#eulogy

[redlettermediathings]

[mournfulroses]

Kim Addonizio, from Mortal Trash: Poems; "Eulogy," originally published in 2016

[sillydegu]

Laurel

November 2022 - 5th November 2024

Laurel, affectionately known as Bitey McBiteface, joined the mischief in February. She settled into the group well and was often found at the bottom of a cuddle pile. She was lowest in the ratty hierarchy and did the only logical thing: picked on the human hundreds of times her size. She learned that you get more food if you're willing to make the sacrifice of leaving the spoon behind, and became less bitey as she aged.

[thefadecodex]

One of the primary goals of The Fade Codex—at least to its creator—is to move beyond the rigid structure imposed by the Chantry and develop a flexible and nuanced classification system for spirits. Thus, the 'Spirit Alignment' classification system was created.

Spirit Alignment System:

Spirits are categorized based on their core ideals, emotions, or drives, rather than narrow, static definitions.

This approach provides a more adaptable and insightful exploration of their identities, behaviors, and transformations.

Spirit Evolution:

The Spirit Alignment system aims to address the evolution of spirits, showing how they grow from simpler forms into more complex, emotionally driven entities.

Example: Docktown's Spirit of Compassion evolving into Eulogy from In Memoriam in DATV

Now that we understand the goals of The Fade Codex, let’s explore its classification system and see how Spirit Alignment offers a different perspective on these enigmatic entities we call spirits!

Why Classifying Spirits is Helpful

Classifying spirits into 'Spirit Alignment' categories such as learning-based, hope-based, and others provides a structured framework for understanding their nature, purpose, and behavior within both the Fade and Thedas. Spirits are complex entities shaped by emotion, thought, and intention, making them inherently difficult to define. By organizing them into these thematic groups, scholars, mages, and Fade researchers can:

Identify Motivations: Each category highlights the primary drive behind a spirit's actions, whether it's the pursuit of knowledge, the will to survive, or the need to instill hope.

Predict Behavior: Spirits within a category often share behavioral patterns, making it easier to anticipate how they might interact with mortals or other spirits.

Assess Risk and Corruption: Different spirit types have unique vulnerabilities to corruption, and classification helps identify the potential demonic forms they might take.

Guide Interactions: Mages and mortals who deal with spirits can tailor their approaches based on a spirit's category, improving the chances of peaceful or productive interaction.

Preserve Knowledge: Organizing spirits into defined groups helps pass down knowledge more effectively, preventing misunderstandings or misclassifications that could lead to dangerous consequences.

How Spirits are Classified

Spirits are categorized based on their core essence and purpose, which reflects the emotions, ideals, or drives they embody. Each classification represents a fundamental aspect of mortal existence, as spirits themselves are shaped by mortal emotions and thoughts.

These categories are not rigid but serve as a flexible guide, acknowledging that spirits often overlap across multiple classifications depending on the circumstances. For example:

A Spirit of Passion, which is classified in the Spirit Alignment system as a survival-based spirit, it might also overlap with other alignments depending on what fuels its 'passion.'

The Fluid Nature of Spirit Alignment: A Case Study of Spite

Spite as a Spirit of Passion:

In datamined notes from DATV, Spite was originally described as a Spirit of Passion before being later redefined as a Spirit of Determination.

Spite was drawn to Lucanis because of his unwavering will to live.

Over time, Spite evolved into a Spirit of Obsession.

Spirit Alignment Classification:

This connection led the creator of The Fade Codex to classify Spirits of Passion under survival-based spirits.

Fluid Alignment of Passion Spirits:

The alignment of a Spirit of Passion can vary depending on what fuels their passion.

They might align with chaos, love, or strength, depending on their purpose and connection to the mortal they are drawn to.

Case Study: The Evolution of a Spirit – From Compassion to Eulogy

Stage 1: Spirit of Compassion

Purpose: A Spirit of Compassion manifests in Dock Town during a series of demonic murders, offering comfort to the fallen.

Awareness: It senses a connection between the victims, but lacks the knowledge to fully understand it.

Stage 2: Transformation into Eulogy

Catalyst: The repeated loss and a growing awareness of manipulation behind the deaths drive the spirit to evolve into Eulogy.

Purpose: Eulogy vows to remember the dead and protect others from demonic threats, gaining a clearer sense of purpose and identity.

Stage 3: Eulogy’s Role in Dock Town

Action: Eulogy actively protects Dock Town’s residents and seeks to prevent further manipulation.

Analysis of Spirit Evolution

Emotional Catalyst: Exposure to suffering and injustice pushed the Spirit of Compassion to evolve.

Outcome: Eulogy combines its original compassion with a clear mission of protection and remembrance.

Significance: This evolution highlights how spirits can grow from simple embodiments of emotion into complex entities with distinct goals.

Eulogy serves as an example of spirit evolution shaped by emotional resonance and purpose, showing how a spirit can adapt to meet the needs of those it watches over.

[the-milton-fan-272]

A retrospective

Kermit was a beautiful muppet. Though I only knew him through the Croaker and not in person, his hole and tales of his greatness warmed the hearts of people around the world. His warm, felten heart struck lust and love into the hearts of many. I would like to thank his adoring spouse(s), the Muppet Joker, for sharing his life with us, the good and the bad. People might say it’s crazy to mourn for a muppet, but what the weak see as a lifeless piece of felt, the enlightened see as a being who feels pain and pleasure. I am thankful that Kermit always had someone to penetrate his muppet hole and hold him at night.

Of course, we must talk about his death. Kermit was taken from us by Gerard Way, first rotting in a closet for weeks before being burned in a fiery grave. A tragedy like this has never been known, and to all of us who loved him it is an unimaginable blow. I only hope that he wasn’t aware of the maggots and the rot, and that when the flames licked his felt he could feel only warmth. I hope that it reminded him of the arms of his beloved, that the last thoughts through his green mind were of the life he spent with his lover inside him, sending warm spurts throughout his body.

Kermit lived a good life, if it was short. He had someone who loved him. He had a home, and for much of it he only knew pleasure. I hope that his memory will be immortalized not in his untimely demise, but in the joy he brought every day. Kermit helped to enlighten countless people to the Muppet Transformation Caves. He brought his delicious hole to the now growing muppetsexual community. He led a revolution, and we will not stop now that he is gone. The Muppet Revolution will not end here! We live in unprecedented times, and it calls for unprecedented levels of Muppetfication to solve our problems. In Kermit’s loss will will find new life. We will work to make sure that his sacrifice will not be in vain.

I leave you with the words of our father.

“Don’t fuck with a muppet unless you’re ready for his Sharp Teeth and Wicked Hole!”

[temiree]

My dog, Rosco, died suddenly last Thursday afternoon. We're devastated and heartbroken. He was barely middle-aged, so I thought we had more time. I drew and wrote this to help bring myself closure, and I'm happy with how it turned out.

[pinnithin]

Channel Divinity

Eulogy belongs to @justshannanigans!

[chambertomb]

We don't need any more cozy games. Stop making them

[dabiconcordia]

“I want to write my own eulogy, and I want to write it in Latin. It seems only fitting to read a dead language at my funeral.” ― Jarod Kintz

[jackslackofsurprisee]

Inspired by a few others I wanted to share my own feelings in a few words for the fallen resistance leader. May he rest in peace.

[wolsalwastaken]

“Is there cheese in the great beyond? What’s the moon made of, meet me there after I’m gone.” - Tomcat Disposables, Will Wood

So, I know most of my posts are funny or jokes, but this isn’t gonna be a fun one.

On February 14th, 2024, I purchased 2 mice. Cherub and Seraph. I had never had mice before, and quickly fell in love with the 2 girls, they were my little babies. They were so sweet and kind. On February 16th, I decided to get a third mouse. Ophan.

Quickly, the 3 girls became inseparable. Every day, I’d see them snuggling with each other, grooming each others fur, they play-fought, they made nests together, they were an inseparable trio of endless energy.

Today, at roughly 9 1//2 months old, Cherubim has passed away from heart failure due to old age.

She was a sweet, calm, kind mouse. She was incredibly friendly and loving, and liked to sleep on top of her sisters in a cuddle pile. She loved peanuts, sunflower seeds, and dried fruit.

I’m gonna miss her dearly, and her sisters will too. Her memory will live on forever, and I hope that wherever she is now, she is just as loved as she was on earth.

She was spoiled, got all the treats and attention she could’ve ever wanted. If I put my hand by her, she’d crawl right up with her sisters. She stuffed her water bowl with Aspen bedding and helped her sisters flip over the food bowl. She died like she lived, peacefully.

Rest in peace sweet girl.

(I should quantify, I don’t really know how old she was. She was a pet store mouse (won’t be buying from pet stores again) and I have no idea how old she was- she could be anywhere from 7 months to 1.2 years old. I really don’t know. The date of birth is a rough estimate.)

[blueshistorysims]

Mrs. Walsh at her home in Malvern Hills, 1938.

Rebecca Isabella Walsh (Nee. Kingsley) was the only child born to Mr. Kingsley, an attorney, and Mrs. Kingsley in the small country town of Newcrest. Growing up, the Kingsleys were very close to the Walsh family as her father and Edwin Walsh were partners in their law firm. Rebecca and Mr. Walsh's son Peter became very good friends until she went off to finishing school, and the pair lost touch. Rebecca and Peter reconnected while the latter was in university, and the pair fell in love over exchanging letters.

The couple began engaged in 1887 and married that July due to Mr. Walsh and Peter's younger brother David being deathly ill with typhoid fever, both dying later that summer. After Peter passed the bar in 1888, Rebecca quickly acclimated to being the wife of an attorney and the couple had four children: twins Edeline and Alexander in 1892, Byron in 1895, and Giselle in 1900.

Initially, Rebecca and the teenage Edeline clashed against one another due to her more conservative views, but she eventually let her daughter be the first woman in their family to attend university, where she met her husband Montgomery, marrying in 1915. The outbreak of the Great War would take her eldest son's life, devastating her family, and Peter never fully recovered from it. After losing Edeline and the love of her life Peter to the Spanish Flu, Rebecca became very clingy to her younger children, especially to Byron, who looked the most like Peter. However, after witnessing her son's choices in both of his marriages and the realization her daughter is a homosexual, she withdrew.

After the Crash, Rebecca lost all of her money, so she went to live with her son Byron until she learned of his sexuality and "affair" with Montgomery MacGregor, disowning him and her daughter, moving to her father's hometown in Malvern Hills. However, when she started dying, Rebecca had a change of heart toward her living children, asking for forgiveness which Byron happily gave but not Giselle, though they made some amends. She died surrounded by her two younger children and their families.

Rebecca was kind and loved her children more than anything, though like Peter, Alexander was the object of her favoritism. As she got older, however, she became more cynical and judgemental, standing strongly in her convictions, which led to the estrangement of Giselle and Byron. She greatly enjoyed being a grandmother and while flawed and misguided, Rebecca truly believed she was trying to do what was right for children until her death.

Rebecca is survived by her son Byron, daughter Giselle, daughter-in-laws Eleora and Francesca, and grandchildren Simon-Elliot and Amalia.

beginning/previous/next

Rebecca was the longest-lasting character in my legacy so far. Even though she lowkey was a mega homophobic bitch and had A LOT of internalized misogyny, I did really enjoy writing her, and part of me wishes I could go back to the 1880s and 1890s to write more about her, but I am satisfied with her story, it feels very appropriate for a woman of her age and time. Fare thee well Rebecca!

and now to be more sad, here's photos of her since 1880s :(

[we-could-call-it-love]

[sillydegu]

Ben

16th September 2017 - 5th October 2024

Ben was with me just short of seven years, from a liquid, mischievous pup, to a sleepy, old man. He was a good friend, who loved to cuddle up with me. He's been with me longer than anyone else, there are no words for how much he'll be missed.

Ben loved his heat pad, running over to it every time it was reheated and put back in his cage. It helped with his old, arthritic bones, and combined with various medications central to our daily routine, he was able to live a happy, pain-free life, doing normal degu things. He loved his wheel and dust bath, and, increasingly as he aged, settling down in my lap for extended cuddles.

He was a smart boy who learned to spin for treats, and decided that this should be expanded to getting anything he wants. He would spin for things I was holding out of his reach (like coffee) which he thought should be shared with him, as well as spinning in front of the girls' cage, looking up at them hopefully.

[thefadecodex]

In DATV, our understanding of spirits deepens through two pivotal quests: In Memoriam and Spirits of the Dalish. These quests portray spirits as deeply empathetic entities shaped by emotions, capable of growth, distress, and healing.

The basic 'formula' can be used to figure out if a Spirit is going to become corrupted or return to the Fade: Purpose Disrupted → Emotional Distress → Catalyst Event → Mortal Intervention → Outcome (Corruption or Return).

In In Memoriam:

A Spirit of Compassion transforms into Eulogy through an act of remembrance.

This transformation highlights that spirits can evolve when guided by mortal intention.

In Spirits of the Dalish:

An 'Anxious Spirit', burdened by grief over the deaths of the Dalish, risks corruption.

Bellara observes that spirits overwhelmed by negative emotions are at risk of turning into something darker.

Spite identifies the Anxious Spirit as a Spirit of Comfort.

For the Spirit of Comfort to return to the Fade, it requires action, including: 1. Gathering mementos and 2. Holding a vigil.

This concept is briefly explored in DAI, but the encounter is so fleeting that it didn’t leave a strong impression on the creator, even after multiple playthroughs. However, it seems likely that this quest was laying the groundwork for a deeper exploration of the idea in DATV

In Burdens of Command (DAI):

A Spirit of Command struggles with the physical world’s refusal to obey its directives, unlike the fluid responsiveness of the Fade.

The spirit expresses frustration at its inability to exert control in the physical realm.

The Inquisitor aids the spirit by slaying the Rage Demon.

After receiving assistance, the spirit returns to the Fade with ease.

So, what does this tell us? Spirits are not static entities—they are deeply influenced by mortal intention, emotional states, and symbolic acts. Their stability hinges on fulfilling their purpose or finding resolution, without which they risk corruption or transformation.

1. Spirits Have a 'Threshold' for Emotional Distress

Implication: Spirits can endure negative emotions or experiences for only a limited time before risking corruption or transformation.

Significance: This suggests spirits have an internal tether to their purpose. When that tether is strained or broken, their identity unravels, leaving them vulnerable to corruption or transformation into darker forms (e.g., Comfort becoming Fear or Despair).

2. Spirits Require Resolution Through Action

Implication: The Anxious Spirit needed an act of closure (the vigil) to find peace, showing that spirits cannot simply "will" themselves back to their purpose—they require external, symbolic actions aligned with their nature.

Significance: Spirits rely on harmony between their emotional state and purpose, often needing external intervention to restore balance. This suggests they are not entirely self-sufficient and may depend on mortals or other spirits for stability.

3. Spirits Are Deeply Affected by Mortal Emotions and Experiences

Implication: The Anxious Spirit's distress stemmed from the violent, unresolved deaths of the Dalish, showing that spirits are deeply empathetic and can become trapped in emotional feedback loops tied to mortal events.

Significance: Spirits' emotional states are reactive and tethered to their surroundings, suggesting they can "absorb" ambient emotional energy, especially when it clashes with their purpose.

4. Corruption May Not Be Instantaneous, But a Process

Implication: Spirits do not immediately become corrupted when they encounter negative emotions. There is a window of opportunity to intervene, as seen with the Anxious Spirit.

Significance: This challenges the assumption that spirits are instantly corrupted by negative emotions.*

*Note: This is not including events where a spirit is bound against it's will and forced against it's purpose.

5. Action is Needed for Spirits

Implication: The vigil was not just a symbolic act for the Anxious Spirit—it was an anchor, grounding the spirit back to its original purpose.

Significance: Spirits often need ritual or symbolic acts to realign with their purpose after prolonged distress, highlighting their intrinsic connection to intention, symbolism, and the constructs of the Fade..

6. Time Is a Factor in Spirit Corruption

Implication: The longer a spirit exists in emotional distress, the closer they come to losing their purpose and becoming corrupted.

Significance: There seems to be an unspoken "time limit" during which intervention must occur. This "time limit" may different depending on the spirit as well--a more "simple" spirit, such as a Spirit of Comfort may have less time for an intervention vs a more "complex" spirit, such as a Spirit of Compassion.

[tristikov]

My dad passed away recently after a nearly year-long battle with cancer. He was 65. His wife took this photo a number of years back, and it sublimely captures so much about who he was, while instilling a mystique that I think is also fitting. I wrote the following to read at his funeral:

---

If you’ve ever seen my father in a crowd, you’d know he wasn’t hard to spot… Though his clothing tended to be modest, and his manner gentle, his 6’6” stature meant he usually stood head—and often shoulders—above those around him. That isn’t to suggest he wasn’t a down-to-earth individual, and I’m sure most anyone who knew him could attest to his kindness and can-do desire to help others.

Physical height runs in his side of the family, but even as a full-grown adult I’ve continued to look up to him in more ways than one (…an appreciation of wordplay also seems to be in our genes, but I shouldn’t jump the pun). As a kid I remember riding with him in “the Chev,” a woods vehicle he built himself, collecting, splitting, and stacking firewood for the winter. Through him I learned to appreciate the simple pleasure of working outdoors, roaming the quiet woods, and being considerate of the land.

As I grew older, I also worked with him on his cranberry bogs for a number of years. I learned much in that time, and though I chose to pursue a different career path, I have always looked back fondly on the time I spent working with my dad… Installing sprinkler heads in the busy thaw of Spring, battling weeds and fixing irrigation lines in the blazing Summer sun, setting up the berry pump, corralling the cranberries, and harvesting the crop under the brilliant skies of Autumn, then driving his hand-built ice sanders over the frozen bogs in the chill of Winter. Thanks to him I also have an undying appreciation for the local pizzeria, iced coffee in every season, and taking a nap after lunch (at least when time permits).

A farmer’s life is a demanding one, and each morning, fueled only by a cup of Lipton tea, my father rose to the thorny challenges of every season: Watching over the crop on little sleep through Spring and Fall frosts, maintaining our vehicles and the myriad of farm equipment, or building whatever was needed with the resources at hand—often sawing a few 2-by-4s, welding some angle iron, and bolting on an old motor… Sometimes all three.

Though my father designed and built the house I grew up in, the shop barn we relaxed and did projects in, the shed he kept his dirt bike and later ATV in, the horse barn, the camp in Maine, and at least half a dozen other sheds and outdoor constructions, his most recent endeavor—a new cedar log house--was his masterpiece… Thanks in no small part to the hard work and dedication of his dear wife, the two of them built a lovely home together overlooking the very bogs he had spent so many years tending to.

She also helped him to complete the camp in Maine which he had begun all the way back when I was a child. I took many winter trips there with my father over the years, to relax, ride the snowmobile trails, and to break fresh snow searching for elusive moose antlers. My dad loved the north woods, moose, and a day of both hard work and leisurely puttering… Maine’s state slogan is “the way life should be,” and I think my dad agreed.

I’ll miss greatly those trips with my father, more so even than working with him on the bogs. I treasured the time to connect and learn from him. I’m probably not the only guy to think highly of their dad, but with the wide breadth of skills, depth of knowledge, and social presence he possessed, it was, and still is hard to not be in awe of him. I am a father myself now, and as I remember the impressive size of the trusty old snow boots my dad wore every winter, I feel that his shoes are going to be very large ones to fill.

While my dad no doubt lived a full life, it was far too short, and I weep for the time he cannot spend with his loving wife, his young grandson, and all of his family and friends, with joy and warmth in his newly built home. He was a great father, role model, and mentor. He was one-of-a-kind, and made an indelible impression on those who met him. He will be missed by all, but when the warm late-summer nights give way to cool early-autumn evenings and the cranberries ripen scarlet under a clear blue sky, that is when I will miss him most.