#deep lore

[dankxsinatra]

[stra-tek]

This is one of the greatest things ever. Walk around every single version of the U.S.S. Enterprise in photorealistic 3D in your browser, from the Roddenberry Archive. On a phone you just see wraparound 3D pics. On a PC or laptop you get the full 3D interactive experience. They NEED to make this VR compatible, it'll be beyond words.

There are more Enterprises here than Tumblr will allow me photos of, and more will likely be added.

Here's the TOS Enterprise, which appears in several incarnations ("The Cage", "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and TOS proper as well as TAS with the second turbolift!), has the correct original graphics and is perfect.

This is the bridge from the unmade Star Trek: Phase II series (whose pilot episode "In Thy Image" was rewritten to become Star Trek: The Motion Picture), with it's legendary big comfy command sofa seat and tactical display bubble!

The Motion Picture, such an accurate recreation that there's even a very faint flicker on the rear-projection animated screens as seen in the movie.

Enterprise NX-01, looking exactly as it did in "Broken Bow"

Recognise this? It's the briefing room of Discovery season 2's version of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701. Although at the front of the saucer on the "real" ship, here it's off the second bridge door which may well be where the set was IRL.

I wasn't expecting modern Trek to be represented equally as the originals in this project, but it is. This is the Enterprise from Strange New Worlds, with Pike's Ready Room located just off the bridge.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. My favourite version of the classic bridge, as a kid I drew all these control panels and stuck them on my bedroom walls. And now I can look around and look at them all close-up! They've even replicated the noticable TVs stuffed into the panels for the more complex animated screens.

The Enterprise-C bridge from "Yesterday's Enterprise". This one has always fascinated me, being a low-budget TV set (formerly the Enterprise-D battle bridge, originally built from the rain-damaged TMP set's back wall and redressed endlessly though TNG) representing TNG's immediate predecessor. In the episode they mostly shoot the back wall and imply the consoles make a huge circle, but here you can see the set's real dimensions and the weirdness of the classic movie helm/nav console in front of the TNG con/ops panels. I love it.

You know how much I love the Kelvin movies, so seeing this was amazing. For some reason the consoles don't have their screens lit (hopefully this'll be fixed soon), but you can see the saucer under the window and it's shiny and amazing.

The last thing I expected was the U.S.S. Titan-A/Enterprise-G bridge, but it's here. And the lights are on.

Other bridges available to explore which I'm out of pictures to show: The Enterprise-D (of course), Enterprise XCV-330 (the ringship, based on concept art for the unmade non-Trek series "Starship"), the Planet of the Titans U.S.S. Enterprise (again, based on concept art for a cool multi-levelled set) and the "launch" U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 (based on the very first piece of TOS bridge set concept art), the Enterprise-E, the Enterprise-F (seen on viewscreen for all of 2 minutes in Picard) and the U.S.S. Voyager NCC-74656!

Take a bow lads, you've done good. Now just add VR support!

That link again.

[thecountofs]

My Time In ONI character writing

[go-see-a-starwar]

Please enjoy this incredible factoid in the Revenge of the Sith Visual Dictionary that Obi-wan is leaving his cloaks all around the galaxy.

[chicinlicin]

sometimes you just gotta put your azem in the asphodelos gear

for science

[maxandkon]

Cursed Khajiit dance Recreating the Ankh cat dance for Elder Scrolls Khajiit. I'd like to call it a commission, but the customer didn't pay me, haha

[lizardsfromspace]

The problem with explaining why you turned off anon messages & locked your accounts everywhere you could is that everyone assumes something horrible happened to incite that. When in my case, I did it bc the showrunner of the Tim Allen sitcom Last Man Standing discovered me hatetweeting his show & made fun of me to all the other writers on the Tim Allen sitcom Last Man Standing

[the-antiapocalyptic-man]

I love how you connect various characters and power sets to the lanterns and emotional spectrum, whether it’s the various lantern corps. Or the red, green and others from the swamp thing and animal man comics, and recently that amazing green arrow art, what other characters do you think tap into that same power source in the headverse? I’ve always wondered if the emotional spectrum is some filtered version of the source, or that maybe it has ties with the lords of order and chaos … I just get so inspired by your creativity it really lights a fire in me 😁

Always glad to inspire

so actually the Emotional Spectrum being a filtered version of the Source is exactly what I was thinking, but as a consequence of the eternal tension between the (Light) Source and The Great Darkness. The Darkness predates The Source and instinctively seeks to consume it, the site of contact between the two creating material reality (The "Pankosmos" or "Pankosmik"). The Source manifested consciousness in the form of The Presence (often conflated with the Christian God, but ultimately distinct) and life itself in the form of The Entity, filtering out into the Spectrum Entities, its "children" (Umbrax, Lovebird, Proselyte, Adara, Ion, Parallax, Ophidian, Butcher, and Raedan/Hate Machine) while the Great Darkness began mimic this process, creating Nekron and Barbatos, corrupting Eclipso, and manifesting an "Anti-Presence" or Primordial God of Darkness.

The Lords of Order and Chaos initially emerged from opposite sides of this divide (The Source and Gemworld for Order, The Great Darkness and Darkworld for Chaos) but the division blurred over eternity as being living in material reality grew beyond the Manichaen Us-Them Dichotomy of Light and Dark. Just as the multiverse is a product of the interaction between opposing forces, so is everything within it. The Source being released from its Wall would be just as devastating as the Great Darkness overtaking material reality, if not moreso. This came to a head twice in Proto-History and Hyper-Ancient human history with Krona's vision of the Empty Hand on Maltus, and again with Garn Daanuth and Garn Ahri'ahn (descended from the Omega Humanoids that populated the Garden of Eternity before it was rendered barren and became the Rock of Eternity) struggling over Darkworld leading to the deluge that sunk Atlantis, Lemuria and Mu and trapped Skartaris in a pocket dimension. Many of the refugees of the Garn Civil War ended up on Xerox (The Sorceror's World or "Gemworld") though Xerox itself wouldn't created until far into the future, unstuck from Hypertime by its overwhelming mystical energy.

Predating the Maltusians reverse-engineering Lantern technology from Volthoom, the Spectrum itself was wilder and less controlled, appearing like mystical fire and becoming the basis of the Starhearts. Obvs this powers Alan and Jade (Green), The Sorovs and the Church of Blood (Red), Cobalt Blue (Blue), The Amazons' Purple Ray (Violet), Despero (Indigo), and various Wizards and Warlocks (Orange and Yellow). The Black Flame is particularly dangerous, resurrecting the dead but sublimating their will entirely to Nerkon.

[silverbridge-harbor]

Celebrimbor's Letter to Durin IV

A Tengwar Analysis

ayyy first time doing something like this, so it might suck but lets goooooo

My credentials are here.

In Rings of Power s02e02, Celebrimbor sends a letter to Durin. The first thing to note is that it is written in the "full writing" Beleriand style, where vowels are written as separate characters instead of diacritics. This is correct for second-age Elven writing in Eriador. Points there.

When I watched the episode, I was expecting this to be Sindarin, but it is actually English, transliterated phonetically. This means they are using a phonetic English full mode based on the Sindarin mode of Beleriand. Tolkien had a couple of these, but as far as I can tell, they came up with this one themselves. But it was done a bit...oddly.

First off, here it is as plain Standard English™, in ASCII:

Durin IV, I humbly request your attendance in Eregion, that I might present a new offer for the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm. Despite your recent misfortunes, I believe your ears are best suited to listen to this proposition. My people are in your debt, and I...

Okay, mostly ASCII. But anyway, this is what the letter says. No need to obsess over it and spend several hours dissecting it and writing a deep analysis.

...Unless?

Lets number the lines.

Now, lets go through it line by line, phonetically. I will be using the Quenya names for the tengwar given on Amanyë Tenceli.

1: Durin 4,

Not all that much to say yet. Note the doubled stem on the first tengwa, Ando. This is comparable to the ornate first letters in illuminated manuscripts, and does not change anything. It looks a bit like a friend we will meet in a moment, though, so it was worth mentioning.

They didnt use a dot or ring to mark the 4 as a number, but since its a single digit below 10, no big deal.

2: ai hambly rikwest yór (I humbly request your)

So this suddenly became a mess. But, actually, not really; remember, this is a phonetic transcription, so strictly speaking, anything goes, as long as it sounds right when you read it back out.

The first thing I noticed was the tehta on the last word, the rightward hook. That is the O-tehta, used to mark a consonantal tengwa with a preceding or following O-vowel...something a full mode is specifically supposed to not be doing. Here, it is over Anna, which also represents an o in the Beleriand mode. So I figured it was standing for a lengthened ó, but in a weird way similar to how diphthongs are written. Then I saw the same tehta over Úrë on a later line, and realized: the way to lengthen a vowel in the Beleriand mode is to use an andatehta. This is usually the E-tehta, which looks like an acute accent. Here, they simply swapped that out for the more interesting looking O-tehta. I havent seen this before, but I like it. Sauron did something vaguely similar, using the O-tehta in the ring inscription to represent U-vowels in the Black Speech.

Lets talk about those ys. That tengwa is Ára, which is used for a consonantal i, in words like iâth and iorhael. Basically, think of it as a J in Latin. (I am having trouble digging up my old source on this, but the transcriptions on Eldamo seem to agree with me.) The point is, as a consonant, Ára fits perfectly for "your", but doesnt really make sense for "humbly". The Beleriand Sindarin mode already has a vocalic y, using Silmë Nuquerna; it represents a vowel we do not even have in English, so there would be no conflict to simply repurpose it for this. Ára was an odd choice.

3: itendins in eregion, (attendance in Eregion,) 4: dhaet ai mait prezent i (that I might present a)

Here it gets weird. The first i on line 3 and the last on 4, both Telco, both represent what was originally a. A few things could be happening here.

In the Classical mode, for Quenya, Telco is a carrier mark, with no sound of its own. Additionally, the A-tehta can be dropped where it can be assumed, because it is both the most common vowel in Quenya and the most complicated tehta to write. Because of these two facts, a lone Telco can be read as an A-vowel. But this is a different mode for a different language. I hope this isnt what they were going for.

They may be using Telco to represent Schwa. This fits perfectly for these two occurrences, and several other lines, but I would expect it to also be used, for example, in "hambly" above and "av" below.

It could be an indeterminate vowel, essentially meaning "figure it out yourself". This seems feasible, to me; this is the default in many languages, including Khuzdûl, and the letter is being written to a Dwarf, after all. But also, the letter is being written to a Dwarf, by an Elf. This is a diplomatic letter. An indeterminate vowel seems a bit too...casual? for this context.

The ae diphthong in "dhaet"/"that" is a bit odd too, but it might be based on IPA [æ], the vowel in "that".

5: nú ófir fór dhi dwórvz (new offer for the Dwarves) 6: av khazaddúm. (of Khazad-dûm.)

I appreciate "khazaddúm" being run together like this. Fun fact: the hyphens in names (like this and "Gil-galad") are for our benefit only; they are not used when writing with the Tengwar (at least as far as I have ever seen, but I cant afford the really good sources like Vinyar Tengwar and Parma Eldalamberon).

Also note the use of Quessë for kh. This is very strange. First, the Beleriand mode does not use tengwar from the quessetéma (fourth column), except for Wilya, so this use of Quessë was added for the show. Secondly, the Beleriand mode already has a tengwa that represents this sound: Aha (or Harma).

However, Aha is usually romanized as ch, instead of kh. It may be that the transliterator was working from a character table, saw "ch", assumed it to represent [tʃ] (as in English) instead of [x], and decided to repurpose an unused tengwa.

7: dispait yór ryisint (Despite your recent) 8: mysfórchinz, ai bylyiv (misfortunes, I believe)

Ope, here we go using Ára as a vowel again.

Wait...what? Why are you using Ára, which you are already using as a Y-vowel, with the Y-tehta? Treating that as a diphthong like ai, it turns out as yi. What is this? Is this supposed to be like "Kyiv"? Is this even still the same person as the first half?

EDIT 2024-09-03: Skimming over this again, they did indeed use Aha here to represent [tʃ], the English value of ch, and I totally missed the connection. I guess I was distracted by this yi business. Anyway, this shows that they were at least aware of Aha, and most likely did see it labelled as "ch". I am okay with the idea of reassigning it, as it is in one of the three primary témar in the mode, and English does use [tʃ] vastly more than [x]. But, as mentioned below, Hwesta is used for [x] in Gondor, so I would have simply borrowed that, rather than arbitrarily assigning Quessë. That might be slightly anachronistic, though.

Also, @tragedykery in the replies has pointed out that the vowel /iː/ can become the diphthong [ɪj] in certain situations in Celebrimbor's accent (thanks :D), which may have been the intent behind the Ára diphthong I interpret as yi. This also fits well with ae representing [æ].

9: yór yrz or best sútyd (your ears are best suited)

"OR"??? ...Okay, I see what happened here, actually. Anna looks like ɑ (and its name even starts with an A), but in the Beleriand mode, it actually represents an O-vowel. This one was most likely just a proofreading slip.

Gonna have to put Ára up on the high shelf soon, though. You know, the high shelves? The ones who have seen the light of the coat trees.

10: tú lysin tú dhys (to listen to this) 11: propizyʃin. mai pyipil (proposition. My people)

Here they used Hwesta to represent, presumably, [ʃ]. This is another repurposed tengwa from the quessetéma. This one, however, does not already have an equivalent in this mode. Fair play.

Incidentally, Hwesta is directly adjacent to Aha on the chart, and is itself used to represent [x] in the mode of Gondor.

"Pyipil" is very strange. But then, so is "people". And so are people.

12: or yn yor det, ind ai (are in your debt, and I)

This is the last line, with the bottom cut off, but I think this is right, looking at the line weights. Featuring the return of our friend "or".

Vocalic Ára aside, "yn" is very interesting, because "in" has already shown up, way back on line 3. I really do wonder whether they had two people on this.

Also interesting is "yor", without a long vowel. This one is definitely just a simple proofreading mistake.

Overall, I would say this is...decent. Again, it is a phonetic transcription, and it is 100% legible. From that angle, mission accomplished. I do wish they had written it in Sindarin, or, failing that, defined a more comprehensive and consistent Beleriand English mode to work from.

And of course, this still absolutely puts Shadow of War to shame.

Finally, here is the full actual text of the letter, in the Tengwar, according to the character mapping of the Free Tengwar Font Project. I have absolutely no idea how Tumblr is going to respond to this. For science :D

                                            

Ah. Looks like thats the same Unicode block Tumblr uses for their own custom characters. So its probably not worth it to try to get Tumblr to use a Tengwar font, because it would break other stuff. Should be able to paste that mess into a compatible text editor and look at it there, though, so I will leave it in.

[azelfandquilava]

Here. A deep Three Houses lore joke for ya'll about Rhea (or Seiros I suppose) and Wihelm.

[mythbustersfacts]

[Opening Scene: The MythBusters workshop. Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman stand in front of a collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts]

Jamie: [skeptical] Adam it looks like you've been on tumblr again, do the fans have another myth for us to test?

Adam: [excitedly] Today, we’re diving into a modern myth that’s taken the internet by storm—the mystery of the White Pharaoh.

Jamie: [nodding] This enigmatic figure is said to be an ancient Egyptian pharaoh with distinctly European features. Some claim he’s from an American textbook, while others say he's a character from a slot machine.

Adam: And there’s a twist! Rumor has it, this character is based on a real person living in Utah, who’s supposedly forcing people to build pyramids. Crazy, right?

Jamie: [raising an eyebrow] We’re going to investigate the origins of this character, let's start by looking into the slot machine story.

[Adam and Jamie walk into a glitzy casino, filled with the sounds of slot machines and the buzz of excitement. They head towards the corner where a Pharaoh’s Fire machine stands prominently.]

Adam: [pointing to the screen] That’s the guy! The White Pharaoh. Notice the European features, quite different from traditional Egyptian depictions!

Jamie: [curious] We’ve arranged to meet with a game designer who worked on Pharaoh’s Fire. Let’s see what he has to say about the design choices.

[The team meets with the game designer, a cheerful professional eager to discuss his work. They gather around a table with a laptop showing design sketches.]

Game Designer: [pointing to the screen] The White Pharaoh was designed to stand out and appeal to a wide audience. We used a mix of features to create a character that was both exotic and familiar.

Jamie: [deadpan] So, no historical basis at all?

Game Designer: [shaking his head] None whatsoever. It’s purely a creative blend. We wanted a character that would be memorable and fit the adventurous theme of the game.

Adam: [raising an eyebrow] Did you expect this character to become an internet sensation and a point of debate about ancient Egyptian history?

Game Designer: [laughing] Not at all! It’s incredible how a piece of gaming art can take on a life of its own. But remember, it’s just a game character, not a depiction of real history.

[The team thanks the designer and leaves the casino, ready for the next phase of their investigation.]

[The camera follows the MythBusters team as they drive through the scenic landscapes of Utah. They discuss their mission to find the real-life White Pharaoh, rumored to be somewhere in the state.]

Adam: [approaching a local] Excuse me, we’re looking for someone known as the White Pharaoh. Do you know where we might find him?

Local: [pointing to a distant hill] He lives up there, in that big house. You can’t miss it. But be careful, folks around here say he’s a bit... eccentric.

Jamie: [turning to the camera] Alright, let’s go meet the man behind the myth.

[The team approaches a large, pyramid-shaped house on the hill. They knock on the door and are greeted by a tall, pale man dressed in an ornate robe. His features strikingly resemble those of the White Pharaoh from the slot machine game.]

White Pharaoh: [smiling warmly] Welcome, travelers. I am the White Pharaoh. What brings you to my domain?

Adam: [extending a hand] We’re the MythBusters. We’re here to learn more about you and your connection to this image that’s been circulating online.

White Pharaoh: [eyes narrowing slightly] Ah, the internet… always spreading tales. Come in, let’s discuss this over some tea.

[The team enters the house, which is filled with eclectic decorations and tapestries, including numerous Egyptian artifacts and pyramid models. They sit down in a cozy living room.]

Jamie: [looking around] This is quite a collection you have here.

White Pharaoh: [smiling mysteriously] I am fascinated by ancient Egypt and have devoted my life to studying it. Some even say I am the reincarnation of an ancient pharaoh.

Adam: [leaning in] And what about the pyramids? We’ve heard rumors you’re involved in building some out here.

White Pharaoh: [chuckling softly] Yes, I have a few projects going on. I believe in bringing a piece of Egypt to the American landscape.

Adam: [nervously] And these people working for you... are they volunteers?

White Pharaoh: [gazing intently] They are devoted followers. They believe in the vision I have for restoring the glory of ancient Egypt.

[As the conversation continues, the atmosphere grows increasingly tense. The team notices several people working outside, surrounding the Mythbusters van and stacking large stones around it in pyramid shapes under the White Pharaoh’s watchful eye.]

Adam: [whispering to Jamie] This is getting weird. We need to wrap this up.

Jamie: [nodding subtly] Agreed. Let’s make our exit.

White Pharaoh: [suddenly standing up] You must see the pyramids we’re building. Come, I insist.

[The team follows the White Pharaoh outside, where they are led to a large, partially constructed pyramid. The workers, looking exhausted, glance at them with a mix of fear and curiosity.]

White Pharaoh: [gesturing grandly] Behold! The future of Egypt in America. Isn’t it magnificent?

Adam: [backing away slightly] It’s... impressive. But we really should be going.

White Pharaoh: [smiling ominously] Oh, but you must stay. We could use your skills to complete our masterpiece.

[The camera captures the tension as Adam and Jamie face the White Pharaoh. The air is thick with unease, and the followers of the White Pharaoh begin to close in on the MythBusters team, their intentions unclear but menacing.]

Jamie: [firmly] We’re leaving. Now.

Adam: [nervously chuckling] Yeah, thanks for the tour, but we have a lot of other myths to bust today.

[The White Pharaoh’s smile fades, replaced by a cold, calculating expression. He raises a hand, and his followers tighten their circle around Adam and Jamie.]

White Pharaoh: [calmly] I’m afraid I can’t allow that. You’ve seen too much. You will help us complete the pyramid... or you will never leave.

[Adam and Jamie exchange worried glances, realizing the seriousness of their situation. The followers, looking more desperate than before, begin to push them towards the unfinished pyramid.]

Jamie: [to Adam, quietly] We need to find a way out of here, now.

Adam: [looking around for an escape route] Agreed. Let’s create a distraction.

[Adam notices a pile of construction tools nearby. He subtly picks up a hammer, trying to hide his movements from the encroaching followers.]

Adam: [raising his voice, addressing the White Pharaoh] You know, I’ve always wanted to test the structural integrity of a pyramid like this.

White Pharaoh: [intrigued, momentarily distracted] Oh? And how do you plan to do that?

[Adam suddenly throws the hammer towards a stack of equipment and knocks over a circular saw causing a loud crash and a cloud of dust to rise. The followers instinctively look towards the noise.]

Adam: [shouting] Now, Jamie!

[Taking advantage of the confusion, Adam and Jamie sprint towards their van, dodging followers who are trying to block their path. The scene is chaotic, with followers stumbling and shouting in the dust cloud.]

Jamie: [grabbing the driver’s side door] Get in, Adam!

[Adam dives into the passenger seat as Jamie revs the engine. The van lurches forward, scattering the followers who are still trying to recover from the sudden disruption.]

White Pharaoh: [yelling angrily] Stop them! They must not escape!

[The van speeds down the dirt path, kicking up a trail of dust. The camera captures the frantic followers chasing after them on foot and throwing pyramid-shaped stones but they quickly fall behind.]

Adam: [panting, looking back through the rear window] That was close. Way too close.

Jamie: [focused on the road, accelerating away from the scene] Yeah, but we made it. Let’s just hope we’re not followed.

[The camera follows the van as it navigates the winding roads of Utah, the unfinished pyramid and the White Pharaoh’s house fading into the distance. The mood inside the van is tense but relieved.]

[Musical Sting and Scene Transition: Back at the Workshop]

[Cut to the MythBusters workshop. Adam and Jamie stand in front of the camera, looking slightly shaken but with a hint of excitement in their eyes. The familiar backdrop of tools and experiments gives a sense of safety and normalcy.]

Adam: [seriously] Our investigation into the White Pharaoh took us on a journey we never expected. We set out to explore a modern meme and myth, but what we discovered was far beyond what we imagined.

Jamie: [nodding] The White Pharaoh isn’t just a character from a slot machine. He’s real, and he’s out there in Utah, building his vision of a new Egypt in America. We saw it with our own eyes, and it was both fascinating and a bit terrifying.

Adam: [leaning forward, with intensity] He claims to be a reincarnated pharaoh, surrounded by followers who are completely devoted to his cause. They’re constructing pyramids in the desert, bringing ancient dreams into modern reality.

Jamie: [smirking slightly] So, after meeting him and seeing his projects firsthand, we have to say... myth confirmed. The White Pharaoh is real, and he’s turning his own myth into reality.

Adam: Confirmed!

[pastacatprod]

Elden Ring theory based on extensive DLC research: Messmer is Messmer.

Just hear me out.

Both Messmer and Messmer like fire and snakes and impaling. If either one of them liked just one of those things that'd be something, but all three? I don't believe in coincidences.

[stra-tek]

The Weirdest Places on Federation Starships

Engineering on the U.S.S. Enterprise (2009 Star Trek) has a maze of coolant pipes which of course lead to a giant blender

The classic movie Enterprise-A has a 78 deck turbolift shaft, numbered bottom to top when she ship should really only have 20something decks, numbered from top to bottom

There's an entire swamp on the deck beneath the arboretum on the U.S.S. Cerritos (Lower Decks), full of hallucinogenic spores

The U.S.S. Franklin (Star Trek Beyond) has 3 decks on the outside, but an infinite turbolift shaft on the inside

But the U.S.S. Discovery NCC-1031-A tops everything with The Great Turbolift Carverns hidden between her decks, stretching off into infinity and full of what look like giant electrical transformers and entire buildings

[xigrif]

Hey. Can you come here? I need to tell you something.

There is, if I manage to get to it, a comic where Ashley draws a wolf. I am going to do you dirty - I am not going to let you see Ashley's wolf drawing in that comic. That might bother you, or make you sad, I don't know. I can't predict how you'll feel. I can't realistically hope to mitigate the unknowable, but who wants to be realistic...? What I am going to show you is an approximation of what an Ashley wolf drawing could look like - I'm not saying it's concretely his; I like to keep some things nebulous, I like to keep things indistinct. Basically just look at this thing and keep it in the back of your mind, a tiny treasure to be tucked away and subsequently retrieved if we ever get to that comic. What I'm saying is... You saw it here first.

[tlwebb]

[tuituipupu]

one of my colleagues is getting a kitten so if she names it biscuit or chanel i will lose my mind.