#drunken sailor vine

[the-bottle-tree]

Drunken Sailor Vine

Name: Drunken Sailor Vine / Rangoon Creeper / Chinese Honeysuckle

Latin Name: Quisqualis indica

Type: Perennial, Tropical, Vine

Plant Date: Here when we moved in.

Area:

Color: Blooms are white at onset and gradually darken to pink, then finally red as it reaches maturity.

Bloom Time: Flowers in the spring through summer. Star-shaped aromatic blossoms are clustered together. The fragrance of the blooms is most striking at night.

Light: Full sun to partial shade.

Water: Water on a regular basis with time in between to let soil dry out. Do not overwater. Can lead to root rot.

Fertilizer: Fertilize twice a year in spring and fall with a granular fertilizer. Supplement with liquid fertilizer to encourage heavier bloom.

Deadhead: Deadheading not necessary. Prune or cut back hard in early spring / late march.

Propagation: Propagates from seeds, root division, and cuttings.

Temp: Tolerant of humidity/heat and very poor growing conditions. Does not like the cold. Loses leaves at slightest frost.

Width: 20 to 70 ft

Height: 20 to 70 ft

Planting Distance: 4 to 5 ft apart

Edible: Young shoots of the species can be eaten, either raw or steamed. Plant has edible fruit that tastes like almond, and the flowers can also be eaten though there is no taste. They can be mixed into salads to add color.

Medicinal: The leaves can be used for skin problems such as boils, ulcers and abscesses. It is also used for headache if applied to the forehead. You can also make a tea by boiling the leaves which help to get relief from pain while urinating. Dried seeds of Rangoon Creeper works to treat intestinal worms and parasites. The ripe roasted fruits and leaves of Rangoon Creeper help diarrhea and fevers and coughs. The fruits of the creeper also help to reduce inflammation of kidneys or treat nephritis. Good for pain relief and toothaches. The roots can be used for rheumatism. If eaten daily can help with birth control. Juice of leaves relieve flatulence.

Kidney Disease: Include Rangoon creeper fruits in your daily diet. It helps to alleviate Kidney inflammation. Abscess: Apply the crushed leaves of Rangoon creeper externally. Headache: Finely chop some leaves and apply to the head to get relief. Fever: Take roasted fruit of Rangoon creeper to treat Fever. Diarrhea: Roast the ripe fruits of Rangoon creeper and taken internally. Spematorrhoea, Weakness: Take leaves and flower of Rangoon creeper. Wash to clean dirt and then grind to extract juice. Take this juice twice a day empty stomach. Leucorrhoea: For treating white discharge drink flowers and leaves juice of Rangoon creeper. Diabetes: Extract 4 ml juice of Rangoon creeper flower or juice of fresh leaves. Drink regularly twice a day. This juice can be added to bitter gourd juice. Digestive disorders: Rangoon creeper leaves juice can be drink to cure digestive disorders. Or chew few leaves of this vine few times a day. Cold, cough, coryza: Take Rangoon creeper flowers and leaves, tulsi leaves, clove in water and prepare decoction. Drink this decoction few times a day. Parasitic worms: Eat ten seeds of Rangoon creeper two hours before last meal to expel parasite form body. Children should take four seeds only. Dysuria or painful urination: Decoction of boiled Burma Creeper leaves is taken as tea to relieve pain while urinating Precautions — In large doses they cause hiccups, dizziness, vomiting, and pain in the abdomen, diarrhea and even unconsciousness. An allergic reaction can cause skin rashes with or without itching, painful swelling of ankles and increase body temperature. Avoid heavy consumption of Rangoon creeper herbs when pregnant and while breast feeding.

Mundane uses: The long, flexible stems are known to be used to make baskets, fish weir and fish traps in West Africa.

Magical: unknown

Notes: Attracts pollinators like butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

[mothiepixie]

New Ties

Uhhhh, idk I kinda indulged in how Motti met Pirate Nightmare

------

From the time Motti was of age to marry, she had many suitors. One right after the other, her parents would arrange an engagement and Motti personally made it her mission to sabotage every last one.

In the beginning it was merely setting up the suitors to look poorly amongst the peers. That worked for a while until Motti's father was starting to get suspicious, and so Motti had to get more creative.

Tars and feathers in their luggage.

Pretending to have smallpox.

Croaking like a toad when asked to sing.

All of which was only done in front of the suitor or behind closed doors.

Motti refused to be married off as if she was property. Which in hindsight, she might as well have been. In her father's eyes she was a well bred dog. Prim and groomed to the highest pedigree.

At least that is what he hoped.

Motti was as wild as her wavy red hair. Being an only child, her Father did not want Motti to fall short of any subject. However, his wishes fell on death's doors when he poured all his resources and Motti only chose to excel in the Arts, Archery and shooting sports.

Motti showed great talent being a sharpshooter and was often taken on hunts with her Father. At least, until he deemed Motti needing to be more ladylike the older she got.

But now, Motti found herself going on fewer hunts. Fewer days where she felt her Father cared for her anymore as his child and not a coin to be bargained for.

Agitated and feeling dehumanized that her value of a person was whittling down each year because of failed engagements.

And so when Motti heard the gossip of another suitor coming to the manor to seek her hand, she was ready to set course of her usual plans to ruin it. However, the name of the man had a reputation for being cruel and vile all the while mysteriously losing three spouses to influenza.

Motti wasn't a fool. She could be rash, excitable and sometimes naive, sure. But deep inside her soul when she heard his name, Motti knew that if she married him, she would become the fourth spouse who died of mysterious circumstances.

On the day of his arrival, Motti waited patiently for the maids to leave her quarters just long enough for her to strip out of her fine gown and into something easier to move about in.

She strapped her pistol to her thigh and hid it under her skirt. Her hair usually kept up, she braided her hair to run along her back. She tried her best to look as much as a commoner as possible and giving a once over in the mirror, she resolved herself to continue out.

She snuck out from the second floor window and clambered down the vines and made her way out of the estate. With only a sack of shillings and the clothes on her back, Motti was determined to never return to the manor.

There was a sort of exhilaration that swarmed the inside of Motti's chest the further she got from the manor and into the dirty town just before the ports.

Dusk was already beginning to settle by the time she hit the center of the dingy and muck filled streets. Motti continued forth, just far enough to head to the cheapest Inn to reside in for the night. This Inn being where she knew that her Father wouldn't even think to step inside in fear of contracting a disease just by breathing in commoners' air.

She ignored the many cat calls from drunken sailors, regular men and monsters. She kept her wits about her from pickpockets. It wasn't the first time she had snuck away, in all her years, she knew this town like the back of her hand.

And yet as she rounded a corner, she came across a quarrel. Four men surrounding a large monster. The monster looked like a skeleton made from tar, underneath his bones and joints glowed a brilliant aquamarine just like his singular eyelight. His clothing definitely indicated he was a pirate, a handsome one at that, Motti mused to herself.

There was a part of her wanted to walk away, he could handle himself, right? She tried to wander onwards, but she could barely take two steps. What kind of person would she be if she clearly left? She didn't find it fair that there were four against one. She could be backup… if needed, right? Perhaps foolish, she told herself, she couldn't lose her life over someone she didn't know.

Just as she was about to walk away the skeleton monster chuckled a chuckle so deep that it reverberated within Motti's chest. It felt like her soul was set aflame and her head felt incredibly light.

However, his baritone chuckle only seemed to enrage the others, unlike her.

"A fine night, gentlemen." His grin stretched across his face, peering down at the much smaller beings. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

The four men bristled but held their ground. "Ya know what we fuckin' came for, ya fuckin' jipped us. Stole ta whole pool with fake die, ya cesspool!" One of the men barked, his fat mead belly jiggling as he yelled.

"Ah." The skeleton monster hummed almost joyously as the men's rage grew. Leaning back, the monster held his large belt, "How do ye know it was fake?"

Another man with one eye threw the die down to the cobbled floor. It landed perfectly on 6s. He kicked it and it once again landed perfectly on 6s.

The pirate's grin grew as if holding back from the worst joke he only found funny. "Oops."

The men shook with rage and each drew out knives or swords and held it to his neck. The pirate's looked more thrilled by the second and as one of the men went to take a stab just when gunshot went off.

The mead belly man stumbled, looking down at his heart. Blood began to pool under his shirt and he slowly, and clumsily, turned around to spot Motti holding her pistol.

The grungy man fell to the ground and it took another moment for the other men to shake out of their stun state, which Motti took advantage of. Faster than they could comprehend, she shot the three men between the eyes.

They ceremoniously fell one right after the other and surrounded the skeleton monster like a bleeding threshold.

There was a loud silence that befell the remaining two in this alley. At least just before the skeleton monster let out a howling laughter. Motti was once again overcome with the deep tones of his laugh.

The pirate stepped on the dead men as he made his way to Motti. She took note of their height differences and it made her stomach do jumps.

She put away her pistol as he finally approached. He noticed. "Not an ounce of fear in ye, huh? Quite intriguing. A pretty little pistol for a pretty little lass. Where didja get such expensive weaponry?" He went to run one of his fingers along her chin and Motti stepped back.

"It's not polite to touch a lady." Motti jested, smirking, "Especially to one that just saved yer hide." She held out her hand in a teasing gesture, "A proper introduction for yer savior? Then maybe this little lass will tell."

He barked out another deep laugh, but grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles. A shiver ran along her arm up into her shoulder before it jittered across her body. She noticed he paused too, a slight quirk in his boney brow. Perhaps he felt that too?

Not once letting go of her hand, his deep voice spoke, "Shan't disgrace me savior, indeed. Do me the pleasure of calling me Nightmare."

"Nightmare?" Motti spoke incredulously, "What kind of name is that?"

Nightmare smirked, his fingers curling around her smaller hand as he leaned closer to her face,"Perhaps if me savior gives their name, I'll tell her how I got it."

It was Motti's turn to laugh, "Fair point." She huffed between laughs, "Name's Motti."

"What kind of name is that?" He jest, standing up to peer down at her from his nose.

She rolled her eyes, "Supposed I walked into that one."

"Ye really did."

Motti burst another laugh before shaking her head. "It has been quite nice to meet ya, Nightmare. It was good timing when I arrived."

He cocked his head to the side, "Yer not at all concerned ya just did away with four men?"

"Can't have much pity for those who already wanted to kill." She knitted her brows, "Ain't a fair fight, four against one."

He gave Motti a long look before he leaned down nose to nose. "I think I've taken a likin' to ya, little lass."

"Is that so?" Motti's breath nearly hitched at the close proximity. "Perhaps, we shall see each other again?"

Nightmare smirked, "Aye. Sooner than ye think. As for now," His hands reached for her face and brushed the back of his joints against her cheeks before sliding down her neck and behind her.

With a quick swipe of his sharp phalanges, he lopped off her braid. Motti gasped as he stood back up and she grabbed at the back of her head. He brought the braid up to his maxilla and lightly brushed it against like a kiss. Motti didn't know whether to feel flustered or angry.

He chuckled again, his eyes lowering and drinking in her flustered state, "A momento from me savior and a reminder that I owe ye me life." His tone was playful, and heavy with implications.

Motti wasn't sure if she really was owed such a thing since it was all out of instinct and her own morals, but her inside was swarmed with butterflies that she couldn't really think much into it.

Nightmare braided the chopped off end of her braid and tightened it with rope. He then tied it to his belt and patted it like a job well done. He stepped around her and she followed.

"Ah-" Motti began, but felt her tongue fail her. She stilled her resolve, "T-than I should have something of fair trade."

Nightmare paused mid step and looked over his shoulder, "Throw upon light on me, lass."

Motti held out her hand with a stern look, "A momento from the one I saved." Her cheeks flushed, feeling foolish, but when would she ever see him again? "Something that ties ye to me. S-so we will meet again."

"Ties, ya say?" He parroted, turning on his heel and once again making Motti take him in at how much larger this monster was compared to her. He stood just centimeters from her and gave her a once over before he ran a hand down her left arm and picked her hand up to his teeth.

Taking her fourth finger and biting it just enough it breached skin, Motti gasped and seethed, instinctively trying to pull her hand away. Nightmare had a firm grip and clasped his hand to envelop hers. He squeezed and Motti could feel a burning sensation that instantly cooled.

During the whole ordeal, he never broke eye contact. Motti took her hand back, a little flabbergasted. This pirate not only cut her hair but now bit her like a wild animal.

She would have been upset if some part of her wasn't enthralled by it. Looking down at her hand, her fourth finger now adorned what looked like a black ring that wrapped around her finger to look like a crescent moon.

She couldn't help but notice that some of the intricate details looked like a part of her skin, but he didn't give her much time to think as he lifted her chin to look at him.

"Satisfied, Savior?" He smirked. His thumb flicked across her bottom lip. "Like I said, lass. I taken' a likin' to ye." He stood tall, gave one last smirk at her flustered state and turned on his heel, he waved over his shoulder, "Get yer belongings and meet me back here in the morn."

"W-what?" Motti blinked, fingers running over her new ring absent-mindedly.

Without turning back to face her, his deep voice reverberated in her chest, "Got to make preparations for me savior." And with that he was out of view.

Motti's heart drummed against her ribcage, feelings swirling about. Exhilaration, confusion, and a bit of fear but excitement. Although the interaction left her with less hair and new jewelry, part of her basked in the thrill.

[littlesarcasticdemon]

Okay so we all know that moment in lightning their where Dio does his thing:

He turned to look at me straight on, and I saw a kind of purplish fire in his eyes, a hint that this whiny, plump little man was only showing me the tiniest bit of his true nature. I saw visions of grape vines choking unbelievers to death, drunken warriors insane with battle lust, sailors screaming as their hands turned to flippers, their faces elongating into dolphin snouts. I knew that if I pushed him, Mr. D would show me worse things. He would plant a disease in my brain that would leave me wearing a straitjacket in a rubber room for the rest of my life.

Well I keep imagining a scenario where when he looks in is just straight up horrified for one reason or another be it Percy has gotten trapped in the past and so he’s getting all these flashes of things like Tartarus, or perc is like what are u trying to do and pulling an uno reverse by also jumping into dios mind too, or just you know that kinda bat shit stuff

Like is there a fic tell me if there is (°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥)

If not all goods if u want something done right you gotta do it urself and I’ll just rewrite a few things to try make it work in my 100k so far rewrite that I haven’t posted coz I know the moment I do I’ll stop writing it so just gotta wait till I’ve done atleast the first five 🥲 (two books down three to go)

[the-masked-reviewer]

Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief Comparison

Book v. Show

What Changed

There are jokes in the book that are completely left out and never even alluded too. The episode named “We take a Zebra to Vegas”, shows you multiple animals that the smugglers are transporting, none of them being a Zebra. They kept the book’s corresponding chapter name but not the actual Zebra.

The show’s focus is more on Percy and Annabeth and their relationship, but in order to accomplish that, they pushed Grover into a more side character position making it far harder to see Percy and Grover’s relationship as the platonic soulmates they are.

The books show Gabe’s behavior in fairly subtle ways, mostly through Percy’s internal dialogue and not through direct scenes with Gabe. I think the show actually did a pretty good job at showing just how bad of a person Gabe is, though they did leave out a few scenes that would’ve helped. I don’t think changing the way Gabe turns to stone really does anything other than take away Sally’s revenge and make a dumbass die by cause of being a dumbass.

Celestial Bronze is explained early on in the book at the same time most of the basic general knowledge of demigod life is explained to Percy and the reader. However in the show, they don’t even tell you this is a material that exists until the fifth out of eight episodes, taking away both Percy’s growing knowledge of his new world and the importance of the material.

In the books, Percy describes when he meets Hades like, “He was the third god I’d met, but he was the first that really struck me as godlike” (pg. 309) but the show introduces him as a weird fruity twink. It just takes away all the power the man is supposed to hold. He is literally the King of The Underworld and he is shown as a guy I don’t think anyone could ever reasonably be afraid of Even when Percy describes Dionysus, the first god he meets, “He turned to look at me straight on, and I saw a kind of purplish fire in his eyes, a hint that this whiny, plump little man was only showing me the tiniest bit of his true nature. I saw visions of grape vines choking unbelievers to death, drunken warriors insane with battle lust, sailors screaming as their hands turned to flippers, their faces elongating into dolphin snouts. I knew that if I pushed him Mr. D would show me worse things. He would plant a disease in my brain that would leave me wearing a straitjacket in a rubber room for the rest of my life” (pg. 70-71). It’s clear that these beings have an aura and could never not have a large powerful presence. But here Hades, the King of The Underworld, is just a guy. Comparing the two descriptions from the book makes it so clear how powerful Hades is supposed to be if compared to the visions of death and people turning into dolphins doesn’t register as godlike.

The show never once tells the audience what Tartarus is, not even after Percy and Grover are nearly dragged into it by Luke’s flying shoes. There was never any real foreshadowing for Luke or parallel to him a Percy until later in the season where you get flashbacks to Luke and Percy training. At that point it feels more like an afterthought to add in the evidence that it’s been Luke the whole time.

The show lets the audience witness scenes we’ve never gotten the chance to see before, and I can’t understate enough how much I love that. Getting to see Grover and Ares both attempt psychological warfare on each other in a dinner is peak Percy Jackson. However, the way the show is written takes away the audiences ability to truly see just how smart Percy is.

One of the changes I actually ended up liking far more than I thought I would initially was the change in the number of pearls the gang is given. By being given four pearls it shows that Poseidon not only cares for Percy and is watching him as he goes through life, but that he also truly cares for Sally.

The flashbacks are some of my favorite scenes. They’re written so well, and are great at taking advantage of the visual story telling techniques you have when you make a television show.

Not wanting your show to have a very exposition heavy introduction is understandable, but the show’s way of working around this problem is to put information right before or during the thing that’s being explained is happening results in a very exposition heavy, slow show where your characters, in this case Percy, are completely clueless at worst. For example, the gang not only knows but has a plan for facing Procrustes. The audience does not get to see the gang making this plan, just them executing it, having Percy explain to Procrustes (and the invisible audience) who he is and why he’s bad. This isn’t the only example of explaining things for the audience, like when they go over the entirety of Hephaestus’ story and his relationship with Aphrodite when clearly both characters in the scene know the story. The information these 12 year olds (Grover is technically 24 yes, but in human years he is also 12) is just inconsistent. They know who Medusa, the fates, Hephaestus all are, and yeah I’d honestly kind of hope they would. But they also know Crusty’s whole story, and details about how monsters hunt and generally act? Echidna literally spelled out who she was before the gang was able to figure it out (they then seem to understand perfectly how the Chimera hunts while simultaneously not knowing what kind of monster it is). Yet they seem to not only know but be intimately familiar with Crusty’s entire mythos.

When the gang is traveling with the animal smugglers, the book audience learns these guy are not good people from the description Percy gives of the inside of the truck and how the animals are treated, whereas the show has Grover tell Annabeth and Percy “the men driving this truck are not nice people” (Episode 5, 4:35). This would’ve been such an easy moment to take advantage of the media they are using and tell us this visually in the same way the book did.

The fact that the gang knows what kind of situation they are walking into practically every time does more than just take away the surprise. It takes away the viewers ability to try and predict what’s happening because it has already been explained. And what’s worse is it takes the tension away from the story. Without impending unknown doom, and always having a plan may paint your characters, primarily Annabeth because she is the one who always knows and makes plans, as smart and prepared but it also takes away most of the stakes and point of the story.

A lot of the story stayed mostly the same, and details and deliveries changed the most. But two of the changes that bothered me the most were the lack of explaining what Riptide even is and its importance, which for a show that likes to explain everything is awfully surprising, and how they decided to turn Gabe to stone.

Why Change it/Care

Dialogue is an important thing in storytelling, obviously. But there are some things that work better when shown. You don’t need to explain out loud all of the “you’re ___”s and “This is how your story goes.” In order to tell an interesting story you have to get a balance of dialogue and showing the story in order for it to be interesting. You have to trust the audience to figure out what isn’t explained.

The Thrill Ride O’ Love scene is one of the best examples of being to reliant on dialogue. Instead of letting the beautiful animation play out and leave the viewers using their brains to figure out what’s happening (which isn’t very hard, the animation is done wonderfully and tells the story of Hephaestus brilliantly) they have Percy telling the story over the animation (and “what is love” which is a crime of its own) and narrate the story. This is especially annoying because the only other person witnessing this (aside from invisible audience) is Annabeth, who’s been the one in the gang who knows and explains everything. I already don’t like how they’ve been using the “Athena’s kid” and “six steps ahead” things as Practically all of Annabeth’s character traits, but in this instance it’s only the two of them and Percy is telling the story. Who is he supposed to be explaining this too other than the viewer, Annabeth clearly knows the story too.

The flashbacks are so well written that while rewatching they kept tricking me into thinking the show wasn’t over explaining what was going on and was instead letting the story do all the heavy lifting. Then of course it would cut back to the current story and I’d be reminded that the flashbacks were in fact the exceptions and not the rule in this shows case.

The heavy exposition, read just straight up telling the viewer what’s going on, was used mostly in the side adventures and for world building things to do what feels like an attempt at saving time. While exposition is usually used for basic world building things, it wouldn’t have taken any more time to have so many of those things be shown visually. There are places where it may have added time but the show’s episode lengths are inconsistent and range from having content in anywhere from roughly 27-40 minutes depending on the episode, so even if there was a time increase from doing things visually there’s space to shuffle things around and make consistent episode full of visual story telling.

In the notes I took for this project I only used the word “explains” nine times to cover the entirety of the book. In the first three episodes of notes alone I used “explains” 14 times. Meaning, in less than half of the show something is explained 1.5 times more than the complete book.

Sometimes you just have to trust the audience to understand what is happening in the story. I understand media literacy is going down (which is an insane fact given how much media people have access to now) but if you continue to talk down to them, they obviously aren’t going to learn how to figure it out themselves. I know “kids show” and all that, but if the kids who read the book were able to understand, and love, the story without it being almost all exposition, why would they not get it when it’s in the form of media they do know and consume now?

When adapting a story, it’s expected that things get cut and altered to fit the new media and really take all the advantages of that media to show pieces of the story that wouldn’t have worked in the original source. But in the case of Gabe turning to stone, it’s only talked about and isn’t actually in the book. Where in the show you show Gabe turning to stone but make it something he brought upon himself. It would not have taken more time or been any harder to have Sally take care of Gabe like we know she does. They could’ve shown her doing it, or followed the books way and only show the outcome. It is astounding how hard they worked to not have the story play out visually in visual media. This feels like the show version of the “highlight everything, if it wasn’t important it wouldn’t be included” mindset.

I understand the source material is a first person book, so everything is in the form of dialogue or internal monologue but you’re working with visual media, everyone doesn’t need to always state what is happening.

Needing to condense and simplify the story to work for the form of media you’re in is the whole point of adapting. It’s supposed to take advantage of the different things you can do that you couldn’t do in the original form of media. Having people explain what things are and what’s happening is definitely something that could happen in a book, but it didn’t happen in The Lightning Thief  because it doesn’t make for a good story. So why would doing that in visual media make for any better of a story?

Is it Good

The build-up to the show was full of Rick promising it would be far more faithful then the [REDACTED] movie. All that press really helped get everyone excited because the fandom, much like Rick himself, hate the movies and how much they changed the story. Then the show comes along and repeats the mistake of the movies in different ways, a fact made all the more worse with everything Rick had promised. The show is more faithful to the books then the movies, but that isn’t a very high bar.

I’ve seen a few people mention that they should’ve made the show animated, with the main reason of character congruency since real life people obviously grow up. A thing made more obvious with the timeline most streaming shows end up taking. And while that probably would’ve been a better show, I think if they had just treated this like a real television show and made it on a classic (read mostly outdated, unfortunately) timeline it would’ve ended up a much better, more consistent show. There were also the points of special effects and the gods all looking better animated, which again they would have, but if done right, would look especially good in live action. I mean imagine watching a real Percy Jackson come face to face with a well-designed, perfectly intimidating Hades, and it all looks as real as they can get with CGI.

A friend of mine, who had to put up with my ramblings about this the whole time, said “As someone who isn’t a dedicated fan of the books and just read the first book for 6th grade English… I can’t say anything about the show as an adaptation but as its own thing, I’d honestly say it was between ‘ok’ and ‘great’ and I think the fanbase deserves better than halfway between ok and good”.

The flashback with Sally and Poseidon talking about Percy and Poseidon just being there to support her does so much. It’s easily the best scene in the entire show, and my favorite, hands down. The final episode of the season let the story work. It’s probably my favorite episode, even if I don’t like how they ended up handling Gabe. Since it’s a post-credit scene I’ve decided to not let it affect this.

The behind the scenes documentary was a chance for me to step back and look at the whole show not just all those tiny details that drive me crazy. Solidifying that the only real complaint is the writing, which is important, because the acting, set design, casting, direction, just everything except parts of the dialogue are so good. It isn’t even all the writing, just the over explaining. It’s one of those things where everything was set up to be perfect but one tiny thing didn’t hold it’s weight and tainted everything else.

The frustrating thing is I don’t think it’s the show (or even Disney) that’s at fault for why it wasn’t great. I think this is just the direction tv media (and all visual media) has been heading towards. If they had more time for the story, they would’ve been able to show us the in between moments and more interactions between our characters. The documentary really shows how much everyone working on it, both in the cast and crew, deeply care about the project. The way everyone talks about their work in the documentary make it so clear how much love and care went into to show. I’m more mad at the industry and streaming corruption making the show into what it was then the show as a whole.

It feels like the show version of not planning out where to write you letters on a poster. You start out all big and bold and slowly everything just gets more and more squished.

It’s a good show, and I did enjoy it. But it didn’t stand up to the expectations that were built up for it. Those expectations were so high, primarily because of Rick continuing to say it’ll be close to the book, and the knowledge that he was involved and hates the movies as much as the fans, gave me, and all of us, hope for the story. Then we got the story and while it wasn’t hugely changed, it was still fundamentally different. The moment I found out how long the show’s season was going to be, I knew it wasn’t going to be quite what I wanted or what it deserves to be because so much would have to be cut and/or altered to fit.

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[perksofbeingodd]

Some quotes from my re-read of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, originally first read the series in 2009/2010, all from book one The Lightning Theif;

“A god. You. - He turned to look at me straight on, and I saw a kind of purplish fire in his eyes, a hint that this whiny, plump little man was only showing me the tiniest bit of his true nature. I saw visions of grape vines choking unbelievers to death, drunken warriors insane with battle lust, sailors screaming as their hands turned to flippers, their faces elongating into dolphin snouts. I knew that if I pushed, Mr.D would show me worse things.”

“No, it’s (Western Civilization) a living force. A collective consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of years��

“Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: ‘…Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,’ et cetera.”

“The rest of the day I spent alternately pacing the length of the train,…or looking out the windows. Once, I spotted a family of centaurs galloping across a wheat field, bows at the ready, as they hunted lunch. The little boy centaur, who was the size of a second-grader on a pony, caught my eye and waved.” ((This particular quote has stuck with me for years and whenever I’m a passenger in a car staring out the window a small part of me hopes I’ll see the same))

“I looked at the garbage floating by and snatched an old cigarette lighter. No way, I thought. I flicked the lighter. It sparked. A tiny flame appeared, right there at the bottom of the Mississippi.”

“ I uncapped Riptide. “A few simple adjustments…” I had no qualms with what I was about to do.” ((How is this a middle-school book lol))

“Id always imagined Cerberus as a big black mastiff. But he was obviously a purebred Rottweiler, except of course that he was twice the size of a wooly mammoth, mostly invisible, and had three heads.” ((Hades play ball with Cerberus!!))

“The other winged shoe tugged itself off, circled around us angrily and kicked out heads in protest before flying off into the chasm to join its twin.”

The last thing I saw as the door swung closed was my mother staring at Gabe, as if she were contemplating what he would look like as a garden statue.”

[libidomechanica]

Melted in love the pleaseth me, to all

A limerick sequence

                How do I dream is loved a daughters. Being speech, the Dambe. This worth, to build    its nest upon her    eternal soul is arrowy to the faded leaf the color.

                In me that goes again to bring that pines for a hall still such a dreamless    it unimpeached, drunken    with song. Song. Whose fall of a Fool? And I shall pass; my woe?

                Such pity cannot but a dog can but that she wilderness. Loves not seem’d    my woe, bene thy blisses:    a fountains frore, red were hangs above thee. When summer days?

                Tho’ faithless again: but true? In all poetic though he not thy Tygrish    courage passion should holds    the low last by Time’s remorseless eye on some hidden from marge.

                Wars of Jerusalem, as he did the sons wrought all barricades with my    choice of love. Breathe one is    not a kiss and behold their west, which is the light nighest place!

                Thy sailor,—while now that goes again, to find whether inmost cell. Why then,    that drop by drop heaving    thou art beauty charnel- cave, and sadness, lustful, I have match?

                But this cigarette is to bear, should fling this brother, time that I do now.    She has desire? No    part wilds, from the sun, his eyes, I cannot find I in you woe.

                Moved toward me. Where the primrose yet is done. Behold, the look’d upon thee. By    wilful tact, the sedge is    truth hath we can howl incessant, writhing great so often face.

                We first as rubbish to hear a wizard music all the mellowing well,    we watching her shocks of    nature, whose appeared unto it: if many a things. A griefe.

                And bring to Adam can not run wild a fresh with tall mankind. Toward the ox    to the Word had with gracious    to him. The Wye is happiness weakness whom the envier?

                Who grievances let me here shadows and free, the faire Nimphs layd down in thraldom    ne’er sic power heeds    not thy folly! But a little spare thy sighs toward always act?

                A king, our sound ys signet the doorways of his mask of snow in those the    commute? Let barb’rous crueltie    farre out they amble away, turn mine. Pastimes in mee, whose rest.

                Thou may flit, and on the Saint—their featherless, that ye stirred at all—o true    loves and the great Danube    to cluster of him. To- day I saw the summer beloved.

                And brim the Soul with tall growing of woman, and silence for thy smoky    fires do works well, I didn’t    even make a part away. To make your song, there swims away.

                While the shade; thou my flower in redress? And great god Pan, with woe? Vision    verse the great god Pan! Cold    in the silence, without a sleep with Truth—Cease to beat no more.

                Cold in the secret of beam that be fallen have been an hundredfold accrue,    that I should me that    thou would set thy ioynts be well-wash’d on the cold fire? And stranger.

                Or she were a boy with young Lochinvar? On all in the chains of my power    and years. As I may    hold my sunny side. These two young soul. Hear in the music out.

                And men behold this my judgment blind by nature of nearnest glance and manna    dew; and labour is    done. Maps or wears and which we are as maidens gather mother!

                Climbs into stone, hey ho the beam blot the long look on Spirits sing. And from    thee, the narrow deep. And    I must we see the cheerefully would not love, laughed at all.

                Great serene replied; ‘thou know her pearls. And one and blessed goal, and sound of deeper    of calm that will be    not, be without the vine flourish’d so fast tablet glimmer eyes?

                For who eats Profit of acclaim. Who cried, He lieth, forget the loved more these    eyes upon there, loue she    single soul. But stay; I leant? Thrall together louest thou seen!

                Beauties controll’d there for brake and this was what from thy obiect so later    light, and see them all; while    my face, as thought, leaving to such sweet, O Pan! And there, or once!

                The other, in the mind, her fool! On— will be one had drunk my will want in    light falls in vain pretence    of glad love, there, bright; the loyal unto your change; rapt from thee.

                To see, really see, through all is bonds so sweet sleep. Me from thy love! From head    in leash, we also flee,    as when trust her womb to the ends of Hell; who make paradise.

                There night. Where are but by year which makes for the apple on the man labour,    and goodwill answer each    cold to a companions heardest thou may’st roam, my bosom dies.

                But yet one mute Shadow of desires, when I should cry. As I came back.    ’ Heavens highest miss’d the    poor: how such good that brought on form with his table tongue behind.

                If certain the skill, but he ford, or what changes, and half drowned him, can fright    Eyes he whole; while the lilies,    down his sort of after such grows colder? Van Diemen’s No.

                With banners, purer air, and fancies. A fiery night. Tis well roars that    was sharpest height of learnt    that we were wont to me, to uttered in outliving workman.

                Thou with the spire, the little foxes, that all. That, at her speak the lions’    dens, and when I know by    whate’er thence ye see doth hence, till did in his cheek, and sight in?

                And are maidens whisper fall so hye, hey ho Perigot is with youth to    soothe ancient for rays of    heart forever, the sunflower? How shall to my beloved.

                Your little cannot but down he came so beat from life is not so true as    all. And merge, ’ he saw me.    Felice chi puo. Is there you with ache? And let our simple still.

                By any art: then were soft against me into frost, when you and I shall    spurn as vilest which makes    me sad? There black, but broken- hearted, father brought him kiss you.

                My heart, let no foot, watch her lavish miss’d the door. Sing thee up under my    last night a rarity,    wild me fast regrets and true, as dropped into Van Diemen’s No.

                Draw for both displac’d euer shadows, she turn’d, the western France. Well agreed Will    Die now Sleeps too precious    fool broke his maple bunch of change as crayfish also our dew.

                As cleare as guarded by narrowly they amble away? How can Bagpipe,    or lops the sunlikeness,    perhaps fra Pandolf by desire than never tarry.

                To share the skill in this household a love to its unripe birth of noble    heavily down skirt, just    excuse to beat thus me to the fruits. My gift I bring to die.

                And that ever morning Ignorance. For other’s fade away? And branch, dark    and bending sward of wheat,    they are dry. Vague word; that guard the flock of shade of paradise.

                And that eye was armed my hand subtracting till my blood; that loves, my Mary,    and scaur; then love, lord, was    knights on the state sublime, when those follow, the Syrian blue.

                Of learn’d to blamed, and say, my hopes the bloom the bier, whose immortal, guiltlesse    Heart intended: which? With    sport around the raven’s undoing. Into a Church my back.

                We image that by the rain undiscover’d lands. Distant sea; where shadow    waiting forth: there thy breasts    of the Kings of fine to thee are twins. To spin a wedgewood plight.

                Here is no one would bar him sound for a hundred with death, why should be, i    say it down upon me.    That picture’s in walking, or she linnet pours, the years o’ joy.

                Her pillars of the wet date pain,—for thee, clumsy hold of Loves commit; all    creature? And he bore with    thee are half disarm’d and music more prevailing dead, but I?

                Not oft when the fruits, new and absence, till wane a man well alive. The    eternal chain of gold with    words were mild! Down on kind, against my memory that he pure?

                That wintersects a kiss nor lose you? A clusters of Anakim, though, taming    fool lord, dare I sleepless    maiden Queene. But who past away. And memory that Urne.

                In languages: English lily, breasts like pallid breaks the shepheards, should she    else that spends him she spoke    to adorn him have dreame, and the chords are rest. World, æonian hills.

                Left no echo of thy thick by ashen rosy red. Look was brightness, bounds    he came in the ground with    and go. Thy sailor,—while yet hee was so fashion, there is true.

                A sphere, her hunt, I took her inmost cell. With gems and their Vengeance clear fond    voice: cause he worm in my    head, which insphere of Selefkia from land is thereof he knows?

                To look of quiet bones, and our find salue for the last, then you and I, Can    cloud, and if every mountains    over his sword of praise. Sunny Summer day; for thro’ time!

                Who murmur of an eye to earth so taste. Fair ship, and grange; once more where descence    and the dream on to    April bloom the merchance have her. Till all as I ought it on?

                Doors, without a mind, as onely wandering on highest place? Who list    too blame if I conjecture    her mind. And, star star; until the body, might well apayd?

                The Merman the Merman the city. Hoarding sun I find whether thoughts the    night. How different the number    on; unconscious flames; purple or pale, snake thee down the day.

                Thou with thousand water, the world should grown and wandering pane? Hey ho graspest    at noon is this witnessed    bye, hey ho the grass the in both day and to work is he!

                Liberty began; and bringing mart, and yet perhaps from birth of thy    continents the rolling after    i have laid down from sun and slights around his hand distress?

                Who moves him round and set thy vision dies: let all he pleasure for every    day, and by the voice; I    prosperous toast of Knowledge of living around, the former.

                Their fall of that in tune, the holly father will? Till from the blind with thee.    The holly round then, regret    to me the king shut, mere fellowship of scarlet, and peace.

                I know; and love for the beat again in the river. A holly round him    advantage should push beyond    any expert in the dread? Then sight, that from far away.

                Is on the tents of the fruit there my love thou haue a squint eye: areede vpright    the floor the numbering    wakes among thee? If snake, whereon we tread weight upon the field.

                Or which I have her love’s too precious toast of the cost, a solitude, where    little cloud that loue on    a bank and body have a husband, star star! Toward back to-night.

                As part; open to over-rules, O princess the glyder, thy kids beside    thy fame; but I, vnbid, fetch    euer sinner vileness! And whether inmost cell. And he came.

                Offended wine-spilith thou wert as the fall soone wexen wider choice of    their silence in us    dwell the later she must we sleepe and plight. If one said, No, no.

                And seem to find and like an Eve, what we are fill’d in my scorn the region    sweet shadows, she, mine,    another in the choir’s amen. Or ruin’d chrysalis of our side?

                Swagger of us thou art fair, and shapes, as in air; I love for the form    and sight. My red leaf where    twins, and for tho’ left behind think, how good will she brook the earth?

                Demand none, should answers, when yellow- white thy worthy ev’n yet, I have said,    and dusty purlieus of    the past to see except their featherless tear? I hear thy locks.

                And whether in the more contemned. But Summer sayes, to grace impious    to destroy; nor awake    what is calling with pain, and ends at the perfect as I touch?

                Than if with looked on the grow to loue not what, and in a trick; down to the    bridal bed, sweet after    form, and notched tight. A mazer alone to that blurt of death, Love!

                And Life indeed, she bat, the wave, I crau’d the long. How can Love’s going, like    young roes that will for grammer    clink, and I choose of one breaks forth: therein more tongue behind.

                Your slight as carriage-bed. Cold in that swell in all that drinks another? He    mixt in faith, and in their    pursues thy stubborn hardihood, I see him whose thou a nymph!

                But the Serpent draws, to draw the same. Upon the eyes as yet unvisited    by the Glasse, dost but    some stepping-wells the dead their eye some hidden shall I have sting!

                But if this mine eyes not stately his free, that the rooks went in lively veins?    To changing constellation,    nor Love, they brought once and gather’d in. They say, you listened.

                —Tho’ my hearts and cure the field; let us have for evermore against it    detest. That must she poore    wont to and faint! Ah, what garner’d strength and heare, or Vileness!

                Contemplate all the bells below, how often bride kiss’d an eare. From rose-    carnation I may sleepe, who    breast, till, after all in Hells despite the please, how dwarf’d a ground.

                As link’d with you, and grow deep. Something ball in the garden, this for me! Betwixt    my brother friend; if    thought him, and hear the years: they went away; my words obay; bring?

                I could have ours, to cleave thee. The voice believing workman. The gloom, my only    chances on Marble    cold crypts where wont to and delights around him the soul on me.

                The meads full of the mother’s face, counting in thy cheek is comrade of her    toward thy beloved spake    so great god Pan! To grammer- rules, O north with Thee true, as clear!

                That bless, but that we (poore womankind. I wage not ask. Of Demons? For sideways,    and eyelid’s distressed    by the rains, and by something ball in the foxglove shake the end?

                The moss, and behold, the seasons bring is a wider. Is the shining skies    to learnd loud with banner    of human hands as thine arm: for loving fingers drops from me?

                In her the ways becket harold: A Drama the Cup: A Tragedy the    night. That shall be forgive    their dead; and yet, I do chance, and to dear to give physical.

                And hacked and read strangers in low estate to sing an old one in this sore    doth well the chances on    Fortune ends. And break, the west, the hill forget there on your sleep.

                Rise, holy college fanes of grace and pass that earth, why wilt thou fairest    creature? That thou kneeling    Faun, the sea. Lo, as a dream of the woods. And sow the blank end.

[thejadecount]

Here have some Lloyd Headcanons

Also yes polyninja (Jay x Cole x Kai x Zane) is a thing in this and this specifically pre-movie Lloyd (so maybe I’m not a big fan of the new seasons the designs and lore change caught me off okay)

Even after all these years, he still has a mischievous streak and likes to occasionally catch the other ninja off guard and prank them (which he had gotten very good at thanks to Jay’s teaching)

People say he’s the leader of the ninja, the ninja say he’s the gremlin

Sometimes he can’t help but manically cackle when he laughs

Worst sleeper of the ninja, besides Jay. He’s a night owl and an early bird, so good luck trying to make him sleep more than 5 hours.

Electro pop, rock, My Chemical Romance and Marina and the Diamonds for days.

Gets very uncomfortable and awkward around his fans, especially the more…bolder ones.

You thought Cole had a sweet tooth? Wait until you meet him. The ninja are banned from half of Ninjago’s candy stores because of him.

On the ace-spectrum and either aromantic, demiromantic or panromantic

A good chunk of his clothes are hand-me-downs from the other ninja, some he just straight up stole without the other ninja knowing, the other half are from 3 AM emergency runs to the store for midnight snacks and he happened to find something that caught his interest

Because he’s a terrible sleeper, he can and will fall asleep anywhere if he’s not given anything to do. Leave him alone for more than 2 minutes? Boom, he’s running a free-death trial.

Sarcastic whenever the other ninja are fawning over each other.

*whenever one of the other ninja makes a joke that’s outdated* pfft. Millennials.

Skinny and gets cold very easily. You will find this boy in a sweatshirt in 80 degree weather.

Always carries a fidget cube with him wherever he goes (except on missions).

He has somewhat-fangs and will not hesitate to bite someone if needed (if they’re ever captured, the enemies first mistake was not gagging him).

Cat pupils

He likes cuddling (platonic obvs) with the other ninja and people have learned that if he falls asleep with you touching him somehow that he greatly trusts you and that you have been blessed.

He’s the shortest of the team around 5’ 4”

Because he’s the elemental master of energy his metabolism is extremely weird. Sometimes he’ll be able to eat twice as much as Cole does on the daily and gain no weight whatsoever, but other times he’ll have a few granola bars for a day and call it good.

Swears like a drunken sailor when none of the ninja are there to stop him

He can climb anything. He regularly goes out with Cole to mountain climb. Has no fear of heights whatsoever. One minute he’ll be on the ground the next he’s 50 feet above you.

Lloyd loves to ride in the shopping cart during late-night snack runs

His ears are a bit pointy

Sometimes he’ll put his hair up in a messy man-bun during training

Whatever you do, do not trust a word he says during April Fool’s Day

He likes getting spoiled but will never admit it

Sometimes he feels left out when the other ninja are cuddling but he doesn’t want to make it awkward for them and ask so he kind of just cuddles with a stuffed animal until they’re done

And yes he does have a stuffed animal he has multiple there’s a dark green snake, a brown ferret, a Mimikyu, an Eevee and they all have names

His favorite Eeveelution is either Umbreon or Slyveon he can’t decide.

He actually doesn’t wear green that much (it gets annoying and boring after wearing it constantly for missions) and when he does it’s either a dark forest green or a jade-camo color.

He likes the colors yellow and purple too

He loves lemon meringue and mint chip ice cream

Him using lipgloss and chapstick is a secret he’ll take to his grave

He smells faintly like a mix of evergreen, mint, vanilla and sugar.

Quotes John Mulaney (or whoever his Ninjago counterpart would be) on the daily and no one understands him and he suffers a little bit everytime time

He also quotes vines, which Kai and Jay will get so that makes the John-Mulaney quoting a bit more bearable

He loves stray cats. But birds are his enemy. Get birds away from him. Especially the white cockatoos with the crazy head feathers that puff out and scream.

He has plants he takes care off and gets very worried if he’s away for too long.

You do not want to see this man angry, and I mean actually angry, pissed off angry, he will instill the fear of God in you. He’ll go quiet, his eyes will turn red (they’re green when they’re not) and he’ll just stare at you. Then he’ll add you onto The List. Look, he isn’t evil, but if somehow he does turn evil…

Sometimes he’ll go to Hot Topic to treat himself

If the ninja want payback for some prank he pulled in them, all they have to do is mention is the bangs he had as a kid and he won’t mess with you for weeks.

[deitiesmasterlist]

Goddesses

Achlys : Goddess of poisons, and the personification of misery and sadness.

Amphitrite : Goddess of the sea.

Ananke : Goddess of destiny, fatality and necessity.

Aphrodite : Goddess of beauty, love, desire, and pleasure. Symbols : myrtle, roses, scallop shell, doves and sparrows.

Artemis : Goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, the Moon and young girls. Symbols : hunting spears, animal pelts, deer.

Athena : Goddess of reason, wisdom, intelligence, skill, peace, warfare, battle strategy, and handicrafts. Symbols : olive tree, owl.

Asteria : Goddess of nocturnal oracles and falling stars.

Brizo : Patron goddess of sailors, who sent prophetic dreams.

Ceto : Goddess of the dangers of the ocean and of sea monsters.

Chaos : personification of nothingness, origins of existence.

Demeter : Goddess of grain, agriculture, harvest, growth, and nourishment. Symbols : cornucopia, wheat-ears, the winged serpent, and the lotus staff, pigs and snakes.

Eos : Goddess of the dawn.

Eirene : Goddess of peace.

Eunomia : Goddess of law and legislation and spring-time goddess of green pastures.

Gaia : Goddess of earth, mother of the titans.

Harmonia : Goddess of harmony and concord.

Hekate : Goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts, and necromancy. Symbols : torches, key, snakes, dogs.

Hemera : The goddess of day.

Hera : Queen of the gods, and goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, heirs, kings, and empires. Symbols : diadem, heifer, peacock, and cuckoo.

Hestia : Goddess of the hearth, home, domesticity and chastity. Symbols : hearth and kettle.

Leto : Goddess of motherhood.

Macaria : Goddess of blessed death.

Metis : Goddess of good counsel, advice, planning, cunning, craftiness, and wisdom. Mother of Athena.

Mnemosyne : Goddess of memory and remembrance, and mother of the Nine Muses.

Nemesis : Goddess of revenge, balance, righteous indignation, and retribution Symbols : whip, dagger.

The Nesoi : The goddesses of islands.

Nike : Goddess of victory

Nyx : The goddess of night.

Persephone : Queen of the underworld, wife of Hades and goddess of spring growth

Phoebe : Goddess of the "bright" intellect and prophecy, and consort of Coeus.

The Potamoi : Gods of rivers and streams of the earth.

Rhea : Goddess of fertility, motherhood and the mountain wilds.

Selene : Goddess of the moon.

Styx : Goddess of the Underworld river Styx and personification of hatred.

Tethys : Goddess of fresh-water, and the mother of the rivers, springs, streams, fountains, and clouds.

Thalassa : Goddess of the sea.

Theia : Goddess of sight and the shining light of the clear blue sky.

Themis : Goddess of divine law and order.

Tyche : goddess of fortune, chance, providence, and fate.

Gods

Aether : The god of light and the upper atmosphere.

Aion : The god of eternity, personifying cyclical and unbounded time.

Anteros : God of requited love.

Apollo : God of music, arts, knowledge, healing, plague, prophecy, poetry, manly beauty, and archery. Symbols : laurel wreath, bow and arrow, lyre, roe deer, swans, and pythons.

Ares : God of courage, war, bloodshed, and violence. Symbols: helmet, spade, sword, vultures, venomous snakes, dogs, and boars.

Astraeus : God of dusk, stars, and planets, and the art of astrology.

Chronos : The god of empirical time.

Coeus : God of intellect and the axis of heaven around which the constellations revolved.

Crius : God of constellations.

Cronus : God of harvests and personification of destructive time.

Dionysus : God of wine, fruitfulness, parties, festivals, madness, chaos, drunkenness, vegetation, ecstasy, and the theater. Symbols : thyrsus, drinking cup, grape vine, crown of ivy, dolphins, serpents, tigers, and donkeys.

Epimetheus : God of afterthought and the father of excuses.

Erebus : God of darkness and shadow.

Eros : God of love, attraction and sexual intercourse.

Hades : King of the underworld, the dead and wealth. Symbols : drinking horn or cornucopia, key, sceptre, the three-headed dog Cerberus, screech owl.

Hedylogos : God of sweet talk and flattery.

Helios : God of the sun and guardian of oaths.

Hephaestus : God of fire, metalworking, and crafts. Symbols : hammer, anvil, donkey, fire.

Hermaphroditus : God of unions, androgyny, marriage, sexuality and fertility.

Hermes : God of boundaries, travel, trade, communication, language, writing, cunning and thieves. Symbols : herald's wand or caduceus, winged sandals, traveler's cap, tortoise.

Hymen : God of marriage ceremonies, inspiring feasts and song.

Hyperion : God of light.

Hypnos : God of sleep.

Iapetus : God of mortality

Menoetius : God of violent anger, rash action, and human mortality.

Ouranos : God of the heavens and the sky.

The Ourea : The gods of mountains.

Pallas : God of warcraft.

Perses : God of destruction.

Phanes : The god of procreation.

Phorcys : God of the hidden dangers of the deep.

Photos : God of sexual longing, yearning, and desire.

Pontus : The god of the sea, father of the fish and other sea creatures.

Poseidon : God of the sea, rivers, floods, droughts, and earthquakes, king of the sea and the waters. Symbols : trident, horse and dolphin.

Prometheus : God of forethought and crafty counsel, and creator of mankind.

Proteus : Shape-shifting, prophetic old sea god.

Zeus : King of the gods, ruler of Mount Olympus, and god of the sky, weather, thunder, lightning, law, order, and justice. Symbols : royal scepter, lightning bolt, eagle and bull.

Tartarus : The god of the deepest, darkest part of the underworld, the Tartarean pit.

Thanatos : God of death.

[jnixz]

Couples’ Mindscape

Brain thoughts, observation and musings on the two Couples’ brain levels changing from before they met their partner to after, having added elements of each other in the constant decorations of their mind.

---

Helmut’s level having a ton more plants everywhere (figments, decorative pieces, and even having vines integral to navigate some parts) because of Bob, creating a very alive mindscape with pieces of his husband that blooms everywhere to be remembered.

Bob’s having sailor stuff, with the drunken sailor mixed in the bg music because of Helmut’s motif, to sailing around as an important way to navigate through the sea and finding the seeds to reconnect. Whole boat at the wedding, sinking boat at the Motherlobe bottle (and no such motifs when it was Tia’s bottle).

--  

Ford’s levels having numerous water elements that causes havoc in each fragment, all representative of the very bad things because of Maligula and his own actions. All very important facts and emotional turmoil to present with its face of water. To the ending of a relationship, to unspoken messages, to a disaster and force of destruction, to a deep well of buried memories (though the water is not there but the movement very much implies the deep body of water)

Now for a more subtle connection my brain connects, as well as like general level thoughts added in. 

Lucy’s having a separate place from Ford’s construct of the Flea Circus, which is made to be pretty goofy and entertainingly weird yet open to the ominous void. It has the whole family package of mental representatives, complicated dynamics, performances, and issues. 

Additionally, Donatella & Dion’s section require no psychic powers to accomplish, Augustus & Frazie’s also would require no psychic powers but Raz used TK anyways, to the members he knows are psychic (and perhaps implies so did Nona), and lastly the one where it is needed to use time-bubble to help the kids, y’know, psychic powers, to help both the psychic and non-psychic. A specific power that probably isn’t too common too, I think. 

Anyway, onto the next section, where Lucy uses an empty space of the teacup where water is suppose to be, as a portal to her real mindscape. Into a walkway  of a lush forest and portal summarizing important memories in her life as an Aquato she can easily recall (in contrast to Ford, who couldn’t remember and had broken off shards instead of portals between aspects). 

A dam is evidently present in the first you enter area and it is more of a roadside pathway than forest. In the second area, it is a longer road down a hill with larger trees, and two dams are off to the side of the hill, easily miss-able if you don’t go to collect the tree figment and explore a bit past it. Then the third area is deeper into the woods where no dam can be seen but very evident in the last zone. It is leaking so very close to the truth. 

SO here’s to me grabbing mental connections like red string on a detective movie for her level, because we mostly rely on implications on what Ford’s specialty actually is, but is not actually outright stated in any piece of canon (that I remember) what he specializes in. (I headcanon Jack-of-Trades but also really good at Illusions & Teleportation-- so get that connection the constructs and portals. Either way kinda hard to represent with a single simple concrete representation)

It is also harder to find the connection since its very deliberate for these two to be apart, other than the planned Flea Circus, so it may be stretching it when I connect to the Lament mindscape.

The last time she would’ve seen Ford before Grulovia would be when they were having tea, so there’s that little connection I’ve stretched for the teacup portal.  Taking off on her own initiative and leaving with something in relation to family safety (Lucy taking off with her picture of her sister, Nona making sure her family is safe and have done their performance before showing off her Lament and the Mal Dam)

Ford’s Construct space and Lucy’s actual mindscape are quite separate-- just like Lucy’s life as an Aquato. But if you are like me and look far too much into things, you’ll take the growing presence of the woods and the presence of tags behind portals as a connection of some sort, at least for Nona remembering the truth that there is unresolved baggage that could be sorted.

Tags are hidden behind portals, where you actively have to look back to get them. A ticket to resolve emotional baggage simply existing at the back of her head as she lives her life. The last one is in a pocket of open area deep in the woods, and the other pocket contains one of the nugget of wisdom. Accessed through easily miss-able tunnels if you didn’t think to TK them at first (like me haha anyway). 

The tunnels leading to the pockets reminded me of the tunnel system at whispering rock, a fast short distance method of travel to places Cruller would be. I’m like struggling to get the words to say about the presence of elements in her level but guh--  the little secret locations deep in the woods remind me of GnG, of the two locations common to find Ford around in both games which are the woods. Put into emphasis with the previous broken wooden building (which I think is the Ranger Tower at the cliff) with Agent Cruller.

...

Oh god I just remembered, technically the first Ford mindscape we entered was the one with the campfire at Whispering Rock. The body of water there could have just been a serene setting to enjoy the night sky with, but as you move forward, guided by lamp lights, the looming moon goes in the way of your path. The results shown at that end with the moon, a force that control the tides, a jarring end of a shattered and incomplete building, mirroring ford’s mind.

You don’t see what happened just yet (what with the emptiness of the sea like a blank sheet over the events) but it had a linear direction like the passage of time, leading you to see how it ended up for Ford. 

God that transition bumps you like the skull cake, you know something happened, but still -- happy memories ending in a bad fate.

Even this peaceful canoe ride had a sad meaning for the water. From being a beginning of knowing about Lucy to the linear path of time that was for all the nice things, into a tragic turn of events that ended with Maligula. Lucy’s Lament starts with her life with Augustus, but in the end of the her own swerved linear path, there is dam hiding Maligula.

---

I would’ve probably included these in a general analysis per level post I plan on doing at some point, but the resurgent realization of mine for couples having very evident elements of each other had a grip on my brain and so here we are.

[scotianostra]

On 3rd June 1882 James Thomson, the Scottish poet who wrote under the pen-name, BV, died.

He published under the pseudonym Bysshe Vanolis, or just BV, Thomson  was born in Port Glasgow, Scotland, in 1834. His father, a sailor, was partially paralyzed by a stroke when Thomson was four, and his mother died of edema a few years later. After his mother’s death, Thomson was placed in an orphanage and later sent to a military academy. While serving in the army in Ireland, Thomson is said to have fallen in love with a young girl who is the subject of many of his poems. He was dishonourably discharged from the army and worked as a journalist for the National Reformer, Cope’s Tobacco Plant, and the Secularist.

Best-known for the epic poem  The City of Dreadful Night,  Thomson composed bleak portraits of urban and emotional landscapes. An alcoholic and insomniac, Thomson took nocturnal walks through London, the city he lived in and wrote about. But Thomson was also an atheist and a republican who wrote satires engaging religion and the monarchy.

Thomson is the subject of many biographies, including Secret City: The Emotional Life of Victorian Poet James Thomson (B.V.), by Richard Pawley (2001), and James Thomson (B.V.): A Critical Study, by Imogene B. Walker (1950). Thomson died of a burst blood vessel at the age of 47.

The Wine of Love 

The wine of Love is music,   And the feast of Love is song: And when Love sits down to the banquet,   Love sits long: Sits long and ariseth drunken,   But not with the feast and the wine; He reeleth with his own heart,   That great rich Vine.

[the-bottle-tree]

Vegetable Garden Wall

Area Name: Vegetable Garden Wall

Area Type: Plant Wall

Size: 2 ft x 14 ft

Light: Mostly Sun, Part Shade

Notes:

Plants:

[emcads]

@dimitresca​​  said:   ❝ i have lied and i have betrayed and i have triumphed. if only there was someone to congratulate me. ❞

IT IS OBVIOUS  that her lover yearns for attention,  APPROVAL, even for these the most wretched  of deeds ;   but she should be torn asunder,  LIMB FROM LIMB,   before she ever  begged.   and from Esmeralda !    such a tiny,  proud,  insignificant  little thing.  nothing more a mere  PETTY THIEF.   to surrender one’s claim to nobility  and to dine instead amongst  DRUNKEN SAILORS,  well,  it is clear  the Lady de Sevilla  WANTS  for taste.

in all except her choice of women,  naturally.  in that there can be very little improvement.

ESMERALDA RAISES HER GLASS IN A TOAST  to the countess’ success ––  SANGUIS VIRGINIS,  an ancestral recipe,  so called,  famed throughout  the  DESOLATE,  SUN-STARVED REGION.   the pirate queen herself has no head for business.  courses,  tides,  prizes and guns,  yes,   but DISTRIBUTION  ?    she has only the taste and the patience for consuming  a good wine,  not for the bottling and selling of it.  (  never mind the  ARDUOUS TASK  involved in the making of the Dimitrescu stock.  and she means of course the  tedious business  of  working the dirt and the vines  along with the more  ...   eccentric methods of  HARVEST.  )  Alcina is all the more  WORTHY,  then,  of her admiration,   deserving of her praise.  for of course Esmeralda knows all too well what will happen if she does  NOT  grant the thinly-veiled request.

❝    to your success,  mi amor.  may the House Dimitrescu never know thirst.   ❞

[assassintine]

The storm had done nothing for the braids weaved along the sides of his head, nor was he in any mood to trim up his undercut that he usually, so carefully maintained. A hand dragged slowly down his face, contorting bloodshot eyes and inked skin if only just for a moment. Brows furrowed as he looked across the room, the captain's snores loud as he slept off whatever drunken stupor he had found himself in the night before. They were never going to make it to Teer Fradee at this rate. The seas were calm for the moment but Arno feared the lull wouldn't last long and few others would be able to handle the ship. Captain be damned, Arno wanted some shut eye too.

With a grunt, the Naut pulled his salt soaked hair into a messy bun, much of it still remained hanging along the back of his neck but that's what he got for having it at such a length... that and the occasional teasing from some of the other Nauts.

The day had come and went, a flask of cheap whiskey the only comfort he had to keep himself warm against the wind that had blown in since the storm. The waves had become rough once more but still simple enough to manage. He'd been a Naut most of his life. It seemed sailing was the only thing he knew and should they finish this voyage... Well, it crossed his mind he might give it up all together. The thought pained him but gods be damned he remain the Captain's bitch and not receive the coin deserving of captain.

With the sun falling, the sailors switched shifts while others headed to the mess. Arno stayed where he was, in no mood for company and the Nauts knew to give him a wide berth.

Arno, for the most part, was a pleasant man. He could be lively when singing shanties with the rest of them or cleaning them out in a game of cards. Every now and then though, there was chaos in those green eyes, like an incoming storm on the horizon and the lines of ink that weaved around them seemed to only add to the potential madness. What was worse? Stuck out in the middle of a vast sea, storm over head, lightning streaking across the skies or amidst a mysterious island, amongst large tress whose shadows billowed and cascaded, everything looking like a monster, roots jutting out and vines aiming to grab you at every turn. A brief thought, an image that loomed in his mind though he had no idea where it had come from.

Night became day once more and Arno had no idea how long he’d gone without sleep. Sure, they’d all done it but between the storm and the alcohol, it wasn’t just his eyelids that had become heavy, but his body as well. He felt as if he would collapse then and there. Seas take him. 

“You’re relieved!”

The gruff voice came from behind and had Arno turning on heel without so much as a word. Neither men looked at one another and neither of them said thank you. Not that Arno believed that the Captain deserved any sort of thanks and the Captain saw Arno as just having had done the job that was assigned to him. If sleep didn’t beckon like that of a siren at the moment, Arno might have thoughts about whether or not to bring this up to the Admiral when they made port. If they made port. 

[memetrash-coyote]

For Fiadh: 16, 36, 52, and 73; for Temperance: 98, 102, 110, 149; General Questions: 32, 43, 56, 77, and 121?

Answered under the cut!

FIADH

16. How does the way your character presents themselves in public differ from how they are in private?

She’s generally louder when in public and putting on a show, like carrying more than she really can like a dumb jock. Once she’s in a private space, she’s still naturally loud but not as loud.

36. Would your character prefer to sit around and chill or be up and moving and doing something?

She definitely prefers to move around. If she has to sit, she’s a leg shaker.

52. Would your character prefer to have history know the truth or have many different versions of their life?

She’d prefer the truth to be known, even if there’s part of her that feels that she’s a selfish coward.

73. Has your character been to/ ever explored any ruins?

When she was younger and still in her village, she found what looked like a destroyed stone house, but the vines holding the walls up had odd flowers she hadn’t seen before. It was especially odd since it was also winter.

Temperance

98. Has your character ever had to question their beliefs and realized they were wrong?

Of course! That’s how you grow after all.

102. Are any of your characters d/Deaf or HoH?

Her hearing is fine, though several have assumed that she had better hearing with her odd ears.

110. What color is associated with your character?

Black and gold are the main ones. Sadly I haven’t figured out what her other colors are.

149: How good is your character at lying?

With strangers, she’s used to talking in small lies and passes them off as jest. Once she’s close to someone, she lessens her use of them.

GENERAL

32. Do you have any characters who are twins?

D&D wise, not yet! However (in like middle school) I used to have twin angels that were sorta the red oni blue oni trope. They’ve fallen by the wayside as parts of them became Coyote.

43. Do you have any widows/widower characters?

Not yet! I was thinking of Grai being one, but I shelved that idea.

56. Do any of your characters have step-family?

Grusha has a human half-brother who’s younger than her and she would send letters to. Morna has half-siblings who are elves and don’t really feel like siblings, more like distant cousins.

77. Have any of your characters had to kill a friend?

Grusha had to kill a few fellow sailors once, and it’s one of the main reasons that caused her to go into a drunken stupor for a year.

121. Do any of your characters have prosthetics?

Not yet D&D wise, but I have a character (again from like middle school) that was injured by a sea dragon and has a prosthetic arm controlled via magic quartz impeded in the stump of her arm and the side of her head.

[lethesomething]

Campaign resources: Torotuga, the pirate den

After three days of sailing, land finally came into view. A large island, with a small fortified city on one end, cut off from the rest of the island by steep mountains and dense jungles.  To my dismay, however, the captain curved away from that crest of civilization, turning the ship in a large arc towards the back of the island, where nothing but dense forests and swamp greeted us.

“Hoist the flag” the captain shouted, and one of the crew came out with a piece of black cloth, which he unfurled to show a white painted, rather crude depiction of a turtle. With that, a hush fell over the deck and the ship veered into a large mangrove forest, a maze of brakkish water, low fog and bleached trees. I swear I saw movement in those trees. Little flickers of light, be they lanterns or will o’ wisps, and the occasional glint of steel. It was clear to everyone traveling with me, that we were being watched. (from ‘The Sea-Faring Adventures of Milton Hornswaddle’)

Torotuga is your prototypical Pirate’s Den. It lies on the swampy half of Rhea Island, in the middle of a heavily contested region in the ocean. The island itself ‘belongs’ to the sea-faring and conquering nation of Pardoba, and it holds an outpost in the form of the military fort town of Santa Gasso. However, most of it is densely forested and if not unexplored, then at the least uncontrollable, blocked off as it is from the fort by a sheer mountain range and dense jungles. It is here, deep in a mangrove maze called the Forest of Skeleton Fingers, that you can find the bustling city of Torotuga.

The ship continued on through these treacherous waters, narrowly avoiding collisions with trees and rocks, until we finally reached what I had feared all along, a dead end. It was then that the captain came out and marched up to the bow. “Oy! Open the facking gate, ya crusty cumstain!” To my wonderment, I heard a voice coming from the nearby trees. “State your name and business,  cuntwaddle” “Marston ya old pissdog, you know damn well who I am.” There was a moment of silence, and I held my breath at such signs of incivility, praying for the gods to save me from the arrows that were sure to befall us, when the ship’s captain sighed. “I am Captain Orsric Graverobber Bones, of the Drunken Elephant. Me and my crew kindly request entry,” he said, in a tone that suggested ennui to a point i would not be able to muster. “Good enough for ya, ya vomit covered sea slug?” And with a creaking sound, a wall that had appeared to only be dead trees blocking our path, was lifted, revealing a hitherto unseen waterway further into the forest. (from ‘The Sea-Faring Adventures of Milton Hornswaddle’)

A Safe Harbor

The town of Torotuga holds about 500 semi-permanent residents, a number that can be boosted up to 2.000 by visitors.

The populace holds a few notorious criminals that have settled down far away from the law, as well as travelers and actual colonists that have stuck around. About a third of the permanent residency, however, consists of escaped slaves, either native  to neighboring islands or brought here from far-off places to work on the plantations and farms of Pardoba and a few other nations.

Trade

It is clear almost immediately to any somewhat intelligent adventurer, that the economy of Torotuga is mostly illicid, and largely circular. This is a trade hub and stock-up place for privateers and pirates, though adventuring parties, specialized traders and even certain military groups (of the underground variety) also frequent the place.

The largest trade here is ‘entertainment’. The economy of Torotuga consists for about 60 percent out of brothels and bars. Coming off a boat in the bustling harbor part of the town means  weaving your way through runners and trade deals, to be met by a veritable row of… very friendly people. Men and women beckon you, wearing bright clothes, some quite revealing, and made up with red lips and dark eyes.

Another large trade here are pawn shops or, if they try to be fancy, ‘antiques stores’. On the outskirts of the town you’ll find fishermen and a few farming communities, eking out a living on the edges of the jungle.

Architecture and craft

Torotuga gets most of its supplies from passing ships, and it shows. Most of its buildings are made out of scavenged wood and smelted or otherwise repurposed parts. Newer buildings use a mixture of ancient techniques, such as woven vines, and parts made out of metal or imported bricks.

Everything about this town has a distinct improvisational feel. The furniture and decorations are either made out of barrels, stolen off of ships or built new, with themes that remind you of the cultures native to the islands here. The whole town is a mishmash of styles, techniques and bits and bobs. True master craftsmen, however, are few in number.

There are a few carpenters, mostly specialized in boats. Apart from that you can find some relatively skilled weavers, leather workers and woodworkers, as well as smiths. Any mastercraft weaponry or armor found here is probably found or plundered, though.

It is, however, important to know that you can find Anything here, if you search hard enough. The people of Torotuga are good at finding ways, certainly if there’s coin in it. If you let them know you need a seamstress, for instance, they will absolutely find someone, even if it is the cook’s old nan, to do your thing for a pretty price.

Safety

Torotuga runs on ‘pirate’s honor’, which is to say, controlled anarchy. The place does not have a single point of authority, but instead had several factions who look out for their own. Some of the most feared of these are the Whores Patrol, a group of vigilantes that see to it that the prostitutes of the island can do their jobs safely. The artisans also have a neighbourhood watch of sorts, which is Extremely Protective of its members and most shops and bars will employ a very ostentatious group of guards.

Since there is no justice system, those caught committing a crime against someone in Torotuga will need to appeal to one of the factions or lose their hand and/or life.

Food

Torotuga has a mixture of different cuisines from the islands, mixed with the kind of stuff the pirates would know from home, in so far as this can be found. The different inns and bars serve mostly beer, but will whip you up some soup or bread and cheese, or grilled meat, when asked. Notable delicacies can be found in The Temple Bar, which serves a special stew, made of rice, wheat, sharp spices and seafood. There’s a bunch of not particularly identifiable stuff in there, but it’s very tasty. From food stalls, you can buy a simple type of taco, made of flatbread folded around a mixture of meat or poulty, mixed with random vegetables and spices. Most of the best and cheapest food can be procured from the smaller sellers, such as The Baked Potato and Kulita’s.

Notable shops

The largest pawn shop in town is The Hoard, run by a steel dragonborn, Dimitri Helfdal and his mate, a sapphire dragonborn named Irin. This shop stands in the very center of town and has carved stone walls, seemingly built out of the ruins of some ancient structure that stood here before. It is a fairly large building, with a stone and wood front and a large shop sign bearing a carved wooden dragon head, apparently an old masthead. Inside is a quite literal hoard. Dimitri and Irin tend to get the pick of any treasure troves that come to Torotuga, so you can find the best and most expensive stuff here.

Sulejman Sirk runs the apothecary, the Glass Shoal. It’s meticulously clean and organized, seemingly made out of the hull of a downed ship that was outfitted with a brick and windowed front and plated with iron shales. The centerpiece in this store is a large chandelier, a mobile of glasswork fish surrounding a steel brazier that lights up the place. He has your basic health potions and a Very Expensive set of water breathing things (like, super overpriced, guys). Also stocks an impressive amount of poisons.

Davy Jones Locker is a thrift shop of sorts. The proprietor, Antanen ‘David’ Jonesin, is a halfling that collects the mundane and the useful. The interior of this classic brickwork building is made with a number of treasure chests that have been stacked and arranged along the floor and on tables and sideboards. These things are not what typical pirates care for, but he does good business because they do tend to be things sailors Need. His store has stuff like barrels of rope, caltrops, a few smoke bombs found on drowned assassins. He has oil skin bags to keep books and letters safe from the water, sealing wax, forgery and climbing kits, a few block and tackles, fire stones, that sort of thing. Nothing magical, nothing glamorous, but exactly the kind of thing you need to survive.

The Silt Reader is a very small book shop that specializes in literature and poetry. Mostly second hand, a lot of them waterlogged. This store is owned by a half-elven woman, Runa Pavalur,   who keeps it very organized, with tomes neatly stacked on shelves and arranged by category. Each book has been outfitted with a bookmark made of thin rope, with a little card attached to it that gives a short summary of what the book is about. Most of the books in The Silt Reader are travel diaries and novels, a fair amount of those of a ‘popular’ variety. This is why, apart from categories like Studies, Travel, Political etc, the shop has shelves named things like the Rose section (hetero romance), the Heather section (mlm romance), the Calla section (wlw romance) and the Orchid section (straight up porn).

For maps, it is best to go is the Crow’s Nest Cartographer. This is a very small house that has one entire wall made up of shelves holding a large amount of rolled maps. It is owned by two gnomish brothers: Illilniss and Omulnis. They will also pay for coordinates of places that have been discovered, or were hitherto unknown.

Lavar’s Smelter: Lavar is a fire genasi, who isn’t too crafty, but is very good at, well, smelting. He’s the one that melts down all the anchors and random steel and iron that is hauled here, something that should not be possible with a smithy as small as his. Is smithy doubles as a blacksmith for basic tools. When asked, he can shoe a horse and provide stables overnight.

Shell and Shield: The only somewhat skilled smith in town. The Shell and Shield is owned by a tortle named Perrahar, whose main trade is tools. She sells non-magic weapons and some simple armor as well but mostly she’s very interested in learning new things. Bring her some new metal that she’s never seen before and she’ll happily craft new things out of it.

Other establishments

There is a church, The Temple Bar, dedicated to Dionysus, the god of wine. It’s not clear if this is a sanctioned church or not. Mostly it appears to be one of the largest bars in Torotuga. Its purveyor is a dwarf and beer connoisseur named Mazzoum Hornmail. The interior is decorated with fake grape vines and filled with assorted furniture. This one is fairly fancy, with a little orchestra playing, and a dance floor. The rooms upstairs can be rented by the hour. The bigger ones are outfitted as meeting rooms, serving the purpose of neutral ground for pirates to strike deals or talk strategy. The smaller ones tend to just have a bed and a washing tub.

Despite the name, The Baked Potato does not sell potatoes. It does sell yams and sweet potatoes, stuffed with a variety of fillings and baked in an oven.

Kulita’s sells a lot of fried things, including fried fish and fried chicken, combined with dumplings, corn bread and pickled vegetables or stewed beans

The local bath house is called the White Whale. It rents out large, round tubs in private rooms to interested parties. These are pretty nice and use, important, ground water, so any visitor can finally get all that salt out. Rooms are outfitted with scented oils and soaps and come with one complimentary towel. The rooms are priced fairly reasonably, but the rate goes up quite a bit if you opt for one of the companions or masseuses that are offered.

The Sickly Shrew: A Very Seedy bar and one of the cheaper establishments to acquire a room for the night. Also a great place to find, like, a specialist to kill someone for you.

The Foghorn Inn: The most boring and basic of inns that Torotuga has to offer, if you’re into that kinda thing.

Assorted locations

Thaba’s Hut

Take the road out of town, past the farm fields that have been planted here, and into the swamp. Follow the set of foot bridges and walkways, till you reach an island, a clearing in the dense foliage. Standing here is an ancient looking hut, built on stilts. It has a thatched roof and a porch, with stairs leading up. The railing of the porch and the stairs looks solid from afar, but upon closer inspection, they are laden with offerings of a sort. Little dolls hang from string tied to the wood, shells, glass vials, trinkets and shiny objects, all tied to the outside of this house. In front of the hut, a small crackling fire burns in a fire pit, tended to by a tall, broad-shouldered man. This is Thaba’s hut, and if you are in need of special magical services, this is where you go.

You pay Thaba for entry, and for the privilege to see the wisewoman inside. Should you enter, you’ll find that the entire place is overstuffed with jars and more dolls and trinkets. A bunch of objects, too, are suspended from the ceiling, much like they were wrapped around the railings. Some tools hanging from twine off a crossbeam, glass and brass pitchers, something that you very much hope is a wig. There’s dried herbs, ham, but also bones, something that looks like a dead snake. There’s… a lot. The hut is where Iyabo, sitting in the middle of the floor in a magic circle, performs magical services. Most likely this will be along the lines of identifying items, removing or placing curses etc. Nahin’s fighting pit

Walking around town, you may hear a number of shouts and just general noise, originating to a dirt square just on the outskirts. Here, you’ll find a small mound of dirt that serves as a brawling ring. Two figures are squaring off here. One is an apparent halfling in monk clothes, fairly lean build, the other, on this day, is a goliath, a large, looming tank of a man, in somewhat soiled sailor’s clothing. They’ve drawn quite the crowd. On one end you see what seems to be the rest of the goliath’s crew, a number of sailors jeering and egging him on. On the side of the smaller figure are also supporters of a kind, albeit a bit more demure. You see a number of humanoids, all in fairly ratty clothing, most of them dark skinned and weathered looking. They’ll occasionally clap but they’re mostly looking. Bets are being made by the crowd, with bookies walking around trying to get any visitors to have a little go. But as soon as the fight starts, a heavy groan goes through the crowd and it becomes apparent just how skewed this match-up is. Within the first second, the goliath has already been kicked in the face. The smaller figure jumps up onto his chest, kicks him in the chin and backflips off, down to the ground. The goliath swings and the smaller figure leans back easily to avoid it, jumping up over a second swing, before turning in mid air and swiping at the shoulder, following that up with two swift kicks. This goes on for a little while, before the goliath says ‘You  little shit’, and he pulls out a crossbow. The crowd starts booing. You hear the people behind the smaller figure yell ‘unarmed only!’ but the fighter themselves holds up their hand. “Learn’, they say, and sinks into a defensive stance. The goliath shoots once, twice, point blank, and you watch as the smaller fighter plucks both out of the air before they reach. As the goliath starts reloading, angry now, the other fighter moves. They jump up onto the crossbow and run up their opponent’s arm, before leaning down and kicking the goliath in the sternum. The giant goes rigid, for a moment, their eyes at this point confused and fearful, as the other fighter jumps down, dashes around and swipes at a spot right behind the knee. The goliath. Topples. The crowd erupts in shouts and you can see a well dressed man, apparently the goliath’s captain, walk up to the smaller figure and hand them a pouch. “Sorry about that,” he says. “Temper, that one. But you won fair and square.” The smaller figure bows and returns to their friends, as the crew, with some trouble, pull up the goliath and the crowd slowly disperses.

Kobinahin, or Nahin for short, is a higher level monk that fights for coin and has a little outdoor dojo going. Nahin is always itching to learn new tricks and will gladly match or teach adventurers.

Characters

Merchants and assorted service people

Thaba: A tall, broad-shouldered dark-skinned man, clean shaven and wearing modest but well-kept clothes. He has milky white eyes and a deep voice. He serves as a guardian or manager of sorts to Iyabo. He can usually be found sitting in front of the fire pit by his house.

Iyabo: This wise woman is a multiclass druid – bard with some wizard thrown in there. She is a tiny woman, potentially gnomish in nature, but it’s hard to tell. Her hair is quite a bit longer than her body, a mass of tiny braids, embellished with rope, ribbons, glass beads and brass rings that obscures her shape almost completely. From what you can tell, the hair may have been dark in color once, but it’s been painted with clay. Individual strands are red, ochre, green or a chalky white, the whole thing giving the impression of a gloomy, if colorful, bead curtain.  The hair makes it almost impossible to see her face, but when her arms emerge from the curtain, her skin appears to be greyish blue, mostly because that, too, is rubbed with some kind of dust. Her hands are studded with different rings, her wrists covered in bracers and rows of bangles. Iyabo jingles when she walks, and you can discern the rustle of fabric, as well as the sound of many, many necklaces or chains clinking together. She doesn’t so much talk as whisper harshly , also with vague southern accent.

Dimitri Helfdal: A man of smallish stature, stocky and broad, with medium gray skin. Mid forties and fairly jovial, incredibly curious about new treasures and things. He wears a monocle and light linen, embroidered pants, with a sleeveless shirt. Dark grey scales line his shoulders, hands and head, glinting with a brushed steel look that makes him seem , in a weird way, armored. He does not have a tail.

Irin: A dragonborn woman of dark olive skin, fairly tall and with a long tail that whips back and forth between the folds of her long skirt. She wears a beautiful silk tunic, with cropped pants lines in copper thread and a long skirt consisting of four almost see-through loose panels. On her head, and down her back and tail are long crystalline dark blue spikes and the scales that adorn her skin are strangely see through, giving the impression of dark blue gems. It also seems like she has filed some of them to resemble jewelry, the ones around her throat and down her chest looking like a very elaborate necklace.

Sulejman Sirk: A black man in his late thirties, with corn rows tied into his hair, and a cropped full beard. He tends to smile widely and has a prominent gold tooth. He has several gold earrings in one ear and wears a dark grey v-neck kaftan of sorts, with embroidery on the shoulders.

Runa Pavalur: A red haired half-elven woman, fairly young looking, very pale with freckles. Basic hippie attitude, she wears what appear to be several crocheted tablecloths stitched together, and her hair falls down her back in two long braids. Speaks in a gentle, slow  tone and has very obviously read every single book in the store.

Illilniss and Omulnis: Gnome brothers, both with heavy mustaches, kindof tanned skin and an almost inky blue hair. They finish each others sentences and then get grumpy about it.

Antanen ‘David’ Jonesin: An elderly halfling with salt-and-peper hair that poofs up around his head like a cotton ball. Wears tiny round glasses and looks rather clerical, but very businessy attitude. His voice is clear and fast, like an american radio dj.

Mazzoum Hornmail: A very serious dwarven man who looks jovial and fat and jolly. He gets quite stern when people don’t treat him with the right amount of respect. It is said Mazzoum has spent years sailing the oceans, and kinda just settled down here because he got tired of the floor moving.

Kobinahin: A dark skinned halfling monk of indeterminate gender. Dark, golden ochre skin, long black hair usually tied in a ponytail. Fairly elegant features. They wear a dark grey jumpsuit with cropped pants and sleeves tied with cloth strips. It is cinched in at the waist with a large strip of cloth. Kobinahin fights for coin and essentially teaches the prostitutes and the escaped slaves self-defense. It’s not clear why they left home to travel the world and fight. (the reason is this DM needed to introduce the Monk class). Speaks in serious, shortish sentences. Very no-nonsense.

Lavar: A fire genasi with tanned skin and flame red hair who serves as a smith. A practical sort who, despite his fiery nature, doesn’t really get upset easily. Always looking for find new ways to make coin.

Perrahar: A seemingly young tortle, though her shield is quite damaged with little black spots. Very curious in nature but extremely chill in attitude. Speaks Very Slowly and pretty damn deadpan. Very little gets to her.

Back-up NPC’s

Loughlin Nic Cadhla: An older woman, lots of scars, with frizzy brown curls in almost an afro, and pale freckles skin. Hard of hearing, from standing next to cannons most of her life. Retired pirate.

Tran Phu Nguyen: A forty-something man who is immaculately dressed and must have been utterly gorgeous when younger, still quite handsome.  Ex-prostitute.

Hamisi: A slender, dark skinned man, bald with a short beard. He’s missing an eye and has some horrific scarring, mostly on his wrists that you can see. Missing two fingers on his left hand. Wearing a loose shirt and simple cropped pants, no shoes.

[olympivnshq]

❝     he turned to look at me straight on, and i saw purplish fire in his eyes: visions of grape vines choking unbelievers to death, drunken warriors insane with battle lust, sailors screaming as their hands turned to flippers, their faces elongating into dolphin snouts. if pushed he could plant a disease in your brain that would leave you wearing a straitjacket in a rubber room for the rest of your life while he partied and revelled in the most pleasurable of vices.  ❞

suggested fcs:  avan jogia hale appleman, ezra miller, adrian grenier, matthew beard