#spirit island: nature incarnate

[jazelock]

Dances Up Earthquakes's big 7-card Earth Shudders, Buildings Fall turn.

Event Card: Relentless Optimism

"For the rest of this turn, don't generate Fear for Destroying Towns/Cities."

The invaders as their towns and cities collapse around them:

[patricia-taxxon]

there are so many girls in the new spirit island expansion

[xelidonia]

...Okay, I really, really like Relentless Gaze of the Sun. I've played it twice and it's already my favorite spirit-- partly for the meme, partly because of nominative determinism, but mostly because it's just so powerful.

The option to reclaim + add your destroyed presence encourages reclaim loops-- which is good for me! Less thinking. Fewer chances to make the wrong choice. Its special rule encourages you to draw minor powers (which alleviates my anxiety about throwing away cards for majors) and its right innate often removes whatever bad side-effects make those minors balanced. Like, in my last game with the Sun, I drew Land of Haunts and Embers, and just spammed it to generate large quantities of fear without adding any blight. I grew along the top-track first, which meant I didn't use Scorching Convergence very much, but it didn't matter and we still won easily. You reallyyyy want to uncover that Any Element so you can use the water/leaf innates every turn.

[sepublic]

What if we reimagined all of the other non-Teridax Makuta as eldritch horrors, just as Teridax was initially presented in the early years of Bionicle? What if we used each Makuta as a prompt of sorts; What if THEY were the big villain terrorizing an island, their individual name unknown so they’re just THE Makuta to the local Toa and Matoran? Make each one feel worthy of the title of Makuta, with their depictions in Karda Nui being akin to physical, humanoid avatars meant to interact with others, just as the scheming Teridax is like for the vortex from MNOG?

Like for example, Chirox! You have this swarm of spiders known as the Visorak, led by one massive spider, known as Makuta. The Visorak mutate their victims, before dragging them back to their master.

Makuta is a spider-like entity that emerges from a cave, using his spindly limbs to grapple with and analyze his victims... Potentially drawing upon them for inspiration, before tearing and prying them apart into their base pieces, adding them to his massive collection. From these recycled parts, Makuta creates more Visorak, or dreaded Rahi creatures that wreak havoc on the ecosystem. Like Makuta, they are poison, destruction incarnate; They always inherit his twisted spirit that destroys.

That’s all Makuta does, even when he does create; He inevitably just destroys. Instead of coming up with new things on his own, he relies on Fate to mutate the living into something random, hoping chance will eventually grant him a working design for Makuta to copy. You could say Makuta has no real ideas of his own, and is a gambler, a parasite, betting something will come along for him to take. 

But isn’t destruction the same as creation, isn’t destroying his victims necessary to make things? That’s where the imagery of the spider comes into play; Its long, spindly limbs? They’re fingers. Makuta is not just a spider, he is a hand; The same hand that reaches into the parts bin to make new creations, plays with MoCs before tearing them apart to make something new. Just as Teridax represents the parts bin, Chirox is the builder’s hand, like in the Lego Movie, or Super Smash Bros. 

Each Visorak is like a hand of its own, grabbing victims, reassembling them randomly with mutation. Dragging them back to Chirox, whose hand motif is also inspired from the fact that he is the only Makuta who can fully control his Shadow Hand. And Makuta’s spider-like form? It’s attached to something much, MUCH bigger... It is not just a hand metaphorically, it is a literal hand and when Makuta’s lair collapses around him, it reveals the massive figure he is attached to; His whole, true self, a titan more resembling the Chirox we are familiar with.

The others are different angles and facets to approach the myth, the legend of the Makuta; Different re-imaginings, just as people came up with their own G3 and their own take on Makuta. Just like the Makuta contest we had for G2. Vamprah can represent the animalistic side of Makuta; The raging, kicking, screaming beast he was once described as by Vakama. The apex predator, for if his minions are the Rahi beasts, he is the greatest of them all.

Or Bitil! A temporal entity, haunted by his past selves, constantly summoned by his future self. Always going through different iterations, just as a MoC is frequently edited, redone, rebuilt; You can track his transformation, his evolution across his many selves; Makuta represents the existential horror of the timeline, of the way things change. A ghost of the past, and also a vision of the future. If the Vahi is central to the tale of Bionicle as the Mask of Time, what about Makuta as someone who constantly exploits and distorts this force?

Those are some of my initial ideas. Makuta needn’t always be this faceless force of nature, they can be a humanized figure, like Krika, who can be a sympathetic, tragic villain doomed by the narrative, consigned to his role and aware of it as part of a meta discussion; Miserix is the mighty dragon our knights must slay; The Makuta of Stelt, a land of merchants and commerce, the all-consuming force of corporatism that stifles creativity, or a bargaining devil. Gorast is a fanatical priestess hoping to bring in a new age, Mutran the quintessential mad scientist who played god and flew too close to the sun in his obsession.

Spiriah is a corrupt lord seething over his failures, who transformed and resents his people the Skakdi and must be rebelled against; Tridax is a multiversal collector providing commentary on adaptations; The Vortixx hope to harness the ultimate weapon that is Antroz; Kojol is the arcane keeper of knowledge like Lucifer, who stole the Light of enlightenment from the land of thinkers and is burned for it; And Icarax? A completely straightforward dark lord to conquer, as he always intended to be. Each plays the role of Makuta, as the final villain, the ultimate evil who started this conflict, whom our protagonists must rise to eventually vanquish.

[theload]

Urobian Lore: Planet Overview and Nature Wyrms

Urobia is the name of the main planet in my setting. It's a world made from the still "living" bodies of five elemental dragons. The Fire Salonix became the core, the Earth Behemoth became the land, the Water Leviathan became the Seas, the Air Phintoatl became the Skies, and the LightDark Lumbrax became the sphere of heaven. The setting is geocentric, with the other celestial bodies being the eyes of the Lumbrax.

The world has one main continent, and many smaller "islands." The world is significantly larger than Earth, however, so many of these islands are still Greenland sized.

On Urobia, every aspect of nature is alive, in the sense that every aspect of nature is conscious and has a soul. The vast majority of these, with a few exceptions not really worth mentioning, are Nature Wyrms: dragons that are the aspects of nature they represent.

A Nature Wyrm has three forms: An elemental dragon, a "normal" dragon, and the landmark or phenomenon itself. To give an example, we'll look at an island.

The Nature Wyrm of this hypothetical island could appear as a wingless, armored dragon made entirely of stone, with moss growing on its hide and ferns growing from the cracks between its earthen scales.

It could also assume the form of a dragon with the same general build, but this time seemingly to be made of flesh and bone. In this form the Nature Wyrm would have a draconce (dragon gem) on its forehead, usually made of the same material as its elemental form (in this case mossy stone).

These two forms would exist independent of the island. One could walk on the island and meet one of these incarnations also living on the surface. Such is not the case with the third form. In this case, the island itself grows limbs and a head, breaks free from the ocean floor, and moves away.

(nearly) Every aspect of nature has an associated Nature Wyrm, and it can be difficult to figure out where one ends and another begins. The Nature Wyrms themselves aren't even sure about it.

How active a Nature Wyrm is can depend on the individual. Some are very active, and interact with those around them often, while others tend to "sleep" more often than not.

The main focus of my story and worldbuilding are dragons, with an assumption my lore makes is that 1) Draconity is equal to cosmic wholeness, and this wholeness is good. The fact that everything isn't connected to draconity is due to this iteration of reality being damaged. and 2) That dragons, all dragons, are gods.

Gods need not be Supremely Powerful, rather a god is a being with an inherent connection and control over some aspect of reality. The spirit of a boulder or well is just as much a god as the personification of Chaos, just a much weaker one. Think dryad vs Zeus.

[onesunofagun]

Be advised of minor totk Ganondorf spoilers ahead--

One of the things that stands out to me about botw/TotK is the many ways we are shown that a connection of people to nature and the understanding of and respect for the spirits of the land-- an incredibly Shintoist outlook-- is integral to Hyrule's prosperity.

This is true of every Zelda, but the very Ghibli-esque nature of these two showcase it in a really forefront way, in how they show a destroyed and recovering Hyrule, post Calamity. The erasure and destruction of both historical record and knowledge of important skills, as well as a seperation from the people and their big and small Gods, is directly aimed at severing such connection.

That's the philosophical heart of the series, thematically. It's also part of why Link is named link-- a link to Hyrule for the player, but also one who links people together, and reforges broken connections so that something can heal and strengthen again.

(That's relevant to the rejection of Sheikah Technology too, and the ways in which advanced magic-tech is very much shown to be something of the Heavens, rather than Earth. The themes there regarding hubris and error, such as Calamity Ganon's turning the technology against Hyrule, are kind of playing on the dangers of that sacred connection to the land being substituted.)

A huge part of the damage done to Hyrule in Ganon's assaults comes in isolating people and weakening the spiritual forces of the land, often cutting off access to holy places of Hyrulean worship or attempting to destroy or defile them.

One of the effects of this to remember when pondering new details is that some of the things in botw/Totk's lore-- such as things we're told through word of mouth especially by contemporary Hyrulean people-- are deliberately wrong, or intended as having been widely misunderstood.

Hylians especially have lost a vast wealth of cultural and religious knowledge in the Calamity, and much of their previous population and settlements. Their access to and knowledge of holy sites and objects, and their meanings or respective spiritual guardians or deities, is incredibly limited and spotty.

It isn't the first time we see cultural knowledge waning like this in the series, either. Like a bad game of telephone, this knowledge gets distorted and diluted over time until it's merely a rumour or guess, that vaguely resembles the original tale or purpose.

A great example of this is knowledge of the Triforce upon the Great Sea in Wind Waker. The legend of the Holy Relic that contains the power of the creation Gods and its wish granting properties does persist, even beyond a cataclysmic flooding of Hyrule has buried most evidence of it. So much so that its mark can adorn the doors of Outset Island, clearly still holding purpose as a warding symbol at the very least, while treasure hunters and old men rave about the lost treasure of the wish granting cutlery, the Triumph Forks.

To this point, and in an interesting meta effect of this, Jerrin notes-- regarding the horned statue in TotK-- that, there being a goddess of light, her parallel and opposing twin comes in the form of the Horned God.

Which many players probably think odd. I did, at first.

At face value, we may think Jerrin is speaking of the demonic entity residing within the statue, because that is what we are most familiar with when we think of this statue in particular.

And while the entity trapped in the horned statue certainly is a member of the demon tribe, most players are probably going to be aware of the dissonance there-- Hylia's opposing match is and always has been Demise.

The entity tells us it was sealed inside that statue by the Goddess herself, long into antiquity, as a punishment for their deals with mortals. Depending on how you wish to interpret that, and especially considering we've seen members of the Demon tribe refer to a Zelda as 'the Goddess' still, it can be taken with a grain of salt which incarnation of Hylia did the sealing.

While it has become a vessel used to seal a particular demon, I believe that it already existed. The idea of sealing spirits and demons into containers is par for the course in Zelda and Japan, and this entity says that it was sealed 'inside this statue', rather than transformed into one (such as we see done to WW Ganondorf).

The Horned Statue itself very much matches the form of the Statues of Hylia in design, which are conversely noted to be rounded down over time by touch and prayer. They're worn from worship, and the Horned Statue isn't. The demon inside gripes about how people ignore it and don't even clean bird poop off it. It's pretty safe to assume that it represents the Horned God as, what Hylians would perceive to be, an evil idol. But in that, it represents the greater concept-- the demon tribe as a whole, as represented by their leader-- rather than the unfortunate being stuck inside of it (who most people besides Link apparently can't even hear).

As an aside, TotK has given us example of other spirits and minor deities being able to communicate to Link through them, in a manner almost reminiscent of Gossip Stones (and I believe that's on purpose). When he speaks to a typical statue of Hylia, for instance, it is reinforced that he is not actually hearing the voice of Hylia-- of course. What he is speaking to is, for the most part, an animistic delegate of a kind that acts as an intermediary.

There is a kind of spiritual awareness within the statue that performs a function, like a priest performing service, but cut right back to the essence of it. I don't mean to imply every statue has had a being forcibly stuffed inside of it to fulfill this task, but rather that the voice is closer to a result of the spiritual practices themselves.

The vessel of worship, through being worshipped, gains a spiritual identity as a link to the Divine.

The point is, it's unlikely that this entity is actually 'the Horned God' that the statue itself represents. It is supposed to represent the Leader of the Demon tribe. Demise is the natural opposite of Hylia, and he is stated to appear differently through the epochs, to each who sees him.

The opening cutscene of Skyward Sword very clearly depicts him in symbolic representation with horns.

And, I do not think that it is at all a coincidence that TOTK also presents us with a pretty undeniably horny Ganondorf, who is himself a reincarnation of that spiritual wellspring of essence. One of the thing to understand about the Tear he possesses is that it, with it's basis being a Magatama, is functionally amplifying his spiritual force and manifesting his potential.

In this state, he is very much supposed to evoke and represent Demise, and his role-- he is visually geared to make that connection clear.

He has become the Horned God that this ancient statue pays homage to.

When we view the aspects of these games through the lens of the average Hylian person, versus what we know from the long running meta of Zelda and it's extra materials as a whole, it becomes really interesting to decipher these sorts of red herring details.

At first glance something may seem to be a contradiction or an ill fit, but upon further inspection, starts to hold a lot of weight as a deliberate part of the internal world build.

[reineyday]

TW: Long Ask Okay, so basically, this au has a long title but I dubbed it Child of the Sword. It started off with Zoro being able to see the spirits of the swords since in One Piece, swords are sentient and are possessed in a way. Only Zoro can see these spirits and talks to them all the time. At first, he didn't realize others couldn't see them. My friend and I played around with this a lot, and now's it's developed into a whole thing.

When Kuina died, Zoro's anger and grief erupted and Zoro discovered he was the incarnation of the Ancient Weapon: Ares. Created by the war god Asura. The sensei makes Zoro swear to never use his power in public unless it was life or death. Zoro goes on to see Kuina's spirit tied to Wado Ichimonji. During the shells town arc, Morgan is extra cruel bc he is Morgan, and when Zoro is tied in the courtyard he has the swordsman whipped on the back, marring and littering Zoro's back with scars. Zoro's honor is in shambles when Luffy shows up and helps him. During Baratie, Zoro fights Mihawk and loses, ending up with the scar on his chest. After Zoro promises to never fail, he whipsers "Finally a worthy scar" and Mihawk overhears. Mihawk almost noted how Zoro always seemed to be looking at things that aren't there. So naturally, the warlord decides to kidnap Zoro instead of Luffy (yes I am mashing up OPLA and the anime, fight me). The Straw hats go on the free Nami from Arlong then make plans to get Zoro back from Mihawk. Zoro is less than pleased to be kidnapped by the strongest swordsman. Mihawk brings Zoro with him to meet with Shanks about Luffy's bounty poster and Shanks convinces Mihawk to give Zoro back to the Straw Hats, but before that happens, Mihawk and Zoro end up talking about Zoro's special abilities. Mihawk comes to the realization of what Zoro is and keeps it to himself. During the two year time skip, Zoro reunites with Mihawk (even though he never stopped talking with the warlord after being dropped off ((begrudgingly)) at lougetown). Mihawk trains Zoro in the way of the sword AND helps him to realize his full potential. This is all I have for now, but I have ideas for Dressrosa and Wano. :D

oooooh this is so interesting! you could play a lot with the idea that zoro sees sword spirits! i'd also be so curious to know what zoro sees of yoru, if he sees her at all. im a fan of this theory i saw where being in control of your sword means being control of its spirit, and being in control is shown by your eyes looking like imu's. that perhaps hakuba is cavendish's sword spirit manifesting in a way cavendish cant control; that zoro's scarred eye is hiding proof of a spirit that had to be sealed away lest it overpower him; and that mihawk's eyes have those same rings because he's fully in control of yoru's sword spirit. i could see smth like that working in conjunction with kuina's spirit in wado diring the timeskip, that zoro trains with her (cries) to unlock wado ichimonji's full power, and that it's possible because of his ability to see sword spirits!!!

also obsessed with the idea that mihawk pivots and kidnaps zoro instead, especially because he really doesnt have to. 😂 mihawk meeting a boy that can see sword spirits and deciding "i will train him whether he wants me to or not" and then kidnapping him to give his nearly-bisected ass terrible first aid on his coffin boat... hilarious. 😂😂 shanks seeing the absolutely haggard and scowling teenager limping as he follows mihawk onto that island and being exasperated like,

shanks: you have to give him back, mihawk.

mihawk: no, he can see sword spirits. i need to have a hand in cultivating his power.

shanks: mihawk, you can't just--wait, you can what? omg does gryphon actually look like a gryphon?!?!?! wait, no, no, i'm trying to be the voice of reason here.

red-haired pirates in the background: *burst out laughing at shanks being the voice of reason*

and also probably mihawk will throw in some bratty sort of shot at shanks getting to bet on luffy and why cant he bet on zoro, and shanks will have to be like, "i didn't kidnap luffy, mihawk, just put him back!" hahaha.

i digress! interesting idea tho 👀👀👀

[themattress]

Ranking Link+Zelda and Ganon Incarnations

1. Hyrule Warriors - The more time has passed, the more I realize just how fucking good Hyrule Warriors was as a celebration of the Zelda series, which includes how superbly designed and characterized its Link and Zelda are. There are aspects of many past incarnations mixed in them, but they still manage to stand out as their own individuals. I especially love how Link is given actual character flaws, growing arrogant and believing himself to be the great lone hero of the story only to recognize that he, like all Links, never save the day purely on their own, and how Zelda is an absolute badass in combat as both herself and as Sheik, something that’s rarely seen outside of the Super Smash Bros. series.

2. Skyward Sword - Chronologically the first Link and Zelda, these two are some of the most human feeling. You really connect with them in all of their expressiveness and vulnerabilities. The relationships they forge with the likes of Impa and Groose only add to the sensation. It feels like they were written to be relatable people first and mythical figures of legend second.

3. Breath of the Wild / Tears of the Kingdom / Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity - There’s been much talk of this version of Zelda and how interesting, endearing and relatable she is in all of her scientific nerdiness and feelings of inadequacy when placed with heavy burdens, and how admirable she is in her courage and self-sacrificial nature, and all of that is true. But I think that across all three games Link also shapes up into a surprisingly complex character that was unexpected given his initial stoic front in Breath of the Wild. And give both of them credit: they’re the first Link and Zelda to have a radical design overhaul in three decades.

4. Ocarina of Time / Majora’s Mask - The first 3D Link and Zelda were also the first to truly showcase some semblance of characterization and character development, as we watch them go from children to adults and gain great strength at the cost of losing their innocence.

5. The Wind Waker / Phantom Hourglass - I greatly enjoy these two in The Wind Waker, where they are very expressive and funny and sympathetic. But they lose some points due to Phantom Hourglass, which did them kind of dirty in favor of becoming the Linebeck Show.

6. Spirit Tracks - They look the same as their ancestors from The Wind Waker, but they’ve got a different, unique feel to them, with Link being a working class guy instead of some island bumpkin in over his head, and Zelda being a sheltered princess who has to learn to come into her own rather than an Action Girl from the beginning. They also have one of the tightest (and cutest) bonds of friendship out of any Link and Zelda given their circumstances.

7. Twilight Princess - Both of them are in service of the real protagonist Midna, whom they share an excellent bond with, but they still have distinguishing factors that make them stand out, with Zelda being more of a Queen than a Princess this time around and Link having his own arc of going from simple farmboy to Hero of Hyrule carrying forth his ancestor’s legacy.

8. A Link Between Worlds - Virtually clones of the next Link and Zelda pair on this list, but with somewhat more personality and agency, helped along by their Lorulian counterparts.

9. A Link to the Past / Link’s Awakening / Oracle of Ages & Seasons - The “classic” Link and Zelda who provided the template for the others. No real personality to speak of, sadly.

10. The Minish Cap - These two, who are childhood friends, have slightly more personality than the above...but I’m sorry, the “toon” designs do not fit beyond The Wind Waker and its direct follow-ups. It’s a freaking Game Boy Advance game, why give them these expressive designs if we aren’t going to actually see any expressions? Also, Link’s birb hat is distracting. 

11. The Legend of Zelda / Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - Basic blank slates that existed before the franchise truly got solidified on the SNES. Zelda especially just looks wrong now.

12/13. Four Swords & Four Swords Adventures - These are technically two separate incarnations of Link and Zelda, but they’re essentially carbon copies of each other. I can’t find myself giving the remotest shit about Link when there are four of him, and what the fuck is up with this different “toon” Zelda design? That giant red bow she’s wearing looks hideous!

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1. Hyrule Warriors - Again, this game nabs the top spot and gives us the definitive version of the character. Ganondorf in this game has it all: the active villainy and terrifying chimera beast form like in Ocarina of Time, the capacity for self-reflection and self-awareness like in The Wind Waker, the manipulative usage of other villains as pawns like in A Link to the Past, Twilight Princess and Four Swords Adventures, and even the mastery over his Demise rooted elements before Tears of the Kingdom. We even get three whole chapters of him as the playable protagonist, where he gets to show off his non-inherently evil qualities such as his tactical brilliance, good leadership skills, and sheer determination to achieve his goals.

2. Tears of the Kingdom - The latest Ganondorf, who is also the first in the series’ timeline, has been met with great acclaim, and rightfully so. Not only does he (mercifully) usurp Demise’s position as Demon King whose hatred fuels almost every great evil in the series, but he feels like Ocarina of Time’s Ganondorf on steroids: an active, omnipresent villain despite not being on screen that much but this time not even needing to be mobile to do so thanks to the horrific Gloom ecosystem under his control. And like the corresponding versions of Link and Zelda, he bucks tradition hard design-wise by having a dragon as his beast form rather than a giant pig. Add to this Matt Mercer’s epic voice and you’ve got a fantastic villain.

3. Ocarina of Time - The first ever Ganondorf created, this is the character that took Ganon from an average villain to one of the greatest villains in video game history. He actively drives every major crisis over the course of the game, lending him an aura of omnipresence despite his actual limited screentime, and is shown to be as cunning as he is powerful by tricking Link and Zelda into helping him conquer Hyrule, turning it into a dystopian nightmare. He’s also deliciously theatrical - the man plays his own theme music on a pipe organ, for crying out loud! The cherry on top is his horrifying Ganon form taken in an unforgettable final boss fight.

4. The Wind Waker - Ganondorf is kept at a distance throughout this game, locked away in his tower and pulling strings, more of a McGuffin than a nemesis. After Ocarina of Time, this is a disappointment, but it could be made up for with good pay-off. And man, does the game ever deliver. When Ganondorf takes action, he is terrifying, both animalistically psychotic enough to do anything yet humanely wizened enough to control this madness at the same time, giving Link the worst of both worlds to contend with. And not only do we get yet another epic final boss fight against him, but he even ends up as a tragic figure: a wretched old soul full of regrets but too full of greed and pride to act upon them, desperately clinging to his dreams rooted in the past while raging against the future that threatens to leave him behind.

5. Twilight Princess - Being just the power behind Zant until the very end, Ganondorf is just here to be the final boss. Again, this would disappoint if the game didn’t make him a worthy final boss, and it more than delivers in this regard. You fight this bastard in just about every way you possibly could fight him, all while he displays a chilling malevolence in every word and action. He really does feel like what he is: an aged-up version of Ocarina of Time’s Ganondorf whose goal is still well in sight and thus he’s able to play the long game to get it.

6. A Link Between Worlds - As many others have observed, Yuga-Ganon of Lorule ended up being a greater menace than his Hylian counterpart who comes directly below him on this list. Not only does he have a unique design and personality of his own, but he is an even more formidable opponent in battle, full of tactical creativity that is difficult for Link to counter.

7. A Link to the Past / Oracle of Ages & Seasons - The “classic” Ganon. He’s big, he’s got magic powers, and he’s got a wicked trident. Unfortunately, you barely ever see him, much less get a feel for any personality beyond baseline evil. Oh well, he still gets the job done.

8. Breath of the Wild / Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity - He’s more of an evil force of nature than a proper character, especially in Breath of the Wild where he has been rendered mindless. What he lacks in substance he makes up for in style, as he is visually stunning.

9. Four Swords Adventures - The problem with this incarnation of the character is that he entered development as one thing and ended it as another. He was supposed to be the same version of Ganon as two spots above and this game would show his origin. But when Shigeru Miyamoto nixed that, we end up with a Ganondorf who is completely offscreen, and a Ganon who still just feels exactly like that version but with a different color scheme. The best that can be said about him is that he finally allowed there to be a truly gigantic 2D sprite of Ganon.

10. The Legend of Zelda - Ganon is one of video gaming’s greatest villains, but man would you not be able to tell that from his debut. All the build-up and mystery surrounding him, presented so well in the instruction manual (”no one knows how he looks like, for none have lived to tell”), and what do we get? A teleporting blue pig in a red jersey. That is SO LAME.

[brendathedoodler]

In the Adventure Swap Au, Wind doesn’t think about birthdays fondly.

On Wind’s 5th birthday, a strange mark appeared on his hand. He asked his grandma about it, and that’s when she knew that her grandson had been chosen, blessed by the goddess whether he wanted it or not.

On Wind’s 6th birthday, a portal opened up in front of his home. He began to walk towards it, but Grandma grabbed him by the back of the shirt and pulled him away. She sent him and Aryll off to stay with a family friend while she went in his place. Not even the goddesses themselves would convince Grandma to let her sweet 6-year-old grandson face whatever the portal would bring.

When Wind turned 7, Grandma began to teach him and Aryll how to fight with a sword. It had been fun, and even to this day Wind has fond memories of it, but looking back he knows now that many of the games Grandma played with him were training for the inevitable.

On Wind’s 9th birthday, he was well into his first quest. He drew the master sword and felt like he could face anything. He’d been proud at the time. The memory isn’t so fond anymore.

Just days after Wind turned 10, he was whisked away to Labrynna on yet another quest. He barely got any rest; as soon as this quest was done, he was sent to another realm, this time to Holodrum.

His 11th birthday didn’t come with a quest or adventure, but rather a realization. Grandma had thrown him a party, and invited many kids his age. Wind found that he didn’t know how to play with them. He didn’t know how to interact with them. He couldn’t connect with them. Despite having many people to play with, Wind felt alone. It seemed that everything he’d faced had built a wall between him and others his age. When it was all over, he asked Grandma to not throw him parties anymore.

After an uneventful 12th birthday, Wind goes to sleep and wakes up on a tropical island. When it’s all over, he finds that this was nothing but a dream, and that he’d been trapped in a curse alongside the wind fish. When he wakes up, only a single night has passed in the real world, and everything that Koholint was is gone.

Wind is immensely suspicious when a raggedy stranger shows up on his doorstep, bleeding out and begging for help. Of course he helps him, but there’s no doubt in his mind that this is the start of another adventure. It’s his 13th birthday, and he knows it’s no coincidence. Soon the boy (introducing himself as Ravio) helps Wind with items as an enemy from Lorule slinks into Hyrule and he’s forced to travel between dimensions to help.

Wind’s 14th birthday dragged him right into another quest, where he fought alongside his best friends Tetra and Ravio. Saving Hytopia with his friends was actually pretty fun, all things considered. He’d say it was his best birthday ever, even if it included a quest where he had to fight monsters and save a cursed kingdom. At this point swinging a sword was as natural as running, so what difference did it make?

3 months before his 15th birthday, Wind was thrown through a portal and met 8 other incarnations of his own heroic spirit, and thus another quest began. Wind thinks that the spirits took him too early.

1 week before his 15th birthday, Wind told the others that something bad was going to happen. He simply asked them to trust his intuition, and they did.

The day of Wind’s 15th birthday, he expected a fight. He expected something significant, something monumental, something to follow the trend that the past few years had established.

Nothing happened.

Wind did not sleep that night. He was already on a quest, so surely something would happen. Something always did. But the night was silent, and the morning as normal as ever (except for the worried glances sent his way, which Wind pretended he didn’t see).

The day passed, and nothing happened. After dinner, Wind asked if Four could make him a cake.

He was too stressed to enjoy it.

Something was going to happen, he could feel it in his gut. He knew that ever since the day he’d first pulled the master sword, that the day he came into this world was cursed.

But nothing happened, and the days passed as normal.

[pandorias-box]

//Private RP Starter with @from-ultra-space

For a place known as the Ruins of Life, it was ironic that on the winding path there lay burial grounds for those who have recently departed and have long since been lost. But death was a part of the cycle of life, there was no denying that.

Pandoria slowly passed by humans who were carefully tending to graves, leaving offerings for them to take with them into the worlds beyond. This was a solemn place. A place that reminded her all too well of her current situation, one where the stakes of both life and death were hanging on a minute thread. It had been years since the day of the incident and her partner had yet to awaken. If the URS medical sector was taking so long to work on a cure, then it was time to put this matter into her own hands.

What she sought was the aid of Akala’s guardian, an incarnation of the beauty and malice to be found in the natural world but a protector of the island and its people all the same: Tapu Lele. She came here on the whim of a miracle, hoping to strike some sort of agreement with the nature spirit in hopes that it would provide some of its healing scales as an antidote and cure for Seira’s long, poison-induced slumber.

But she was not doing this alone. She couldn’t complete this daunting task without the assistance of someone native to this island, and lucky for Pandoria, one of her fellow colleagues of the Ultra Recon Squad knew someone who could be of assistance.

After walking past the graveyard, she climbed down a steep hilled path before encountering a cavern with two intricately carved stone statues at its entryway and what appeared to be pink paint on top of the entrance’s ancient stone foundations itself. Pandoria got a sudden chill down her spine. This was a sacred place to the people of this world, and if an outsider like her were to step even a foot across its threshold, they would be met with the fury of nature’s madness.

She decided not to go forth into the ruins and chose to wait in a place that was close enough to them but not considered to be the ruins themselves.

Please, let this work. Her thoughts echoed.

[anya-moon]

Your destiny is midnight sun

I sense a lot of struggle in you now, your bitter craving for truth as you're disamored with exquisite lies, dancing on the edges of flower petals. No more.

Standing in front of the open door, looking into the strangely cool day of summer, realizing how illusions of you being so powerless, so lost for this world rising from the shadows,

your destiny is midnight sun above serene meadow, yet now you should go through the forest of harsh things you secretly told yourself were the only truth.

Your power to manifest, your nature, your vision, glory of the soul incarnated are here, buried under the mother mountain, behind the pale swords forged by fathers, patriarchs, your creeping fears.

And you can be furious now, in anger, in tears while imagining how many times you were left buried in misty mountains. Your hands are shaking, you're awaken so you're bitter and restless, rushing to answer every phone call from distant lands, healing old wounds with plasters bought in dimmy gasoline stations of nowhere. You know that there is only a way further, pushing, breaking through.

But your shadow is still laying down in the halls of the spirited away, transfixed with other people's dreams and desires, looking from the corner of her eye how life in the rhythms of the dark ocean, in waves is coming over her - a stone, a time capsule, a promise of journey back.

So one day you will see the garden, the path among trees crooked with the wind, someone waiting for you eternally, you will see the glimpses of far stars in everyday objects wrapped with the calmness of the island and you will know the truth of all this, the simplicity of no effort,

that will not be a dream but a vision your soul caught in the looking glass in the world of no beginning and came here to touch with her pearl hands.

[nightfoot]

Spirit Island monsterfucker tier list updated for Horizons and Nature Incarnate. As I said last time, this is based on the assumption that they each pass the Jack Harkness test and would be down to fuck if you asked.

Was very tempted to put Fathomless Mud and Rising Heat in the "they're just an animal" category, but I am aware of dragon fuckers and also, he is an otter with an anthropomorphic expression who controls slimey mud. So, no, I would not be surprised.

Tier 3 is basically for "There's probably a niche fetish subcommunity that would go ham over this."

I am aware that I am likely outing myself as a vanilla normie for my "don't see it" picks, and I guess that after being on the internet for multiple decades I would not be surprised to see smut of them (Rule 34 and all that) they would be at the bottom of my list for spirits I expected to see.

[avampyone]

Prompt #2: Bark

Characters: Cerys'La Sorciere, Mogsun,Chieftain Moglin

Synopsis: A day in the life of the witch, Cerys, protector of the Churning Mists.

Setting: Moghome, Churning Mists

-----------------

The passing of endless days and nights could hardly be measured when one was graced with the awe of the Churning Mists. Memories of old never escaped her to look upon the many ruins of the buildings that remained long since overtaken by nature, but could recall when they stood strong and magnificent. The floating islands with the crackle of rampant energy that ran like a current through the air and the lush verdant scenery as far as the eye could see reminded Cerys much of her original ancestral home.  It was a wonder to her that many years of an endless cycle of reincarnation from one form to the next had not left her spirit so jaded and broken. All this came with the acceptance that all things eventually faded with time. It was a miracle in itself that her cottage remained, murmuring her thanks to Nophica for such diligent preservation with the presence of thick branching vines that scaled the stony walls as if to keep stable.

The La’Sorciere witches had so long ago built a humble cottage there on the end of the mists that all of her ancestors had inhabited year after year until it was only her now. The very last of her bloodline. It was a far better thought than to have any relations to a previous incarnation. A residual rush of the deep torrent of pain and power that went through her in those last visions of Syrcus tower, her physical form at that time having been changed beyond recognition. It felt like the howling would never stop.  So many hounds barking endlessly at one another and snapping madly at anyone who neared her with nothing she could do but to fight as ‘Queen Scylla’. Cerys admitted to herself that she’d been such a fool to seek such power as most of them were during the days of the Allagan empire.

Perhaps the recollection of those days long since passed should fill her with a sense of loneliness, but indeed now they were often filled with tasks that were essential for survival. Her two toned gazed with a pronounced light cerulean blue glow to her left eye stared outward from the ever-broken window nearest her small kitchen to note the evening sun to be slowly setting on the horizon. It took Cerys extra time, but she glanced back to the work she had done that day with a line of delicate white string with a sense of pride. This string held up many different varieties of herbs, like Hawthorne and Mint, splayed out in an array of vibrant green hanging above her washing basin.

Her slender fingers were tinged of much the same color with an attempt to wipe this away on her wash cloth but to no avail, “These are all growing harder to find as the days pass. I only wish to see this place thrive for all of its inhabitants..” She muttered softly out loud, thinking to Moghome. A pleasant smile curled at her full lips to have read the missive left on old crumbling parchments in handwriting she could barely read from Chieftain Moglin. They had sought to invite her over the moment they knew of her return. Why not indulge in a small visit with her old moogle friends?

Heading out the front door, Cerys reached into her satchel to retrieve an old worn key that she used to lock up her cottage before she headed out on foot to her destination, uncaring of the mud that dirtied her boots along her path. Such sights of dragons and moogles locked in the daily motions of their own survival was a common enough not to even spare a single glance their way.  Lifting a hand to brush back one of her long ocean blue curling locks, she let herself breathe deeply of the fresh air and take delight in the cool breeze that brushed along her exposed arms. In the major cities of Eorzea, it always felt too noisy and too crowded like one could hardly breathe at times. Cerys afforded herself a moment to take joy in her boundless freedom despite how difficult it was to live on one’s own here.

After a short trek, the wide darkened cave sprawled out before her, her long ears perking to hear the sounds of the cheerful little shrieks emitting from the moogles nearby at her appearance. Cerys had been in their company for far longer than most aside from the dragonkin here. It had become apparent that many Eorzeans misunderstood the moogles due to their mischievous personalities. Many amongst the Ishgardian clergy looked down upon her in a similar light if not worse. All this only reinforced that Cerys place was here amongst the wild unknown. A smile of pure gratitude alit Cerys features when the fluffy white creatures danced around merrily, the chieftain ordering his captain Mogsun to bring forth a particular item.

This package appeared to have a fancy wrapping of bright blue with white polka dots upon it, opening to reveal many small brown star shaped pieces that smelled rich but sweet. A brow rose to read the front description, “..Chocolate..? I’ve never heard of such myself before.”

Mogsun hefted himself up in the air to circle about in such a rapid motion that caused the pink pom on his head to bounce around, obviously excited with the restless way he moved his arms, “Oh, you simply must try, Kupo!”

Slender fingers reached for one of the pieces nearest her to pop inside her mouth. Her brows rose with surprise to feel like the most decadent sweetness melted there in a way that could prove ever so addicting. Cerys felt tempted to try another, but restrained herself in her courtesy not to overindulge.

As much as she tried to resist the thought from coming forth, Cerys’ eyes lowered with her gentle features blank of any expression to the wave of melancholy that overwhelmed, ‘My little brother would have enjoyed something like this. Hades..where could you be now. If you are here, would we even recognize each other..’ A worry that constantly invaded her mind, but sought to push away to see the look of concern on Mogsun’s face,

“Please do not worry yourself over me. These..made me think about the past is all. I should like to hear all that’s transpired since my return. Any new visitors to our homelands..?”

[sonicprim3d]

@wintershub asked: *sliiiides into the inbox* Might I inquire the Mothra lore? She's my favorite character and when I watched "Godzilla vs the Monsters' they didn't explain a whole lot about where she came from, etc, etc.

Not a problem at all, I got you.

But also there's like over 70 years of films to talk about. So. It's all under the read more cuz there is a lot.

Mothra's lore changes depending on which incarnation we're going with, though for the most part, it usually sticks very closely to the original version of her from the 1961 Mothra film. Put simply, she's a guardian of the natural order of Earth who often opposes Godzilla due to his constant rampaging against humanity.

Alongside that, she also acted as the guardian deity to a group of previously uncontacted humans on Infant Island, and among them existed a duo known as the Shobijin, who are, for all intense and purposes, tiny fairy priestesses for Mothra who can communicate with her on a telepathic level. They also can do similar with other humans, and even with other Kaiju.

Following this, Mothra would come into conflict with Godzilla in the 1964 film Mothra vs. Godzilla, when Mothra's egg washed ashore in Japan following a typhoon, only to be claimed as the property of two greedy businessmen looking to make a quick buck off of them. Not long after that, Godzilla reappears and begins to rampage across Japan, heading straight for the eggs, so a group of humans traveled to Infant Island to plead to a dying Mothra to use the last of her strength to fight Godzilla to defend her eggs and the innocent people in his way.

During this whole conflict, the egg would hatch, and twin larvae of Mothra would emerge, also contributing to the fight after Mothra had died. But not to worry! As, being a creature of more magic, telepathy, and spirituality than anything else, she is reborn through her children. That's right, Mothra is a cyclic creature! Anyways, with Godzilla fended off, the larvae and the Shobijin would return to Infant Island, and the movie ends.

From there on, during what is known as the "Showa Era" of the Godzilla films, Mothra would make constant appearances in the films. But, after Mothra vs. Godzilla, she would reappear as an ally of Godzilla instead of an enemy. In fact, in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster they would team up to defeat the space dragon, with this marking the point where Godzilla officially begins the switch from "destroyer of Tokyo" to "defender of Japan". So one could say that she dragged Godzilla kicking and screaming into having a moral compass lmao

But, then, the Showa Era would wind down to a close in the mid-70s, as dwindling returns on the films demonstrated a growing disinterest in the Japanese market toward Godzilla. So, Toho put the franchise on ice. But then, in 1984, on the 30th anniversary of the release of the original Godzilla film, the Big G would be revived with the Return of Godzilla film. In this new continuity, the only Godzilla film that happened prior was the original, as all others were discarded to create the new "Heisei Era" of films.

And then, in 1992, Mothra would return too with the film Godzilla vs. Mothra. In this, Godzilla is reawoken when a meteorite crashes into Earth, but alongside him is awoken an entity known as Battra, and in response, the Cosmos, the Heisei Era's version of the Shobijin, appear to warn humanity about Battra. They explain that Battra was created by the Earth itself to act as an opposite to their people's deity, Mothra, and as such exists as an evil nature-destroying bat-moth thing. Fans like to create content of him being Mothra's brother lol

Initially, the fight was a three-way between them. But as Godzilla rampaged more and more, the two nature spirits teamed up to fight the King of the Monsters, for the first time in history. The two are able to subdue Godzilla and begin to fly him away from Japan, but as they get over the ocean, Godzilla kills Battra and forces Mothra to drop him into the water bellow. She then places a seal over the ocean in the hopes of preventing Godzilla from returning, and to honor Battra's sacrifice.

Unfortunately, the following day, it is revealed that Battra was destined to destroy a giant meteor that was heading toward Earth. So Mothra must travel into deep space to try and change the course of the meteor, which will kill her in the process. But she would not be alone, as the Cosmos would join her in deep space.

Mothra's last appearance in the Godzilla Heisei films is in 1994's Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, where, during her travels through deep space to confront the incoming meteor, she becomes aware of an even graver threat hurtling toward Earth. Unable to abort her mission, she sends off several hundreds of tiny Fairy Moths, with one being sent back to Earth to warn a powerful psychic of SpaceGodzilla's impending arrival and urge her to try and keep Godzilla safe from his space clone's goals of killing him and conquering the Earth. After this, Mothra sacrifices herself to stop the meteor she initially set off to stop.

But Mothra would end up returning in a whole new way within the Heisei Era. As, following the Godzilla franchise's then conclusion with Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, Toho created the Rebirth of Mothra film trilogy (which has nothing to do with any films made before these ones), and follows Mothra's son, Mothra Leo, fighting monsters like the ancient Desghidorah, who is responsible for Mars being uninhabitable, in the first film and Dagahra in the second.

But the most interesting thing is that in the third film, Mothra Leo has to be sent back in time to fight King Ghidorah during the Cretaceous Period, due to him being much weaker at that time. While in the present, Ghidorah abducts children from Earth to consume their life force. Ghidorah is also responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs in this timeline. But, in the end, Leo must use all his strength to kill Ghidorah, ending with him sacrificing himself for a peaceful future.

Then, in 1999, the Godzilla franchise would once again return in Japan after the 1998 American attempt failed so badly, Toho couldn't help but bring Godzilla back out of fears that Roland Emmerich's "Godzilla In Name Only (GINO)" would taint the franchise. This would start the "Millenium Era" of Godzilla, and Mothra would make a few appearances here too.

Firstly in the 2001 film Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, where she operates as something closer to a traditional Japanese Yokai, but this time she is allied with King Ghidorah and Baragon, who also act as guardian spirits of Japan in this film. With, this time, Godzilla being the combined anger of everyone the Japanese Imperial Army massacred during WWII, coming together to get revenge on Japan at a time when they have tried so hard to pretend none of it ever happened.

Now, it is important to state that the Millenium Era was an anthology series, as opposed to a continuous narrative like the Heisei Era, or a loose narrative like with Showa. So with every film, it was a whole new world doing brand new things.

The exception being the Kiryu Saga, starting with 2002's Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, and 2003's Godzilla: Tokyo SOS. In this, Mothra appears in her traditional guardian goddess role, with the Shobijin returning as well. This time, they are here to urge humanity to not continue using their new Mechagodzilla, nicknamed Kiryu, as he is built on top of the bones of the original 1954 Godzilla. Mothra views this as a perversion of the natural order of things, and she is right in the end as when they send Kiryu out to fight the current Godzilla, the dormant spirit of the original Godzilla reawakens and takes over Kiryu, leading to it rampaging.

But, in Tokyo SOS, she takes an active role of fighting Kiryu alongside Godzilla to restore the balance of nature, though she also fights Godzilla due to him, y'know, stomping on humans. In the end, Kiryu and the spirit of the original Godzilla reconcile and become one, sacrificing themself to drive Godzilla away and keep their pilot safe. All the while, Mothra goes through the usual process of death and rebirth through her larvae.

Mothra also makes an appearance in 2004's Godzilla Final Wars, a big bombastic Kaiju smackdown finale for the Millenium Era, but so does every other Kaiju in Toho's arsenal, so she doesn't get much to do. And she wouldn't have much to do in the plot of that film anyway, as it is just about an alien species secretly taking control of every monster on Earth, except for Godzilla who was defeated in the past when he was dropped inside of a giant canyon in the arctic and buried in it. He is then woken up by a desperate group of humans and led across Earth to mop up the alien-controlled Kaiju and defeat the aliens.

The Godzilla franchise then goes back to sleep for another 10 years, with it being woken up by Legendary's Godzilla, and the start of the Monsterverse. Mothra, like always, returns eventually as well. In 2019's King of the Monsters, she appears as a stronger ally of Godzilla, with the film going so far as to state that she and him have a symbiotic relationship. Her wings are even designed to have patterns based off of Godzilla's eyes on them.

For the film's plot, she happens to awaken at just the right time, as a group of eco-terrorists looking to use Titan radiation to return Earth to its natural state, as Titan radiation does cause rapid and extreme plant growth, break into a top-secret Monarch site in the arctic to release and awaken King Ghidorah, while not knowing that he is an invasive apex predator, one that almost killed Godzilla before, and almost does again during the film. But, in the end, Mothra sacrifices herself for Godzilla. And when she dies over him, she releases a special sort of radiation that supercharges him, letting him absolutely obliterate King Ghidorah, and reduce him into nothing but ash.

And now we come to spoilers for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. So if you haven't seen that yet, but plan on it, don't read!

But, as you can guess, in this film, Mothra returns once more! In this film, they reveal that she is the guardian deity of the Iwi people, a group of humans that once resided on Kong's Skull Island before it was destroyed by the eternal storm that once kept the island hidden from the outside world, as well as the Hollow Earth that all Titans, and maybe all animals in the world, came from. She is reawoken in accordance to an Iwi prophecy, which states that an Iwi from Skull Island, which is Jia, who was introduced in Godzilla Vs. Kong, would reawaken Mothra at in time for her to help Godzilla fight the tyrant Skar King and his enslaved ancient apex Titan, Shimo, to stop him from conquering the Earth.

They, of course, do just that. And she lives this time! Horray! Now. Honorary shout-outs to a couple of facts:

The director of King of the Monsters, Michael Dougherty, is a shameless Godzilla x Mothra shipper, and his opinions on that ship shaped their relationship in the Monstervers. To such an extent that, in KOTM, a US Marine, upon learning about Godzilla and Mothra's symbiosis, makes a sex joke. Asking, "So do they got like. A thing going on?"

This relationship continues in Adam Wingard's GxK, where Mothra is the only creature in existence that can tell Godzilla to be nice to Kong, who he was previously attempting to fucking murder because they had an agreement at the end of GvK. "You stay down there, I stay up here, and we never see each other again." All the while, Kong is trying so desperately to tell Godzilla that they need to go down to Hollow Earth to fight Skar King together. As best he can with a creature that only knows Anger.

Mothra's most prominent moves in all films is her ability to shoot webs, something no moth can do, and using various different "scales" to attack or heal or do whatever. Once again, something no moth can do.

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

OTHERWORLDLY AFFAIRS BUREAU

INCIDENT REPORT FORM

DATE: Thursday, April of 1569 B.C.E.

TIME: Roughly 9am local time

LOCATION OF INCIDENT:

The 'Isle' of Atlantis, Pre-Destruction and Submergence.

NAMES OF PERSONS INVOLVED:

-Myself, in a former iterative cycle of incarnation, a then-nameless descendant of the Forest Spirit Humbaba. -'The Master', then known as 'Gorgos'. -Apophis, a.k.a. Apep, the Serpent of Chaos of Egypt.

DESCRIPTION OF INCIDENT:

Please answer the following questions in detail:

1. How did the incident occur?

I had decided to visit Atlantis, introduce myself, get to know the people there and try to become a Patron for them (at the time, many Islandic City-States had Patron Spirits/Dieties and were creating terribly successful mutually-beneficial dynamics at the time, especially Melquart and Phonecia), only to discover another spirit had decided to try and consume every last soul on the landmass. Our Conflict that ensued as I tried to prevent them from 'feasting' angered a nearby traveling deity, who instead started rampaging, leading to the massive casualties and sinking of the entire landmass.

2. Who or what was responsible for the incident?

Gorgos, in trying to consume every last living soul, and Apophis, in their ensuing rampage leading to the loss of life and land infamous as the 'Sinking of Atlantis'.

3. Did any supernatural Entities, such as ghosts or unicorns, witness the incident?

Other than the three magical entities listed above including myself, the only remaining witnesses to my knowledge would be the lingering ghosts of the victims of that day, bound to the now-submerged city. That said, I have not been able to confirm any such spirits personally to this day.

4. Was any magical or enchanted objects involved in the incident? If yes, please specify.

Not to my Knowledge at this time.

5. Did any of the witnesses or victims have any pre-existing medical or psychological conditions that may have contributed to the incident?

Unknown but probably for at least a small portion of the many human lives lost. Unknown but suspected for Apophis himself given nature of rampage.

6. Was there any use of time-travel or inter-dimensional portals that may have caused the incident?

Not to my Knowledge at this time.

7. Were there any witnesses who were under the influence of any magical or mind-altering substances at the time of the incident?

Not to my Knowledge at this time.

8. Were there any extraterrestrial beings involved in the incident?

Not to my Knowledge at this time.

9. Was the incident related to any prophecies or ancient myths?

No prophecies to my Knowledge accounted for the sinking of the landmass. However, said event has since become myth itself and persisted to modern times.

10. Was anyone wearing a cape at the time of the incident? If yes, please describe the cape in detail.

At said time, Gorgos wore a thick hooded cloak eternally soaked with brine that trailed down to his ankles, and I wore a cloak made of melded vines and leaves that also included a hood and trailed down to my shins. I cannot determine if the customary Togas and similar garb of that time and place would constitute a 'cape' by Bureau standards of classification, but if so total cape count was in the tens of thousands potentially.

DETAILS OF DAMAGE:

Please provide the following information:

1 (A). What was the extent of the damage caused by the incident?

An entire landmass in the Atlantic, just beyond the Straight of Gibraltar, and all buildings, people, flora, and fauna upon it were subject to godly levels of wrath (see: Apophis) and collectively lost to the depths of the (Atlantic) Ocean. I was unable at that time to confirm nor deny reports of Tsunami or Earthquakes causing damage throughout the Mediterranean as far as the Nile Delta in the wake of the primary destruction of the incident.

2 (B). Were any ancient artifacts or treasures destroyed or damaged? If yes, please specify.

Arguably, the entire City(-State) of Atlantis was considered an artifact or treasure in and of itself, comparable as a metropolis well before the time of true cities and an architectural marvel collectively able to dwarf the Library of Alexandria or the Great Wall of China.

3 (C). Did the incident cause any disruptions to the natural order of the universe or any other planes of existence?

Not to my Knowledge at this time.

4 (D). Were any of the witnesses or victims harmed during the incident? If yes, please provide details.

As stated above, any (known) remaining witnesses beyond the two other involved individuals and myself would be victims of the event themselves, as lingering dead spirits haunting the remains of their now-submerged homes.

ACTION TAKEN:

Please provide the following information:

1. What action was taken immediately after the incident occurred?

All three remaining parties parted in the wake of the submergence and 'loss' of Atlantis, myself included. Threats were made towards Gorgos, leading to a ceasefire concerning innocents on land, but no further communication was attempted or possible with Apophis at that time.

2. Were any emergency response teams called to the scene? If yes, please specify.

None were able to make it on time.

3. Was any magical or supernatural intervention required to mitigate the damage caused by the incident?

Attempts were made throughout the incident, primarily by myself, to halt the attacks on the City-State and its people. However, I was only able to find success in stopping one of the two. While this was able to prevent a self-proclaimed Sea Demon from consuming all the hundreds of thousands of souls thereof, It ultimately still cost them both their lives and their homes as I was unable to intervene against Apophis as well.

4. Was anyone punished or reprimanded for their role in the incident? If yes, please provide details. [LEAVE BLANK FOR O.A.B PERSONEL]

5. Was any follow-up action required after the initial response to the incident? If yes, please specify.

As mentioned prior, ultimatums were given to Gorgos concerning threatening (read: promising to consume my soul as well as all those lost that day) comments made at the end of the incident. Such has helped to prevent repeat incidents but was ultimately unable to prevent later villification and blame to be given to Apophis as rumors spread about the incident through neighboring territories at the time.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

Please provide any additional information that may be relevant to this incident.

I don't know the full story concerning Apophis, but something felt off with their actions that day, as if they were forced or reacting to some PSTD-like trigger. Suggest careful investigation and/or offers of aid to be given if at all possible.

Also Gorgos is an Asshole. Not an official complaint, but a mark of warning for those required to deal with them, especially in person.

[marthacrijns]

David Abram - long quote

". . .  the underlying animistic cultures of Indonesia, like those of many islands in the Pacific, are steeped as well in beliefs often referred to by ethnologists as “ancestor worship,” and some may argue that the ritual reverence paid to one’s long-dead human ancestors (and the assumption of their influence in present life), easily invalidates my assertion that the various “powers” or “spirits” that move through the discourse of indigenous, oral peoples are ultimately tied to nonhuman (but nonetheless sentient) forces in the enveloping landscape. This objection rests upon certain assumptions implicit in Christian civilization, such as the assumption that the “spirits” of dead persons necessarily retain their human form, and that they reside in a domain outside of the physical world to which our senses give us access. However, most indigenous tribal peoples have no such ready recourse to an immaterial realm outside earthly nature. Our strictly human heavens and hells have only recently been abstracted from the sensuous world that surrounds us, from this more-than-human realm that abounds in its own winged intelligences and cloven-hoofed powers. For almost all oral cultures, the enveloping and sensuous earth remains the dwelling place of both the living and the dead. The “body”—whether human or otherwise—is not yet a mechanical object in such cultures, but is a magical entity, the mind’s own sensuous aspect, and at death the body’s decomposition into soil, worms, and dust can only signify the gradual reintegration of one’s ancestors and elders into the living landscape, from which all, too, are born. Each indigenous culture elaborates this recognition of metamorphosis in its own fashion, taking its clues from the particular terrain in which it is situated. Often the invisible atmosphere that animates the visible world—the subtle presence that circulates both within us and between all things—retains within itself the spirit or breath of the dead person until the time when that breath will enter and animate another visible body—a bird, or a deer, or a field of wild grain. Some cultures may burn, or “cremate,” the body in order to more completely return the person, as smoke, to the swirling air, while that which departs as flame is offered to the sun and stars, and that which lingers as ash is fed to the dense earth. Still other cultures may dismember the body, leaving certain parts in precise locations where they will likely be found by condors, or where they will be consumed by mountain lions or by wolves, thus hastening the re-incarnation of that person into a particular animal realm within the landscape. Such examples illustrate simply that death, in tribal cultures, initiates a metamorphosis wherein the person’s presence does not “vanish” from the sensible world (where would it go?) but rather remains as an animating force within the vastness of the landscape, whether subtly, in the wind, or more visibly, in animal form, or even as the eruptive, ever to be appeased, wrath of the volcano. “Ancestor worship,” in its myriad forms, then, is ultimately another mode of attentiveness to nonhuman nature; it signifies not so much an awe or reverence of human powers, but rather a reverence for those forms that awareness takes when it is not in human form, when the familiar human embodiment dies and decays to become part of the encompassing cosmos. This cycling of the human back into the larger world ensures that the other forms of experience that we encounter—whether ants, or willow trees, or clouds—are never absolutely alien to ourselves. Despite the obvious differences in shape, and ability, and style of being, they remain at least distantly familiar, even familial. It is, paradoxically, this perceived kinship or consanguinity that renders the difference, or otherness, so eerily potent." ― David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World