#take the divinity that is willing to fight for you over the thing you don't know

[justalittlebluetiefling]

I am wondering a lot about what happens in the 'ideal' scenario. You know, where Predathos only eats the Primes and the Betrayers and then leaves. Matt made the point about how divine magic was around before then and would be around after, but the source would change. So. What fills that power vacuum? How is there any guarantee that it is going to be better than what they have now? There isn't and Ludnius kind of admitted that, but what drives someone to that point? To the point where they care about the action, completing that action, but they don't care about the result?

[sanemisstalker]

no matter how much dick I get... the urge to do vile things to this man will always prevail

NSFW MINORS DNI - AFAB/GN REFFERED READER - HEAD - TOXIC MASCULINITY (Belief that a penis is needed to make a man) - Sanemi with a CANNIBALISM/DIETY kink? Idk I got a little frisky with the head talk. - He begs for help at one point. HYPER CONSENT.

NEEDY FOR HEAD - WITH SANEMI

-'I don't like it when you get- lower like that. Makes my teeth ache. I feel like you're gonna... bite it off.'

-You're a little offended by the implication. Sure you're a little weird and off putting, but fuck all, you weren't REALLY gonna bite Sanemi's cock off when it came to it.

-You sigh.

-This little fit of his had been going on for a while, now. Sure you can get head all you want, but lord forbid YOU want to GIVE. Lord forbid YOU want to SATISFY.

-'It's not funny anymore.'

-'Wasn't ever trying to be funny.' he spits in turn.

-'Then I'd like an unfunny answer.'

-'I'm being serious, damn! It feels like my balls are gonna go up when you're down there! Why don't you believe me?!'

-Sanemi had never been very explicit about his wants. Keeping your laugh to yourself was a little hard at such a question. Sanemi's face blared red in response.

-'That's it! I'm putting my cl-'

-You lept for him, pulling him back down to the bed. You forgot you had to be kind, and slow. Sanemi never really had the kind of face that begged for such things, but that was part of the problem. Sanemi never really liked to beg.

-'No! NO! I'm sorry- it's not funny, it's- Sanemi, you know how often this happens.' He stilled, more than a little tense at the accusation. 'You are- I know it's hard, but... biting it off?'

-'Y-Yes.' He'd huff. 'I- it just feels weird.'

-'Bad weird, scary we-'

-'Like I'm going to... Embarass myself weird.'

-Your silence followed, and then Sanemi turned even further away from you. He was unwilling to pull his hand from your grasp in an effective way. Instead resorting to a very feeble wiggle and slight whine.

-'Let me go.' He mumbled.

-'No way! No way-' You rush, tugging him down to the bed. You pull him against you. He seems to soften as your breasts press into his forearm. 'That doesn't sound all that bad.'

-Sanemi would rather die. The thought of him... letting go so... early. So explicitly at your will, so weak and helpless, his only call to manhood left in the fight of your biting maw-

-Part of it excited him, he figured. But he didn't figure that deep. If he did, he'd know this and that about submission, and maybe the light sense of masochism that made the concept all that more thrilling.

-Maybe it scared him a little knowing you could hurt him there if you wanted to, and maybe he got a little hard when he got scared. Maybe Sanemi missed being scared,

-When you talk him into it, he's most reluctant to see your teeth, but you let him play with the connection between his tip and your tongue. Giving him all the power to pull away when it just gets too much.

-Your tastes buds are far different from the ribbing of your pussy. They're delicate, and you have far more control over that muscle, so when you take Sanemi fully in your mouth, he's flung to the bed.

-He's seeing god, he thinks. He can almost imagine your jaw clamping down, taking it all away from him, keeping it for yourself.

-He's enthralled by how willing he is. By how bad he wants it to be all yours. How delusional he is for thinking you'd even think this way. This is simply an act of pleasure to you, but one of Divinity to him. This is God, for he, such a simple man, cannot grasp the eccentricities of religion when they are found anywhere other than the beads of spit between his base and your lips.

-He begins sobbing, almost hoping you'll make it stop. He can't feel this good, he can't know the world feels this good. How cruel to send him back to war when he's knows the sound of a song birds throat.

-He's a head pusher. He can't help it. He feels too good, he's blacking out half way through, which isn't very long. Not at all, practically convulsing on the bed.

-'Oh!- Ah--- Y/N- Oh- God- God- Ah!' And all the ooh's and aah's as he cums sobbing down your throat.

-It's enough to spill out of your lips, and find its way back to his pubes, all covered in your spit and snot. And he's breathing heavy and shaking still because god knows that cock never really gets to cum it all away- those balls can never truly be empty.

-'Oh- god- god- help- help-' He's choking, grabbing his face to brush the tears away.

-You're a little dumbfounded. You're not sure what the fuss is, but you're excited to try deep throating him for the first time. That'll probably make him die or something, he might die-

[stclaretarot]

PICK A CARD ⭒ which ancestor is reaching out to you?

reminder that this is a general reading and messages found here may not apply to everyone. take what resonates, leave what doesn't, and don't force anything if it does not fit.

BOOK A READING WITH ME · LINKTREE · 18+ PATREON · SUGGEST A PAC TOPIC · TIPS ♡ tips, bookings, and feedback are highly appreciated!

GROUP ONE

cards · the high priestess, queen of wands, king of pentacles, page of pentacles

channelled songs · stand by me by wayv. gangsta luv by snoop dogg & the-dream. i will follow you into the dark by death cab for cutie.

hey there group one ♡ this is a paternal ancestor, a female ancestor from your father’s side. she is slavic, scandinavian or an indigenous person in this general area of europe.

sami, kurdish, and uyghur also come to mind.

this ancestor may be your father’s grandmother, or the grandmother of a grandmother for example.

because of this, this is likely not someone you have met -- though she has watched over you since you were born. no, since earlier. since before your conception. she has prayed and willed you into existence.

GROUP TWO

cards · the lovers, the world, nine of swords, six of pentacles.

channelled songs · bodak yellow by cardi b. restraint by florence + the machine. eternal sunshine by ambré & g-eazy.

hey there group two ♡ this is someone who died for love. suddenly, i keep thinking about the movies ‘bladerunner 2049’ and ‘mulan’. in both movies we see characters who are driven by love, who go on these grand journeys and fight these battles so much bigger than them all because of love. love in whatever shape or form.

this ancestor is someone who died at war. they may have been a general, for some of you, while for others of you they were a common soldier. they were likely drafted, or had a legal or familial obligation to fulfil, and the only thing that got them through this was the love for a woman.

he would sit up at night thinking of her, looking at the picture he carried around of her, and telling himself he had to make it out to get back to her.

this ancestor is likely japanese (specifically ainu), chinese, brazilian or cuban.

GROUP THREE

cards · ten of challenges, page of cups, ten of pentacles, the fool.

channelled songs · i’m that girl by beyoncé. que me quedes tú by shakira. just the lonely talking again by whitney houston.

hey there group three ♡ this is not really an ancestor… as, ancestor -- at least to me -- denotes someone who died many, many, many years ago. decades and centuries ago. but this person who is reaching out to you is someone who died fairly recently, as this is your father.

in life, your father may have been a man overburdened by stress and worry. he aged fast and young because of the hard life he lived, and died young because of it.

he had a lot of love for you and your family, and took a lot of pride in the life he was trying to build for you, but it was harder than he ever could have ever expected.

he had never been prepared for the harsh reality of life, but he did the best he could with the hand he was given.

GROUP FOUR

cards · queen of pentacles, king of pentacles, the devil, the magician.

channelled songs · a departue - audiotree live version by la dispute. the lady in my life by michael jackson. the bomb dot come v2.0 by sleeping with sirens.

hey there group four ♡ instead of just one ancestor, this is two ancestors who are reaching out to you. a pair of ancestors. soulmates. two people who lived together and died together; who gave their all to each other until the very end.

and then even after the end, in the divine realm as your guides watching over you.

they may have been star-crossed lovers, forbidden to be together by their respective families -- or by the culture and society in which they were born and in which they had to live. and so they ran away.

for some of you, this effort to run away was futile and they decided to take their lives, together, to end this once and for all. for others of you, they were able to get away and have their happy ending.

these ancestors may be from mexico, bosnia, greece. america especially during the antebellum period also comes to mind.

[duckchu]

… Hello, I hope it's not rude I'm just looking for drabbles or anything League of Legends since I'm in the mood to read the LoL fandom content after being away for a while…

Coincidentally when I found out about Heartsteel when I was watching anime edits with LoL songs and I was like WTH??! And an idea came up and now I'm hungry for some crackhead and platonic cuteness (For Yone + Yasu) and romance (for othe boys).

So can I please ask for headcannons or drabbles (you can choose which is easier) of the Heartsteel Boys (Kayn, Aphelios, Sett and Ezreal separately) having a crush on F! Reader who is a game streamer and is the little sister of Yone and Yasu who is the living example of Wife Material with an affectionate and bubbly cinnamon roll personality?

She likes to take care of her siblings even though she's the youngest (Yone and Yasu would kill if someone hurt her, good luck running away from them) and spoils them rotten! Are they both always busy and stressed with the whole band and Idol thing?

No problem, she, with her divine culinary skills, cooks their favorites or prepares them a lunch box with nutritious homemade food or brings them some snacks after an exhausting day of recording MVs and songs. (Sometimes she likes to deliver it in person, especially if they are showing hints of extreme exhaustion).

Sore muscles? Nah, her angelic hands know how to work and ease any tension and pain. Do they need a shoulder to vent on? Okay, she's there ready to listen and support her siblings and shower them with comfort and words of affirmation when they're on the verge of burning out.

Trouble sleeping and sleep schedule being a mess? Enjoy her divine voice when she sings and Yone and Yasu are out in seconds for a nice nap (Yasu looks dead when he naps on her lap, if it weren't for his noisy snoring while Yone looks like a cat almost purring when she massage his scalp with her fingers lmao) or a good night's sleep.

Need help with other household tasks? Fear not, she is ready to help! Do any conflicts or fights arise? She is a good mediator! Someone being a brat? Nah, she just needs to look strictly and sternly and that's enough for them to stop being brats and shut up.

But she's also the precious cinnamon roll who is the kind of cinnamon roll who can kick ass if someone is being toxic and mean to her brothers because when she's really mad it's not a pretty sight… (Yone and Yasu are secretly highkey traumatized from the first time she got really mad when they saw her pissed off frown when she threatened to beat up a bully who picked on Yasu when they were younger).

But also her brothers overworking themselves? Nuh-uh! Not when she's watching! She doesn't care if she's the youngest, she'll scold them as if she were the the oldest and they are going to listen to what she wants to say, willing or not!

(My lil brainrot bonus: Here was a time that everyone in True Damage saw Yasu who was kneeling on the floor in front of his little sister for fear of irritating her even more while still being scolded for over an hour for neglecting his health while he was running on energy drinks and fast food and messing with his sleeping schedule, she understands that he is part of a famous band but it doesn't stop her from saying 'I know how important music is to you, but for Heavens' sakes! Don't sacrifice your health Yasu! I don't want to receive the news that you passed out and I have to visit you in a hospital bed!')

Holy...this is a long request but also this was my reaction reading it

I've decided to do headcanons since I feel their easier to showcase all of their personalities (also decided to add platonic K'Sante)

Kayn

When he first saw you, he thought you were lame

You came on set to give Yone some food and he noticed how bubbly you were

But then he had a thought

You were kinda cute

So he nabbed some food from Yone

And laughed as you protested

Which got him an elbow between the ribs from you

Next day he was surprised to see you come to the shoot again, this time with food for all of them

Decided he needed you to be his wife

Started flirting with you mercilessly

Yone wasn't pleased

But you looked so cute flustered~

It was only to cover his own embarrassment tho

It's not his fault you're just perfect for him

A cute little thing for him to ruin ~

Aphelios

When he saw you, it was love at first sight

Like heart eyes all that jazz

Yone noticied

But honestly, he prefers him to for example Kayn

How could Phel not fall for you?

You were just perfect

Every time you came by to make sure Yone wasn't overworking himself, you were so sweet to him

Sometimes even bringing by food for him

He always thought he wasn't really the guy to fall in love

But there you were, making him all soft

Ezreal

You were just Yone's little sister, no one to be bothered about

But why did he feel so warm everytime you came over?

And you did often to check up on Yone

And Ezreal always thought you didn't mean much to him

But there he was, head over heels for you

And slowly realising it

And so was everyone else

The way he was stealing glances everytime you were busy with something

If looks could kill, he'd be dead

At least that's what he thought from the way Yone was glaring at him

Sett

At the begining, he didn't think much of you

You were just Yone's sister, someone who came over frequently but that was that

Untill he started noticing how you treated everyone

You were really kind, always bringing over something to eat and a shoulder to cry on

How could he not fall in love with you?

Yone's gonna kill him, but it's worth it

K'Sante

He met during an unfortunate situation

It was him finding out Aphelios replaced his protein powder with flour

He was furious

Almost killed Aphelios right in front of you

But you were a great meditator so you managed to make Aphelios live to see another day

And K'Sante gained a person to talk to

Since he's usually the one giving out advice, he has problems with opening up himself

But you were so nice to him and didn't push him at all so it became natural

Especially if you were staying for the night and he happened tobe grabbing a glass of water at the same time as you

[muchmossymess]

A Revali Fanfic Recommendation

I urge you all to put your life on hold for a moment and go read this brilliant fanfiction:

A hundred years after the fall of Hyrule to Calamity Ganon, and the hero Link has finally sealed the darkness and freed the Divine Beasts of their curse - and with it, their pilots are finally free. But not just as spirits. Awake once again, the four Champions of old have a second chance at life and must re-adjust to this future world with their decendants. Well - all except for one Champion, who doesn't have a decentant. Or even anyone left alive that knew him. Teba is happy to take in his revived ancient idol as one of his own, but sharing a living space with a hundred year old Champion with an ego the size of his divine beast and who might have some issues he's not willing to share can be a lot sometimes and they don't always see eye to eye. Revali thinks he should return to leading the new generation of Rito warriors. Teba thinks this actual child should never have been leading warriors or fighting a war in the first place. Tulin is just excited to have the infamous Rito Champion in his house.

Beautifully written and lovingly crafted, this baby can fit so much trauma and whump into the most gut-wrenching and heat-breakingly found family story you may ever read. 130,000 words, 36 chapters (and still regularly updating!), and a CRIMINALLY low number of kudos. If that doesn't sway you, here is some gushing under the cut <3

You think you've read a champions revival fic before? This will have you saying "how the FUCK have I not seen this before" and completely change the way you view everything (mild exaggeration. m i l d). We have all of your favourite revali tropes: being a dick and getting owned, being a dick and being right, getting own and never showing those feelings to the light of day, getting killed, getting unkilled and loved, showing emotions but being super weird and revali about it, bonding with tulin!!, bonding with teba and the rest of rito village, bonding with the champions, having panic attacks and trauma, vah medoh being the best ever, being a terrifying force of nature, being an idiot kid, and so much more!

Do you like grumpy dad teba? Do you like revali swallowing his pride? Do you like revali immediately spitting his pride back up and being a bitchy bird? Do you like mipha and revali as gossip buddies? Do you like the complete and utter fool revali makes of himself everytime he so much as hears the name link? Do you like people seeing right through his facade and calling him out on it?

AND NOT TO MENTION THE WORLD BUILDING??? this fic is so in depth of the political climates, racism, lore, changes in culture during times of war, colonisation, biology of the races and just fucking everything?? It adds so much life to the world of hyrule I am genuinely shocked at how much this person clearly loves these games (botw/totk/aoc) and they are able to incorporate all of this amazing information in a way that flows so naturally and just hhrnngngg I am fucking insane about it. THE SCIENCE, oh my god how did I forget all the wonderous thoughts surrounding the divine beasts and the sheikah tech, oh god and how they write the magic system? Guys I swear it's so good.

Characterisation is on point, everyone feels so full of life and that they are reacting exactly how you would expect them too, and they just seem so real, like they are right beside you as you're reading. The author does an IMMACULATE job of drawing you in and making you feel a part of the story, all the while being just beautifully written?

Don't get me started on the attention to rito culture. I have never seen someone pour so much love into something before, genuinely on of the greatest things I've seen. I've always had a fascination over how the races of hyrule view each other, similarities and differences, how their cultures and histories intertwine, and conflicts that may arise. But oh. my. god. My jaw was on the floor every time, it's so rich and beautiful but not without the horrors (and oh god, they are Horrors tm) and again it's just so real!!!

Be warned, however, that there is gore and viscera and terror and hurt and war crimes and death (duh), but for each terrible thing to happen it is repaid tenfold in love and kindness somewhere down the line. (Unless you are into hurt no comfort, then sorry buddy!) It is a beautiful narrative and the exploration of trauma and self is mind boggling and just go read it!!! 😭 😭 😭 I just love this fic so much, it has instantly sky-rocketed to one of my top 3 favourite fics I've ever read, and I'm so grateful to have found it and now be along for the ride that if I could bring that to one more person then by god I will fucking do it

[shinesurge]

Yes hello I don't have any theorycrafting about your lore because honestly I'm just excited to see where you go with it

BUT IT JUST WANTED TO SAY

In the same way that Agatha getting to hold on to her anger, it makes me absolutely FERAL that Phin has to say it - say outloud, choking on her own blood, that she wants to live. Despite miserable awful circumstances in a place she hates to be, Yes She Still Wants To Live!!!

Not to get too real about it, but it echos how I feel when I hear people talking about how awful living in the US is and they're just gonna move somewhere else. Don't you want to live?? , don't you want to FIGHT?? Despite miserable awful circumstances, it'll hurt and you'll be forever changed after BUT DON'T YOU WANT TO L I V E ??

oh man thanks for this actually, i ruminated a LONG time over what i wanted to do with that panel. the violence in that whole sequence is a lot more intense (imo) than anything else we've seen so far, so i was already kind of concerned it would be Too Much to have gideon drag a response out of her sliced up throat on top of it. then putting it in any kind of speech bubble was Too Clean, and by then i figured we'd already gone this far and lukewarm is never the right answer, so i leaned into what i really wanted to say for basically the reasons you mentioned hehe

i'm generally bored with violence and gore as shock, but i DO love it as like. divine or primal currency? i think it is cool to earn things by being willing to bleed for them and do it on your own terms when you can, which is also kind of a fundamental thesis for kidd commander, so i tried not to squirm away from the uncomfortable stuff in this chapter literally setting up our protagonist to do those things. I'm so happy to hear it landed for you!!

this was a very cool thing to share, thank you for taking the time to send it <3 i know my writing isn't for everyone but it's really reassuring that people out there are getting something out of my angry bloody characters

[sagau-my-beloved]

Heyyy it's that drabble I said I was writing, come get your crumbs

Warnings: general sagau, heavily suggestive but doesn't go past that, heavy codependency

Pairing: Venti/reader

"Do you crave my touch?" You asked innocently, or as innocent as that question could be asked, continuing to run your hands through Venti's hair in a soothing manner as his eyes remained closed in complete bliss, barely registering you had said anything at all, completely entranced by the feelings that so effortlessly flowed from you.

"Very much so." He admitted without hesitation, as if only stating the obvious, but still with the same blissed out smile.

Venti was currently in heaven, surely that's what this was, if not then it must have been above even that. As if heaven could hold a candle to your attention.

You arch an eyebrow, pulling your hands away from his hair after growing tired of the repetitive movement, you had been at it for hours after all.

This was one of the few times you actively chose to indulge him, usually he had to fight for your attention in fifteen minutes intervals between work and important meetings. So, when you revealed that it was a rather slow day and you'd be willing to take a few hours as a well deserved break, to say that he was completely over the moon would be an understatement.

Venti's eyes snapped open immediately, his entire face contorting into one of discomfort as if you had just slapped him.

The sensation of being without your touch after hours of so greedily basking in it was unpleasant, a dull throbbing that only  intensified as the seconds ticked by, in place of what was originally so soothing.

He grabbed hold of your hand immediately and pressed your palm against his face, once again melting into your touch as if it was made of life itself, and it really might as well been.

He almost felt the need to apologize for an action so forceful, but every thought was immediately wiped from his mind as your thumb gently caressed him, his eyes once again fluttering close.

It was amazing how much just a simple touch affected him so, you never would have imagined yourself in this position months prior.

You had observed that this was a common thing amongst everyone. For some reason, it was as if you simply projected your emotions, so you weren't particularly surprised how Venti was so desperate to keep you right here where he could practically bath in how happy you were to have him so close.

That was really the kicker, the feelings of bliss and pleasure and happiness he felt stemmed directly from you, directly from how you felt as you held him near you. He was feeling exactly how you felt about him and it was the best feeling in the world, one that he would gladly drown in.

But it had been a while, and you certainly had other matters to attend to. Regrettably the title of 'creator' came with more than just status.

You let out a hum and pulled your hand away again, intending this time to get up.

That decision was met with very obvious displeasure as your beloved Archon immediately reached for you again.

What you didn't know was that you really had spoiled him too much, allowed him to indulge in the honor of the euphoria you provide just a bit too long, and you were going to have a very hard time fixing that.

Whenever your fingers weren't on his skin, whenever he couldn't physically feel your touch, it was as if his soul cried out to him to rectify it, as if a massive part of him was simply torn away.

The Archon's mind, partially hazy from being drunk off the divine feeling of you, wasn't thinking entirely logically.

"Your grace please," Venti practically whined, falling further into you, "Don't stop."

You smiled slightly, he was frankly too difficult not to give in to. You could indulge him for another minute, but only one more.

You slid your other hand into his hair once more as he continued to practically nuzzle into the first.

"You're lucky you're unreasonably cute you know."

His whole body shuddered from the complement.

You traced one of your fingers softly over his jaw and he made a noise you could only interpret as something akin to a 'thank you', face still displaying that look of pure unbridled happiness.

As much as you wanted to stay there for another hour, carefully studying all of the expressions he made, you promised yourself you would only indulge him a minute and that minute had passed.

Using a decent amount of willpower, you finally pulled yourself back, quickly dodging him acting on his innate reaction to immediately pull you back.

This time the pain was more vivid, something more than just discomfort settling in the place where the memory of your touch lingered.

His eyes were wide now, fully awake and completely conscious of every little burning sensation that danced across his skin.

Venti grabbed your hand forcefully and desperately, causing you to instinctively pull away.

"I'm sorry!" He immediately apologized, seemingly horrified with himself, horrified that he had the audacity to be even slightly forceful with something as precious as you.

Though the way his very heart ached couldn't be ignored, so he swallowed his pride and looked up at you with a pained expression.

"Please, stay right here for a little longer, please your grace, I can't begin to describe how much I need you to." He sounded as if he was trying very hard to keep his voice steady but there was a frantic undertone to it, something that coincided with the way he seemed to wince.

You gave him a cautious look while standing, eyeing the door as his expression grew scared.

"Please..." Venti begged, this time with a completely unconcealed desperate tone, "It hurts—"

You wouldn't be lying to say you were on the fence before about how honest he was being, it was Venti, and he had a bit of a tendency to dramatically play things up, but this felt different.

You finally conceited, crawling back onto the bed and pulling him into your arms.

In no time at all he wrapped his arms and legs around you, pressing his face against your neck as if seeking some sort of protection.

"I'm sorry, so so so sorry..." He repeated over and over as his hold tightened, as if he was just so deathly afraid of being away from you.

"It's alright, you'll be ok." You mumbled, placing a kiss against on his head, sending shockwaves of pure bliss through his body.

"Don't let go, please." Venti's voice was muffled from how close he was pressed against you, but you could still make out every bit of emotion it contained.

This entire thing was... strange—

It was almost as if he seemed to tense up every time you moved even slightly, occasionally mumbling completely inaudible things into your neck, words of praise or admiration you could only assume.

You moved to once again run your fingers through his hair, petting him softly both as a form of comfort and to keep your hands idle, and, as expected, your touch was enough to make him whimper.

"Please..."

You perked up at his voice, it sounded quite similar to when he first awakens in the mornings, drowsy and soft around the edges, not entirely there.

"Do that... again..." Venti managed to plead in between heavy breaths, "Just like that..."

You couldn't help but oblige, unable to stop your body from heating up slightly at how intimate the situation had become.

He finally pulled his head away from you long enough to look up at you with glazed eyes, the euphoria making him dizzy.

You smiled at his dazed state.

However, worries did edge in the back of your mind.

He had never been quite this zoned out before, quite this dazed and desperate, was it possible for someone to overdose of affection alone? Maybe not normal affection, but you were pretty far from normal...

Lost in thought, you unconsciously moved your hands away.

As if struck by lightning, all pleasant feelings immediately left the poor Archon once more, gone and replaced by a throbbing pain.

Venti yelped, grabbing hold of your hand and your attention with it.

As soon as your touch graced him again, his heartbeat evened out, feelings of both physical and mental pain completely leaving him once more.

Alcohol was nothing compared to this.

He fell limp into you, or all but his hand, which was still holding yours so tight it was almost painful.

It was obvious now what was happening, your divine touch seemed to have some unintentional side effects—

Venti was happy, as if happy even began to describe it, and because of that he was complete putty in your hands, craving only your touch and the total bliss that followed.

You wondered how he might react to you telling him the entirety of Mondstadt was up in flames, that Teyvat itself was falling to ruin. You wondered if he would react at all.

It was obvious now that if you let go he would only beg you for more, but, if you continued to hold on, he'd stay dependent on you.

This... was going to be a problem.

"Venti?" You asked softly, letting your free hand glide over his back.

He let out a sigh of contentment, "My beloved... My world, my everything..."

Venti continued to mumble terms of endearment for a few seconds longer, moving your hand, which he was still reverently holding, up to his lips to press small kisses to your fingertips, a buzz on his lips from that contact alone.

"You feel so good... If it's your will that I become completely addicted to you then so be it. Just don't stop."

He looked at you as if he was oblivious to everything else, the world itself fading to insignificance.

Venti's eyes were beautiful, of course this wasn't new information, but the way they looked at you, catching your own and holding them there, so transparent with everything he was feeling.

You couldn't help but to lean forward and press your lips against his, causing those beautiful eyes to widen and fill with metaphorical hearts.

If your touch caused him unbelievable pleasure, your kiss was a thousand times more.

The intensity of just how amazing it felt shocked him, caused him to let out a small breathy moan he was unable to stifle, not that he had any intention of trying.

You pulled away after a moment, going back to just staring at him.

Venti looked exhausted now, eyes half lidded, fading in and out of focus.

That moment was what his entire life had been for, every single thing he ever experienced all leading up to that alone. If he had to live through every hardship a thousand times over only to experience that one more time, he would do it in an instant.

"I... I think... I'm going to collapse—"

True to his word, Venti immediately fell onto the spot beside you, body limp.

It seemed as if that kiss was the final straw—

You eyes widened, it was as if your mind couldn't decide whether to laugh or be concerned. He was still breathing at least, just sleeping, with that same blissed out smile no less. Seeing that, your mind decided on the former.

So it was actually possible to overload a God. You briefly wondered if the situation would have play out the same had it been one of your more human followers in his place.

Though, now that you thought about it more, it looked as though it would be very unlikely you'd be able to even touch another person with Venti around, not if the effect was anywhere close to that...

You tentatively moved away from him, looking closely for any signs of discomfort or pain as your touch finally left him, letting out a thankful sigh when he looked no different.

Your smile did fall slightly when the reality of exactly what you had waiting for you dawned.

Dutifully deciding not to waste any more time, sparing one more glance back, you finally left the room, moving ever closer to where your unfinished paperwork sat waiting patiently. Farther away from where the Anemo Archon slept soundly, and farther still from where he would soon awaken with a clearer mind, one swimming with all the ways he could possibly compensate for the honor you bestowed upon him, and, more importantly, all the ways he could prevent others from receiving the same.

[slickfordain]

Your work is awesome!!

I'll read everything else rq, but first-

Hello, how was your day? How are you feeling?

If it's okay, may I share a bit of my game and ask how will characters react on it?

So uhh

I always say out loud how adorable Nahida is and how she is my "adopted child"

Also during the archon quest I was litteraly chanting "someone help, love and protect her please"

Also when I didn't get Nahida on her banner, I was like "Sages, if it was You, I'm about to destroy you"

I also always greet my team and say "bye" if I'm leaving.

I switch to every character and tell them it. Even how THEY did while I was gone

Maybe I'm going insane Idk?

If you don't want to do it, it's okay!^^

Bye-bye! And again- your work(s) are awesome! Gotta read some more

I may sound insane but I as well say “Hello / hi” to Genshin characters one time because I wanted them to feel welcomed??? I’m kind of new to this shit so I stole my friend’s phone to say hi to them 💀💀 this is such a cute request overall, Nahida is such a baby 💔💔

Also I’m doing just well hon, thank you for asking me. <3 I hope you’re feeling well yourself.

Teyvat is protective of their creator no matter what gender they’re specified with;; however, it seems that you favor Nahida more than others— Most likely as if you made her to actually be your related child. Nahida was hesitant and shy at first, but over the time when she thought about it, she couldn’t help but feel so free and blessed with such a humble God mother/father figure like you.

You’re protective, even if it’s the traveller and Paimon… You still warned them to make sure that Nahida stays secured and safe. Everyone in different nations although takes this request far too seriously- that at this point, Nahida feels rather isolated. Though she knew you never meant any harm, how could she ever assume you would? She’s a wise sweet little girl, humble as you even, she honestly could see the connection of being your child. Literally.

But, that of course makes other children jealous… NPC children would most likely have different voice lines when it comes to Nahida too— which is basically in Sumeru city, and, I guess the Archons has to be checked 24/7 all of the sudden? Confused as you are, you weren’t displeased with it, you felt… Happy actually. Happy that people are acknowledging Nahida. (Although they’re fighting over who gets to be Nahida’s other parent)

Alhaitham especially would have some rooms prepared for Nahida, like, y’know, if she’s tired in a middle of nowhere— there’ll always be a house nearby her area, her spot. The followers of you would be cooking food nonstop for the little child, hoping that she’s willing to test their taste. After all, only she knows what you love in a guy/girl ~!

Oh oh, and since you did say you want someone to also protect Nahida during a quest— Nahida will be bawling her eyes out and ugly cry. (Pretty cry actually) People will be freaking out of why the fuck is shE EVEN CRYING— The NPCs will all baby her and, treasure hoarders? They won’t even get the chance to lay a finger on her because of the Archons killing them off. (Not like you know 😻)

Nahida would be an absolute troll however. Yes, she is sweet and always devoted to drop the entire lore to help people out— (For example she dropped the entire shit lore to Aether / Lumine) But she is heavily LOYAL to her mother/father figure.

Imagine Dottore especially trying to talk it out with her since they did sort of have a conversation beforehand. So he thought it’s only fair he becomes her dad, by marrying you right? HAHAHA, wrong. Nahida is truly worried and overprotective of you, despite being just a kid version of her Archon self. She will lie, telling things to the Fatui doctor what you did not like.

And this has gone on for so long, it’s absolutely hilarious. Especially for Sumeru as they see this as an attempt to bring their divine being closer to them.

But the thing is, you’re not that expressive— you’re just existing and trying to live on while babying Nahida who just sobs into your affection. Girlie never got so much, so it was truly a blessing to have herself in your care.

And talking about Sages, just imagine Enjou overall having troubles with trying to get to you. All because of Sages 💀 look, if mans wanna get your forgiveness, better as well protect Nahida from the half monster hybrid looking ass hot man. Enjou is in so much misery… (Cue CPR)

Also, can we just appreciate how caring you are? No, it’s not only for Nahida you’re just caring for— it’s not even the reason she’s so loyal to you. (Well, it is but still) The true reason is, is because you keep saying “Hello” and “Bye” to them everyday, no matter how tiring it might get.

I think Diluc would especially love this since uhm, well, his dad ain’t here y’know y’know. (Or any traumatized character really)

…

Imagine Archon Timmie flying up to the heavens above just to replace Nahida and be your son— (Archon Timmie /srs) But then fails because Nahida is too logical and wise that his brain couldn’t take it anymore either.

Okay I’m stopping there 💀💀💀

Also have a sneak peak of my fanfic because I know some people will assume I’m not working on it 💔

It looks shitty but whatever

[broodwolf221]

i have a feeling this might be one of my more contentious bits of meta, but - cullen positive!

i just think... i understand why people don't like him and a lot of it is fine, but i feel like there's also some misunderstandings or oversimplifications going around

first: templar = bad.

as an organization, yes! as individuals, no! templars are like horrible magic cops, that's bad, but we have to keep in mind that a lot of them - including alistair, including cullen - were given over to the chantry when they were very young and indoctrinated into becoming templars. some join later in life and those i take more issue with, but the ones who were given over to it young? i find it hard to blame them for becoming templars

second: it's a religious calling.

there's a huge amount of religious/cultural pressure to conform to chantry teachings, and this is the way someone who's not cut out to be a chantry member can still conform and gain social standing and respect. there's also the strong chantry pressure of Mages Are Bad, Actually, so the templars are seen as something of a divine protector of the innocent. obviously this is fucked up and inaccurate, but it's worth noting that the pressure and social gains are real, and that even lower-class citizens seem able to become templars. and if someone was only good at fighting, had little to no educational background, and still wanted to support themselves or their family? what are their choices? become a mercenary, criminal, or become a templar.

third: lyrium

after they take their vows, they're given their first draught of lyrium. so... let's look at this critically for a second. children given over, taught that mages are bad, that templars are good, that the chantry is good, that the chantry teachings are real, and that their faith would be rewarded. they're even schooled by the chantry, so they have little to no access to any points of view outside of it. then, if appropriate, they're asked: do you want to be a templar? and if they say yes, if they take their vows, they're given a drug that creates a profound dependency.

fourth: okay, but this was supposed to be about cullen?

and it is! bc cullen turned his back on all that. i'm not saying he didn't make mistakes - he's not saying he didn't make mistakes, horrible ones! but meredith lied to him in order to keep him committed, because she knew he wouldn't approve of what she was doing.

on a personal level, he was: indoctrinated into a cult (yeah i'm calling the chantry/the templar order a cult bc it is); tortured by the exact thing he was taught to fear and revile; following that torture, tried once again to return to the one thing he knew how to do and was deceived and led astray by a brutal commander who he wouldn't have followed if he'd known what was happening. and what did he do with all that?

he turned away. he rejected it. he rejected a large part of his upbringing, his sociocultural heritage, his faith, his indoctrination - and, oh yeah, his addiction. as a recovering addict, i find his story frankly amazing. he's willing to die to distance himself from what he now knows the templar order to be.

and cole mentions that cullen is one of the good ones when you ask him about templars. cullen has a lot of shit to unpack and a lot of trauma around magic and mages, and he's been cruel and contributed to a brutal system, but he's also grown a lot. like... it must have been so hard. he rejected everything. and sure, now he's serving the inquisition, another facet of the chantry, but even then... it's not the same, not at all. for one, the inquisition and the chantry are constantly at odds.

so he rejected everything he was taught, everything he was trained in, all that his significant trauma taught him, and the pull of addiction. he's changing himself. he's learning and growing. he's catching the remains of his own prejudice. again: if you don't like him, that's fine, i get it. he's far from perfect. but i really appreciate characters who take it upon themselves to question their beliefs, to grow and learn and change.

so yeah. i like him.

[butterflydm]

more cr103

The fact that the group that has the least exposure to the gods and the least understanding about them is the one that is sorta incidentally saving them while doing something else is... I guess a vibe, lol. But I really do hope that at least some of them take advantage of being in Vasselheim to do some godtalking and at least get even a fraction of the understanding and knowledge that VM or MN had about the gods.

It isn't necessarily all that important for the plot - 'Stop Ludinus' is the plan whether or not you give a shit about the gods, and that motive has been baked into Orym's backstory since day one - but it just feels weird that the party that knows the least about the gods is the one given the most power over their fates.

So it seems like we could end cr3 with a few different possibilities:

a. Bells Hells succeeds; Ludinus is defeated and things go back mostly to normal

b. Bells Hells fails; Ludinus succeeds to a certain extent and we end up with another calamity and cr4 is a post-apocalyptic campaign in some fashion, with the gods either eaten or chased away (Chetney brought this up in the episode, iirc)

c. Bells Hells succeeds but only after the Divine Gate gets torn down for some reason (either by Ludinus or by the gods to fight Predathos), thus leading to a world that is more like the one pre-Divergence (honestly, this one would be kinda funny if only because of how much Ashton would hate it).

I do think that the recording wouldn't have as much of an impact on faith in the gods as Ludinus thinks that it would -- everyone who knows about the Calamity already knows that 'the gods destroyed Aeor', or at least I believe that's part of the established history/lore of the series; and we see two of the gods (Everlight & Dawnfather) actively seeking to not have to destroy the city the entire time that they're there.

It would make some people lose faith, but it would also endear the gods more to others (like it has done for Launda). I just... given how wide-spread faith is irl without anything like the pluses that faith-based people get in Exandria, I would just find it unlikely that the orb would have the impact that Ludinus wants. We've seen that the only people it really 'convinced' were people who were already inclined to be unhappy with the gods (Ludinus himself, Dorian, and maybe Ashton, but I think Ashton just dislikes any kind of authority/structure and I'm not sure if the orb actually had an impact on that one way or the other)

But, of course, if the world doesn't immediately agree with him, that only gives Ludinus more reason to invade and conquer and destroy, because now his pride will be hurt over the fact that people aren't listening to him ("I am talking!").

As someone who isn't a believer irl, my main feeling about fantasy gods tends to run along the lines of "are they more helpful or more harmful?" and the Exandria gods as a whole have shown themselves to be more helpful than harmful over the course of the three campaigns (*cough* defeating Vecna *cough*), so I'd like them to stick around (since they've shown that they can mostly keep the betrayers in check with the Divine Gate in place). There are fantasy worlds where Ludinus might well be doing something heroic by wanting to take out the gods... but I don't think Exandria is one of those worlds.

Exandria is a world where the prime gods were willing to take a hard look at the consequences of their actions and do something to prevent more harm in the future, even at the cost of losing something incredibly important to them. As far as fantasy gods go, they're pretty nice! Especially the ones we met in Downfall, I feel very fond of them.

[margarine-archives]

General Dating HCs with : Royal Margarine Cookie !

notes : hello ! I apologize that this took a massively long time. For reasons unknown I had quite the difficulty writing for him for the first time. Though, I may start completing requests before or after I post his courting hcs ( it will depend if my mind starts blanking out again .. )

- the dragon rider can't go on a day without giving you atleast one flirtatious remark, or even a praise ! Whether or not you swoon over his words is up to you.

- how could he not ? he thinks of you as a divine god that simply roams around dragon city, and for him to successfully pull you ? He feels so complete !

- adding along to this, this cookie greatly enjoys classic, romantic gestures. He will not be embarrassed to remove his coat, covering the very obvious puddle, and assisting you to walk over it, all the while looking at you with such love, one that you could only ever see in romance movies, and could only ever be described in poetic novels

- before becoming his partner though, you need to be approved by buttercream first ! He feels that it is dictation that it's not only him who has trust and love for you. If you want to be his, make sure to give as much love to his beloved dragon ( wyvern ) as you do for him ( he won't admit the fact he gets quite jealous of her sometimes .. )

- he most definitely enjoys a partner that can beat him up if they wanted to, but also a cookie that's sweet, who's willing to embrace his affections ! If you travel with him on the way to dragon's valley, buttercream can sense the sickeningly lovestruck heart eyes he gives your way as you fight, supporting you from above.

- " hahahah !! that's my lover right there ! go mayhem on them sweetie ! ~ " he has most likely bragged about you during the travel too ( you don't know if he loves you too much or he wants to embarass you, you appreciate it nonetheless )

- tries to fight aswell to impress you too, but he's quite embarrassed of his low hunting score in comparison to the others ( you and tarte tatin cookie have a tied score together ! )

- although, he does not mind a partner that relies on him aswell ! in fact, it gives him a very massive ego boost. Of course he wouldn't mind in becoming your knight in shining armor ! Saving his significant other from any form of danger ! ( even if, in most cases, they aren't really harmful )

- " do not worry darling ! THE dragon rider has arrived to rescue you ! " and it's simply trivial things such as taking you away in unpleasant conversations, carrying you bridal style. He will be quite amused to see your embarassed face

- on a more serious side, whether you can fend for yourself or not, he is willing to sacrifice limb and body just for you to be alive, breathing, safe, who is still there with him. You had promised him you would stay until his very last crumb, he isn't willing to give up on that so easily.

- and as his partner, soaring through the sky or even going on lovely walks with buttercream is an everyday date ! ( he is a firm believer that a day is incomplete without a small date with you ! ), most of the time visiting the bar for a drink or two afterwards ( typically more than just two anyways .. ). Be sure to prepare yourself to bring him home, as he's too busy being a flirt with you than to think about resting up !

- alongside this, it's typically difficult to achieve privacy when he has a swarm of fans behind his tail, he tries his very best to make it up to you at the end of the day ~

- he is very understanding if your jealousy sparks up because of his behavior ( he can't imagine seeing you acting the same as him to any other cookie either ! ) and constantly tells cookies that he is most definitely taken by the loveliest cookie on earthbread !

- some of which are either not that much of a fan with him or isn't even a part of dragon city ( hollyberry, wildberry and pitaya dragon cookie ), which leads to more than just the citizens being aware of your relationship due to how obvious he is about it

- everyone can see how hopelessly in love royal margarine cookie is with you. The second longer glances he gives your way and the oh-so enchanting eyes of his that stares at you with such love and affection ! All his fans simply dream of being you !

- behind all of this though, he definitely has a softer side indoors ! He is reduced to nothing but a smitten man, clingy for his lover. Please give him hugs and kisses ! He feels himself falling harder for you every time you praise him

- the cookie feels as if you're too out of his league, and dreads the thought of you finding out his true identity, the actual weak and cowardice royal margarine cookie. Would you leave him if you had found out ? He would leave himself too

- now with royal margarine, he's insistent of you opening up to him, whether that be negative or positive. He thinks that it is a strengthening bond to open up and learn more about eachother !

- but because of his inner thoughts, he isn't as willing to open up about his feelings, maybe never opening up at all. The only way he'll ever open up to you is when he's drunk (which makes him feel lower most of the time), he feels like a weak cookie if he ever tries opening up while sober. He dislikes being a weak and simple cookie than his persona tells him to be

- he feels like a failure for not pursuing what he truly wants, and to be reminded of that as he opens up never makes him feel any lighter. Do not be insistent with it ( he will avoid such topics in every possible way ), give him some time to be more trusting of you. Sooner or later, you won't need alcohol just for this man to open up ( will only open up around 1/4 of how he feels but to him its a big step ! )

- he cannot avoid the feeling of being judged, to be completely seen of who he truly is. To even think about finally trusting you with who the true royal margarine cookie is like without getting wasted is a big enough step for him, for you to figure out that the royal margarine isn't as royal as he seems.

- He feels as if he takes any more than one step then he will truly break, he never wants to reach that point, especially if you are there to witness it all, the littlest thought of it makes him shiver from humiliation. He needs to seek out buttercream for some form of comfort, he wouldn't know what he'd do if you ever found out

- you do find out though, just not in the circumstances he wants..

- nonetheless, coward or confident, you continued to love and adore the cookie you chose to be with, and royal margarine cookie feels happier than succeeding his goal in becoming a true dragon rider. The cookie did not care if he could never pursue his goal, you and buttercream can never replace, nor can it ever compare the happiness that you both give him !

[spacexseven]

On the angel idea, during duo soukoku both stuck with darling. What if angel Fyodor (maybe Nikolai?) just shows up out of nowhere and takes an interest. What would everyone’s reaction be?

(ABSOLUTE CHAOS)

i will say, it's very hard for me to include nikolai's personal values? with him being an angel, so this is just a silly little What If? thing. so nikolai's doing this own little thing

cw: nikolai typical behavior

you'd think that being housemates with literal demons would desensitize you to anything...otherworldly, but nothing can prepare you for whatever nikolai was. he introduced himself as your "guardian angel", and apologizes for being gone for so long, promising to be by your side from then on.

you're already sure that he's a fraud, but the pretty wings behind his back and the golden halo, paired with his otherwordly energy convinces you, at least a little, that his words may not entirely be a lie.

but your hopes are shattered when soon, you meet with the very unangelike personality of nikolai, especially towards your roommates. you've never heard such graphic, violent threats until you overheard nikolai threatening to kill dazai, never seen someone so excited as the prospect of angering chuuya (apart from dazai, at least), and never thought you'd have a guardian angel that did his job so badly.

with nikolai by your side, your chances of getting into a very risky situation and facing imminent death increase by at least 40%, though he tries to reassure you by promising that you'd become an angel if you died. he makes fun of you, hides your things in his coat, and writes down every single 'sin' you commit in a little notebook. suddenly, you're starting to wonder if the wings and the halo were fake too.

but when he wants to, he does a good job at keeping you safe from chuuya + dazai, constantly annoying them to get them to leave (as he says, "fighting fire with fire"). he doesn't let dazai drag you down to hell, and doesn't let chuuya's cult get their hands on you. he still has those times when he goes eerily quiet and stares at you for no clear reason, sometimes asking you strangely morbid questions, but he immediately snaps out of it and goes back to his fun persona.

you come to realize that he's not all that much better than dazai and chuuya. it's almost like you've just gained another unwanted housemate. he lingers in your space for longer than you'd like, inspects your things without any regard for your privacy, and drags you wherever he wants, even if you're not willing to go.

about powers, nikolai has some kind of divine energy. he doesn't ever tell you about it in detail, but you've seen him glow at times when he's particularly irritated or excited, and you assume his coat is some manifestation of his powers, because dazai swats at it like it offends him in some way. that, and the fact that the demon duo are constantly complaining about feeling sick when nikolai's around, more so when he's all glowing. (you don't think to ask if he can do that to humans too).

there's obviously some things he's hiding from you. he doesn't tell you why, if he was supposed to be your guardian angel, he was missing for so long, only assuring you that he had been watching over you for a while now. when you tell him that you don't hate dazai and chuuya's company, he looks...upset. he frowns and tells you that they're no good to have around; the exact same reasons he uses to keep you away from your human friends, too.

when you see him glowering over at someone who had bumped into you, his body glowing and his hand reaching into his coat, dread immediately fills you. it's only amplified when you see the weapon he brings out, with a frightening grin on his face. it's times like this that you realize you'd rather have him as your protector than your pursuer—at least this way, you were alive and (mostly) unharmed.

[sukimas]

Confession: every time I see a post of yours talking about someone named Marisa I assume it's Ms. Coulter from The Golden Compass

^It's her.

Kirisame Marisa is one of the least Marisa Coulter-like people in Touhou, honestly— very straightforward, most "normal everyday human" of the bunch. Not particularly charismatic. Probably the "best person" out of our set of protagonists through process of elimination (though maybe that goes to Sanae?).

Her whole character schtick is that she's managing to fight on a similar level (well, play-fight, anyway) to the supernatural beings and humans with strange abilities within the setting through hard work (and some luck) alone. She's a human magician in a setting where magicians generally abandon their humanity at the first opportunity. It's not like she wants to be ordinary, even if she takes it as a point of pride; one of the running gags (?) with her character is that she's constantly looking for a way to become immortal. Preferably without abandoning her humanity; she's not particularly fond of youkai. Probably less so than Reimu is, actually, and Reimu (our other protagonist) is known for beating up youkai first and asking questions later.

Don't let her "ordinary magician" title fool you, though. As you'd expect from someone magic-obsessed enough to be fighting monsters and gods, she's a huge weirdo. In particular, she likes to collect anything that isn't nailed down in the hopes she can use it for something later; this used to lead people to call her a thief, but she's mostly abandoned that nowadays. She's still a hoarder, though. And she'll randomly pick up far-fetched endeavors on the off chance she'll be able to use them for magic, immortality, or just to make her life easier. (She spent the entirety of two recent manga chapters becoming insane about beekeeping, for example.)

This is in contrast to Reimu, the other main character of the series, who is a shrine maiden blessed with the divine power of the (name unknown) Hakurei Shrine's god. She's lucky to the extent that if she walks across a stream by accident, fish leap out of the water to give her footholds; her intuition always leads her to the cause of any strange incident; her needs are taken care of by parties with an interest in making sure that the Hakurei Shrine is maintained smoothly. She can fly in the air with barely the slightest effort, because she doesn't care about being tied down to the earth. Despite this natural talent, she refuses to train unless forced to, spends all her time drinking tea, sweeping the shrine grounds, and reading, and puts off any non-essential tasks to the point where she once had a near-death experience (literally, her soul came to the edge of the next world) because she ate moldy food rather than get fresh and clean things up. She's deeply ambivalent about her job (youkai extermination), and her internal monologue (according to a certain mind-reader) is "can't everyone just get along without fighting". Despite this, she's willing to whack anything that irritates her over the head with her purification rod so she can get back to lying around.

The two of them are the best of friends, and have been since they were very young children.

[quipxotic]

So many people in the tags seem to think Bell's Hells can just ignore what the Arch Heart said in c3e107 and everything will be fine. But it's a game of chicken, right?

They could defeat Ludinus and still end up facing the Calamity 2.0.

They could prevent Predathos from being released and still face near complete destruction of the world they know.

Because it's about who blinks first. How long will the gods wait to unleash their attack knowing that their own existence is at risk? How long do we trust them to wait because we know, thanks to Downfall, that while the Primes may love mortals as their children they value mortal lives less than their own. And from a near-immortal perspective it makes sense. Lives that are gone in the blink of an eye and are soon replaced by a near endless supply of other mayfly lives vs those of your own family who can be with you forever? If you have to make a choice?

I'm not saying killing the gods or chasing them off are either one good ideas. I'm not saying we can trust Predathos won't do terrible damage to the planet or the people living there even if the Arch Heart and Ludinus are correct about them only being interested in eating gods. Orym was right, ants can still die even if they aren't the intended target. I'm saying that not treating a new Calamity as a real threat and an imminent risk is a sure way of being unable to prevent it. Bell's Hells need to consider what they're willing to do and not do to address that risk. And a lot of fans need to think about what they're willing to let go of for the continued presence of the gods of Exandria.

It's not hard to imagine a variety of terrible scenarios.

Bell's Hells. Dead. The Mighty Nein. Dead. Vox Machina. Dead.

Whitestone. Gone.

The Menagerie Coast. Decimated.

The Wildmother alive, but the Clays all dead and the blight they have fought spreading beyond the Savalirwood to engulf a larger part of Wildemount.

Rosohna hollowed out to create yet another set of ruins on that site and the people of the Kryn Dynasty who lived there turned into refugees.

The ruins of Aeor destroyed to prevent any more information and weapons from coming out of them, but done with the might of the gods so that it takes out all of Eiselcross and maybe Uthodurn with it.

Jrusar, Heartmoor Hamlet, and Yios. Gone. Bassuras still around because, let's be real, even a second Calamity couldn't kill that place.

Maybe this is the fight that succeeds in taking out Vasselheim?

If Predathos isn't released then Ruidus and the people on it might survive. But if Predathos is released AND the gods step out from behind the Divine Gate, does everyone and everything on that moon die in their attempt to stop the god eater?

This is obviously not an exhaustive list of the possibilities, just scenarios that are at the top of my mind. And it's not a foregone conclusion that anything like this will happen, but all of these things could happen. Think about every beloved place and favorite NPC and imagine them all gone. Because if the gods come out from behind the Divine Gate, they will all come out, not just the Primes. And once they are all out, how willing are the gods (as Braius said, ALL the gods) to go back to the old status quo, something that not all of them were happy with in the first place? You could have a situation where the fight with Ludinus over Predathos is over fairly quickly, only to be followed by a longer, more devastating fight between the Primes and the Betrayers, take 2 (or 3, or whatever number we're up to at this point).

How long does it take a group of gods to destroy a planet, even if they don't intend to do so?

[goodboyaudios]

Just to feed my brain worms on this- by any chance have you thought of an AU where Zed actually JOINS Makkaro? If so, what would happen? Would he still have tiny feelings towards the Guardian?

Hmm...an AU where Zed joins Makkaro...let me think...the goals of each character don't exactly line up. Zed wants the Guardian to be freed, Makkaro wants to take over the world for his idea of love. Doesn't quite work, so we'll go the route of sneaky covert ops!

Okay, here's what I've thought up (using my canon names so don't get confused):

Let's say Gienne trusts Zed enough to be willing to tell him her secret. That she's the wife of Makkaro and only wants to put things back to the way they were. Just she and him living happily together.

Zed agrees to help, but at this stage, they've probably also got Mirrin with them considering Gienne would need time to get used to them.

Gienne would probably blackmail Mirrin into helping considering he doesn't want anyone finding out he's in Scimitaria looking for the Guardian as it might stir conflict between the Sultans and the remaining Jarls of Fusfeimyol. And if they here the princess of Manas City was involved that brings in a large portion of Manasia too.

So Mirrin agrees if it means they have a plan to get in with Makkaro.

Gienne's plan is to go back to Makkaro after being "saved" by Zed, who will also bring him news that the Jarl of Senthine is in the Scourge Lands as well.

Makkaro takes this pretty well and decides to admit Zed under his wing s an apprentice of evil, but he's not fully trusting of him and decides to block off access to high profile information to add better internal security until Zed can be trusted. This includes Raze.

As Makkaro continues plotting, making the vampires, suffering from Guardian Blood poisoning, Zed and Gienne are recording any and all information and sending it back to Mirrin, who has teamed up with the Sultan of Hilts on the front lines attacking the Tower of Ordos.

Mirrin is then using that information to get an upper hand and actually helps the Sultan defeat the undead and capture Ordos AND the Demonomicon, but the fight between Mirrin and Mahann still happens, with both parties living as Mahann escapes.

Upon hearing of the loss, Makkaro's pain expands tenfold from pure stress and paranoia. He calls in a full retreat to his castle and declares that the only way this could've happened is if they have a spy in their midst.

He interrogates each of the vampires, including Mahann who says that perhaps it might be his new young apprentice who has been behind the scenes this whole time. Or maybe even his wife.

The mere mention of Gienne being a traitor causes Makkaro to snap and permanently scar the vampire's body. He then keeps him locked up without any food, water, or blood until Makkaro is satisfied.

However, Mahann's words still echo in his head. Makkaro confronts Zed about why he wants to join and what he's wanting to achieve.

Zed simply says that he believes in Makkaro's ideals and tries to make it sound like Makkaro is actually doing a good thing by uniting everyone under one mindset.

Makkaro is taken aback by how nonviolent Zed's take is on his conquest. Believing there isn't a bad bone in his body, Makkaro decides to grant a request for Zed as a reward for being so faithful. Zed asks to see Raze, because he's always wantd to meet such a powerfully divine figure.

Makkaro agrees on the condition that he not approach her. Zed agrees and is taken to Raze. Zed has to hide his horror and worry at the sight of Raze, but Makkaro also remarks that he's never seen her in such a disgusted state.

Just then, Makkaro feels Shee Khan awaken as the castle is being attacked! Makkaro and Zed leave, but not before Zed gives a hopeful glance to the Raze as if to say, "I'm coming back for you".

The attack is an air raid led by the Sultan of Hilts and on the backs of sandrakes. Shee Khan is batting the attackers out of the sky wit it's tail and nothing is getting passed or hitting the castle.

Gienne is furious with Mirrin who went ahead and told the Sultan where Makkaro was. It wasn't part of the arrangement and Makkaro could be captured, but from what Mirrin has gathered, Makkaro is beyond any saving.

Zed rushes in and tells Gienne where Raze is and that maybe she might know how to save Makkaro. Zed has to stick with Makkaro so it's up to Gienne to get Raze out.

Gienne finds Raze, but before she finds a way to break the lock, she begs the Guardian to save her husband. She knows that she has no right to beg for such things after what she has allowed to have happen to Raze, but all the same, she just wants peace.

Raze, reluctantly, agrees. Upon releasing Raze, she uses her magic to search for Makkaro's location, uses magic to teleport over to him and takes away his necromancy. The catalyst is gone. Zed sees her and falls to the floor in shock.

As Shee Khan falls, Raze then teleports outside as Taurus bursts through the castle and joins up with Raze. Together, they cast a spell simply called, "know divinity". A spell that would let them all know that the Guardian is here to declare an immediate ceasefire.

Raze looks around. She sees all the people desperately looking at her for answers on what they should do. All she can think of is the times where she never could get through to anyone. Why would now be any different? She tells all of them to begone and never speak of what has happened here.

Once they do, Raze is alone, floating above the castle, thinking of what to do, now that she's free. Eventually, Zed calls her from down below.

She descends and Zed gives her a big hug and starts crying. Raze, taken aback, had been thinking that Zed might've betrayed her, but seeing this has made her confused and shaken.

Zed explains that this was all to get her free and that he had no choice, to which Makkaro will overhear what had transpired and immediately turn on Gienne for tricking him so horribly.

Gienne protests that she had no choice. That it was the only way to see the man she loved again. Makkaro, still grieving the loss of his entire army and the remains of his best friend, collapses from a mix of raging emotion and newly nullified power.

Gienne rushes to her husband, but not before Zed says one last goodbye as Raze teleports away with Zed in tow.

What happens then...might spoil MotH 20 so I'll leave it alone, but it would pretty much end the same way, funny enough. On a side note, I definitely think Zed would put some underhanded magic in the creation of the Vampires. Perhaps a dormant explosive enchantment to kill them should the need arise.

(wow this ended up being long lol)

[y-rhywbeth2]

Gods & Clergy: Bane #2

Link: Disclaimer regarding D&D "canon" & Index [tldr: D&D lore is a giant conflicting mess. Larian's lore is also a conflicting mess. You learn to take what you want and leave the rest]

Religion | Gods | Shar | Selûne | Bhaal | Mystra | Jergal | Bane #1 | Bane #2 | Bane #3 | Myrkul | Lathander | Kelemvor | Tyr | Helm | Ilmater | Mielikki | Oghma | Gond | Tempus | Silvanus | Talos | Umberlee | Corellon | Moradin | Yondalla | Garl Glittergold | Eilistraee | Lolth | Laduguer | Gruumsh | Bahamut | Tiamat | Amodeus | The rest of the Faerûnian Pantheon --WIP

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Apparently, they are a beautiful combination of every dictatorship ever with some flavouring from the fucking mafia. They also sort-of have a Pope, and sometimes papal schisms.

Social Darwinism for everybody! And remember, Bane is always watching you - do not make him get involved, kiddies.

Can these people get any more delightful??

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"The world is made stronger by mighty and ordered rule, with the ruled made to fear their rulers and to hate common foes. Weakness and frivolity should be publicly destroyed for all to see and heed. Good is but a shelter for weakness and the whims of those who profess noble goals. Evil is the true state of nature, for winning is everything, and oppression is natural. Fight against good, and exalt evil. Tyrannize and destroy the weak, so that all in time become better and stronger, everyone knowing their place and not daring to question or foment disorder. "Be a tyrant. Make others fear and hate you, but awaken in them hatred of others. Aid tyrants and oppressors, but if they disagree with you or fellow Dark Hands (clergy of Bane) over policy, or turn back from tyranny or oppressing others, shatter them. We are the forge that tempers rulers, to make them ever harder, stronger, and more evil. Laws and rules, not wanton chaos, should reign. Eliminate lawbreakers. Kill or thwart a good creature every day (kill is better). Bring down arbitrary law keepers, and aid the brutally law-abiding. Make others fear Bane—and fear you—whenever possible." - Yet more Banite dogma

Good is evil, and Evil is good. Good is a lie, and Evil is the truth. The one thing all Banites agree on is that implementing Bane's rule is the only good option for the world.

Banite teaching is clear that a world of firm laws and an orderly society is the only acceptable world to live in. Chaos exists only as a tool to achieve this, and is otherwise sinful. This ideal lawful and regimented society will, naturally, be a surveillance state. The overabundance of divination spells and artefacts used for monitoring thought crimes, and the rank "inquisitor," don't exist in the church for nothing.

Society will be made better when the weakness is purged. By punishing the weak, one of two things will happen; they will break, and either clear the way for the strong, or they will take on the hatred and use it to make themselves stronger.

Dissenting opinion is bad, it breeds chaos and undermines order - and Banites are quite firm in their opinion that nobody else is governing their lands properly.

Under Banite rule, people suddenly "going missing" is just a fact of life. Sometimes they turn up a little worse for wear and/or with a mysterious new personality. Often they're just not coming back.

The good news is that since the death of the last High Imperceptor in recent years, the church hierarchy has apparently fallen apart again!

Banites are no longer quite so united by one long, globe-spanning chain of command and are all splintered into factions, backstabbing each other and fighting over which leader's vision and right to lead is greater than the others'. The lower ranks scheme to take the place of their hated superiors, even as they bow and scrape and dance perfectly to the tune of every command.

Bane is willing to tolerate this to a limited degree, because it keeps his higher ranked followers from abusing their authority for personal gain if the lower ranks have space to undermine them when they're unworthy. A "healthy" amount of infighting will cull the weak and ensure he only has the strongest followers.

There are limits though; start rocking the boat too much and Bane will personally smite you dead in front of everyone to make a point.

The Dark One watches his clergy, keeping an eye on those with potential rising through the ranks, and those whose behaviours are a little erratic for his liking. He's known for speaking directly into their minds, or the minds of the followers around them. Although sometimes he turns away to focus on something beyond mortal ken, which can last years, which is when the infighting tends to get really bad. Elminster likens it to unsupervised rats in a cage, gnawing on each other in frustration.

A Banite who shows signs of weakness and "wavering faith" will be demoted... if they're lucky. Other possible fates include the standard Banite fare of maiming and potential death.

Banites in favour with their deity and superiors will enjoy luxury and promotions: Having fun is allowed as a reward for being a good servant, but is not something you're allowed to take for granted. That's "frivolity" and will breed weakness.

The church mostly gets things done nowadays simply because the lowest ranks of the clergy usually attach themselves to some charismatic mid-higher rank, becoming their obedient and fawning slaves in the hopes that by helping them rise in the ranks their superior will elevate them too. Through this, teamwork is achieved and shit gets done. In the higher ranks, where everybody's too afraid of losing their hard won power, this cooperation tends to die.

The head of a region's Banites is the Inquisitor, all of whom answer to the High Inquisior, who is regarded much like the Pope is by Catholics on Earth. Sometimes the High Inquisitor isn't providing their role as arbiter of Bane's divine will on Toril right, and one or more other Banites make the case for themselves as Bane's real High Inquisitor and schisms result with all the usual drama.

When Banites of equal rank clash on something, technically the deciding factor in who gets the final say is supposed to be who has the highest levels in the cleric class (and thus their higher personal status with Bane). If it's equal, then it comes down to who has the highest influence/reputation amongst the other Banites. Ultimately though, the biggest factor is actually which of them their regional leader likes best (you're either in favour, or out).

Particularly within urban areas, Banites are usually hidden kingpins and crime bosses, working from the shadows. Those who seek power and influence may always turn to the followers of the Black Hand for aid; they are always happy to make friends and lend favours. You want to win the next guild election? You want to be governor? They can do that for you. They will employ bribery, kidnappings, blackmails, arrange assassinations, whatever it takes to get you in power. And then you will have that position you wanted, and you will owe it all to the Church of Bane, and to Bane himself, as their loyal puppet. You will obey every edict of Bane as yet another link in his chains. You will know that they did this for you, that they can do all this to you, and that everybody will know this should you go back on your end of the bargain.

The people who serve those people will also serve Bane, unknowingly. Eventually the entire city will serve, never realising who rules them, until one day the Banites' hold over the region is so ironclad that when they step forward to rule openly, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Banite infiltrations are highly organised, and are likened covert military operations, with the leaders given their tasks directly from Bane.

Through these methods, the Church takes over businesses, governments and even entire noble families.

Businesses are of particular interest, as Banites will seek to establish at least some degree of control over regional trade - especially contraband and other illegal businesses, and especially the trade of weapons and slaves. The money they make from this will go towards both the church and their own personal funds.

Few Banites are comfortable openly taking positions of power for themselves until they are certain that it is safe to do so. There's also that little drawback where your siblings in the faith will watch you carefully while holding their breath for a while, to see if you're as secure in your power as you seem to be - and then there's a target on your back because they all want your power for themselves.

Despite losing control, it seems some Banite presence lingers amongst the Zhentarim, where the divide between the cleric-based Orthodoxy and the reformist wizards lives on. The simmering tensions and would-be civil war are held in check only by the presence of beholderkin who will make an example of any idiots that try anything. Bane has no particular interest in seeing his clerics and mages fighting each other, and in most Banite circles the schism has died down. Some of them are even friends and "companions."

(Yes, even Banites have friends. Mr "frivolity should be publicly destroyed - make others fear and hate you" doesn't necessarily approve, but his followers are still only human[oid].)

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"…Bane is rash, impetuous, and arrogant. He’s no patient, long-term schemer, but lives in the present moment (he wants results NOW). And his pride often makes him over-estimate his own prowess, and ignore his own faults." - Ed Greenwood

Going by some lore; Bane is also an unwitting puppet of Jergal (who is The long-term schemer), intended for one of the older deity's infinite supply of schemes - although his strings are not currently being pulled. He is the dead soul of a mortal man, imbued with divine essence and Jergal's portfolio of Tyranny. "Jergal [on his end] has no intention of treating Bane like a puppet until he has to."

Bane died long before the Three reached Jergal, and the god "stored" his soul away, recognising a similar "quenchless hunger to rule all, and be feared by all through the maliciousness and malevolent [attentiveness] of his rule."

Bane's memory of this has been removed by the Forgotten One, and he wouldn't believe you if you told him so. Whether the other two have had their memories so edited is unknown, but possible.

His original, pre-Time of Troubles holy symbol was intended to be a severed hand in a spiked black gauntlet, dripping blood from the stump (the middle droplet being the longest). The presumed reason for it not appearing in official Realms products is wariness of the Satanic Panic leading to its censorship.