#god of strategy and proficy

[kind-hufflepuff]

RON WEASLEY GOD OF STRATEGY AND PROFICY

[serpentface]

Could I ask what people outside of Wardi see the Odonii as? Are they respected/ridiculed/feared? I know the Finns killed the last Odomache, was that seen as sacrilegous by some of them or the other cultures?

Yeah it depends on the people involved, it's some of all the above. The most common lines of thought on Odonii are:

They are a human shield for bitchass Wardi men to hide behind.

They are something to be feared, their presence in combat indicates that the Wardi side means serious business and is likely to be dangerous in very direct, practical ways.

They are something to be feared, they are a kind of witch/possible shapeshifters.

They are respectable priestesses who serve a powerful military force.

Some weird Wardi thing IDK.

(Sometimes several of these at once)

---

One of very few commonalities across most of the Eastern Seaway peoples is broadly similar conventions of honorable combat, which is often baked in with a religious framework (violating these norms is not only dishonorable, but may be displeasing to various deities). The ones most relevant here can be summed up as:

-Noncombatants should not be killed or harmed in the regular course of combat (women, girls, prepubescent boys, and unarmed elderly men are de-facto noncombatants), fighting should be kept between men. -Violence against noncombatants becomes fully acceptable when final calls for surrender are denied (ie: if you do not surrender when given the chance prior to a siege, your civilians are fair game when it turns into a sacking) -Violence against noncombatants can be justified as retribution if someone else does it to you first (this one is shakier and governed by varying subsets of 'rules')

(Note that just because these conventions Exist does not mean that they are Universally And Unwaveringly Followed, just that they influence how warfare is practiced and that you will rarely see war leaders who Openly flout convention)

Odonii are ostensibly noncombatants (and in practice this is effectively true, they are Trained to be fully proficient in combat, but by convention do not Actually engage in the vast majority of circumstances). The practice of putting women on battlefields is a flexing of these honorable warfare conventions (and occurs in non-Wardi contexts as well), and can affect the behavior and strategies of a foe. In the context of Odonii specifically, their deaths DEMAND retribution (funerary rites for a murdered Odonii involve the slaying of the killer, and the killer's 'kin' (often in very loose senses of the word) can suffice instead- in a combat context, this means your soldiers or possibly civilians may be captured for this purpose). People fighting Wardi combatants with Odonii present not only have to work around the whole 'noncombatants on the battlefield' thing but are also generally aware that retribution for their deaths will be especially severe.

Finn culture is much less hard-patriarchal than Wardi culture but has very stark gendered divisions of labor, only men play direct roles in their warrior traditions. The fact that there are Any Imperial Wardi women in battlefield roles tends to get propagandized as "Wardi men are weak and can't fight without a mother's skirt to hide behind". (The general spirit of which is true in Some senses, in that the presence of Odonii on a battlefield is Absolutely in part a form of human shield intended to modify the foe's behavior)

Killing the Odomache would Not be seen as sacrilegious in most of the Finn sphere (outside of a small minority who practice the Faith of the Seven Faced God or syncretic folk-variants), though was seen as Dangerous on spiritual levels (in addition to very pragmatic levels) by a wider swath of the group. Most Finns practice a polytheist system that venerates a select group of gods, but doesn't Preclude the existence of others outside their core system (other systems might be wrong in claiming their gods as the Creators, but their gods might still very well exist). So they don't see The Odomache (human priestess) as The Living Face Of God Itself, a human-incarnated aspect of the one true creator god, but they DO see Odomache as one of many foreign gods, and one that could be enraged at the slaying of its high priestess.

Finn gods are not only the Best of the gods, but also have absolute power within Finn lands, so they would be able to protect their people from external divine retribution. So killing the Odomache needed to be done in ways that will please/not offend their own gods, so as to fully secure their support against any retaliation from hostile foreign deities.

Violence against 'noncombatant' Odonii was justified via honorable war conventions as retribution for Finn noncombatants that had been raped and murdered in the invasion. The official command was for all present Odonii/the Odomache to be captured alive, and for Only the Odomache to be executed (this wasn't followed very closely). The body was mutilated in beheading for display, a very insulting act but not one that will prevent the soul from moving on (the heart is the seat of the soul and is the part that should be intact for funerary rites). Her corpse was then given proper funerary rites (without honors, a cremation rather than the sky burial of esteemed dead), thus allowing her soul passage to the afterlife. In this way, the material functions of this killing (strategic psychological warfare, vengeance for the slain, a show of power and violence against the Human Embodiment of their foe that would demoralize the enemy while rallying their cause) could be fully enacted, while at least Minimizing the insult to the hostile foreign deity, preventing the Odomache's vengeful spirit from lingering, and giving their own gods no reason to deny support.

So it's not sacrilegious and the spiritual danger from enemy gods was broadly accepted as minimized. Concerns were more about how Incredibly dangerous this maneuver could be in giving their foe (who had already been VERY brutal) perceived justification for any level of retribution.

(Finnerich has also been impacted by the years of drought and some people do believe that this might in part be the god Odomache's vengeance and/or a sign that their own gods have not yet forgiven the initial surrender and are now denying them aid. The latter is the public position the current king/high priest Taighr a Tain has taken, with a hopeful bent. He's so far been very successful at holding the tenuous post-withdrawal ft. major famine situation together with 'we are being tested and will be vindicated if we remain strong and unified' messaging, using his autocratic control to efficiently implement famine responses, and courting allyship with neighboring Dain kingdoms for mutual support/defense)

---

BACK TO ODONII PERCEPTIONS-

In many contexts, they tend to have an intimidating effect.

This is on some wholly material levels- if an Odonii priestess is actually There on the battlefield, it usually means that one of their two elite warrior orders are There too (ie: the ones that have firearms, which are very rare, very costly to produce, and not in wide use at this point in history). They also tend to motivate the men fighting for them, Wardi warriors will often be distinctly more aggressive and fearless when an Odonii is present (feeling God's presence at their side, and motivated to protect and perform for the honored priestess).

In addition, belief in evil spirits and/or shapeshifters is very common among the eastern seaways peoples, and accounts of Odonii often become exaggerated into 'they have witches who can command evil powers' and/or 'they have witches who can literally transform into lions in combat' (which is an image that the order readily allows to perpetuate).

In the Wardi context, Odonii are reckoned as embodying Odomache as the divine protective mother when in combat, becoming guardian lions in a metaphysical sense. This manifests in their performance on battlefields- they wear lion skins over their armor, paint their faces red to obscure human features at a distance, perform shrieking war cries that are perfected to sound inhuman, and will attempt to evoke an enraged animal via 'frenzied' movements.

Prior to battles, Odonii lead soldiers in the kagnoma odo weapons dance, which can be intimidating at a distance- you hear drums and warhorns and chanting, you see your enemy doing weapons drills in unity (advertising their discipline, health, and readiness and enthusiasm for battle), you hear at Least one musket shot (oh shit they have gun's), and its all being led by a possible witch/shapeshifter.

Foes who have never seen an Odonii before may be very successfully intimidated by all this, those who have encountered Odonii on battlefields for years without ever seeing one turn into an actual lion might still have some doubts in the back of their mind, and even those who feel quite secure that they're not capable of shapeshifting may still be disturbed by the sight of the distant shrieking lion-skinned figure and its command of its men (there could still be evil magic at play). All these factors make Odonii fairly successful as a form of intimidation/demoralization, even among foes who have Zero shared beliefs with and/or no respect for the order in of itself.

[someweirdoreblogger]

Onyx Cream Cookie is a well-respected fellow. He is the right-hand of First Cream Cookie for a rightfully great reason.

He is a warrior, upkept. Never underestimate him, don't believe him too burdened by the mold eating away, devouring the majority of his pristine crust and fluffy cream.

He is a fine, disciplined man of a many brilliant word and proficient strategy, what Cookies usually don't realize is those little charms hanging stubborn on the hilt of his ripper are not mere design choices, they are not enchanted by any magic. They hold no special significant prayer or timely devotion to any angel or god. They don't dangle to improve his footing or balance when he unseals his sword from the wrap tightened upon his leather belt.

Gifts. From his closest chosen. Adorable charms; colorful ideas of good fortune, goodwill, and moral support. Onyx Cream Cookie sees a lively silver of you in them, sunshine in his pocket. A mirror couldn't represent this clear reflection. He can't help the sentimentality.

(They're just so...

You.)

They almost breathe. In an inanimate silence, he can almost swear it. The care, the love, the delicate life you line in those pallet shells of material, worked with a monk's patience.

All for no reason at all, then to be reassured, to know Onyx Cream Cookie will occasionally peer down like a curious child and consciously smile, a cresent dawn. Your lovely ornaments, still there looking at nothing at all, slowly waving like leaves lost in the endless gusts of wind, dancing free under the crawling pressure of chill and rain.

In the craftsmanship, twists, curls, swirls, and longful strokes. The reflections of your deepest passions, a strong chain full of fond memories, of all the times he quietly pressed a touch of lip there on the forehead of one of your dear trinkets. Your care for him in a physical form, these truly beautiful cluster of tiny promises strapped to his trusty weapon of inevitable justice, it never fails to remind him there is someone home he must diligently ensure a safe return to.

There are heavy days, tainted bags digging deep in his eyelids, irritating the sensitive infection of mold, the lonely nights-where Onyx Cream Cookie drifts off into a running stream of incoherent thoughts. Where he falls, afloat into a dream, a daze, and he can do nothing more then simply look up, peer to the sky and sees you written in the stars, staring back in a wonder he can't properly describe.

You are timeless. Eternity is you in dough, he knows. Onyx Cream Cookie believes this wholeheartedly, a love he never thought he would hold, grasp fondly in the naked palm of his hands.

Such lovely things, fragile beings we all are in the grand scheme of life and death. All just small layers of flavor in the cake of life Cookies are relentlessly baked in.

Onyx Cream Cookie often offhandedly trips into a trap of his own making, not always on purpose in his honest defense. He catches himself staring, and a man such as himself holds no pride in distractions, but the temptation can't be denied much to his obligation, impossible to resist in the vulnerable moments. Excuses are pitiful, unnecessarily needless. He will be the first to admit, although he is shameless about it at whoever notices him.

The very pieces, lovely shades, the reason he would lay down his dough and flavor for; One most dearest, whose simplicity is a thing of upmost charity and beauty, made by the apple of his eye, he tells himself everytime the sun kisses the horizon. The Heavens is the sightless halo for Earthbread, same as is the sky, the acting color of the peerless ocean.

A sight for sore eyes.

His beloved made those Onyx Cream Cookie will ease; 'I hold them here, right next to me, compared to everywhere else, nowhere rather they be.' Seeing his charms wiggle like gummy worms, mindlessly sing and jiggle like jellybean bells on his ripper's little sheath paints a permanent happy curl on his face.

[fictionlover100]

WAR CRY: Character Files

Synopsis: K is back at the camp where he spent most of his life. Over the course of the summer, the campus secrets and lies about certain events in the past will come to light. It is up to K and his friends to end the god's constant torment.

Genre: Demi-God, Percy Jackson!AU, Adventure, Angst, AU, Fluff

Warnings: TBA

Pairings: &team X OC

Masterlist / NEXT

EJ: Son of Apollo Abilities:

Accuracy level 100 (Never miss)

Advance in Archery

moderate at Swords

Fuma: Son of Zeus Abilities:

Super Strength and ability to control the weather

Proficient in swords and daggers.

Kei: Son of Ares

Abilities:

Master in armed and unarmed combat

Proficient in swords and daggers.

Quick learning in any weapons 

Nicholas: Son of Athena

Abilities:

quickly healing himself and other

good at mesmerizing battle strategies

proficient in most combat 

Yuma: son of Poseidon

Abilities:

Control and breathe water

Proficient with trident and sword

Moderate in Unarmed Combat

Jo: Son of Hecate

Abilities:

a levitating object at will

Good at memorizing 

proficient at hand knife and fist

Moderate in unarmed Combat

Harua: Son of Aphrodite

Abilities:

Persuasive

Can manipulate images and feeling

New to Armed and Unarmed Combat

Taki: Son of Hermes

Abilities:

Fast with running and traveling

proficient in swords and Defense

Moderate at unarmed combat

Maki: Son of Hades

Abilities:

Controlling earth and stone

Has a vast knowledge of jewels and precious metals

moderate at Swords 

average in hand-to-hand combat 

[auraeted]

˚                ❛                emilia  clarke     ,     cis woman     &     she / her     ,     thirty - two     —      the  king  had  summoned LYSAERA  TARGARYEN  of   HOUSE  TARGARYEN, CROWN PRINCESS  of   THE SEVEN KINGDOMS  to  be  judged  upon  their DOMINEERING  and   BEGUILING  nature,  under  his  justice  as  the  ruler  of  the  seven  kingdoms  and  protector  of  the  realm.  while  they  are  notably RESOLUTE  and DISCIPLINED,  many  at  court  are  at  odds  when  it  comes  to  their  true  nature  and  place  in  king’s  landing,  especially  as  they  remind  them  of  GOLDEN THREADS WOVEN INTO DESTINY ; SHE'LL BEND THE WORLD TO HER WILL, AMBITION FORGED IN DRAGONFIRE  —  PROUD YET UNTOUCHABLE.  in  another  universe,  far  beyond  the  realms  of  the  red  keep,  they  would  have  been  comparable  to   KATHERINE PIERCE ( the vampire diaries ),   and   JOANNA LANNISTER ( asoiaf ),  of  whom  they  share  an  almost  uncanny  resemblance  to.  as  their  true  loyalty  lies  to  HOUSE TARGARYEN + HERSELF,  when  told  of  robert’s  first  rebellion,  it  was  unsurprising  how  they  were  AGAINST  the  insurgence  against  the  crown.  with  the  tides  rapidly  shifting  throughout  the  realm,  there  is  no  telling  what  fates  have  in  store  for  them,  as  when  you  play  the  game  of  thrones,  you  live,  or  you  die.

   𝑰⠀ ᐧ   ⠀THE   ESSENTIALS     . 

given   name.    lysaera   targaryen.   age.  thirty   -   four.   gender   identity.    cis   woman.   pronouns.    she   /   her.   orientation.    bisexual,   demiromantic.   house.    the   noble   house   targaryen    moniker(s).    the   silver flame, the dragon's heart. official   titles.    crown   princess   of   the   seven   kingdoms.    birthplace.    dragonstone    ;    the   ancestral   seat   of   house   targaryen.    training.    valyrian   traditions   .   courtly   manners   .   political   strategy.    spoken   languages.    common   tongue   (  westerosi   )   .   high   valyrian. religion.    the   gods of old valyria.

𝑰𝑰⠀ ᐧ   ⠀APPEARANCE  .  

faceclaim.    emilia   clarke.   height.    five   feet,   four   inches.   eyes.    violet,   almond-shaped.   hair   &   style.    silver-blonde,   worn   in   intricate   braids   adorned   with   dragon   motifs.   attire.    elegant   gowns   of   black   and   red,   often   featuring   dragon   scales   or   dragon-themed   embroidery. 

𝑰𝑰𝑰⠀   ᐧ   ⠀PSYCHE   . 

mbti.    entj   (commander)   is   a   personality   type   with   the   extraverted,   intuitive,   thinking,   and   judging   traits.   they   are   strategic   leaders,   motivated   to   organize   change.   they   are   quick   to   see   inefficiency   and   conceptualize   new   solutions,   enjoying   developing   long-term   plans   to   accomplish   their   vision.    moral   alignment.    chaotic   neutral.   deadly   sin.  pride.   heavenly   virtue.  justice. 

𝑰𝑽⠀   ᐧ   ⠀SKILLS   &   ABILITIES   .

weapon   of   choice.     her   dragon,   rhaegal       ;    she   commands   him   with   a   unique   bond   made   possible   with   valyrian   blood.   combat   skills.    lysaera   is   proficient   with   a   dagger    ;    preferring   stealth   and   surprise   to   direct   confrontation.   diplomacy   skills.    highly   skilled   in   reading   people   and   situations       ;       she   leverages   emotional   intelligence   and   strategic   thinking   to   influence   outcomes   in   her   favor.    strategic   skills.    excels   at   contingency   planning    ;    always   having   multiple   backup   plans   and   never   leaving   anything   to   chance.   strengths.  cunning   .   ambition   .   intelligence   .   confidence.   weaknesses.  ruthless   .   arrogant   .   distrustful   .   vengeful.

𝑰𝑽⠀   ᐧ   ⠀RELATIONSHIPS   . 

immediate   family.    rhaegar   targaryen    (   father   )   .   cersei   lannister    (   mother   )   .   daemon   targaryen    (   twin   brother   ).    marital   status.    unwed.   others.    tba.    pets.    rhaegal   ;   green   &.   bronze-scaled   dragon.

𝑽⠀   ᐧ   ⠀ BACKSTORY   . 

born   to   cersei   lannister   and   rhaegar   targaryen,   lysaera   was   named   crown   princess   of   the   seven   kingdoms   the   moment   that   she   would   draw   in   her   first   breath,   alongside   her   twin   brother   daemon.   their   parents   instilled   in   them   the   importance   of   their   bloodline   and   the   supremacy   of   house   targaryen   from   the   very   beginning   of   their   lives.   rhaegar,   although   kind   and   loving,   was   somewhat   of   a   distant   figure   to   her.   he   had   been   more   preoccupied   with   the   realm's   affairs  ——  often   speaking   of   ancient   prophecies   regarding   their   house.   her   mother,   however,   doted   on   lysaera   and   taught   her   the   value   in   wielding   her   beauty   and   wit   like   weapons,   instead   of   relying   on   others   to   save   her   ——   it   was   a   lesson   that   lysaera   took   to   heart.    as   she   grew,   her   beauty   became   as   striking   as   the   dawn,   just   as   her   mother   had   anticipated   ;   silver   hair   and   violet   eyes   marking   her   as   a   true   targaryen.   her   confidence   was   unshakable,   as   well   as   the   undeniable   charm   about   her.   lysaera   had   mastered   the   art   of   seduction   ——   using   it   to   successfully   manipulate   those   around   her   to   get   exactly   what   she   wanted   ;   a   calculating   mind   behind   her   poised   exterior.   she   viewed   relationships,   in   every   aspect,   as   purely   transactional   and   once   they   served   their   purpose   to   her,   they   would   be   discarded   with   ease.    her   twin   brother   shared   her   ambitious   spirit,   and   together   they   navigated   the   all   too   treacherous   waters   of   court   politics.   the   bond   between   them   was   strong   ——   the   two   complementing   one   another   perfectly.   daemon   with   his   undeniable   charms   and   charisma,   and   lysaera's   cunning   and   determination  ;  traits   only   rivaled   by   their   sense   of   entitlement,   formed   from   growing   up   to   believe   that   they   were   made   to   bend   the   seven   kingdoms   to   their   own   wills.   every   whim   catered   to,   their   desires   fulfilled   without   question   or   hesitation. with   the   whispers   of   potential   repeat   of   a   rebellion   growing   louder,   and   the   realm   in   turmoil,   lysaera's   relentlessness   when   it   came   to   upholding   her   family's   legacy   remained   entirely   unwavering.   the   years   of   conflict   had   made   her   fully   aware   of   the   importance   of   their   continued   rule.   she   understood   the   stakes   of   the   game   of   thrones   ——   with   her   sharp   mind   as   well   as   the   strength   of   her   dragons,   she   was   prepared   to   secure   the   dominance   of   house   targaryen   by   any   means   necessary   ——   with   fire   and   blood.

[grailfinders]

Grailfinders #331: Taigong Wang

today on Grailfinders we���re making Jiang Ziya, a.k.a. Jiang Shang, a.k.a. Lu Shang, a.k.a. Master Shangfu, a.k.a. Taikoubou, a.k.a. Taigong Wang. almost as numerous as his aliases are his accomplishments, such as ousting the daji from China, defeating the shang dynasty, and even creating quite a few gods through the power of being a really cool dude.

thankfully his build is slightly less complicated than his biography- he’s a Beast Master Ranger for a shape-shifting mount, and a Drunken Master Monk to blend strategy with a god-slashing whip- and also that cool “step on their head” attack.

check out his build breakdown below the cut, or his character sheet over here!

next up: it’s like someone stuck Artoria and Siegfried in a conceptual blender

Ancestry & Background

Taigong Wang is a Human, giving him +1 Dexterity and Wisdom, as well as proficiency in Acrobatics. you also get a feat of your choice here, but we’ll talk about that after we go over his background.

we’ve done plenty of tacticians before, but most of those guys weren’t running around with secrets from ancient mage societies, so we’re calling Shangfu a Mage of High Sorcery here, in part because of his investiture and secret magics, and in part because we need this background for a later feat. this gives you proficiency in Arcana and History, as well as the Initiate of High Sorcery feat- we’re grabbing the Lunitari version of the feat for Feather Fall and Longstrider- yes you’re a monk and that makes these spells mostly useless, but you don’t start as one, and multiclassing makes your speed and falling a little weaker than a full monk. you also get the True Strike cantrip to be all tactical and gain advantage on your next melee attack, but after six seconds of thinking you’ll realize the real tactical move was just to attack twice.

that being said it’s called the investiture of the gods for a reason, so we need to get a little godly. coming back around to your human feat, you’re also a Scion of the Outer Planes, specifically the good ones. this gives you resistance to radiant damage (making you an even better pick to fight gods), and you can cast Sacred Flame at will. I don’t think fire is part of your kit, but you’re practically a caster anyway, it’s fine.

Ability Scores

your Wisdom needs to be number 1, that’s how you know clever tactics like “don’t fuck up your government” and “don’t hire people who are bad at their job for your army”. I know it’s easy to clown on that now, but somebody had to figure it out the first time, right? second is Intelligence- if we didn’t need monk stuff and a horse you’d probably be a wizard, but you’re still smart regardless. your Dexterity is also pretty high because you don’t wear armor and use a whip. both of those make me question the “genius tactician” thing a bit, but they clearly work for you. this does mean your Constitution isn’t particularly high, but you don’t need HP if you don’t get hit. your Strength is neutral since we just don’t need it for the build, and we’re dumping Charisma. you’re so untrustworthy Fou gets merlin vibes from you. yikes.

Class Levels

1. Ranger 1: sadly, we need ranger levels first and foremost both to get your whip proficiency and so your background makes sense, but on the plus side at least you can have celestials as your Favored Enemy, giving you advantage to track them down and recall information about them. you put a lot of gods in heaven to begin with, it would be awkward if you forgot their names after all that.

you’re also a Deft Explorer, but before I go into that- you’re proficient with Strength and Dexterity saves, as well as Athletics, Perception, and Insight. the reason I bring this up is because the first part of deft explorer makes you Canny in one skill, such as Insight, doubling your proficiency bonus with it.

2. Ranger 2: second level rangers get a fighting style, and obviously we’re grabbing Duelist for a +2 bonus to one-handed attacks. whips are bad, but now it’s better. slightly.

also, you learn Spells that you cast using your wisdom, like Ensnaring Strike for a sick whip trick, forcing the next person you whip to make a strength save or become restrained for up to a minute. while trapped, they also take damage from the whip digging into them! if you’re worried about wasting damage on a long-term spell like that, you can instead use Hunter’s Mark, adding damage to your whip for up to an hour, plus you have advantage to track the target down if they flee. you also get a chance to move the spell over to another target after the current one dies, so it’s pretty economical!

3. Monk 1: okay, we’ve got the basics of whipping down, let’s get the rest of your fighting style. as a monk you gain Unarmored Defense, adding your wisdom score to your AC as long as you’re not wearing armor or a shield. I don’t care how sick the drip is, it’s not armor.

you also learn some Martial Arts, so now your whole body is a deadly weapon. you can use your dexterity instead of strength to attack with monk weapons or your fists, and if you use your action to attack with the aforementioned weapons you can make an unarmed strike as a bonus action. on top of that, your monk weapons and fists also do a minimum of a d4 of damage, and that amount will only go up as you level up. your whip isn’t a monk weapon yet, but give it a second- besides, it doesn’t gain much from martial arts at the moment anyway.

4. Monk 2: now that the second is up, second level monks can make their whip a Dedicated Weapon, so you can call it a monk weapon all you want after an hour of prep work. you also get Unarmored Movement, so you’re faster than everyone, and your Ki makes you even faster by letting you dash as a bonus action by spending some. you can also spend it to attack twice, dodge, or disengage as a bonus action, and your ki pool recharges every short rest.

5. Monk 3: at third level, this game finally becomes a party as you become a Drunken Master- you don’t actually have to be drunk for this, but you do have to act like it. that’s why you have proficiency with Performance and brewer’s supplies so you can pick for yourself.

that being said, beer doesn’t win every fight, so you get actual features too- your Drunken Technique means that every time you use a flurry of blows (the two attacks as a bonus action from last level) you also disengage, and your movement speed increases by 10’ to boot. maneuvering is always a big part of tactics, so anything that makes it easier for you to get where you want to go is just good strategy.

you can also Deflect Missiles now, reducing damage from incoming archers and even throwing the arrow back if you nullify the damage and spend ki.

6. Monk 4: fourth level monks get their first Ability Score Increase, so increase that Dexterity for better dodging and more accurate attacks. you can also Slow Fall now for reduced fall damage, so fighting Nikitich isn’t quite as bad an idea as before.

7. Monk 5: fifth level is huge for monks, if you’re the kind of person to like hitting things. your martial arts improve to deal d6s, you get an Extra Attack each action, and you can turn any attack into a Stunning Strike- force a constitution save on someone, or they get stunned for a round, giving advantage to everyone trying to hit them and keeping them from retaliating. “don’t get hit” is also pretty sage advice. of course, all this still requires you to hit someone- thankfully you can use Focused Aim by spending ki to add to your attack rolls. it’s a huge ki sink, but sometimes defeating an enemy now is more important than saving materials for later. I know, strategy, in the strategist build, wild right?

8. Monk 6: sixth level monks get Ki-Empowered Strikes, so now your unarmed attacks are magical and can overcome resistances to bludgeoning damage. it’s a shame this doesn’t apply to your whip as well, but I feel like any kind of god-chastising whip is more of a quest item than something you should just have. don’t worry though, by the end of this build your whip will be strong enough to chastise a lot of things, even if it isn’t a legendary weapon.

that being said, your Tipsy Sway is a pretty cool consolation prize- you can leap to your feet from prone for just 5’ of movement, and you can spend a ki point to redirect attacks that miss you into hitting another creature. I’m pretty sure that’s more Sun Tzu than Taigong, but the smartest people know when someone else had a good idea.

9. Monk 7: seventh level monks get Evasion, improving the damage reduction from dexterity saves. now you’re practically immune to fireballs, so fighting Nikitich is almost starting to look like a good idea!

you also have a Stillness of the Mind that lets you shut down any effects that are charming or frightening you. you don’t have a choleric temper, so enemies will not be irritating you much. wait, no, that’s still Sun Tzu, sorry.

10. Monk 8: I think we’re about at the point where you hit your third ascension, but before then we’re getting another ASI and making you an Adept of the Red Robes. first, this gives you access to a second level spell that you can cast for free once a day. for this build we’re grabbing Dragon’s Breath for your mount later, but if you want to help Guda and company when you first meet up you could grab Levitate instead. right now you can only cast it via this feat, but you can use second level spell slots to cast it like a normal spell once we get those.

thankfully, that’s not the only thing this feat does. you can also restore magical balance whenever you make an attack or check, turning your roll into a roll of ten, up to proficiency times per day. your strategy might not always work, but at least it will never fail.

11. Ranger 3: I think we’re doing good on the whip, but we’re not quite godly enough yet. heading back to ranger at least lets you hunt them down easier with Primeval Awareness- you can spend a spell slot to detect celestials within a mile of you, as well as various other kinds of extraplanar monsters. that means it should work pretty well against Koyanskaya too- or at least it would if she hadn’t surrounded herself with all other sorts of monsters.

you’re also a Beast Master now, which means you can summon a shape-shifting Primal Companion to pal around with. none of them can technically be ridden, but tbf you don’t look super comfortable on that tapir anyway. you and your companion both move on your turn, but the only way to make your animal do anything but dodge requires you to spend your bonus action telling it what to do. or for you to get knocked out. nobody said good strategies are easy to pull off.

you can spend spell slots to resummon a dead companion, or wait until you finish a long rest to summon one for free.

on top of that, you get another spell- since we’re not getting true flight, I hope grabbing Zephyr Strike will make up for that somewhat. for a minute you get free disengaging, and you can end the spell early to get advantage on a weapon attack and deal extra damage if it hits. on top of that, your walking speed increases by 30’ that round, letting you blast yourself a truly silly amount of distance.

12. Ranger 4: fourth level rangers get another ASI, and it’s finally time for you to become a Righteous Heritor. that increases your Dexterity score by one, and you can protect your allies by spending your reaction to reduce any incoming damage for them, up to proficiency times a day.

I’m not actually expecting anyone playing this build to have to come up with clever strategies all the time; having a couple “whoops we fucked up” buttons that undo damage is just as good.

13. Ranger 5: fifth level would be a dead level for you, but thankfully rangers get second level spells! it’s still not flying, but Gust of Wind can knock people around with air, so it’s the closest we’re getting. (plus if you gust someone off a cliff they’re technically flying… downward… for a short period of time…)

14. Ranger 6: sixth level rangers get another favored enemy, and if Daji isn’t a celestial she’s probably an Aberration. you don’t get any new additions to the feature, but it works on twice as many monsters. what is new this time around is your new Deft Explorer feature, Roving. you get a small boost in movement speed, and you have a climbing and swimming speed now. have you seen Chinese mountains? honestly it would probably be easier to just run straight up them.

15. Monk 9: ninth level monks can run straight up them thanks to your Unarmored Movement Improvement- as long as your turn ends on solid, flat ground, you can run over water or up walls. you might think this makes the last level of ranger useless, but having a climbing speed should make it easier to latch onto the cliff face in-between turns so you don’t just fall all the way back down. clever thinking like that’s why you’re a strategist.

16. Monk 10: tenth level monks have a Purity of Body that makes you immune to disease or poison. as far as I’m aware, Taigong Wang never got sick or poisoned in the Investiture of the Gods, and that book’s 100 chapters long. this is mostly because I never read the thing, but still.

17. Monk 11: eleventh level monks get d8s for their martial arts, but more importantly you have a Drunkard’s Luck- or possibly a drunkard’s strategy. whenever you’d have to make an attack, save, or check at disadvantage, you can spend two ki points to cancel it. this also works on rolls where your advantage and disadvantage cancel each other out, which is extra fun. combine this with your magical balance, and now your plans should never fail.

18. Monk 12: we had to spend so many ASIs on feats that one of our stats is still odd, so this last one will be no different. the Slasher feat will even out your Dexterity, but it also reduces a targets speed when they take slashing damage from your whip, and critical hits force disadvantage on that creatures attack rolls for a turn. crits are luck-based, but luck is just strategy you’re too humble to claim ownership of.

19. Monk 13: our penultimate level gives you a Tongue of the Sun and Moon, letting you speak and understand all languages. if you get a couple hundred gods into heaven, you can skip your duolingo practice, those are the rules.

20. Monk 14: the real reason we stuck with monk for so long, our final level gives you a Diamond Soul, granting you proficiency on all saving throws, and even if you fail one, you can spend a ki point to reroll it. having to maintain concentration on hunter’s mark is the worst part of being a ranger, and now that shackle is lifted. go forth, and slap things with slightly more damage than usual.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

Hunter’s Mark is always a fantastic spell to have on a monk due to how many attacks you get each turn. monks already do decent damage, and when you have your mark up you can put some serious pain on people. being able to almost constantly have the thing active since you’ll never drop concentration is also a nice bonus of the build.

speaking of, you almost never fail at anything. you can give yourself advantage, ignore disadvantage, and even fudge your roll a couple times a day. some call it luck, but if it came from a build you chose to use, that’s strategy. and Taigong Wang is a damn good strategist.

whip monks are also great, it’s a shame the last one we built was like, Cursed Arm. you’re already ridiculously fast, and by using a reach weapon you can attack enemies and bolt without needing to disengage, then run out of their reach so they can’t even attempt to retaliate. it’s not quite flight, but it’s up there in terms of good strategy.

Cons:

you can do a lot, but most of that a lot lands in your bonus action, forcing you to choose between most monk abilities. ranger spells, or actually using your beast. variety tends to be a better build goal than just doing one thing well, but it will mean you have to actually think about what you want to do and when.

we also grab a lot of feats, so your overall stat total is lower than most people’s. it’s not a huge issue, but it does mean you’re squishier than I’d like and your spells aren’t powerful.

Beast Master. just. beast master. literally any other ranger subclass would have been a more useful pick, but we needed a shapeshifting buddy. you can’t even ride on him- at least, not comfortably. your tapir will almost certainly die in one round if you take it into a fight, and even trying to use it in combat blocks you from using a ton of your monk abilities.

[seldomdrawncherubs]

Hello! I'm curious if you would have any insight on the Mage of Time classpect?

UU: oh, a mage! the classpect of knowledge for oneself.

UU: yoU will never need a watch again!

UU: mage powers are impressive, lending well to learning magical arts that result from knowledge. seers also have some of that.

UU: sollUx and rose both Use their knowledge to battle and gain power beyond what their classpect might say.

UU: mages are proficient in langUage! meUlin was flUent in symbolism. sollUx is well versed in ~ath, which relates to doom!

UU: yoU might be capable of deciphering codes or cryptic pasts...perhaps yoU might even learn spells in frog temple languages!

UU: witches gain power through experience, whereas mages learn through research. the powers of a mage of time woUld be Unlocked by observation rather than diving in head on. yoU have intelligence and strategy on yoUr side.

UU: the time player ensures the validity of the timeline. your classpect woUld ensUre yoU the knowledge of yoUr other selves in other timelines. this might create an incredible mental bUrden.

UU: it might also provide a shorter path to the so called "Ultimate self", gaining the power to shift the timeline...you woUld know exactly which bUtterfly might flap its wings and change everything thereafter...

***

uu: SHuT uP, CALLIE

uu: KNOWLEDGE IS THE MAGE'S POWER AND THEIR DOWNFALL. PRINCES AND EVEN WITCHES MOVE THE WORLD. BuT MAGES?

uu: MAGES NEED TO GET OuT AND DO SOMETHING. BuT THEY NEVER ACT. THEY ARE GETTING BuRNT OuT AND LOSING EVERYTHING. OR THEY ARE TOO BuSY PLAYING WITH YARN TO CHOOSE TO SERVE THEIR LORD.

uu: YOuR REDEEMING QuALITY. IS TIME.

uu: KNOWING WHAT MuST BE DONE. MEANS THAT MY SISTER IS NOT WRONG. YOu COuLD MAKE uP FOR IT ALL. BY BECOMING uLTIMATE. OR GOING GOD TIER MORE EASILY.

uu: THAT MAID OF TIME. KNEW HOW TO DO THIS. IT EVEN MADE HER LESS GLOOMY. WHICH IS A BONuS. MY FELLOW TIME PLAYERS. ARE ALWAYS DEPRESSED. IT IS DREADFuL. YOu MIGHT EVEN HAVE THE WORST OF IT. SEEING AS YOu WOuLD KNOW EVERYTHING THAT COuLD POSSIBLY GO WRONG. AND YOu WOuLD ALWAYS KNOW THAT THE TIMELINE WAS DOOMED.

uu: LIKE THE BIRD KNIGHT OF TIME. BuT WORSE. BECAuSE YOu WOuLD NOT BE ABLE TO DO MuCH COMPARED TO HIM. TRAVELING THROuGH TIMELINES. IS NOT ALWAYS EASY. FOR MOST TIME PLAYERS. SuCKS TO SuCK.

uu: IF YOu MOVED FORWARD...YOu MIGHT GO FROM A MERE PAWN OF TIME WHO SIMPLY KNOWS IT TO CONTROLLING THE TIMELINE...

uu: DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONALLY. BuT I WILL KILL YOu. THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE OF uS IN CHARGE.

[tallships-and-starlights]

Basics from the clan that most of my OC's hail from that most of you know nothing about

The Ju'dha-Vak'ra, or Vak'ra for short, are a unique Yautja clan deeply connected to the sea, embodying the spirit of Earth Mediterranean cultures in their family and community structures. Despite their fearsome reputation as hunters, the Vak'ra are known for their jovial and friendly demeanor, fostering strong bonds within their clan and with neighboring communities.

Clan Name and Meaning: Ju'dha-Vak'ra, meaning "water weavers," signifies their mastery of the sea and the intricate weaving of their lives with its rhythms.

Settlement Design:

The Vak'ra settlement is carved into a sheer cliffside overlooking the sea. Homes are constructed halfway between the sea level and the cliff's top, ensuring safety even during storms.

Interconnected by bridges and ladders, the homes form a tight-knit community where families thrive.

Below the cliff, a sandy beach provides a natural harbor for the clan's boats. Docks line the shore, bustling with activity as fishermen prepare for their journeys.

At the summit of the cliff, guild artisan buildings stand proudly, each dedicated to a specific craft such as boat building, weaving, and other traditional arts.

Beyond the settlement, farmer's fields sprawl out, where livestock graze and crops are cultivated. This sustains the clan's agricultural needs and reinforces their self-sufficiency.

The surrounding forests act as a protective barrier, shielding the clan from outside threats and providing a hunting ground for game.

Family and Community Structure:

The Vak'ra emphasize strong family ties and communal bonds. Extended families often reside together in the same home, fostering a sense of unity and support.

Clan gatherings and celebrations are frequent, with feasts and festivals celebrating the sea's bounty and the clan's achievements.

Elders hold revered positions within the clan, serving as guides and advisors, passing down traditions and wisdom to younger generations.

Each member of the clan contributes to its prosperity, whether through fishing, boat building, weaving, or other crafts. Cooperation and collaboration are fundamental values.

Cultural Practices:

Rituals honoring the sea and its creatures are central to Vak'ra culture. Offerings are made to appease sea spirits and ensure bountiful catches.

Traditional dances and music are passed down through generations, reflecting the rhythm of the waves and the spirit of the sea.

The Vak'ra hold a deep respect for nature, viewing themselves as stewards of the land and sea. Sustainable practices are employed in fishing, farming, and resource management.

Hospitality is a cornerstone of Vak'ra culture, with travelers welcomed warmly into their homes and feasted upon with generosity.

Relations with Other Clans:

Despite their amiable nature, the Vak'ra are fiercely protective of their territory and resources. They maintain diplomatic relations with neighboring clans but are prepared to defend their homeland if necessary.

Trade and alliances are forged with coastal and maritime clans, exchanging goods and knowledge to mutual benefit.

The Vak'ra's reputation as skilled fishermen and artisans earns them respect among other Yautja clans, enhancing their standing within the broader community.

Education and Training:

Young Vak'ra children begin their schooling at a young age, where they are taught the history of the clan, including its traditions, legends, and the pantheon of gods and deities they worship.

As they progress through their education, they are trained in essential skills such as combat, hunting (both on land and at sea), and weaving. These skills are crucial for survival and play integral roles in Vak'ra society.

Graduation from schooling requires mastery of these skills. Students must demonstrate proficiency in combat techniques, hunting strategies, and weaving techniques before they can proceed to the next stage of their lives.

Chiva - Rite of Passage:

Upon graduation, students are formed into groups of three, each member possessing a different set of skills learned during their schooling.

These groups are tasked with a significant challenge: to build a boat, weave a sail, and craft necessary weapons for their Chiva, or rite of passage.

The group isolates themselves on the beach, living in their own homes for a period of six to seven moon cycles (roughly six to seven months). During this time, they dedicate themselves entirely to their work, honing their skills and preparing for the ultimate test.

Once the boat is completed and the necessary equipment is crafted, the group sets sail to hunt a large sea serpent, believed to be the progeny of the sea god's mount.

Successfully defeating the sea serpent is a symbol of maturity and prowess. The entire serpent's body is brought back to the clan, where it is utilized in various ways, including consumption of its flesh and crafting of clothing, weapons, and trophies.

The group that felled the beast is now considered adults within the clan, earning them the right to participate in mating season and to build their own homes within the cliffside settlement.

Career Paths:

As adults, Vak'ra clan members have the freedom to choose their career paths, based on their skills, interests, and the needs of the clan.

Career options include weaving, boat building, smithing, farming, soldiering, fishing, or dedicating oneself to the role of healer, which involves serving in the clan's temple and providing spiritual and physical aid to fellow clan members.

God of the Sea:

The god of the sea is depicted as a powerful figure, with large tusked lower mandibles and a scaled cape, wielding a massive bone spear.

He rides atop a massive serpent, using it to traverse the depths of the sea and reach the horizon to meet his lover, the goddess of the moon.

The tale of the sea god's love for the moon goddess begins with his declaration of love. Despite his swimming prowess, he cannot reach the horizon to meet her.

The moon goddess sends down a serpent from the heavens, tasking the sea god with taming it to ride to the horizon. After days of relentless effort, he successfully tames the beast using a net woven from ocean plants.

Riding the serpent, the sea god reaches the horizon and weds the moon goddess, uniting the realms of sea and sky.

Goddess of the Moon:

The goddess of the moon is portrayed as ethereal, with a large crest adorned with a white mark symbolizing the cradle of the moon.

She calls to the sea god, inviting him to meet her on the horizon for their wedding. When he struggles to reach her, she sends him the serpent as a means of transportation.

The moon goddess's union with the sea god results in the birth of twin boys, who became the twin suns that illuminate the earth.

However, the playful nature of the sun's leads to them scalding the sea, revealing the land beneath. To console her husband, the moon goddess molds clouds into various animals, which she casts into the sea to amuse him.

Despite her efforts, the sea god grows lonely over time. In his loneliness, he swims to the edge of the sea and creates a daughter from the clay formed by the waves battering the rocky coast.

The daughter of the land becomes the steward of the earth, shaping its landscapes and populating it with flora and fauna. Her creation of life brings balance to the world and sustains both sea and land.

These myths, passed down through generations, serve to explain the origins of the natural world and reinforce the interconnectedness of the sea, the land, and the celestial realms in the eyes of the Vak'ra people.

God of the Sea: [God of the hunt and weaving]

Name: Thal'rok, meaning "Master of the Depths"

Goddess of the Moon: [Goddess of light, creation, fertility]

Sel'thara - Combining "Sel," referencing the moon, with "Thara," representing divinity

Twin Suns: [Gods of light, fire and mischief]

Names: Ra'kar and Ra'thar, signifying "Sunrise" and "Sunset" respectively

Daughter of the Land: [Goddess of art, fertility, earth and the hunt]

Drakara - Combining "Draka," meaning earth, with a suffix denoting femininity

If you actually read this whole thing than you are the coolest person ever thank you so much. Please feel free to ask me questions. I will be posting more art about this soon. Been drawing everything traditionally so...

[un-monde-sans-regles]

Greek Gods Theory - The Fall of the House of Usher

My original post on Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/HouseofUsher/s/8blbeQU9Xz

Upon rewatching it, I realised strong parallels between the family members, visual choices, and plot points connected to Olympian Gods (like Prospero's Pegasus shirt, or Camille's greek patterned dress in one scene). I believe each character may represent a Greek Deity:

Fortunato: the company's name is a reference to Fortuna, Goddess of Luck.

Roderick: Zeus, famous for his many affairs and children, king of the Gods and Lord of Skies. Dethroned his tyrannical father Chronos to become king with his family.

Anabelle: combination of Hestia/Hera, goddesses connected to matrimony and household. Hera was Zeus's wife, whereas Hestia tended to the Olympian Fire (ginger Anabelle). Furthermore, Juno is Hera's Roman counterpart, and Juno Usher was failing that role miserably.

Madeline: Athena, Goddess of Warfare, Wisdom and Strategy, being a counselor mostly. Her obsession with artificial intelligence may also connect to Athena's mechanical owl in some versions. Much like Athena, she neither had kids nor a big interest in matrimony.

Prospero: Dionysius, God of Wine, Festivity and Madness. Roderick calls his son mad in one occasion, he's an animal party, and his biggest symbols are a mask (Dionysius's symbol) and red clothing, perhaps alluding to wine.

Camille: Hermes, Messenger of Gods, Merchant and Orators. She's a PR for the family, has silver hair (Mercury is the god's Roman counterpart), and is also seen in one scene sporting two vertical snakes on her dress, Hermes's symbol. Additionally, her cellphone is left on her tombstone (Messenger of Gods).

Victorine: Apollo, God of Sun, Arts, Music and Healing. It's said Apollo's arrows could inflict either Healing or Disease, much like her practice. Victorine's hearing is affected (music), she's mostly in orange or surrounded by it, and kills her girlfriend fearing betrayal (Apollo did the same to his lover Coronis).

Napoleon: Ares, God of War. He's seen constantly playing games (perhaps his warring desire), he's short tempered, loses his battle against the black cat in a fit of rage while wielding a weapon (hammer). Besides his name as a clue, he's got a ram/goat tattoo on his neck, rams being the Zodiac Sign Aries's animal (regent planet Mars = Ares). Whenever battles were lost, roosters were sacrificed to Ares, and during his final moments, Napoleon's scenes carried a yellow hue maybe representing the dawn.

Frederick: Hephaestus, God of Metallurgy. Freddie is in charge of destroying old factories, is constantly mocked by his siblings (much like Hephaestus), and is killed by machinery. The clearest connection is his wife: Hephaestus was married to Aphrodite, who had been caught in the act during one of her affairs with an invisible net made by him, trapping Aphrodite and her lover (his brother), after which Hephaestus invited everyone to see it.

Morelle: Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty. As mentioned before, she was caught cheating much like Aphrodite, and was called "a goddess" married to someone inferior in Prospero's words. Additionally, her name means Nightshade in French, also called Belladonna (the paralising poison's component), which is a flower symbolic of silence and betrayal.

Tamerlane: Hebe, Goddess of Youth, Prime of Life, and Cupbearer of the Gods. Her company alone is strongly tied to this goddess's domains. Additionally, she's married to a fitness celebrity, while Hebe was Heracles's wife. Her final moments are covered in a green light, ivy being Hebe's symbol.

Arthur: Hades/Thanatos, both gods related to the dead. Arthur's called the family's reaper, is seen walking on a floor covered in bodies (much like Styx River), and is also a proficient killer. Hades was also seen as the god of riches.

Lenore: Harmonia, Goddess of Harmony and Concord, Aphrodite's daughter in most accounts.

Verna: I gave her a lot of thought , considering Nemesis (Retribution), Themis (Justice), the Moirai (Three Goddesses of Fate in one), even Persephone (Goddess of the dead) and Nyx (Night). None fits perfectly. Knowing Morrigan's mythology (and Flanagan's Irish background), I believe she's truly Morrigan, as others have theorised, coming to mess with those greek gods.

[fyeahcompetentwomen]

Xena vs. Siuan Sanche

Remember: don't vote on "who would win in a fight", but on "who, when given a task that fits her skillset and talents, would do that task better: more comprehensively, faster, with more pizzazz, with less collateral, etc."

Endorsements! "What is she good at?"

Xena, Xena Warrior Princess: She has many skills. Fighting, healing (she invented cpr and field medicine and triage, etc), tracking, she has various spiritual powers, she can beat up literal gods, she gave birth to the messiah (which isn't precisely something she was competent at but it's worth mentioning), she's the queen of strategy and also she can embroider.

Siuan Sanche, The Wheel of Time: Head of all Aes Sedai (female magic users in that story), skilled politician and tactician, proficient magic user, excellent at keeping Moiraine happy and her relationship to Moiraine a secret from everyone else. Daughter of the river, clever as a pike, strong as the tides.

[eyestumblin]

I'm 34 and going through an experience lately that is really making a part of "old people dinosaur brain" click into place for me.

I've been playing the mmo GuildWars2 for ten years and I've spent much of that time striving to Get Good. I didn't have any experience with competitive gaming, and it's taken an embarrassment of hours to develop the knowledge and skills needed to reach competency similar to, though not as impressive as my early role models. There's still a high ceiling I haven't hit, but feeling strong in any moment is wonderful. There's a feeling of safety and satisfaction knowing my time and effort has been transmuted into control, comfort, and clout. I have Grown. I have Progressed. Line goes up.

The problem is it took me so long to get here, the game that existed around those things I admired has changed so much, my ideas of what's cool are no longer even really viable in terms of what's "good". All the knowledge I had of the old metagames and the 'best' strategies is firmly locked in my memory, but I return to old content and it wouldn't even make sense to do things that way anymore. I observed, practiced, memorized and became proficient with tools that now only really have value as historical preservation (Grandpa, tell me the story of los in dungeons and wvw meteornado?). This is followed by the second blow, which is to be "good" again means frequently needing to start from scratch, or at least from that awkward baby-deer-learning-to-walk, child-learning-to-hold-a-pencil stage with different tools. Years of time and thousands of hours no longer feel as disposable once you've burned through a few cycles. It gets tiring starting over. You miss being Good. I am beginning to understand the people who reject everything but their tiny version of the world, because to connect with reality would be to realize they've already slipped off the globe.

I've been given this preview of what the rest of my life will increasingly become. Acknowledging that things I've valued and carried for years can no longer accomplish what they were meant to and I have to set them down. Having empty hands for a while as I try to figure out what works now, and how to use it. I feel like people don't often talk openly, at least sympathetically, about a person's mental library of knowledge, physical coordination, even social grace falling from standard to outdated to obsolete. There are skills that have remained valuable for most of human history and cover a lifetime. Unconditional love. How to bake bread. But as technology and global communication increase the rate of societal change, shifts that would have taken decades now cycle within years. Condescending jokes about our parents and grandparents not keeping up are standard. But once we get there, how fast is everything going to be moving? How long will the gap be between cycles so we can catch up? And how much energy will we have to keep starting over? We must adapt to survive and I realize now how important it is to become able to adapt. This is my new skill to hone, but my god, what an ask! "Isn't this way too much to be extrapolating from your specific video game experience?" my mental critic asks. And I respond, "I have ADD. I abstract and combine things. I don't know. I'm valid! Get off my lawn!"

[ryuzakemo128]

Call Of Duty Headcanons Part 2

Content Warning: Dark themes. Mature Themes. Trauma. Violence.

Potential triggers: Violence, themes of war, trauma, and implied child neglect/abuse (due to the mention of a turbulent household).

If any of those things bother you. I suggest you click off this as soon as possible. Only you, and you alone, are responsible for the intake of media, with that being said. I hope you enjoy.

Summary: Headcanons on Oksana's Appearance.

Masterlist / dividers / Credit (Dividers)

[Part One] [Part Two] [Part 3]

Things both twins have in common

(One) Both twins are the height of six feet and six inches tall, towering over most men and women like giants.

(Two) They both have the same striking eye colour, Icy Blue with a dark charcoal lining the edges of the iris.

(Three) Both sisters are incredibly fit and athletic, with lean muscle mass and defined features. Their years of rigorous training have sculpted their bodies into peak physical condition.

(Four) They share striking Slavic features, with high cheekbones, strong jawlines, and full lips. Their fair skin often carries a slight rosy tint, even in colder climates.

(Five) Their hair is naturally the darkest shade of black, often described as raven-black. Thick, lustrous and curly, cascading past their shoulders in a mass of curls which make a contrast in tone against their pale complexion. Often kept in tight braids or buns during missions for practicality. When they are down, they frame their faces dramatically, adding an air of mystery and allure.

(Six) Oksana's eyes often hold a colder, more calculated glint, like a feral feline trapped in a perpetual corner due to trauma and years of survival. Her features, while undeniably beautiful, carry a hint of hardness, a subtle tension around her mouth and eyes that speaks of a life lived on the edge. In contrast, Katya's eyes hold a warmth and compassion, a softness that draws people in. Her smile is genuine and infectious, and her features exude a natural grace and elegance.

(Seven) Both twins are ambidextrous, able to use both hands with equal proficiency.

Oksana's Physical Appearance Headcanons

These headcanons are going to outline parts that make her look different from her twin, Katya. I will have Katya's version in part three.

(One) Unlike her twin, she has scars on her back from her father and later on, their stepfather from being whipped. It would have been her younger sister, had she not stepped in time and time again to take the blame for the things she supposedly had done wrong, in accordance with either one of them. She didn’t trust either one of them. Ever. She never spoke about how much it hurt whenever it happened. As she didn’t want to give either one of them the satisfaction of seeing her break for either one of them.

(Two) Scars on her left leg from having her shin mauled by a dog when she was seven years old. Giving her an intense phobia of dogs afterwards. Something she never quite got over, even with therapy. Pictures of dogs and the word dog doesn’t scare her as much as it once did before. They do unsettle her to various degrees depending on her mood.

(Three) Each tattoo on her left arm has a special significance to her. Cthulhu, the cosmic entity, represents the unknown and the mysteries of the universe, symbolising her fascination with the enigmatic and unexplored.

Nyarlathotep, the crawling chaos, represents her ability to adapt and manoeuvre through unpredictable situations with ease.

Azathoth, the blind idiot god, represents the chaos and unpredictability of war and serves as a reminder of the ever-changing nature of combat.

Ammutseba, Devourer of Stars, represents her understanding of the destructive power of war and the need to face the consequences of her actions.

Xirdneth, Maker of Illusions, Lord of Unreality, represents her ability to deceive and outsmart her enemies through cunning tactics and strategies

(Four) On her right arm she has more lovecraftian cosmic horror entities tattooed into her skin.

Yog-Sothoth, the Gate of All Ways. Representing her ability to navigate through different environments and adapt to any situation. This tattoo symbolizes her versatility and resourcefulness as a soldier.

Shub-Niggurath, the Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young. Symbolising her protective instincts and her fierce loyalty to her team. This tattoo represents her nurturing side, which is often hidden beneath her tough exterior.

(Five) She has a tattoo of an octopus on her lower back, symbolising her ability to handle multiple situations at once and her adeptness at adapting to new environments. It’s something she’s had since before her military career and is a part of her that she’s always been proud of.

(Six) Prefers to wear black turtlenecks through winter, summer, autumn and spring. The entire year because she would prefer the safety of covering up the scars on her body than to deal with people's prying questions. Her outfits are mostly utilitarian and comfortable. She has a penchant for combat boots and cargo pants.

[aroaceleovaldez]

Zeus kid powers?

Control of weather, electricity, wind, clouds, thunder, and minor hydrokinesis, photokinesis, and pyrokinesis (control of water, light, and fire respectively)

Also control of oak and white poplar, possibly

Ability to detect lies/dishonesty (and inability to tell lies) and possibly being able to force people to tell the truth

Ability to communicate with eagles/cuckoos/general birds, bulls, goats, wolves, and snakes

Conversely, ability to ward off flies

Also, ability to avert evil / ill will / misfortune

A booming voice, or otherwise vocal projection

Flight

Prowess for law, leadership, and battle strategy, alongside an innate fighting knowledge and proficiency with weapons

A natural aura of authority

Shapeshifting

Something akin to charmspeak? Or similar to what Thalia does in the books, a natural proficiency with controlling the Mist?

Minor empathy, or otherwise being very in-tune with the emotions and feelings of others

Ability to cleanse/purify things. Interpret as you will (Purifying water? Healing? Maybe just a really organized Zeus kid? Or maybe they literally have antibacterial powers)

Enhanced strength, particularly during storms, and enhanced regeneration/healing

Specific control over electrical impulses and more minute electrical signals (Charging things, possibly even sending data or even messing with the electrical signals inside a living being)

Electroreception (ability to sense electrical impulses) and magnetoreception (ability to sense the earth’s magnetic field). Similarly, ability to sense things on the wind.

Good navigational senses (Either through the above bullet point or through other means, such as tracking constellations)

These are mostly based on more of the aspects of Zeus we’re presented with specifically in the series - you could absolutely get more into things if you want to dive into specific epithets and different versions of Zeus over time, such as chthonic Zeus, or Zeus as a god of the harvest, or Zeus as a sun god - the list goes on. That’s not even going into Zeus’ conflation with other deities over time or localized forms of Zeus!

[paeliae-occasionally]

OC Fighting Tier List!

Thanks @somethingclevermahogony for the tag.

So the formatting came out weird on the site so I am just going to type it. Also I am ranking relative to their peers so gods and mortals are ranked against their own kind.

S- Azel (storm god) He is one of the most powerful Dieral gods.

Marsh- self explanatory

Xaeren- the most powerful and inventive runic caster to ever live.

A- Moiare (Knowledge goddess) she knows how to fight.

Daimion - like marsh but his reluctance can slow him down.

Apollo - He is a proficient runic caster.

Schaeres (goddess of unnatural deaths) - The number of people who would try to fight against unnatural death. (Only one succeeds)

B - All of the capable, but peaceful gods. Ezemhaziel (god of refined magic) we are going at the start of his Arc.

Tulaim (fire god) was raised mortal so not as egotistical as other gods.

Olsaan (God of true death) He has no reason to fight. You cannot fight death, he will outlast you.

Paeliae- He is not generally a fighter but could hold his own with magic and strategy if he needed to.

Tyro- They are just starting to control their abilities so dangerous but not all to precise.

C- Rhosemne (goddess of memory) She doesn’t get out much. The mind realms are not quite physical.

Kell- She has never been trained and has never needed to fight. She is also quite thin and weak from years of poor nutrition.

Zahra- She has never needed to, but is thinking about learning now.

D- Rin, our boy knows some magic but he couldn’t use it when it mattered.

Ander- He is a privileged Emresian who barely knows what a storm is, let alone a fight.

Ko- He is so sweet and lovely and would never try to hurt you. His spirit is overprotective for this reason.

Daira- Again would not try to hurt you even if you attacked first. Her spirit on the other hand…

This was lots of fun, link here to the site.

Tagging @the-golden-comet, @drchenquill, @willtheweaver, @saturnine-saturneight, @theink-stainedfolk

@ominous-feychild and @tildeathiwillwrite

[symunuk]

for the companion asks: general 7, 10, 11 and the free space!

7. Do they have their own personal quest that spans the course of the game? Can it take different branching paths depending on the choices the Player Character makes?

Since his story got worked up from a Tav perspective his story's a lot less about big villains or having something in your chest ready to pop - his quest circles more themes of family trauma, giving a shit about other people when it doesn't directly impact him, oh, and Tymora favouring him enough to give him a critical nudge towards the end that stops him falling to his death. From my interpretation of her, she's the type to favour those who push on despite the odds - so the PC making those kinds of decisions would favour that sort of thing I suppose?

Also: whether you take the Underdark or Mountain Pass route into the Shadowlands would change something pretty significant for Symon :') See No10.

10. Are there any unique NPCs associated with your Tav that can show up during the course of the game?

Oh god, is there. If he wasn't a PC then the minimum would be: Ikkath (younger brother, part of the Drider's escorting party, dies if you don't meet them before the Harpers are involved) and Hogarth (youngest brother, can be persuaded (checks) to assist in the Moonrise prisons if Symon is in your party or your PC recognises the tattoo on his face as matching Symon's). Perhaps Durz too (true soul, can be brought under the protection of the artefact as long as Symon & Hogarth are alive in Act 3). Getting Durz and Hogarth onside means they'll go off with the Harpers in Act 3 and turn up for the final battle with the rest of the family as a summon.

11. Are there any moments in the game that trigger unique dialogue for your character? (Like Gale’s anecdote about the barfight after you save the goblin prisoner)

I think he'd have something to say if he was present for the first chat with Alfira (and he wouldn't be kind about Alfira or the PC - unless the PC already had performance proficiency). Something along the lines of:

"That was very sweet. It reminds me of when I was first learning the lute - the worgs were the only ones would could tolerate that too."

Free space! Share anything from your companion!Tav au!

He's actually significantly nicer as a PC - when he's shunted into a leadership position he's much more inclined to try and keep the peace for the sake of his own neck. He gets along best with Shadowheart and Astarion, and then Karlach once she's found. And to flesh out the Tymora thing: this came entirely from me picking the Lucky feat early on and then just barely scraping through a lot of difficult fights because of one critical decision that completely turned the fight around. Usually stuff that had a low odd of success but NEEDED to work, or a character crit'ing at a key moment, or suddenly realising information that let me change strategy ("Hey, the werewolves are humanoids... hmm--") (End of Game spoilers below)

So that was in my head when we got to that series of rolls in Act 3 and used all the Lucky + Inspiration rolls on the first 3... and then passed the DC99 without any save scumming. And that's the only reason we were able to kill the brain fast enough to stop him from falling to his death (it was on ~9 health and I only had one attack left before the floor under him broke). So safe to say Tymora had been looking out for him the whole time.

[fllagellant]

11, 20, 27, 29 for giilvas (and the other two if you feel up to answering for more!) :)

🕺 OHHHHH BUT OF COURSE

this is gonna be long bc i’ ll answer for my three boys …. Grins . Find the questions here !

11) what are their best skills? arcana, history, sleight-of-hand?

Cracked open the game to gather the Stats ..

Giilvas has proficiency in Stealth , Nature , Animal Handling , Perception , Survival , Intimidation and Persuasion , with Intimidation and Persuasion as his highest .

Zerxes has proficiency in Arcana , History , Investigation , Nature , Religion , Medicine and Persuasion , with Arcana and Medicine being his highest

Seoras has proficiency in Athletics , Investigation , Nature , Insight and Survival , with Insight and Survival being his highest

20) does your tav have a best friend in the party? what's their dynamic like?

Giilvas would probably point to either Lae’zel or Karlach .

Lae’zel and him balance each other in very welcomed ways , both being rather headstrong yet in different ways . Giilvas appreciates Lae’zel and her willingness ( and skill ) to intimidate potential threats , and her support of when they do have to fight a battle that they may or may not have been able to avoid . Giilvas is her limiter , in this case , as well . Being the voice of situational pacifism , helping them progress in places that require bits of deception . Giilvas gets them in , Lae’zel gets them out . They both respect each other as warriors , and know that they both want the best for the other , even if the methods and words may differ from what they’ d expect .

Lae’zel also cannot play an instrument to save her life , so Giilvas having the skill to do so ( and to prance and sing as he does it ?! ) is something she admires , even if she does roll her eyes at him preforming for spare coin . Giilvas , similarly , sucks at strategy . His plan starts at “ get to place “ and ends there . How to get out ? What threats there may be ? Any potential complications ? Not his forte . He’ ll just hope for easy . Lae’zel doesn’ t . She knows what to prepare for , and how .

With Karlach , it was kinda bff love at first sight . Giilvas has experienced hunting for someone , only to learn it was a misunderstanding , so he didn’ t think twice about accepting Karlach with open arms and helping her instead of harming her . Both of them being the party’ s walls is another thing they connected on . Knowing they wanted to protect everyone , knowing they have the power to do so . ( With her calling herself Mama K , I can’ t help but picture her trying to give Giilvas a similar nickname . Mid-fight is when she tries them out on him , always ) Opening up later about her looming death , and Giilvas having something similar looming above him at all times , they kept finding things to connect on . They do sleep side by side on occasion , bedrolls close enough for one to reach for the other . Karlach gets nightmares , and Giilvas can easily scare himself out of meditation .

Karlach brings a bit of glee Giilvas almost lost , him realizing he became a bit of a nihilist at some point . Karlach holds out on hope , even when it seems near impossible . Giilvas is a bit of curiosity that Karlach is a bit too suspicious to act on , at times . He’ ll do the stupid thing first , and she can be sure that she can do it too , as long as he’ s in one piece after .

Zerxes would probably only say Shadowheart .

Both of them being Clerics , they have that bond near instantaneous . Their respective gods , at the beginning , harbour no love for each other . But they do not hate each other . They know that , if they started talking semantics and the ways their gods tell them to go about things, they would end up in an argument . But Zerxes follows Kelemvor for reasons outside of just agreeing with the principles that his god demands , and he’ s open to listen to Shadowheart’s reasons for following and worshipping Lady Shar . They make snide remarks to each other at times , mostly just to try and get a rise out of the other , but they’ ll protect each other from harm .

The Shadowlands do end up testing each other , seeing that they cannot fully escape their gods wills here , but they still sit together at camp . Even if they may have fought that day , they’ ll sit and say their apologies , they’ ll eat side by side to prove trust .

Later , when they both have all their cards out on the table , and they’ ve both come to terms with everything that they do and don’ t stand for , they take some time together . Drinking wine and discussing what they see in their futures . They both hope for the best things to come for both of them . And Zerxes makes a habit to hunt for night orchids .

Seoras’ top three are Wyll , Jaheira and Minsc

Wyll and him get along quick . He knows Wyll - he knows of the stories , and he knows that his family farm was aided by the Blade a few years back , but he never met the man- and he knows he can trust him . Learning of his Pact and the type of person Mizora is doesn’ t scare Seoras , he knows what people are forced to sacrifice to do good , and Mizora is just someone who took advantage of someone who wanted to do good . He just knows there has to be a way to beat her , and that Wyll won’ t suffer her forever .

They bond over swapping stories , Seoras shares things that happened at the farm or while he was selling in Baldur’s Gate , and Wyll tells stories of what sorts of heroics he would get up to before , and what sorts of things he wants to do in the future . They talk about places they want to go , things tjey want to try , and how they hope to return home soon . Finding Wyll’ s father is a top priority for Seoras , even with the suspicion that their bond may be rather strained .

Wyll promises to properly visit Seoras’ family farm , once everything is over

Jaheria and Minsc are people Seoras’ heard about growing up , folk tales and the type of people to aspire to be . Meeting them , and learning that they really are just people like himself and that they have their own flaws and lives outside of the stories he was told , made everything he had heard about them feel more real . He was nervous around them , at first , especially meeting Jaheria in the Shadowlands , but he settled down rather quickly .

Jaheria and Minsc are strange relatives , to him . Distant aunt and uncle that can tell some of the most hard to follow , but heartwarming life stories . They know the city well , having protected it before , and Seoras knows he can rely on them to help end this strange , strange situation he was pulled into .

27) how does your tav react to wyll's pact and patron? if they're a warlock, was there anything specific?

Giilvas is going to Kill Mizora . He knows the kind of conditions that make people take pacts , and he knows the sort of conditions those pacts demands . Having her show up , with Wyll hinting at a sort of punishment waiting for him when they return to camp , he makes it known that she isn’ t welcomed here . He does all but physically force her out , knowing that whatever he might do to her would end up being something that Wyll would be punished for later .

He doesn’ t harbour any ill will or feelings towards Wyll , pacts and bargains are things people keep hidden for reason that may be out of their control . He let’ s Wyll know he isn’ t upset , and that he’ s more prepared for her to show her face around their camp . He just wants to keep everyone safe , and wants to make sure Wyll feels safe here .

Zerxes feels like he’ s experiencing Deja Vu . He knows that Wyll’ s eye is a sending stone , and now he knows the face behind it . He and Wyll got off on a rocky start , Zerxes recruited Karlach first , and having Wyll show up that night with an intent to kill … it leaves a certain type of first impression .

However , seeing Mizora and seeing what she does to Wyll , he’ s reminded of his sister . Her taking a pact , hoping to better her life and to make things easier for the two of them . He sees her crying , once the terms of her pact reared their ugly head . He feels the exchange he and his sister had to undergo , the burn of his own skin .

He’ s enraged . Mizora shouldn’ t be here . And he wants to grab Wyll and shake him . Ask him why . Tell him he was a fool, that he should have ran from her . Instead , he sits with Wyll that night , and gives him some horn balm from his bag . Just like he did with his sister .

Like I mentioned briefly before , Seoras isn’ t frightened by her . He doesn’ t feel betrayed by Wyll , and he doesn’ t harbour anything over it . He treats Mizora … fine . He doesn’ t want to say or do anything that would keep her around longer than she should be . He doesn’ t yell , doesn’ t threaten . He just pushes her towards doing what she’ s planning to do , and hope she leaves fast .

He doesn’ t like her , at all . But he knows better than to try and test his own luck at that time .

He doesn’ t push Wyll for whys and hows , doesn’ t try to have him open up to him about anything ( he knows that Wyll probably can’ t , but he doesn’ t want him to feel forced to explain that to him ) , all he tells Wyll is that they’ ll get him out of the pact , and that he should try to get some rest .

29) after baldur's gate is saved, what will your tav do?

Giilvas’ very good three step plan is 1) Go to Avernus 2) Get married 3) Get revenge

Step one is simple . Go to Avernus with Wyll and Karlach . Raise hell IN hell , find a fix for Karlach’ s heart , beat Mizora once and for all ( and ransack her hell Barbie dream house she probably lives in ) , and maybe harness some cursed infernal knowledge while down there . This is going to take some time . A handful of years , kind of time . Giilvas doesn’ t care . He’ s committed .

Step two is the most difficult step . He and Wyll already wear wedding bands , and he keeps the proposal acorn in a pouch on his hip at all times , and in spirit they’ re an old married couple . But how does one get married ? How long do they have to plan ? What should Giilvas wear ? What traditions should they do ? Can they get everyone together for it ? Should they hold it in Baldur’s Gate or is that a bad idea ? Who do they even ask to properly wed them ? There’ s a lot of questions and a lot of answers and a lot of uncertainties . But Giilvas and Wyll are going to do it .

Get Revenge , the final step is rather self explanatory . Giilvas lost all his family and most of his clan to something that is still alive . And living . In the forest . It’ s hard to let go , when you see the children of the people that ran you out of home in Baldur’s Gate , knowing you cannot do anything yet . But , give it a few years down the line , and Giilvas will return to that forest with enough courage , enough sheer will and power , and one just as powerful husband , to settle a score .

Then , once these steps are completed … either they retire or they find some new lead to chase . Whatever comes their way first .

Zerxes’ and Seoras’ still have their posts games up in the air . Zerxes will probably return to his previous job , offering final rites and burying the undead . But he may end up staying with Gale and might end up aiding his lessons . There’ s also the matter of his sister , knowing she’ s out there . There’ s a few things in his future he has to sort out . Seoras wants to return to his family farm , but he knows it’ s likely gone after everything . He can see himself travelling with Halsin , maybe he’ ll settle into life as a proper druid . Who knows yet