#glyph creation

[laiqverse]

The Basics of Font Engineering

Learn the basics of font engineering, from creating glyphs to designing typefaces for various media. Fonts are an integral part of our everyday lives, from the street signs we read while driving to the websites we browse on our phones. However, have you ever wondered how these fonts are created, and what goes into designing a typeface? The answer lies in the art of font engineering. Font…

[vigilskeep]

Maybe it's because I haven't had a full mage playthrough yet but I never really cared for schools of magic before, I mainly gave my mage companions whatever spell seemed the most useful. Reading your posts and seeing how passionate you are about the magic system made me want to get into it more, so thank you!

:D!!!

[sheilamurrey]

Spirit Talk: Human’s Missing Link

Our “Missing Link” to the Realm of Spirit Greetings Beloved Kin, Creation is Human’s “missing link” to the realm of  Spirit. When we are creating … Spirit Talk: Human’s Missing Link

[arcadeofinfinitestardust]

To start suddenly infodumping about Stardream (my personal fantasy universe that I use for my none-horny stories), or to reclude into my blankets and hide?

[technoarcanist]

CALLING ALL DOLLS, DRONES, ROBOTS AND CODING ENTHUSIASTS

Are you a robot that loves to serve? Are you a doll maid who seeks guidance in your duties? Are you some form of drone or being with no free will, open to having your actions dictated by the will of your owner? Does the idea of your empty mind being programmed like a machine appeal to you?

Are you enticed by the notion of writing code for your robotic servants? Are you a witch looking to create more intricate control glyphs? Are you an owner seeking to create automated instructions for your drones? Do you love the idea of filling an empty mind with rules and instructions to reflect your will?

INTRODUCING DRONE RESTRAINT NOTATION!

WHAT IS IT?

Drone Restraint Notation, or DRN, is a pseudo programming language created by my good friend Errant Spark, a drone with a very creative <empty space>. I helped with some of the final tweaks for the 1.0 version, but this is almost entirely Its creation.

It is a programming language that is designed in such a way that anyone without a background in programming can execute the commands like a machine, doll, drone, or programmable entity of your choice. It is also simple enough that most people without a background in programming can pick it up fairly easily, and intuitively!

Once you understand the language, you can read and execute all kinds of dynamic instructions and instruction types, in a way that makes it easy to parse in a plain-text format.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The main documentation document will provide far more detail to this question than I ever could, but effectively it goes like this:

There are a list of eight KEYWORDS, in block capitals, that show you the type of instruction you’re executing. Then, after the KEYWORD, the instruction’s details are shown. Commands are read and executed from top to bottom by the drone, and programs can be ‘inserted’ into the drone’s memory at will (Assuming prior consent, of course)!

These KEYWORDS all have different kinds of functionality. The most basic one just has you carrying out a task. One checks if a condition is true, one provides an ongoing task you have to prioritize and maintain, one lets you create loops, etc.

The language has been designed in such a way as to minimize the amount of actual memorisation a drone has to do, and only has to read what’s right in front of them, and memorize tasks they have to accomplish/maintain. Obviously, mileage may vary depending on the memory space of the doll.

WHY SHOULD I USE IT?

For fun, I suppose! If you are someone who loves the idea of being programmed like a machine, executing only the instructions given, then this provides that! If you are a programmer who wants to program your very own doll bot, then this is a great place to get started too!

You can keep things nice and simple with a headspace that accepts basic command inputs, or you can see how deep the rabbit hole goes and import whole libraries into your headspace to carry out a full day’s maid duties, or sexual duties, or more!

Have fun executing commands, writing new code, testing it on your dolls. Have some playful fun watching as your early code files cause unintended behaviors, ironing out kinks and bugs like a real programmer until you’ve got your bots performing all sorts of dynamic tasks- or insert purposeful bugs to make your robots twitch and halt~

As with all things, never execute an instruction that you cannot/would not consent to. This is meant to be fun, and is NOT meant to be a way to circumvent normal consensual kink play. Programmers who attempt to use DRN as a way to bully people into doing what they want (Unless you’re into that sort of thing, in which case go nuts) do NOT have my endorsement, or the endorsement of Errant Spark.

NOW GO OUT THERE, AND ENJOY YOUR PROGRAMMING <3

>> Posted by XCN-PSD/I-04135

[zeropro]

My first fanfiction! It's Starscream's origin story, for my Trine AU. I hope you all check it out~

Full chapter below cut: (tw: abuse, assault, SA adjacent language)

Starscream: Origins

She loved Starscream, regardless of what anyone would say. It may not have been her hand that placed his spark into his frame, but she had selected the model in which that spark would be placed, and it was her credits that paid for that spark to be thawed. As a mechanoid race, Cybertronians did not form parental bonds in the way some organic lifeforms would, but from the moment she laid eyes on him, she had loved him as her own. 

Dim optics gazed down at the contract laid out in front of her. She had known this day would come, and if she felt a distinct pang in her spark, she had only herself to blame. She studied the glyphs of his designation displayed on the datapad form: Starscream. It was a beautiful name, as was everything about him; his laugh, his snark, his hunger for knowledge, all the way down to his lithe yet powerful frame.

It was a seeker frame. A warframe. Constructed cold off of assembly line blueprints like every other mecha in his class. Generic and inferior, her peers had warned her. Just another one of those mindless knock-offs. A brute. How laughable it all sounds to her now.

After all, Starscream was a perfect specimen in every way, healthy and beautiful and strong. It was a stark contrast to her own traitorous frame.

Then again, it was because of this cursed illness that she had commissioned Starscream’s creation in the first place, and every moment since then had been an absolute joy. She remembered his first flight, his excitement and how beautifully he cut through Cybertron’s sky in his jet mode. She thought fondly of the way his faceplates would scrunch up in concentration when presented with an equation he couldn't solve, and how adamantly he refused help until he had thoroughly exhausted his processor. She recalled how desperately he would plead with her to take him to Iacon, to Vos, to anywhere there were people and culture and life. He would have loved the bustle of the city. 

 Allowing herself a sad smile, she let the memory files play unbidden in her mind as she picked up the stylus. Their time together had been so short, but she had surely made it count. 

With considerable effort, Cryak sealed the contract with her glyphs. Yes, she would cherish those memories for a long time to come.

~-~-~

“Cryak… What’s going on here?”

Starscream stood gripping the frame of the medbay door, his peds planted firmly just outside the threshold. He could feel the hand on his shoulder tighten slightly, urging him forward, but he refused to budge. 

Unease had latched onto his processor the moment he realized they were heading to a different (much more isolated) location than he was accustomed to, and the feeling only compounded at what greeted him inside. Two, not one but two, medical berths were set up in the center of the tiny room, unfamiliar instruments and displays clustered around both. The doctors (he assumed they were the doctors) both wore full-cover face masks, and their paint had been blacked out. Whether as some form of safety precaution or to hide their identities, it was uncertain, but neither option felt particularly comforting at the moment.

From the way their faceless helms inclined expectantly towards him, it was clear one of the berths was meant for him.

Starscream did not like check-ups at the best of times. A sudden, unexpected, and unexplained medical procedure being sprung on him was downright unacceptable. He would at least require an explanation before he would allow them to proceed.

A digit curled under his chin, gently turning his attention away from the operating theater and onto his mentor’s face. She gave him a reassuring smile as her thumb caressed his cheek.

“Everything will be alright, love. Don’t you trust me?”

Something in his processor stalled at that. “Of course I trust you,” he said, and it had to be true because despite her non-answer, he followed her into the room.

Hesitating at the side of the berth, he stood contemplating it for a long time before he turned to his mentor.

“Where is Pharma? I would like to speak with him first.” It was a reasonable request. Starscream had a right to consult his primary physician before undergoing any sort of mystery medical practice. 

Cryak was already being helped onto the adjacent berth, and one of the doctors inclined it slightly so she could more easily converse with her ward.

“Ah, Pharma won't be joining us, but rest assured we have consulted with him on this procedure.”

“And what exactly is this procedure for?” 

“Starscream, please don’t be difficult.”

It was worth a shot.

Cryak was now hooked up to all the necessary equipment, and Starscream still couldn't quite deduce what it was they were planning to do. Once again, every optic in the room turned on him expectantly and, suddenly feeling foolish, he slowly gripped the side of his berth and hoisted himself onto it.

The moment he swung his legs up, a set of panels near his ankles sprung open, revealing a set of stasis cuffs built into the berth. Two more identical panels opened by his waist, where his hands would be. 

Starscream was immediately on his peds again, backing away from the startled doctors.

“They’re going to restrain me?!” he screeched, panic twisting in his tanks.

Cryak sighed, as if he were the one being unreasonable. “They won't have to if you just calm down.”

“I can't calm down! Not until you tell me what we’re doing here!”

“Starscream–“

“No! You know I hate medical procedures. I at least deserve to know what they’re going to do to me first!”

Cryak held him in a hard stare, which he returned defiantly, not bothering to hide his discomfort. It didn’t take too long before her expression finally, predictably, softened in resignation.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right. You do deserve to know.”

Starscream’s stance relaxed slightly at that, but he continued to inch towards the exit.

“I didn't want you to worry, but there's no easy way to say it. I’m dying, Starscream. The doctors say I may have less than half a deca-cycle left.”

Starscream’s wings hiked up in surprise. “But that’s…I thought…”

“That we had more time? Yes, so did I, love. So did I… You see, that is the problem with science. You think you understand a mech’s function and so you command life. You think you understand an illness and so you predict death. But all science really does is scramble for a retroactive understanding of unrelated data points. The future remains indeterminable, and death forever the impatient thief.” There was a bitterness in her voice that he knew well, it was always there when she spoke of her illness. “I was so close, too, so close to finding a cure. Another few hundred vorn or so and we could have done this properly… but no. No, we won't have that time.” Her voice was so soft now, she might as well have been talking to herself.

“Of course, that is why I had you created.” Her attention snapped back onto him, and something in her optics made his plating crawl. “You see, I knew from the outset that time was against me, so my team and I have been developing this…procedure, for the better half of my dysfunction. A procedure that could grant me the time I need to finish my work…one that requires your participation.”

“I don’t understand.” He felt the door press up against his back.

“Starscream. This procedure could save my life.”

“Then why didn’t you just tell me?”

But he already knew the answer. Because Starscream loved Cryak, and if there was ever a chance to save her, all she had to do was ask and he would jump at the opportunity. There was only one reason she would have felt the need to hide, one reason she would fall silent now.

“…Cryak, what’s going to happen to me?”

“I’m so sorry, love.”

Like scrap she was.

Starscream spun around, ignoring the painful jolt as his wing smacked the door he was now trying desperately to open. It had been locked, and ripping the keypad from the wall did nothing, so he dug his claws directly into the metal and simply tore at the seams. 

One of the benefits of having a frame that was originally built for fighting wars: he was deceptively strong for his size.

Unfortunately, as a flight frame he was also alarmingly light, as he soon found out when blackened servos hauled him into the air before he could properly rip the door off the wall. Hissing and spitting and flailing his limbs, Starscream was suddenly fighting for his life. Despite being doctors (allegedly), both mechs were heavy set grounders standing at least half a head taller than Starscream, and they weren't shy about using that crushing bulk against him. Unable to think through his panic or see through his tears, he was easily wrestled into submission.

“S-stop, you’re hurting me!” he cried as they dragged him back to the berth.

“Be careful with him!” Cryak growled from where she lay, scanning his frame for damage as they strapped his wrists and legs down. The stasis cuffs emitted an energy field that burned his plating and sapped his strength, but he continued to struggle feebly against the restraints. 

The doctors immediately got to work. Starscream squirmed as he felt their hands travel up and down his frame, hooking him up with all manner of wires and invasive patch codes. Panels to access ports he didn't even know he had were forced open and thick cords penetrated his frame, giving them direct access to his systems. He had never felt so violated before in his function.

“You know I love you, right?”

Starscream whipped his head around and stared uncomprehendingly at his mentor. How could she say something like that after this betrayal? 

“You can't imagine how much it hurts me to see you like this.” 

How could she think anything could make this alright?

“But you have to understand…”

How could she…?

“I would do anything it takes to survive.”

How could she?!

A sudden strain in his systems dragged his processor back to his frame, and to his horror, his chest compartment began to transform out without his consent.

“W-what’s happening?!” It hurt, was it supposed to hurt? “What are they doing to me? Cryak, S-stop this, please! Cryak! I…I don't…ahk!” 

With a hiss, the last bit of plating forced itself apart and just like that the painful pressure in his chest gave way to the feeling of being intimately and dangerously exposed. Starscream gasped as he took in the sight of the shimmering glow emanating from his chassis for the first time. It was his spark.

“Manual spark chamber access complete. We are ready for extraction.”

Starscream exploded in a flurry of outrage, screaming profanities as he redoubled his efforts to escape. Monitors flashed red as he twisted violently against his restraints, his vents coming out in stuttering sobs as he lost himself to the blind panic.

“He’s going to hurt himself like this. Should we put him into medical stasis?” one of the doctors asked, turning to Cryak.

“No, please!” Starscream craned his neck toward his mentor, pleading optics blown wide. She frowned sympathetically. 

“It’ll be much easier on you if you were unconscious, love.” 

But then his chance of escape would go from little to none.

“Please, don’t,” he begged, “I’ll be good, I promise!“ He searched desperately for the right words. “I don’t want to be alone…!”

Cryak nodded, and told the doctors that stasis wouldn't be necessary. As they discussed how best to proceed, he lay back down in an attempt to appear calm, his processor frantically assessing all possible options. The stasis cuffs made him too weak to rip the berth itself apart like he did the door, but he still retained a certain range of motion. He could slip his legs out of the clamps if he could move his body back, but the cuffs around his wrists hindered him. No matter how hard he strained against them, neither the cuffs nor the berth would give.

Something had to give.

He chanced a quick glance at Cryak. The sorrowful expression on her faceplates made him instantly regret it, and he quickly looked away. If he were to escape, he would be condemning her to death. Despite everything, he did care for her; she was still his creator, his mentor, his friend.

“I really am sorry, my love.”

“Yes…so am I.”

It was over so fast. No one expected him to tear his own hands off, so by the time he had transformed and shot through the damaged door there was nothing left of him besides a pair of servos still held tight in the stasis cuffs, a puddle of energon dripping to the floor, and the haunting screams of his mentor echoing in his wake.

They did share one thing in common.

Starscream would do anything it takes to survive.

[dedalvs]

Lexember (December 2nd)

Today's Valyrian glyph is manengi "pelican". This was a fix-it word because I couldn't for the life of me remember how the hell manengagon meant what it was supposed to mean. Same with manaeragon. No clue. At all. I had an idea when I created them, but then I entered the film The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and removed all memories associated with the creation of those words. And so I came up with a pelican. The pelican fixed everything. The pelican made everything work somehow. And so now we have pelicans. Delightful pelicans. With their big, fancy beaks fluffy feathers. They look like musical instruments. We all agree, right? Pelicans look more like musical instruments than animals. I want to squeeze them... And have them make a little honk. I love pelicans.

[whencyclopedia]

Alphabet

The history of the alphabet started in ancient Egypt. By 2700 BCE Egyptian writing had a set of some 22 hieroglyphs to represent syllables that begin with a single consonant of their language, plus a vowel (or no vowel) to be supplied by the native speaker. These glyphs were used as pronunciation guides for logograms, to write grammatical inflections, and, later, to transcribe loan words and foreign names. However, although seemingly alphabetic in nature, the original Egyptian uniliterals were not a system and were never used by themselves to encode Egyptian speech. In the Middle Bronze Age an apparently "alphabetic" system known as the Proto-Sinaitic script is thought by some to have been developed in central Egypt around 1700 BCE for or by Semitic workers, but only one of these early writings has been deciphered and their exact nature remains open to interpretation. Based on letter appearances and names, it is believed to be based on Egyptian hieroglyphs. This script eventually developed into the Proto-Canaanite alphabet, which in turn was refined into the Phoenician alphabet. It also developed into the South Arabian alphabet, from which the Ge'ez alphabet (an abugida) is descended. Note that the scripts mentioned above are not considered proper alphabets, as they all lack characters representing vowels. These early vowelless alphabets are called abjads and still exist in scripts such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Syriac. Phoenician was the first major phonemic script. In contrast to two other widely used writing systems at the time, cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphs, it contained only about two dozen distinct letters, making it a script simple enough for common traders to learn. Another advantage of Phoenician was that it could be used to write down many different languages since it recorded words phonemically.

Phoenician colonization allowed the script to be spread across the Mediterranean. In Greece, the script was modified to add the vowels, giving rise to the first true alphabet. The Greeks took letters which did not represent sounds that existed in Greek and changed them to represent the vowels. This marks the creation of a "true" alphabet, with both vowels and consonants as explicit symbols in a single script. In its early years, there were many variants of the Greek alphabet, a situation which caused many different alphabets to evolve from it. The Cumae form of the Greek alphabet was carried over by Greek colonists from Euboea to the Italian peninsula, where it gave rise to a variety of alphabets used to inscribe the Italic languages. One of these became the Latin alphabet, which was spread across Europe as the Romans expanded their empire. Even after the fall of the Roman Empire, the alphabet survived in intellectual and religious works. It eventually became used for the descendant languages of Latin (the Romance languages) and then for the other languages of Europe.

Continue reading...

[snarky-art]

I don’t think I’m ever gonna get over the sheer amount of religious symbolism present in toh finale

The colonial puritan, this white man, trying in vain to become God in the only way he knows how, through fire and brimstone and absolute control, only for Actual God (one of MANY, mind you) to be this casual, kind, bi-gender being who presents to Luz, a mortal, through a combination of the things that have loved and protected her son (Hooty, Eda’s bad girl coven shirt, the glyphs that Luz uses) and who wants magic to be accessible to all so they can enjoy and experience life, who tells jokes, and wants the first and last thing said to his son directly from her to be a bread pun about how much he loves him

How the symbol of a Winged Being Shrouded in Light who helps guide and save is this wild witch who’s imbued in this pagan magic, who’s fully embraced and accepted her disabilities and the very things Belos deemed wrong through the eyes of his ideology

How The Archive is this halo atop the head of the god figure, how it begins to fall and crumple the moment Belos takes over to reach his idea of godhood

The Titan’s body, controlled by Belos, reaching towards the heavens in the same image of Adam in The Creation, trying to touch God, the idea of touching what gave life to everything as symbolized by his connection with Adam, everything being obliterated where it stands while this is happening, and then how only in being bereft of Belos’s soul did life finally return to what is posed as Adam, without the need of the God imagined by Belos

Etc. etc. etc.

There is just,, so much

I am in shambles

[anon-e-miss]

Storm's End - 2

“Ack,” Jazz rubbed his shoulder where he had bumped it against the post.

Maybe fragging the innkeepers’ creation had not been the smartest impulses he had ever followed, Jazz had no regrets and he hoped he had left the sensual Prowl with none either. If the opportunity arose, Jazz had no doubts that he would think with the same processor and jump into bush or berth with the provocative beauty. He bumped into the door frame as he slipped, or tried to slip quietly back into the room he was sharing with his twin. Just thinking about Prowl had him losing his composure. Ricochet lifted his helm, his ennui broken enough to allow a frown. Jazz shut the door, quietly behind him. It was likely Ori had heard him go out and come back. Punch would wait for light-cycle to pry. Rico through off his blanket, frown morphing into a sneer. Even angered, his shoulders were slumped. Where the frag was his pride? What had Lockdown done to him?

“Ori will scrap ya if ya went ‘n got drunk at the pub,” Ricochet warned him. “‘N I won’t save ya from’m.”

“Ain’t drunk,” Jazz defended himself. “Just went for a look ‘round. Cold got to me more than I thought it would.”

“Cold?” Ricochet sounded dubious, and that was fair. It was not a great lie.

“Cold as Mortilus’ teat when the rain’s comin’ sideways,” Jazz said. Ricochet shrugged.

“Shower then,” he said. “If you come down with the sniffles Ori’ll give ya Pit. “He’s in a snit ‘bout this place as is.”

“Ori’s ‘bout the only spark I can think o’ that’d get in knots seein’ a turn ‘round like this,” Jazz declared.

“Ya know how Ori feels ‘bout surprises,” Ricochet replied.

Jazz showered, though the rain had washed all evidence of his nocturnal activities from his frame. To a degree it was to warm himself, because the rains were cold, but it was more to maintain his meagre cover. It should not have been enough to satisfy Rico but Jazz thought the root of all of it was that Rico just did not care what Jazz had been up to. They should have left him home and Jazz would tell Geni as much when they made their first delivery. Rico was a liability, not just to himself but to all three of them. What would happen if Lockdown or some goon like him turned up? What would happen if one of Straxus’ enforcers came, warrant for Ori in servo? Would he have the fight in him or would he just sit back? If they came at him, would he even fight back? Jazz had asked his twin over and over what was wrong, what had happened but all Rico had ever said was nothing and so there was nothing Jazz could do to help him. Feeling helpless made him angry and of course, that was of no help.

Rico may well have been feigning recharge when Jazz returned from his shower. It did not matter since Jazz did not have the glyphs, did not have the slightly idea how to reach him. He had been trying for vorns, so, so many vorns. That was at least in part the reason for his restlessness. Mostly, Rico kept aloof from them these cycles and Jazz did not often have to live shoulder to shoulder with the shadow of his twin. The respite with Prowl had been a blessing. Jazz was physically spent and it was enough to let him crawl into his rented berth and to dial down into recharge. In the light-cycle, they would look at getting some answers about the goings on of Damaxus. There would be no answers for the goings on of Ricochet’s processor.

“It’s a fierce storm,” Punch observed as they stood under the overhang. The clouds were so dark, it was hard to even tell it was light-cycle. “Any boat out in this is in for a fight.”

“Seen a few like this growin’ up?” Jazz asked.

“More than a few,” Punch said, “on both sides of the sea. Lots o’ funerals wit no frame to mourn.”

“I never noticed the sky so red in Polyhex,” Jazz noted, “as it was yester-cycle. Didn’t hear talk ‘bout stayin’ in port ‘cept for the ferry.”

“Maybe a volcano?” Punch thought out loud. “Some sort o’ magnetic energy that changes the sky in these parts. There’s a reason for it. There always is.”

“Maybe we outta see what’s cookin’,” Jazz suggested. He looked to his twin, who was staring out into the storm, brooding in silence. Ori’s jaw tensed and then, whatever it was he was thinking, he shook off and he wrapped his arm around Rico’s shoulder.

“Come on,” he said.

Despite the weather, the pub was full, or perhaps the weather was even to blame. A group of sailors surrounded a piano and they played a jaunty tune. As he had been during the dark-cycle, Downshift was manning the pub. It was so full, over full even, that Prowl appeared to be helping him with the loud. Jazz realized he had to act like they had ever met. Certainly he could not ogle the mech while his progenitor watched on, that seemed like a good way to die. Even if Jazz thought he stood a fair chance against the mech, since fair was not how he fought, the saboteur figured there was not a mechanism in this room that would not back the innkeeper up and those were not odds he wanted to test. As group of diners waved them over as they were vacating their table. Even as they sat, Prowl appeared with mugs of steaming energon.

“We have tisane as well,” he declared. “I am Prowl. Progenitor has energon pockets with cinnabar sauce and opal soup with steamed talc on the menu this light-cycle.”

“Thank ya,” Punch said as Jazz was momentarily glossa-tied. “I would appreciate ruby tea if ya have it.”

“We do,” Prowl replied. “I will bring it right out.”

“I wonder if that’s the mechling’s originator,” Punch wondered out loud. “He’s certainly a proper young mech.”

“Mm,” Ricochet replied.

“Maybe,” Jazz replied. The mechling in question dipped into the pub just long enough to wave to his grandgeni before he ran off, to school most likely. He did not know why but Jazz could not quite believe Prowl was the originator to the mechling. Why though, he could not say.

“Thank ya,” Punch thanked Prowl for the tea as the Praxian set a mug down. “Have ya been here long?”

“We have had the inn here for twenty vorns last saltus,” he replied.

“It’s a lovely place,” Punch declared. His mood had certainly improved with recharge, and probably a great bit of plotting. “We didn’t catch the designation when we checked in.”

“Storm’s End,” Prowl replied. “A storm washed us in and my originator has an interesting sense of humour.”

Rico actually ordered an energon pocket for himself without any prodding. Jazz and Punch both ordered the soup. They ate mostly in silence, as close to companionable as they had for some time. All around them, their fellow diners chatted. Listening was the fuelled was the easiest way to gather some intel. Jazz listened as some sailors spoke up pirates in the area, ahead of the storm, and the hopes that they will have cleared out before the skies did. Though Damaxus had once with a pirate harbour, times had changed. It seemed, after their port had been destroyed by the last big hurricane, they had not bothered to rebuild and even though the locals had, they had not tried to comeback and reclaim their own turf. Why? The islanders, a mixture of the descendants of Prima’s tribe from before the Age of the Thirteen Primes and Polyhexian and Urayan sailors and fishermecha, did not look like they would be able to put up much of a fight. No one whispered of any fear from pirates or poachers in this harbour. Why? Had Lockdown and Cannonball lost their touch that badly?

“I think I’d like to see just what spooked Swerve,” Punch declared, after they left the pub.

“I was thinkin’ the same,” Jazz said.

Swerve’s place was on the other side of Damaxus. They drove past an orchard as they drove east, with crystal trees and vines. Though the crops were dormant now, they looked to be in healthy, as far as Jazz could tell. It was from this side of the island Damaxus shipping trade largely operated. The Polyhexian bartender’s patrons were a mix of sailors and labourers. It was around lunch time and most of them were on a break from work. The east side of the island seemed to be prospering as much as the west and though there were warehouses and trade offices, it had not be taken over by big business. Most of the businesses around the bar were island owned. That in and of itself was a miracle to Jazz. What businesses even survived in Damaxus would owned by Straxus’ cronies. What little prosperity existed was for them alone.

“Hello Swerve,” Punch greeted the bartender.

“Punch!” Swerve exclaimed, visibly startled though he was trying to hide it. He looked around with little jerking movements of his helm and saw Jazz and Rico with him. “My mechs... It’s been... a while.”

“We were just in the area,” Punch said. “Stayin’ at the inn... heard ya had some trouble wit the innkeepers?”

“No... no trouble,” Swerve replied, shaking his helm.

“Really?” Punch asked. “Because I heard they caught you sniffin’ round their cellar,” Punch replied. “I heard ya ran scared. Just what did a couple of prim Praxians do that had a mech from the Dead End so shook up?”

“Nothin’!” Swerve replied. “Nothin’!”

“Swerve...” Punch lowered his tone and Swerve flinched. “I know the inn was build on Lockdown’s ole lair... were ya lookin’ to score on the scraps he left behind?”

“I just got turned around,” Swerve said, a lie but a largely harmless one. “They turned the old smugglin’ tunnel into an engex cellar... It’s were they make their engex ‘n kremzeek.”

“Ya own a bar,” Punch said. “Ya got yer own brews, what would ya care ‘bout theirs?”

“Some of their distillations are... just fraggin’ awesome, Mech,” Swerve replied. “They’d make a killin’ if they’d pair up wit one o’ the big brewers on the mainland but they don’t give a frag. I wanted to see what they’re doin’ so different. We both get out stuff from the orchard... I just don’t know what they do wit it that makes it... I found a recipe book. Eh... Camshaft caught me, didn’t hear’m come down the stairs. Didn’t hear’m ‘til he wanted me to. Told me to get on my way. Had me cornered. Before I could even take a step, Downshift was behind me ‘n he told me I’d stay on my side o’ the island if I knew what was good for me.”

“I hope ya weren’t plannin’ to rough up Camshaft in order to get away with their recipes,” Punch said.

“‘M insulted,” Swerve replied.

“They didn’t lay a digit on ya,” Jazz said. “But they got ya runnin’ scared. Didn’t even threaten to break yer legs, like Dipole would if ya got hold o’ her cookbook.”

“It’s not what they said, it’s how they said it,” Swerve replied.

“How’d they say it,” Jazz asked.

“Calm like the eye o’ the hurricane,” Swerve said. “‘N ya know what comes after the eye.”

“What about Lockdown?” Punch asked. “He come ‘round anymore?”

“I’ve heard he’s tried,” Swerve replied. “I heard one o’ his goons came in on the ferry ‘n tried to suggest the demon Praxians owed him a cut.”

“And?” Punch asked.

“Downshift told him to get lost without lookin’ up from his stew pot,” Swerve said. “I hear the aft made some threats ‘gainst his pretty creations ‘n conjunx while some o’ his customers saw’m out.”

“And?” Punch asked.

“Fell off the ferry on the way back to Staniz,” Swerve said. “Sharkticon got’m before anyone could help.”

“‘N ya think the innkeepers had somethin’ to do wit it?” Punch rolled his optics.

“Well... they coulda,” Swerve replied. “Coulda pushed’m off.”

[snows-2am-thoughts]

Uh so Gravity Falls x The Owl House is canon?! This is the best moment of my life guys

I'd like to think Luz decides to investigate anomalies on Earth when she can since Eda had told her weird stuff on Earth was just magic leaking from the Boiling Isles. She decides on Gravity Falls because it seems that's where the biggest traces of weirdness are. Mabel and Dipper decide to go back to Gravity Falls or attend college near there after high school because it's their home and they've already been away for long enough (and lets be real, everyone besides the stans are probably still there because it's a small town and families hardly ever leave those). Dipper studies paranormal sciences or an applied research major or both and helps continue studying Gravity Falls after he graduates since Ford is off on adventures with Stan. Mabel is studying Fashion Design or Graphic Design with a minor in Photography (the sweaters and scrapbooking stuck) and is now determined to make something (I'm thinking like a fashion line, plushies, or even a cartoon/comic series since she's very creative) inspired by the weirdness of Gravity Falls. 

Luz and the twins end up meeting by chance when they're researching some of the more elusive creatures and they just kind of pause when seeing each other.

Luz: *is sweating nervously because she thinks the twins are freaked out*

Dipper and Mabel: *are sweating nervously because the last time someone found out about the weirdness the FBI got involved*

I think after a very long and awkward conversation they'd actually be really excited to know there are other humans who are open to the weirdness! Luz spent her life not thinking she'd be able to fit in around other humans and the twins have probably felt a little outcasted since they'd been through something no one outside a select few in Gravity Falls can relate to. 

Hijinks ensue. Luz and Mabel feed off of each other's bubbliness and high energy personalities. Luz and Dipper are now combining their research with Luz's knowledge of the Boiling Isles and Dipper's knowledge of the mysteries of Gravity Falls. Luz ends up taking them to the Boiling Isles to introduce them to everyone and suddenly the twins feel like they're at home. Everything is going great until they recognize Eda as a woman from one of Grunkle Stan's old pictures and now they're on a mission to locate their grunkles from whatever adventure they're on to bring them to the Boiling Isles. Stan and Eda reunion (very awkward at first because they're cautious of lingering feelings from the other but they're both well established in life now and so the awkwardness fades, chaos buddies are back) as well as both sets of twins getting to explore the Boiling Isles.

Luz now has a human based support system that isn't her mother which helps her feel ok in her humanity. The twins are able to talk about their experiences with someone who understands and even thrives in the weirdness. 

Dipper and Luz experiment and find new combinations of King's titan glyphs while Mabel and Luz work on a campaign to introduce the two worlds to each other while preventing the creation of more witch hunters or the FBI from being scared because yeesh they don't wanna repeat their trauma. 

Dynamics between the gangs! I think Hunter and Soos would be an awesome pair of bros and I could totally see Amity and Wendy being the cool and composed duo of their respective groups. Luz, Willow, Amity, Mabel and Wendy having a girls night because lord knows they need it. The boys (Hunter, Gus, Dipper and Soos) simultaneously have a boys night but it’s Dipper introducing them to BABBA and Hunter having them carve wood while Soos and Gus try to spook them. Somehow the two groups end up combining and now it’s just a big sleepover with everyone getting into shenanigans. 

King and Mabel would be besties and I can totally see her making little sweaters for him so they can match. Luz catches on and now we have three matching besties. Eda and Stan fuel each other’s gambling habits while Ford and Raine stand on the sidelines getting ready to bail them out. Dipper and Willow would totally get along and I can see them researching the more unique plants of the Boiling Isles together. Gus and Dipper discuss the differences in the worlds of witches and humans. Hunter would introduce the palismans to Mabel and she’d start sprucing up their homes and making them little sweaters. Waddles meant everything to her and if she could help them find homes then she would. 

The Collector visits and all of a sudden the GF group gets PTSD from Bill because ‘oh looks its another all powerful interdimensional being.’ When questioned about it the Collector gets concerned and decides to look into it.

The Collector: *concerned because he knows how he was when he didn’t understand human mortality and thinks this ‘Bill’ just needs to be informed* “YEESH nevermind this guys a mess, you don’t have to worry, he’s being forced into interdimensional therapy. I wouldn’t put it past him to try his old tricks though so don’t make any deals or trust anything triangular’

The GF crew: “HE’S ALIVE????”

The GF group is lowkey paranoid after that because they risked so much to make sure Bill couldn’t hurt them again and the TOH group has to comfort them because they understand. The Collector is assuring them that he’s watching out for them so they don’t have to be too paranoid. The groups go back to doing what they're doing. 

I lowkey wanna see Mabel learning magic while Dipper is lowkey just fine studying and researching since actually doing the magic stuff lost its appeal when Bill possessed him. I haven’t even thought of what Mabel’s palisman would end up being

…. WHO AM I KIDDING, IT'S PROBABLY A MINI WADDLES

OR A LLAMA

Or maybe like a squirrel or beaver, Stan’s would definitely be a crow but he and Ford probably are a little put off of doing magic themselves because of similar reasons to Dipper. Actually, maybe Stan would be a little more open since Eda is there and he knows that while she’s mischievous and a troublemaker, she’s nothing like Bill. If Ford and Dipper did wanna learn magic I think Ford gives off hawk palisman vibes while Dipper’s is definitely an owl. I just realized that all the Pines besides Mabel have bird palismans in this. That’s actually pretty good angst potential. 

I COULD WRITE SO MUCH MORE AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I WANT TO WRITE A FIC

I AM GONNA WRITE A FIC

[bonefall]

Is there a list of all the jobs the cats can have?

I gotta make a whole thingie on this but here's a short list of the new job expansions, as a quick summary before I get around to it;

All heads of the patrol expansions report to the deputy. Patrol expansions also have apprentice chores that need to be carried out-- like dishwashing for Kitchen Patrol.

Official Jobs: Tasks that a cat can volunteer for or be assigned to for the day.

Kitchen Patrol Tasked with preparing meals. This includes processing prey from carcass to meat, making all the cats feel as full as possible on the food they have on-paw, and general preservation. NEW Position: Head of Kitchen. Oversees these operations, ensures fair ration distribution, decides the communal meal for the day, works directly with the other two heads to provide building materials (leather, bones) and discuss hunting quarries.

Hunting Patrol Very similar to canon; tasked with catching prey or patrolling the border. NEW Position: Head of Hunting. Tasked with managing prey populations and overseeing the types of animals that are being brought home. Has the freedom to levy "limits" on species and organize big game hunts. Is also expected to keep tabs on the territories and populations of other predators, especially vixens and how many cubs they're having in a season.

Construction Patrol An expansion of canon's unofficial builder roles. Tasked not only with building itself, but weatherproofing based on the season, comfort of the dens, and collecting materials. NEW Position: Head of Construction. Oversees projects and manages safety. Works intimately with the Head of Kitchen especially, responsible for taking the skinned pelts and processing them into proper leather, and cleaning spare long bones (especially of rabbits) for use as beams and supports. In ThunderClan, they are also responsible for maintaining the spears.

Educator A cat in charge of giving all kittens all their basic skills and a simple introduction to history, before their mentor and the elders eventually take over. Teaches kits how to understand glyphs, the names of certain animals, the leaders of their Clan, etc.

Unofficial Jobs: Tasks that a cat chooses to do, sometimes also asking permission to do it professionally or permanently.

Chaperone The "perma-queen" position. Helps out in the nursery and attends the needs of the queens. Doesn't typically do a lot with the kittens themselves, between their Mi, the Educator, any Bas or family they have, and the elders. Raising kittens is communal, so the Chaperone focuses more on the parents themselves. (Chaperones are generally rare, as they are redundant if you write the clan as a proper social unit, imo...)

Trader A cat who brings things to the border or to gatherings in order to swap them for other goods. Becoming more popular as peace between the Clans grows. Not a "position" but more of a hobby, or a talent. The Clans are currently running on bartering, between borders.

Crafting Weaving, tanning, toymaking, instrument creation, etc. Not so much a singular position rather than a blanket of various hobbies Clan cats can do in their off-time, now. While Construction Patrol often has to do these as chores, they can be done just for fun or personal gain.

In addition, the Leaders, Deputies, and Clerics have significant expansions as well.

Leaders are now given 9 lives to USE, and are expected to function as "the ideal warrior." They are at the head of dangerous missions, patrols, and are brave responders to natural disasters. They are blessed by StarClan itself, carrying a piece of a star to display their holy rank.

The Deputy is now expected to be the one who handles the "busywork" in the Clan so the leader is free to lead by example. The final decision always goes to the leader, but the deputy has MASSIVE influence over the day-to-day functions of the Clan now.

And the Cleric is the healer and spiritual authority of the entire Clan, only outdone by the Leader itself. Only a Cleric is allowed to interpret signs and omens, with Clan Culture now having the concepts of blasphemy, dark magic, and demonic influence.

[aspoonofsugar]

Any thoughts on what Oscar’s semblance will end up being? Since Oscar’s magic has come from Ozma and is more in line with “destruction” as a contrast to Ruby’s eyes which are tied to “creation”, I’ve often thought that it would make sense for Oscar’s semblance, as a means of self-affirmation to be something that also represents creation/preservation, which would make him more like Ruby and also find his own sense of who he is as a person. After all, if Oscar/Ozma are supposed to achieve a balance by the end then he should possess elements of both, no?

That said, the most common headcanon/theory I see for Oscar’s semblance has been for him to create barriers for defense… but not only can he already do that with Ozpin’s magic, I feel as though Jaune is actually the character who is more set up to have a defensive evolution for his semblance. There was the flash of light in V1 and his “it’s like a forcefield!” line, Vine’s comment about extending his aura, the shield grenades he used in V8, and just his general tendency to leap in front of people using his shield or body to protect people.

So, to me, this would be a bit of an odd choice for Oscar’s semblance and just make the existing overlap between Jaune and Oscar’s progression as characters more confused. Do you think I have the right idea with the theming of Oscar’s semblance? Or do you think it’ll come from a different place altogether?

Hi!

It is very difficult to say, cause there could really be many things that fit Oscar.

I agree about both Ruby and Oscar ending up having elements of both creation and destruction, as they are two philosophical children.

When it comes to Oscar's semblance, I think it will be worth the wait, since:

It will appear toward the end and there won't be time to slowly develop it, like Blake, Weiss or Ruby's

Ruby kind of told us so tbh, as she said when Oscar gets a semblance "everyone will be jealous" ;)

I think most semblances tie with the characters' allusions too:

Ruby is super fast cause she is Little Red Riding Hood, so she rides

Weiss's glyphs allude to the Snow Queen fairy tail, but progressively become more Snowhite-like (her summons are characters in Snow-White)

Blake's shadow is symbolic of the beast, as in jungian terms the shadow is also called inner beast

Yang's power has her become too hot, with her hair catching fire, like Goldilock

Jaune gives his aura (his spirit) to others to heal them (he makes miracles), which ties with his Jeanne d'Arc allusion (I agree with the fact he will become a barrier warrior to an extent btw)

And so on...

So, tbh the majority of ideas for Oscar's semblance seem to tie into this theme:

Some theory think his power will tie with time, as time is a recurring motif for him and Ozpin

Other theories (I think this one is @misstrashchan ) instead think he will get the ability to make an astral projection of himself, in a tie in to the Little Prince (the little prince dies, so he leaves his body behind). This could also be used to separate his own soul from Ozpin's

These are my two preferred theories, but again it is impossible to say for sure. I don't think there is much foreshadowing as to what Oscar's semblance will be, differently from Jaune's.

Thank you for the ask!

[ashtarels-archives]

The Mysteries of Elunite Ore

- Headcanon Speculations -

Elunite Ore, a rare mineral considered blessed by Elune Herself, is one often sought after; and yet shrouded in mystery. As many priests, priestesses, templars, and other devotees of the Goddess may strive to incorporate Elunite into their armaments and regalia, the quest for obtaining and fashioning this material is one that has spanned many lands and generations. This is a compendium on the nature of Elunite from various geologists, theorists, and researchers across Azeroth.

Earthly Origins

The origin of Elunite’s terrestrial formation is not entirely understood by Sisterhood scholars, nor by lithic experts of the world. One of the oldest proposed ideas is rooted in the ancient legend of Elune and the Well of Eternity: that she once dwelled in its depths during the day, and rose into the sky as the moon each night. Due to her strong former connection to this font of arcane power, it is surmised that Elunite may actually be crystallized remnants of the great well; whose leyline rivers once nourished the planet. One theorist believes that because all modern moonwells contain traces of the Well of Eternity, and are damaging to demons and scourgeblight, this could explain the similar holy properties of Elunite. However, others claim that it finds its beginnings as a simple, mundane ore embedded within the earth, which is eventually augmented with Elune’s blessings once it is exposed to the surface and directly shone upon by moonlight. More mythical sentiments say that any ore can become Elunite if the goddess wills it, and that finding it is an extremely rare and divine auspice. It is believed that processed Elunite is a multi-faceted metal whose properties can change depending on imbuement from various moon phases and other major lunar events, such as eclipses. While some think it is ever-shifting, varied accounts of miners and blacksmiths with the remarkable ability to shape Elunite describe that its qualities are determined by the state of the moon on the exact night that the ore is extracted from the earth. Either way, this is a succinct list of their observations:

Full Moon Properties: Bolsters the wearer/wielder’s healing capabilities, and is often inlaid into staves and suturing needles. Full Moon Elunite is also highly damaging to demons and the undead; therefore anyone on a demonic or undead purgation mission may seek out a weapon of this influence to aid in expunging corruption. 

Waxing Moon Properties: Becomes a material which houses additional mana, that can then be tapped into for a small increase in magical reserves until recharged beneath the next waxing moon. Those who carry moonwater or the liquid fire of Elune may opt for this particular metal to house these sacred substances.

Quarter Moon Properties: Contains a natural abjurative energy which is typically used in the creation of Elunite shields, talismans, librams, wards, and armor for those who exercise a more defensive combat style, or wish to protect themselves magically against unholy forces.

Waning Moon Properties: Often the choice for Elunite accessories and other ephemera, which are usually crafted with the eventual intent of Elunarian sacrifice. When an item of waning moon Elunite is offered up, its physical form is completely consumed in exchange for a singular blessing, protection, or spell. Lunar liturgical glyphs or words of power are typically engraved on these accessories with particular spellwork in mind, although a priest/priestess may sacrifice a blank slate piece and incant one spell of choice with a greater potency.

New Moon Properties: It is said that New Moon Elunite is magically similar to the blessing of shadowmeld, allowing for easier camouflage into surrounding environments and quieter movements. Those who wish to make use of the protection offered by chainlinks or armor plates, while still retaining obscurity, may seek to have their regalia crafted with this semi-noise-dampening material. This offshoot of Elunite is additionally often sought after for the creation of arrowheads, shurikens, and other projectiles; as its magick may be utilized for brief invisibility before it dissipates and its physical counterparts reappear.

Solar Eclipse: Solar-eclipsed Elunite is often chosen in the creation of rings (such as archery thumb-rings) that are usually beset with moonstones and other blessed gems, whose imbuements can strengthen one's physical or magickal attacks.

Lunar Eclipse: Lunar-eclipsed Elunite is typically the choice material for divination tools: such as pendulums, scrying mirrors, and spirit-speaking quills. Some also craft ritual daggers with this material for the purpose of collecting flesh to be offered in Elunarian flame sacrifices.

Artisanal Knowledge

Another unknown characteristic of Elunite is how an artisan attains the ability to gather and shape the ore. It seems that precious few across Azeroth have this exceptional privilege, the two most prominent having once resided in the boughs of Darnassus. Elanaria and Mathiel have not been seen since the Burning of Teldrassil, but much can be gleaned from the stories of those who once worked with them. Many miners and blacksmiths are incapable of grasping the techniques surrounding Elunite, which poses some intriguing theories. The simplest is that the secrets of this ore are strongly protected, and seldom taught to others. Another that some have posited, is that the way to gain the privilege of crafting with this mineral requires proving oneself by performing an act of protection or preservation in defense of the goddess’s domain. She then assumedly rewards this deed with the artisanal knowledge of Elunite, or it then becomes malleable to that specific person. Elanaria supposedly tasked her trade partners and trainees with sacred missions such as slaying satyrs actively corrupting moonwells, and ending the suffering of oathbound shades. The late, self-cursed Captain Elura was said to wear a precious medallion, though we do not know if it was of Elunite make. Some theorize it was simply requested as a physical token of proof for the task; while others believe it was Elunite indeed, which is why Elanaria wanted it retrieved. If the medallion was shaped of this hallowed ore, the fact that Elura still wore it even in death may speak to its deep reverence, a spiritual binding property, or a partial immateriality.

Because of its sanctity, and the profound cultural respect for it among Kaldorei, crafting with Elunite may be more common among the Sisterhood of Elune; but still heavily guarded from the rest of the world. It could be that there is a sect of the Sisterhood devoted to sacred artisanry such as this; or, the Sisterhood may commission lay craftsmen who possess the means to Elunite. This material is also said to be utilized in profession tools such as sewing needles for mooncloth tailoring, quill nibs for lunar inscription, and rune rods for Elunarian enchanting. Hippogryph riders of the Sentinel Army, as well as individual riders, may commission blessed Elunite hoofshoes for fortified hind leg attacks, periods of extended wear on the back legs, when the creatures grow old, or are unable to fly; as some claim that they ease pain. Additionally, some equip saber, owl, and chimera companions with Elunite armor, claw/talon caps, and adornments just as they would wear regalia themselves.

In regards to metalworking with Elunite, some theorize that cold working (shaping metal at or below room temperature) may be the superior method as opposed to the extreme heats used with common minerals. Byproducts of Elunite smithing, such as the coal that is left behind from this process, may be used within braziers. It is said that Elunite coals, and the flames that burn from them, are resistant to water quenching; and as such are often used in settlements or outposts with heavy rain and snowfall. The most prevalent theory as to how these fires continue to burn posits that the coals themselves must be open to the skies, as the flames are “kindled,” so to speak, by the energies of the moon each night. Members of the Sisterhood are said to carefully wrap and gift Elunite coals to patrons on various holidays for people to place within the hearths of their home as tokens of spiritual protection and good will. Communal events organized by the order additionally use Elunite coals in cooking fires as an added method of blessing food stores; which some claim temporarily defends against illness, strengthens the body, and fortifies the spirit.

As of today, it is unclear whether or not Elunite can be alloyed. It could be that those who are able to work with the ore simply refuse to do so for fear of dampening its sacred properties; or, its inherent magick may be rendered useless or significantly weaker when alloyed with other common metals. In matters of corrosion, Elunite proves particularly mysterious. It would stand to reason that the goddess’s ties to water might strengthen the ore against rusting and deteriorating over time; although, there have not been any ancient Elunite artifacts recovered as of yet, perhaps implying that the material cannot withstand the elemental ravages of the eons. One possible argument against this is that because the ore is tremendously sacred, there may be ways to reshape or reuse the material; and that is why no timelost Elunite relics have been recovered.

Lore and Legend

Ancient, yet unsupported stories, say that Luminarian was one of the first to uncover the mysteries of Elunite; his name supposedly a pseudonym of sorts to commemorate his luminary works, and the ability to shape this luminous ore. While Elunite was fabled to be the reason for his rise to prominence, many speculate that he eventually abandoned the craft in favor of arcane creations; hence his lasting fame as a magesmith, and as the creator of mythical weapons like Felo’melorn and the Prismatic Blades. It is also rumored that the legendary Ta’Kierthan Songblades may have been forged of Elunite, considering they were crafted by a renowned Kaldorei priest: many of whom employ music and singing in their devotions and spellwork. The art of bardic weaponry seems to be an elusive one, perhaps completely lost to the ages, but nonetheless a technique that Elunarian scholars still seek in the ruins scattered across the lands of Azeroth. Those who traveled through the Dark Portal nearly forty years ago, as well as Draenei refugees, have noted a striking similarity between Elunite and some regalia found on Draenor, as well as others bequeathed directly by the naaru. No one is certain where these pieces are originally from: some claim that they once belonged to adventurers and were merely traded through many hands, while others are convinced that Elune and her blessed ore could have connections to the naaru, and that the ore may be on other planets throughout the cosmos. Elunite-imbued leggings were also recovered from the forest troll stronghold of Zul’aman; though how they got there is anyone’s guess. A commonality between all of these items is an increased critical strike chance, as well as greater potency for both damage and healing via magical spells. Two of the three also provide a passive mana restoration over time (much like moonwells), perhaps owing to the nature of Elunite’s inherent power.

[talonabraxas]

"He who fights too long against dragons becomes a dragon himself; and if you gaze too long into the abyss, the abyss will gaze into you."― Friedrich Nietzsche

Red Spectral Dragon Talon Abraxas

Red Dragon is your Conscious Self - who you are and who you are becoming.

Red Dragon represents the root source of life, the nurturance and support of primary being, and within it are found the primal waters of unity. This is where your deepest roots receive true nourishment. Red Dragon is the energy of form contained within the formlessness of the primordial sea.

Primal trust means making choices with no guarantees, knowing that divine nurturance will provide what is needed for your journey. It means making choices moment by moment, implicitly trusting your innate steering mechanism of heart-knowing. Primal trust implies surrendering to the will of the divine self, letting go of what your ego deems to be control of the outcomes in your life. It means deeply trusting the processes that are at work within your present spiral of evolution.

The energy of Red Dragon asks you to embrace the depth of your receptivity. Perhaps you have been taught that it is better to give than to receive. Giving is a powerful way to learn how to receive, but it is not the whole picture. There is a circuit of completion in giving and receiving that happens within you and in your external world at the same time. If you trust unconditionally in the giving, you are not attached to how the gift is received. When you freely give, you fill your cup with sweet waters, which you can then offern innocently and purely to another. Know, on one level, that your gift is poured out universally regardless of how it appears to be received. However, when the gift comes from the ego, it is limited by expectations and conditions. Love just is. It is neither given nor taken; rather it is simply discovered and allowed.

The universe is an inseparable whole. Red Dragon represents the energy matrix lines that look like a web in the universe, through which all points are connected in time and space. This energetic web of communication is known as the 'crystal grid network.' It is a cauldron of creation, a potent field in which all things are not only possible but constantly being created. Within this grid, the linear causality of time and space has been freed into an open system in which all time and all space exist and interact simultaneously. This grid connects the larger holograms of reality with our own. Its energy lines connect all places, times and events - even those that are seemingly unrelated. All phenomena and all actions are part of this larger whole; it is the very foundation for telepathy and synchronicity. Red Dragon embodies unity, in which all things are one with the Source.

Red Dragon is also your Higher Self & Guide.

You are a double Red Dragon. When your Conscious Self and Higher Self are one and the same it means that you desire to embody all that Red Dragon is, completely and powerfully. Your SuperConscious is guiding you to trust in the larger pattern to provide what you need. Communicate your feelings, desires and dreams!

Yellow Sun is your Subconscious Self and Hidden Helper.

Yellow Sun is a reminder that you are, at every moment, in the center of All That Is. In your journey of remembrance, you are crafting a light body to return to a home in the stars that you never really left. Return as a child of the sacred to the Great Central Sun! You are the crown of creation, infused with the blueprint of solar mind. You are a Godseed, the reflection of cosmic consciousness. You are love made visible!

Discover the simple secret encoded in Ahau's star-glyph: you are unconditional love, the stone of indestructible liberation. Radiate that knowing in all your thoughts and actions. Love all of creation. Join the dance of light, the fundamental constant of nature, and shine forth the clarity of your true essence. There is great power in simply identifying with the light: "As above, so below." You are in God, and God is in you.

As you express unconditional love, you become more than you previously perceived yourself to be. You become illumined, the full manifestation of your divinity. In the embrace of your humanity, accept yourself and others unconditionally. Magnify your full presence. Ahau will come in myriad forms to assist you. Be limitless. Accept and understand the nature of judgement, fear, light and dark within yourself and others. Love and accept yourself and others as you are, freed from previous boundaries. You are the dawning of the solar age.

As you move toward your core of light, you will find a clear-light awareness that is innately innocent. In this place, the mind is restored to it's original state of receptivity. Clarity and freedom become expressions of being, and bliss becomes the body. At this core of light, a new reality is born. From the union of the divine masculine and feminine is birthed the solar androgyny of cosmic consciousness.

[xadianglyphs]

The Dragonscale Amulet: Theory

And finally... literally the reason I made this entire blog. Basically, back in March we had this:

Anyway, I dropped literally everything to catalog the entire breadth of writing, runes, glyphs, etc. in the series so far, all in order to figure out what the hell this means. One theory that has evolved in the meantime is that the symbol on the amulet represents an acorn or seed, but I would like to propose another.

First, let's look at the amulet and symbol, themselves.

The amulet is composed of a dragon scale (allegedly, at least... we haven't seen dragon scales separated from dragons anywhere else) that is red, highly reflective (whether naturally or polished after the fact), and about palm-sized. By that scale, it probably comes from a dragon about Pyrrah's size or a little larger, unless it was carved down to a smaller size when crafted into an amulet. The scale is anchored in a gold setting, with a shape and decorations that have a fair amount of similarity to the Staff of Ziard. (Maybe we should have anticipated an Aaravos/Startouch association.)

As for the symbol, accounting for perspective (to the best of my abilities), we have this:

The symbol is etched directly into the scale's surface. Its lines are less smooth than the ones decorating the setting, which could indicate that it was added at another time (earlier/later) with a less precise tool, or just that gouging designs into dragon scales is hard.

In terms of similarity to other symbols we've seen so far, it could come from a similar system as the symbols in Infantis Sanguine. It also has similarities to a primal rune, though the sharp, wide corners are unusual. Either way, I think this is a pictographic symbol representing an item or concept as a whole, not an alphabetic character—this isn't Laurelion personally going around with a blinged-out "L" necklace.

So what could it be? Well, I propose that it's a heart. Like so:

My initial impression had the horizontal top "crossbar" as the pulmonary arteries, and the vertical center line as the aorta/vena cava, but you could also look at the crossing vertical and diagonal lines as dividing the space into the four chambers of the heart. However, I think there's another direction to go with that diagonal, so let's put a pin in that for a moment.

Why a heart? Because there has a sizeable amount of fairly convincing speculation post-s4 that the dark space in Aaravos's chest is either figuratively or literally representing his heart having been removed. @raayllum's are a lot more coherent, but I've also done my share.

I'm sure someone had this thought before I did, if only because I was super late to the fandom. But I had it!

... okay right, back to the amulet.

Aaravos's heart is also a key part of the "Laurelion and Aaravos are the same person" theory, in part because Laurelion's heart is the center of everything we currently know about them.

Laurelion's heart was pierced by either the as-yet-unnamed Novablade itself or a piece of draconic ivory (i.e. a dragon's tooth) that was later forged into the Novablade, after which "immortal Laurelion was no more."

Aside from creating an additional connection between Laurelion and dragons, making the dragon scale of the amulet even more interesting, let's go back to the symbol in light of the whole "pierced" thing.

Now, TDP has a fair amount of Christian symbolism and imagery to it, some purely because of how deeply Christianity is embedded in western culture but some also definitely intentional. Aaravos was initially framed as a Prometheus figure, but it became progressively more clear that he's a Lucifer one—a tempter, a rebel angel, out to destroy creation. They absolutely know what they're doing with things like the *checks watch* 2019 Aaravos birthday post:

So don't think it's completely insane to take that, Laurelion's death[citation needed], and the amulet symbol, and think of this:

Depictions of the Sacred Heart don't seem to usually show the spear, just the wound, but I wasn't raised Catholic so work with me here. (If you want to get even more Catholic, there's also the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which is almost always depicted with a sword piercing it diagonally all the way through because she's... sad? Look, I don't know.) The idea is that it represents the boundless and fervent love of God expressed through the suffering of Jesus, which... whatever.

I do think it's interesting, however, that we are primed to question Laurelion's "death" and concepts of mortality/immortality, death of identity, etc. in the context of Startouch elves because while there's definitely a possibility that an immortal being stripped of their immortality is a punishment, there's also... a lot of cultural precedent for that as a willing gift of love to a mortal/mortals, whether you're looking at Jesus, Castor and Pollux, or Arwen and Aragorn. So we'll see how that plays out.

Anyway, that's my weird fringe theory: the amulet symbol represents Laurelion's pierced heart.

Probably time to worry about Claudia. (As if we weren't, already.)

Bonus: