#prophetic landscape

[teg-report]

Unlocking the Mysteries of Bible Prophecy: What You Need to Know About End Times

In our modern age dominated by social media, we frequently encounter discourse on a myriad of life’s facets, notably, spirituality. It has become a forum for individuals to express their viewpoints and apprehensions, particularly in relation to ecclesiastical matters, spiritual leaders, and devoutness. Nonetheless, within this cacophonous milieu of diverse opinions, there arises a resounding call…

[artandthebible]

The Miracles of Prophet Elisha

Artist: Giorgio Vasari (Italian, 1511-1574)

Date: c. 1566

Medium: Oil on Wood

Collection: Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

Description

This composition is a typical example of a painting for private worship, a genre that was popular with Vasari. The subject is a scene from the life of the Prophet Elisha, who during famine saved his people making edible wild herbs. Elisha is one of the biblical prophets whose miracles prefigured those of Christ. A man in the middle ground carries a basket, because Elisha miraculously multiplied the available food.

In spite of the modest size of the work, the artist insists on elaborating a composition of great complexity and refinement, characteristics which would reappear in the profane paintings of the Studiolo executed thirty years later.

Death in the Pot | 2 Kings 4: 38-41, NIV

Elisha returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these prophets.”

One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were. The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.

Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He put it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

[sylviaritter]

Speedpainting 20122024

Welcome to my 2024 Speedpainting Advent Calendar. Door 20.

Created with Krita. Copyright © 2024 Sylvia Ritter.

www.sylvia-ritter.com,

Mastodon, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram.

[jesusmyking2024]

I prophesy that the winds of transformation are beginning to blow in your life! The Lord is sending a mighty, supernatural gust that will sweep away every hindrance and blockade. No matter how entrenched your challenges have been its illness, financial lack, or spiritual dryness they are being uprooted and cast aside by the power of God's breath. I declare that a new day is dawning! The wind of the Holy Spirit is not just bringing change but divine alignment with God's promises. This wind carries healing for your body, clarity for your mind, and peace for your soul. It is a wind of revival, awakening new hope, and birthing fresh vision and purpose. Every plan of the enemy is being scattered like chaff in the wind, and every seed of doubt and despair is being uprooted. The Lord is pouring out His grace and mercy, restoring what was lost and renewing your strength. Miracles are being released, and what seemed dead is coming to life with new vigor and vitality. Lift your hands and receive this wind of transformation, for it is filled with blessings, breakthroughs, and divine favor. This is your appointed time for renewal and restoration. In Jesus' mighty name, walk into the fullness of your destiny with confidence and boldness, for the Lord has spoken, and His word will not return void. Amen!

[mutsubaki]

I cannot stop thinking how House Atreides has really died with Leto. All the inhibitions from Lady Jessica’s hunger for power and passion were removed and she truly became her father’s daughter. The further Paul was from the times his father was guiding him, the more he leaned into anger and cruelty. Reverend Mother Mohiam doomed them all when she advised to wipe out that line. Atreides and Harkonnen were supposed to balance each other, and her fear of Atreides incomplacency lead to full loss of control. Maybe Lady Jessica and Leto actually made someone who’d be able to become a saviour, but everyone who was involved in the making of the saviour has fucked him up beyond recognition - because the balance was lost.

And on this note, I can’t stop thinking about how Feyd-Rautha and Paul are really meant to be for peace; war is a result of many centuries of a feud between their houses, and an alliance - a union of resources, mind you - would change the political landscape in the universe. Sure, it makes sense why House Corrino fuiled that rivalry, because such alliance would drastically shift the power dynamics in the Lanstraad.

And it doesn’t matter if Paul, or Feyd-Rautha, or their offspring would become Kvizats Haderach - an all-knowing being would rise to the throne and elevate Fremen with less blood then a desert prophet if they had this power.

But Jessica is her mothers’s daughter because she seeks power before purpose, and is her father’s daughter because she doesn’t care about the cost of power, so; their love story with Leto could be described as something you would leave as a warning on a nuclear waste site: love was there. It didn’t save anyone. On every chance it could save us, love only lead to more destruction.

[astrolovecosmos]

12th House: "Dreams" as in your unconscious mind, slumber, intuition, prophetic dreams, illusions, delusions, fantasies, dream world, spirit world, other worlds.

Sun may have self-fulfilling dreams or dreams surrounding their wishes and ambitions often.

Moon may have psychic dreams and/or dreams that are always intense with emotions.

Mercury may have highly imaginative and wild dreams, especially with a lot of noise or strange people.

Venus and Mars may have a lot of.... romantic or physical dreams.

Jupiter may get creative visions and ideas or have psychic tendencies.

Uranus can problem solve in their dreams or meet people...

Saturn may dream of needs and desires, failures and hurdles.

Neptune and Pluto may have vivid, intense dreams, imaginative dreams, spiritually-themed dreams, and psychic dreams or visions. Pluto can have a complex relationship with nightmares or dark dreams. Pluto may also heal and empower through their dreams. Neptune may get inspiration from their dreams or connect with other parts of themselves.

Aries dreams of passion and romance and winning!! They can have heated nightmares or dramatic scenarios.

Taurus dreams of indulgence, pleasantries, being stuck, repeating dreams, nature, about the body, sensuality.

Gemini dreams of drama, important information, interesting people, and curious things.

Cancer dreams of the past, of things that haunt them, deep wounds, insecurities, familiar places, family members, friends, and lovers.

Leo dreams of great things, dangerous things, and vivid fantasies.

Virgo dreams of wholeness, healing, sicknesses, strange details, the little things, of patterns, and of different stages of life or self.

Libra dreams of love, friends, enemies, frenemies, new people, odd people, beauty, and poetic symbols.

Scorpio dreams of monsters, shadows, spirits, threatening people, guiding people or beings, taboos, and deep subconscious messiness.

Sagittarius dreams of adventures, strange places, abstract themes and symbols, primal feels, and spiritual themes.

Capricorn dreams of power, escapes, sad themes, dark ideas, fears, embarrassment, failure, reward, success.

Aquarius dreams of inventions, new ideas, strange things, goes to unusual places, and all types of people.

Pisces dreams of otherworldly landscapes, spirits, animals, epic adventures, and what the soul desires or needs.

Not to be taken too seriously as the connection to "dreams" in the 12th House is commonly looked at as metaphorical or loosely associated with its other house themes.

[thesiltverses]

what's the art history of tsv?

In-universe? Er, it's a situation where the writer hadn't really considered this question before and doesn't have enough grounding in art history to answer it well.

Although, just thinking on the spot - it's a society built around religious iconography while utilising prayer-marks as sacred decoration, but equally it's a society which has good reason to fear these depictions as a form of language which could inadvertently call up a god at any time.

So logically, I guess you'd see a development of art that's a lot more cautious and conservative than in our world:

less of a movement towards personal portraiture and landscapes than Western art, with upper-class patrons continuing to invest in murals and depictions of great religious events right up to the present day.

Some kind of crypto-depiction or accepted 'false image' of the gods themselves, particularly where they appear as adversaries, or where an illegal faith is attempting to conceal itself in plain sight - blank spaces or gaps? Pure darkness?

Heavy usage of 'safe', simple, repeating prayer-mark patterns in the frames and around walls.

Abstract art as something forbidden and feared (who's to say that those shapes don't actually form the marks of an undiscovered god?). For much the same reason I imagine street art would be viewed as taboo.

To avoid the formation of accidental prayer-marks, I'm imagining smooth sculpture and broad brush-strokes would be the norm, with additional detail viewed as daring, if not reckless. Deliberate, safe meta-patterns (the shape of Prophet Faulkner's shoes also forms a salutary prayer-mark to the Trawler-man!) would be a much-admired device.

[scribescrawls]

"Faces of men who had long believed you're dead I see your wife with a man who is haunting A man with a trail of bodies (WHO?!) I see a song of past romance I see the sacrifice of man I see portrayals of betrayal And a brother's final stand I see you on the brink of death I see you draw your final breath I see a man who gets to make it home alive But it's no longer you" -("No Longer You" From EPIC: The Musical by Jorge Rivera-Herrans)

Sort of Skystar AU, I think Transformers One Starscream should go through his Odysseus Era in those 50 cycles of being unable to return home to his conjunx.

The song quote is from EPIC: The Musical about the Odyssey and in the song he talks to the prophet who tells him about the tragic things he will experience and how he won't come back the same he was before. Of course with oracles these things are never clear sounding unless you look at it in hindsight. So when he hears that his wife is shown with another man who has a trail of bodies and is potentially dangerous he thinks it is someone else since many of the things listed are things he has not done yet, but the person with his wife is the future version of himself. I just like the idea of Starscream ironically getting jealous of himself lol.

Just thinking about the potential of how TFOne Starscream and the High Guard basically could not return home for 50 cycles, hunted down by enemies, fresh off of a betrayal and watching the Primes their leaders/comrades in arms die, lack of resources and energon/food, stranded on the surface with a dangerous shifting landscape, and declared dead to the general public back home. Like I know it doesn't fit the Odyssey completely, but with some of the similarities I think about established relationship Skystar and how Starscream goes through all those things for 50 cycles and it slowly makes him worse as more time passes until the person who returns home is so changed by those experiences. Unlike the Primes who died, he gets to make it home alive. But the person who makes it home is not the same person 50 cycles ago. But also the yearning during those 50 cycles that he's going to keep going and surviving so he can get home to his 'Penelope' (aka Skyfire). I know most already know this, but for those who don't know the Odyssey 'Penelope' is Odysseus' wife. Meanwhile Skyfire has to deal with Starscream potentially never returning and people telling him to move on and that Starscream is dead :)

[shortnotsweet]

[ “PATIENCE” ]:

Give me one more sigh to the top of the mountain—baby, roll those eyes to the top of the mountain. Close your eyes, be patient, it's coming! All my dreams have been weighing me down, like an anchor to my bed.

— BAD SUNS

It’s only a second—a split second—but in that moment Jason wonders who has dreamt up Nico Di Angelo before.

It’s not strange for godly children to be granted prophetic visions, or omniscient images from a greater force not buoyed by themselves—Fate, a god, the recesses of their own trauma, what have you. But—no. Jason wonders who else has dreamt of Nico, not as a distant figure blotted out in the plotted landscape of some prospective quest, or as an omen of all things foreboding and unknown, but really dreamt. A real dream.

The Nico in front of him—for this split second, mind you, and isn’t this second stretching longer than any second before—has his face upturned to the wind, and his eyes closed to the sound below them. The city sprawl, honking and screaming and polluting the air with its babble. Jason can barely hear it now, can only observe with a sudden micro-awareness the thinness of his fingers and the delicate bones of his wrist as he extends them. The skull ring glints there, the darkness of the band cutting into the pale of his skin like a shadow cast, and Jason remembers, dumbly, Oh, yeah. Summoning the dead. There’s a lot of that in Chicago.

Jason doesn’t care about scrape of skeleton bones clawing themselves out of asphalt or the lingering of unresolved souls. Instead, it’s the feathering of Nico’s lashes against his own cheek, the downward slope of his mouth, sharp jut of his jaw belaying a quiet softness to his face that was easy to miss. For someone as unsubtle as Nico, it seems that it’s easy for a lot of people to miss crucial things such as this. By the time Jason had started noticing, he just couldn’t stop.

Nico exists, sometimes, as if he is not entirely of this world. It’s not a stretch for some godly children, a child of Death especially, but with Nico it has become increasingly more evident in the little moments, the subtle gestures. Maybe it’s Jason’s own godly genes—he can almost feel the texture of the wind against Nico’s skin as it kisses his cheek, the inhale of air—or maybe it’s just Jason. Freakishly detail oriented Jason, who stares at his ceiling at night, awake, but doesn’t dare toss and turn, who pours over blueprints and Lego models in his spare time and fixates on this kind of thing.

That’s the kind of thing Jason sees in his dreams, the image that flickers under his eyelids between memories of a life half lost to him and a visage of what comes next.

[greenqueenhightower]

Alicent's Catharsis, Rebirth, and Baptism in 2x07–Religious Parallels: (Long Post Warning)

"You will be hated by all people on account of my name." (Matthew 10:22) "All my life I've endeavored to serve both my house and the realm, and somehow none of it matters. We are cast aside. Or hated."

In this scene, the sight of her own blood, as Orwyle tends to her wound, brings forth Alicent's realization: all she's ever done was in service to others at the cost of herself, the size of which doesn't seem to matter. Alicent's words contain the belief that her fate was preordained. With the vision of her childhood and married life fresh in her mind, Alicent has many reasons to believe her children and herself were destined to face the hatred of the world. Christ warned his followers of the same fate. Interestingly, Alicent doesn't simply say "my family," but "my house and the realm." Her psyche is torn apart by two opposing forces, her fealty to her Hightower heritage and her role as a wife and mother to Targaryen kings. No matter how much she tried, she hasn't been able to reconcile the two, and her devotion to both has meant disloyalty to herself.

"So I call you to witness this very day that I am clean from the blood of all men." (Acts 20:26) "Nothing is clean here."

Otherwise venerated in the body of Christ, Alicent's sacrifice of the red, hot blood she spilled and the scar that would be "easily hidden" have lost all their purity. That filthy room, that gown, that place, suck all life out of her dry. Alicent sought a witness to her life, one who would acknowledge her sacrifices. A voice to say they were proud of her and all she'd done. The fact that she must once again live in the shadows and hide herself and her wounds, makes the spilled blood feel cheap and Alicent herself feel dirty, body and soul.

"So they came to a spot named Gethsemane." (Mark 14:32) "To the Kingswood, I think."

Alicent asks Ser Rickard to be her sole witness as she seeks to reclaim herself. Her desire to flee to the Kingswood, a place with religious and prophetic significance where some have sought the white stag for guidance and self-confirmation, mirrors Christ's flight to Gethsemane, a place he felt closer to his Father in prayer, in the final moments before his execution. Just like Christ did with his disciples, Alicent takes Ser Rickard along to keep watch while she finds solitude in the Kingswood.

"I saw heaven opened, and look! a white horse. And the one seated on it is called Faithful and True." (Revelation 19:11) "I have to believe, that in the end, honor and decency will prevail."

Alicent challenges the Arthurian stereotypes of chivalry by becoming her own knight on a white horse. Paralleling Christ again, Alicent yearns to become Faithful and True to herself. She has spent her life devotedly faithful to her father's commandments, the principles of the Seven, and the expectations of a Queen. For years she has held fast to the belief that this devotion to honor and decency would be her saving grace. Now, all she had faith in crumbles. Seated on a white horse, grabbing her life by the reins, Alicent must become her own Savior.

"I still have many more things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them now." (John 16:12) "I'm not yet certain I do."

Alicent's mission forms as her first day of withdrawal into the serene landscape around her comes to an end. Her composure and calm demeanor denote that she has found some peace and tranquility in the time she spent with herself and her thoughts. Her mind is made up for something momentous, which she does not yet reveal to Ser Rickard. She knows that he wouldn't understand if she were to tell him. Christ knew he would be equally berated and misunderstood. And neither would her children now be able to bear all her words and actions, so she decides to stay away.

"In grassy pastures he makes me lie down; he leads me to well-watered resting places." (Psalm 23:2) "In all of King's Landing is there no one to take my side?"

On her second day of rediscovery, completely stripped away from delusions, Alicent appreciates the openness of the field before her. Having escaped the prisons of King's Landing and the Red Keep, Alicent embraces her loneliness. As a mysterious, almost divine force pulls her closer to the water, Alicent roams the woods alone again. But for perhaps the first time, Alicent is surrounded solely by trees and flowers. There are no walls, no corsets, no retinue, no handmaidens, no definitions, no boundaries, and no expectations because she wished it. There's just herself, stripped of anything confining, the vast expanse of water before her, and the limitless sky above. She looks so much like the sigil of her mother's house: House Florent. With her red hair and blue dress against the green forest, Alicent is a little Florent fox in the woods. Is she calling her mother's spirit to take her side?

"Purify me from my sin with hyssop, so that I will be clean; wash me so that I will be whiter than snow." (Psalm 51:7) "The gods punish us. They punish me."

Alicent's journey to the water indicates her reclaiming of freedom and agency. Her catharsis is to come, neither by receiving absolution from another person, nor by having faith in the Seven, but by her own hands. She alone can cleanse and baptize herself, and thus bound to a new duty to herself, offer herself a new start.

"They were baptized by [John] in the Jordan River, openly confessing their sins." (Mark 1:5) "I have sinned."

Alicent removes the last articles of definition before she immerses herself in the water. She now stands moments away from her new disillusioned self, rethinking her purpose in life and her own self worth. Like Christ, Alicent wears white. She is leaving everything and everyone behind to be reborn as her own Savior and to wash away memories and mistakes of her past. She is ready to start building a new tower of faith in herself, to replace the one she violently lost.

"The holy spirit in bodily form like a dove came down upon him, and a voice came out of heaven: 'You are my Son, the beloved; I have approved you." (Luke 3:22) "You must do this."

As Alicent surrenders to a new birth, her desire for freedom and escape becomes clearer with the bird's appearance. Finally free, Alicent enjoys simple moments such as this immersion in the lake she gets to experience alone, for the first time. Once again embodying Christ, Alicent stares at the bird flying overhead in awe, as if it were the holy spirit coming down from the heavens to declare its approval. The bird becomes the witness to her new birth and a sign of confirmation and blessing on the course she has chosen to tread. Alicent has made up her mind about the next necessary step. Even if Viserys' words have proved to be fickle, it is indeed she who "must do this" and try to save her family and the realm any way she knows. Will she sacrifice herself (or save herself) for the sake of both?

"Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, a sacred service with your power of reason." (Romans 12:1) "A true queen counts the cost to her people."

Alicent's power of reason compels her to not give up on her life but to readjust it to a much more secure course. As she yearns for freedom, Alicent mimics the bird's movements. How much she would like to fly away from everything, far from all this mess! And yet, her new resolve grounds her in a powerful way. By the end of her baptism ritual, Alicent has moved from the green backdrop to the lake's blue. Just as Christ regained memories of his pre-human existence, Alicent has claimed some lost fragments of her childhood and herself. This experience of retrospection, reclaiming of purpose, and newfound self-worth become a signpost for a new Alicent: the one who values herself more and adds the cost to herself in the tally.

[artandthebible]

David Crowned King by the Prophet Samuel

Artist: Claude Lorrain (French, 1600–1682)

Date: 1625-1650

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Collection: Louvre Museum, Paris, France

Samuel Anointed KIng by the Prophet Samuel

David is believed to have been twelve to sixteen years of age when he was anointed as the king of Israel. He was the youngest of Jesse’s sons and an unlikely choice for king, humanly speaking. Samuel thought Eliab, David’s oldest brother, was surely the anointed one. But God told Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). Seven of Jesse’s sons passed before Samuel, but God had chosen none of them. Samuel asked if Jesse had any more sons. The youngest, David, was out tending sheep. So they called the boy in and Samuel anointed David with oil "and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David" (1 Samuel 16:13).

[sylviaritter]

Mantic Minotaur

Meet Mantic Minotaur.  :)

Inspired by Ubuntu release 23.10 which is scheduled for release on October 12, 2023! 

Created with Krita and Blender. Copyright © 2023 Sylvia Ritter.

[vomitspit2]

a concept with twst’s time-loop theory & the Madoka Magica AU for ace trappola. (*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)

you have died.

this isn’t something you are certain about. it isn’t something you know but it is something you heard, have been hearing. multiple times. each time said by one of the seven, the people who appear in your dreams.

the most recent time you heard this it came from the sorcerer of the sands’ just after jamil’s overblot. now, you sit in ramshackle, watching the fireplace pop and contemplating those words.

“you have died.” the sorcerer stated.

and then after he had said underneath his breath, before the sound of a sandstorm blowing in your bloody ears drowned out the dream. he said, “dig.”

this time is different. this time there was an outlier in the prophetic dream. so, you sit in the death-like cold, watching the fire crackle and snap in the concave structure.

dig what? dig where?

you glance out at the snowy landscape outside of your home, playing with the edge of a book you have abandoned reading an hour ago. ice coats the window. the sky is this bleak gray that just feels ominous.

where am i suppose to dig?

when you came back home from scarabia, tired and with only a few days left of winter break, ace had been there. he had dug up a snowball in his hand and threw it at you, starting a snowball fight between the two of you. he had been there during the entirety of your time spent at scarabia. you had asked why he didn’t go home but he brushed off each attempt at a straight answer.

you picture the sorcerer’s face again, the slithering goatee and the ruby red jewel. was there something in the sand back at scarabia?

something like a prophetic wire pulls in your gut.

before you comprehend it, the book you hold is shut closed and put on the table. the beating pulses of light from the fireplace fall on an empty chair. you do not close the door when you walk outside of ramshackle.

ramshackle has a garden, nothing you should have been able to use yet as you arrived in september.

however, ace is excited about getting to freeload off you when you eventually start planting vegetation. he wants you to grow strawberries.

trudging through the snow, you kneel down by the garden, pajamas getting wet from the snow, and start to dig.

the hue of your fingers change slowly with the temperature. raw and cold, you push back handfuls of snow. snot from your nose hits your hand like a blood droplet and eventually dirt and blood join the coating around your hands. dirt under the nails, frostbite nibbling on each phalange, you dig and dig like you are trying to unearth … trying to unearth the secrets of the universe.

your fingers hit something that isn’t rock or dirt.

it takes a while, scraping around the edges, widening the narrow hole you have dug. eventually, you find it.

your face flushed with the winter cold leans over in awe, gazing upon your dead face peppered with dirt.

you blank.

you blank again.

you hold your gaze tightly, refusing to look away and risk losing sight of the image. perhaps this is another dream, not prophetic but simply a dream, one that is weird and odd and false. yet when you look away, to look at the coating on your shaking hands, you look back to find your face buried under earth has not moved like a crude jumpscare.

you dig in a frenzy now.

you pull yourself out of dirt. then you rush into ramshackle and grab the abandoned shovel in the basement. you dig more holes. you dig under your fingers bleed a warm red all over cold snow. you dig until you become hypothermic. you dig, grinding the shovel into the ground with your foot. you dig and dig and dig … again and again, you dig and dig.

the bodies you find are in various states of decay. some already skeletal and others horribly fresh.

you stand there, holding onto your shovel like an impaired man holds onto his cane. you blank one last time and pass out in the snow.

you die die to hypothermia and wake up in a coffin on the day of the opening ceremony.

[cybrsan]

Treasure — J.WY [Pt. 1]

STORY SUMMARY: Wooyoung is moon-blessed, a waterbender born under the Siren Moon that rises once every 88 years. His blessing is believed to be his unique and powerful healing abilities that he has coined “Wavesong.” However, his true gift is that of his prophetic dreams, glimpses of futures yet to unfold—and you just happen to be the subject of his recent visions.

PAIRING: Waterbender Jung Wooyoung x Non-Bender F!Reader

RATING/GENRE: M ; angst, fluff, eventual smut ; ATLA au, enemies to lovers

WORD COUNT: 2.6k

WARNINGS: Minor POV switches

A/N: This story has been a long time coming. It is the second addition to my "Ode To ATEEZ" series and the first to my "Together in Harmony" series. I decided to split it into chapters because I believe it will flow better that way. I hope you enjoy!

LINKS: Ode To ATEEZ Masterlist | Together in Harmony Masterlist | Cross-posted on AO3

Masterlist | Next ↠

Crossing the Desert of Eden is not for the faint of heart. It is one of the world’s greatest paradoxes, a place where nature's most wonderful and most dangerous creatures coexist in a delicate balance. Even the sand itself is an example of this—crystalline and beautiful, ever sparkling under the light of the sun, yet each granule is as jagged as splinters of glass. Without proper foot bindings, your journey cannot even begin.

Amidst the harsh landscape, pockets of life burst forth in brilliant defiance. Rare desert blooms dot the barren terrain with bursts of color. Some hold the power to heal, their petals emitting a fragrance that soothes both body and soul. Others are laced with deadly venom, capable of stopping a heart with but a single touch.

Sand serpents slither through the dunes, their scales nearly translucent, giving them the ability to blend in seamlessly with the landscape. One bite is all it takes for total paralysis to overtake you, rendering you incapacitated for mere minutes to hours at a time. Celestial birds soar overhead, searching for prey, their wings casting shadows on the ground below.

And even if you’re able to avoid those threats, blinding winds carry grains of sand like lashes, stinging skin, obliterating landmarks, and disorienting even the most skilled navigators. The desert swallows the unwary, erasing their footprints from existence.

It is in this very place that Wooyoung finds himself, accompanied by seven of his fellow benders. In normal circumstances, he would avoid a place like this at all costs, his sense of self-preservation persevering over the curiosity of what secrets the desert holds. But things haven’t been normal for a long, long time. 

He feels like he’s been walking for days, his legs heavy and leaden. Despite his protective robes, the wind and sand have whipped at his skin, leaving it battered and raw. Just one look at the faces of his companions is enough to prove he isn’t the only one feeling this way. The only one who seems miraculously energized is their de-facto leader, Hongjoong. He moves forward with ferocity, a tinge of madness in his eyes.

To his left, Yeosang stumbles, nearly falling onto the sand below. Wooyoung reaches out for him, a second too slow, but luckily San reacts quicker, catching him by the arm. The exhaustion has begun to take its toll. Everyone comes to a stop, nervous energy flowing between them. Everyone except Hongjoong, that is. Seonghwa, the eldest of the group and the one with the most power after their leader, places a hand on his shoulder.

“We need to rest, Joong. Look at the kids—they’re exhausted. Yeosang almost collapsed.”

‘The kids.’ Wooyoung frowns, the endearment not sparking the same joy that it used to. Seonghwa and Hongjoong may only be a year older than the rest of them—two in Jongho’s case—but they’ve always referred to them that way. Wooyoung used to find it cute, often teasing them about how they acted like an old married couple. He supposes that the recent distaste for the nickname comes from the fact that Hongjoong hasn’t been the same ever since he told him about his dream.

It takes a moment for Hongjoong to comprehend what Seonghwa said, thoughts still elsewhere. Yet once his eyes find Yeosang, he immediately acquiesces, apologizing for not stopping sooner. His entire demeanor seems to soften, making him seem more like himself. Wooyoung already feels like he can breathe better because of it. 

“Hopefully we aren’t too far from a Dweller community,” Hongjoong says, taking out his compass. “Let’s go.”

The Dune Dwellers are natives of Eden, having found ways to thrive in even the most unfavorable conditions. They aren’t particularly fond of outsiders, regarding any so-called adventurers as naive and stupid more than anything else. They often find the remains of the less fortunate, bodies lost to the sand. Dwellers are some of the only people who know how to navigate the desert and survive, but even they won’t wander into it aimlessly, searching for a treasure that may or may not exist.

Luckily, it isn’t long until they find one of their communities with Hongjoong’s guidance. Tracking their location becomes easier when you familiarize yourself with the signs the locals leave for one another, like a carving in a rock or some shimmering paint on a cactus. Things that are easy to miss when you don’t know what you’re looking for. 

The town is small, cut through the middle by a bustling market area teeming with vendors trying to pawn off their goods. Wooyoung immediately feels some of his tension fade away, the lively environment making him feel more at home. You wouldn’t expect any place in such a barren landscape to be so full of life, but the Dwellers have a thriving community of their own despite their living conditions.

The sounds of haggling and bartering are music to his ears, and he quickly finds himself imbued with newfound energy, eager to start talking to people and fishing for information. Maybe he’ll be able to find some clues as to Pandora’s location, and Hongjoong can finally be appeased. He makes a quick plan with the others to meet at the town’s small inn at sunset before wandering off on his own. 

The scent of spices, freshly baked bread, and cooking meat mingle in the air as he walks, making his mouth water. He stops at a stall selling juice made from prickly pears, kept cool by the waterbender who continuously refreezes the ice it sits upon. In exchange for a few copper coins, he buys a glass and greedily gulps it down.

He shivers, the cold drink a shock to his system in the hot, dry climate. It is both tangy and sweet and he hums, pleased, as he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and returns the glass to the merchant. Just as he goes to pull his hand back, the man grabs his wrist. Wooyoung's heart jumps in his chest and, though he tries to keep his composure, he is sure the shock shows on his face. Dwellers may not greet outsiders with open arms, but they’ve never shown any outward acts of aggression toward them before.  

“What are you doing here, nakuto? You’re a long way from the Water Tribe.”

Wooyoung gently removes his arm from the man’s grasp, though he is no longer fearful. The term nakuto, a respectable term for ‘young one,’ brings back memories of his home and instantly puts him at ease. “How did you know I was a waterbender?” 

“I don’t see many of my own kind out here; most are exiles from the Fire Nation or native sandbenders. Your necklace gives you away.”

Instinctively, Wooyoung reaches up, fingers caressing the delicate shells around his neck. He supposes it is reminiscent of the Water Tribe, but he’s worn it for years and barely remembers that it’s there. It was a gift from his brother, a good luck charm given to him when he left for the Fire Nation seven years ago. 

The man continues, “Did something happen to your Tribe, boy? It’s not safe out here.”

“No, it’s not like that. I’m here with a group of other benders—we’re looking for the eternal library, Pandora.”

“Pandora,” the man scoffs. “A myth. You should turn back while you still can.”

“I’m afraid turning back isn’t an option. Come on, pakana. Surely you must know something.” 

The man harrumphs, though Wooyoung can tell the use of the honorific pleases him by the slight smile that tugs at his lips. “You can call me Marok.”

“I’m Wooyoung.”

“Well, Wooyoung, there really isn’t that much information out there about Pandora; I probably don’t know much more than you do.” Marok creates a small stream of water from the melting ice, absent-mindedly spinning it around his fingers as he talks. “I’ll tell you what—go talk to ol’ Nadira. She’s a sandbender, and been here almost all her life. If anyone were to know something, it’d be her. Go west of town and look for a purple tent with yellow flags.”

“Thank you, Marok—I appreciate your help. Yui remoi.”

“Bayui jilok.”

Wooyoung nods, acknowledging Marok’s blessing, and starts to head west. The sun has begun to set, and he suspects he has less than an hour before he has to meet the others at the inn. Hopefully, whoever Nadira is, she’ll be cooperative. With the town being as small as it is, it doesn’t take him long to reach the outskirts, and the bright purple tent is easy to spot, a beacon of color amongst the sand. Just as he reaches the entrance, a girl pushes the flap aside, nearly bumping into him as she exits in a hurry. 

“Sorry,” she mutters, barely acknowledging him as she rushes back to town. 

The hair on the back of Wooyoung’s neck stands up. He doesn’t get a good look at her face, but her voice and white robes… He stops himself, shaking away the uncomfortable feeling of familiarity. Her eerie similarity to the girl he’s been seeing in his dreams for the past few nights is of little importance. He’s not trusting his visions ever again and will do whatever he can to avoid those uncertain futures. He quickly enters the tent, ready to get some answers so that he and the others can leave this town and the girl behind come morning.

You rush past the boy entering the tent, barely sparing him a glance as you hurry back toward town. Your conversation with Nadira was unsatisfactory, to say the least. She couldn’t tell you much more than you already knew, which is that Pandora is near impossible to find and even harder to get into, especially as a non-bender. It’s rumored to be buried far under the sand, sealed shut by an elemental lock. However, she was surprised by the map you carried with you, saying she hadn’t ever known there to be someone who successfully cataloged all of Eden. She couldn’t confirm whether or not the entirety of it was correct, though she did verify that certain locations lined up with her own knowledge of the desert.

You relax your steps, an exasperated laugh slipping from your lips as you realize you were practically stomping out of frustration. You take a moment to center yourself; as tempting as it may be to sell the map to the nearest street vendor, you’ve traveled too long and too far to give up now. Freedom is nearly in your grasp—you can feel it. You will claw your way to it if you must.      

Double-checking that the map is secure inside your sling bag, you tighten the strap around your torso and head through the doors of the inn. The atmosphere is much livelier now that it’s late afternoon, with talking and laughter nearly drowning out the small band playing in the corner. The bar area seems to be where most people are congregating, chugging down mead and ale. The one serving maid is busy juggling orders from all directions, delivering filled mugs to rowdy drinkers who seem to enjoy cheering each other on for every sip taken. 

As you weave through the crowded tables in search of a seat, you can’t help but notice a group of travelers that stand out from the crowd. You could sense their disharmony from a mile away—two members seem to be locked in a heated argument, heads close together as they speak in hushed voices. A few of the others seem to be playing a drinking game that involves making silly gestures and mimicking one another while one boy gazes off into the distance, lost in thought. Your interest peaked, you take a seat at the bar, right next to a man who has several empty tankards in front of him. He doesn’t seem too inebriated, but surely he’s drunk enough that his lips will be loose. 

You place a few coins on the counter, ordering two drinks. You slide one to the man to capture his attention and nod in the group's direction, asking, “So, what do you know about the new guys in town?” 

The man eyes you, scrutinizing your appearance. He must see something that he likes because he decides to indulge you, taking the ale in hand and relaxing further into his seat. “Heard from the barkeep that they’re some adventurers tryna find the library of Pandora.” He huffs and takes a long drink before adding, “A buncha fools.” 

You bristle, wanting to defend them as their goal seems to be the same as yours, but you stop yourself, not wanting to discourage the man from sharing more information. “I see. Are they benders?” 

He nods. “Yeah, far as I know. One of ‘em is apparently tryna get some information outta Nadira.” 

You think back to the boy you saw entering the tent and curse yourself for not paying more attention. You could have talked to him, asked him why he was seeing Nadira, and proposed some sort of alliance. Winning one man over would be easier than winning over seven all at once. But alas, that seems to be your only option. Taking one last swig of your ale, you hop off the bar stool and give the man a two-finger salute.

“Thanks for your time—enjoy the rest of your night.” 

He raises his mug and bids you farewell as you turn around, steeling your nerves as you march right up to the group of benders. One of the quarreling men who dons a head of striking red hair notices you first, his eyes instantly narrowing upon your approach. He slides closer to the others, almost protective in his movements, seemingly forgetting his previous argument. 

“Can I help you?” 

His voice is steady, laced with none of the heat you had expected. Instead, his words are cold, punctuated in a way that cuts you like a knife. However, you refuse to let him intimidate you.

“Yes, actually. I heard you were looking for Pandora.”

He quirks an eyebrow. “Why is that of any interest to you?”

“I’m looking for it too.”

“And?”

You grit your teeth, his standoffish attitude grating on your nerves. The man he was fighting with places a hand on his arm and steps slightly in front of him, greeting you with a smile. You can immediately feel the difference in his aura, the gentleness radiating off of him. He is the water to the red-headed man’s fire. Perhaps literally.

“Sorry, Hongjoong is just a bit… on edge lately. I’m Seonghwa.” 

He takes a moment to introduce each of the others before asking for your name in return. You’re surprised to find that they’re a pretty well-balanced group, with at least one bender for each element. That will definitely come in handy when it comes to the elemental lock. You almost can’t believe your luck; after all this time, maybe things are finally turning around in your favor.

Yunho, an airbender who was a part of the group playing the drinking game earlier, chimes in. “So, you’re looking for Pandora too?” 

You nod. “That’s right. I think we can help each other.” You reach into your bag and wrap your fingers around the map. “You see, I—”

“Wooyoung!” 

You’re interrupted by San, a dimpled firebender, who gets up to excitedly greet the missing member of their party; Wooyoung must be the boy you bumped into earlier. Now that you have a moment to actually look at him, you suppose that he’s quite beautiful, with a sharp nose and full lips. His hair is like nothing you have ever seen before—silver on top with blue ends, comparable only to how it looks when the light of the moon meets the sea. 

Your lips barely part to greet him when he turns to you, eyes ablaze with hatred. “What is she doing here?”

NETWORKS: @cromernet @kflixnet @pirateeznet

TAGLIST: @nebulousbookshelf @ad0rechuu @seonghwaddict @sanniesbunnie @wooya1224 @tournesol155 @ja3hwa @pocketjoong-reads @lovandr

[ubekawateryam]

At long last, this picture is finished! I worked several months on this, trying to push myself to finally incorporate some more interesting perspective angles and landscapes into my works.

This is a little visual preview of what's going on in my writing right now. Currently working on my second manuscript featuring Demetra, "Prophet's Grave". It seems she's left the comforts of the capital city Cheienna and ended up... well, where exactly? And what new challenges will she face there?

[violant-apologia]

ranking the QLDs of various vanities!

looking at the hunter of zee-beasts QLDs inspired me. there are a bunch of these, so this post is going to be pretty long. sorry!

i could go into the criteria in detail but instead i won't.

A Hunter of Zee-Beasts the one that inspired this list! it's not good. it scales way too fast, and also implies you become "synonymous with death" when the quality can be gained exclusively through pacifistic means. the QLDs in isolation are pretty cool, but they're marred by this inauthenticity. 1/10

Prophet of the Gutter - the quality name is pretty cool but the actual QLDs are dull. even the 10+ one, "an unmatched circulation," isn't that impressive. 2/10

Palaeontologist very generic. only one of them is really "vain" (and that one is rad) but the rest are just "a number," "a large number," "an astonishing number" which is pretty boring. 2/10

Barrister of the Evenlode i came into this project expecting to rank this HIGH. like 9 or 10 high. but then i realised my fond memories were actually of the manifest text quality influences. the actual QLDs are not as cool. they're very... plaque-focused. 3/10

A Worker in the Common Cause similarly to barrister, this has related description (the level change descriptions in this case) which go super hard, but the actual QLDs themselves are egh. 3/10

Defender of Truth - the last one "the only source of truth" is kinda fun, but the rest aren't anthing special. 3/10

Defender of the Public Safety eh. some of these are pretty cool (especially "a shield of the people" and "the armour of the city") but the rest are kinda generic. and i don't remember rescuing any widows in this grind. 3/10

A Poet-Laureate a little better than DotPS but not by that much. the scaling works well at least, but none of the QLDs hit particularly hard. 3/10

Renown: Rubbery Men i like the bit! it's a funny bit. but it isn't a satisfying reward in the same way as the other renowns. 3/10

Renown: Tomb-Colonies kinda lame? it doesn't really tell us anything that interesting about the colonists or your relationship with them. just kinda generic. 4/10

A Synthetic Philosopher i like "you have acquired a rather fruity smell, and some adherents all of your very own." the rest are kinda weak. 4/10

Renown: The Church the 50 is pretty good, but not great for renowns. the rest of the entries are pretty generic. 4/10

Meals Served at Station VIII a little underwhelming, but the last one ("a handful of visitors have come all the way from the Surface to dine at your table") is underwhelming in a cool way. no i won't explain myself. 5/10

A Shaper of Starved Culture pretty neat! scales nicely (maybe a litle slowly) but the "members of the starved delegation effect some quirk of your anatomy or dress" snippet is very cute. 5/10

Renown: The Docks it's okay. "veins running thick with gold and salt" is cool, and the namedrop of the impossible east is fun. apart from that, a bit nothing. 5/10

Cardinal of Conspiracy - the last two are quite cute – "but that means... oh no!" and "how high does this go?" the others are alright. 5/10

Lurer of Cities pretty neat titles. "paragon of geological indecision" is cool, as well as "topographical tinkerer". the highest one ("lacerator of landscapes") falls a little flat for me though. 5/10

Teaching Reputation of Your Laboratory fun but not that varied. the last few, "your former students could fill [an auditorium/their own university/their own corner of London" are very cool, if formulaic. 5/10

Renown: Bohemians solid within the renown formula. the 50 is a banger. "for better or for worse" does imply that maybe the PC just sucks at art though, which is funny. 5/10

Infiltrator of the Tracklayer City most of the descriptions are Fine. the highest one (we've found) goes super hard though ("scourge of the Revolution") and it feels very warranted given how much effort this grind is. 5/10

Dream-Trophies of Parabola pretty neat. mentioning some bonus parabola lore (the red-handed queen and the hanging mountains) does give extra cool points. 5/10

Scintillack Dreaming weird name for this one but still cool. most of the QLDs are kinda boring, but the last one is good: "in the fading scintillack shimmer, the game is the same; only the pieces have changed. you are a Grandmaster, playing a long game towards dissolution." 6/10

Renown: Constables "they say you are the spirit of the Law" goes SO hard (including the capitalisation of law) but the rest are a little dull. 6/10

Renown: Revolutionaries ironically i have the same thoughts here as the constables. the 50 (the Thirteenth Month in the Calendar) gets the edge on the spirit of the law though. 6/10

A Scholar of the Correspondence this is a weird one. the actual QLDs are pretty understated, but the coolness comes from that understatedness i think. listener being above speaker kicks ass too. and "courier's footprint" goes hard of course. 6/10

Renown: Hell all of the renowns are kinda clustering because of their shared formula. hell is good! it's kinda just another one of those. "book of everlasting chimes" is cool though. 6/10

Respected by the Corsairs not technically being a renown quality lets this abandon the formula of renown QLDs. unfortunately they don't really do anything cool with this freedom. "known to all as the Left Hand of Prophecy" is rad, and "recipient of a dedicated dock-cradle" is also quite cute, but the rest are pretty standard. 6/10

Renown: Urchins the lower ones have some fun urchin bits and bobs, but the standout is the 50. "they say you are a stalwart champion of all urchins. they also continue to refer to you as 'Oi!'" it's a classic. 7/10

Oneiropomp people half-recognising you while awake is very cool. and "you have become one of the Powers of Parabola" goes incredibly hard. 7/10

Renown: Criminals this one goes pretty hard! all the renowns have great 50s but even the lower ones on criminal are pretty great. 7/10

Renown: Society a lot of these are really cool actually. "unimportant titles but titles nonetheless" "those envied since birth" "all whose names are appended by numerous letters" all go hard. and the 50 is so cool too. 7/10

A Historian of the Neath solid! scales well. "you sometimes find yourself refuting your own earlier work without noticing" is pretty great. 7/10

Dedicated Brawler there's only three properly vain ones here, but they all kick ass in fun and distinct ways (and scale well). 7/10

An Interloper in the Library given the ludicrous scale of the stacks, 777 books seems like nothing at all. in terms of the effort the player puts in though, "the books shivering at your passage" does feel very appropriate. 7/10.

Volatile Consignments Delivered to the Remote Magazine there are a lot of funny ones in this. "your crew might just forget to send you Christmas cards this year", "your insurance broker has been spotted sporting a new diamond necklace". bangers to the last. 7/10

Renown: The Great Game really cool actually. namedropping the mithridate office and the white-and-golds is really fun, plus mention of the old man in vienna? rad as hell!! the 50 is amazing too, "you are the pawn who reached D8". augh it goes so hard. 8/10

Bone Market Exhaustion kind of a weird one but i think it should count. especially because the little vain bits they add are so cute. "depleted for two to three weeks, but you certainly impressed them," "while every buyer wrestles with the magnificence of that which you wrought," "a breathtaking feat of paleontological construction." 8/10

Fabricator of Past Lives "your alternate identities constitute a significant percentage of the entries in Slowcake's" is so good... AND "no biographical encyclopedia ever written suffices to catalog all the alternate identities you've foisted on the world." 8/10

Familiarity with the Carpenter's Granddaughter REALLY good. i mean, i don't know why this quality needs to exist. but i'm glad it does! "you can recite along with the presentation: every word is familiar as a nursery rhyme learned in childhood" is really cool. 8/10

Painter of Fine Art very cool! scales well, imitators and fakes are cool, the great canvas shortage of 1899 is very funny. i kinda wish there was more ways to get this than painting balmoral over and over again (or the fate way) but that's besides the point. 8/10

A Prolific Pirate see, sinking 200 ships is the sort of thing that WARRANTS your name being seen as a curse. 25 zee-beasts... anyway this one kicks ass. 8/10

Notability a CLASSIC. each level having its own description is nice, and the progression is slow but earnest. maybe i'm ranking it so high because its one of the ones you see so often, but i'm ranking it high nonetheless. 8/10

Record of Successful Forgery briar has none of this because he's a good and honest lad. and the lower numbers are pretty understated but the later ones are really good. "it is possible that you have created more false things than true ones," "genuine evidence is difficult to find in London, and entire encyclopaedia articles are based upon the fruits of your imagination." they go so hard!! 9/10

The Prestige of your Laboratory (capitalisation isn't consistent with teaching reputation. i will destroy fallen london with my fists.) apart from that it's GREAT! fuckin... "your laboratory's reputation is known even in the High Wilderness." that's SICK!!!! the others are good too. 9/10

Prolific Advertiser i had actually never read this one before now (because i never do advertising) but this one is so good. "they say you could sell zee-water to a Drownie" "products clamour for your golden touch" "yours are the hands at the tiller of public conciousness" this is GREAT. 10/10

Neighbourhood Noctivigant augh this one kicks ass. "your very soles are attuned to Treachery. should the lights go out and all laws flee, you will get where you are going". what else needs be said? 10/10