#priest 3.0

[humanmutate]

guy who gifs his own concert videos. drink pabst!

[dansedan]

Bewitched by a bizarre cyborg

[black-arcana]

Watch: HALESTORM's LZZY HALE Surprises Cover Band By Joining Them For 'Here's To Us' Duet

HALESTORM singer Lzzy Hale surprised a cover band at JBJ's Nashville Thursday night (June 27) by joining them on stage for a version of the HALESTORM song "Here's To Us".

YouTube user xSacramentofLove, who uploaded video of Hale's appearance, wrote in a description accompanying the clip: "Stopped in to check out Jon Bon Jovi's new Nashville bar last night, this really awesome cover band was playing. They started playing a crowd request for HALESTORM's 'Here's To Us', when Lzzy Hale herself surprises the band and they end up doing a duet!"

The members of HALESTORM are also no strangers to covering other people's songs, having released three cover EPs so far, including the latest one, "ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP", which came out in January 2017.

In the summer of 2022, HALESTORM shared its covers of Adele's "Hello" and Dolly Parton's "Jolene" via social media.

In 2011, HALESTORM released the six-track "ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP", which saw them take on tracks by SKID ROW, Lady Gaga, TEMPLE OF THE DOG, GUNS N' ROSES, HEART and THE BEATLES. Two years later, the "ReAniMate 2.0: The CoVeRs eP" featured covers of JUDAS PRIEST, DAFT PUNK, AC/DC, Pat Benatar, FLEETWOOD MAC and Marilyn Manson.

The aforementioned "ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP" saw HALESTORM covering classic songs by WHITESNAKE, Sophie B. Hawkins, JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, TWENTY ONE PILOTS, SOUNDGARDEN and METALLICA.

Back in 2017, HALESTORM bassist Josh Smith spoke to RingRocker.com about how he and his bandmates go about picking which songs to record for their series of covers EPs. "We start out with basically everyone… Our team… Oh my God! My dad finds out that we're doing a cover album, all I get is texts: 'Oh, you should do this.' But anyone… anyone who finds out we're doing a covers album, all of a sudden you're just getting this crazy list," he said. "So it literally starts out with e-mails of lists and lists, and somehow, over months, we kind of whittle down our list until we get to a short list of maybe ten songs or less. And then we record 'em and see what works and see what we like."

He continued: "Now, after the first one, we sort of followed a similar formula with the second one in that it's very generational — we have a song from '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, a contemporary pop song… So that was a nice way to pick our songs. Really, that has been the template."

According to Josh, there is at least one added benefit to covering other people's songs when it comes to HALESTORM working on original material. He explained: "What's really cool is that when we do pick these songs, they really do influence us, because it's Songwriting and Performing 101. Where you have to deconstruct a song — a legendary song, essentially — you deconstruct it, and then rebuild it to how it works for us. And it really influences us in a lot of ways."

Added drummer Arejay Hale: "When we did 'Slave To The Grind' [from SKID ROW], we were, like, 'Oh, man! We need a song like this.' And then we wrote 'Love Bites', which is pretty much just off the feel of 'Slave To The Grind'. It's cool, 'cause we used to do that. We used to do three- or four-hour shows with covers and originals. And you're right — it is like training. And I always recommend that for newer artists, younger artists that wanna learn how to play drums or guitar. I always say the best way to really get good and learn how to develop your own style is to learn the styles of other people and learn other songs that you like or that challenge you. And it kind of makes you think differently. It's, like, 'Oh, this guy did these chords,' or, 'This guy played this kind of groove.' 'I bet I can do that in an original song.' So, yeah, it's kind of like training."

Arejay and his sister Lzzy (vocals, guitar) formed the band in 1998 while in middle school. Guitarist Joe Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by Smith in 2004.

[inspofromancientworld]

Non-food Gardens

While the change to settled agriculture during the Neolithic Revolution initially focused on food crops, it wasn't long until people began to keep gardens that were for pleasure and/or medicinal in nature. The ones that we remember are those that were set up by rulers.

By Noah Wiener , Hanging Gardens of Babylon … in Assyrian Nineveh - http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/hanging-gardens-of-babylon-in-assyrian-nineveh/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57158048

One of the oldest, though it may be a thing of legend rather than strictly history, is the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which are supposed to have been built by Nebuchadnezzar II, who reigned between 605-562 BCE, for his wife Queen Amytis, who missed the green of her homeland of Media. The first record that we have of them is from 290 BCE by a Babylonian priest named Berossus. They've also been attributed to a legendary queen Semiramis. Some now think that they are actually the gardens of Sennacherib, who reigned from 704-681 BCE, in Nineveh. Part of the reasoning for this is that the the gardens in Nineveh have been found in the archaeological record, Babylon was used for many cities, even Nineveh itself, because it means 'Gate of the Gods' and was seen as a proper name for the place where the king reigned, and Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar left quite a bit of documentation and only Sennacherib records building them, including describing the screw system to bring water up to the gardens. They were considered a year-round lush green oasis that also spurred improved water supply to Nineveh to keep the gardens blooming.

By Chamal N - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4499684

In Sri Lanka, the remains of a fortress called Sigiriya or Sinhagiri (which means Lion Rock and is written in Sinhala as සීගිරිය and in Tamil as சிகிரியா/சிங்ககிரி). With in this fortress is one of the oldest gardens in the world. There are three sections in the gardens, water, cave and boulder, and terraced gardens. These gardens are well preserved and we can see the planning of the gardens. These gardens were inhabited probably going back to prehistory, possibly as far back as 3000 BCE. In the 3rd century BCE, Buddhist monks began to occupy the area. In about 477 CE, King Kashyapa killed his father and took the throne. To have a more secure capital, he built a city on the top of the 200m tall rock, including the gardens. Many of the conduits in the water gardens are still working and help move water, especially during the rainy seasons.

By This file was donated to Wikimedia Commons as part of a project by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. See the Image and Data Resources Open Access Policy, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60935732

Egypt had a rich culture of gardens, which probably started as a blend of fruit orchards and vegetable gardens, which gradually added flowers, ponds, and shade trees. These gardens were kept and tended in time with the rise and fall of the Nile, with the flooding of the Nile, then with canals or with water carried from the Nile in buckets. Pharaohs like Hatshepsut and Ramses III brought plants back from conquests to plant in gardens. In the New Kingdom (1552-1296 BCE), pleasure gardens moved began to be kept by the upper class, not just the ruler. They also began the practice of botanical gardens, which are a type of garden meant for education, research, conservation, or education. They even created models of gardens to be put in tombs of those who passed. A lot of work and knowledge went into keeping gardens in ancient Egypt, from carrying water, through to the manual propagation of date palms, and to protecting the garden from weeds and invading birds.

[jaypea00101010]

The Priest Class Update!

Level 1-5 playtest V2.0 (well, V2.1) is out now!!

Edit: Now on Version 3.0

The Priest is a highly customisable point-based, divine spellcaster

You can choose your casting stat: Intelligence to play a religious scholar, a theologist who knows all there is to know about your faith; Wisdom to play a wise elder, more in touch with the world; or Charisma to enact the will of your patron on earth, letting you speak with the authority of a god.

You can choose your Diety's Domain, granting you a small feature and spells when you reach certian levels: Death to gain necrotic powers, helping you halt healing; Hearth to help aid those around you, warming them with your presence; Life to become a beacon of vitality, glowing and extending the reach of your healing, or Sky to gain extra maneuverability around the field.

You also have two subclasses!

Method of Worship lets you choose your spellcasting focus, and help with different kinds of spells: Prayer helping your healing, Song your concentration spells, and Study your Rituals.

Finally you have your Divine Calling, determining your playstyle and also granting extra spells: Cultist, encouraging you to debuff your enemies and damaging them by doing so; and Oracle, granting features that let you screw around with initiative order, and buff your allies a bit more.

If any of that sounds interesting, come check it out, would love to hear your thoughts!!

[constellariums]

FFXIVWrite Day #4: Reticent & Wolchefant Week Day #4: Nameday

Rating: T

Pairing: Warrior of Light/Haurchefant Greystone, Warrior of Light & Artoirel de Fortemps

Description: The Warrior of Light looks for Haurchefant in all the places he isn't.

Notes: Major character death, 3.0 spoilers. This one hurts, just putting that out there.

Read on AO3

She doesn't know why, but she's found herself at the cathedral again, nestled in an otherwise empty back-row pew, hoping no one notices she's there.

The priest, tall and eloquent and dressed in the usual proper Halonic frippery, is speaking typical words of how the Fury's Gaze, benevolent and just, is always cast upon them all, or something. Frankly, she's only half-listening. Her eyes are on the shards of golden yellow in the stained glass windowpanes behind him, the spear in the Fury's hand, the altar where at one time there lay a long wooden box with a gentle face in it that looked as if he were simply resting--

She sucks in a sudden breath, her chest tightening. She shouldn't have come here. Did she draw attention to herself? She looks around, eyes darting to and fro to scan the churchgoers in front of her -- no, they are all listening to the sermon, finding comfort in the priest's words, or bowing their heads in silent, solitary prayer. True believers, real Ishgardians. Unlike her.

He'd believed in Halone until his dying breath, hadn't he? Known that his soul, offered up in noble defense, would come to rest in Her hallowed halls. If it hadn't been her, it would have been someone else, wouldn't it have been -- a knight lives to serve, to aid those in need...

But if the Fury were real, were a true deity worth believing in -- would She not have let one of her faithful die at the hands of a weapon that so keenly imitated Her power and glory? Would She not have intervened?

She clenches the fabric of her long coat, struggling to remain calm until the sermon is over. But it is-- is difficult. She has not felt calm in months.

By the time the first half of the sermon ends and the congregants begin to rise from their seats for a shared prayer, she is nearly shaking. She makes her way out of the cathedral as orderly as possible but finds herself unable to prevent herself from dashing out the door, her body trying to flee the clenching in her chest -- the desperate, futile grasping of her heart for a piece of itself that still belongs but is now gone, not here, not anywhere --

She isn't looking where she is going, apparently, for suddenly she finds herself crashing into a broad chest, then stumbling backwards in embarrassment, stammering apologies.

A soft, familiar voice speaks her name, laced with concern, and for a moment she holds her breath... but then she looks up and finds that, no, it is only Artoirel, dressed in some of his finer attire, looking at her with open worry.

Is she truly that much of a mess today?

"Oh... Artoirel, my apologies," she sighs, bringing a hand to her temple, as if what she felt were simply a headache she could sleep off or soothe away. "I thought to attend a service, but... I'm afraid I'm not feeling well," she mumbles, offering an appeasing grimace.

The new Count de Fortemps frowns, looking at her with stern consideration. "If that is the case," he offers carefully, "might I accompany you back to the manor?"

There's no need, she opens her mouth to say, but then as he adds softly, "I have not forgotten today's date either," she finds herself curling her lips inward and nodding, taking the arm he offers her though her eyes point down at her feet.

It was a decently long walk across the Hoplon from Saint Reymanaud's to Fortemps Manor, and today is a rare sunny day, though the wind blows cold as ever. He escorts her across the deserted walkways, and for a few long moments she finds herself lost for words, though this is nothing new -- she knows she's been quiet for months.

"I was going to the cathedral as well," Artoirel says, breaking the silence; she nods, feeling somewhat guilty for changing his plans. "But by the look of you, I suppose he isn't there, is he," he murmurs listlessly.

She feels the bile rise in her chest -- the acrid pressure of grief that won't seem to leave her no matter what she does. Blinking back tears that would refuse to come anyway, she shakes her head.

"No," she says, though her voice comes out raw. He briefly squeezes her hand which is holding his arm, but says nothing, and they walk on in shared silence.

They arrive outside the doors of Fortemps Manor, the posted guards standing at attention, greeting them both. They untangle their arms and Artoirel opens the door and she follows, though she isn't sure this is where she wants to be either -- but it's the closest thing she has to a home right now. It's empty at the moment, save for the two of them; Lord Edmont left early to advise Lord Aymeric on some matter of governance, and Emmanellain is sitting in the seat his brother left him, trying his best to fill shoes that no one rightly can.

"I... do not claim to be good at these sorts of things," Artoirel concedes, bowing his head as he says her name, "but I do not think he would wish you to spend this occasion alone."

Artoirel is right, she knows -- he would want her to spend this day like he'd want her to spend all of her days if she could; greeting them with a smile. Remembering him fondly, perhaps, drawing strength and purpose from having known him, believing his kind, loving heart is still with her.

But it's so much, and he didn't know -- couldn't possibly have known how much he was asking her for. Could he have gone on smiling in a world where she'd died for him?

It is her turn to bow her head, trying to find the appropriate words, to get them to balance on her tangled tongue. "...He wouldn't," she finds herself agreeing, giving the man before her a meaningful look. He nods, and leads her into the drawing room, dismissing the steward inside and, after a moment's consideration, pulling out a bottle of spirits from behind the bar.

"It was his favorite," he says quietly. She knows; recognizes the bottle of Daniffen's Joy immediately. She'd brought him one once, though she had simply delivered it on another's behalf -- several months later, he'd shared a toast to celebrate clearing her name with the Ul'dahn Syndicate from the same bottle, he'd rationed and cherished it so much. "Mayhap we could give him an offering," Artoirel suggests, looking her over, trying to read her clearly complicated expression.

"He would like that very much," she answers quietly, walking over to join him. She picks out a glass from the rack behind the bar -- the kind he'd drank from with her before, one she thinks he will like. Would like.

His brother seems to let out a held breath at this, and breaks the seal on the bottle, going to pour a measure into the glass. He stops almost as soon as he does, reconsidering. "You should do the honors, I think," he says, offering her the bottle. She nods, gathering herself, and all but fills the glass with the strong spirits, giving him enough for a full night of the kind of revelry he would deserve.

"Ha," Artoirel laughs, though there's only a hint of mirth in it, "you know, this stuff is worth a veritable fortune. I can only imagine the look on his face if you handed him that much."

"He deserves it," she says, "he can drink the whole damn bottle himself if he wants."

Artoirel nods, his eyes reflecting clear emotion, and she looks at him rather seriously, not wavering. "...Aye, that he does," he agrees finally, then pulls out a couple of short glasses, takes the bottle from where she's left it on the bartop and pours them each a more reasonable amount. "To keep him company," he says, offering her a glass.

He isn't here, she knows this -- but she takes the glass anyway, looking his brother in the eyes. They're the same color, and almost the same shape, and if anything about Artoirel's affect was at all like his she might have a harder time looking at him; but instead it just feels strange, seeing faint hints of the man she still loves in these kind, difficult people who took her in, who she now calls family. Like fragments and reflections of him are still around.

He isn't here, but they both sit at the bar and take their sips as if he were -- and the moment the familiar taste of the liquor hits her tongue she feels heat flood her face, and suddenly her vision is blurring. Artoirel swims above her, taking the glass from her hand and placing a hand on her shoulder, peering in to see if she's alright; but she's not, of course she's not, and all the tears she's pent up for gods know how long it's been since the last time she let herself cry over him are flooding out of her in a sudden torrent.

"It's his nameday, Artoirel," she chokes out between sobs, her chest raw and empty where he should be, "he should be here with-- with the happiest godsdamned smile on his face when he sees the surprise party I've planned-- the presents I've made sure you stubborn fools of a family have brought him for once--"

"I know," he says, his ever-measured voice breaking. "If I could-- could only have a chance to make things up to him somehow, I--"

It's too late for any of this from either of them, she knows -- but it's all they can do, crying and lamenting over what could have been, what rightly should have been. It's none of their fault he's gone; he made this decision, would have given his life for any number of people he loved and perhaps even some he didn't -- but even though she's moved past blaming herself or anyone she gives a damn about for his death, even him, she can't help but feel in her bones that this is wrong, that something surely could have been done differently, could have kept him here by her side.

She hasn't seen Artoirel cry before, though she knows he has, she's seen him composing himself, seen the telltale redness around his eyes. And well, she can't exactly see much through her tears like this, but she can hear the quiet sounds coming from him, and suddenly needing more than anything someone to share in her pain, she reaches out between them and takes his hand in hers, squeezing it tightly.

A whimper comes from the man beside her as he grips her hand in return, and now they are both sobbing, Artoirel's head in his hand against the bartop, hers much the same. She mourns for the man she still loves, and the future he deserved to live with her -- he mourns for the brother he should have loved far more, not realizing what he'd lost until it was too late.

The glass they'd set out for Haurchefant overflows on the counter between them, unnoticed for now but never forgotten.

[blackestnight]

19. What values do they not share? How do they reconcile those differences?

my facetious answer is "a fantasy police chief married a murder-happy vigilante assassin, so everything, and they don't," but a) the latter half of heavensward is a pretty good indication that aymeric is only lawful in the sense of sticking to his own moral code, and b) it's me so of course i have a long answer

the thing is a lot of their core values are exactly the same: they value personal freedom over state power, and painful truth over regimes built on harm. the big difference is how they go about enforcing those values. with the exception of The Time He Staged A Coup, aymeric would rather work from within the law to change it, whereas hanami's first reflex is to burn the whole thing down and start over. aymeric doesn't necessarily agree with her usual modus operandi—while he recognizes the need for it, especially in cases of imminent danger to herself or to bystanders—and he can't exactly argue with her results thus far. hanami is of the opinion that aymeric's way is too slow and coddles too many self-important tyrants who need a good beating in a dark alley, which is why she doesn't get involved in ishgardian politics. or politics in general. most people know better by now than to invite her to stuffy meetings.

hanami: fuck the temple knights sidurgu: you literally married the lord commander hanami: yeah, i said i fuck him

most of it boils down to the fact that aymeric values the comfort and emotional wellbeing of people outside his immediate social circle, such as The General Ishgardian Populace, whereas hanami does not give a damn. basically every storyline he's been in since the end of 3.0 has been "how can i ensure this transition to a brand new form of government and complete uprooting of the foundations of our national faith doesn't entirely upset the mental states of the entire coerthan population," where as hanami is like "lol why bother." as far as she's concerned, emotional discomfort has never killed anyone.

you'd think endwalker would make her eat her words a bit, but you'd be wrong, as she is still a raging bitch (affectionate) who delights in scaring the pants off any priest she looks at.

at the very least, hanami makes an active effort to curb some of her, uh, nastier impulses, particularly where civilians are concerned. aymeric compromises by listening to her vent in private, and by turning a blind eye to her dark knight moonlighting where he has to. he trusts her judgement, even if he can't always officially condone her actions. maybe not the healthiest thing but they make it work.

also, i don't know if i'd classify it as a clash in values, but: religion. aymeric's overdue for a crisis of faith and hanami has made it clear that that sucks, and she understands he's having a rough time, but please do not try to talk to her about it, it'll open a whole can of vipers that she has been burying deep in her psyche for many years regarding her own trauma and disconnect from her family's faith, please just go get drunk and talk to lucia, i cannot help you, you do not want me to try, i'll make you tea after.

[maegalkarven]

Random facts about June (priest of Selûne version):

- He is 41.

- Visually is calm and collected. Actually he's mostly just numb.

- He was the one who propositioned sex to Gortash, bc Father Bhaal said "go create more bhaalspawn" and June Really Didn't Want to. So he decided to go by the path of the lesser evil and chose the one specimen he could (somewhat) trust with his body.

- It backfired when June fell for Gortash. (Bloody idiot.)

- He didn't tell anyone about the urges and successfully hid and lied about Alfira's body. The only one who knows the truth about that is Astarion, who was returning to the camp then he saw June commit the most gruesome murder he has ever seen.

- June started to cry during the first sex scene with Astarion and couldn't stop (freaking Astarion out). He couldn't possibly explain what got to him.

- June is generally on ace spectrum of sexuality. He's only comfortable with and enjoys sex when there's emotional attachment present.

- He hates murder, hates blood, hates his urges. Convinced himself only serving Selûne can save him from himself, but even that doesn't help.

- Is a good liar and generally very manipulative without meaning to.

- His name and surname were given to him by his foster parents. He didn't remember them even pre-tadpole.

- His servitude to Selûne is very transactional: he frees Aylin and cleans the Shadowcurse and Selûne helps him defy his father and survive.

- Aylin calls him little brother.

- June uses Selûne's help in a fight with Cazador when Astarion gets seriously hurt, which leaves him completely defenceless against Bhaal in the confrontation with him. (Idiot 2.0)

- He is polygamous.

- Refuses Gortash's alliance, destroys the Iron Throne, The Foundry and later tadpoles Gortash. Refuses to kill him. Tells Karlach she'll have to kill him too then if she's so eager. (Idiot 3.0)

- Post-game sneaks out of the city with Gortash and Astarion. Their first destination - Lenore's tower in the Underdark. They'll figure things out from there.

- He is convinced what he without urges = good person. That is not actually true.

-Booksmart with a keen talent for infernal magic.

[panicsdemonically]

Character 3.0

Writers Note: This is one of my many Monoliths; a Monolith is a monster of my making so feel free to ask questions. A post outlining the details of Monoliths will be made in the future.

Name: Iulian Xanthus

Fandom: None

Species: Monolith

Literal Age: 940

Birth Month: Jun. (Gemini

Sex/Gender: Cic Male (he/him)

Sexuality: Demi Bi

Family: None

Nationality: Italian

Occupation: Catholic Priest

Affiliated colors: Golden Rod Yellow #DAA520

______________________________________________________________ Personality A man truly walking the path of righteousness. Never would he commit a crime or sin- unless it fits into his agenda. Iulian to his community is seen as a well-balanced man standing firm on his beliefs without treading on others. Open-minded, while having stern standards for himself and others who follow him. Giving off an air of confident authority he rarely flaunts. Being charismatic and gentlemanly is essential for his role and persona. Behind the scenes though, when the mask falls, he's just a malicious manipulator. He pulls the wool over the eyes of his flock and will sacrifice them in a heartbeat to get what he wants. And what he wants, is power.

_____________________________________________________________

Physical Appearance

Monoliths have varying control over their appearance depending on their experience and how long they’ve been a Monolith. Their True Forms are bestial and range in size and shape.

Human: Just some old preacher man, nothing to see. A fair-skinned man, physical age appears to be early to mid 40's, height 5'11, weight estimated 180ish. His eyes are golden brown with hair dyed silvery gray to add to his older man persona, giving the illusion of aging. His natural hair color is honey blonde and can be found on other parts of his body, but it's easily hidden under clothes. The feature that disrupts his peaceful persona the most is a deep scar on the left side of his face. Spanning from the top of his brow bone to below his bottom lip. The scar tugs his upper lip into a permanent sneer easily if he's not paying attention, and has damaged his left eye, giving some people an insight into his true judgmental nature. His physique is lean with a subtle tone left behind from his younger years spent doing hard labor. His back and shins are marked with old scars left behind from disciplinary lashes and self-inflicted repent practices.

Half-form: This can be any combination of his typically hidden features depending on his mood. Feathers, glowing eyes, sharp claws, pointed ears, etc. He can choose to show these at will, however, at times when he’s overwhelmed by emotion these features will begin to seep through unintentionally.

Full monster: He's protective of his "angelic" identity, never truly showing the full spectacle unless necessary or forced to. Standing on digitigrade avian legs he gains an extra foot of height, putting him at 6'11". Lacking feathers on most of his pail pigmentation can be seen primarily on his limbs and stripes along his lower stomach, ribs, and neck. A golden blonde main of feathers covers his head starting from his hairline and trailing down to mid back where it would join his wings. The feathers begin again and flare at the base of a thin whip-like tail with large feathers decorating the tip. His head is reminiscent of a vulture with three sets of golden eyes, long pointed ears, a mouth full of sharp teeth, and a long tongue. His digits have sharp talons used for gripping and gashing. Three sets of wings span from his back, their sizes ranging from top to bottom being medium, large, and small. his upper and lower sets are used for coverings for his face and groin more than flight.

Writers Note: There is an NSFW version attached to the Twitter post linked.

______________________________________________________________

Likes/Dislikes Likes: Botony, red wine, vinal music, monologing

Dislikes: Animals, hubris, rain, taxidermy

______________________________________________________________

Spells Spells must be learned and practiced to master. Due to Iulian's head injury leading up to becoming a Monolith- he has forgotten all completed spells he once knew.

______________________________________________________________

Skills Something the character has worked on perfecting physically, mentally, or academically Herbology: Iulian has extensive knowledge and collections on herbs and their abilities. He uses this to craft medicinal tinctures and poisons when needed.

Swordsmen: Iulian spent time learning the art of sword fighting and dueling. he's most proficient with rapiers.

______________________________________________________________

Monolithic Power Monoliths have signature abilities unique to them requiring no learning outside of practice. Siphon: Iulian's deep well of magical energy allows him to concentrate it in its purest form without a spell or casting aid. He can only use a fraction of this power in his human form, only allowing him to activate it once physical contact has been made. When using all three of his eyes he can focus a finer point on an object or individual within a 30ft radius. The effects of this power vary depending on the intended use:

If given to someone with no magic or low magical resistance they burn up from the inside out.

If used on someone with depleted magic, it can rejuvenate.

If his magic is low he can steal from someone else. but if he takes too much, it can have adverse effects.

This power can be resisted by moving out of his way or hiding. Breaking his concentration can also cancel out his power.

______________________________________________________________

Extras

Adding to his persona are his cane and glasses, neither of which he needs. His golden brown eyes are impeccably sharp, and his limp is real but manageable without tools thanks to his monolithic healing.

He weighs less than a grown man of his age and height should. This is due to bone density. It aids in his ability to fly but makes him fragile.

Once every few months he molts, causing his skin to feel itchy and his mood to sour when in his human form.

His weapon of choice is the slender hidden sword within his cane.

[wikiuntamed]

On this day in Wikipedia: Sunday, 28th April

Welcome, fáilte, καλωσόρισμα (kalosórisma), fàilte 🤗 What does @Wikipedia say about 28th April through the years 🏛️📜🗓️?

28th April 2021 🗓️ : Death - El Risitas El Risitas, Spanish comedian (b. 1956) "Juan Joya Borja (5 April 1956 – 28 April 2021), better known by his stage name El Risitas (English: The Giggles), was a Spanish comedian and actor. He gained widespread popularity in 2015 thanks to a series of memes based on a television interview recorded in 2007 on Jesús Quintero's TV show Ratones..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0? by Alflink999

28th April 2019 🗓️ : Death - John Singleton John Singleton, American film director (b. 1968) "John Daniel Singleton (January 6, 1968 – April 28, 2019) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer. He made his feature film debut writing and directing Boyz n the Hood (1991), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, becoming, at age 24, the first African..."

Image licensed under CC BY 2.0? by Canadian Film Centre from Toronto, Canada. Cropped and color-corrected prior to upload by Daniel Case

28th April 2014 🗓️ : Death - Idris Sardi Idris Sardi, Indonesian violinist and composer (b. 1938) "Muhammad Idris Sardi (June 7, 1938 – April 28, 2014) was an Indonesian violinist and composer. Idris Sardi was born on June 7, 1938, to Sardi, an Indonesian composer, and Hadidjah, an Indonesian actress. Idris learned to play the violin when he was six years old. At age 10, he performed in public..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0? by Crisco 1492

28th April 1974 🗓️ : Birth - Dominic Matteo Dominic Matteo, Scottish footballer and journalist "Dominic Matteo (born 28 April 1974) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a defender and midfielder in a 17-year professional career from 1992 to 2009. He made a total of 366 league and cup appearances, of which 276 were in the Premier League. Matteo played for Liverpool,..."

28th April 1924 🗓️ : Birth - Blossom Dearie Blossom Dearie, American singer and pianist (d. 2009) "Margrethe Blossom Dearie (April 28, 1924 – February 7, 2009) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She had a recognizably light and girlish voice. Dearie performed regular engagements in London and New York City over many years and collaborated with many musicians, including Johnny Mercer, Miles..."

28th April 1819 🗓️ : Birth - Ezra Abbot Ezra Abbot, American scholar and academic (d. 1884) "Ezra Abbot (April 28, 1819, Jackson, Maine – March 21, 1884, Cambridge, Massachusetts) was an American biblical scholar...."

Image by Unknown authorUnknown author

28th April 🗓️ : Holiday - Christian feast day: Louis de Montfort "Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (French pronunciation: [lwi maʁi ɡʁiɲɔ̃ də mɔ̃fɔʁ]), TOSD (31 January 1673 – 28 April 1716) was a French Catholic priest known for his preaching and his influence on Mariology. He was made a missionary apostolic by Pope Clement XI. Montfort wrote a number of books..."

Image by Неизвестный автор

[xtruss]

Thousands Attend Service at Kiev-Pechersk Lavra as Monks Brace For Eviction By “War Criminal, Fascist, Thug and Zionist Zelensky Regime”

Ukrainian Orthodox Church parishioners and priests gather for service at the Kiev-Perchersk Lavra, one of the holiest shrines of Orthodoxy. — Sputnik International. © Photo: Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Earlier this month, authorities ordered monks from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, one of the oldest, largest and historically most significant Orthodox Christian shrines in the world, to leave its grounds by March 29. The Russian Orthodox Church, the World Council of Churches and Ukrainian opposition leaders slammed the Zelensky government over the move.

Thousands of Orthodox believers gathered at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra for prayers on Sunday.

"A powerful prayer resounds in the Holy Monastery. The world lives not by talk, but by prayer. I call on you, brothers and sisters, to pray for our brethren so that they may perform their service here and offer their prayers in the future," Metropolitan Onufriy, primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) said during the service.

Onufriy and others held special prayers for peace, both for the Lavra and for Ukraine.

Russia Alerts UN, OSCE to Ukraine's Plan to Evict Monks From Holy Orthodox Christian Site! "Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sent letters on March 14 to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and OSCE Chairman-in-Office Bujar Osmani, in which he drew their attention to blatant violations of human and constitutional rights of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine," the ministry said. CC BY-SA 3.0/Falin/Kiev Pechersk Lavra (March 14, 2023)

Sunday’s service could be the last one held there by Ukrainian Orthodox Church priests ahead of the deadline for monks to leave the monastery by Wednesday. The National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Preserve, the state-owned museum complex subordinate to Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture, ordered monks out of the monastery’s buildings and facilities earlier this month, citing an alleged breach of contract on their use.

The Kiev-Pechersk Lavra is one of the most significant if not the most significant holy grounds of Eastern Orthodoxy, and was founded in the 11th century. The remains of revered Orthodox saints, as well as famous historical figures, are buried here. In 1990, the religious complex was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.

The Lavra has for centuries been in use by and associated with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. The church came under growing pressure ever since the violent coup in Kiev in February 2014, which overthrew the country’s government and ultimately gave rise to the present crisis.

Ukrainian Opposition Leader: Zelensky Regime Won't Be Able to Destroy Orthodox Faith! The Ukrainian people have been robbed of their tongue, both Russian and Ukrainian. Russian, native to millions of Ukrainians, was declared the language of invaders and traitors. Ukrainian has been perverted to such an extent that it has lost its roots, musicality and meaning. © Sputnik/Стрингер/Go to the mediabank (March 03, 2023)

In 2018, the Ukrainian government created a state-backed rival to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, in an attempt to sever centuries of links between Russian and Ukrainian churches and believers.

After the escalation of the crisis in the Donbass into a full-blown conflict between Russia and Ukraine backed by NATO last year, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church came under immense pressure from the Zelensky regime over its alleged 'pro-Russian' links and attitudes. In November, Ukrainian lawmakers introduced a bill calling for the Church to be banned outright, calling it a "threat to national security" and accusing it of "anti-Ukrainian and subversive activities." President Zelensky signed a decree in December imposing sanctions against clergy of any religious organization with ties to Russia.

The Church's leaders have sought to maintain neutrality, with Onufriy characterizing the conflict between the Russian and Ukrainian peoples as "a repetition of the sin of Cain" and calling for peace.

The crackdown on the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra has drawn criticism from Moscow, Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church and the World Council of Churches.

World Council of Churches Concerned About Oppression of Monks in Kiev-Pechersk Lavra! "It is unfortunate that such actions – including with regard to the UOC's monastic community of the ancient Dormition Kiev Caves Lavra – appear to target the church itself. The actions being taken against the UOC do appear to raise genuine questions with regard to respect for freedom of religion or belief," Pillay said in a statement. CC0 / Peter Williams/WCC/Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay (March 17, 2023)

Former Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk characterized authorities' ultimatum for monks to vacate the monastery as a sacrilegious "gangster-style takeover," saying that "even during the Nazi occupation, the parishes of the canonical Orthodox Church were not closed" as Kiev authorities are threatening to do today.

Some church officials have expressed defiance, with Monastery Abbot Metropolitan Pavel saying in a recent video addressed to President Zelensky that monks would not leave the monastery by the deadline because they were allowed to settle there by the Supreme Council and government of Ukraine.

More than 70 percent of Ukrainians consider themselves Orthodox Christians, with the Moscow Patriarchate accounting for about half of them, and the Church maintaining the largest number of religious buildings in Ukraine – over 11,000 parishes, 53 dioceses, 262 monasteries, attended to by more than 4,600 monks and over 12,500 clergymen.

[bikeorbob]

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day 2023 my sister, brother, and I are named after famous Irish politicians and actress. Robert Emmett 1778-1803 Patrick Pearce 1879-1916 Siobhan Mckenna 1922-1986 Our father was 100% Irish Frank O’Brian Nehin Jr. and our mother was 100% Ukrainian Patricia Jane Nehin. We grew up with both customs of Northern European and Eastern European cultures. Mom was a ballerina and Dad was an advertising and design guru. Our parents loved Siobhan McKenna’s acting and named my sister after her. My brother and I were given our names by my dad’s friend who was a priest as the shock of a double breach birth and low weight (2.5 / 3.0 lbs.), we were not expected to survive and we were baptized in the hospital so names were given to us for the sacrament. My dad’s aunt Erie Nehin said that we needed a proper baptism so we were baptized at Saint Mark’s Catholic Church as our family was one of the founding members. We share Irish 🇮🇪, Ukrainian 🇺🇦, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic cultures and customs. There is more to being Irish than celebrating for a day and more to Ukrainian than the war. Culture, History, Politics, Art, and Food carries who we are. Siobhan is a brilliant designer of advertising and gardens, Patrick is brilliant at Branding and Luxury Packaging, and me I work in multiple industries, design, construction, branding, marketing, communication, renovation, and Vintage Airstream Trailers. Everyone is Irish ☘️ on Saint Patrick’s Day to all Cheers. Irish Blessing: May your days be many and your troubles be few, May all God's blessings descend upon you, May peace be within you, May your heart be strong, May you find what you're seeking wherever you roam. and the insight to know when you're going too far. May you have love that never ends, lots of money, and lots of friends. #saintpatricksday #eringobragh #everyoneisirishtoday #heritage #whoweare #siobhan #robert #patrick #irish #ukranian (at 30-A Santa Rosa Beach) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp5rY6Ou91M/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[inspofromancientworld]

Legendary Creatures: Angels and Demons

By This file was donated to Wikimedia Commons as part of a project by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. See the Image and Data Resources Open Access Policy, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60913896

Angels and demons are creatures that are subservient to monotheistic gods and likely came the spirits and daemons (evil spirits) assigned to various natural phenomena by polytheistic and animistic belief systems becoming subservient to the deity that became supreme.

By Sculptor Albano; photo by Billy Hathorn - Salvatore Albano in Brooklyn Museum, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18344231

Demons go farther back, possibly to the Paleolithic, being manifestations of fear of the unknown or strange or horrific. They were malevolent and may cause anything from ill luck to illness to untimely death. In monotheistic religions, they became subservient to the supreme evil, the subservient antagonist to the supreme god, moving from Zoroastrianism to Judaism to Christianity and Islam.

Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions still practiced, and thus one of the oldest religions that has angels (holy deities called 𐬀𐬨𐬆𐬱𐬀⸱𐬯𐬞𐬆𐬧𐬙𐬀 Aməša Spəṇta) that are emanations of the Wise Lord (𐬀𐬵𐬎𐬭𐬀 𐬨𐬀𐬰𐬛𐬁 Ahura Mazdā, God), as well as demons (𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬎𐬎𐬀 daēuua, 'gods that are (to be) rejected') that promote chaos and disorder.

By Unknown Calligrapher - Library of Congress, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4173727

Daēuua is linguistically interesting as it is related to the Proto-Indo-European word that became 'deus' (god) in Latin and 'Zeus' in Greek and 'deva' (divine being) in Hinduism. In the Gathas, the oldest writings of Zoroastrianism, daēuas aren't yet the malevolent spirits they'd become later, though they are mentioned as a group of 'quite genuine gods, who had, however, been rejected' because they can't distinguish between truth and lies. By the writing of the Younger Avesta (about the 3rd century CE), the daēuas are hostile and texts are given to protect against them.

By mehdi hosseini, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54176133

Yazata (𐬫𐬀𐬰𐬀𐬙𐬀) means 'worthy of worship or veneration', which can be applied to many things, including healing plants, and Ahura Mazdā (who is 'the greatest of the yazatas'). In the Gathas, it's also applied to the 'divine sparks' that become the Aməša Spəṇta who were what the daēuas were not. By around the early 4th century BCE, every day of the month was under the protection of a yazata, which also established a hierarchy amongst them.

In Judaism, angels (מַלְאָךְ‎ mal’āḵ 'messenger') are traditionally beings that stand by God but are distinct and subordinate. Tradition also places them below humans because they are only able to carry out God's commands and lack a will of their own. A prophet or priest could also be called a mal’āḵ. But, referring to supernatural entities, they are part of the heavenly court, moving from being part of God to being distinct from God. They're tasked with delivering messages for God. Satan is part of the heavenly court as well as a mal’āḵ. By the time the book of Daniel was written, angels even have names, Gabriel and Michael being mentioned in that book.

There are two types of demons in the Hebrew Bible, shedim (שֵׁדִים), which occurs twice, and se'irim (שע‬י‬רי‬‬ם‬), which occurs once. Se'irim refers to male goats and is used in Leviticus 17:7 and probably refers to Assyrian demons that happened to be goat shaped. Shedim, used in Deuteronomy 32:17 and Psalms 106:37, refer to foreign gods which are evil for not being the Jewish God. Diseases, especially those that affect the brain, were ascribed to demons and the cure was thought to be the removal of demons.

By Unknown author - http://www.vvv.ru/forum_gallery/original_view.php?id=8570&tid=1, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7768239

Early Christianity took the idea of angels as messengers from the Jewish tradition, adding that they ministered (served) to people as dictated by God. They added Uriel and Raphael to Gabriel and Michael of the Jewish scriptures. Their existence is taken for granted as is that of demons and their opposition to each other. It also accepted that angels could interact on the physical plane with humans, advising kindness to strangers 'for thereby some have entertained angels unawares' (Hebrews 13:2).

By Attributed to Michelangelo - 9QG4jcK04QjMfw at Google Cultural Institute maximum zoom level, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23608743

While there were evil spirits sent by God, they aren't considered demons because they serve God rather than opposing God. In the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) the 'gods of other nations' became 'daimones' (minor deities) and carried negative connotations. Because of this translation and association, the duality of angels on God's side and demons being non-Christian deities as well as being tempters and causing pain and suffering. Of the 55 times demons appear in the New Testament, 46 of those refer to possession or exorcism.

By anonymous - Transferred from ru.wikipedia to Commons by Shakko using CommonsHelper. + [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7794115

In Islam, angels (ملاك Malāk) are foundational and are exclusively heavenly spirits, not humans messengers. They are able to reason and can be tested by God by adornments. They're not specifically named as revealing the Quran, but tradition holds that Gabriel did so. They are also capable of carrying out negative tasks, like guarding and punishing sinners in hell.

By Multiple/Unknown - Oxford Digital Library, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3727081

Demons in Islam take two basic forms, jinn (جِنّ‎, sometimes djinn), which come from pre-Islamic Arabian belief systems. They're accountable for their actions and can believe or disbelieve God's guidance. Though they usually are invisible, they can show themselves and change their shape at will. They can also be injured and take revenge by possessing the person that harmed them, requiring an exorcism. They rarely meddle with human affairs. The other form, shayāṭīn (شَيَاطِين, singular shayṭān شَيْطَان) or devils, are related to Jewish and Christian versions of demons and are specifically malevolent, opposing believers and leading them astray. They are still under the command of God since God commands both good and evil despite being reluctant about it, and can only act when God orders them to do so.

[kayliskian]

[lenoxjd]

Mercury 3.0

[ouijaban]

TKB meta 3.0

UPDATE 2024

I rewrote this again because I didn’t like it!

Reflecting on my previous TKB meta, I feel like I phrased a lot of it poorly (both in terms of syntax and in terms of communicating what I intended to say), but I still think this is an element of TKB's character that often gets overlooked and I'd like to talk about it some more.

Like the post about Maat that I reblogged points out, TKB's central philosophy—which he explains to Atemu and co in Vol 32—can reasonably be described as a sort of meta-ethical moral relativism. Broadly speaking, he admonishes the monarchy for claiming moral superiority over him when its rulers forged the Sennen Items and, of course, engineered the Kul Elna massacre that made that their creation possible.

In this scene, TKB is explaining to the priests—who are all shocked that someone evil could lay claim to “goodness,” and cannot comprehend the Scale's failure to deem Bakura evil—why Diabound, his Ka, is “God-type" rather than a "demon-type.” Prior to this panel, his relay reveal to the reader a few key points: 1) the Sennen Items aren't holy items of good as they've been described by Akhenaden, 2) there's a shadow power lurking within them, and 3) TKB wants to obtain that power and use it for himself to achieve his stated goal of getting revenge.

In the original manga, what TKB says here is 悪って何だ？てめえの正義に忠実ならそい��は善ってことになるんじゃねえのか… In the simplest of possible terms, this essentially means: “If someone is loyal to your justice, then does that make them good?" (The word ‘loyal’ best translates to something like ‘adheres to’ in this context.) The official translation is a little different; TKB’s explanation is more thorough and much more sarcastic.

Obviously, TKB isn't legitimately asking whether being faithful or devoted (two other relevant translations of 忠実 into English) to the moral code laid out by the monarchy’s understanding of goodness makes him good. As it pertains to his having a God-type and not a Demon-type Ka, the "good" Bakura is talking about must be understood in relation to the dichotomy priests previously discuss.

Bakura elaborates on what he means by this at length shortly afterwards.

Like I said in my first analysis, what Bakura is pointing out here is there is no such thing as objective morality. As many others have pointed out, he's arguing specifically that the monarchy has no right to deem him evil when it decided that the people of Kul Elna would be the sacrifice needed to forge the Items. He is absolutely correct on that point; in fact, I agree with him broadly—but for different reasons.

Bakura’s argument here is a little confusingly-put. If there is no such thing as “bad,” then how can the Sennen Items issue any definitive judgement on what is or isn’t? I don’t think this is as inconsistent as it might seem on first glance, because I would argue that Bakura is suggesting that the Items rule on the strength of the holder’s belief in their own convictions rather than the convictions themselves. If the Sennen Items are the product of both immense good and immense evil and this a dichotomy that, on some level, exists, then they must be operating relatively. As such, I posit that they determine "goodness" or "evilness" based on what an individual believes is morally justifiable; what is not; and under what circumstances, or to what ends, so-called evil acts become pardonable. This would mean that the stronger the user's conviction is that something else is wrong, the stronger their Ka will be in order to combat it. In a way, then, the Items are themselves microcosms of the system Bakura is critiquing.

Here lies the issue with “Bakura was right” for me: Bakura wants revenge, not revolution. He's not a liberator—he causes villagers harm solely to lure Atemu out, murders everyone in a small inn restaurant without thinking twice—nor is he seeking to effect any positive change in Egypt; his plan is to become Pharaoh himself after he exacts his revenge on the monarchy and, with the aid of the Items, rule the world. I still hold that even though Bakura thinks the monarchy is wrong, he doesn't think he's right, either, even though he mocks the priests with that claim.

Bakura doesn’t actually suggest that he abides by any kind of coherent moral code. Clearly, he hates the monarchy because of the Kul Elna massacre—that much is obvious—but he doesn’t actually establish what he believes is “good” by comparison. As such, there ostensibly is no alternative; Bakura’s vision of the future is no better, and he doesn’t try to claim that it is. As such, I think it’s fair to say that if the Items can deem those who slaughtered the people of Kul Elna “good” because they were thieves and the monarchy needed the power to achieve a ‘righteous’ goal, they can just as well deem Bakura “good” because he rejects that verdict and condemns the monarchy’s justifying the massacre on the basis that its victims were by nature less valuable than royals and fellow subjects alike. Justice, in that sense, does not require that we have a sense of what is good; to have a God-type Ka, you need only know what is bad. This makes sense when you consider that Ka in this context are avatars of the spirit specifically designed for combat; while they can defend against, their primary function is to serve as the sword of justice—literally.

I think that makes him a fascinating character and speaks to the complicated moral inquests this arc makes, but I don't think that it makes him "right." Justified, yes, but right...not so much.