#stillwater lore

[meirimerens]

you know how in english, the Farkhad-built house in which Eva has taken residence is called the "Stillwater", implying this sense of calmness, stillness, the flatness of an unmoving sea, perhaps dormancy; whereas its russian name is Омут — "whirlpool", "maelstrom", implying quite the opposite: a constant movement, perhaps even drowning. hehehe

[be-themessenger]

🎀Attention 80s music fans!🎀

hey ! what do you lot think abt creating a tumblr community about new wave/post-punk/synthpop rpf ??

we could:

🎀do art trades!

🎀 talk our fanfictions (respecting the terms of decency ofc)!

🎀discuss band lore!

🎀thirst Very Unhingedly over our old men!

who's in ?

[arx-aru]

ok so. Both dungeons with Cleanrot Knights as bosses have 2 interesting quirks in common:

the "goons" (theoretically)protecting them are Servants of Rot and Miranda Flowers

there are items & casualties explicitly related to Rykard

From these we can speculatively-tentatively-theoretically extrapolate a few things:

a. Due to item descriptions associated with Servants of Rot, the present Malenia-Miquellan inhabitants of these caves arrived after the Battle of Aeonia, or were infected/indoctrinated by survivors of it

b. The placement of the Servants of Rot in relation to the boss!Cleanrots suggests they either view themselves as or are aligned with the Cleanrot Knights, presumably in a subordinate fashion

c. The cave in Caelid(Abandoned Cave) is littered with destroyed (Rykardian)Iron Virgins; the one in Liurnia(Stillwater Cave) has an outlying room filled with corpses, one being a Sage(wearing the same attire as Gowry) and another having seemingly been shot by Serpent Arrows... this translates to, most likely, the Miquellans and Rykardians having fought each-other at these locations

(The Serpent Arrows and Serpent Bow(found next to a derelict Iron Virgin) are both explicitly tools(or 'minions'??) of the Formless Serpents, connected with the Serpent Worshippers of Mt. Gelmir)

with another round of speculation telephone these dungeons, presumably 2 of the most thought-out Cleanrot encounters, seem to serve as suggestion of 1) a direct relationship between the Cleanrots and the Servants of Rot, 2) multiple post-Aeonia Miquellan-Rykardian skirmishes, 3) the loose, Doylist drawing of a parallel/comparison/contrast of some variety between Serpent pagans and Rot pagans

[hadea]

DR. HAROLD-ULYSSES WARREN CLYDE

Harold is a very meek and timorous person who does his best to benefit his patients, even if it questions ethics. His main job is being a trauma surgeon for Stillwater General Hospital. Here, he is at his most confident and composed. He has a high sensitivity threshold to gore that allows him to operate on even the most critical of patients. He has saved numerous lives.

He also moonlights as a cosmetic surgeon, specifically for devils. People pay him to remove horns, alter ear shapes, and even have full eye transplants in order to remove their devilish qualities. Harold never outright questions how moral it is to take desperate people's money so that they can assimilate into an anti-devil culture. Though, he's plagued with nightmares over it.

[mistresscitrusslice]

The Season 2 Opening. We Must Discuss.

First of all, small beans. Instead of static, lifeless statues, this time we get moving humans. Mel features significantly more than I expected, so she'll probably be a much more major character than I expected for a non-champion character and I'm so happy for her. I believe the use of moving people instead of statues signifies that immense change will be happening. What we thought was literally set in stone in Season 1 will be turned on its head in Season 2.

Okay, on to the really concerning matters.

Yuhuh. Jinx moves too fast for me to get a good screenshot, but she gestures like this around her face a lot. I think we all already know about the Caitlyn-Jinx parallels, but my sister suggests it could be a red herring for the actual resemblances she has to Silco.

Sis gets credit for the following observation, but Caitlyn's daydream sequences about shooting Jinx are controlled and clearly separated from reality unlike Jinx's.

However, sis has not seen ep 2 yet, where Caitlyn does have that moment in the arcade where she shoots her vision of Jinx among the wooden dummies. Not only does this more closely resemble Jinx's hallucinations, it also parallels Jinx shooting the harmless crow in s1 e5. By the time the strike squad are about to leave, she can clearly tell that what she thought might be Jinx was really just a harmless wooden standee. Startling, but harmless. She shoots it anyway.

Caitlyn is totally gonna spiral more, and maybe she'll start losing her grip on reality too, but for now, she has more in common with Silco than she does with Jinx. Did anyone else get reminded of Silco's coat when Ambessa put the supervillain cape on Caitlyn? The collars don't look similar but they still eerily resemble each other, you get me?

Ok back to intro stuff

Vi wipes off her name from her face. That's two tattoos that are rendered impermanent in this opening theme. In the Fenty x Arcane video, they mention that Mel's golden freckles are tattoos. Later in the intro song, we also see her golden freckles gone. Change, impermanence. That seems to be a theme here.

Vi is literally erasing her name from her face. In any normal circumstance, I'd say that means she wants a change of identity, a desire to start over. However, I know that Vi's League lore involves amnesia. Does she really drink herself into that bad of a stupor? Jkjk. I assumed that her amnesia was replaced by the Stillwater imprisonment to explain how she got topside and with the enforcers, but perhaps I was wrong. Maybe they do still intend to go the amnesia or partial amnesia route with her.

The teasers implied that Vi shares the genetic trait that has Jinx predisposed to hallucinations. It's possible that this eventually contributes to her loss of memory, but I wouldn't call it quite yet. However, if this happens during her emo era when I'm assuming she has no support system, she'll be very vulnerable, unlike if it were to happen while she was still partnered with Caitlyn, in which case they could easily fill in most blanks in her memory.

I have no idea what to make of this. It's clear as day what they're paralleling, but why? Why the flashlight scene? My best guess is that they're trying to draw on déjà vu, implying a repetition of history, but why this particular moment? They could've easily chosen anything else in Jayce's s1 arc. He has many more memorable moments than this. Let's see, I'm literally making this up as I go.

This meeting was a pivotal moment for Jayce. Both his meeting with Viktor and his meeting with Mel changed his fate. The Viktor one is pretty self-explanatory, but without meeting Mel, they would've both just gotten exiled or locked up again. With Mel, they had someone in power who could vouch for them.

That begs the question, is Jayce meeting someone new? Or is this a reintroduction to someone he's already known before, a new meeting after a long time apart or after a significant change, maybe a change in them both. I believe it must be someone who was involved in the original hallway scene.

Jayce is either looking at Mel again or at Viktor. Given the amount of Viktor/Mel parallels in Season 1, I believe Jayce is looking at Viktor after he's undergone his likely final evolution. That'll obviously be another pivotal moment for him... but will it be a good one like it was with Mel? Viktor has power now. He's performing miracles. He's, like, two steps away from parting the Pilt River like it's the Red Sea. He seems to hold a grudge against Jayce, though, for *checks notes* saving his life? Jk I know he feels like he's losing autonomy and like Jayce didn't respect his wishes with the Hexcore and Jayce obviously couldn't let Viktor die when he'd fought so hard to stay alive before.

Anyway, I feel like this could easily be both a good omen and a bad omen for Jayce. More than anything, I feel like it'll be an epiphany. He is quite literally seeing the light. The light at the end of the dark tunnel? The light of the heavens at the end of his life? The light of a revelation sent by a god he once knew as a man?

Seeing Mel screaming bloody murder during the opening, this was the first place my mind went to. The pose doesn't match up exactly, and Jinx/Powder's screams are definitely wilder, but I feel like there's definitely something here. Is there anyone else who screams like this, thrusting their head forward and keeping their arms back?

We also see the shadow hands from this earlier shot:

I'm thinking of the Black Rose (is that their name?) kidnapping her in thin air, incorporeal hands reaching at her and snatching my joy the love of my life Mel away. It could also represent people grasping at the power Mel wields, both as the wealthiest Council member and as a Noxian princess, one of the closest people to Ambessa, the one wielding the most power right now.

Mel is really out of her depth right now. Her power and influence is up for grabs if she dares to blink and let her guard down. I'm also surprised that we don't see her fight back at all when there's danger around. I thought she might have more battle experience as she was raised by Ambessa. For those people wondering about her magical powers, I think she would've used them by now if she had them. Council attack aside, which could've been Viktor's magic, she wasn't able to do anything about the memorial attack or her own kidnapping. I think they're trying to show us that Mel is not as untouchable as she presents herself. Under the right circumstances, she's just as vulnerable as any civilian.

The sliver of light? My sister pointed out that it looks just like the crack of light between two double doors. Almost closed... or barely open? It appears in pretty much everyone's shot in the opening, but it's right down the center of Mel's face here. Is she torn between two sides? Is this about an impossible choice she has to make?

The spotlight is also on her. That's two sources of light. It looks like a red sun. All eyes on her as the surviving voice of the Council?

And her expression... shock, fear, horror. The heavy breathing, the look on her face... I feel eerily like I've seen it on someone else before. I can't place who, but I'm getting déjà vu from this. Does anyone else recognize this expression and these mannerisms?

[venerawrites]

Just saw a post discussing how one of the Arcane writers said that if Vi had a prison wife she likely would've been Vastayan.. so Vi x Vastayan Reader oneshots pls?

Idk if you know greater League lore, but Vastayan are widely unaccepted, banned or hunted across Runeterra. They live in Piltover/(more) Zaun, but they hardly use magic out of fear of being found out & a lot of Vastayan stay in Ionia where it is safer for them to live!

author's note: ngl, I did have to do my research with this one because I was familiar with the greater League Lore or the Vastayan. Thankfully, Arcane did introduce their first Vastayan character in Season 2, so I did had a chance to learn a bit more about the race. <3 Thank you so much for requesting and I hope you like it! x

Honestly from all of the characters, I think she is one of the most likely to have a Vastayan partner.

I see her partner with either a fox-like features (like Ahri) or a bird-like ones (like Xayah).

Either way, if Vi had a prison wife, her character would be the same - smart, sneaky, cunning, seductive and not taking 'no' for an answer.

She was imprisoned in Stillwater a few years after Vi for smuggling Vastayan artifacts. As most of she was not welcomed warmly and it didn't take long for her to become a target for both the guards and other inmates.

Vi may have lost a lot of things, but sense of justice was not one of them. She would step up and assume the role as a 'protector' quickly, making it clear that the other inmates should back off if they want their face to remain whole.

The Vastayan would be initially sceptical about letting the pink-haired woman help her - not only she was a human, but she was also hotheaded, blunt and seemed to solve all her problems with fists, rather than words.

With time, however, both of them would grow close and their friendship would blossom into a relationship.

I totally see them as a badass duo that would climb the hierarchy at Stillwater because they balance their strengths so well. Vi is the street-smart and physically strong partner, while the Vastayan is the sweet-talking and charming one that would manage to turn many of their enemies into reluctant allies.

Vi is fiercely overprotective - not only because in her eyes the Vastayan is way too pure and precious for the prison dynamics, but also because she fears that her playing games with both inmates and guards will eventually blow up back into their faces.

Pretty intense relationship!

Neither of them is one to hold back, especially when it comes to voicing their opinions and feelings. There will be constant push and pull between how they handle things and since they are both stubborn and with the NEED to have the last word, sometimes their arguments can lead to pretty big fights.

Vi is usually the one to apologise first - even though it always comes as a reluctant and gruff 'sorry', she doesn't want to risk losing another person dear to her.

I imagine the Vastayan as the jealous partner - she would definitely not like other females approaching Vi and while she usually avoids direct confrontation, she would not think twice "baring her teeth" if she senses someone hitting up on her lover or try to catch her attention.

(Don't get me started on their dynamic once Caitlyn shows up... 👀)

Mutual admiration <3

I think both Vi and her partner would be in awe of each other's physical features and would use any chance to express this admiration.

The pink haired woman would definitely be in awe of her partner's animal characteristics - whether they are feathers or cat ears, she would often gently drag her fingers across them, whispering how beautiful she is.

"Y'know, sometimes it's hard to believe you are real... You are just so perfect. Makes me question if your existence in my life is just not too good to be true."

In return, the Vastayan would be in awe of Vi's physic and human body. I imagine she would often trace the scars on the woman's arms and back, before jokingly pulling her ear.

"How do you even hear with these small ears? At least they are cute. Just like you, my big strong wife!"

Overall, I think in prison they would have it pretty easy - they would be the 'star couple' so not many inmates would even DARE to challenge or harass them.

Once they are released, however, it would be a real challenge. It would take a lot of work from both sides in order to make it work especially when their priorities start to clash.

cc artwork: "Arcane" concept art

[thanatika]

saw a post theorizing on how the bachelor and the haruspex arrived in the town, and it's reminded me of something i've been trying to figure out for ages: pathologic train lore.

i've always thought that patho classic sort of proved that daniil couldn't have arrived directly to the town via train, with this line in the haruspex route intro:

"Unwilling to wait for a regular freight train, Artemy follows the rails through the Steppe until he's caught up with by a small shunt locomotive. This is how young Haruspex arrives in the Town."

but reading more closely, now i'm even more confused. "regular freight train" implies that this would be the "regular" way for a person to take a train somewhere, but freight trains are... by definition, cargo trains, and do not carry passengers. then again, it seems pretty heavily implied that the only train that comes through town is a very infrequent cargo train. but apparently what he caught instead is a "shunt locomotive", which is mainly used for maneuvering train cars around a single railyard and do not typically go long distances. which doesn't line up with the fact that the town is meant to be very remote and isolated.

honestly, i'm curious about what terminology is used in the russian version of this intro? it's possible that it's just a weirdness of the translation and different terms are used in russian that make more sense, but there's no transcription of the russian version of the intros anywhere for me to translate.

regardless, and back to the topic of how these two arrived to the town, it does seem reasonable enough that artemy wouldn't have any qualms about hopping a freight train, especially for something so urgent. daniil on the other hand, i'm not so sure. he does plan on leaving town by freight train on day 2, if you go along with the "let's run away" side quest. but that's to escape dying from a plague, and he never mentions arriving by train in any of the discussions surrounding that.

the most recent ARG teasing daniil's route involved his train ticket, but i'm guessing it's not a train ticket directly to gorkhon, considering that no passenger trains go there. it's a ticket to "the end of the north east branch" of the railroad network. personally, i've always headcanoned that he took a passenger train to the nearest possible town, and from there maybe... paid for a ride as far as the locals were willing to take him to town-on-gorkhon? and walked the rest of the way? there is that flavor text in the marble nest about "wearing down three pairs of shoes" to get to the town, and i think he's being hyperbolic but i do think it makes sense that his journey might have involved a ton of walking.

obviously the actual answer is that we're not meant to think too hard about it, and that the town is meant to feel like it exists not only beyond time but beyond space. but it's fun to ponder. i do wonder if pathologic 3 will explore his actual arrival to the town to any greater extent, instead of just having him wake up in the stillwater.

[letters-to-rosie]

I was thinking about this the other day but got swept up in The Things (school, send help) but anyway

so in the League lore, The Dredge is a prison mine in Zaun. do we think there's prison labor in Stillwater? because THAT would be something super interesting to think about and explore

[katyspersonal]

A random thought about Rakshasa (NPC)

I was thinking about eyes color details again,

It is implied that her real eye color is/was blue, and green was something she gained! For example, Millicent's sisters likewise had real golden eyes and the clouding reflects loss of eyesight because of rot! Clouding also reflects blinding like with Igon's or Jerren's eyes for example, or with Esgar the blood takes over his actual eye color with red etc. If she was just green-eyed, why not simply pick the color green from the wheel, instead of achieving it through clouding?

(Screenshots from these ( x ) ( x ) videos) Green is a strange color in the setting, and yeah, the resemblance between Dancing Lion's eyes and Roderika's eye color is easy to catch! Then, Rakshasa gains different eye color and leaning much more into yellow made me think of how Godrick's rune changed and the other lion beasts!

Rakshasa is buried in the location that is heavily ever running waters; waterfalls and fast rivers! And whereas running water has been a place of practice for Dryleafs through forcing oneselves to jump against the waterfalls, it also has another connotation within the lore!

Okay well in fact 'stagnation of water' is a reoccurring trend in Fromsoft's games, always reflecting the resulting 'dregs' both in physical and spiritual sense! And, in a twisted way:

In isolation it would not mean much for me but just sign of devotion to one's goal, but now the context of "needing to remain always in movement, like the water, to not stagnate into a swamp" feels similar! In Elden Ring this shade of green, the one leaning more towards yellow, is also a color of poison - Scarlet Rot's "lesser" variant as both types are connected with stagnant water! Even in some location names, like how Rot dungeon in Liurnia is named Stillwater Cave!

Perhaps this particular Rakshasa has at some point stopped her quest that likewise demands to never stop, leading to her spiritual decay (regardless of what anyone thinks of this mission from moral standpoint x) ). It would tie nicely to how beastly lions have those yellow-ish eyes now and not colder green like Dancing Lions depiction, as they're severed from their divine ancestry and reduced to watchdogs! It could be similar with Godrick, who has been fixated on the distant idea not likely ever getting into his grasp, and who has been only accumulating more strength through endless grafting but not becoming stronger as that'd require battling and winning! (Though considering Godefroy had no Rune and was also doing grafting, it is likely generational stagnation rather than his own!) Maybe I am looking too deep into it, but spiritually stagnating seems to be significant. It would give burial of Rakshasa where water is always flowing a poetic meaning, as if honouring her with always drifting essence at least in death!

In other words,

[argowrites]

Love and Legacy, Chapter 21!

“Topsiders really don’t haggle, do they?” Silco said, pulling an elegant pen from his pocket.

“I do not think it is in their nature. Also I…I told them about the gemstone. They wish to avoid war,” Viktor replied.

“Smart,” Silco muttered, going back to read it more carefully. Viktor winced as his eyes narrowed and let out a harsh breath through his nose. “What is this? About Jinx.”

“They will pardon her,” Viktor said quickly and something in Silco loosened. “But she will be sent straight to Stillwater if she…steps out of line.”

“That is–”

“You understand why, yes? This is to be a time of peace. Jinx…Jinx cannot continue as she has. It is only reasonable.”

Silco made a face. Viktor waited. He knew if anything could ruin the treaty, this was it. He watched as Silco weighed his options, hoping he’d soon be on his way Topside with the treaty and the gemstone safely tucked into his pocket.

“She is fully pardoned?” Silco asked.

“Yes. And will remain so, for all her past crimes at least,” Viktor replied.

“I can keep her on a leash,” Silco muttered, almost to himself and signed.

There was a moment of pure elation. He thought of Arlo, how happy he’d be when he heard the news. Of Ekko and the new world he’d find himself in. And finally of his own legacy. He doubted Piltover would remember his hand in this. Jayce would get the glory as usual, but Zaun might remember him. Perhaps they’d remember him for everything else and perhaps that could be enough to leave behind.

“They will want to meet with you in the morning. Trade deals and finer points, I think,” Viktor said, taking the treaty and tucking it safely in the inside pocket of his vest.

“Fine. I’ll clear my schedule. For now, a drink to celebr—”

Silco was interrupted by a thud that made them both jump. Jinx sat in the middle of the room. Her eyes were strange and manic, still a violent shade of purple. She held the largest gun Viktor had ever seen, silver and fish shaped. In any other circumstances, he would have asked to examine it. Even from a small distance and even with half of it obscured by Jinx herself, he could tell it was a marvel of engineering. But the look on her face made any such request die in his throat. 

“Hello, Jinx,” Silco said smoothly. “I was wondering when you’d join us.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/54837829/chapters/148341067#workskin

Act IV of my Viktor Quartet

Fandom: Arcane: League of Legends

Rating: Mature

Chapters: 15/?

Characters: Viktor, Singed, Silco, Jinx, Ekko, Jayce, Mel, Heimerdinger, Caitlyn, Vi

Relationships: Jayce/Viktor, Jayce/Mel, Jayce/Mel/Viktor, Singed & Viktor, Silco & Viktor, Jinx & Viktor, Ekko & Viktor, Jayce & Caitlyn, Silco & Jinx, Minor Cait/Vi

Additional Tags: Angst, Viktor-centric, Author knows a little about League lore, Divorce Era (but short)

Next Time: Viktor and Jayce attempt to have a conversation!

[meirimerens]

stillwater's russian name being "whirlpool" another more reason i must depict farkhad with wavy hair that curls more when wet. the spiral... the spiral, the spiral, the spiral... 🐚🌀

[mindblownie2]

Thinking about the Stillwater being described as "a guest house for outsiders" and how. Well it doesn't strike me that this happens particularly often, and wondering who was the last person to stay there... And I'm bad with the timelines but I'm thinking, maybe the Stamatins? On their first night(s) in town, before Andrey took over the pub and Peter got his studio? Peter sleeping upstairs (he likes to be on the top floor) (also we love Peter - Daniil parallels here) and Andrey taking Eva's offer if she invited him into her bed as well (she would) (we know they had a relationship). Additionally, for the Farkhad fans out there, he's not even dead yet and the twins are already haunted by him (via the house he built that messes with your mind, if we take p2 lore). Yeah I'll have that as my headcanon

[bri-the-nautilus]

Hi there! I saw your reply to that ask about Malenia being a milf, really enjoyed reading it all (it was all just right!). Especially a passage on Gowry. Do you have more detailed headcanons/theories on him? Can you share them?

It's just that he plays an important role in my own postcanon story, being sort of a rematching villain. So I'm always open on any info on him and the Rot in general, even others' headcanons. Do you think there could be other humans worshipping the Rot? (not just kindreds/pests).

I meself stick to the theory of him being a Carian sorcerer who's studied the Rot and went too far (then even farther to turn back).

Thank you!

(editing this in at the end. This got LONG. I dug up so much stuff as I was compiling my thoughts, and this post took quite a turn. Thanks for getting me thinking, and I apologize for how ungodly long this post is. This was fun!)

Gowry is an interesting one. He doesn't talk much about himself, and his adopted daughters don't really like to talk about him either for obvious reasons. And as far as sane residents of Caelid to converse with go, it's really just him and the girls, a few merchants, Maliketh, and Jerren. Not exactly a wealth of lore.

Let's start with his armor set. Gowry wears the Sage Set, which can be found in Liurnia's Stillwater Cave. It's worth noting that this cave is home to several Rot-themed enemies, including mushroom priests and a Cleanrot Knight. From the description of the Sage Armor:

Thick burgundy robe. Attire of the wise sages who were deemed heretical. Evidence that the wearer was driven from town.

This is interesting. It's also worth noting that Gowry isn't the only character who wears this armor. Necromancer Garris, the boss of the Sage's Cave, also wears pieces of the set. Their faces are also quite similar. There could be a connection here, but we're getting sidetracked.

So the Sages were driven from a town. The question is, which town? The answer is of course Sellia, Town of Sorcery. Gowry lives just outside the city walls. For confirmation, we need only look at his inventory. Gowry sells Night Shard and Nightmaiden's Mist, whose descriptions both say that they were invented in Sellia. The third spell he sells is Glintstone Stars, which is a Raya Lucaria sorcery, but its description also says that it's a spell of the Olivinus Conspectus, "which attracts sorcerers from Sellia."

So Gowry lived in Sellia as a sage, where he learned the town's signature brand of magic. Then he was kicked out for heresy, per the Sage Armor's description. The next question we have to ask is, what heresy did he commit? Let's take a step back and examine Liurnian orthodoxy. Astrological worship is the basis for all of Liurnia's science and religion. The Academy worships the stars, while the House of Caria and Lazuli Conspectus worship the moon as well. The description of the Lazuli Robe calls this star-moon worship heresy. I don't think what Gowry did was heresy in the Liurnian sense of the word, however. Sellia is a town descended from the Nox and heavily associated with the Olivinus Conspectus. The Nox were star worshippers, and the Olivinus are an orthodox Conspectus with a focus on meteors. If Gowry grew up here, the odds of him converting to moon worship are slim.

Rot worship is a possibility. The only real evidence of pre-Shattering Rot worship is House Marais, who clandestinely worshipped the Outer God of Rot in their castle. The Haligtree venerated Malenia, but didn't worship the Rot because Malenia herself suffered at its hands and would like nothing more than to be rid of it. Rot worship doesn't go mainstream until after Aeonia when an entire civilization of shrimp cultists crawls out of the nuclear swamp and decides Malenia is their goddess. So while Gowry worshipping the Scarlet Rot in prewar Sellia would be kind of heretical, it would also be a really weird thing for anyone to be into given the time and place. Also, notice that the Rot is only ever worshipped by people actively suffering from it. "The sons of House Marais are all sickly born" (probably because they decided to build on top of a poison swamp), and the mushroom priests and shrimpbros speak for themselves. It would be very odd indeed for a healthy Sellian man in a lush, unblighted Caelid to suddenly say "hey screw the stars, we worship super skin necrosis now." You know what I think he did?

Necromancy.

Oh yeah, you thought we were done with Gary.

So let's talk about our friend Necromancer Garris for a second. While it's not in his name like it is for Gowry, Garris is almost definitely a Sellian sage. He looks like Gowry, he wears the requisite robes, and the cave where he lives is called the "Sage's Cave." Unless the Black Knife lurking nearby has some scholarly qualifications we don't know about, the Sage in question has to be Garris. Now what exactly is his deal? What can we learn about heresy from this guy?

Garris is a necromancer. He summons bone snails in battle and uses the Prince of Death staff to cast a spell similar to Rancorcall, whose description claims that it's an ancient death hex presumed lost to the annals of history until Garris rediscovered it. Most interesting, however, is his weapon. Garris wields the unique flail Family Heads.

Three bludgeoning copper heads attached to a handle by chains. Signature weapon of Necromancer Garris, the heretical sage. The heads were made to resemble those of his wife and two children.

Oh. Oh. Oh.

Here we have confirmation that Garris is not only a Sage, but a heretical one. Much like good old Gowry. A wife and children, you say? Let's take a look at the weapon's unique Ash of War: Familial Rancor. This ash behaves similarly to Rancorcall, the spell that Garris rediscovered and uses. And its description?

Gently rattle the copper heads to summon vengeful spirits that chase down foes. The anguish of a spouse and children invites accursed wrath.

Alrighty. It's the classic story of a magician and his dead family. This is just Fullmetal Alchemist now. We don't really have the evidence to say one way or another what happened here. Did Garris lose his family and resort to necromancy to try to get them back? Or is the "wrath" and "anguish" of his family a result of him using them as human sacrifices or guinea pigs in his experiments with the dark arts? But enough of that.

The trouble we were having with Gowry is that we couldn't pin down what he was doing that would have gotten him banished from Sellia. Sellia, per the Night Shard description, is a town of assassins that habitually kill other sorcerers. You'd have to do something nuts to get kicked out of a place like that, and we just didn't have anything that points towards a sensical explanation for Gowry's heresy. This is where Garris saves us. We know he was also a Sage who got kicked out of Sellia for being a heretic, but unlike Gowry, we know EXACTLY what Garris was doing. And now let's look back at Sellian theological law and try to apply it to necromancy.

Of course necromancy is heretical! The Lands Between broadly speaking venerates the dead. Dead people are buried at the roots of the Erdtree to return to its grace. The burial watchdogs are statues built to watch over these dead, and while the Erdtree is a Golden Order concept, the fact that some watchdogs use glintstone attacks implies that the Liurnians also build them. Liurnia does have its own Erdtree burial catacombs, despite not worshipping the Erdtree or any other Golden Order figures as deities. We know from Fia and Lionel that people in the Lands Between see the Deathbed Companions as disgusting heretics. What do Deathbed Companions do? Raise the dead. Necromancy seems like an amazing way to get yourself kicked out of just about any dignified society in the Lands Between.

And when we look at Gowry through the lens of necromancy... things start to add up.

If you try to kill Gowry, he turns into a Kindred of Rot on death and his disembodied voice casually mentions that he can keep coming back. Upon reloading the shack, Gowry's there again. You can repeat this ad infinitum until reaching the end of his and Millicent's questline. He doesn't stay dead.

Hmm.

We can't really say for sure what Garris was doing with his necromancy outside of the fact that he was researching ancient hexes. Gowry, on the other hand...

Here's my theory. Gowry, either together with Garris or on his own, starts researching methods of achieving life after death. When what he's doing comes to light, he gets banished from Sellia, but his work is far enough along that he can finish it alone without the resources of a town of sorcery. But as an outcast, there's not much he can really do with that.

Enter Malenia.

Malenia's bloom is said to have been awe-inspiring and divine. We can find ghosts who witnessed Aeonia ranting about the divine splendor.

Sublime, I tell you. The very first flower of Aeonia bloomed on this very spot. Malenia, may you blossom into a goddess.

For Gowry, who is by now thoroughly disillusioned with the Sellian orthodoxy that kicked him to the curb for being a necromancer, the Rot may well have been a religious experience. Especially when the necrotic death bomb starts creating life.

Life from death. The goal of every necromancer.

And oh boy does Caelid have it.

Gowry has found a Goddess who he thinks can create life from death. He has an entire cult worth of shrimp people who also worship her, and who he can manipulate as he pleases with his superior intellect. And best of all, he has Malenia's daughters, who he can raise into Goddesses of Rot themselves.

Gowry is of course just a man. An old man whose condo is six feet away from Ground Zero for the Aeonian Bloom. His body is dying as he experiences all this wonder and finds the infant buds amidst the fallout of the Bloom. But for a Necromancer, who has cracked the code, this is no trouble. Even as his body gives out, Gowry's spirit possesses a lowly Kindred of Rot, projecting an illusion of his human form. As a Kindred, he can survive indefinitely in rotting Caelid. As an illusory human, he can deal with outsiders and raise Malenia's daughters. If his Kindred is slain... no matter. There's more where that came from.

[bossmamacita]

Hiii long post ahead~~ this is some random history and fun facts about my boss Luz! I keep drawing her so it was time for the info dump. Suggestions and feedback always appreciated! Parts of this are based on my Colombian family lore so LMAO

Luz Armando Vega-Luna

Pre-SR1

In the shadows of Colombia's lush landscapes, Luz was born into a world that refused to see her for who she truly was.

Luz's existence as Cesar felt like a prison, shackled by the chains of her religion and culture. From the moment she drew her first breath, she knew that she was different, a fact she couldn’t communicate that filled her with a seething, simmering rage that threatened to consume her and those around her.

In the tumultuous environment of her childhood home, Luz found herself locked in constant conflict with her mother, Maria, whose strict adherence to Catholicism strained their relationship. Luz's relationship with her sister Elena was marred by their mother's manipulations, pitting them against each other. However, amidst the chaos, Luz discovered solace in her bond with her father, Armando, who shared her love for cars, the outdoors, and music. Through these shared passions, Luz found temporary respite from the turmoil, finding moments of peace in the midst of the storm.

Despite her father's attempts to provide comfort and guidance, Luz could not escape the tragedy that loomed on the horizon.

One summer night, Luz awoke to a fire. As their home became a blazing inferno, Elena shielded Luz from the worst of the flames, but not without bearing scars of her own. Amidst the chaos of fleeing, tragedy struck with brutal finality as their father, Armando, fell victim to violence, his life extinguished in the kitchen of their burning home.

It was clear to Maria that Armando had involvement in illicit affairs and had drawn the wrath of dangerous forces, sealing his fate with a bullet to the skull. As Maria fled with her children in tow, the flames of violence and betrayal illuminated the darkness that had engulfed their lives. Luz found odd comfort in it.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Luz, Maria, and Elena couch-surfed, aiming to cross the US border. Despite the hardships, Luz's relationship with Elena improved, finding comfort as Maria's influence waned. Luz found solace in the nurturing relationship with her older sibling where she could explore aspects of sisterhood that aligned with her true self with her sister’s support. Luz’s rage grew like a tumor, poisoning all that surrounded it as Elena began to have medical problems due to the fire. This sped up the households’ progress in crossing the border. Luz worked odd jobs to help out. Luz’s rage for the world only seemed to grow stronger as they got to the border.

After successfully crossing the border, Maria's online boyfriend who lived in Stillwater offered them refuge in his studio apartment, the pair of siblings unaware of the neglect and abuse that awaited them. It happened slowly but the two adults in the house were the worst of the worst. Trapped in a cycle of abuse, Luz found herself thrust into a nightmare of violence and trauma. She focused her skills on surviving and becoming stronger.

As Luz grappled with the tumult of puberty and the torment of their living situation, she flunked out of public school. She had a few friends but wouldn’t call any of them close. Her education was not amazing but she was exposed to many different types of people that helped her explore her identity. Despite Elena's attempts to intervene and guide her onto a different path, Luz found herself inexorably drawn into the dark underworld that surrounded them.

As Elena's health deteriorated, their abusers remained indifferent to her suffering, leaving Luz to bear the burden of their shared trauma and worry alone. When Maria finally took Elena to the hospital, Luz was left behind, consumed by a sense of abandonment and resentment towards her sister for getting to escape due to her illness.

Fueled by her rage and a desperate desire to escape, Luz plunged headlong into a life of crime and violence, navigating the treacherous streets of Stillwater in search of a way out. She made some friends, lovers, enemies. With each illicit act, she clawed her way towards independence, determined to carve out a new life free from the shackles of her past. Her personality shifted from pure rage to something more controlled and witty, using her rage as a well-placed weapon in place of an explosion of undiluted rage.

But even as she forged ahead, Luz remained tethered to her sister, sending her money and paying for the hospital stay. Her true vulnerability was Elena. Afraid of cursing or condemning Elena to death, Luz kept her distance and called her regularly in place of visiting.

In the grimy streets of Stilwater, Luz found a temporary reprieve from the suffocating weight of her past. Growing out her hair brought a measure of relief from her dysphoria, yet she continued to present as Cesar until she felt she amassed the resources and confidence to transition fully. Amidst the chaos, she explored new hobbies and worked to heal the wounds within herself, determined to forge a path towards authenticity and self-acceptance. Then she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and stumbled into joining the Saints.

SR1

I need to play the game more LOL. Luz loves being in the Saints. I do canon that Luz names herself Luz after seeing Luz Avalos and is like “this damn woman dont even know her shoes…. nice name tho I’m taking that lol” its not like anyone calls Luz by her name anyway as the Boss character but it’s still funny. Relationship wise I think she gets along with Johnny the most due to chaos factor. I am not super sure how she would be with Troy or Dex or the others yet I will add to this later! Definitely likes Lin and Aisha tho.

Random:

- Elena has burn scars from protecting Luz from the fire. She later develops medical problems due to her wounds and lungs from this event. Specifically, I think of scar contractures that cause her to need physical therapy due to constricted movement, COPD, and PTSD.

- Armando was a priest or some form of clergy member and not actually married to Maria. He faced criticism in the community for having children out of wedlock, not being married to Maria, and they were planning on moving near the time he was assasinated. He tried his best with Elena and Luz to not have them be shunned in the community. He was in the process of trying to get married, gaining money for it through illicit means, as Maria had given up, assuming his faith would be chosen over her so she dated around.

- Luz Age Timeline: 10-12 years old, the death of her father and escaping. 13-15 years old, the family couch surfs in Colombia and they make it over the US border. 16-18 years old, they move in with Maria’s boyfriend in Stillwater and Elena is admitted to the hospital. 19-20 years old, Luz leaves to get her own apartment and is a criminal. 21 years old is when she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and SR1 begins.

- Luz’s first acts of being a criminal are in car hijacking and fucking things up mechanically due to her childhood knowledge.

- Luz beats the shit out of her mother and the boyfriend as she collects her stuff when she moves out lol.

- Luz gets a tattoo to remember her father after she moves out from her mother’s boyfriend’s apartment as a respect to him and her new beginning. Maybe a candle or flame? This is also the start of Luz’s transition. She looks androgynous for the most part but does not fully transition until near the end of SR1 where she feels big and safe enough to pop on over and get the procedures and whatnot done to feel at peace. (Giant boobs) (Super bimbofication hell yes)

- Personality wise, Luz starts as a conduct disorder child that outwardly expresses pure unfiltered rage on anyone. She is pretty extroverted. As she ages she refines her rage into something digestible and uses it in more of a cocky way that is controlled. It’s still pretty easy to piss her off tho.

- headcannon Johnny does not give a fuck that Luz transitions because she’s still the same wild murder machine. “Ok new hair and name. Let’s go murdering” yass ally

- Adding on this: “Hey Johnny this is what post bottom surgery looks like” “Damn you got that thing designer? Cool” LMAOOO just buddies being buddies

- I do not think Luz is emotionally capable of romance apart from hookups in SR1 and before so she definitely sees everyone as homies. I do think her and Johnny are the closest in a bro way. I think her first romantic feelings moment is toward Carlos in SR2. Definitely want there to be a dynamic with Luz being kinda afraid to act on her feelings (i curse everything i touch) so she just doesn’t act and its mutual tension and well… Red Asphalt.

- Also foils of Johnny/Aisha-Boss/Carlos is fun so yeah their friendship strengthens by the end of it but I think they both get angry and push back at both traumatic events so there’s some angst there

- I want Luz and Johnny to get together eventually but I think its pretty down the line out as Aisha was the love of Johnny’s life and Luz respects it and has unresolved emotional issues following acting on her heart

- I like the nickname Luli for her

[irvin-servin]

hi!

welcome to the mountain water therapy center!

my name is irvin and i'm a design student based in sydney. graphic design might be my passion, but as any person does, i also have quite a lot of other interests. most of them involve writing, so what better place to put it all out in the world than (former?) hellsite tumblr.com?

here's what you can expect from me here:

the suburbia chronicles a young adult urban fantasy series set in a mysterious town called hawkshire, oregon. most children and teenagers in hawkshire seem to gain unique magical powers which all fade away after they turn 18. i've been working on this one on and off for over 6 years and many of the characters mean so much to me so i hope you enjoy this one!

musical projects i find myself to be much more honest in poetry than any other medium of communication, so i use it as a form of reflection and even a coping mechanism. i have a few hypothetical albums (stillwater, it barely rains anymore, this side up) and whether it be posts with song lyrics or audio files, you'll learn a lot about me through my music.

...and more lately, i've been getting into quite a lot of new hobbies, the most significant of which being dungeons and dragons (my characters are so cool and slay and everything) so there may be lore posts and nerdy ramblings here and there. i also play a lot of video games (casual ones) and i might post about them too.

i'm not the most diligent about social media, so expect posts to be slightly sporadic, but that's all for my long ramble intro. if anyone reads this, thank you for attention!

[shmowder]

I have an OC from a while ago, though I never completely finished fleshing him out. Name: Mikhail Age: 30ish Job: Science Fiction Author Bound (Utopian) Mikhail [last name TBD] is visiting the Town to try to cure his writer's block, and has been lodging at the Stillwater (in this universe the Stillwater has more than one upstairs room) for about a month prior to Daniil taking the room across the hall. He doesn't believe in the Mistresses or in the Steppe traditions, though he finds the Town beliefs very interesting and lately the twyre bloom has been giving him strange dreams... He enjoys the town, and claims that the change of scenery and unusual traditions are curing his writer's block...as is the view of the Polyhedron, which he sees as a constantly shining lantern. He spends most of the game in the Stillwater, though when the district isn't infected he'll sometimes leave to view the Polyhedron, wander around in the Steppe, or visit the Broken Heart. In P2, he'll trade you coffee beans, candle stubs, and apple slices in exchange for scrap names, steppe charms, and certain food items. He also has a unique trading item, candy (he has a sweet tooth) which is hard to convince him to part with but is worth a LOT to the kids.

He's trans, though none of his readers or editors are aware of this since he sends in his manuscripts by mail.

You make a writer character and expect me—a person obsessed with writing —to try and NOT fall in love with him??? you're asking for too much. I am just a mere human.

He seems like a very private and quaint person, the type of of character to have minor presence in the story and little lore but a literal cult following in terms of fans.

Especially letting him live with Eva, a romantic dreamer who's an avid fiction reader. She lives with her head in the clouds and weats her heart on her sleeves. I completely see the two of them bonding, she has this aura of comfortable familiarity that just lets you be. Eva is so unapologetically herself, she unawarly encourages and eases the people around her into letting their gaurd down and being their true self.

But ah, she does have a very rose tinted view on the world. She might tend to see Mikhail under a glorified romanticised light of a tortured artist rather than a whole person at times.

She sees his writing and art before she sees him.

It's interesting that he manages to stay...well, sane, in the stillwaters. That building is known to drive anyone who lives inside it for too long crazy. Everyone except Eva, who somehow managed to thrive there, so much so that the Kains were astouned and basically handed her the building's lease. Dankovsky doesn't live there for long to be affected by it. It takes months for them to start hearing the voices and all.

I absolutely love that you included the details of his trade inventory! It gives you more incentive to visit the stillwaters because coffee beans are just so useful. Also the candy will come in handy when trading for shmowders with their hefty 35 value price-

A trans character definitely fits well in a town that prides itself on absolute freedom, especially during the 1900s. The utopians wouldn't bat an eye.

Since the polyhedron is his source of inspiration, I think he'd be pretty devastated when it comes crashing down in the diurnal ending, joining the group drinking in the broken heart.