#she is the lodestone for primal want

[cruise-in-your-glow-bus]

I have sought a creature from the depths. An Eve that remembers her Eden. You are such a one.

I'm sorry I simply cannot function anymore, goodbye and good night

[ask-the-crimson-king]

More Stuff from Betrayer

[While on the topic, I want to show the various humans out there a very interesting scene out of Betrayer.

Two, technically, but one that's a bit longer than the other. Image IDs will be provided at the end of the post, cause there's going to be a LOT.

Some interesting insights into how Lorgar views Chaos and a bit about the Emperor as well. I always find this scene to be fascinating, especially since he's borrowed the astropathic choir of the Conquerer to listen to worlds dying across Ultramar while he muses on this.

And then there's when Angron walks up.

Some interesting, albeit a bit morbid, banter between brothers. I do like how Angron even greets Lorgar on the way in, and Lorgar is just standing there stunned. The insights into how Angron views the Devourers is also neat, and it is to be expected at this point. Lorgar trying to argue for them and trying to get Angron to stop ignoring them outright is another neat touch.

The two begin talking of Ultramar, and Lorgar reveals that Nuceria is going to be the capstone for his ritual. Angron asks why, and the following is said:

I like this passage for a few reasons. Firstly, how Angron "dreams" has always been something of interest to me. Because I doubt he ever really gets much rest and respite. Here we get some insight into this, although this also was already expressed a bit earlier. This passage also leads into Angron's recollection of the Night of the Wolf, but I wanted to focus on this.

Lorgar and Angron's "bond" is something that's always intrigued me. It definitely feels more one-sided, with Lorgar seeking for brotherhood that isn't really there, but there are a few moments to make it feel a bit more genuine. However, there is still something missing from these interactions. I can't really describe it other than a barrier between two primarchs who will never see eye-to-eye. Lorgar does, to his credit, try to be understanding and patient throughout, but I can also definitely feel his annoyance coming through at certain places.

In a way, I can almost feel a similar sort of vibe to how Magnus interacts with some of his brothers. Namely with Perturabo in one of the opening chapters of his primarch novel. However, the bond between those two is still very different from the one Angron has with Lorgar; those two actually do have a deep connection, while these two don't. There's a misunderstanding and underestimation coming from both sides in certain aspects; Lorgar in almost sounding condescending to Angron, and Angron still thinking Lorgar a weakling.

TL;DR, Betrayer good.

Image IDs below the cut:

Image ID 1 & 2: A scene from Betrayer where Lorgar is standing and listening to worlds burn. It reads:

Serving as conductor for an astrological orchestra was more taxing than he’d dreamed, though his blunter, more militant brothers would struggle to grasp the finer points of his efforts. Exhaustion left him wondering, even if only briefly, whether absolute peace would create a stellar song as divinely inspired as absolute war. Fate had played its hand and Chaos was destined to swallow all creation whether or not Horus and Lorgar raged against the Imperial war machine, but if what if they’d stayed loyal to the Emperor? What then? Would the Great Crusade have shaped a serene funeral dirge, to play behind the veil as humanity died in a defenceless harrowing?

Therein lay the fatal flaw. The Emperor’s way was compliance, not peace. The two were as repellent to one another as opposing lodestones. It didn’t matter what enlightenment the Imperium stamped out in its conquering crusade when obedience was all its lords desired. It didn’t matter what wars were fought from now into eternity. The Legiones Astartes would always march, for they were born to do so. There would always be war; even if the Great Crusade had been allowed to reach the galaxy’s every edge, there would never be peace. Discontent would seethe. Populations would rebel. Worlds would rise up. Human nature eventually sent men and women questing for the truth, and tyrants always fell to the truth.

No peace. Only war.

Lorgar felt his blood run cold. Only war. Those were words to echo into eternity.

He didn’t trust the Ten Thousand Futures the way Erebus claimed to. Too many possibilities forked from every decision made by every living thing. What use was prophecy when all it offered was what might happen? Lorgar was not so devoid of imagination that he needed the warp’s twisting guesswork to show him that. Anyone with an iota of vision could imagine what might happen. Genius lay in engineering events according to one’s own goals, not in blindly heeding the laughter of mad gods.

More than that, Lorgar sought to keep one thing in mind above all else. The gods were powerful, without doubt, but they were fickle beings. Each worked against its own kin more often than not, spilling conflicting prophecies into their prophets’ minds. Perhaps they weren’t even sentient in the way a mortal mind could encompass. They seemed as much the manifestations of primal emotion as they did individual essences.

But no, there was a wide gulf between hearing them and heeding them. Gods lied, just like men. Gods deceived and clashed and sought to advance their own dominions over their rivals’. Lorgar trusted none of their prophecies.

Image ID 3-5: A series of screenshots from Betrayer. Angron comes into the scene. It reads:

Angron entered the basilica, armoured in his usual stylised bronze and ceramite and with two oversized chainswords strapped to his back. He even wasted time with a greeting, raising his hand in the first time Lorgar could ever remember such a gesture from his broken brother. The Word Bearer tried not to let his amazement show at his brother’s new consideration.

‘Lotara says you stole her astropathic choir.’ Angron’s lipless smile was a ghastly thing indeed. ‘I see that she may have been correct.’

‘Stole is a strong word. “Appropriated” seems much less ignoble.’ Lorgar spared a glance for the skies above the cathedral, as the Lex ripped onwards towards Nuceria.

‘What do you need them for?’ Angron asked. His wounds from being buried alive had already faded to scrunched scar tissue pebbling his flesh, just another host of scarring to overlay the last.

The Devourers lurked behind him, stomping into the cathedral without the primarch sparing them a glance. To be one of Angron’s bodyguards was no honour, despite how fiercely the World Eaters’ champions had fought for it in the first, optimistic years. Angron ignored them no matter where they went, never once fighting alongside them in battle. In their Terminator plate, they’d never managed to keep up with their liege lord, and they were as prone to losing control as any other World Eater, meaning any hope of them fighting as an organised pack was a forlorn one at best.

Lorgar watched the Devourers – those warriors who’d spent a century learning to swallow their pride and pretend they weren’t ignored – speaking amongst themselves at the basilica’s entrance.

‘Hail,’ he greeted them. They seemed uneasy at being addressed, offering hesitant and wordless bows.

Angron snorted at his brother acknowledging them. ‘Bodyguards,’ he said. ‘Even their name annoys me. “Devourers”, as if I’d named them myself – as if they were the Legion’s finest.’

‘Their intentions are pure,’ Lorgar pointed out. ‘They seek to honour you. It’s not their fault you leave them behind in every battle.’

‘They’re not even the Legion’s fiercest fighters, any more. That rogue Delvarus refuses to challenge for a place in their ranks. Khârn laughed when I asked him if he’d ever considered it. And do you know Bloodspitter?’

‘I know Bloodspitter,’ Lorgar replied. Everyone knew Bloodspitter.

‘He beat one of them in the pits, and carved his name into the poor bastard’s armour with a combat knife.’

Lorgar forced a smile. ‘Yes. Delightful.’

Angron’s face wrenched again, at the mercy of misfiring muscles. ‘What primarch ever needed guarding by lesser men?’

‘Ferrus,’ Lorgar said softly. ‘Vulkan.’

Angron laughed, the sound rich and true, yet harsh as a bitter wind. ‘It’s good to hear you joke about those weaklings. I was getting bored of you mourning them.��

It was no joke, but Lorgar had no desire to shatter his brother’s fragile good humour. ‘I only mourn the dead,’ Lorgar conceded. ‘I don’t mourn Vulkan.’

‘He’s as good as dead.’ The World Eater smiled again. ‘I’m sure he wishes he were. Now, what are you doing with Lotara’s choir?’

‘Listening to them sing of other worlds and other wars.’

Angron stared, unimpressed. ‘Specifics,’ he said, ‘while I have the patience to hear such details.’

‘Just listen,’ Lorgar replied.

Angron did as he was bid. After a minute or more had passed, he nodded once. ‘You’re listening to the Five Hundred Worlds burning.’

‘Something like that. These are the voices of the freshly dead, and those soon to join them. The mortis-moments of random souls, elsewhere in Ultramar, as our fleets ravage their worlds.’

‘Morbid, priest. Even for you.’

‘We’re inflicting this destruction on them. We mustn’t consider ourselves distant from it. It may not be our hands holding the bolters and blades, but we are still the architects of this annihilation. It’s our place to listen to it, to remember the martyred dead, and to meditate on all we’ve wrought.’

‘I wish you well with it,’ said Angron. ‘But why steal Lotara’s choir? What happened to yours?’

‘They died.’

It was Angron’s turn to be surprised. ‘How did they die?’

‘Screaming.’ Lorgar showed no emotion at all. ‘What brings you here, brother?’

Image ID 6 & 7: Two screenshots from later in the previous scene, when Angron asks 'Why Nuceria?'. It reads:

‘The metaphysics are complicated,’ said Lorgar.

That had Angron growling. ‘I may not have wasted days in debate with you and Magnus inside our father’s Palace, but the Nails haven’t left me an absolute fool. I asked the question, Lorgar. You answer it. And do so without lying, if you can manage such a feat.’

The Word Bearer met his brother’s eyes, and the rarely-seen palette of emotions within their depths. Pain was there in abundance, but so was the frustration of living with a misfiring mind, and the savagery that transcended anger itself. Angron was a creature that had come to make his hatred a blade to be used in battle. He’d weaponised his own emotions, where most living beings were slaves to theirs. Lorgar couldn’t help but admire the strength in that.

‘We’re going to Nuceria,’ he said, ‘because of you. Because of the Nails.’

Angron stared, and his silence beckoned for his brother to continue.

‘They’re killing you,’ Lorgar admitted. ‘Faster than I thought. Faster than anyone realised. The rate of degeneration has accelerated even in the last few months. Your implants were never designed for a primarch’s brain matter. Your physiology is trying to heal the damage as the Nails bite deeper, but it’s a game of pushing and pulling, with both sides evenly matched.’

Angron took this with an impassive shrug. ‘Guesswork.’

‘I can see souls and hear the music of creation,’ Lorgar smiled. ‘In comparison, this is nothing. The Twelfth Legion’s archives are comprehensive enough, you know. Your behaviour tells the rest of the tale, along with the pain I sense radiating from you each and every time we meet. Your entire brain is remapped and rewired, slaved to the implants’ impulses. Tell me, when was the last time you dreamed?’

‘I don’t dream.’ The answer was immediate, almost fiercely fast. ‘I’ve never dreamed.’

Lorgar’s gentle eyes caught the warp’s kaleidoscopic light as he tilted his head. ‘Now you’re lying, brother.’

‘It’s no lie.’ Angron’s thick fingers twitched and curled, closing around the ghosts of weapons. ‘The Nails scarcely let me sleep. How would I dream?’

Lorgar didn’t miss the rising tension in his brother’s body language – the veins in his temples rising from scarred skin, the feral hunch of the shoulders, no different from a hunting cat drawing into a crouch before it struck.

‘You once told me the Nails stole your slumber,’ Lorgar conceded, ‘but you also said they let you dream.’

Angron took a step closer. He started to say ‘I meant…’ but Lorgar’s earthy glare stopped him cold.

‘They give you a serenity and peace you can find nowhere else. Humans, legionaries, primarchs… everything alive must sleep, must rest, must allow its brain a period of respite. The remapping of your mind denies you this. You don’t dream with your eyes closed. You dream with your eyes open, chasing the rush of whatever peace the Nails can give you.’ Lorgar met Angron’s eyes again. ‘Don’t insult us both by denying it. You slaver and murmur when you kill, mumbling about chasing serenity and how close it feels. I’ve heard you. I’ve looked into your heart and soul when you’re lost to the Nails. Your sons, with their crude copies of your implants, have their minds rewritten to feel joy only in adrenaline’s kiss. Those lesser implants cause pain because they scrape the nerves raw, thus your World Eaters kill because it gladdens their reforged hearts, and ceases the pain knifing into their muscles. Your Butcher’s Nails are a more sinister and predatory design, ruining all cognition, stealing any peace. They are killing you, gladiator. And you ask why I’m taking you back to Nuceria? Is it not obvious?’

End Image ID.]

[inviouswriting]

Touched by Ifrit Fire

This has been burning(puns) to be written.

Origins of Kiya and Tatyl meeting. There may be borrowed elements from some stories on the lodestone but I was kinda inspired by Through the fire and blood.

Tatyl is ( @eyxfr​ ‘s white mage.)

Ifrit had fallen, and Kiya felt her head spinning from all the smoke and fire in the air. The ring around the area seemed to be tapering off a little with the primal slain. The swordsman that was there had held their own till the last, only to receive a full brunt hit of fire from Ifrit. 

Kiya stayed back guarding a conjurer, and when it was over she turned to her to see her staggering. Her magic spent from trying to heal the other two who had fallen. Not enough for a raise and no ethers to spare. 

Kiya rushes to the Aura when she staggers, wondering if she too was mortally wounded somewhere.

“Hey! Are you okay?” Hands on her mouth and shocked to see the girl so worn out. She can tell she is still new to her class. Kiya too was also new to Thaumaturgy. She had maybe one spell left to cast but thankful the god-like being fell before she ran out of magic.

“I am fine, just... tired.” Tatyl is helped up by Kiya, and both of them look for the other two, Kiya knew the tank had fallen, but the other DPS. /They both grimace finding them on the outer ring of fire, burned too.

Tatyl crouches down to cry and Kiya kneels with her, they had both been spared by some luck of forces. They both hold on tight to each other as the fires fade out.

When they were found by Thancred and friends. Soot had collected on the both of them, but their faces tear streaked the obvious losses they witnessed.

“By the twelve.. thank the gods you two are okay.” Thancred breathes under his breath. A cloak was placed onto Tatyl’s shoulders by Yda, and Thancred offers Kiya water. She gratefully accepts it.

The bodies of their fallen allies loaded into a caravan for Drybone. Kiya looks down at her feet as she sits next to Tatyl. They both had haunted looks, trial by fire it was, they both got out with only mental scars.

“Nay, what is your name?” Kiya asks the girl she helped.

“Tatyl. I am Tatyl, and you?” Thankful to speak again.

“I am Kiya. Say... if we have to fight more primals like that... please... promise me something?” Kiya turns to her ally.

“What is it?” Tatyl smiles weak, still worn out from all her magic being used, Papylymo gave her an ether and she had accepted it waiting for it to work.

“That we fight those things together... I don’t want to see anyone else dragged in like we were. If those things are going to plague us. I want us to be the ones to fight them.” Kiya says stern, Tatyl nods her head, terrified of facing great beings like that again. But what they witnessed. Can’t happen to other innocent people.

“Agreed.” Tatyl holds a hand out to Kiya and they both shake on it.

Thancred smiles at the two of them seeing that two of their scion recruits will work together. Specially ones blessed by Hydaelyn . A friendship had sparked, and no one would be able to tell how their stories pan out.

The memorials were hard for Kiya to watch, finding the fate of those who were tempered by fire. She worried for herself, but knows better. She was standing outside the Ampitheater a little ways back, she is joined by a familiar face in Tatyl.

“Hey! I haven’t seen you in a while. How are you?” She seemed so much more cheerful for a memorial, Kiya’s own face brightens up enough. Seeing a face that was saved like her.

“I’ve been spending time into my class, learning how to fight better. You?”

“I just learned some new spells! Raya is such a great teacher to me. I aspire to be kind of like her one day.. Mayhap save people instead of leaving them to fate.” There was the sorrow in her eyes. 

“We’ll get there. It’s good to see you my friend. Are you heading towards Waking Sands then? I got a summon from Minfilia.” Kiya changes the subject, and Tatyl’s eyes brighten up along with her face.

“Yeah, I will be. It will be good to travel in company.” Kiya nods agreeing to that.

“Is this the last memorial? You attended the ones in Ul’Dah and Limsa?” Kiya questions.

“Aye, I was there, but I kind of lingered more in the back. There wasn’t many people I knew there.” Tatyl confirms she attended. They both share a sigh then know it is time to start wandering to Waking Sands.

“Shall we walk there or airship?” 

“Walk! I can use the time to practice my magic some more.” Tatyl beams, and they both nod in agreement heading their way out.

[thewillowbends]

“A Place Among Stars” - Lucifer (TV) Chloe/Lucifer

Title: A Place Among Stars | Fandom: Lucifer (TV Show) | Rating: T | Characters: Lucifer/Chloe

@ao3: archiveofourown.org/works/18689677

Summary:  This is not how it happens between them until it does.

        This is not how it happens until it does.

         In the warm, dim light, her skin is pale and flushed, the slightness of her figure highlighted by angles and shadow. All of her humanness bared for him, and he is ever more aware by passing moment of observance of its frailty: the soft curve of a belly, the whiteness of scars and stretchmarks, the hollow of a birdlike neck. Harm comes to her so easy; he imagines the killing is not so far behind. He has seen it tried again and again, at the edge of blades and cusp of bullets, and it is ever the marvel that she stands before him now naked and willing, a marvel that she is still standing at all.

         And yet she says -

         Show me.

         The wings emerge easily enough. This is the first wound, his Father's first and most difficult gift, and she allows it gently, ever the balm. There is wonder in her eyes, even fear, but he knows these are always kin. He has never known one without the other himself. Scripture is always beauty and trembling; he trembles at the thought of what beauty is in her.

         Show me. Her tone is patient, even kind.

         The eyes then, fire and heat, the promise of pain. He watches the fear trickle through her, the stiffening of muscle and form; this is a weapon against which she has no defense, no hidden armor to catch stray bullets or well-aimed knives. She has put herself in the firing line willingly. Not for the first time, he hates that he is the one to hold the gun.

         Lucifer, she says firmly, Show me. I need to see it. In this, she will not be moved.

         It is the hardest thing that has ever been asked of him, and he has come too far to turn back now. And so it comes slowly, cracks in the façade that has carried him through this human passage and unto her now. It peels away in layers, the onion of necessary lies, the smoke and the mirrors. He can see the moment of his revealed monstrosity writ in the rigidity of her figure, the way her whole body clenches in terror and awe. Never has he wanted to be further away from a moment; everything in him tightens in the awfulness of waiting for the axe to fall, the final cut.

         Lucifer, she whispers. She comes to him as no one else has, not in millennia past or to come, not in kindness and not in love. Outwards, her hands stretch; beneath her skin is the webbing of veins in delicate wrists, the beating of a human heart. They tremble as she touches him. He thinks of the Fall, the long and dark night through which he had tumbled, and he thinks this is worse - knows suddenly that it is, because if she follows in his Father's footsteps and turns her face aside, he will fall and fall again endlessly, though darkness and through time, and there will be no place anywhere for him to land. She cannot fail him, not in this.

         Though shaking, she does not retreat. On him, her hands are gentle, restless. She touches his face, his mouth, his hanged man's neck. Her hands smooth along flayed and ravaged skin, are gentle where tenderness is not required, though her hands are never bloodied. She presses on him, touching and wanting touch. When she kisses him, her mouth is sweet and open; she tastes of honey and liquor.

         He struggles to form words, the shape of them elusive and smoky. There are questions in his him, viscous and heavy, how and why and please don't, but he is helpless before her, silent as stone. He thinks of the doorways in time, the eons behind and in front of him, the way memory dulls in its lustre in the spaces where she is not. Her presence is a lodestone to which all things in him are drawn, the centerpoint around which even stars circle, a place where they collapse on themselves.

         When the words finally come, they are thorny and bitter on his tongue. Chloe, he says, and her name feels like a sin. Fire is catching on his skin. He presses his forehead against hers, eyes closed tight. Against him, her hands are relentless, searching. They slide over his chest and then down, across the expanse of his bodily ruin, the puckering of scars and rent tissue, the sharpness of bones exposed and broken. When she grasps him, his whole body lurches, groaning, curling in on itself.

         Chloe, his whisper is harsh, How can this be what you want?

         The stars are shining in her eyes when she looks at him, and the breath that passes from her lips to his is sweeter than Heaven's air. She answers with a kiss, so gentle it makes his bones ache. Smoothing her hands over his face, she cups his chin, strokes a thumb against his lip. Lucifer, she whispers, and her voice is as clear as the sky, All I see is you.

         Something in him cracks, unravels. The sound that catches in his throat is small and primal; it cleaves the air, leaves him breathless and dizzy. The world shifts wildly as he falls back, and she is on him, relentless in her pursuit. Her hand is hot around him, stoking a fire that climbs his belly to his heart, one that cannot be satiated even as she eases onto him.

         This is not how it happens, how it is meant to happen, until it does. Everything in him shakes for the sight of it, the feel of her mouth against him, the touch of her hand. Over him, she curls like a parabola, filling her concave spaces with all of him. He rises to meet her, his mouth open hotly against her neck, hands moving over her breasts, her thighs, her sex. They move and are moved, hips stuttering unevenly, imperfectly, but it is theirs. For all of his desire otherwise, this is how it happens.

         When she comes, she arches into him, wantonly, wanting him. She is fearless in her pleasure: she does not burn when she touches him, does not cower for the sight of his face. He pushes her up and over, hands tangling in her hair, mouth catching on her breast as they tumble. Her body is open under him, soft and slick and impossibly pleasing, and she does not tremble when he shudders over her, into her.

         He lingers a long moment, nose pressed in her clavicle, embraced skin to skin along the length of her. Under him, her skin is unblemished, her heartbeat strong; when he finally lifts his head to look at her, her eyes are bright, her smile kind, and she does not flinch when he kisses her, the taste of sulfur on his tongue. At her touch, the fire banks and storm recedes; the hand that strokes her face is whole and unbroken.

         They curl together in the velvet dark, an uroboros of hands and mouths and touch. Silence lays between them, a gentle veil; he knows the words are in him, heavy and certain in his heart, though they stick in his throat. Chloe presses a hand to his mouth, her face kind. She promises without words all that goes unsaid, and he trembles as he kisses the center of her palm. He does not think of lands barren and fallow, the liminal spaces of unlocked doors and open flame. With her, the air is quiet and cool, patient and waiting, and time is a depthless pool full of hope and plenty. Somewhere, his stars are burning out in night skies; he knows without knowing that her light never will.

         She falls asleep in his arms, the cadence of her heartbeat a gentle song in the night. This was not how it was supposed to happen until it did. For once, he does not question why.

[homebrewdtyrant]

Dank-Jank Tech: Jodah Cheerios

Welp, here it is! Sorry for the long wait, I hope this makes up for it a little. Decklist is not complete, treat this post as more of guide on how to approach a Cheerios style EDH deck and what to keep in mind while building it. 

What is Cheerios? No, we aren’t talking about the delicious breakfast cereal when we reference “Cheerios” in MtG! The deck archetype “Cheerios” is named such after the fact that the main win con of the deck is 0 mana costed artifacts, which resemble the O shape of a Cheerio!  Now that we’ve defined Cheerios, how does it win?  Cheerios win thru a few factors but primarily by taking advantage of an old boogie man mechanic called Storm! With most Cheerio combos we cycle thru loops of free casting 0 costed spells, gaining a huge storm count and then casting one giant spell (like Grapeshot) to one shot an opponent! Cheerios can also utilize EtB and LtB effects but they’re not as common. Why Jodah as our Commander? Wouldn’t Breya be a better Commander? While normally yes, I would agree that Breya is one of the best toolbox artifact commanders and would deff be a great fit for the archetype Cheerios, I don’t usually do meta, and Breya is very linear and boring to me. Don’t get me wrong, if you have Breya I fully encourage you to run her! She’s an AMAZING artifact commander, just not one I want to run in this deck. Jodah gives us access to all 5 colors of Magic, and this can be very powerful and very limiting at the same time. But that’s what makes this deck exciting! I’ve tried to work a few smaller combos and support cards into the deck to help us smooth out the rough edges that come with running 5 colors. Let’s dive right on in.

The Breakfast Cereal Combo

First off we need a creature or permanent (in this case mostly creatures) that lets us draw cards when we cast our 0 mana costed artifacts. For this purpose I enlisted Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain, Sram Senior Edificer, and Puresteel Paladin for their help. With an Artificer’s Assistant out we can filter our draws more when we cast our artifacts to get the good stuff faster.  Now for the big problem we run into with running a Cheerios deck in EDH: the 99. We have a lot of cards to filter thru and cast to kill someone with 40ish life. Good thing we have a lot of 0 mana costed artifcts, to list a good few: Accorder’s Shield, Bone Saw, Chrome Mox, Claws of Gix, Dark Sphere, Darksteel Relic, Everflowing Chalice, Fountain of Youth, Kite Shield, Lodestone Bauble, Herbal Poltice, Mana Crypt, Memnite, Mishra’s Bauble, Ornithopter, Paradice Mantle, Phyrexian Walker, Mox Amber, Mox Opal, Shield Sphere, Spellbook, Spidersilk Net, Tormod’s Crypt, Urza’s Bauble, Welding Jar and Zuran Orb.  That’s a fairly long list, you don’t have to use all of them but redundancy is key in EDH. Some of them also provide a nice toolbox effect with cards like Tormod’s Crypt to hose graveyard, the Moxs and Paradise Mantle to fix mana, and Spellbook to let us hold onto our big draws. We have a base for our brew!

Tutoring Effects

Generally I know that tutors can be frowned upon in certain playgroup, but for this combo, we need to assemble our pieces. For creature tutoring I’m using cards like Time of Need, Primal Command, Birthing Pod, Jarad’s Orders, Brutalizer Exarch, Eladamir’s Call, Fauna Shaman and Eldritch Evolution. I’ll explain why we run cards like Birthing Pod, Fauna Shaman and Eldritch Evolution here in just a moment, but with these cards we can tutor up most of our combo creatures or utility creatures whichever fits our need at the time. 

With artifact tutoring we have Trinket Mage, Trophy Mage, Treasure Mage, Fabricate, Artificer’s Intuition, Enlightened Tutor, Tezzeret the Seeker, Whir of Invention, Sphinx’s Summoner, and Reshape. Some of these spells require the sacrificing of artifacts but fear not, we will have ways to recur them back! In EDH, only in exile can things find eternal rest. 

Tutoring for the rest we run cards like Spellseeker, Mystical Tutor, Mystical Teachings, and Merchant Scroll to get our instant/sorceries and you know about black tutors like Vampiric and Demonic, I hope I don’t have to explain too much about them to cover the rest. Transmute is also an amazing ability we can’t forget about!

Now that we’ve covered all the tutors, let’s talk a bit about the utility of our permanents that tutor. The Mage trio (Trinket, Treasure, Trophy), Brutalizer Exarch and Spellseeker are good examples of why we run cards like Birthing Pod, Eldritch Evolution and Fauna Shaman. On EtB we get our tutor effect but once the creature is in play it’s done its part. We are a toolbox deck and everything has value to us in one way or another. By running Birthing Pod we can sacrifice the Trinket Mage to search up Teshar, Ancestor’s Apostle and thus bringing us to our next segment. 

The Teshar Combo

This deck runs a lot of artifacts and smaller creatures, so we can take advantage of that using cards like Teshar, Ancestor’s Apostle (I’ve been trying to find a way to break Teshar so badly!). Using the Birthing Pod  method we can sac Trinket Mage to the the Pod to fetch up Teshar and begin some shenanigans. You will need a free creature sac outlet (such as but not limited to: Phyrexian Altar or Ashnod’s Altar) to really keep the combo going.  We can try this combo: 1) Have Ashnod’s Altar out on the field with Teshar.  2) Cast the Trinket Mage, go fetch a cheerio to hand.  3) Sacrifice the Mage to the Altar to get 2 colorless mana. 4) Play the cheerio we fetched for free to trigger Teshar, bringing back our Trinket Mage to go get another cheerio.  5) Loop as many times as needed until all your 0 and 1 mana costed artifacts are out of your deck and you have an excess of colorless mana to spend however you want.  If we sacrifice Teshar to the Pod however, we can use it to go tutor up a Phyrexian Delver, and use Delver’s ability to return to our bird friend to play with the small expense of a few life, then continue to chain the Delver into bigger threats like Sun Titan and  Brutalizer Exarch. 

So what do I do with all this nonsense?

Win with the jankiest combos possible. I’ve shown you how the basics work and how to enable your combo, now you need to win! 

Burn them to death with Molten Nursery and Grapeshot, amass an army of Golems with Golem Foundry. If you need a higher spell count, Hurkyl’s Recall and Retract can bounce your artifacts to give you more spell casts. Don’t forget about Aetherflux Resevoir either. 

(After post edit: Birthing Pod and Prime Speaker Vannifar are interchangeable or run both for redundancy!) 

Auntie Sidisi missed you all very much, and I hope I never take a long leave of absence again for a while! Let me know what you would run or use to streamline this deck concept! The jankier, the better I always say! What’s in a game if you’re not having fun?

[thedarkestdragonknight]

About the Character - Jacques Cresent

Name of your Character: Jacques Cresent Alias of your Character: Doesn’t really have aliases that he knows of. Though his nickname from friends is the Grumpy Dragon. One Picture You Like Best Of Your Character

Two Headcanons You Have For Your Character

{ Hidden Dragon, Garlean Experiment }

Jacques is the product of Garlean experimentation, designed to be a creature capable of killing Primals simply by himself without the aid of others. However, his dragon blood goes deeper than just what he gained from the Garleans. His father held very deep ties to the Great Wyrm Nidhogg, one of the First Brood of Midgardsormr. The blood ties were muddied and thinned out but it was still present in Jacques which is why they took him in to begin with. Because his blood had been muddied out it took many years of infusions with the blood of Bahamut, harvested from the Binding Coils as the Elder Primal was slowly reforming itself as well as various infusions from blood samples and cell samples that the Garleans managed to gather from the Keeper of the Lake. Jacques keeps these facts well hidden from the world, close to his heart as he doesn’t want anyone knowing just what he is or what he is capable of. Especially because it’s only been so long since the Calamity happened.

{ Bringer of the Calamity }

A time in which Jacques simply falls to his madness and there is no saving him from it. Because Jacques holds deep connections with Bahamut he has that power to bring about destruction and ultimately, bring about another Calamity if he is pushed too far. In this headcanon Jacques not only falls to the Garlean Empire but is ultimately recaptured and completely broken, which leads to the Garleans using him as the weapon of choice to try and make the rest of the world bow to them. Which will ultimately bring about a Second Calamity of far greater proportions than that of the Battle of Carteneau when Bahamut broke free of Dalamud. Not only would it not be a Teraflare that Jacques uses but it would be the ultimate attack that Bahamut could have at it’s disposal, Exaflare. This would also tie in to the arrival of Bahamut Zero, the most powerful of the Bahamut’s in the Final Fantasy series (Next to Fury from Crisis Core). This would be the ultimate test for the Eorzean Alliance but it would come with a price seeing as no doubt many of the leaders and members of the Alliance have come to know Jacques as he was before he was lost. The question is, would they try to save him from his madness or face the fact that they may have to kill him in order to save the world from suffering more damage.

Three Things Your Character Likes Doing in Their Spare Time

One thing that Jacques enjoys doing in his spare time is studying and reading the various documents he has managed to gather over the course of his adventurers. It helps him piece together more and more of what was done to him when he was in Garlean captivity.

Cooking, Jacques absolutely LOVES cooking for his friends and lovers. He has a great soft spot for baking as well as making whole roast dinners.

Singing, while he doesn’t do this OFTEN when Jacques is alone and no one is around he will sometimes sing. His voice is actually quite versatile and he is capable of hitting various notes, like thanks to Mana Qalli helping him with singing (because she no doubt has snuck up on him and caught him in the act more than a few times)

Seven People That Your Character Loves/Likes/Respects (Seriously, I couldn’t think of seven people total but I wanted to include the amazing people I’ve met here. I could have taken a cheap way out by listing several characters who belong to my spouse IRL or Characters from the game itself {IE: Haurchefant, Aymeric, Alphinaud} but I wanted to spread the love and also share just what Jacques feels about the interactions he’s had from the asks and such that I have gotten. So THANK YOU people for being AMAZING)

{ P’shali Talechaser - @talechaser-ffxiv }

(Screenshot courtesy of @talechaser-ffxiv <3) P’shali is one of the first people that Jacques ever came to know, he has been with him since the beginning after the Au Ra was released from the Praetorium and has been with him ever since. Not only has P’shali helped him in many ways but he’s helped him actually grow more functional. In the beginning Jacques was no better than a rabid dog, feral and wild... not trusting anyone. But with the Seekers help he slowly came to well understand that not everyone was out to hurt him. By this point the two are practically married even if P’shali’s hand was claimed by someone, whom is equally as important to him. While he may not express it often, Jacques loves P’shali deeply and he would do anything to make sure that his companion and partner are safe and protected.

{ Swath Lodestone }

(Screenshot ALSO courtesy of @talechaser-ffxiv >>) Swath is something of a mystery to Jacques and while they have come to know each other well throughout the course of their time together there will always be things that Jacques doesn’t quite understand about his Elezen companion. Of course, Swath comes with P’shali and the three of them have been close since they met. Jacques helps with soothing Swath when he needs it and Swath essentially acts as the same for Jacques because he has that soothing aura around him. Once again, while Jacques might not truly express it or state it he loves Swath and will ultimately do everything in his power to keep his companion safe and well. The three of them are in a very close relationship and are all essentially the shoulder to cry on when one needs it. They look out for each other, respect each other and most of all love each other in their own ways.

{ Cersei Lialle @theredlilycrew }

While but a recent acquaintance, Cersei has not only won over Jacques’ respect but has gained his interest. While he might have been cautious in the beginning, Cersei has ultimately won over the dragons trust and he would always enjoy spending time with her whenever given the opportunity obviously. Plus, her being a Pirate Captain gives him more reason to respect her and to potentially ask if she’d like to go out and fish for sharks sometime in the future. Jacques has a bit of a hobby for fishing up giant sharks, gutting them and magically pulling out bikinis from their insides. He’d also just enjoy going out on the ship, because he loves the ocean breeze and that feeling of true freedom when out on the waters. (I had to mention Cersei in here because Jacques would respect the hell out of her for being such an awesome character obviously. Plus, if their first meeting was him nearly losing his eye then yeah >> I could see her roasting him over it which would easily earn his respect because intimidating dragon man always has a permanent resting bitch face going on that scares people away XD)

{ U’tavu Nunh - @thorcatte }

Certainly someone who sparked Jacques’ interest in a brief meeting while he was in a low period. Tavu is a character that simply draws Jacques back each and every time they happen to come across one another. Whether it’s sitting down to talk over tea or taking to more primal urges, Jacques always feels like he can be himself when he is around the Seeker. Not only that but they share a lot of similar interests and likes, Jacques with his love of fishing and cooking would easily go out to catch something and then set about making a nice dinner out of it for the Seeker. He also simply enjoys how Tavu is always able to rile him up in ways with his flirting and teasing. Needless to say, the Seeker often brings out the more beastial side in Jacques. In a good way obviously. (I cannot say enough just how fun the interactions between these two have been. They are always so fun to read and even funner to respond to. So thank you for the opportunity to meet your awesome character!)

Two Things Your Character Regrets

Always on his mind is the time when Haurchefant dove in to protect him, Jacques could have easily taken the blow but Haurchefant acted without hesitation. One of the biggest regrets that Jacques has is not being able to prevent it from happening. After all, had it been him he would have likely survived the attack.

While it could be seen as not quite a regret I feel that it still applies. Jacques is always regretting that he simply cannot ‘be himself’ in a way because he is always having to hide things like his eye and most of his past from people. He doesn’t want the truth to come out because ultimately it could cause so much trouble for him and the ones he loves.

A Phobia Your Character Has

I actually had an ask recently pertaining to Jacques’ phobias. The biggest one for him however would be his fear of failure, after the events that happened in the Vault (Obviously mentioned above in his regrets) he has had a fear of failing those he loves the most or cares about. He doesn’t want to lose someone else that he saw as a friend or worse, a lover. Failure is not an option, because if it is then it means that someone could die again. And needless to say if someone he loved dies, well that Headcanon about a Second Calamity would easily become a reality. 

Tagged By: No one, but I saw a reblog with this and I just HAD to do this for Jacques!

Tagging: @theaetherhealerffxiv @talechaser-ffxiv and @theredlilycrew because I want to see not just which of your awesome kiddos you pick but I want to know more obviously! And if anyone else wants to do this by all means go for it!

[theaetherhealerffxiv]

(Stolen from @talechaser-ffxiv)

CHARACTER PROFILE

Name: Swath Lodestone  Age: 35 Height: 5″10 Gender / Orientation: Male (?) / Bisexual Race: Elezen  - Duskwight Nameday:  26th Sun of the 2nd Umbral Moon Patron Deity / Guardian: He was born under Nymia but because of story reasons his patron deity is The Goddess Sophia Place of birth / Residence: He was born in a small outlying village / He has an apartment in Ishgard and stays there often Relationship status: Married, polyamorous Swath is only polyamorous because his partner P’shali is also poly. Swath loves P’shali dearly and really doesn't know what to do if someone else shows affection towards him. This doesn't mean don't try though!

Husband: P’shali Talechaser

Relatives:

Eth Lodestone (Grandfather - dead)

Irella Lodestone (Mother - dead)

Raol ??? (Father - dead)

Physical features: White hair with a soft looking face, Swath has scars all over his body most of them are small pinpricks. He has gold color eyes except for his left which is heavily scarred and is a eye of a dragon. Swath covers this eye with a white eyepatch. Swath is slim and had lean muscle.  Profession: Fortune Teller, Healer, part time Miner Class: Ast

Interests: Studying the stars, trying to learn more about his passenger.  Virtues:

Protective of his friends

Softspoken

Loyal

Understanding

Helpful

Flaws:

Stand off-ish 

Avoids people he does not know

Shy

Worries about others

Thinks to much

Likes:

Books (all kinds)

The stars

P’shali

People watching 

Dislikes:

Being ignored

Becoming overwhelmed by people

Being told there is no way he can have a god inside of him

Having Sophia get irritated and taking him over

Fears:

Loosing himself 

Being forgotten

Losing his love ones

Garleans

Other Skills:

Mining

He knows almost everything about Allagans. 

Is pretty good at alchemy

Reading everything in front of him

Backstory:

Its mostly summarized mind you!

 Swath’s birth was peaceful but his family was quickly slaughtered by the Garleans destroying the town they where in and shattering the crystal in the middle of the town. The small baby’s body had been peppered by the crystal having the aether infused shards remain within his body as he grew older... His grandfather had survived the attack though and took him home to his village.

Growing up the young Elezen had a loving family - a grandfather who taught him everything he knew and a mentor who let him access all of her books. His life was amazing and comfortable in the small village that was hidden away from the world. It didn't matter what happened outside within the village it was a different world. 

That was until the Garleans came. With a appetite for ancient artifacts and destruction they raided Swath’s village slaughtering everyone. They came for several reasons. One, this village worshiped an Allagan goddess and two, there had been rumors that there was a device within the village that could control a primal. Alas, only one of those rumors where true. 

Swath amidst the carnage had retreated to the sanctuary in which he had spent many a day studying under his mentor. Within it was a statue of the Allagan goddess Sophia. Crying out to her Swath prayed for his family to be saved for the Garleans to leave - his prayers where not answered in the way he wanted them to be though inside of the stone there was a goddess, not a primal; and this goddess loved Swath her diligent scholar and worshiper. In a last ditch effort to save him from the Garleans she fled her stone prison and possessed him, using the crystal shards within his body to draw in aether around them and cloak him in a body of her own making. Sophia in her rage destroyed the Garleans and left Swath mostly alone.

Together he and Sophia wander Eorzea in search of knowledge and a way to stop the Garleans. 

[tipsycad147]

Planetary Magic 4: Venus, Love and Money

by Christopher Penczak | Jul 29, 2013

(Originally appearing in Crow’s Calling)

Venus is the most alluring of the planets. Seen as both a morning and evening star, no heavenly body, save the Sun and Moon, has captured the attention of humanity as this bright star has. Many gods and goddesses have been associated with it, from the goddesses Inanna and Ishtar, to the fallen angel Lucifer. Friday is the day in harmony with Venusian energies, named after the Norse goddess Freya, creating Freya’s day. But the planet itself is named after the goddess of love, known to the Greeks as Aphrodite.

Aphrodite is most popularly known as the patron of love and romance, but she is also the goddess of sensuality, pleasure, beauty and relaxation. In some of the myths, she was known for her anger, jealousy and infidelity as well. Although considered one of the twelve Olympians, the main gods of the Greeks, she is most likely a much older goddess, since her birth in the creation tales had to be fit into the myths of the classical Greeks. Her first stories don’t seem to fit. Although some say she is a daughter of Zeus, most myths give a different tale. When Chronos castrated his father, the sky god Uranus, his genitals fell into the ocean. The ocean foamed and frothed, until Venus burst forth from the waves, making her a primal ocean goddess, without real parents. When she reached the shore, flowers bloomed at her feet, following her wherever she went. So she carries the associations of an Earth goddess too. Later she became the champion of love and romance.

Venus captures our attention because it is the brightest of the stars. The planet reflects so much light because of the planets thick atmosphere. Venus has a continuous “green house” effect. Most solar energy gets reflected off this atmosphere, creating the dazzling light, and giving Venus its association with gems and jewels. The energy that does penetrate gets trapped inside, creating a blistering atmosphere that cannot support life as we know it. The energy of Venus, of personal love, is reflected in these characteristics. Our love and emotions can often be dazzling at first glance, but cloudy and obscured when looked at closely. Our memories concerning love are hazy, unlike the memories of Mercury, which lacks an atmosphere that can haze perception. Passion and romance are hot and steamy, and we can feel our blood boil when in a passionate love affair. Once we “get” love, we often don’t want to give it up. We seek to trap and bind it.

Venus is the only planet with a day, or rotation on its axis, longer than its year. Venus’ day is equivalent to 243 earth days while its year, or one complete orbit around the Sun, is only 225 earth days. This is why the goddess is associated with leisure and luxury, and in some people’s minds, laziness and inactivity. Venus takes time to enjoy every second. Venus is sensual. Venus goes its own way, rotating in the opposite direction of all the other planets. The goddess is, after all, free and independent. The Sun rises on her western horizon, always starting with a sense of completion, at least from the Earth person’s view point. Since the Sun sets on the earthly western horizon, we associate it with endings and completion. Many magical traditions also place the element of water at the west, for the endings, and the mysteries of the other worlds, beyond the ocean. Water is the element of love and healing. The powers of Venus are the pleasures at the end of the day. Venus moves toward completion rather than fresh starts and initiation. Initiation is handled by Venus’ lover, Mars. The goddess of love’s emphasis on the west is the land of endings, sunsets and mysteries.

This planet currently rules two zodiac signs, though many debate her rulership. Taurus and Libra both share Venus. In Taurus, she is the goddess of the earth, physical pleasure, the body, and sensuality. Taurus is associated with resources and money, and Venus can be used in such magic. She attracts, and then holds onto her resources, like the heat of the planet. In Libra, she is the goddess of art, relationship, justice and balance. She is in an air sign, keen on communication between partners and intellectual appreciation of the finer things in life. Both signs have been associated with the colour green, as well as pink, making those strong ritual colours to work with when invoking Venus the goddess, or Venus the planet. Copper, which turns green when tarnished, along with many green and blue stones that have copper compounds in them, such as turquoise, azurite and malachite, resonate with Venus. Emerald, however, is the stone most often associated with Venus.

Magic in the sphere of Venus is love and emotion magic. Do spells to find a lover, long term or short term. Do spells to find self love and healing. Venus rules the heart chakra and throat chakra, letting us speak our feelings with clarity and strength. Call on it to heal a broken heart as well. Use it to heal and strengthen relationships of all kinds, because to this goddess, all relationships, friends and family, are based on love.

The power of attraction is the power of Venus. Lodestone, the natural magnetic stone, is a mineral of Venus. Venus attracts things of value to you. If you value money, it will attract that in your magick. If you value the things that money can buy, sensual or intellectual pleasures, Venus will attract that. If you value romance, beauty, or anything at all, Venus can attract it.

Venus energy is great for quick money magic. Green is the colour of Venus, the colour of money and the colour of most vegetation. It is the symbol on this planet for stored solar energy, stored potential. All barter and trade was based on the value of stored energy, be it in grain, animals, or the solar energy reflected in gold. That is why we associate money with green. Also, we cannot have prosperity in our life if we do not love ourselves and feel worthy of prosperity.

Venus energy helps us complete any project. It gives us the final push to complete long standing goals and things that have been shelved. Venus brings us to the reward at the end of the journey, where we can enjoy the fruits of our labour.

When you want to call upon the energies of Venus, do so when this energy is strong. Most people use the power of Venus to attract, so doing work on a waxing Moon, to attract things to you is helpful. But at times, we wish to banish with this energy, such as banishing the pain of a broken heart, so the waning Moon would be more appropriate. All Venusian magick is powerful on Fridays, the day of Venus, and the first hour after sunrise is the first hour of Venus. Also when the Moon or Sun is in the sign of Taurus or Libra is powerful Venus time.

We have a planetary Venus cycle and a personal Venus cycle. During this time, it is great to rest and relax, enjoy the finer things in life, play music, tell stories and make art. It’s a time for inner expression. For the planetary cycle, it is typically Dec 6 to Jan 26. I always thought that strange because I associate Venus with the goddess of flowers its zodiac signs with spring and fall, but the winter is a perfect time to rest and relax. Our personal Venus period starts 260 days after our birthday, and lasts approximately 52 days.

When designing Venus rituals, make them sensual and fun. Don’t try to be too serious. Laughter can be a great form of magic. Invoke all the senses. Use foods, drinks, scents, sounds and textures that are pleasing to you. That will invoke the Venus energy. You can also use the following correspondences in your rituals.

MINERALS:Amber, Aventurine, Azurite, Calcite, Blue Calcite, Green Calcite, Pink Calcite, Cat’s Eye, Chrysocolla, Chysoprase, Emerald, Hexagonite, Jade, Green Jasper, Kunzite, Kyanite, Lapis Lazuli, Loadstone, Malachite, Peridot, Rose Quartz, Rhodochrosite, Rhodonite, Serpentine, Blue Sodalite, Tourmaline, Turquoise, Variscite

PLANTS: Adam and Eve Root, African Violet, Alder, Alfalfa, Almond, Angelica, Apple, Apricot, Ash, Avocado, Balm of Gilead, Banana, Bay, Bedstraw, Bean, Beets, Bergamot, Bleeding Heart, Blood Root, Boneset, Catnip, Celery, Cherry, Chickpea, Red Clover, Cocoa, Coltsfoot, Columbine, Cosmos, Crocus, Cuckoo-Flower, Cumin, Cypress, Daffodil, Daisies, Damiana, Dittany, Elder, Fern, Foxglove, Gardenia, Geranium, Goldenrod, Goldenseal, Gooseberry, Heart’s Ease, Heather, Hibiscus, Hollyhocks, Horehound, Hyacinth, Hydrangeas, Jade Tree, Jasmine, Jewelweed, Juniper, Kava-Kava, Ladies’ Mantle, Lemon, Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena, Lentil, Lily of the Valley, Lime, Lovage, Lungwort, Marshmallow, Meadowsweet, Moneywort, Motherwort, Orchid, Oregano, Orris Root, Pansy, Parsley, Passion Flower, Passion Fruit, Pear, Pennyroyal, Peony, Peppermint, Periwinkle, Plum, Poppy, Primrose, Radish, Ragweed, Raspberry, Rice, Rose, Sarsaparilla, Self-Heal, Silverweed, Slippery Elm, Spearmint, Star Anise, Strawberry, Sweet pea, Sycamore, Tansy, Thyme, Tulips, Vanilla, Vervain, Vetivert, Violet, Walnut, Watermelon, Wheat, Woodruff, Yarrow

(Be sure to consult a reputable medical herbal before using any herbs topically or internally.)

Besides this list, the aforementioned copper, even copper pennies are great for ritual, as well as sugar and honey. Sweetness is the power of Venus. Experiment. Be daring. Create. Walk with

Venus.

Next: Mars and Victory!

Resources: * A Salem Witch’s Herbal by Laurie Cabot. Celtic Crow Publishing. * Archetypes of the Zodiac by Kathleen Burt. Llewellyn. * Astrological Magick by Estelle Daniels. (Samuel Weiser) * Astrology From A to Z by Eleanor Bach. Evens and Company. * Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs and Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic, by Scott Cunningham. Llewellyn. * Lifting the Veil: Practical Kabbalah with Kundalini Yoga by Gurunam. Rootlight Publishing

https://christopherpenczak.com/2013/07/29/planetary-magic-4-venus-love-and-money/