#my cult leader whos totally a lamb

[pocket-goat]

cult of the uhhhhhh. hm. anyway

[starry-bi-sky]

don't you want to be a cult leader? - danyal al ghul au

this is mostly a joke post but i thought it was funny and had to share so--

his first mistake was, obviously, inheriting his father's inability to see an injustice and stand still. -- actually, danyal's first mistake was his lair being so big. a mountainous island with a large temple in the center resembling his old home in Nanda Parbat? With sprawling foliage and rivers and streams and waterfalls galore? What was he going to do with all that space? Let it go to waste? He had plants there! Native trees of the ghost zone growing from the soil! He couldn't let it all be left unchecked!

So naturally after helping a fellow teenage assassin ghost -- who he later learns is named Akihiko, -- from Walker of all people, he sent them over to hang low at his lair until it was safe enough for them to wander around the Zone. Walker couldn't get through Danyal's astrofield if his life depended on it, and trust him -- he's tried. Danny was clearing out debris from his stupid transport vans for weeks.

Honestly it wasn't so bad, he and Aki really quickly became fast friends and Danny loves having a sparring partner close to his level again -- he hasn't had this much fun fighting since he left the League. Aki was very dedicated and levelheaded, the both of them clicked really well because of it.

Nonono, the real trouble began after Danyal met some long-passed League members and allowed them to come join his island as well. Apparently they had made a few enemies of the zone, and maybe Danyal still felt some loyalty to the League. He couldn't just let them be left to rot. Their zealotry could be overlooked so long as they kept it contained and helped him take care of his island.

And it.. snowballs from there? He meets a teen squire aptly calling himself Ambroise -- whether that was his living name or not is yet to be seen -- who died during feudal france, who is just about as dramatic and passionate as every french stereotype makes them out to be. He calls Danyal "my moon and great muse" -- which is both flattering and little uncomfortable, but Danyal's grown up in the League as the Grandson of the Demon Head, he is used to mild worship. he passes it off as nothing more, nothing less. -- and while his energy is overwhelming on the worst of days, he helps Danny draw out of his shell more in ways that Sam and Tucker still struggle with.

Him and Aki butt heads a lot, but the two seem to hold the other in at least some positive regard, so Danny doesn't worry too much about them fighting while he's gone. It only becomes a mild issue when Aki also begins calling Danny "my moon". It's a little sweet, so Danyal brushes it off.

Then he takes in a troupe of ghosts some time after he defeats Pariah Dark and they begin calling him "great one" just as the yetis do in the far frozen. This is where he meets the twins -- a pair of sibling ghosts who call themselves Trixie and Missy (short for Trick and Mislead) -- who aren't quite as passionate as Ambroise but more energetic than Aki. Eventually they also start calling Danyal "my moon" and attach themselves to his hip, even within the living. They like to hide in his shadow and cause trouble for the rest of the students. He makes sure they don't hurt anyone.

He's pretty sure Aki is jealous, same with Ambroise, but he can't be too certain other than the fact that they become much more lingering (re: clingy) whenever he visits the island.. Something he's trying to do much more often these days due to the increasing amount of people living there now. Since when did he become so popular?

Then there's Pēnelópeia from the Greater Athens, who ran away from home and joined his Island after he ran into her while she was being chased by Skulker -- and he's pretty sure the reason was because of her chimeric appearance. Her strange eyes and mismatched wings and lion's tail and talons. She assimilates into his friend group very easily, she gets along well with Ambroise and Trixie and Danny usually finds the three of them climbing the trees to pluck the most fruit from the top. They can fly and he knows it, but they prefer to climb.

Then finally there's silent poet Akkara who comes from ancient mesopotamia, who gets along most with Aki -- which is no surprise there considering their similar personality dispositions. he watches Aki and Danyal fight each other and leaves comments on this or that that he notices. He writes Danyal poems on clay tablets and leaves them by his room.

They're one big mismatched group of outcasts, and Danny's got the other ghosts on his island to tend to, because they're living on his island and he wants to be hospitable even if he struggles with that. But he spends the most of his time with them.

Sam and Tucker are making fun of him. Tucker jokingly tells him 'careful Danny, at this rate you're gonna start a cult'. Danny really wishes he had taken that joke more seriously.

He just. keeps. collecting people. Wayward souls lost in the zone, looking for shelter or refuge from something or other -- whether that be another hostile ghost, or a past afterlife, or just a purpose. Danyal finds them, he takes them in, offers them a place on his island until they are ready to leave. Many seldom do. He's not complaining -- he has the space, and it feels like it's only ever growing.

His close friends, his "inner circle" as he's heard the others call them, keep insistently calling him "my moon". He starts calling them his stars, because then it only feels fair. They're his stars, this is his constellation. It becomes a thing; little star halos begin forming behind their heads, picking them out from the rest. He loves them so much, it's hard to place. Sam and Tucker are also his stars, but they reside in the living realm, they're his tie to Life. Meanwhile, his friends here know what it's like to be dead, and sometimes its nice to relate.

Those living on his island keep calling him "Great One" and he's beginning to notice zealotry in their care for his island. He really, deeply appreciates it. His close friends gain nicknames -- as his stars, it's only natural for him to pick them out from the cluster in the skies. Akihiko, his Sirius and bright star. Trix and Missy, Castor and Pollux, the twins and troublemakers. Ambroise, his zealous Antares and close friend. Penelopeia, chimeric and loyal Vega. And Akkara, his Arcturus and strength.

It's ridiculous how long it takes for him to notice; he is, of course, a deadly trained assassin. He is meant to be observant -- and normally he is! But somehow this becomes a blind spot. One that becomes too big to be dealt with by the time he realizes it.

He should've noticed when Aki, his Sirius, stood beside him one day while Danyal looked over his island and saw the sprawling spirits carrying on about their afterlife and bowing to him as they saw him, and said: "I looked down into the depths when I met you; I couldn't measure it." They aren't one for flowing prose, it took him so off guard he was silent for over a minute before he finally spoke.

Danyal should've recognized devotion for what it is, and yet he didn't. He should've recognized it when Antares began spouting praises about him, crowing about his radiance and resplendence to the heavens. He just brushed it off as Ambroise being Ambroise. He should've recognized it when Trix and Missy nearly broke Dash's leg after he knocked Danyal's books out of his hands, he excused it as them being protective. Of them coming from times where such violence may have been customary -- after all, that's what he used to be like. What he was still like, sometimes, when his emotions nearly got the better of him.

He should've noticed it when the people living on his island followed his word like gospel, looked at him like he hung the stars in the sky. When his friends gifted him a shawl with the moon phases delicately embroidered into it, with silver, shimmering thread and moving stars lovingly stitched into it. Their constellations seen clear as day in the dark fabric. When he found small shrines dedicated to him -- but they lacked any image of him beyond stones carved to look like moons, so he ignored it. When the religious imagery began popping up.

He really, really should've noticed it when a bunch of cultists accidentally summoned Antares, and Antares had turned to him when he arrived and called them heretics. But he was so centered on the fact that they had kidnapped one of his stars, that he hadn't paid much attention to what Ambroise had said.

Sages say that faith is blind, they should also say faith in you is even blinder.

It really only hits him one afternoon while he's sitting in Sam's room studying with Tucker, Missy and Trixie lounging at his feet, Aki sat on his right, Penelopeia braiding his hair, Ambroise draped against him, and Akkara lurking over him. Its one of the rare few times they're all in one room together.

It hits him like a bolt of lightning. He looks up from his textbook. "Oh Ancients," he says in no amounting shock. Everyone looks up to him.

"I've become my grandfather."

[the-artist-grimm]

Crimson Angel AU - The Three Crown Bearers

(Text updated as of Nov 8th, 2024)

More Crimson Angel Lore! This time thinking about some of the previous/current vessels.

(credit to @/waokevale for the inspo! Its from their posts head-cannoning Forneus as a former crown bearer where I got the idea to have her in the lineup!)

Over the course of 1000 years Narinder had in total 13 vessels who bore the red crown, and each were chosen upon their deaths for displaying potential upon arrival into the Gateway. Though the prophecy stated that a lamb would be the final bearer, Narinder did not want to sit idle, and had hoped that others could clear a quicker path for the chosen liberator while he waited. 

Currently named bearers (featuring my SYMBOLISM obsession, deaths/numbers are somewhat related to the character as closely as I manage) 

Forneus - #7 (Lady Luck)

The 7th bearer of the Red Crown, and bared it approximately 300 years ago. Captured by heretics after drawing their attention away from a family in trouble whilst on the road, Forneus caught Narinder’s attention for both her fighting prowess and fierce sense of justice, and proved to be one of his more efficient vessels. Quick-witted and clever, she was a seemingly kind leader to her cult, but a ruthless warrior to all others, with her mission being to decimate the Bishops’ higher-ranking witnesses as opposed to taking them on personally. She also appeared to possess a remarkable amount of luck, hardly ever dying whilst on crusades. Yet despite that her term as vessel only lasted approximately 80 years, whereupon finding herself pregnant via one of her lovers, she willingly relinquished the crown so that she could raise her children in peace, not wanting to put them at risk.

Narinder, though somewhat irked, accepted her choice, as she’d managed to kill enough witnesses to set the Bishops internal hierarchies back by several decades of experience. Unbeknownst to him, however, the very children Forneus relinquished the crown for would join him not long after, with the cat herself being bestowed a golden skull and an open promise of reunion with her children in the distant future by the God of Wisdom and War. 

Forneus died of her heart-in saving those sheep, her heart was cut out during her sacrifice 

7 is considered a lucky number

The Chariot is the 7th Tarot Card, representing triumph through determination, self-control, and overcoming obstacles.

Became vessel at approximately age 20, is now over 400 years old

Ratau- #12 (The Shepherd)

The 12th bearer of the Red Crown, and bared it approximately over 40 years ago. Killed by heretics after refusing to acknowledge the threat they posed to all within the Lands of the Old Faith. Hailing from a village that willfully ignored the lambs and their warnings of slaughter, it was not until heretics arrived to razed the place to the ground that Ratau realized their threat, yet by then it was too late to act as he was slain. Upon his arrival in the gateway Narinder initially had no plans to make him a vessel, yet the rat’s anger towards both himself and the Bishops appeared to make him an easily manipulated enough target to try. And with the dwindling lamb’s population heralding the final liberator’s rise, the death god was desperate to have a vessel prepared to take on the role of mentor. 

Though a remarkably fast learner, Ratau proved inadequate in regards to his ruthlessness, unwilling to push his followers or himself to their limits. And upon being forced to sacrifice a follower following an incident with a mysterious fox, the resulting guilt led to Ratau relinquishing the crown within only a decade, much to Narinder’s frustration. He left the grounds with his disciples and isolated himself to a self-imposed solitude within the woods, only ever visiting his friends from time to time and trying to put his previous cult-life behind him. 

Yet as fate would have it, twenty years later Ratau would chance across a young, newly orphaned lamb within the woods, and though aware of the prophesied fate ahead of them, decided to take the little one in. Fourteen years later, that little lamb would rise as the final vessel.

Ratau died for turning a blind eye to the world around him, and thus, lost his left eye in turn. It was a slash and a stab through which killed him 

12 is considered a number of stability and order, fitting for a mentor

The Hanged Man is the 12th Tarot Card, representing ultimate surrender, sacrifice, and patience.

Became a vessel at age 25, is currently in his mid 60s.

Anthea- #13 (The Lamb/Unlucky Thirteen)

The 13th and final bearer of the Red Crown. Anthea was killed by heretics upon sacrificing herself to save the life of her guardian, Ratau, and had been a willing sacrifice due to a belief that she already lived on borrowed time. Of all prior vessels Anthea was the only one to have worshiped The One Who Waits prior to resurrection and vesselship, and proved to not only be highly devoted, but also far more empathetic and aware of his situation beyond those who came before them. When it came to their interactions with the god, Anthea often expressed a kindness to not just him but his typically overlooked disciples as well, bring them gifts and befriending the three to try and ease their imprisonments. Though coming from a genuine place of care, it was also born from Anthea’s own lack of self, with the lamb preferring to put everyone but themself first. 

It was through aiding The One Who Waits that Anthea’s perspective of self began to change, as Narinder slowly began to challenge their self-sacrificial tendencies the more he got to know them, with the two growing closer and eventually falling in love. Yet it was right before Anthea planned to confess her feelings that The One Who Waits seemingly betrayed them, ordering them to sacrifice themself just as they finally started wanting to live. 

Anthea died for being unable to express their own will beyond giving themself up for others, sticking their neck out so long as it mean someone else benefited from it. Their death was via beheading. 

13 is considered a number of bad luck, yet also of the ending of one cycle and the beginning of another, a transformation 

Death is the 13th Tarot Card, and represents the ending of one phase of a life and the start of another, change, and new beginnings.

Became vessel at age 26, and finished slaying all the bishops in 3 years, making them 29

Trying to go through and whip the game’s admittedly open-ended-ish/slightly vague lore into something more fleshed-out is really fun lol. Might make more vessels but thus far the only three who remain are 7, 12, and 13-which Narinder doesn't even realize that Forneus is till kicking about.

Also Weapons notes!

Forneus gets a hammer because it in a way represents justice (see a court gavel) and though it hits slow it hits HARD. In an RPG its the tank who usually gets it within the party.

Ratau I gave a staff since he's implied to be somewhat cowardly, or at least appears to not like killing to an extent with how he gave up the crown after sacrificing a follower, and since he gives us the curses in-game (yeah they're on Nari's orders but Ratau's the one handing them out), essentially making him a mage seemed fitting-plus in fantasy the mage is usually a mentor. He also has a staff in-game so it maintains that silhouette, albeit I made this one look more like a shepherd's hook considering it's meant to be his weapon as a cult leader.

Anthea, the Lamb, I gave a sword since it's the weapon of a knight in shinning armor, since their personality is that of someone always saving others after all.

And lastly a little doodle of everyone's death scars!

(Also if anyone wants to send asks about the AU or to the characters go ahead hehehe, this AU is taking over my life :3 )

Boarders are by @lambouillet

[thewisaaaaad]

AWWW FUCK

In my sleep deprived state, I have created YET ANOTHER AU by smashing together several ideas in my head, along with being inspired by @kamodofilez bells of the dammed au. Sorry for pinging you, but CREDIT IS DUE.

When am I going to run out of these oh lamb

Anyways here's the au. I call it the Regretful Hunter AU, no idea if i am going to continue with this.

In this AU, neither the lamb nor Narinder really wanted to fight.

As soon as Narinder heard the new prophecy through Ratau, he knew exactly what would happen.

Five becomes nothing? He wasn't stupid. He was going to fall too, just like all his siblings.

Good. It was what he deserved. It was what he wanted.

Narinder did the fight because he was actually tired of being the god of death, saw that the lamb was way better at being god than any of his siblings were, and wanted to pass the mantle. Of course, due to pride and family trauma, they couldn't just hand it over, so he tried to goad the lamb into killing him. He... doesn't really consider how Aym and Baal would feel about it. He forgot they were people, honestly, until it was too late to care.

The lamb, meanwhile, was totally chill with dying. They felt that they were OK at playing leader, but was ready to hand over the reins to the god that gave them the opportunity to take revenge for their people.

They were fully ready to let go, and see their family again in the afterlife. After all that had happened, they were just. So. Tired.

However, fate has ways of getting what it wants- including puppeting its victims. The lamb was conscious the whole time as they were forced to fight the person that gave them everything they had ever wanted and slay his guardians. They were just glad that they didn't have to kill him.

Narinder was less than pleased with the mercy. When the guilt of what he had done set in, he ran away from the cult before the lamb could explain what happened.

He planned on going out, finding a nice cliff with some sharp rocks at the bottom, and ending it once and for all.

Turns out, ending your life by your own hands is a lot harder than he thought. It can be pretty scary, standing at the edge.

He blames his mortality, of course.

Lamb, meanwhile, goes into a depression induced stupor, the young god just going through the motions of running a cult. ???'s arrival makes it a little easier, by giving them a goal to work towards, but they never stop hoping to find Narinder again. They know hes not dead yet.

They would feel it.

Narinder continues to survive in the forest, hunting critters using plumbata, or throwing arrows, made from stolen arrows. He goes around, surviving while cursing his cowardice, until one day he wanders through Silkcradle, looking for spiders to hunt.

Instead, he finds a panda and a skunk in mortal danger. Before, he would have let them die, for obviously if they had wanted to live then they would not have come here, doubly so for the panda who could have just never come to the lands of the old faith at all.

But now? Now he understands the fear of the end. How it can creep up on you without knowledge of its presence, how a foolish decision can seem like the best one to make in the moment.

So he saves them. They, of course, ask for his name.

He does not give it. Instead, he gives them the location of paradise, where they will be safe. When asked why he does not go there himself, he answers that "I had lost my right to that place long ago."

When Jalala and Rinor arrive at the lambs cult, they tell the lamb of the kind stranger who saved them, the cat with three red eyes.

The lamb gets excited. He's still out there. And he wishes he could be here.

They just have to talk to him.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

could i request the bishops + lambert with a rat reader that's a master thief, but is from a place where the old faith didn't have a really tight grasp so the reader hasn't really ever heard of the cult or the old faith?

Leshy

Being a master thief has gotten you surprisingly far in life, stealing things from berry seeds to bags of gold. Enough to comfortably get by. You're just very stealthy in all you do.

When you visited Darkwood for the first time, it was fairly easy sneaking around by using the trees and bushes as cover.

You were practically invisible to the average person and not even the Droppers noticed you.

Unfortunately, the worms beneath your feet sensed you wandering too close to Leshy's temple to their liking, being quick to inform their leader of your intrusion.

You ended up facing him, and his first accusation was that you were stealing for Lamb's cult.

Imagine his confusion when you respond with "who?"

He thinks you're playing dumb, though you sound dead serious when you claimed not to know who they were....nor did you know who he was.

"I am Bishop Leshy of Darkwood! Bearer of the chaotic Green Crown! Everyone in the Old Faith knows my name!" He boasts, thinking this will somehow jog your memory.

But the truth is that where you're from, the Old Faith's gospel didn't really latch onto your society. So you knew nothing of the bishops, nor their war with the Lamb's cult.

Your only interest is the price Leshy paid for that Green Crown.

Despite feeling insulted, he decides to let you go since you aren't allied with Lamb (plus as the youngest bishop he didn't rly know what to do with an outsider like yourself).

He only demands that you never returned, lest you be strung up in the trees or buried six feet under.

You just took some souvenirs in the form of gold nuggets and pretty little worm skulls for the journey home.

Kallamar

The worm's more paranoid brother, on the other hand, had his fair share of outsiders trying to weave their way into the cult...

Only to snatch up glowing crystal clusters and raid shipwrecks for treasures.

Midas was one such thief until he was banished for redistributing the treasures and acting like a "god of fortune" to clueless followers.

Anchordeep has a law forbidding followers from selling crystals for profit and trespassing onto shipwrecked areas.

In his realm, the punishment fits the crime as it consists of the accused's hands being infected with some disease--ranging from severe itching to boils....or even necrosis.

You're totally unaware of this law (not that you'd care about the law to begin with) and go about your thievery business like usual.

Somehow you avoided alerting Kallamar--even tricking him into falsely accusing others of stealing crystals--but he eventually found out and had you brought to his palace for interrogation.

Even though you tell him you've never heard of the Old Faith nor his laws, he's certain you're just making excuses.

"It's just common sense...you don't walk into someone's house and just take whatever you want!!" He snaps.

While he's generous not to punish you with necrosis or boils...your hands are left constantly itchy for several days, persisting even after you returned home emptyhanded. They ached and hurt all over.

You didn't realize you damn near scratched your own skin off until you noticed blood under your nails.

Heket

You'd think there wouldn't be much to steal in swampy, humid, smelly Anura. But you were quite wrong.

Back at home, your folks got shipments of menticide mushrooms (which are a delicacy as both a soup and, of course, hallucinogens).

They never got spores to grow their own supply, though, and lately Anura's trades have been lackluster.

So you decided to travel there and do some "charity work" with your master thief skills. Plus find a few keepsakes along the way.

Besides the mushrooms, nobody in your village knew much about this domain....nor were you aware of its arrogant amphibian ruler.

You were in cahoots with Sozo's followers, visiting their grotto and camping grounds, stealing heaps of shrooms for them in exchange for gold and tarot cards.

Ofc you'd pocket some of the spores for yourself.

Eventually your thievery was discovered after a Mushroomo accidentally sold you out to Heket while they were high, leading to her finding and interrogating you.

She blatantly accuses you of stealing for Lamb...but is taken aback when you admit to not knowing them, the bishops, or the Old Faith.

"Your folks have traded with Anurians for ages....yet you know not of our religion??"

"Some of the elders have, but none of your "doctrines" really stuck around for long."

Heket finds this revelation most puzzling, but in her confusion you flee her temple, and she barks at the guards to stop you.

Fortunately for you, no frog there could leap fast enough to keep up.

Shamura

Of all four rulers, this wise old spider had the greatest understanding that the Old Faith's gospel cannot touch every bit of land out there..

It's simply impossible for everyone in the world to know about it (let alone conform to its teachings) even if all their followers combined went on missionaries to spread the word.

That being said, they weren't completely alarmed when the bugs informed them that they caught an outsider--specifically a thief, aka you.

You were hoping to take some prized pieces of pottery and gold, but you got caught in a trap and busted big time.

Normally you're fearless, but being face-to-face with the Bishop of War while being webbed up in a silk cocoon (and seeing similar victims strung-up on the ceiling of the temple) had you scared shitless.

You were 100% convinced that Shamura was going to dissolve your guts into acid and feast on your corpse.

And yet...they spoke to you rather calmly, curious about your place of origin rather than angry over your thievery.

They ask you different things about your village, what religion it follows, how much it knows of the OF, etc.

Their followers kept reminding them that you're a criminal and should be prosecuted as such.

Eventually they do, but instead of death you're given a chance to earn your freedom by participating in a fighting pit.

Somehow you win and get to take all of the loser's money.

Lamb

First, they notice their offerings mysteriously vanishing from the shrines around the cult.

Then they realized all the gold bars made from their refineries were suddenly gone, the chests completely empty.

When they mentioned this during a sermon, half their followers are confused...while the other half began pointing fingers at each other and start arguing.

Lamb sees them accusing each other all the time of stealing, so he usually takes the accuser's word for it and puts the suspect in the pillory for a little while.

But things get messy as the problem continues and they're running out of materials to build pillories with.

They'd rather not be chastised by the One Who Waits for causing such discord in his cult, so they temporarily halt their crusades and investigate.

Eventually, Lamb discovers it's been you all along, but since you're a rat...for a moment they believed you were related to Ratau and Ratoo.

You don't know who tf they are..nor were you aware that you've been stealing from a cult.

Honestly, they're impressed that you managed to evade them for this long, but displeased with the fact your actions nearly tore apart their entire following.

Since you aren't affiliated with the Old Faith, they don't punish you harshly, yet want you to understand there's consequences.

Your sentence is community service for a day and apologizing to every follower.

It's humbling as hell, but you get through it and Lamb lets you take some treasures home.

[my-insanity-is-an-artform]

So I’m hour 2 into a 20ish hour international trip (pray for me) and @skyartworkzzz ‘s Death After Life au fucking gripped me by the throat and said “wanna see a magic trick 🙃” and gave me a new au

So here I am for the next 18ish hours about to inflict my own upon you all despite planning to write some more Shitten Shenanigans.

Time Loop AU - Over The Edge And Over Again

They bowed the first time. How could they not?

For their patron, their saviour, their god, how could they not have bowed to Death?

For Him, they had slayed gods, risen a cult, and bargained with immortals. What was giving Him their life in comparison to that?

And what a sweet painless Death it had been. Softly, their God had taken them up into His embrace and so gently had He taken what was His.

Lamb did not expect to awaken. They especially did not expect to awaken in chains, in rags, in pain.

They had thought this was just one more test of Faith. Their God was like that, ever patient yet ever challenging. He always demanded more but only what He knew could be done.

What did they know of Death and His Domain after all?

The axe hurt.

Appearing before Him was expected.

The total lack of recognition was not.

His smile was sharp and empty of all affection and He did not lower His hand to them as He used to.

Neither of his Disciples moved. Both used to at least acknowledge their presence.

They tried to ask, to understand the test before them and yet the words were caught in their throat as if they were pushed against some blockage. The only word they could say was Absolutely as they once again donned the crown of their God.

They only noticed that this was truly no test when coming upon the area where they had once found their first Follower, a completely different person was bound to the alter.

They did their duty once again. Slayed gods. Bargained with immortals. Raised a cult.

Gave their life to their God.

And once more rose in chains. In rags. In pain.

Again.

And again.

And Again.

Over and over Lamb awoke and did their duty.

They figured out that this was no test from their God nor was it purgatory. Only Clauneck would vaguely reference their situation with a melancholy look in his eye.

Over and over they tried different things to break the cycle.

Reigning as a benevolent Shepard who forbid all mention of indulgence and sin.

Slay Gods.

Ruling as an iron-fisted Tyrant who commanded their followers to commit deviancy in all parts of their life.

Bargain with immortals.

Allowing whimsy and impulse to guide their choices making them a fickle leader.

Raise a cult.

They killed and saved in equal measures. They abstained and sinned. They tried salvation and sacrifice.

Bow to Death.

Again.

And again.

And Again.

Finally after too many loops to count, the Lamb asked their God right before He took what was His.

“Would you have forgiven me? If I had said no? Or if their was another way for you to be free?”

“Have you changed your mind, Vessel?” Their God’s eyes narrowed.

“No! I just wish to know…if I had… if I had faltered in my duty or taken a different path, would you have forgiven me even if it took a lifetime?”

Their God, their Patron, their Saviour, was silent as He watched them, trailing a claw over their chest.

“Fear not, Vessel, for you have not once failed me. With this sacrifice, your duty is done and I will be free. But know this, had you faltered or taken a different path, so long as it led to my freedom, there would be no need for forgiveness for your loyalty and faith would have been proven true.”

They smiled widely at that and pressed a devoted kiss to His claw.

“Thank you, my Divine.”

‘And please forgive me.’

Their death was just as sweet and gentle as all of them had been.

In the next cycle, they did not bow to Death.

And awoke to a brand new dawn.

[haterishated]

hello there, I read one of your fanfics talking about the follower bishops being interested in the reader and an idea sprang into my head, I was wondering if you'd be able to make a story where 2 or more of the bishops are arguing about doing something with a gn!reader and it escalates to the point where they're about to fight but due to being in the lamb's cult the lamb comes are shuts them all up before promptly taking the reader away to do said thing, leaving the bishops flabbergasted

♡ << “Hey! That was OUR idea!” >> ♡

Pairings are possibly Lambert/reader? Could be seen as platonic or romantic.

I’m feeling so much better today, so I went on ahead and wrote another thing! I like how this one turned out!

Enjoy! 💕

It was another day in the cult of the mighty lamb.

The wind was flowing nicely, the sky was clear, and the warm sun combated the cool breeze. Everything was nice and perfect that day. You had begun to finally be appreciative and realizing how gorgeous life was here. One thing, however, that you were definitely not appreciative of was,

The aggressive toad and the whiny worm.

The two had been constantly pestering you all day, oblivious to your continuous pleas for them to get along for once! It was getting on your nerves. You wondered if they'd ever leave so that you could have a breath of fresh air just for today! You seriously had the contain the urge to scream at them.

Heket and Leshy were a massive pain to deal with, especially since they had extreme rivalries and conflicting personalities. Never did they agree on something and never did they leave your side.

Some of the members in the cult thought of it as adorable but you certainly did not. Who could deal with the amount of noise they make per day? You didn't understand why it was only annoying you. Why couldn't the others see it your way?

The only thing keeping you sane right now was Lambert, the very leader of the damned place.

Just thinking about the two and all the trouble and anger they've caused you is enough to ruin the atmosphere of the beautiful day. You seriously couldn't get the thoughts out of your head, why were they like that? Why didn't they notice what they've done?

You let out an exhausted groan, lifting your rear off the bench and walking away with slumped shoulders, tired and totally drained out from all the thinking. Maybe a small nature walk is what you needed?

-

Just as your took a few steps away from the bench and onwards, you heard angry chattering and feet stomping from somewhere behind you. Panting and tired breathes were heard. You turned around to see two faces you absolutely did not want talking to you at this very moment.

The bushy worm was the first to speak. "I won, I get to ask them first!"

The red toad gasped and roared in anger. "I would never lose to such a bet!" Her face turned into a smug smirk. "In fact, I was just about to ask them!"

"What?!" The worm let out a rumbled hiss, his head twitching and his tail shaking in fury. "Despicable! I'm sure they'd want me to ask them instead of you!"

Your face was unmoving and annoyed, and you were just about to turn away without saying a word. You didn't want to participate in today's wrestling match, no thank you! And you surely didn't want to fuel another fire!

Leshy elbowed Heket with his shoulder blade, pushing her away as he made a 'ahem' noise and opened his mouth. Heket tossed her self at him, punching Leshy where his nose would be, blood leaking out slightly and the two got into a battle ready stance.

Your eyes widened and you turned back around and begged for them to stop, but your words went onto deaf ears, the sound of hissing and yelling in the air.

A loud shove was heard and a red fleeced lamb revealed themselves, the two being cast aside from each other. They flared down at the two and Heket glared back, Leshy had an unreadable expression, but judging from his frown, he felt guilt.

"What in the name of the old gods are you two doing?!" Lambert put their hands on their hips in a sassy manner. "You two could've gotten really hurt you know, and just look at poor (Name)!"

The toad turned her gaze to meet yours and the worm looked down at his feet, ashamed of his actions.

Heket suddenly looked mortified at what she had done.

"See? Now apologize!" Lambert ordered.

They both walked up to you and hung their heads low. "We're sorry, (Name)."

You couldn't help but angrily sigh and glare down at them in anger, they had made such a big deal out of such an unnecessarily stupid situation and ruined your day. "It's fine."

Lambert had told his most devoted follower to take Leshy over to the healing bay to tend to his 'nose' wound and Heket was sent to her tent to think about her actions.

Today was just splendid.

-

The next day, you were determined to go on said walk you wanted to go on yesterday before two annoying flies had rudely interrupted you.

The two were out and about, not bothering you at all today, which was a huge relief and a big surprise. Walking out your tent, you were met with two big eyes and fluffy wool, Lambert! They gave you a gentle smile and a soft wave of their hoof. "Hello, (Name). How'd you sleep?"

"Quite fine." You nodded and bowed your head in respect to the leader. "Thank you for saving me back there, I really appreciate it."

At the corner of your eye, you could see two familiar figures making their way toward you. "Ah, It's not a problem! You can always count on me if you have any issues!" They clapped their hands together and a wide grin appeared on their face. They were adorable.

"I was thinking to ask you on a walk around Darkwood, I've noticed you've been having a rough week and I want to make sure you have the best experience possible here at my cult!" They said, playing with the wool on the side of their head and looking up at you with affectionate, round, eyes.

You laughed. "That's funny, considering the fact that I was just about to go on a walk myself!"

"Then allow me to join you, gorgeous." They winked shooting you finger guns, you only laughed harder, nodding your head in agreement. "Deal, but only if you invite me to do it again tomorrow!"

Lambert smile only got bigger. "Right, of course."

"Then let's head off, the day cannot last forever, (Name)." Lambert took your hand into theirs.

You and Lambert set off for a walk.

-

Heket and Leshy stood there in shock and what they had saw, they were both going to invite you over to take a walk with them yesterday, and now when they finally have a chance, the cult leader swoops in and takes their beloved? How can this be?

They collected themselves and walked away with a scowl on their faces, better luck next time.

[marte-14]

I still think too much about Colt while studying for my Literature of the Classic World exame

I made, a month ago, a post about how Colt is like a Greek Tragedy. (This post X)

This confrontation is not perfect, since I am not an expert and I doubt today we would write stories like the Greek did (mostly because one is a videogame and the other is theatre)

I was rethinking my post and while I still believe that you can consider it a tragedy, I also think it could be a myth.

Myth is a very long story on the actions of heroes, gods and demigods.

It is also used to explain natural phenomena, rituals or aspects of society (like winter happens because Demetra is sad when Persephone goes to the Underworld).

In the myth we cannot have a very deep analysis of the characters psychology, not as the characters in the tragedies.

In myths the heroes are totally controlled by a prophecy, this happens as well in tragedies (but it depends a bit on the author).

In Colt we have all of this: the actions of gods and heroes, a prophecy didactics the actions of the Lamb and of the Gods.

There isn't a deep psychology analysis of the characters: the Lamb doesn't have much of a personality (unless we give him one ourselves), the Bishops and Narinder are pretty superficial as the other NPCs.

We have fragments of a narrator (when we do major stuff like finishing the game or DLCs), before the credits, that could give the impression that someone is telling our story.

Myths are told by voice, the writing comes after.

I think we could see, in a way, fanfiction and fancomics more similar to the way Greeks wrote the tragedies and comedies.

One of the main differences between tragedy and myths is that the tragedy takes a part of the myth and expands on it.

For example Medea by Euripides takes place after the adventure to obtain the Golden Fleece.

Medea, wife to Jason, takes revenge after that he betrays her by wanting to marry the princess of Corinth.

There are many fanfictions that take the after and write a story on it, for example the story of @bamsara is the after what happens when Narinder enters the cult.

On Tumblr there are also @xmajordumps and @aveloka-draws that could be taken as examples (this is for in universe stories, not for the Aus (even if they are amazing))

Tragedies also can give another image of the hero that is taken as the protagonist, Medea is not just a powerful enchantress, but is also a mother, and a foreigner woman in a world that sees her as a barbarian.

Same thing with Colt characters, the Lamb is not just a Leader that ascends as a new God, he becomes a deeply flawed person, who had to run for their whole life, now that they have the power they want revenge and create a new world.

(this doesn't necessarily comprehend the whole shipping aspect of many fanfictions, that add another layer that can make a story more complex)

This comparison is applicable on many more fandoms but I think it works better on stories with evident religious elements.

Legend of Zelda could be compared in part with myths, the whole fact that there are many versions of Link could be seen as an oral repetition of the story, which brings to different versions and interpretation (just like versions of Greek myths).

[faerywhimsy]

At the Florence + TM concert last night.

Hightlights:

The wax sculpture appeared to be a castle but was actually a gothic style altar

Florence damn near crowd surfs in a way I haven’t seen artists do since the 70s and 80s (to Hunger)

And then… and then, the encore

She sings the first song I ever heard by them, one they’ve not performed since the first tour because 1) it’s a song about the sloppy embarrassing aftermath of drinking, and 2) it’s physically hard to sing when sober (Never Let Me Go)

But we, as fans, wouldn’t. stop. listening. to it 😂 I almost cried with the opening notes, cause this was the first song I ever heard by her

She tells us there’s only one more thing she wants to ask of us before we go. "One tiny thing. We absolutely wanted to give her one last thing, right: Human sacrifices. Raise them up, raise them all up. Oh you're so eager to offer up your loved ones." I'm paraphrasing, this is basically the intro for the last song of the night which is not in the recording, but is totally where I'm coming from with feeling the pull of her cult of personality in this concert (Raise it Up).

Florence is so fucking hypnotic on stage. t’s entirely clear that’s the only place she wants to be, she claims all the attention and all I’m thinking is that, in a past life, she was some kind of cult leader. (Sounds like a certain blorbo I love a lot.) There’s something almost spiritual and devotional about the way she engages with her music and her fans that makes the altar not seem like a prop.

It was at the point where she asked for human sacrifices, my VC nonsense brain literally took over, and I grabbed my phone to see if I could actually record some of this wonderful nonsense XD

"People in the front, I see you. People in the back, up top, I see you. People in the sides, and in the middle. You have given us so much of your energy tonight Melbourne, but I don't want you to take anything home with you. Leave everything that you have here on the floor. We want every last piece of your energy. Can you give that to us? Are you ready?" 🎵 We raise it up, this offering We raise it up ... This is a gift, it comes with a price Who is the lamb and who is the knife? 🎶

All this is to say that I’m gifting my next fic with our favourite rockstar to myself, but you’re all allowed to read it.

[thorniest-rose]

I can't help but notice some dark religious undertones in Prism. Maybe it is not intentional, but watching Steve idolize Billy and Eddie feels so much like reading a story about a man torn up between directing his faith towards a ruthless, absolute, all-consuming, punishing God that claims his total devotion through pain that Steve truly believes he deserves; and whimsical, self-centered, manipulative and tempting Demon that is convincing him to handle his soul to him willingly. And that equation might result in Steve becoming either a martyr or an atheist. I'm thrilled.

So excited for tonight chapter!

God this is absolutely gorgeous, I'm completely in awe reading this!! From my POV, it definitely has religious symbolism throughout: we make a lot of references to Eddie being a kind of unholy being or twisted saint, from his cult upbringing where he was being groomed to be one of the leader's inner circle, to his narcissism and holier-than-thou attitude, to his biblical tattoos of serpents, and the way he tells Steve that he'll be his new god.

We have songs on our Prism playlist that play into this too, like the songs "Martyr" and "Scorpio Rising" for Eddie which have religious imagery. And of course there's Steve, who's literally trapped and tied in bondage between these two men... if anything Steve is just as much a biblical figure as Eddie is, he's a poor sacrificial lamb, he's a tragic masochistic figure like Saint Sebastian, who finds transcendence and transformation through physical suffering and mental torment. The song "Family Tree" by Ethel Cain on our playlist is such a perfect Steve song for this reason.

I grew up Catholic too and went to Catholic school all my life, so I love bringing in dark religious imagery into my writing ❤️❤️❤️

[ghost--girlfriend]

🫶 and 🕊 for lamb ? :) - digiships

BALL i will do my Lamb s/i but i shall also do...(spinning wheel in my head) my one with Mr. Wolf! Coincidentally. Lamb s/i is Bunny and Wolf s/i is Ms. Bunny. what can i say i love rabbits tfhyjurik 🫶: Who ended up falling first? Which of them actually realized that they’d fallen in love first? Bunny: Oh!! I hadn't actually thought of this before :o.. I'm gonna say Lamb did! With the whole. Hunt to eradicate his entire species. He can't trust anyone, except her... They're the closest to each other out of anyone they know. little freaks Ms. Bunny: Bunny did! Wolf laid on the charm. Embarrassingly it totally worked on her fgtyhjuk Bunny did have a crush on him basically from the moment they met. When the two started working together more did it move from surface level liking to genuine! And the more Wolf got to know her, did his flirting go to. ohhhhfuck i'm actually in love with her.oh noooo 🕊️: Give just a general domestic tidbit for em (things they like about each other, routines, habits, and just overall sweet stuff) Bunny: They cook together lots! Bunny is like a semi-official second leader to the Cult. When Lamb is out on crusades, the followers will look at Bunny for any instructions/guidance. Bunny can calm down Lamb and Lamb can comfort Bunny :) Ms. Bunny: post-redemption, Bunny and Wolf like to go on walks around the park together :)! pre-redemption the two don't see each other all the time, but when they do its. so flirty. god help them </3 they're not huge on pda but dont mind kissing in public(and they will) they spend nights together when they can, always snuggled together(and after redemption/the movie, they can move in together LOVE WINS)

[umbrastag]

Empty Hallways

< A written blurb for my OC Vale Merris >

< Pre-Dragonflight, Beginning-Shadowlands >

| Violence, Death, and Horror ahead writing-wise |

The Isle was shrouded by an unnatural fog that blended well with the Kul'Tiran landscape of Stormsong. Despite the strangeness of the fog, no one ventured to this isle, no one knew the island was there at this point. The ever-dim area resembled Duskwood's own seemingly permanent darkness, the sounds within were that of people. Individuals from all over Azeroth concealed by their leader's power and mastery of the Void. There were other added magics to help mask the gathering of a small mass of followers and the Void that was present within. Their numbers were steadily growing, the cult of the Shepherd holding more followers these days than anything else. Linda, a Lamb who led the followers in her master's stead hurried across the stone circle in the middle of the water on the island. Four statues rose up in various poses, crudely carved but, the image was clear. A tall humanoid figure with six eyes, a hood, and horns protruding from the sides of the head. Down into the caves that lead beneath the isle to the east, hurrying down the wooden steps into a yawning cavern lit only by purple fires in their torches posted along the walls. The currently human man, stood in the center watching as the walls carved with intricate shath'yar text rotated. A rhythmic grinding meeting the woman's ears. She moved quickly to his side, carefully shifting around the moving pieces till she came to the center standing next to her Shepherd. He stood still, quiet with various markings along his skin that burned deep into the soul. An attempt was to be made today, it was the culmination of his years of study and utter devotion to the primordial force that 'saved' him. The Shepherd was going to attempt to ascend himself into the realm of being a minor entity of which, would be no easy feat even with the madness he endured and the lessons he learned. Secluded after learning a final lesson, years away and months gone leaving the world to continue onward as he cared for his flock.

"And it is...Here I shall see if I am ready...For there is no other desire I have than to be totally whole with the Void. I will be of...Far better use when I make it to this next stage."

His smooth voice rang out, carrying over the din of the churning stone formations that began to thud into place. His six eyes looked out, somewhere beyond. Linda had seen the way he'd been the last few months, he was more distant and she saw an important transition happen for his psyche. The mortal mindset had been resolved, his mind set on the immortal perspective that loomed ahead. It was ominous to see the change, the coldness of it, and how his calculative mind eased into it all. She knew now that he had truly been hollowed out. He had become...Her emerald eyes watched on. She had been through his journey with him, watched him go from emotional to silent and dark. Empty

"... It's time."

His voice, ethereal now disturbed her thoughts and she peered up at him. His many eyes watched her, a clawed hand gesturing her away.

"Keep the vessel ready...Should I succeed...It will truly be the only thing anchoring me to this plane of existence."

"Of course...My Shepherd." Linda stepped back to her designated area watching as the room halted its shifting. The Shepherd raised his clawed hands, power erupting from him like a dam that broke, and the room was plunged into darkness before the runes in the walls erupted into a purple light. The sound of each wall ground anew, he felt the command that was asked of him and it was total...Surrender. He had to take the leap to leave the body so the Void could reshape the soul into something else. He was no longer afraid like he had in the past, the room's stone walls erupted and crumbled revealing the Void beyond. Starry, cosmic skies with darkened planets and brilliant colors. The cosmic beams that erupted from his hooded being burned the runes etched into the vessel's skin, gritting his fangs together before the body slumped and crumbled to the centerpiece on which he stood. The soul was drawn outwards, instead of being pulled to the beyond. It was so riddled with Void, that the force easily made purchases beginning to warp and change what remained. Though the stone was gone, the sound of grinding could be heard echoing even still. Linda watched with amazement though she had to shield her mind from the very raw connection to the Void here. She covered her ears, tears streaming down her face as she writhed along the odd watery surface. She didn't know what all happened after that but, when she came back into herself mentally she was surrounded by darkness. Familiar, many maws gnashing and glowing eyes took everything in while a few watched her. She looked almost terrified, the aura of her Shepherd changed. "We will return to the vessel...and prepare ourselves to return to those who remain in the Eastern Kingdoms. We are called to prepare...And to wait."

Linda bowed, knowing he had succeded but, at what cost? Clearly, he would not think as she or the others did. She would need to be his grounding rod for mortal thinking in the future she figured. "Of course...Shepherd. I will watch the flock in your stead." When she looked up, everything was silent and...She was above ground...

[edelgarfield]

@rakkikuroba don't get me wrong i love the tragedy durge + gortash too, but YEAH the fact that everyone dissects gortash + durge and totally sleeps on orin is extremely telling. in fairness I think part of that fault lies with the game itself--the narration whenever you deal with Orin is EXTREMELY angry & violent, which makes sense narratively, but like, nothing ever really balances it out? like you have to go out of your way to learn her lore, and even if you do none of the tragedy becomes apparent until you think about it. Plus she's like, definitely more "inconvenient" than gortash in that gortash will help you while orin actively taunts you & throws a giant wrench in your party comp. so like, i think just from a gameplay standpoint people are primed to dislike Orin more, like Gortash is just as bad but unless you cross him first he never does anything bad to the player (which tbh is in itself fascinating & says a lot abt their personalities)

but it's so frustrating to see her reduced to a joke abt being a poor leader or a child throwing a tantrum like. like no, she's not a good leader & yes, technically her usurping Durge's position is what led to the Absolute plot failing. but her other option was to die. she & durge have known from the moment they met than one day, one of them would kill the other, it's the inevitable fate of all bhaalspawn to kill each other until only one remains. And Durge, as the favorite, purest bhaalspawn would be the presumed winner. like can you imagine? it's unclear how old orin is, but can you imagine being raised like a lamb to the slaughter? knowing that your closest family, the only person who bhaal DOESN'T demand you kill, is going to bring you to ruin? being completely dismissed by durge's butler, the chosen of bane & myrkul, because your only purpose is to be consumed for durge's power? if orin let the Absolute plot play out unimpeded and durge gained all that power, what exactly do you think is going to happen to her? do you think durge is going to let her live while they go off and dominate the world? like yes, taking Durge out was strategically a bad move, and Orin is not a good leader, but she very clearly had a clock ticking down over her head so she did what she had to to survive for just a little longer, to make Bhaal & Sarevok proud, to prove she's more than just a pawn to be consumed.

just like so many of the companions & durge themselves, she didn't choose her bloodline, she didn't choose to be subservient to bhaal. and unlike durge, who was stated to have been raised outside the cult, orin was born in it. she literally doesn't know anything else. whatever choice she may have had has long been stripped away by years of abuse and brainwashing. she's a terrible person, yes, but she never had the choice to be anything else. all your companions have faced similar fates, slavery, indoctrination, propaganda, etc, and when they break away, they're finally given the chance to change, to carve their own path. Orin never gets away. She lives and dies beneath Bhaal's thumb, and if you tell her the truth, that Sarevok never loved her, you see exactly what happens if her loyalty to Bhaal wavers--he seizes control and brings her back under his heel.

it's heartbreaking and there's so much angst potential between them & durge. i.e. a lot of people see the prayer for forgiveness letter abt Gortash as Durge pleading to Bhaal not to hurt Gortash--i see the letter Durge writes abt Orin the same way. Durge tells her to stop focusing on who she kills and just kill as many people as possible. There's no way to know for certain, but my hc is that Durge fears if Orin is seen as unworthy in Bhaal's eyes, if people start to question why Durge keeps her around, then Bhaal will force their hands and call for them to duel. Orin is Durge's only family, Bhaal forced them to kill everyone else, and Orin is undoubtedly the person Durge has known the longest since coming to the temple, besides maybe Sceleritas.

Can you imagine how lonely it must be to ruin everything you touch? Like yes, Durge delights in killing, but to be fated to kill EVERYONE? To have nothing and no one to keep for yourself? Even if they despised each other, I have to imagine they felt some kinship with Orin just based on the fact that they've killed anyone else they may have been close to. Bhaal lets them have nothing else, look at the Prayer for Forgiveness, Durge is begging Bhaal for forgiveness for having a friend. Orin is the only exception bc of their shared blood, and even then, there's a time limit. I can't help but imagine Sceleritas making a remark about Orin's usefulness, or Bhaal being dissatisfied with her work, and Durge out of a mix of desperation and anger tells her to fall back in line, pleading for just a little more time with the only person who's been by their side through the years.

even if they fucking hated each other, Durge & Orin's relationship is so fucking tragic. Orin gives Durge a chance at freedom that she'll never see. Accidentally, yes, but it took a literal miracle for Durge to escape Bhaal's will, so it's doubtful either of them could have escaped had they wanted to. No matter what you do, no matter how much you defy Bhaal, you have to carry out his will in this instance. You have to kill Orin. If Durge deserves a chance at redemption, Orin deserves one just as much. Durge gets to be free, and be loved, and experience all the things they never could with Bhaal, but they can't grant the same chance to the one who made it possible. Of all the people you can save in the game, all the impossible things you can do to set your companions free, you can't save the person who saved you.

listen. listen. I feel So Much for Orin and I hate how ppl in fandom will write sonnets abt the tragedy of durgetash and their doomed narrative but then turn around and treat Orin like she's completely unhinged without a scrap of compassion.

she's literally the Dark Urge that never got a chance at a redemption arc, she's everything Durge used to be, except no one ever came to show her another way. she's been raised with the understanding that her fate is to kill everyone around her. Durge, the person she arguably has the most connection to, is someone she will one day be forced to consume. when you tell her that Sarevok ordered her death, she completely freaks out and Bhaal himself intervenes and forces her to transform while she screams in pain.

she's your underling, your sister, a murderer just like you, she's the only one who could ever understand what it's like, you're destined to kill each other but until that day comes she's the only person Bhaal allows you to keep, you were supposed to kill her, but she manages to drive a knife into the back of your skull, she steals everything from you including your past and in doing so gives you a second chance, she ruined you, she saved you, she's your destruction and salvation all in one, and no matter what you do she will die in chains

[jazzy-art-time]

Sidero, the chosen Lamb

Heehoo Yes I know I have a AU where some of my existing OCs are in CotL... But I wanted to make one JUST for that universe so heehoo here is Sidero! More information about her below that totally just isn’t me ripping her toyhouse description and putting it here

Sidero the Lamb Former follower of Heket. Became faithless after the Lamb Slaughter began. Choosing not to give divine faith to anyone any longer. Believing that "A true god would have no need for fear" Sidero also tries to refuse The One Who Waits, believing that a true god "would not be able to be contained" She of course, was forced into the role despite this and the Red Crown forcing her to battle anyways. Ratau tries to calm and ease Sidero's nerves about being forced into a cult leader, Sidero remains furious. Sidero refuses the role as much as possible, but The Red Crown forces her to fight and often Ratau comes to try and help more often with Cult Work. It takes a long time for her to get followers and if anything, most ironically have her beliefs that the other Bishops/The One Who Waits aren't actually gods or anything to worship.... But they worship her for "opening their eyes" It is horribly ironic and Sidero HATES it.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hi it's me again!! I rembered my idea :3

So like, Narinder is the bishop of death and, putting it lightly, death is EXTREMELY SCARY. So when he's defeated and recruited, other followers are kinda scared of him. Then the reader comes along, and they don't really care. Death as a concept never really scared them so they're totally chill with Narinder. Also maybe like... he won't say it but it's nice having somebody not be afraid of him.

(Btw can I be known as Forgetful Anon because I will be back)

As Narinder witnessed yet another elder collapse dead near the shrine, he couldn't help but lightly smirk at the followers who gasped at the sight. Some looked terrified, other sickly, and a few were mildly uncomfortable as they wondered where their beloved leader was.

'How strange, they've seen countless followers pass on, haven’t they? I would assume they'd be desensitized to it...oh well.' He just sighed, deciding to go over to prepare the body for burial.

Nobody else could be damned to.

"Out of my way." He gnashed his teeth into a snarl as he pushed past the group, ignoring their terrified stares. "Get back to work."

Obviously, he wasn't the Lamb. So it's usually not his place to give them orders.

Yet...they obeyed him out of blind fear and left him alone.

Honestly, it was nice to still be feared and revered like the fallen god once was. The Lamb was gravely mistaken if they thought he’d be subservient to their demands just because they spared his life.

Oh no.

Death bowed to no one. 

Even in this semi-mortal coil, he remained the symbol of death--the inevitable end for every living creature. 

Every follower in this cult is well-aware of who he is. They should absolutely be terrified by his presence alone-

“You know, we usually bury the dead with their gifts.”

“By the Great Ones-!!” Narinder hissed upon hearing a voice abruptly speak, snapping his head up to see you standing there with a wheelbarrow at the ready. 

Almost instantly, he calmed down, his fur becoming less bristled as he laid the skull pendant back down on the corpse’s chest. “Don’t sneak up on me like that. I was just..checking for dirt and grime.” He made up a lie.

“We polish it during funeral services.” You mentioned, which only further annoyed him. “You’d..probably know that if you attended our gatherings.”

“Well I don’t exactly feel welcomed. Besides, I already know how your rituals go. I saw them all through the crown. And don’t try to tell me “it’s different in-person”. I would only disrupt the service by scaring everyone.” He honestly didn’t know why he bothered talking to you--or why you even approached him.

Were you trying to make him look like an idiot who didn’t know the rules?

“That’s nonsense. All our welcomed in Lamb’s temple.”

He ignored that comment, instead going back to wrapping the body in bandages. You then looked down at the skull necklace, smiling. “The skull pendant is truly phenomenal. The power to extend a life..it’s incredible, isn’t it?”

“Hmph..yes..incredible at only delaying the inevitable.” He scoffed. “It doesn’t change the fact that your mortal lives will remain short..ever-fleeting.” Pausing in his work, he gazed at you ominously. Tell me something, [y/n]..”

“Yes, Narinder?”

“..do you fear death?”

“No.”

He was taken aback by your immediate response. “Really now? Not in the slightest?”

“Nope.” You smiled. “It’s easy to be scared of it, but...I’ve always seen it as a natural part of life. Of course, it’s sad when I see elders die or someone I talked to a second ago being sacrificed or sent off..but it doesn’t scare me, you know? It’s hard to explain but..I’m just indifferent to it, I guess.”

There was a long pause as Narinder stared at you; his face was stoic but his mind was in wonder. Perhaps you grew up on that doctrine: to not fear death. He could very well see it in your traits from the moment you arrived here.

That would explain why you approached him so willingly.

Because he, the epitome of death, didn’t intimidate you one bit.

“Fascinating..but what if you knew your time was running out, and you still had regrets? What then?”

“I wouldn’t dwell on them.” You shrugged. “I’d just make the most of my life and die knowing I did my best.”

“...I see.”

“Yeah, haha.” Remembering the task at hand, you gestured to the wheelbarrow. “Once you’re done I’ll take the body to the cemetery.”

“..o-oh, right. Of course. So Lamb couldn’t handle the burden of carrying their deceased anymore?” He chuffed as he tossed the wrapped body in. “It’s funny..they would’ve eagerly sacrificed this poor soul if I asked them to...if only I still had my power.”

“It is a heavy burden. So I volunteered to take it off their shoulders. And I clean all the shrines and plant new flowers on the graves if they’re wilted.” You’ll admit that you took some pride in your duties. “Care to accompany me?”

“I have nothing better to do, so I suppose I could.”

There was not an ounce of enthusiasm to be found in his voice, but you chuckled and started heading there. “Well c’mon, slow-poke. There’s a lot to be done in this cult!”

Narinder followed you silently, ignoring the confused looks of followers who stared at you, wondering why you’re chatting with Death like he was a friend,

Because whether he wanted to admit it or not..you were the only one who treated him as such.

[revchainsaw]

Ninja Assassin (2009)

I love the idea of applying horror movie logic to other kinds of things. We've had our fill of vampires and werewolves, don't get me started on zombies, but we fail to often imagine ourselves in the worlds of other genres, and comprehend just how frightening some things they present may be. In a world where highly trained killers can come out of any shadow and slaughter you without mercy, why should we limit that kind of play to only a martial arts film. Though many may disagree with the dear reverend here, I think Ninja Assassin is what happens when you apply horror movie rules to a martial arts film, and that's pretty neat! but does it do this well. Let's take a look.

The Message

Ninja Assassin is a 2009 action film that stars Korean pop star Rain as Raizo, a renegade ninja on the lamb from his vengeful and supernaturally deadly clan, the Ozunu. The Ozunu are also the target of a sharp and fearless interpol agent named Mika; as she is about to break the lid on an investigation regarding several unexplained high profile assassinations across the world. Through the events of the film the Ozunu ninja clan are agitated and become increasingly active. This over the top ninja action eventually brings Raizo and Mika together.

Mika and Raizo decide to combine her resources with his insider knowledge of the group to bring down the Ozunu clan once and for all. In a bad ass bloody spectacle all of the Interpol forces that Mika can muster are brought down by the ninja clan, and Raizo and Mika are brought face to face with Raizo's old mentor and father figure Lord Ozunu.

These events may seem rushed but actually the film intersperses them with flashbacks about the tortures and discipline Raizo went through as a ninja child growing up in this clan and being shaped into these insanely effective killing machines we have witnessed throughout the film. It also reveals how his spirit was never completely broken and bent to the will of the tribe, and his eventual rejection and escape from them.

Raizo does exact his revenge on the leader of the clan in the climactic battle, but in the melee Mika is supposedly fatally wounded. She is however spared due to a freakish medical condition that is foreshadowed earlier in the film: her heart is on the wrong side.

The Benediction

Best Sequence: They Fucked Up!

Without a doubt the scene that everyone thinks of when they think of Ninja Assassin is the sequence where Interpol attempts to commit a military style raid on the ninja clan and in turn they get absolutely fucking slaughtered. It's a pretty long sequence but you don't even really need to see the rest of the film to enjoy it. Just google Ninja Assassin Raid Scene and I'm sure you'll have a pretty good time just watching these Fed's getting fed their own asses. It's probably some of the best ninja action ever put to film.

Best Kill: Uneven Load

Somebody attempts to carry out an assassination attempt on our hero Raizo in a laundromat. Their head is later discovered when a thumping dryer starts to bleed. The dryer door is opened a a bloody head just tumbles out. It's pretty darn hilarious.

Worst Concept: Anatomy! My Only Weakness!

The heart on the right hand side thing is pretty stupid. For one thing the heart is slightly more on one side of your body but a direct shot to the chest is still pretty likely to kill you. It's a real condition called Dextrocardia but it was used as kind of a Deus ex Machina in this film, and the film makers seemed pretty proud of themselves for "foreshadowing" it in an earlier scene, and I use foreshadow very loosely.

Best Aspect: We Don't Think You're Dumb

Ninja Assassin attempts to do the Grindhouse thing that was very popular around this time, by taking a concept like Ninja Action Movie and playing up the gore and the extreme nature of the action as far as they can. I have to give the film makers props for playing the plot straight too, the bonkers grindhouse action of a movie can only be winked at so many times before it just becomes too stupid to care about. The characters can totally play the story straight and the audience doesn't need them to plant their tongues firmly in their cheeks for us to get that it's supposed to be absurd. So very good job Ninja Assassin.

Worst Effect: Look at all this ... Blood?

However, the movie would have benefitted greatly from an exorbitant amount of fake blood. buy gallons of the shit, throw it everywhere!!! please! I know it was cheaper to do the CGI blood but it looks bad and is way less fun, I want the practical effects version of this movie. I want actors slipping in the shit.

Best Effect: Shadowy Figure

A combination of CG and Camera Tricks was used frequently when our villains appeared on screen. The ninjas in this film had a power to jump in and out of shadows, to almost teleport using darkness, to watch the silhouettes of the assassins materialize from every dark corner and narrowly cast shadow was a pretty freaking sweet and unique little touch that added a lot to the menace the ninja clan represented.

Best Concept: Their Ninja Way!

As mentioned earlier the Ninja in Ninja Assassin are a lot less like a group of martial artists, or poor farmers rebelling against samurai warlords like in history. These Ninja are the way you thought about them when you were 7 years old. They are almost a category of mythical being, like a vampire or a Pegasus. They have their own distinct look, powers, and rules. I really wish we had gotten a sequel or a spin off of this. The way Ninja operate in this film is so damn American, and so damn fantastic. It's utterly absurd but that's just what the doctor ordered in a dumbed down action flick. I want to see more of these kinds of Ninja.

Summary

Ninja Assassin is a movie that sadly, you will not hear many people bring up. Everyone was talking about it for like a week after it came out and then it disappeared. That's not terribly hard to understand. Raizo is not a particularly distinct character, and in a world where Anime is so readily available to give audiences this kind of over the top ninja action, this hour or so long film really doesn't stand out. I sincerely believe if it had relied more on solid landing action choreography and practical effects for it's violence it would have had more of an impact on audiences. But it's as fleeting and material as a spray of computer generated blood, and that's a shame. I think we should petition to get Raizo put into the Mortal Kombat games, because that is exactly where he belongs. I predict that cult film status will eventually find it's way to this movie, once the kids who saw this when they were far to young, finally start making movies.

Overall Grade: C