to eat the subject even though they don't have much meat on their bones either. Eating humans doesn't sound appetizing, but when you're desperate for food, appetites don't really matter much. So, Liana did the only logical solution and ate the person, but not without warning and apologizing to them.

She finally mauled the weakened human. She did this while the scientists were on their break. When the scientist that came up with this idea of this horrible experiment came back to check up on the two subjects, he was mildly shocked to see a bloody mess of a mutilated corpse of what was once a living human being.

What was left standing was a skeletal looking wolf lycanthrope chowing down flesh because she hasn't eaten in 2 weeks. Although lycanthropes can survive without food a week longer than humans can, it's still very cruel for these scientists to be testing that out.

The now mellowed scientist calmed himself down and alerted his fellow colleagues that the experiment is over. They turned the field off, but doing that was a big mistake on their part. Liana blasted the glass wall that separated the subjects and conductors with her firework plasma blast.

The startled scientists fell backwards as sounds of shattered glass hit the floor and smoke swirled around the darkened room, meanwhile Liana crawled into the small room. Her slit pupils never left the scientists as she lets out deep growls. She made her way towards them with a major grudge because not only did they lie to her, but they put an innocent person at risk.

The disoriented conductors tried to leave, but Liana was surprisingly quick despite being a skeletal structure. She leapt onto the lead scientist and tore into his flesh. The other scientists fled the scene as the man who started this experiment cried out for help as the starving lycanthrope devoured his flesh like the fast eater she is.

It wasn't enough that she ate two people, Liana will not allow this sort of cruel situation happening to anymore people. She used her astral wings to boost her agility to catch up to the three fleeing scientists. She caught up to the two, it all dwindled down to the very last one remaining.

He got inside of his car, started it and drove off. He thought he was completely safe, but Liana always knows where to strike at the weak spot. Liana flew up 7 feet in the air, aimed at the engine of the car and shot at it. Knowing how flammable gasoline is, the car blew up with the scientist in it.

Liana landed on the ground as the flames swirled and danced on the car. The smell of burning flesh and metal filled the air as Liana took a whiff of it. Then, she uttered these very words:

"That is the smell of freedom. I guess karma really is a bitch, huh?"

Then, she teleported home where she can finally be safe and unharmed.

The end.

Author's note: If you came across this post, I hope you liked this one because I put all my effort and time into it.

It is the spooky month, boys!

[loquaciousstrigidae]

This Is How I Would Fix Sword Art Online 

I will be quite frank—I do not like this anime. Long ago, I had watched it and disliked it and to this day my opinions have not faltered. Perhaps they have festered, even. 

I want to be forgiving of this anime to say that the concept of Sword Art Online has potential. I think that is why disappointment stirs within me when I think of these character developments, plot points, and world-building details.  

The virtual world of SAO and its entrapment of people’s consciousness is supposed to be a social experiment, yes? That is the show's strongest and most central aspect, yet we are robbed of any thoughtful analysis of it. When plots seem to hint at something deeper, we as the audience are only left in that shallow pool of wish fulfillment and fan service. Ah, so there are newer players that hold resentment toward the beta testers? Let’s antagonize them in favor of our edgy lone-wolf protagonist! It’s not as if that could be an interesting piece of commentary if focused on for longer than five minutes of screen time. Yui, the emotional support AI, has watched countless minds in torment longing for their loved ones? Yes, a quick montage should do the trick! I am bewildered that these topics simply get pushed to our periphery while our main characters simply vacation at some lake house. 

This series would be worlds better if it were an anthology.  

Consider—each episode takes the perspective of a new character trapped in the SAO virtual reality. Of course, it could still progress chronologically, and there can still be the undercurrent of a panoptic plot. However, a vast range of characters would much better fit the scope of the social experiment setup. We, dare I say, could actually see the experiment in action. There could be a number of different plots—from a more fleshed-out murder mystery to politically charged discourse between the most powerful guilds. We could see how the children trapped in this world struggled without their families and eventually formed ‘the orphanage’ that we see in later episodes. There could be more emphasis on players left in the wake of the more skilled fighters. There could be an episode dedicated to Yui in which we see her grapple with what it means to be an artificial being—to have empathy encoded within you with the inability to distinguish whether it is real or not. To be a walking contradiction. 

What is reality? Such a question is not sufficiently considered within what I’ve watched. It is touched upon—Asuna says she is beginning to feel that all her life has been within the simulation. She and Kirito share in the reality of their connection to each other and the beauty of the world and we begin to see a glimpse of that rabbit hole. Why simply attribute meaning to the realm in which we call ‘real’ when just as well, lives can be fulfilling—or even more fulfilling—in an imitated world.  

I think I will rate this anime 3.5/10.

[prozac]

Mm pity

That... That line....

"Hello, Anik."

"What's your-- d-- what's your plan, Otis? You infected Harvey, and, and Barnes -- you-- you gave a treatment Grudge, and yet you continue -- You continue... You continue... ...Why? Why are you doing this? What is the point?" (Anik is begging for an answer. His eyes sparkle with desperation.)

"Mm. Pity our Dr. Carol was never able to grasp the true scale of everything I've worked so hard for. I gave her a proposal and she turned it away in fear. She couldn't see beyond humanity, couldn't comprehend what it may be outside of what it is now. She's a bright young lady, but I'm afraid she lacks the creativity I require in my endeavors."

"I said -- why?"

"...What's more, considering your situation, it's a pity you couldn't grasp it either. With the power you have over people, I could have used someone like you. So charismatic and yet so naive... Do you really not see the beauty in the staircase upward to evolution?"

"If you continue with this- we'll all die."

"I will not die, not like you. Even if I could..." (Otis pauses, then gestures behind him to the sunset.) "Look at the world, Anik. Each of us is expendable, merely a pawn in the grand scheme.

"Allow me to explain this in a way your modest mind can comprehend:

"Every few years the Monarch migrates from the North to South to reproduce. Something it knows in its tiny little brain it needs to do -- and so it does it, no questions asked.

"The Wolf, hungry, ravishes a rabbit for his own breakfast. He does not think of the rabbit, if it had a family, and if the Wolf has a family he could be inclined to share if he feels there is enough left for the pack.

"And nearby, the rose flower swings to the ground when it's time for a new bloom to take its place. Crushed under the heel of a boot.

"Every mote of dust that carried the first energy of life was a pawn from the beginning. We, as humans, are emotional beings-- selfish and unsatisfied even when we are about to pop from our own indulgence. But my creations, whether we call them monsters, zombies, Infected, Goliaths... (Thoughtful pause) -- Are devoid of all the sins that plagued those who came before. They do not care for anyone who does not care for them, and their only purpose is to bring us to their masses. Once they finish bringing us to them they will simply... exist. As the champions of the game."

"You ... you, you you-- you..." (Genuine fear in Anik's voice. He's never been like this.)

"Spit it out, Anik, I have a job to do."

"You're an animal. A monster."

"...You've said it yourself, Anik. I helped make your monster."

"You have to stop--"

"Stop--?!" (Otis just laughs for a very long while. Anik's face falls, and his arm now hangs limp at his side. When Otis calms down, he is still smiling, smugly.)

"..."

"You have to..." (Otis pauses, then grins and giggles.) "You have to stop to consider what would have happened if none of this had occurred, Anik. Imagine if you were still in your comfortable bed in your cozy little neighborhood at Shallowsea Island, your happy family still united — or, even better, if you never stumbled into this ragtag bunch you've found yourself a part of. Where would you be now, Anik Pillai? Would you still be on your isolated little island? Would you be in Greenriver, buried under rubble? Would you still have your "son"? Take a long look at what everything you've been though has gotten you: This. Now you are just a moment from death, your pawn finally seized from the board."

"..."

"I will miss you. However..."

"..."

(Otis sighs, disappointed, and shakes his head.) "Goodbye, Anik."

[wixelt]

Ideas spinning in my head and they're all about Pearl

So it's implied by Pix and seemingly confirmed when she receives the memories that Pearl is the mortal incarnation of the apotheosizied Farming Queen Pearl, Santa Perla

Saint Pearl is worshipped in farming aspects as well as as the moon goddess (I headcannon that tying into her sunflower symbology in depicting the moon and its phases as a sunflower tracking the sun across the sky) and possibly as a combat goddess considering how much she enjoys it.

Pearl was unaffected by the continuous nights without sleep as the moon encroached in S8 (it would be strange for the simulation to account for that but it did happen) and in last life, as her mental state slipped, she seemed to bring death wherever she went, possibly reflecting a synchronicity in domains meaning that Santa Perla is viewed as a reaper of life, with a particular fondness for the slain as they make excellent sparring partners.

She also referred to her dogs as 'dogs of war' and with the combination of moon and wolf imagery and battle madness paints the picture of Pearl being very few steps from becoming a werewolf

Technically, as often the further back you go the transformation had mostly to do with an animal sacrificed or bonded to (at the earliest, both) she would be a hybeena shifter durring her time feral in the Amphibian wilderness

Always fun to have a bit of Pearl thought. :P

As Hermit!Pearl being the reincarnation of E1!Pearl - or at least of her mortal self - & all that entails is canon now, that's absolutely a thing in the AU. This - barring dimensional time shenanigans, puts Grian & Pearl's current ages in the sub-1,000 years category.

Them being younger than Andrias won't change things, though.

So if our Pearl is the reborn form of Santa Perla/Saint Pearl - the farming/moon/combat goddess (I like your headcanons, here), does that mean she gets bad vibes whenever she looks at Amphibia's moon? Nothing she can quite place due to limited access to divine power, but as she has her past life memories she might recognize it as divine intuition.

Also, though the idea of Pearl as a reaper goddess - or the mortal incarnation of one - has its whole own set of implications, it draws to mind the Amphibia AU where Anne's literally the Grim Reaper. More than one character mistaken for an "angel of death", at least.

But the point that got my attention the most was Werewolf!Pearl.

Maybe it wasn't a thing before - Grian would've known - but cut off from any divine spark & left to go feral for literal months... Were-hybeena!Pearl isn't too outside the realm of possibility, given player tendency to adapt to new surroudings ("skin changes").

It'd make for an interesting episode, i'd think. Whether it remains after Pearl's brought to her senses is another question entirely.

[dogkillmoon]

𝐌𝐀𝐉𝐎𝐑 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 𝙈𝙊𝙊𝙉 𝙈𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝘿𝙄𝙀

It's been thirteen years since the moon fell, and the numbers are beginning to align. Exactly four-thousand Amnorans are currently roaming earth, all having survived the MOONFALL as a result of their deific nature. Whether realizing or not, all of these Amnorans are capable of incredible feats of power. All that must happen is for them to earn their right to hold it.

SASHLATA IS NOW 35 YEARS OLD.

The sands of time do not stop, and neither does he. Weathered, quiet, and honed to perfection. Sashlata is in his prime, having grown a hearty agency of over 400 LUNAR INVESTIGATORS in the efforts of slaying the moon. This no longer is a young father, or a shakily polite gentleman. But a sharpened blade that knows his manners, and sates his mind with the indulgences of drink and copious no-strings sex. These faculties aside, his role as a father has not dwindled in the slightest-- And he has grown unbelievably proud of his son. Yet, he remains one stepping stone away from a frothed mouth. The power in his blood and the influence upon his eyes and ears by the moon is beginning to bring him to the brink. He still believes he's the only one that can do this. He will die if he continues on.

ODA IS NOW 15 YEARS OLD.

Having recently celebrated his fifteenth birthday having learned how to conjure his lunar deity and the abilities it grants him, to say that the younger wolf has a chip on his shoulder is an understatement. In the way he dresses, acts, speaks, enunciates-- It's all meant to emulate the father he adores. A sophomore at Creaky Oak Highschool, Oda maintains a popular role being the son of the legendary Gilded Wolf, Sashlata. Despite this, he sets aside his fame for the fortune of strength. He's grown a keen hobby for tabletop RPG, aquarium building, videogames and anime.

THE FANG & CLAW, A LUNAR INVESTIGATIVE AGENCY FOUNDED IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

Two years after the moon fell and the Amnorans came to Earth, a small private detective group was created: The Scales, formed between Sashlata Lyuda Volya, Luka Tahn, Brynhilde and Anjie Niewi. Now, eleven years later, The Scales have formed into THE FANG & CLAW, a multi-district building in northern Seattle that hosts all of the information, documentation and investigative research towards defeating the moon. Currently, 483 Possessed Amnorans work for this agency, traveling worldwide to provide information and research. Sashlata is considered the acting CEO, and it's most voluntary investigator. Wading from country to country, it's rare that he can any longer be found at home now that Oda has gained the slightest independence.

LASTLY, THIS WORLD AND IT'S LORE HAS FINALLY FOUND A NAME: MOON MUST DIE.

After almost seven years of brainstorming these things and this world from bits and scraps of ideas and music-animatics in my head, I have a confident identity and name for what I've created. And I can't wait to share it with you all.

Thanks if you read this! A new pinned will be coming shortly.

[miqojak]

One set of questions for each color

* Is your OC usually magnanimous in victory - whether against a defeated foe, or against a friend in a game or competition? Or perhaps they enjoy exulting in their success at the expense of others? Perhaps with ribald mockery or spiteful vengeance?

* Does your OC have a guiding principle by which they live their life - such as duty, self-restraint or vengeance? Has this ever been tested by circumstance or challenged by another person?

* Does your OC believe that they will be mourned when they die? Or do they suspect they will be quickly forgotten - or even hope that this will be the case?

* How hopeful is your OC about the future? Do they see things as becoming better in general - either for them personally or the world at large? Or do they feel as if decline and disaster are inevitable and all that can be done is to delay the final end for as long as possible?

* Is your OC comfortable in the higher echelons of society, such as aristocratic functions or assemblies of the rich and powerful? Or do they prefer to avoid these events if possible?

* What does your OC consider to be the noblest or most admirable ambition for a person to hold? Perhaps spreading a particular religious faith? Or improving the lives of the poor? Or even perfecting their own martial skill?

* Do others find your OC easy to believe? Or is there something about them that makes others distrustful or cynical about their motives or trustworthiness?

(( So many!! Thank you! :D ))

* Is your OC usually magnanimous in victory - whether against a defeated foe, or against a friend in a game or competition? Or perhaps they enjoy exulting in their success at the expense of others? Perhaps with ribald mockery or spiteful vengeance?

Well...Jak doesn't really play games/do competitions of any kind? (She prefers a good verbal spar! And is not magnanimous at all in those! XD) And she only gets into fights when she has to - much like a real cat, it's all about posturing beforehand and avoiding a fight that could seriously injure you! When she does engage in violence, she's pretty quiet and focused - like a real predator! You're wasting your battle-focus and your breath, in her mind, if you're busy making quips and so on mid-fight. If she had friends, and played games, she'd no doubt be unbearable when she won, however! (And if she's fighting, it's probably to the death, because there's not a lot of point in fighting, in her mind, otherwise...so no time for post-fight gloating!)

* Does your OC have a guiding principle by which they live their life - such as duty, self-restraint or vengeance? Has this ever been tested by circumstance or challenged by another person?

It's hard to describe, but yes! She's from the J tribe, and I came up with some head canon about the Jackal as a totem animal/semi-diety, and the tribe's beliefs/way of life according to those things! Deals are important - the sanctity of a deal, really, is important...but survival is what the Jackal is all about - at any cost. That, and the concept of the Tribe, or 'pack'. The Tribe comes first, the self comes second, and everyone else comes last. I often use Aesop fables about the Fox and re-cast it as a Jackal, when I write about the kinds of life lessons she learned as a kit among her people - to be cunning, sharp of wit, and to always put yourself first when your life is on the line. They were taught to fear the 'Wolf' in their stories - which could be anyone trying to take advantage of them, in the real world, so to speak... it would probably just translate to 'predator' to us. She's been questioning the nature of the Jackals lessons, as an adult - now that Garlemald has fallen, she feels as though her family can rest in peace, now... there's no more need for vengeance, and there's no tribe/'pack'... would the Jackal's ideals mean that she should consider others like unto her to be 'pack', now? Does she have the duty to tend to them, because she has the power to do so(she doesn't really want to)? The Jackal also emphasizes that it's a dog-eat-dog world/that it's every man for himself - so where is that line, now, in a post-Garlemald world? Now that her own twin brother has turned his back on their tradition and ideals, now that everyone else is gone - how does the Jackal's legacy go on, when she is the last one? Is it on her to find others through whom it can live on, now that her tribe is gone? 'Legacy', and what that means, is on her mind a lot, lately.

(I do want to emphasize the importance of deal-making, however! They were mostly a mercantile, nomadic tribe - holding up a deal was of the utmost import to them. If the other party didn't uphold their end of the deal, then there would be hell to pay - "A Jackal always gets their due," after all... or so the locals knew, in the time before Garlemald wiped out the J tribe.)

* Does your OC believe that they will be mourned when they die? Or do they suspect they will be quickly forgotten - or even hope that this will be the case?

This spins off of the last one, and makes it pretty succint - no! She doesn't think she would be long mourned. The only person to miss her would probably be Ketsuchi - but that's one more person than she'd like to have to mourn her (he's lost enough already!), so she's backed off of her death-wish-chasing. But she rather thinks she's a bad person, and that no one will care at all when she's gone - this was cemented in her mind when her only living family, her own twin brother, walked out of her life and chose to chase boys rather than support her when she needed it most. If he can't care for her... then who can? Who will? Who should? Maybe she'll at least become infamous, so her name is remembered with fear and reverence.

* How hopeful is your OC about the future? Do they see things as becoming better in general - either for them personally or the world at large? Or do they feel as if decline and disaster are inevitable and all that can be done is to delay the final end for as long as possible?

She's the sort of nihilist that people tend not to like - but given what's happened to her in her short life, she has her reasons for seeing no point in all of it. She certainly isn't an optimist, but...believes in chaos, really. Good things happen, and bad things happen - there is no rhyme or reason to where it happens, nor to whom it happens... it just is. So who knows what lies ahead! She figured Garlemald would eventually come a-conquering at Ul'dah's gates and nowhere was safe - and then the next thing you know, the whole country is devouring itself from the inside-out! So anything is possible, really. She was supposed to be dead years ago, after all, and here she is - so who's to say where this unexpected life will go, and how it will be?

* Is your OC comfortable in the higher echelons of society, such as aristocratic functions or assemblies of the rich and powerful? Or do they prefer to avoid these events if possible?

She's basically just Cat Woman, when it comes to this sort of thing - she loves attending, and looking hot as hell... and robbing the place blind. There's a certain sense of being a jackal among the sheep - no one suspects you of ill intent when you dress/look/act a certain way, after all! Plus there's the illicit, exciting knowledge of knowing she's the predator amongst these, the people who would have spit on her when she was in the gutters of Ul'dah... and no one knows but her. There's a vicious delight in this sort of outing - plus, following the rich folks home afterwards lets her know where to rob, next time they're out!

* What does your OC consider to be the noblest or most admirable ambition for a person to hold? Perhaps spreading a particular religious faith? Or improving the lives of the poor? Or even perfecting their own martial skill?

I don't think she knows, or cares what people would consider a 'noble' profession. Her way of life valued family first, then self - so she just doesn't see these sorts of positions as necessarily 'noble' most of the time. She firmly believes that altruism isn't real, and that no matter how 'noble' something seems, the other person is always getting something they want out of it, even if it's just a sense of satisfaction...

"People have sex for satisfaction, too, and no one says that's a noble duty." - Jak, probably.

* Do others find your OC easy to believe? Or is there something about them that makes others distrustful or cynical about their motives or trustworthiness?

I don't really know! That's up to other people, and I haven't RPd Jak in...over a year? Something like that. Last I played her, it was a mixed bag - she's 100% honest, however, and makes a point of establishing that she doesn't like lies, or liars... though she can be manipulative when she chooses to be! So how people see her is up to them! She speaks with a quiet authority, and carries herself as if she were the Supreme Authority™ on whatever it is she's speaking about, though her opinions and insights are often visceral and incisive...and insightful. She's often right about what she sees in a person, and that tends to make her uncomfortable to be around, because...well, she's a cat! Cats note the vulnerabilities of their prey. She just happens to point them out to you so you'll squirm! (She will, however, often try to 'help' people to try and overcome whatever it is, if it's something she can help with, strangely enough. She believes in constant self-betterment!) But she's a deeply cynical, and deeply flawed little person, so she's not always right! She often has a massively skewed view of the world, and thus others like her may find her easier to trust/be around, in general.

[cleverthylacine]

Thoughts non-Christian Transformers fans might be having this time of year...

You are allowed to write whatever self-indulgent bullshit you want, because that is what fanfic is for, but if you want to make your “Transformers doing Christmas” fics 5000% less annoying to grumpy non-Christians, here are some thoughts on how they would be less annoying to me, personally.

1. Transformers are aliens.  They have their own religions.  It would be very, very odd for Transformers to care about Jesus. It’s fine if OP puts tinsel in his windows because all the other trucks are doing it, lol, but I’m talking about TFs actually celebrating Christmas in any serious kind of way.

2. If the Autobots who are living on Earth pick up human customs as an excuse to have a party, let them be hilariously ignorant about it. Despite being the Designated Good Guys in all non-Shattered Glass continuities (except possibly Earthspark), they are just as prone to being colonialist and ethnocentric as the Decepticons. Let them be embarrassing and offensive as well as cute. I’m thinking about the level of cringe involved in Christian attempts to throw Passover Seders with no actual Jews involved, or the Japanese department store that crucified Santa in a shop window.

3. In continuities like TFA, TFP and IDW, Decepticons are have experienced the way religion is and can be used to support and spread systems of oppression, because the Primacy has used it against them that way. If they bother to pay attention to human holidays, they’re going to recognise Christianity as a religion that is frequently used this way.

4. Decepticons are not out to destroy all organic life in every continuity, but they are usually ethnocentric and frequently colonialist. Their opinions of humans vary from “unimpressed” to “annoying Autobot allies” to “gross but it’s funny when they pop” to “organics always create mechanoid life and oppress it, and we have to stop them before they get there” and you even get the occasional “If form and function don’t matter, why should we care whether people are organic or not” Decepticon, but those last ones are a minority and they know it. They’re unlikely to adopt human holidays.

5. I do love IDW Starscream’s appropriation of Christmas customs because a) he made it all about himself because he’s Starscream and b) in his post-Decepticon life as Emperor of Cybertron he IS trying to find ways to subvert the mess that is Cybertronian culture in order to consolidate power. That is one example of Doing It Right (tm).

6. Consider characterisation.

6a.  Ratchet is often a militant atheist.

6b.  Soundwave is usually a militant atheist. In IDW he’s also a master of inciting and manipulating class warfare and he would recognise what evangelicals are doing in American culture from a distance meaasurable in parsecs.

6b1. There is no canonical evidence that Soundwave’s deployers are pets or children except one IDW panel where Starscream makes a sarcastic comment, despite it being IDW canon that Ravage saved Soundwave’s life and helped him learn to manage his disabilities. There is no evidence that they are anything other than adult Cybertronians. Ravage has been with him so long that some people (like me) ship them.

Rumble and Frenzy act like kids in fanon, but in canon they act like gross army boys (affectionate) who like to blow things up and pull pranks for fun and are no more children than Tailgate is.  The beastformers are not animals except in Cyberverse, where Laserbeak and Buzzsaw are trained sentient but probably not fully sapient trained birds and “cat” and “wolf” are just alt modes some mechs happen to have instead of “car” and “aeroplane”.

6b2. Soundwave playing Santa to his deployers as if they were children and/or pets personally makes me nauseous.