#doctor death: seeker of souls

[weirdlookindog]

Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls (1973)

[skjam]

Pulp Crossover Fodder: Doctor Death, Seeker of Souls

SPOILER WARNING: This entry has massive SPOILERS for the movie Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls (1973) so fans of schlocky horror movies might want to check it out on Youtube or other perfectly legal sources before having all the twists revealed here.

Okay, ready?

The man sometimes referred to as "Doctor Death" was originally an alchemist/magus working in an unidentified European area in the Middle Ages, pursuing the goal of immortality. Having realized that attempting to make his original body immortal was a dead end (pun intended), he focused his efforts on "selective reincarnation."

He discovered that a recently-deceased corpse could be reanimated (and the cause of death fixed) with the soul of another recently deceased person. The alchemist, already near death, murdered his young apprentice and then committed suicide to test the process. It worked!

He had a long life in his second body, but planned poorly, so when the crisis came again, the only available victim was a young female servant. He enjoyed...some...aspects of being a woman, but overall female bodies don't suit him (we'd call it gender dysphoria these days) and switched again as soon as he could arrange it.

Over the centuries, Doctor Death has had many bodies, including sometimes small children, and at least one each black dude and East Asian woman. Sometimes he was able to keep wealth from previous lives, sometimes not. A source of income for him was the ability to provide "selective reincarnation" for other people in exchange for cash or later favors.

By the early 1970s, Doctor Death had been living for some years in the body of a man who strongly resembled actor John Considine and going by the name Dr. Brilliant. He'd gathered a small cultlike following that allowed him to live comfortably.

But then he met Fred Saunders. Fred's wife Laura had recently died, and he'd become obsessed with the belief that she wanted to come back to him. Fred rapidly discovered that most mediums, psychics and mystics are complete frauds. At the end of his rope, he was approached by a woman named Tana (Dr. Brilliant's "wife") and invited to a performance.

Doctor Death put on what looked like a cheap stage magic act, transferring the soul of a disfigured woman into the body of an extremely beautiful young woman who'd been murdered by a jealous lover. Doctor Death named the hybrid girl "Venus." Despite looking and sounding like a charlatan, "Dr. Brilliant" was clearly the real deal.

Fred paid $50,000 to have Laura revived, despite reservations about the ethics and actual outcome of the process.

Doctor Death had elevated Venus to his primary lover, much to the jealous rage of Tana. Since Tana had become an inconvenience now, Doctor Death decided to murder her to revive Laura. For the first time ever, the body refused this soul.

Baffled, Doctor Death tried again and again. Even after Fred withdrew his request, Doctor Death insisted on completing the revival of Laura, no matter how many pretty ladies had to die. Up to and including Fred's secretary and his new love interest Sandy.

Fatally wounded, Doctor Death finally succeeded by transferring his own powerful soul into Laura's body--and that's the last we see of him. (There was no sequel.)

Powers: In addition to several lifetimes of knowledge and the "selective reincarnation" process, each of Doctor Death's bodies has highly corrosive black acid for blood. (This appears to be a side effect of multiple reincarnations, as none of the other reincarnatees have this issue.)

Personality: As might be expected from someone who murders people on the regular to fuel his immortality, Doctor Death is very self-centered and callous about death. He can be quite charming when he wants, but is quick to drop any relationship he's not profiting from. His mannerisms are theatrical. Doctor Death is also very horny and has an eye for pretty women, sometimes letting his lust override his better judgement.

Associates: In the early 1970s, Doctor Death's primary henchman is Thor, a large, muscular one-eyed mute. He had been with the Doctor for at least two decades, and possibly more than one body, having sworn service after Doctor Death swapped him into this powerful form. He'd ripped out his own tongue to prevent Egyptian authorities from making him tell the Doctor's hiding place. He often did the actual murder, having no qualms about this, but died for real during the Saunders affair. In addition, Doctor Death has a number of hidden contacts he's either reincarnated or contracted to reincarnate at a later date that he can call in favors from.

Oh, and Tana was his "wife" during the early 1970s, doing recruiting work as well as presumably all the housekeeping chores.

Fanfic uses: Prior to 1973, Doctor Death is probably not suited to a primary opponent role. He's more of a background explanation for why another baddie has come back from the dead in a new body, and the fellow who gets out of town fast when the unexplained corpses start getting too hot an investigation. He hasn't knowingly met other immortals in his backstory, so be careful about that. He might be encountered, but not fought.

After 1973, Doctor Death will probably want to ditch the Laura body pretty quickly despite all the trouble he went through to get it. That's when more modern adventurers can get on his trail. Doctor Death can look like anyone, but that trail of bodies is pretty noticeable as records get automated and centralized.

There are a bunch of souls that he ripped out to try to stuff in Laura--it's never explained what happened to them, so that's a good story thread.

Thoughts, comments?

@krinsbez

[mater-argento]

[roxysretrodrive-in]

Retro Trailer: Doctor Death (1973)

Also goes by the name "Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls".

Disclaimer: I am not associated with the uploader nor the creators of this trailer.

[jessamine-rose]

⋆˚♱ଘ Requiem for the Damned ଓ♱˚⋆

*holds head in hands* Idk why Dottore keeps haunting me with writing inspo. And for this idea to manifest just before Holy Week….fuck it, I hope you all enjoy the blasphemous tale of Priest! Dottore x Demon! Darling _:(´ཀ`」 ∠):

Tw:: yandere, violence, death, religious abuse, dubcon, mention of nsfw, MINORS DNI

Note:: fictional depictions of religion

♡ 2.7k words under the cut ♡

♡ Despite your status as a wandering demon, you have no place in human cognizance. Rather, you conceal yourself from mortal eyes in favor of close observations and whispered temptations. Humans, from your perspective, are interesting creatures—they are ambitious, easily influenced by spiritual beings, capable of both good and evil.

♡ And what better example than the one who summoned you on a starry night? Such rituals are not uncommon amongst heretics, but most only succeed in invoking the contempt of their fellow humans. And few would invoke your name, much less commit sacrilege within the walls of the Church.

♡ You sense danger immediately upon your appearance. Within the summoning circle, you take note of your sigil perfectly illustrated in blood against marble. Beyond it, what alarms you is not your sacred surroundings nor the fresh corpse mixed with your offerings of books and fruit. It is the figure standing over you, cloaked in moonlight, gazing at you with eyes the color of hellfire.

“My ritual is a success. Welcome to my humble church, o noble demon…or would you rather be addressed by your epithet? ______, Fallen Seraph, the Seeker of Forbidden Knowledge.”

♡ A glimpse into his soul is all it takes to strike fear into your heart. Within Hell, there are rumors of a small village in Sumeru. Its people are nothing of note, a congregation of simpletons whose lives revolve around the beliefs of their Church. The lone exception is the main priest, Father Zandik, better known as Il Dottore.

♡ The stories, passed through human voices, speak of a child ostracized for his unconventional beliefs and his interest in the macabre. Branded a madman, he was placed in the care of the Church elders who corrected his ways of thinking. Once he became of age, Zandik was given the choice to move out of the rectory or to remain as a priest; he chose the latter of his own volition.

♡ Since his ordination, Zandik has proved himself to be an exceptional priest. He educates the masses, reviews theological texts, performs exorcisms, and provides religious counsel for the doubtful. He even serves as the town’s doctor, fully gaining the acceptance of his community.

♡ The rumors don’t stop there. For Il Dottore earned his title by performing miracles. It is he who guides the people into religious ecstasy, he who cures the sick from mysterious curses, he who blesses the weak into “enhanced humans.” There are already whispers that once Dottore’s mortality catches up with him, he will surely be canonized as the Patron Saint of Doctors and Miracles.

♡ But spiritual beings such as yourself know the truth. That Dottore is neither a kind priest nor a devout believer, that his days in the Church only magnified his heretical inclinations. Disillusioned with God, Zandik decided to turn His religious sanctuary into his own laboratory, one where he could fulfill his lust for knowledge through a mask of holiness.

♡ He manipulates the people with false teachings. He triggers religious ecstasy with drugged incense. He singles out devotees to “test their faith” during the quiet hours of the Church. And what the town perceives as curses and miracles are actually scientific experiments in which Dottore plays god.

♡ It’s too late to escape. No matter your divine powers, nothing prepares you for Dottore’s traps. The incantations, the barrier of the summoning circle, an aura so holy yet sinister that it couldn’t possibly come from ordinary religious objects—all you can do is fall to your knees and beg for his mercy, all the while he watches you with a confident smile.

♡ His intentions are like that of any human: He summoned you to form a contract. In exchange for his soul, he demands your knowledge, your resources, your full servitude for so long as he roams the mortal plane. Your hesitation only triggers another wave of scorching pain, followed by panic as Dottore grips your horn and forces you to face him.

“Make no mistake, ______. The mere fact of your divinity does not make you indestructible. In exchange for your cooperation, you will bear witness to experiments of the same magnitude as God’s creations. What say you?”

♡ You have no other choice. And that is how, in the sanctity of the Church, you make a deal with the human named Zandik. Once the pact has been forged, Dottore admires the bright sigil on his chest, plucks a few feathers from your wings, and disables the summoning circle so you can leave. Thus begins your personal hell.

♡ It is easy for you to answer Dottore’s questions about the divine. The horror lies in assisting him in experiments, responding to his summons no matter the inconvenience, allowing him to extract your blood, tears, and feathers. No, what’s most humiliating is when he uses your body for his “research,” bending you over the altar and bringing you to physical ecstasy against your will.

♡ At this point, you don’t know who to pray to. One night, Dottore shows you a secret room in his laboratory. As soon as he lights the lamps, your eyes take in numerous bodies and skeletons of a different classification from his usual victims. The extra bones jutting from the scapulas, the amputated wings, the halos pinned to the walls, the holy aura you’d felt from his religious objects…instantly, Dottore’s powers make sense.

“This is my first specimen. She was my guardian angel…no, I jest. She was a mere messenger who implored me to repent for my sins. From her words, I deduced it had been within Heaven’s capacity to save me during my youth—and yet God only sent an angel to me after my first act of blasphemy.”

The angels…how many has he killed? Not even during your fall from Heaven did you feel such primal fear for your life. But you cannot scream—you have long been trained to resist fight and flight. All you can do is listen to Dottore’s explanation, watch as he approaches a pure white skeleton and wraps his hands around its fractured hyoid bone.

He gives you a calm smile. “Luckily, her body provided me with indispensable resources for my experiments and my procurement of her brethren. I believe her name was Sohreh.”

♡ Just when you think it can’t get any worse, Dottore points at the far corner of the room to reveal a space dedicated to demons. Four dead bodies, their causes of death vividly described. Horns, wings, and other body parts amputated in exchange for lives spared after exorcisms. And when Dottore returns to your side, tracing the wound from where he broke off your horn, you can only tremble and acquiesce to a checkup. It grows back fully by the end of the year.

♡ He has his moments of vulnerability, however. Perhaps it is due to your nature as a demon, a creature which represents evil, that Dottore does not hide his heart from you. Once, after his usual confessions—he always makes up trivial sins—he remains in the confessional until his fellow priest has left. Then he goes to the altar and summons you.

♡ What catches you off-guard is not his lack of greetings. Rather, it’s the way he pulls you close to his body, lips ghosting the curve of your ear. There, in the heart of the Church, he whispers to you every sin he has ever committed. Despite his normal tone of voice, his words have never betrayed a language so guiltless, so sincere, so human.

♡ He asks how much of his madness is to blame on the influence of demons, or if he had been born wicked. He asks if humans were truly given the mental faculties to withstand temptation regardless of their circumstances. He asks if the same can be said for spiritual beings, questioning why former angels like you were also created with the capacity to sin. He even asks if praying for a demon can offer them any hope of salvation.

♡ It takes you a while to answer his questions. It’s just like him to put your emotions in disarray, to make you feel pity for the very cause of your current suffering. Against your nature, you wonder if there is still a chance for Zandik, if he can somehow repent or find a way to save himself from your contract and all of his sins. Even if it is too late, He has always been more forgiving to humans than angels.

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨

“Do you know why I became a demon, Zandik?”

Your question is what prompts Zandik to pull away from you, though his touch lingers. His gaze, as always, is unfathomable; you can never discern what hides within those pools of crimson.

“No, I do not. Few demonological texts allude to your existence, and only the Lesser Key of Deshret cites your previous status as an angel of the highest ranking. I have made theories in relation to your epithets but I respect all possibilities. Now what would you, as the primary source, reveal to me?”

Now it is your turn to confess.

“Seraphim are the closest to God but for that reason, we are the most distant from His creations. Everything we know of the world is derived only from what He tells us, not our own insights. And so I defied His Word and ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, committing the same sin which condemned all of humanity.”

The tip of your upper wing brushes against Zandik’s face, while your middle wings encircle his body in a loose hug. As for your lower wings…they are nothing but twin scars covered in short feathers. After your descent, it seemed like a rational decision to chop them off, broken as they were. It helped that your wings had just outgrown their original purpose.

For once, you barely flinch at the sensation of his touch against your scars. Many times, Zandik has inquired about the loss of your lower wings and even asked if he could have them. They still remain in Hell, tucked away in a corner of your home, eyes forever closed.

It takes a few seconds for him to respond. “Do you ever regret your decision?”

You shrug. “It was difficult at first, naturally. Many of my eyes were blinded—yes, that is why I rarely open the ones on my wings—but those which still function have seen so many wonderful sights up-close. Neither must I cover my face with my remaining wings. And despite being what your kind and my former brethren would dub a monster…I’m happier now.”

“I see, I see.” His curiosity appears far from sated, however, a sentiment you can empathize with. “As I thought, God is incomprehensible. For Him to deny even His greatest creation of salvation…it confirms that there are limits to the forgiveness of that which humans call a ‘loving god.’ Thank you for sharing this knowledge with me.”

And just as quickly as he initiated his confession, Zandik steps out of your grasp and dismisses you. But you make no haste, silently watching him after you “leave.”

His expression is thoughtful. A gloved hand touches his chest, right above your sigil.

Such an interesting creature.

Honestly, you don’t know what to make of your feelings for this human. Much as you despise his cruel treatment towards you, he never fails to capture your interest with his experiments and philosophies. Whenever he speaks of God, you wonder if a small part of him still desires to be saved. But that will never be.

Zandik preaches salvation with the knowledge that he will never receive it. For the Church never taught him how to love.

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨

♡ Il Dottore never became the Patron Saint of Doctors and Miracles. Neither did he have a funeral mass befitting of a priest, nor a peaceful death from natural causes. Instead, he died young, laicized, once again denounced as a heretic by his community.

♡ You don’t know how his crimes were exposed, and why now. Perhaps it is God’s punishment for him, a blessing for his victims, or both. Either way, Dottore paid for his sins on a sunny day, burned at the stake before a disdainful crowd. Not long after his heart stopped beating, his belongings were thrown into the fire—research, tools, anything which carried his memory.

♡ You never left his side. After his last rites, led by an elderly bishop who condemned Zandik as he did in the past, you sat next to him and offered a final conversation. He didn’t express any fear nor sadness in regards to his imminent death, merely stating it a pity that his achievements could never be appreciated in his town.

♡ …He did ask if there is any chance of meeting again in Hell, but you reminded him that the punishment of sinners is out of your jurisdiction. Plus, it’s better that way—you have no desire to avenge yourself, and you’d rather not witness Zandik’s suffering for all eternity. You can only imagine the severity of his punishment, what more if he is assigned to one of the demons he exorcized.

♡ During his execution, you stood at the front of the crowd. You kept your eyes trained on him, for so long as his scarlet orbs remained open, whispering the prayers for the dead on his behalf. While a part of you felt liberated, another was mournful. You hope your last words to Zandik gave him solace in his final moments.

“Rest now, Zandik. God may never forgive your sins, but I shall.”

♡ And thus ends the life of Il Dottore. In the following days, the Church is purged of its holy, sinister aura, mainly because they discarded the religious objects tainted with angel remains. You continue your usual obligations as a wandering demon, but the humans you observe pale in comparison to your companion of many years.

♡ Not long after, you return to Hell for your other divine duties. As soon as you appear in your abode, however, something feels off. The sinister aura, the offering of books and fruit, your lower wings gone from their original place… The answer comes in the form of a hand grabbing you by the horn, pulling you backwards, twisting your body to meet a familiar gaze the color of hearth-fire. Only, this time, those eyes are brimming with pure joy, paired with a genuine smile.

♡ Apparently, Dottore’s soul did end up in Hell but not in the way you expected. In a proud voice, he explains that the Devil gave him a special fate. Whether it was due to vacant positions or everyone’s fear of the infamous “Demon-Killer,” you’ll never know. What Dottore does confirm is that as the demon bound to him via contract, you have to take responsibility and act as his companion in Hell.

“Rather than subject me to eternal suffering, the Devil believed that my talents would prove useful for the punishments of my fellow sinners. How wonderful is it for my achievements to be recognized in Hell? …Oh? I didn’t predict such a physical reaction from you. All of your eyes are wide open, and you seem to be on the verge of fainting.”

♡ You don’t know if you want to laugh or cry. To think your personal hell has been extended to eternity—are your sins enough to warrant such a fate?! But after confirming your misfortune, all you can do is sigh and tend to Zandik. He looks exactly the same, with the exception of a few burn scars on his body. And judging by the familiar black feathers on his person, he seems eager to discard his former religious attire along with his mask of faith.

♡ And when Zandik unfastens his scorched cassock, he takes your hand and places it on his unburned chest, right above your sigil. It glows vibrantly, brighter than any light you laid eyes on in Heaven. And beneath the flesh, you can feel his heart beating in sync with yours.

“Tell me, ______, do I still appear human to you?”

“You already know my answer to that question. But fine, I’ll admit it: Yes, you always have.”

♡ 

More Church AU here!! Capitano ๑ Arlecchino ๑ Pantalone ๑ Pierro ๑ Dainsleif

Note:: Please do not send me any Church AU asks/ requests involving other characters or dynamics who are not listed in my masterlist.

At long last, I am free from Priesttore…thank you to everyone. To my readers, to my fellow Dottore simps, to my mutuals who indulged my tortured DMs after midnight, to the artist whose fan art inspired this idea to begin with. May you all have a lovely day╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

Tag a Dottore enjoyer!! @leftdestiny-posts @beloved-blaiddyd @mochinon-yah @diodellet @lcveaesop @oofasleep @bye-bye-sunbird @yandere-romanticaa @boundinparchment @harmonysanreads @teabutmakeitazure @yandere-wishes @yanmaresu @nicebonescomrades @nimandu @lesanyanyas @moarar

[enden-k]

Just out of curiosity, if the things were to be reversed (fear Vika/human Saran), what do you think Vika's characteristics would be? I'm intrigued! Do you think their personalities might change? Maybe Saran would be less closed off? The fear itself (you mentioned it was like phobias? Iirc?) Would change?

Totally not trying to get you to talk more about lore and what goes behind fears/Saran turning into one, no sir-

"fear" is just the term used for any type of paranormal being that manifests due to intense negative energy (most often resentment, anger, hatred, sorrow,...) : theyre ranging from ghosts of deceased, manifestations of fears and phobias, nightmares and spirits etcetc and some are harmless and neutral (they can always evolve into smth evil tho) while others are harmful and evil

saran is not a phobia/fear manifestation like mogu is for example; hes a special case of vengeful ghost who went through a mutation (dont wanna disclose too much or i spoil a good chunk)

if their roles would be reversed...thats such a fun question!!! i think i might do an AU of it even AHHAKJSBCK i thought up a whole changed, alternative storyline now

warning for tiny (non descriptive tho) suicide mention, just in case

if their roles would be reversed, half of it would basically be like "if saran didnt die" scenario. their reversed story wont go exactly like the canon story goes tho bc theres no vengeful saran, no fear seeker eyes, no azais questionable methods

sarans life would go exactly how it did before his death (just the 7 years later, in the current present); hes in his early 30s, finished his studies to become a doctor and doing the amygdala stuff as a side job as azais partner since he still refuses to mingle w the ghost world again tooooo much bc of his upbringing in the cult (he always wanted to be just a normal guy instead of constantly interacting with the paranormal)

amygdala isnt a big exorcist organization like it is in canon story but rather a smaller group of exorcists now (basically, just one elite now instead of 10). azai and saran never had the argument that led to his death and azai didnt go the villainous route (lol) which makes saran still one of the only ones who can see the unseen all clear like he sees the living (like in canon story when he was alive)

which also makes him the first to notice and see vika who is a sorrowful sad puppy ghost full of regret bc he was enticed into suicide by an entity and still young and new to the whole paranormal world. its the first time saran feels for a ghost and doesnt exorcise them. vika ends up haunting him instead of the other way around (bc of course they fall in love with each other <3 in every universe) and sticks to him while saran keeps an eye on him to make sure his pure soul wont get corrupted and he ends up an evil ghost. he wants vika to have the chance to enjoy the life that was ended so quickly so early (vika is around the same age as canon) and vika wants him and only him to exorcise him before sarans life comes to an end one day

basically, less dramatic than canon story i guess? just saran and his puppy of a sorrowful ghost living a more or less domestic life bc theres no amygdala doing shady shit in the background and no certain vengeful spirits eating eyes and trying to take revenge kajscbjk

their personalities are still the same, altho saran has less of a "creepy evil" side since hes no evil ghost anymore and vika is even more puppy i think??

[swannbluana]

revati through eren & viktor: the fallen heroes

“i understand now. the message hidden within the pattern. the reason for our failures in the commune. the doctor was right, it’s inescapable. humanity. our collective essence, our emotions, rage, compassion, hate. two sides of the same coin, even strictly bound.” –viktor, arcane.

when the last season of arcane dropped, i was watching and noticed the themes viktor represents and expresses throughout the show reminded me of eren. come to find out, their voice actors are both revati moons.

eren–attack on titan [yuki kaji]: revati moon

viktor–arcane [harry lloyd]: revati moon

･ﾟﾟ･｡

the initial motivation for these two characters both pertained to gaining freedom. eren wanted to go beyond the border and be freed from the violence that ensued in his village. viktor wanted to rid himself of his disability and heal his illness in order to be freed from the restraint they impose. and ultimately, both ached for the freedom of and a better future for humanity. them wanting to be liberated from the binds imposed onto them reflects the journey of pisces; pisces is geared toward liberation–moksha.

while on the journey to reach these freedoms, they gain power whilst having physical transformations into powerful forms. they gain their powers through merging with outer sources. eren gets injected with a titan serum by his father, consumes his father to inherit the attack and founding titan, then eventually evolves into the doomsday titan. viktor injects himself with shimmer, merges with the hex core, then throughout season two, he eventually evolves into machine herald. they become one of the most, if not the most powerful beings in their universes. revati being a mercury nakshatra—mercury being a genderless planet and as the final nakshatra, natives possess the ability to transcend society’s typical and restrictive masculine and feminine presentation to embody an androgynous and extraterrestrial appearance and energy.

like revati’s deity, pushan, they have the ability to guide others. both characters are able to connect, communicate telepathically, and control different entities. eren has this ability with the subjects of ymir/titans, whilst viktor has it with people he’s healed. being the last nakshatra, its natives transcend above the opinions of society, of even themselves, questioning if their actions are right or wrong. they don’t adhere to society’s morals and they don’t mind disrupting order if it helps their cause. in that respect, eren and viktor transcend their humanity and are denoted as saviors-monsters alike.

also, they share a special connection with water. during the finale of season three, eren got to see the ocean for the first time. since he was young, his dream was to visit as he regards it as a symbol of freedom. similarly, when viktor was little, he placed a toy boat on a stream of water yet couldn’t keep up with it. now running on puddles of water with his newfound powers, he’s able to surpass the speed of the ship in the background, alluding to his newfound freedom and the breaking of his previous boundaries. those scenes represent them reaching the peak of their freedom, then as the two shows continue, both fall into the binds of fate and corruption in which they can only be freed through the hands of death.

both of their powers have the ability to bring mass destruction. in each of their respective series, they’re faced with choosing between two less-than-ideal situations which brings them to an inevitable decision. their decision marks the turn from them being the person everyone rooted for, to becoming a fallen hero, falling from grace. becoming the person to beat.

as previously mentioned, revati’s deity, pushan, guides others, specifically souls to the another realm, such as the afterlife. in the beginning of the two shows, both had their set goal on freedom, however once they attained power, they fell down the wrong rabbit hole. from freedom-seekers to cold leaders, they became the very thing they despised. they forgot about their humanity. eren commenced the rumbling and viktor attempted at the final glorious evolution; both of them leading a mass genocide. despite their well intentions, their actions are viewed as horrific and immoral. in the end, they both sacrifice themselves and their sphere of control for the “greater good" which ultimately leads them to death.

however, this isn’t to say they do not receive help. they have the support of their friend(s) to aid them on their journey (even if they have quite a few scuffles). in addition, both had their closest friend (eren-mikasa & viktor-jayce) bring them peacefully to the afterlife.

･ﾟﾟ･｡

three additional notes: 

as pushan nourishes, viktor nourished others with his new-found healing ability. 

the progression of the characters, eren and viktor, also reminds me of the joker archetype of revati.

eren/mikasa and viktor/jayce are hinted as soulmates in the show and are highly regarded as soulmates by the viewers. mikasa is voiced by uttara bhadrapada moon, yui ishikawa, and eren is a revati moon. viktor is a revati moon and jayce is voiced by revati sun, kevin alejandro.

･ﾟﾟ･｡

[laurarolla]

Before the cooperative sportsball mode in Arknights begins, let's look back on a few thoughts from the finale of Act II of the main story, "Absolved Will Be The Seekers." Also, thanks to Wis'adel, I was easily able to clear all four of the hell stages, and I can probably finally go back and clear the previous chapter hell stages and finally get those upgrade tokens I'm missing for the chapter ops.

First, I enjoyed the little moment in the middle where the Followers trio get to clown on those Confessari pricks. Love seeing those fascist bloodsuckers lose. XP

Moving on, the overarching story of why Theresa returned and her goals with the Originium Assimilation were rather interesting, especially in what we seem to have learned about Arknights possible overarching villain, Priestess. It's nice that the citizens of Victoria will no longer be abused and murdered by the Sarkaz now that Theresis and his loyal forces are off to do something else, but getting his hands on the Originium stone that sort of represents the "original sin" of the Teekaz is not a good sign for the future. Beyond that, it's somewhat unclear how much of what Theresa did in the Assimilated Universe was actually her choice. I think it was a great act of mercy and love to finally free the Myriad Souls from the Originium, granting them the freedom to truly die instead of being trapped in the stagnant tomb of Originium. Unfortunately, I think the Originium she handed to Theresis very much falls under Priestess's plans to "continue the experiment." In the end, everything seems to be progressing as she has planned.

A few nice bits about Priestess that we got to see (if we are to believe anything she said to us) include that she's not a member of the same people as the Doctor, and previously spent her time recording sounds of dying worlds. Originium is not only a way for her to show that she deserved to stand alongside Oracle as an equal, but also became a way for her to record the dying breath of each and every world if her experiment succeeds. She seems genuinely motivated out of a love for what she's seen and heard across the universe, but she can't accept the transient nature of life. Whether there's some actual intentional malevolent force she's trying to use Originium to avoid, or just straight up entropy, she's so desperate to cheat death that she sees life as a threat to her efforts. It has left her cold in her interactions with the Doctor, who has fully regained their ability to love life and accept its limited nature while seeking to improve the lives of those they meet on their journey. I theorized that the Doctor may be been manipulated or controlled by Priestess during Babel, and at this point, I'm now sure not only that they were manipulated, but that they can't be manipulated in the same way anymore. Kal'tsit also rejected Priestess, and Amiya figured out how to use the Civilight Eterna to manipulate some aspects of the Assimilated Universe. I'm interested to see how these rejections affect things later in regards to Priestess's intentions.

Looking forward to future encounters with Eblana now that she's kinda the main threat to the current Victorian hierarchy, especially since she got one of the dukes on her side. Overall, though, I think we'll get most of the important immediate follow-up for Victoria when the Siege Alter event comes in about 4 or 5 months.

Wis'adel got her name finally and I'm super happy about that. Her journey from the beginning to now has been great, although I think most of her big character development is basically complete now. It's nice to have a character get their Alter form from an event or something that has significant personal story growth, with Wis'adel and Silence probably being my favorite alter/story intersections so far. Eyja's was also quite nice.

I'm also gonna say that Civilight Eterna (Theresa's Phantom) is herself a product of the Civilight Eterna arts ability I previously theorized/observed. She was largely created through Amiya pulling memories from the past and binding them into a phantom clone that Theresa left as a kind of keepsake. Basically, she's there because both she and Amiya want her to be there, and each used the power of the King of the Sarkaz to manifest her. That's why she has actual memories and arts powers from Theresa, albeit not as strong. I also love that how Amiya created the staff was to reshape Yin Xiao into an arts staff, reforging a sword seeking vengence into a tool of healing. Very simple but very effective.

Oh, and after 300 pulls I got Nearl the Radiant Knight from the shop, and my last free pull today was Mizuki, so now I have all the Ambushers... except Kirara.

[fudgecicles]

Part 1: A bit LTTP, but I have been mulling over chapter 14 of Arknights, and thoughts have crystallized. My first reactions to the story was pretty positive, as a lot of the emotional beats worked on me, but I did wonder whether it worked as a whole.

Now, the Victorian arc was very ambitious, at times overly so. I think it's safe to say there are a few dead ends and turn backs in the story as the writing group tried to figure out how to handle this behemoth of a premise. It's the writing group's attempt to create a fictional civil conflict with a foreign invasion, which if you have followed any real life conflicts like that, they are actually extremely complicated and confusing to follow. While I personally like the attempt, it is not going to endear a lot of people to the storyline, and the story does creak at its attempt at juggling the details of a billion different things. It is also not helped by the fact that I think chapter 9 and 10 were both pretty messy introductions to the conflicts for different reasons for me personally. Chapter 11-14 though, each tries to bring focus to the story by aiming for a specific theme, each ending bringing the end of certain storylines to simplify the situation. In addition, you have Firelight and Babel bringing in much needed context. So, with all that in mind, chapter 14: Absolved will be the Seekers, the end of the Victorian arc, had a grand assignment. It has to close all the remaining different stories in a satisfying manner, all following an overarching theme that will satisfy its own story, but also the wider six chapter arc. It has to cover the fallout from Babel and integrate the inevitable exposition dump on the truth of originium into the wider emotional truths of the arc and the series. It has to create a rational geopolitical result for the status quo change for the Sarkaz, the Exemplars, the dukes, Dublinn, and even in a minor way, Reunion even if chapter 13 for the most part concluded its story.

So for my part, they have managed to land the plane pretty well, with a few rough spots aside. The best handled storyline is the one on the Sarkaz side. It was a good idea for Wisadel to be the emotional anchor to the overall theme of generational trauma, fate, and inheritance. She is kind of the main character of the chapter, along with Amiya and Siege. Her moment to moment dialogue is pretty funny, and her dynamic with Mon3tr and Doctor are some of the most fun I had reading this chapter. Really though, she has great dramatic moments too. I got emotional to her finally processing her grief over Theresa, and her finally getting to properly talk with Theresa in the assimilated universe. I find her character arc is beautiful, she inherited a weapon of war and got her name via war, but now she is given a hopeful name and inherits Theresa's ideal. Maybe the intent is, some day, Kazdel can follow her story writ large.

On the Theresa side of the story, she takes ownership of the fates of the Sarkaz by exorcising the Myriad Souls, the literal manifestation of generational trauma via scifi mystery technology. I found the actual concept of the myriad souls terrifying actually, a reality where some data of you is forever reliving the same trauma, and then passing that on to your descendant. The fact that seeing the truth of the myriad souls pacifies the Revenant, who ironically, his entire life was spent living in a similar state and jealous of those who passed on, was low key but very effective in driving that home. Anyways, I think it's interesting that Theresa after death chose to be ruthlessly pragmatic, and backed Theresis in exchange for being able to do this. This makes her reunion with Rhodes Island both sweet and tragic. And god do they milk the drama for all it's worth, with my personal favorite moment being the moment Amiya reveals how she knew who betrayed Babel the whole time, and that she has been grappling her image of who the Doctor is. Anyways, the Rhodes Island side unpacks the legacy Theresa left behind, how they are carrying on with her legacy despite the previous bad end, and how they have to move beyond her. As an aside, I really love Logos in this. He is badass, idealistic, a goof, and takes his responsibilities very seriously. A representative of sorts of the new generation of Kazdelians raised with different ideals via Theresa's new educational system back then, and now having the means to fight for the new ideals.

Wisadel and Theresa's stories, along with all the other stories: of Shining, the anecdotes of the previous kings of Sarkaz, the Revenant, Ascalon, Hoderer, and all the personal stories of all the Sarkaz from all walks of life from this chapter and Babel paint a very complex and complete picture of the Sarkaz. I don't know if the Sarkaz were perfectly executed through the whole series, as I wasn't sure how a depicting a group of people without a safe homeland that have parallels to a lot of marginalized groups in real life, as monstrous would go over. Especially in chapter 10, which sort felt like an Arknights Halloween episode (it was released in October!). Currently, I do find them to be very diverse culturally and philosophically, and very nuanced in how they are depicted. Especially when you see in relation to how monstrous the other nations are in their conducts, which unfortunately, is way too real. Anyways, my one take is, it's best not to compare them to any specific groups in real life, but rather take the generalities of the concept of homelessness and how wider society view those people. (There is also an interesting parallel to how the Tarans, another marginalized group in Arknights, also use the spectre of death to achieve their liberation goals, but I don't have the brain space to unpack that)

[armoredisopod]

Arknights CN 5th Anniversary/New Main Story PVs

New Operators

PhonoR-0, 1* Ritualist Supporter

Anger turns words into fire.

Fang the Fire-Sharpened, 5* Charger Vanguard

Commanding a Squad? Don't worry, i'm familiar with it.

Logos, 6* Core Caster

The souls have left, but our souls still need rest.

If the deceased needs guidance on their way to the other side, i am willing to be the Sarkaz ferryman.....

Wiš'adel, 6* Limited Flinger Sniper

Remember, Doctor, It's "Wiš'adel"

No longer a dead man's codename, this is my name.

Civilight Eterna, 6* Welfare Bard Supporter

Time will heal all wounds, love will heal the scars.

Amiya, Incantation Medic Class Change

Hatred is spreading. I will try to put it out, no matter... how many times it takes.

Operator Outfits Update

Total of 9 new outfits, 4 new additions for the Bloodline of Combat brand, 2 new additions for the Iteration Provident brand and 3 new additions for the Ambience Synesthesia brand

Bloodline of Combat

Three Hundred Meters Underground - Savage (Login Event)

Blade-Cleaved Tides - Thorns

Under the Flaming Dome - Ines (21 OP)

Young Branch - Muelsyse (24 OP)

The blades are vibrating, the water is humming.

Now, i understand their emotions even better than before...

Iteration Provident

Nocturne of Elysia - Blue Poison

Red Countess - Skadi the Corrupting Heart (24 OP)

The scarlet velvet of life cushions this diamond of death.

Ambience Synesthesia

Carriage of the Winds of Time - Ho'olheyak

Rhythmic Blocks - Swire the Elegant Wit

Never-Melting Ice - SilverAsh (21 OP)

Announced outfit reruns

Series IV Bloodline of Combat outfits (Skadi the Corrupting Heart, Gnosis, Aurora)

Bloodline of Combat outfits of Kal'tsit, Specter the Unchained and Ebenholz

Epoque outfits of Rosmontis and Nearl the Radiant Knight

~120 other outfits as part of the 5th anniversary celebration edition of Rhodes Fashion Review

Operator Modules Update

Wiš'adel, Logos and Fang the Fire-Sharpened being part of branches with modules immediately get their modules

BOM-X module base effect adds another shockwave to Wiš'adel's attacks

CCR-∆ module base effect makes Logos' attacks additionally deal 8% of his ATK as Necrosis damage

CHG-X module base effect makes Fang the Fire-Sharpened generate 2 DP per enemy defeated and refunds her full DP cost when retreated

Lord Guard branch gets 2 module types

LOR-X given to SilverAsh, Thorns, Qiubai, Lappland, Ayerscarpe and Frostleaf

LOR-Y given to Лeto, Arene and Luo Xiaohei

Events and Stories

Ep14: Absolved Will Be The Seekers

During the anniversary event period, Ep14 will be immediately accessible immediately after beating Ep1 and there will be an event shop

Operator Archives Update for Greythroat, Siege, Shining, Ascalon and Aroma

Misc Stuff

New QoL changes; failing Challenge Modes will only deduct 1 sanity instead of half the sanity cost, players can put signatures in their profile cards and the friends list limit is increased to 100

Blemishine, Aosta, Bubble and PhonoR-0 added to recruitment

The potential tokens in the red voucher shop will be changed, Royal Guard and Specialist tokens will be available

Players who don't have Scene and Siege's [Legacy] outfit can get them in the Ep14 event shop

Amiya's [Newsgirl] outfit will be available in the certs shop to players who don't have it

Livestream Stuff

Showcased Wiš'adel, a 6* Flinger Sniper that can apply heavy pressure in a wide area and just straight up dealing with high DEF enemies because sure why not at this point

First talent makes her attacks attach an Afterimage to enemies, when this Afterimage is hit with a shockwave from her attacks it has a chance to explode and Physical damage to nearby enemies and Stun them for a few seconds

Second talent allows her to summon a Spirit Shadow within attack range upon deployment, if she has her summon in a nearby tile she gains Camouflage, her summon attacks enemies in her range inflicting a brief Slow and Afterimage, her summon can be attacked by ranged enemies

Skill 1 is a power strike skill that makes her next attack inflict more shockwaves and Stuns the targets for a few seconds, additionally it increases the splash range and shockwave damage multiplier

Skill 2 reduces her attack interval, increases her ATK and lets her attack multiple enemies at once, it also has an Overload mode where her attacks turn into a rapid barrage that hits random enemies and has a damage multiplier, this skill can be manually deactivated

Skill 3 immediately summons 2 more Shadow Spirits (up to 3 can exist at a time, will remain when skill ends), increases her ATK, greatly lengthens her attack interval, massively increases her attack's splash range, increases the Afterimage proc chance to 100% and gives her attack a damage multiplier, this is an ammo skill and can be manually deactivated

Showcased Logos, a 6* Core Caster with a very interesting and versatile kit

First talent makes his attacks have a chance to bounce and target another enemy + apply a brief slow

Second talent makes his attacks reduce the target's RES and increase the Arts damage they take for a few seconds

Skill 1 is an infinite duration skill that expands his range and increases his ATK, enemies that enter his range with HP lower than a certain % of his ATK will immediately be defeated, then deal Arts damage equal to the amount of HP the defeated enemy had to a random nearby enemy

Skill 2 increases his RES and changes his attack to a channeling type attack, the attack increases in power and gradually reduces the target's movement speed the longer it's channeled (up to a limit), if the attack is interrupted or the target is defeated Logos will lock-on to a new target and have the attack's power reset

Skill 3 expands his range, increases his ATK and lets him attack multiple targets at once, enemy projectiles caught within his attack range will have massively reduced flight speed and will be removed if they are still in his range when his skill ends

Showcased Civilight Eterna, a 6* Bard Supporter

First talent is the 3 "Fine Dust" that revolves around her, when one collides with an ally it increases the healing that ally receives from her trait effect and disappears, disappeared "Fine Dust" will respawn after a few seconds

Second talent makes all allies take less damage from Sarkaz enemies when she is deployed

Skill 1 is an infinite duration skill that increases her trait healing effect and reduces "Fine Dust" respawn time

Skill 2 increases the maximum of "Fine Dust" that can appear, immediately spawns more of them, increases their rotation radius, and changes the "Fine Dust" to hit enemies, dealing True damage and inflicting Bind for a few seconds, allies within range gain an ATK Inspire buff

Skill 3 expands her range, increases her trait healing effect and makes it so the "Fine Dust" no longer disappears, allies within her range gain a Max HP Inspire buff and will have their HP periodically redistributed/equalized

Showcased Amiya's Incantation Medic form

Her talent increases the Max HP of all allies when she's deployed and heals all allies by a % of their Max HP when her skill is active

Skill 1 increases her ASPD and her attacks heals all allies in a Bard range around her by a % of her ATK

Skill 2 immediately deals damage to all enemies in range + reducing their ASPD and movement speed for a few seconds and she gets +ATK for every enemy hit by this (up to a limit), for the rest of the skill duration she deals True damage and attacks two targets at once but this skill can only be used once per battle

Showcased the new main story episode mechanic, originium storms that deals damage to allies and enemies and significantly reduces ally SP recovery, the storm can grow in size by absorbing originium scattered on the field, there are also beacons that can be shifted by operators and will attract the storm towards it

All operators will have special anniversary voicelines that will play during May 1st to May 3rd

Hypergryph promises they will no longer use non-token potential increasing items for future welfare operators (like they did with Vigil and Lessing)

Starting from Wiš'adel's banner, all limited banners will guarantee the featured limited operator at 300 pulls (does not reset your odds), additionally W has her spark cost reduced to 200 and other limited operators will have their spark cost reduced in the future

Arknights anime season 3 - Rise From Ember confirmed

Rhodes Island Icebreaker Games, limited time event with live co-op gamemodes, rewards include a new profile card theme and a new outfit for THRM-EX

Both players need to coordinate on which operators they bring since they can't double up on the same op, each player can bring up to 10 operators

The battle can go on 2x speed if both players agree to it, the battle can also be paused

Players can also send each other Deployment Points

Both players play on the same map and have objectives to clear, in the livestream the objectives that were shown were survive for a set amount of time and protect some ursus civilians

There is also a Football co-op gamemode where both players have to fight against the CPU

Operator attacks can move the ball; attack power, attack trajectory and shifting ability affects how and where the ball is moved

Operators can attack and knock down the enemy team

Having operators successfully intercept the ball allows the players to place the ball where they want on their side of the field

Each round is randomized, there are breakable barricades that block some (or all) tiles in front of the goal and there can be stage hazards on the field, the one showcased in the livestream had the Magnificence waregeist enemy periodically apply Camouflage to the enemy team and the ball

Teaser for an Aegir event with Ulpianus

Revealed a Sanrio collab, said it won't have any collab operators but will have collab skins, special icon and merch

Revealed IS5 set in Kazdel

The main system for IS5 is "Thoughts", players can use these to gain buffs but the more of one type is used there is a chance to get debuffs as you progress

Thoughts can be combined and analyzed to gain Collectibles/HP shield/Hope/etc

In IS5 players can sell Collectibles and Thoughts in Cannot's shop

Thoughts can be used to upgrade and alter nodes

IS5 debuffs last for a certain amount of moves

IS5 QoL changes; E2 Class squads will have all ops of those classes at E2 on the starting pick, Elite recruitment vouchers will give guaranteed E2, Recruiting 4* operators no longer cost Hope and 5* operators have their recruit cost decreased, squads also get upgraded as you climb in difficulty, they also plan to improve the King series Collectibles

There is a special enemy that can capture your last deployed operator upon defeat, the captured operator cannot be deployed for the rest of the battle but will be promoted to E2 afterwards

Revealed Dunmeshi collab, with Senshi as a collab unit

Arknights 2024 Commemorative Animation PV ft. Mili

Arknights PV 4 ft. Starset

[best-tv-theme-song]

Polls will start to be posted within the next week or so.

Bracket list under the cut!

UPDATE: LIST CANCELLED

*Starred shows have multiple theme songs or I have combined shows in a franchise in an effort to include as much as possible. These will have preliminaries built-into their polls on the first round. This is how it works: 1. all of the songs will go into a poll together against one other show; 2. the COMBINED votes for those songs will determine which show wins that poll; 3. only the top voted song for that show/franchise will move on, if the show has won the poll. (If you are confused it will make more sense when we start, I promise!)

The 100

30 Rock

9-1-1*

The Addams Family

Adventure Time*

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

All That

The Amazing World of Gumball

American Dragon: Jake Long

Animaniacs

Arcane: League of Legends

Arrested Development

Arthur

Assassination Classroom*

Austin & Ally

The Backyardigans

Barney & Friends

Barry

Batman*

Bear in the Big Blue House

Ben 10*

Better Call Saul

Beverly Hills, 90210

The Big Bang Theory

Big Time Rush

Bill Nye the Science Guy

Black Sails

Bluey

Bob the Builder

Bob's Burgers

BoJack Horseman

Bones

Boy Meets World

The Brady Bunch

Breaking Bad

Bridgerton

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Buffy the Vampire Slayer*

Captain Planet and the Planeteers

Charmed

Cheers

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

Choo Choo Soul

Code Lyoko

Codename: Kids Next Door

Cold Case

Community

Cory in the House

Cowboy Bebop

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend*

Criminal Minds

CSI*

Cyberchase

Danny Phantom

Daredevil

Dawson's Creek

Death Note*

Desperate Housewives

Detective Conan

Dexter

Dexter's Laboratory

Diff'rent Strokes

Digimon*

Doctor Who*

Dora the Explorer

Downton Abbey

Dragon Ball*

Dragon Tales

Drake & Josh

Ducktales*

ER

Ever After High

The Fairly OddParents

Firefly

The Flintstones

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends

Fraggle Rock

Frasier

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Friends

Fringe

Full House

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood*

Futurama

Game of Thrones

George Lopez

George of the Jungle

Gilmore Girls

Glee

The Golden Girls

Good Omens

Gravity Falls

Grey's Anatomy

H2O: Just Add Water

Hannah Montana

Hannibal

Happy Days

Hawaii Five-0*

His Dark Materials

Horrible Histories

House, M.D.

How I Met Your Mother

How It's Made

Hunter × Hunter

Huntik: Secrets & Seekers

I Dream of Jeannie

I Love Lucy

iCarly

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

The Jeffersons

Jeopardy!

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure*

Jonas

Justice League

Kim Possible

The Last of Us

Laverne & Shirley

Law & Order*

LazyTown

The Legend of Vox Machina

Leverage

Lilo & Stitch: The Series

Little Einsteins

Lizzie McGuire

Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies

The Love Boat

M*A*S*H

Mad Men

Madoka Magica*

The Magic School Bus

Malcolm in the Middle

The Mandalorian

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Merlin

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Mob Psycho 100

The Monkees

Monster High

The Muppet Show

Murder, She Wrote

Murdoch Mysteries

My Babysitter's a Vampire

My Hero Academia*

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

The Nanny

Naruto*

NCIS

Neon Genesis Evangelion

The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

New Girl

NFL (various network themes)*

Ninjago

The O.C.

The Office

One Day at a Time*

One Piece

Only Murders in the Building

Orange Is the New Black

Ouran High School Host Club

The Owl House

Parks and Recreation

The Partridge Family

Phil of the Future

Phineas and Ferb

Pinky and the Brain

Pippi Longstocking

Pokémon*

Power Rangers

The Powerpuff Girls

Pretty Little Liars

The Price Is Right

The Proud Family

Psych

Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure

Reading Rainbow

Reba

Red Dwarf

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Riverdale

Rugrats

Sabrina the Teenage Witch

Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat

Sailor Moon

Sanford and Son

Saturday Night Live

Schitt's Creek

Scooby-Doo*

Scrubs

Seinfeld

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Sesame Street

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Sherlock

The Simpsons

Smallville

Sofia the First

Sonny with a Chance

The Sopranos

Spider-Man

SpongeBob SquarePants

Star Trek (instrumental themes)*

Star Trek: Enterprise

Star vs. the Forces of Evil

Stargate*

Steven Universe

Stranger Things

Succession

The Suite Life of Zack and Cody*

Suits

Taskmaster

Ted Lasso

Teen Titans

Teen Wolf

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teletubbies

That '70s Show

That's So Raven

Theory of Love

Thomas & Friends

Tokyo Ghoul

Total Drama

Totally Spies!

Transformers*

True Blood

The Twilight Zone

Twin Peaks

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

VeggieTales

Veronica Mars

Victorious

Voltron: Legendary Defender

W.I.T.C.H.

The Walking Dead

WandaVision*

Welcome Back, Kotter

The West Wing

Westworld

What We Do in the Shadows

The White Lotus

Wild Kratts

Winx Club

The Wire*

The Witcher

Wizards of Waverly Place

Wonder Pets!

Wonder Woman

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!

The X-Files

Xena: Warrior Princess

Yellowjackets

Yu-Gi-Oh!*

Yuri on Ice

Zoboomafoo

Zoey 101

[hplovecraftmuseum]

Part 1, Afterlife, immortality and reanimation in Lovecraft's fiction: Comments from visitors to our virtual museum here have brought up an interesting point. Concerning afterlife, artificially extended life, reanimated life, enlightened existence, and an afterlife in some unearthly realm of the heaven or hell variety, are not the same thing. In H. P. Lovecraft's fiction each of these concepts is explored to some degree. In COOL AIR a doctor origionally from Spain but now residing in a run down section of NYC has been reanimated by a fellow Spanish physician. Apparently the shock of bringing a dead man back to life kills the doctor who performs the miracle! We are never told exactly how this deed is accomplished. Dr. Munoz is brought back to life, but he is certainly not able to live exactly as he did before. For one thing he must keep his body artificially cooled. He tells the narrator of the tale that in some cases a person brought back from death might be able to exist without a beating heart! In HERBERT WEST REANIMATOR we are presented with another tale of a scientist bringing a corpse back to life. Almost certainly this story pays homage to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Well, reanimated corpses are one thing, corporeal bodies able to live for extended periods is another. Though Lovecraft knew that nothing lasts eternally, the idea that certain individual lifeforms might exist for hundreds or even thousands of years was presented several times in his stories. Members of the 'proto-humans' living in a vast, blue-litten, realm beneath the surface of the earth in THE MOUND have the ability to live for thousands of years. This humanoid race as a group is able to dematerialize and reintegrate their bodies at will! Almost like ghosts they are able to pass through solid walls when using this technique. Though highly intelligent these people engage in cannibalism, torture, and sex orgies. Lovecraft suggests that all manner of other deviant behavior is practiced by this group. They also worship Great Cthulhu as their primary God and believe that it was he who brought them to earth untold ages ago. Though the people of THE MOUND possess incredible powers and intellect they are generally as a group unhappy with their lot. Some of them actually chose to die, willing themselves to cease existence. In THE SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH we are again presented with a species of humanoid beings capable of living for spectacular periods. The 'fish- frog'- humanoid creatures who are loyal children of the amphibious diety Dagon can apparently live for thousands of years in their earthly bodies. Not only are they capable of living in or out of water, but they can produce offspring with normal human beings as well. In the case of Randolph Carter, considered by many critics to be a fictional alter ego of Lovecraft himself, another secondary form of life is available to some people who are skilled at dreaming. While asleep Carter is able to explore a dream world that apparently has actual physical legitimacy for any dreamers skilled enough to travel there. The idea is at least suggested that in some cases this dream world and or waking world share points of physical existence. Kadath and Leng for instance might exist in both realms simultaneously? In the "transitional" story THE STRANGE HIGH HOUSE IN THE MIST a seeker and educator from the fictional town of Kingsport climbs to a house perched upon a cliff above the town. He meets eventually with a group of sea gods from Roman mythology and the British/Roman diety, Nodens who accompanies them. At first this group appears as a glowing light. The seeker, Thomas Olney, achieves some sort of transformation from this visit. Though he returns to his home apparently unharmed, he leaves part of his essence or soul behind. The lights seen glowing at times in the HIGH HOUSE now glow even brighter. The painting at top rt. was the work of Nicolas Roerich. Middle right is an example of the WORLD FANTASY AWARDS statuette designed by Gahan Wilson.

[lustrumlane]

Wallflower

Around the corner, past a tall stack of crates, she almost looks alive, propped up over the railing. Seekers rush to check on her, and the Doctor steps past them to assess the situation; the grim look on his face tells you she’s dead before he announces it.

Rui Isahai’s body lays stiff, blood still dripping from her hands.

Even in death, her calm demeanor permeates. Her posture feels dismissive, not calling attention to herself with the way she’s bent over her own injuries, face perfectly still in death.

There’s no telling what was her last thoughts were. Not now.

They only see him for a second, the man from last time, the one they saw approach Upsilon. He already has a ball of twisting, unnatural light in his hand as he steps away from Rui— a soul, you’ve been told— but he stops as he looks towards Dahlia, halfway to her.

"..."

There is no light. There’s nothing to claim.

You can't ask questions, he's gone soon as you’ve looked away from him. The only answer you’re left with is the confused and unmistakably angry look on his face.

[skjam]

Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls

Watched this 70s movie last night with the Crud Buddies. It starts out pretty slow with a man mourning his dead wife and convinced she will somehow come back to him. First third is him getting increasingly desperate as he finds out most mediums and such are fake.

Then he meets a guy who comes off as a total fraud but is actually the real deal when it comes to bringing people back from the dead...but not in an ethical way.

And the final third is utterly bonkers.

[travelersnarratives]

Explore the Best Travel Destinations in India

Unveiling the Jewel: Choosing the Best Travel Destination in India

India, a land of vibrant culture, stunning landscapes, and spiritual depth, presents a kaleidoscope of travel experiences. Deciding on the best travel destination in India depends on what sets your soul on fire. Are you seeking serene beaches, adrenaline-pumping adventures, or a journey into ancient history?

Here's a glimpse into some of India's gems to help you pick your perfect spot:

For the Beach Bum: Goa's sun-drenched shores beckon with golden sands, swaying palms, and turquoise waters. Laze on the beaches of Palolem or Anjuna, indulge in water sports, and experience the vibrant nightlife. Kerala's serene backwaters, with their houseboat tours, offer a tranquil escape.

For the History Buff: Rajasthan unveils a treasure trove of forts, palaces, and majestic architecture. Jaipur, the "Pink City," enthralls with its forts and Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds). Agra's iconic Taj Mahal, a monument to love, needs no introduction.

For the Adventure Enthusiast: Ladakh's stark beauty, with snow-capped mountains and challenging treks, is a haven for thrill-seekers. Hike the scenic trails or go white-water rafting on the Indus River. The verdant hills of Munnar or Coorg offer opportunities for trekking, mountain biking, and exploring spice plantations.

For the Spiritual Seeker: Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges, is a pilgrimage site where life and death intertwine. Witness the daily rituals and experience the city's spiritual aura. Rishikesh, the "Yoga Capital of the World," beckons with yoga retreats and meditation centers.

For the Nature Lover: Kerala's lush greenery, with its cascading waterfalls, sprawling tea plantations, and rich wildlife, is a nature lover's paradise. Explore the diverse flora and fauna of Kaziranga National Park in Assam or Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

This is just a taste of what India has to offer. With its diverse experiences, there's truly the best travel destination in India for every traveller. Do some research on these and other captivating destinations to find your perfect match for an unforgettable Indian adventure!pen_sparktunesharemore_vert

Author bio - Patit Roy is not just an ayurvedic doctor, he's a wanderer at heart, merging his passion for holistic healing with a keenness for exploration. With his expertise in ancient remedies and a curious spirit, he roams about, seeking hidden gems and cultural insights to enrich his practice. From remote villages to bustling cities, Patit's journey is a blend of discovery and healing, always with a quest to learn and share the secrets of wellness from every corner of the world.

best travel destination in India

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INVASION OF THE STAR CREATURES (1962) Reviews and much more!

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