#just don't lose the motivation to do it

[modelsof-color]

The universe required me to send it your way: I hope you finally do the shit you were afraid to do. Do what you’ve always wanted to

[chalkrub]

mockley time it's mockley time will you have some mockleys of mine

[disposal-blueeee]

[hephaestuscrew]

The most dramatic action that Minkowski takes towards Eiffel in the finale (sending him back in the Sol) is going against Eiffel's choices in an attempt to prevent him coming to harm. In contrast, the most dramatic action that Hera takes towards Eiffel in the finale (the memory-wipe) is causing him to come to harm in order to enact a choice that he's made.

In a sense, these actions are conceptual opposites. But they are both taken with love and respect for Eiffel. They are both extremely selfless actions which Minkowski and Hera find painful to take.

They are also both actions which could be considered to be harming Eiffel. Both of these actions involve doing something to Eiffel that Minkowski/Hera would hate to have done to them. And both of those actions are taken with the awareness that they are fairly likely to result in losing Eiffel in a sense (either because he's headed back to Earth while Minkowski is on the Hephaestus, or because he's losing part of what makes him him). That's part of what makes those acts painful and complicated and significant.

Minkowski and Hera both care about Eiffel so deeply, and their care often expresses itself in contrasting ways because they are very different people. The finale emphasises these different manifestations of their care. Love can be 'I will do whatever I can to keep you safe, even when that's not what you want'. Love can also be 'I will support the choices that you make to bring about our common goal, even when that causes you harm'. The way Minkowski's care for Eiffel manifests is tied up in her sense of responsibility for her crew's safety. The way Hera's care for Eiffel manifests is linked to how she's had to fight for her own autonomy.

Neither of their actions in the finale are perfect or typical expressions of love, but in their very different ways, they both act with love, and that's important to me.

[paimonial-rage]

alhaitham analysis

When you first meet Alhaitham, he comes across as someone that has a negative EQ. He's curt, rude, and critical. And yet the truth is surprising? Like looking at his character quest and how he basically emotionally manipulated the whole hive into revolting, this man is very emotionally intelligent. You can honestly see it in a lot of his lines too. When he speaks about people, yes, he may sound like he's simplifying or trivializing things too much, but he's not wrong. He understands people. He knows how they work. It's just that he views emotional labor as too much of a hassle majority of the time.

Spoilers below the cut

You can gather a lot about Alhaitham through Kaveh's character stories. Like while it may not seem like it, Alhaitham is genuinely trying to help Kaveh. He points out to Kaveh that the source of his problems isn't luck, but his sense of impractical idealism and inescapable guilt. Some may say Alhaitham lacked tact when saying this, but it was kindness on Alhaitham's part. Once someone can acknowledge the truth, no matter how hurtful, they can then make the needed changes for the better. When they met up again years later, Alhaitham asked him, "How has realizing your ideals gone for you?" This wasn't done out of a sense of pettiness, but to solidify the truth once more. It was to help.

I think if you don't know someone that operates in this way, Alhaitham's love language may be difficult to decipher. His words may seem cruel. It may seem like he's trivializing your problems. But to speak truth is to show that you're not a lost cause. He has proven he won't abandon you along the way. After all, to speak truth, no matter how hurtful, is to show love.

[brown-little-robin]

my last week, a visual demonstration

[waitingforsecretsouls]

I can grin and bear a lot of Maedhros slander. But giving him, the OG Thingol hater, pre- Quenya ban and Silmaril Quest even, who is trying to unite all of Beleriand in his Union against Morgoth and who will kill himself to never have to relinquish the Silmaril he eventually retrieves, the exact same opinions as Thingol rather than Celegorm and Curufin on the Silmaril Quest is where I draw the line.

You really think the guy who's trying to get everyone he can on board is gonna be angry at C&C for trying to recruit a hidden (ergo useless to him) realm to his cause rather than the flip-flopping elves of Nargothrond and Finrod's willingness to throw his own brothers and their family oath and labour of their fathers SOUL-literally-under the bus for a stranger and the heiress of the guy who is content to sit and try to wait out Morgoth (who herself has no plans whatsoever to eventually help out with that or try to convince her father to chip in a bit)? Instead of Beren and Luthien's selfish "politics? what politics?" attitude or Thingol for the temerity to set the quest in the first place? On my hands and kness begging people to stop trying to strip Maedhros from his canonical demonstrated character traits, motivations, opinions, loyalties and strength of character (and pride. Dear lord let Maedhros have his canonical pride. Not everyone is secretly an insecure, self-loathing mess and there's NOTHING to suggest this in Maedhros in particular. Seems primarily like people tying his potential scars from Thangorodrim to self-worth issues, what a novel concept. The guy is the lynchpin holding the Noldor and their resistance together, he is performing and leading better than literally anyone else, there's nothing to be insecure and angsty ABOUT except general war-related unpleasantness).

If it was Maedhros he would have either killed Beren on the spot disguised as an unfortunate casualty once he made clear he wasn't dissaduated by the oath or smiled and waved him off to Angband with a "good luck" and imprisoned Luthien for negotiations with Thingol and a "took care of your suitor problem AND got your daughter safe in custody, what have you got for me in return?" when she came looking for Beren, be for real now.

[mitamicah]

I see a lot of people have made covers of the snippet of Everybody's Waiting (the new JO track)

I may do it too but at the same time I am hesitant given that I am 90% sure they won't see it (since everything else I'd ever made have never been noticed by them - Bojan's big share yesterday included) and if by chance it is getting seen I am not sure how I'd feel having the first thing noticed by them be just another cover

I am probably overthinking things again

[fishsoyummy]

Does anybody else get that feeling of not being a good enough fan when you can't watch all of the povs, all the series, all the content by your favorite creators? It feels so awfully demotivating, and I know it's impossible to catch up to everything, but at the same time, some people do, but I also have other things I have to spend time on, and I just feel so bad, bad, bad...

[melverie]

Honestly, making all these posts about Asmo's birthday on @today-in-the-devildom despite the lack of any real in-game birthday event feels so disheartening in a way because I'm creating this little story and trying to hype something up the devs don't even seem to really care about

[moodybidoof]

Idk why I thought I could do a full evil run of BG3 lmao. It's not even that I feel guilty but you lose out on so much story stuff and get nothing in return. Also, I can't really think of a good reason why you'd side with the goblins in Act 1 except for the carnage

[heyitslapis]

Ok

[warp-factor-69]

Papa III is the False Prophet of Revelation: a Theory

hear me out guys

To preface, I would like to just say that I am, in fact, very new to Ghost. It’s entirely possible that what I have to say is old news. If that’s the case, let me know and I will retreat into my corner of shame and remain there for eternity. If not, let me know if there’s anything you think I missed! I haven’t done any particularly exhaustive research here, but I got severely baked the other day and haven’t been able to stop thinking about this.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Meliora and Era 3 in general, and I’ve come to some interesting conclusions. There are a lot of layers here, so bear with me while I try to unpack everything in a concise way. This theory involves not only lyric analysis, but also a discussion of details from more visual things like music videos. I guess it also involves a discussion of the Bible, too.

Basically, Terzo is the False Prophet from the Book of Revelation, and he consciously foreshadows his own demise throughout Era 3. This has important implications for what’s to come.

Take notes, this will be on the exam.

First, let’s talk about Meliora. From Latin, this translates to “the pursuit of something better.” This, in and of itself, fits Terzo’s character perfectly. He takes the band to new heights in Era 3, earning them accolades like the Grammy. However, he also strays from the mission the Clergy has charged him with. This is evident in the album covers for Popestar and Ceremony and Devotion, which feature him (and his dick in the latter case) front and center. Although the covers for Opus Eponymous and Infestissumam show men in Papal attire, neither of them are immediately recognizable as Primo or Secondo. This, combined with Terzo frequently forgoing his robes and mitre on stage, implies that spreading the word of Satan is no longer his main priority. This is more or less confirmed in “The Summoning V: The Square and Hammer,” when Sister Imperator yells at the band for dicking around. 

In essence, Terzo gets too big for his britches, so the Clergy (i.e. Sister Imperator) decides to take him out.

This theme of arrogance, of getting too close to the sun and being struck down for it, appears a lot in Meliora. What follows is a discussion of what I personally think are the most important instances of this. (Note: for this entire analysis, I will be using the deluxe version of this album, which includes the Popestar EP.)

“From the Pinnacle to the Pit” - Very clearly about falling from grace. There’s a lot of imagery related to pride, such as the crown, the scepter, and the gown mentioned in the first verse. It also references Judeo-Christian mythology, as pride was what got Lucifer cast out of Heaven. This story is heavily referenced, particularly by “you are cast out from the heavens to the ground / blackened feathers falling down.” Where I especially think this relates to Terzo is “you will wear your independence like a crown.” In trying to break away from the hold the Ministry has on him and be his own act, he is shot down.

“Absolution” - Also about pride, but in the sense of material wealth. Our dear friend Tobias Forge has been quoted saying the song is “a lament of the modern woman or man, who spend their lives thinking that their possessions have that ‘something else’ that allows them to be above any responsibility.” In the case of Terzo, I don’t think it’s physical possessions, rather his status as a rockstar. In pursuing fame, perhaps he is attempting to shirk off his duty to the Clergy/The Dark One. The first two verses of the song also describe someone who is constantly trying to be on top (someone in “the pursuit of something better,” we could say). I also think it’s interesting to note how this song kickstarted the Meliora project. :)

“Bible” - An absolute banger, although an interesting choice for a cover. I say this because it references Biblical subject matter without talking about Satan at all. For as much as I admire and respect Mr. Forge, I do not trust him. I know in my heart of hearts that this song was chosen for a reason (to fuck with people like me who think into things too deeply). Looking at the second verse, the lyrics describe how humanity expanded and developed, to the point where they could no longer hear the voice of God. As a result, God sent in the flood and destroyed them all (although we can assume Noah and co. survived). Here, again, we have themes of arrogance, humanity overstepping its boundaries, disconnecting with the spiritual, and paying the price for it. By now, this should make all of us think of Papa III.

So, although not the #1 theme in this album, we can see a distinct pattern here. To boot, this is a pattern that very closely mirrors what happens to our boy Terzo. He aspires to be something greater than he is, and as he keeps climbing, he eventually crosses the line. This culminates during the final performance at Liseberg, where he is literally dragged down off of a platform and taken away.

“But, Allison,” I hear you saying. “That doesn’t necessarily mean Terzo is a prophet.”

To which I respond:

“Spirit” is a sexy little number about absinthe. It’s great. I love it. It’s also very important to my theory.

Looking at the lyrics, this song praises the alleged hallucinogenic properties of the drink. Under the influence, the narrator (Terzo) has visions of demons and Hell. What really suggests to me that he’s having/has had some sort of prophetic experience is the outro: “let none of this earth inherit / this vision of my spirit.” This, interestingly, is a reference to “Imitation” by Edgar Allen Poe, a poem in which the narrator reflects upon his childhood dreams and aspirations, “visions” of the future.

The placement of this song at the beginning of the tracklist is also quite conspicuous to me. It basically establishes off the bat that Terzo can see things others cannot. This is him (not so) subtly telling us that he knows his fate, wether that be through the assistance of absinthe or something else entirely.

If we choose to believe that Terzo has prophetic abilities of some kind, several details from Era 3 content gain a new significance.

#1 - The Fit

As people have previously pointed out, the casual suit worn by Papa III is inspired by Gustav III, the king of Sweden from 1771 to 1792.

In addition to the similar style of dress, and the fact that both men are the third of their name, both were also assassinated. What a crazy coincidence!!!!

#2 - Rectangular Pounding Implement

The most well known allusion to a future event is in the “Square Hammer” music video. There is brief shot of a gravestone on which a cardinal is perched, a clear reference to introduction of Cardinal Copia.

The plot of the video itself also reinforces Terzo being a prophet. In the silent movie, he plays the “mysterious specter” who guides the protagonist to the Square Hammer. After taking the item in hand, Terzo tells him the following:

Destiny, you say? Sounds an awful lot like there’s a prophecy involved.

I think that both of these things, the costume and the music video, were conscious choices Terzo made. Although it’s unclear how much creative liberty the Papas really have, the Third doesn’t seem to care about what the Clergy thinks or wants. If nothing else, we can at the very least say that the suit was likely his own choice. It’s an odd that he chose to reference Swedish history, considering as he is (presumably) an Italian man, so I think we have to assume the choice was deliberate.

Surely, the gift of prophecy gives one an incredible strategic advantage. If Terzo knew, then, that the Clergy was going to assassinate him and his brothers, why didn’t he thwart their plans?

We’ll get to that, homies and loved ones. Right now, it’s time to talk about the elephant in the room.

Did Prequelle predict COVID?

Unless Forge comes out and claims it did (which I doubt he would, as it would be terribly disrespectful to... everyone), we have to assume that the answer is no. Although the Ghost brand incorporates live elements into their storytelling, making the experience more immersive, it is important that we all take a step back and remember that the lore is a work of fiction. In the process of plot development, certain decisions have to be made by the author(s) that impact the final narrative. All of these details we’ve talked about, from the lyrics to the bird in the music video, were pre-planned by Forge et al. We were meant to notice these things, as they’re part of the official canon. I know I said earlier that I don’t trust Tobias, but I’m ten thousand percent certain he didn’t plan for COVID to happen. By that logic, this would make the Prequelle/COVID thing a mere coincidence and therefore not technically part of the canon.

I’m exhausted and I think I’m losing my mind at this point, so I can’t come up with an effective segue. I have finals coming up, and I have not studied for them. A 41 year old Swedish man lives in my brain rent free. My life is in shambles.

Buckle up everybody, it’s time to talk about the Bible!

In the Book of Revelation, the End Times are brought on by the “Unholy Trinity.” The direct opposite of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, this trio consists of Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet. The role of the False Prophet is to lead the people into the worship of Satan, basically setting the stage for the rule of the Antichrist. I’ve seen some interpretations of Revelation where the False Prophet and the Antichrist are one in the same, but the invocation in “Con Clavi Con Dio,” suggests the presence of a trinity (”Sathanas / we are one / out of three / Trinity”), so I’m sticking with this.

As the False Prophet, Terzo does one Hell of a good job (pun intended) gathering the followers of Satan. As previously mentioned, he takes Ghost to new heights, where the band is recognized on a more mainstream level (i.e. the Grammy’s). The popularity of the band grew at an unprecedented rate during his reign.

His role as the False Prophet makes a lot of sense when we consider one of the main themes of Meliora, the absence of God. The premise of the album, as Forge has said, is basically the Clergy/Ministry coming in and filling this spiritual void. This is why we have songs like “Cirice,” “He Is,” and “Majesty,” the latter two being hymns for Satan. As Terzo says in “Mummy Dust,” he was “carried on a wolf’s back / to corrupt humanity.”

On a semi-related note, while looking at a summary of Revelation, I learned that the False Prophet supposedly executes those who refuse to worship Satan. The method of execution? Beheading. Just another interesting connection, I guess.

As the False Prophet, Terzo knew that he had a specific role to play. His job was to expand the following of Satan in preparation for the coming of the Antichrist. He knew his demise was inevitable, but he wanted to make it clear that he was more than just a pawn, hence all the hinting at him being a prophet. He is nothing if not consistent, doing things on his own terms until the bitter end.

Now, let us return to the Unholy Trinity. We have Satan and the False Prophet. The stage has been set for the final leg of the End Times. So, what about the Antichrist?

Surprise, bitch!

They said it couldn’t be done. They said it was impossible to turn this theory into a two-fer. THEY WERE WRONG.

If we buy into Terzo being the False Prophet, it makes sense narratively that Copia is the Antichrist. As people have pointed out, there seems to be a “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” thing going on, with Prequelle obviously representing pestilence, and Impera representing war. The End Times, it seems, have officially begun.

Forge seems to be hinting that Copia’s days are numbered, however. The current consensus is that the Clergy, likely with the assistance of the Ghouls, is going to take him out at the end of the summer tour. If Copia dies, that kind of puts a damper on the whole Antichrist thing, right?

As it turns out, this comes up in Revelation. According to the Scripture, the Antichrist will supposedly be mortally wounded about halfway through the Tribulation (i.e. the End Times), but will miraculously be healed by Satan.

Remember the whole Four Horsemen thing? We have 2/4 albums, so we’re about halfway through the cycle. Interesting.

I don’t think the Clergy knows that Copia is the Antichrist. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be planning to kill him. I don’t think even he knows (unless he’s just playing along). Everyone seems to think that he’s going to die at the end of the tour, so what an amazing plot twist it would be if he actually survived, perhaps taking on a new form?

I do think that Terzo knew, and as a final “fuck you,” decided to keep the truth of Copia’s identity to himself. Returning to the last line of “Spirit,” there is a general feeling of resentment when he declares that no one will know what he has seen. Big power move on his part.

That’s about it, I think. Am I reading too deeply into this? Probably. Do I care? Not right now, but I probably will when I take my finals. Sometimes I get possessed by a thought and have to tell everyone about it or I will explode. If I end up being wrong, and this monster of a post was all for naught, I will simply walk into the ocean.

TLDR:

[shimmershy]

I am once again wishing I had the confidence to start a Chara-and-Frisk-centeric Undertale ask blog.

[friendofthecrows]

Wish I had more of that stereotypical "refined genius psychopath mystery villain" vibes and less "dysfunctional no sleep cycle can't tell when/if they have emotions traumatized mess doesn't feel like a human paranoid future true crime psychopath" vibes. So that was word salad. Moving on.

[katyspersonal]

Let me reformulate.

Who do you love / simp the more for between Aldrich, Micolash and Shabriri?

(Or is your favorite crazy soulsborne man a secret 4th thing?)

Why you have to put it this way sdfhhfds

Okay but honestly, every question of a kind is rigged by design if it includes Micolash in it, because I will ALWAYS choose him xD You know he is very dear for me, and at this point the "relationship" we have in my dreams where he appears feels like actual communication. It just runs very deep. And I could not abandon him if I tried because whenever it is about to happen, I have some sort of a nightmare of him dragging me back to him emotionally :^) 👍

I'll say though, without Micolash in the equation it is probably THE other Deep Sea simp guy. I never get to discuss Aldrich with anyone but Val, but I have a HUGE soft spot for the guy. The 'corrupt cleric' trope in fiction attracts me like a moth to a light bulb, but even further than that he has a similar transcendental motivation to Micolash (and Rykard, for that matter) - trying to get out no matter what cost because if you really think of it, no depraved actions really matter in the world that is already broken and corrupt by design! I suffer (am I tho... am I, tho) from some sort of disconnection from humanity, and this sort of higher plane thinking really resonates with me and gives me peace. Just finding a character that can 'understand' this makes me feel less lonely, even if that's a villain who is so comically evil he is long past redemption horizon. Val will also confirm that I've legit had very peaceful, elaborate and even 'magical' dreams about sea after discussing the guy in lengths, and when a fictional character gives me 'significant', personal-feeling dreams that's an automatic W.

...I also imagine him being fat even before eating people, and this is my favourite body type. Huggable is good!!!!! Yeah, when I think of Aldrich, I picture his still human(ish) self, and not the state of stealing Gwyndolin's look that we meet in the game.

This is not to say that I disregard Shabriri of course. I've been torturing Val and Crow with essays about him for a good reason, you know xD However, he DOES terrify me in a unique way. Micolash wants knowledge and to take his place in a higher plane away from the plebs, Aldrich wants to get to the better era for him and his simps in general being in the world stuck in vicious cycle, but Shabriri wants to, like... destroy everything, you know?

All three characters made quite huge human sacrifices out of despairing for how their world was designed if you think of their lores in general, whether they found it easy (if not enjoyable) to do or not. (I'd think the former for all three -_-") But I see Shabriri as someone without grandiose ideas but rather, he got a hunch of THE forbidden, the most evil power that goes more against Golden Order than anything imagineable and just... couldn't NOT. The call of curiosity is the most sparing way I can describe it. There is a Russian saying - "Суету навести охота" - that specifically refers to a person that ruined everything Just Because. Without even beneficial goal, just because things were too peaceful and 'boring'. That's him, okay? xD Yet I still feel bad for him, just... just why he had to tangle himself with something THAT horrifying.

^^^ I've been overthinking the contrast between how Kale says 'May chaos take the world' and how Shabriri says it. The intonation is so... drastically different - with Kale already seeking some peace and liberation from pain in the prospect of all things being melted, but with Shabriri (as you remember) sounding like a goddamn maniac. 'Some men just want to see the world burn', huh? I don't think anyone can truly comprehend Frenzied Flame since it comes from the power equal (or same) as Greater Will, so it is like a 'sickness' that will draw power from drives, feelings and principles of the host.

All in all? Shabriri is Chaotic Evil. I could write an essay about why Aldrich can qualify as Chaotic Good (at least past some point in his history) and Micolash as Chaotic Neutral, but this post is already overstaying his welcome because this question SHOULD be much simpler than I made it be x) I'll always like the 'Chaotic' type the most, but the Evil one is always least attractive. Adrich will do one a "favour" of eating them to add to his mass and take them into a better era, Micolash will do one a "favour" of making them a martyr in the progress torturing and sacrificing them for his weird rituals goals to commune with Gods... But Shabriri, bless his heart, will harm one... why? 'For fun' is the NICEST it can be. @_@" I am sure that Shabriri has a lot of intelligence packed in him as an extremely skilled manipulator then and now, but even tangled with hivemindish superior power, he is danger and evil for the sake of it and not out of twisted but noble motivations. He is uncaring and..... ironically 'cold' for someone with his element? I'd still quite love to bother the guy for attention and discuss existence and memories with him but in the end this is, figurally and literally, playing with the fire. xD

I know it is a combination of interpretations and super extensive analysis that was left behind the doors, but again, with Soulsborne characters, your own intuition and experiences is often all you've got! Thank you for the question, though! xD It was fun to think about..