#keepers of the flame

[amity206]

The Keepers of the Flame

Also called Skytober Day 21: Candle, because I wanted to write about some of my Sky lore.

Also called Light Keepers or Keepers. Essentially, they’re a group of relatively-veteran-status skykids charged with maintaining the Cave of Prophecies and watching over ancient rituals.

The first responsibility these skykids have is planning and watching over the Rites of Passage. Each year around autumn (roughly coordinating with the real world’s Mid-Autumn Festival, but it lasts five weeks), the Isle of Dawn prepares young moths and butterflies to undergo their Rites of Passage. Not all are ready by the first Passage that goes by in their lives, but successfully completing your Passage is used as sort of an initiation into “adulthood” (though that’s not really a thing for skykids, so it’s more about them being ready to join the community).

Not all moths go through the Rites, but it is traditional. And so the Keepers of the Flame are the ones to work with the Passage Guide to plan each year’s four challenges.

The first of the five weeks is the preparation. Tents start to pop up, veterans and caretakers bring their moths to the Isle, and mask-makers get to work. It’s traditional to give your moth a special mask if they successfully complete their Passage, and it’s frowned upon to get them a cheap or un-original one.

Throughout the celebration, you’ll see musicians, merchants, sorcerers, and shamans performing, offering goods, or performing rites under the stars. You’ll also see many moths training and admiring the fancy masks available (and then looking at their ten or so candles sadly…)

Each of the four weeks after this marks the start of a new Rite of Passage, where the Wind Paths are used to travel to a new corner of the Sky Kingdom, where one of the challenges is set up. Each one emphasizes an important value - selflessness, empathy, determination, courage, loyalty, and so on.

The Rites may be dangerous, and powerful magic on the part of the Keepers is often involved in setting them up. To make sure no moths get hurt, Keepers watch the Rites and are on hand if a rescue is needed. No non-Rite-taker is supposed to interfere.

At the end, there’s a massive party and veterans present masks to their moths. It’s also sort of a career fair, with some offering apprenticeships (such as in magic or research at the Vault). Some moths choose to remain under their old mentor/guide to continue and learn their skills.

Wow I got off topic from the Keepers, let’s go back to them.

Skills they learn include:

Candle-making

Astronomy and reading omens from the stars

Mask-making

Mural restoration

Magic using their light sources

Most Keepers have powerful star cores and wear elaborate masks given to them after their Passage. To join, one has to complete each of the four Ancient Trials of Prophecy. Prospective apprentices have to at least completed their Passage.

Their duties, other than overseeing and planning the Rites, include:

Restoring and preserving old light murals

Learning about the history of the Sky Kingdom and passing the stories down

Oversee funerals for Lost skykids

Prepare gifts of light for spirits and elders

Yep that’s it for now, feel free to drop into my inbox if you have questions! I’d love to go into more detail on my version of the Sky world.

[lumendelmari]

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Aftermath

1485 DR / Day 41 

The Hold of the Deepking, Gracklstugh

The hatch slammed shut with a resounding—bang—and with it, the weight of all that occurred in the past few hours fell heavily on the Grey Warriors’ shoulders. The mutated dragon egg had been destroyed, Shal was revealed to be a succubus who served the mysterious ‘Dark Prince,’ and the red dragon, Themberchaud, had razed the city before ambushing the Hold of the Deepking. They’d lost two of their companions in the ensuing battle…

The surviving party members escaped the collapsing royal chamber alongside Deepking Horgar, Captain Blackskull, and Broot via a secret passageway beneath the throne. They found themselves in total darkness, unable to make out even the slightest detail of their hand when held just inches from their face. Fortunately, their other senses made up for what they could not see. A blend of earthy odors hung in the air. The atmosphere was chilled and stale, but it also felt heavy. Somehow, the stone-shattering din of the collapsing room above them was absent. The only sound that reached their ears was the scrape of their boots against the stone and the occasional rat scurrying by.

Kazimir was seconds away from summoning his dancing lights when Deepking Horgar struck a flint against an oil-filled channel affixed to the wall. The duergar alone had the sense to shield his eyes as a long line of blinding flame raced down the chute, filling the space with heat and bright light. Sarith hissed, and black spots danced in Prince Derendil’s vision. Captain Blackskull and Broot also turned their heads and shied from the flames. But Fraeya appeared only as affected as the surface dwellers among them and blinked hard—once, twice—before settling. Horgar thought that was odd for a drow but left it alone. [1]

“Follow me,” the duergar said as he descended the staircase. His impressive, black fur cloak swept the dusty floor behind him.

. . .

Read more: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35100307/chapters/129783106

[eclairsizcoolioz]

FINISHED YAY ‼️

[felassan]

ancient meta from the dawn of time and by that I mean pre-DA:I's release in 2014 [edited for brevity] [the Hermit card].

"The Inquisitor’s Edition of DA: Inquisition comes with a deck of 72 tarot cards, both major and minor arcana, with custom artwork Solas - The Hermit The Hermit, set against a barren landscape, leans on his staff and holds a lamp in front of him to light the way in the darkness. Let’s start with the obvious: Solas is literally a hermit. The card speaks of retreat, wandering, distance, reclusion, solitude and (when reversed) loneliness. In the story of the Tarot, the Hermit heads out at night, peering at and examining whatever takes his fancy. In the same way, Solas walks the Fade while asleep, finding brilliant unimaginable lights, only to smile in delight and move in for a closer look. The Hermit’s lantern illuminates animals that only come out at night, flowers that only open in moonlight or starlight - Solas sees things in the Fade that can only be found if you go in without fear, without preconceptions, your way illuminated by the knowledge. The Hermit wants the truth at all costs - Solas values freedom of thought above all else. In readings, the Hermit can symbolize a wise person with a philosophical attitude. The person may also be someone older, like the old man the Hermit is usually portrayed as. The person may be someone the querent meets who will give them the insight, tools or training needed to overcome an obstacle - someone who can shine a light on things that were previously mysterious or confusing. This comes from an interpretation of the Hermit: he has internalized the lessons of life to the point that he is the lesson. Now he returns from isolation to bestow boons on his fellow man and share the knowledge he has gained. Now he is like his lantern, illuminated from within by all that he is, capable of penetrating the darkness. He helps, acts as a mentor and offers wise counsel. In the knowledge he offers the Inquisitor, Solas embodies one of the meanings of the card - guidance. The Hermit is ruled by Virgo. if anyone is going to take a lantern into a dark place to see what’s going on, it’s a Virgo. Solas reflects key themes of the card such as going on a personal, solitary quest." </end 2014 rambling>

[emphasis added rn]

Light is a super common metaphor for knowledge, wisdom, insight and guidance. Cole says "He wants to give wisdom, not orders". The riddles in Lateral Thinker, in which we have to light a series of braziers with Veilfire torches, go:

"The Dread Wolf keeps its gaze on the one light that illuminates the way forward. // Where the Dread Wolf's gaze blazes, paths are brought to light. // When the Dread Wolf's gaze is bright, light burns in a ring of the dead. // One sees the hunter, one flees from it, one hunts it in turn, one outwits them all."

A lighthouse is a tower-like structure designed to emit light and act as a beacon. The Game Informer article calls Solas' Lighthouse a "towering" structure. this magical realm in the Fade is his lair, his inner sanctum, his home base; it reflects him (and his hermitty isolation). the article kind of likens it to visiting your friend's bedroom, it's not a showy place like Skyhold or a fortress, it's something realer and more intimate than that. you could read it as, Solas' personal home in the magical Fade is called a lighthouse because Solas, like the Hermit with his lantern or little flame in his hand, is like a lighthouse, a beacon in the dark - as if the "flaming Rook" emblem on the front of the 'red book' isn't just a fiery rook as in the chess piece or Tower card with Fen'Harel above it, but a tower-like structure, a lighthouse, and at its top blazes a bright fire, a beacon of light like those atop a lighthouse, where Solas himself resides, lighting the way.

[zynxsone]

I'm gonna re draw this, and COLORED

(DO NOT REPOST MY ART WITHOUT PERMISSION AND WITHOUT CREDITS)

[altcissor]

Have my bellroc redesign hahha im pretty fond of it i also have skrael and nari but yeah later

[themoonid]

I played with the ideas I had in my head about order and I thought… many years of life, a lot of free time, have you ever tasted human blood out of curiosity? And that's where this drawing came from.

My style changes as much as I change my clothes guys, but I think this is definitely the latest style on them… I'm still not convinced by Nari though.

I'm tired of not uploading much, I'll get my batteries, I love these brothers and I want to draw them more.

[dreamcrow]

whoaaa, the hades x toa crossover dlc is looking fresh :0 i can't believe it took me THIS LONG to figure out how to fully upgrade their keepsake—but it turns out unlocking the aspect of arthur was, in fact, worth it!!

[pseu-donymous]

i uh. made some more textposts.

[crescentpaws]

Do you draw Fintan decked out in jewelry? :>

BALEFIRE CRYSTAL JEWELRY 🫡‼️🔥🔥🔥 i wish i had some irl…. that would be so cool……… </3

[wildfairies]

enter the...

hiiiii 👉👈 i got a tumblr community approved without a plan... but i want it to be for interactive fiction fans !!

most discords are if-specific, so i think it'd be fun to have a place on tumblr to discuss all our favorite ifs! a cozy spot for casual posting, theories, mc development, and random thoughts <3

invite link

tagging some favorite IFs but all are welcome!

[kittyflufi123]

🇱🇷:I"M BACK WITH ARCANE ORDER ARTS!!!! >:3

🇧🇷: ESTOU DE VOLTA COM ARTS DA ORDEM ARCANA >:3

🇱🇷:LOOK HOW CUTE THEY AREEE!! :3

🇧🇷: OLHA COMO SÃO FOFINHOS!! :3

🇱🇷:I would like to share these masterpieces with my friends so... be privileged U3U

🇧🇷: eu gostaria de partilhar estas obras primas com meus amiguinhos então.. sejam privilegiados U3U

@dreamcrow @falling-hand-in-unlovable-hand @arcane-nari @foursidecity @fionamybeloved @generalallxsanjishipper i love you all >:3 Be happy and a happy afternoon

[lumendelmari]

Chapter Thirty-Two

A Brewing Storm

1485 DR / Day 37

Ghohlbrorn's Lair, Gracklstugh

Even after a much-needed respite, the adventurers felt no more rested upon waking than before they fell asleep. A dark cloud hung over their heads, for they held knowledge no sane individual would want to possess. The City of Blades was in more far trouble than the companions could have ever guessed when they began gathering intel for Captain Errde Blackskull under threat of exposure to their drow pursuit. Now they held all the cards. Once they reported their findings, Blackskull, and all the rest of Gracklstugh, would indisputably stand in their debt.

Fraeya and Sarith were the first to rise but kept to their lodgings for a while. Not much conversation was exchanged between the pair during that time, but they did take time to clean the dirt and grime from their armor and sharpen their weapons. Eventually, the two dark elves ventured to the common room and ordered breakfast for the entire party. They then quietly sipped on cups of boiled matsutake and kelp broth with a splash of firewhiskey added while waiting for their companions to join them.

The others slowly trickled in, all looking as haggard and drained as Fraeya and Sarith felt. Balasar was the only one who showed any sort of cheer. The rest the dragonborn had taken the previous night was the most fulfilling since his capture, and he was presently ignorant of Gracklstugh’s impending doom. Last to wake, unsurprisingly, were Zelyra and Kazimir. They had stayed up far later than anyone else, after all. But once the group was assembled, and those who had not been at the Forge the previous night got over the shock of finding their lost bronze dragonborn companion among them again, it was time to fill Balasar in on everything that had occurred in his absence.

Stool and Rumpadump released plumes of rapport spores that enveloped the gathered party in a thick yellow haze. Of course, a telepathic link was far better than risking a stranger eavesdropping on their private conversation. But it was liable to appear strange to the patrons of the Lair, especially those who had never met a myconid.

Sure enough, the haze garnered at least one adverse reaction...

Read more at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35100307/chapters/113598805

or

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13962836/32/The-Grey-Warriors

[eclairsizcoolioz]

REDESIGNS COUGH

After hours I've finished it!!!!

Anyway I'd explain why I redesigned them the way I did but tbh I don't actually know why I made them like this

[spinner-moko]

Bellshmoc

[softmoonlightmelody]

linh is water in its entirety; she is soft and calm and sweet like the shallow waters of mountain lakes. she is bubbly and happy like the puddles you used to jump in as a kid. she is hopeful and beautiful like rain; she is quiet and serene like snow. but she is also unbending as a river carving a canyon. she is also furious and merciless like the water which crashes ships without mercy. she is also dangerous and terrifying like the stormy seas. she is water.

tam is darkness in its entirety; he is terrifying and unknown like the monsters under your bed as a child. he is mysterious and deep like the waters which hold behemoths. he is hidden like the thoughts which encompass your mind at a late hour of nothing but failure. but he is also deep and comforting like the late night with tea and a book. he is also the relief of sleep. he is also the wonder and awe of a million stars in the impossibly inky sky. he is darkness.