#the godhood aspect of their relationship

[irisbellemoon]

every once in a while i remember all the really cool dsmp storylines that never got anywhere and shrivel up inside

[narmothewraith]

I've been working at this piece for 5 hours and I didn't even noticed it so, I didn't eat and drink. Fuck hyperfocus. I hope y'all like it, just like I do :)

Hurt/comfort hug between Percy & Poseidon ❤️

Poseidon thinking about who made his son cry + payback (aka his wrath)

[soath]

Of Contracts Between Gods and Men

On the Aeorian Kinsey-Deicide scale I’m a solid 5 (near exclusively god-preserving) which may seem surprising to my many dear associates who want those fundamental truths of existence wrecked. Without digging in any further, let’s do some quick religious history review on the question: Do you owe anything to the gods and do they owe anything to you?

The answer is not as universal as many raised in the nigh inescapable miasma of Christian theology may think! Reciprocal (or even unilateral) responsibility in religion comes and goes across history and geography. The Norse Aesir, for example, created humans but don’t owe them nada and only rarely bothered messing with them. The Greek pantheon are significantly more touchy on the subject of their pride but a person could manage offering no prayers or sacrifices as long as they didn’t promise any prayers or sacrifices. Probably. Compare this to Mayan theology, wherein both gods and humans have significant co-responsibility in maintaining balance; with ritual and sacrifice key to the continued safety of the polity. Divine-mortal relationships can be classified as nondirectional, unidirectional, or bidirectional with various advantages and disadvantages to each model. Gods come in lots of shapes and the demands they make aren’t universal!

A phrase that will often come up in any divinity studies is “covenant”. Originally a translation of the Hebrew berith or Greek diatheke, and also present in Islam, the Bahai’i faith, and possibly historical Phoenician religious practices, covenant theology has metastasized in Christian scholarship to the point it was genuinely hard to research this piece while dodging blogs by guys named Richard. But, broadly, it’s the idea of making an explicit deal with power(s) greater than yourself where you both have sides of the bargain to uphold.

Contract law is not the solution to every problem on earth or in fiction, but when the issue is a large disparity in power and mutual fears of future adverse behavior…. to quote Kate Bush “I’d make a deal with (the) god(s).”

Vitally, compared to other bidirectional pacts in world religion, Exandria has some advantages. For one thing, they have a godeater they’re right now helping to suppress. As long as the gods remain behind the divine gate they need mortal champions to effect their will—but that only holds true as long as the Divine Gate stays up. And unfortunately the problem with a fence someone else has erected is that you don’t know if they’ve kept a key.

If I was mortality’s lawyer? I’d ask for a second layer to that divine hamsterball I’d ask for anything left of the godkilling spark to be kept by the temples of Vasselheim—if they can’t be trusted with it no one can. And I’d promise cooperation from people of a certain degree of civic responsibility, not coerced or threatened out, whole hearted. But terms and conditions may vary.

Anyway, I guess the thesis is that it’s a terrible sin to destroy something you can’t comprehend with no idea of what the outcome will be (and a lot of you don’t seem to get the inconceivable joy of having/knowing/being a god, even just in fiction) but you can bring any monstrosity to the negotiating table. Don’t kill your gods, unionize against them.

[cursedcola]

Discussion: "The Prophecy of Twisted Godhood" <- A reimagining of Twisted Wonderland through Greek Mythology. Where instead of a world based on Disney - Yuu is sent to a school meant to train demigods in another realm. Dormitories: Heartslabyul (here) || Savanaclaw || Octavanille || Scarabia || Pomefiore || Ignihyde || Diasomnia || Ramshackle (full lore and main plot outline) || Others Notes: Hey everyone - believe it or not, this was the original idea back when I started working on my TWST otome. I went a more traditional route since I wanted more of an immersive product...but I still have all of these ideas, y'know? So why not share them since I won't be making it into a game. Character designs and comics might come if i ever want to add more

Premise: The Prophecy of the Gods’ Reawakening

At NRC on the Isle of Gods, a prestigious institution built upon the ruins of ancient temples, Yuu (the protagonist) is just another student. However, Yuu’s, a supposed ‘godless human’, arrival is no accident—there’s an ancient prophecy surrounding them that foretells the fall of all gods, threatening the balance between the mortal and divine worlds.

The gods, once all-powerful, are losing their grip over their domains. Their children, the demigods, have become restless, each facing the expectations of their divine parentage while undergoing trials at NRC. The mortals are unaware of the ancient forces at play, but Yuu is caught in the center of this storm by ‘chance’ with no power to return to their realm. As they unravel the ties between the demigods, Yuu discovers that their very existence could either restore the gods' reign or bring about their ultimate downfall.

The students of Night Raven College, in this realm known as Nether Realms College, split into seven dormitories, each reflect different aspects of the divine legacy that they inherit. Each dorm conflict mirrors a myth or curse, and Yuu must navigate these volatile relationships and broken alliances, all while uncovering their own mysterious divine heritage.

Heartslabyul - The Realm of Judgment and Destiny

Heartslabyul's - renamed 'Themantica' Dormitory - central conflict revolves around the battle between order and chaos, justice and mercy, hard work and inherited power. The dorm will undergo a transformation as its members grow to understand that their godly traits do not define them, but how they choose to wield those traits in a world on the brink of power usurpation is what truly matters. Yuu becomes the catalyst for reform, teaching them that while their divine parentage shapes them, their choices define who they will become.

Riddle Rosehearts – Child of Themis (Goddess of Justice)

Reasoning: Riddle Rosehearts is deeply connected to Themis, the titaness of divine order, justice, and law. Themis is the embodiment of fairness and law, often depicted with scales, which resonates with Riddle’s strict adherence to rules and his sense of justice, though Riddle also learns that true fairness isn’t always found in rigid systems.

Connection: Themis represents the legalistic and moral code that Riddle so rigidly follows, making her a perfect fit for him. Or rather, a perfect fit for his mother. His buried personal feelings about his role as a demigod are another story.

Conflict: Riddle Rosehearts' devotion to order, justice, and the enforcement of rules mirrors the divine influence of Themis. As the dorm leader, Riddle’s strict enforcement of rules represents his own attempt to uphold the ideal of justice in a chaotic world. However, the prophecy that ties Yuu to the fate of the gods will challenge Riddle’s worldview. As the gods’ powers begin to weaken, Riddle will confront the truth that blind obedience to law can lead to harm, and that compassion and flexibility must sometimes replace absolute fairness.

Tension with Yuu: At first, Riddle views Yuu as a disruptive force to the carefully ordered environment of Heartslabyul. Yuu, being unaware of their own divine parentage, challenges Riddle’s rigidity with their natural tendency to understand situations in shades of gray. Yuu's tendency to question authority and find balance between rules and fairness will force Riddle to confront the flaws in his belief system.

Resolution: Through their relationship, Riddle learns that true justice comes not from strict adherence to law, but from considering the greater good and acting with compassion. Yuu helps him realize that mercy is as important as law.

Trey Clover – Eldest Son of Demeter (Goddess of the Harvest)

Reasoning: Trey Clover, the thoughtful, responsible, and nurturing member of Heartslabyul, fits well with Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, harvest, and the home. Trey is dependable, grounded, and often takes on the caretaker role within his dorm. Much like Demeter’s nurturing presence, Trey ensures others’ needs are met and provides stability. He also has a calm demeanor that makes him approachable and supportive—qualities that resonate with Demeter’s ability to protect and nurture those under her care.

Connection: Both Trey and Demeter represent stability, nurturing, and responsibility, offering support to those around them.

Conflict: Trey Clover embodies the nurturing and stabilizing influence of Demeter, the goddess of the harvest and the home. Trey is the responsible caretaker of the dorm, often stepping into the role of peacemaker and advisor. However, the divine chaos wrought by the prophecy forces him to question how much he can protect others from the encroaching disaster. Demeter’s loss of influence over the harvest in the world will affect Trey’s ability to care for others, and he may feel powerless to prevent the unraveling of the world around him.

Tension with Yuu: Trey is highly protective of Yuu, as they are a triggering force that may push Riddle over the teetering edge, but struggles with a deep sense of helplessness. Yuu is an uninvolved party to the gods’ warfare, and Trey’s connection to Demeter places them in a Persephone-esque position. Yuu’s inevitable involvement in the prophecy raises the question of whether even his powers to nurture can stop what’s coming. Yuu becomes a mirror for Trey to understand that change is inevitable, and that sometimes, allowing things to grow in a different form is necessary for survival.

Resolution: Trey will come to accept that nurturing isn’t always about protecting people from harm, but rather about guiding them through transitions and supporting them as they face their own challenges. Yuu's growth into their role will help Trey understand that not all things are meant to stay the same forever.

Cater Diamond – Son of Eros (God of Love)

Reasoning: Cater Diamond is a fun-loving, social, and self-aware character with a deep connection to social media and capturing the moment. His energetic, attention-grabbing personality aligns well with Eros, the god of love and desire, who often brings people together in unexpected ways. Eros also represents a playful, seductive force, much like Cater’s ability to charm and captivate those around him, while his social media savvy connects to Eros' symbolic role in the pursuit of connection and attraction.

Connection: The playful, charismatic, and communicative nature of both Cater and Eros makes them a fitting pair.

Conflict: Cater Diamond’s connection to Eros, the god of love and desire, makes him a natural at influencing relationships and connecting people. His charming, flirtatious demeanor is a reflection of Eros’ ability to manipulate and inspire love in others. However, the prophecy forces Cater to confront the darker side of love—the obsessive, destructive, and manipulative nature that Eros’ power can also wield. As the gods’ power wanes, Cater begins to question whether his relationships with others are genuine, or if they’re merely the result of his ability to manipulate emotions.

Tension with Yuu: At first, Cater views Yuu as a puzzle to solve, someone who doesn’t seem easily swayed by charm or emotional manipulation. Yuu’s sincerity and ability to build genuine relationships challenge Cater to rethink his approach to love. As the prophecy nears its fulfillment, Yuu will show Cater that love can’t be controlled—it must be earned, nurtured, and given freely.

Resolution: Cater learns to let go of his need for attention and approval, realizing that true love is built on honesty, trust, and vulnerability, not manipulation. Yuu’s example shows him the power of real connection.

Ace Trappola – Son of Hermes (God of Trickery, Travel, and Communication)

Reasoning: Hermes, the god of trickery, travel, and communication, is known for his mischievous and playful personality. Ace, with his witty, rebellious nature and tendency to bend the rules, fits perfectly with Hermes' persona. Ace’s love for teasing others, his knack for getting out of tricky situations, and his ability to charm those around him makes him a natural fit for the god who’s always up to something playful and clever. His impulsive behavior also echoes Hermes’ swift, often unpredictable actions.

Connection: Ace’s wit, humor, and trickster nature align closely with the god of mischief and communication, Hermes.

Conflict: Ace Trappola is the embodiment of Hermes, the god of trickery, communication, and mischief. Ace’s constant need for attention, his love of pranks, and his manipulative nature align with Hermes’ playful and unpredictable qualities. However, as the gods lose their influence over the mortal world, Ace becomes aware that his tricks and quick wit may not be enough to navigate the complexities of the prophecy and the divine conflict. He must confront his own immaturity and selfishness, realizing that his usual tricks can’t solve the problems at hand.

Tension with Yuu: Ace sees Yuu as a challenge—someone who isn’t easily fooled or controlled. Yuu's ability to act with intention and thoughtfulness challenges Ace's impulsive nature. Yuu’s steadiness and willingness to make the hard decisions will force Ace to realize that his cleverness doesn’t always get him what he wants. He must learn that sometimes, real communication is about honesty, not manipulation.

Resolution: Ace will eventually come to appreciate the value of genuine connection and purposeful action. Yuu will help him see that trickery can’t always be the solution—it’s the truth and action that hold power.

Deuce Spade – Youngest Son of Hephaestus (God of Craftsmanship and Fire)

Reasoning: Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship, fire, and hard work, is known for his dedication and loyalty. Deuce Spade shares many of these traits with his strong sense of duty, determination, and earnestness. Deuce is not a naturally gifted student, but through effort and perseverance, he works hard to overcome his challenges. Much like Hephaestus, who labored tirelessly to create his masterpieces, Deuce is a character defined by his commitment to improvement and his willingness to push through struggles.

Connection: The hardworking, earnest, and somewhat awkward nature of Deuce mirrors Hephaestus' perseverance and determination in the face of adversity.

Conflict: Deuce Spade is a reflection of Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship, fire, and hard work. Deuce is driven by an earnest desire to prove himself through his effort and dedication. He is a diligent student who values hard work over innate talent. However, the prophecy forces Deuce to question his own worth. The struggle for divine recognition, along with the looming sense that all their hard work might be in vain, challenges Deuce to confront his belief in the value of toil. Can hard work truly protect the world from the prophecy’s wrath, or will they need something more than mere craftsmanship?

Tension with Yuu: Deuce’s strong work ethic and determination to be the best often put him in direct opposition to Yuu, who may not have the same motivations or views on hard work. He sees them as a possible connection to better understand human-kind and learn socially acceptable mannerisms. Yet their nonchalant outlook on the school’s way of teaching demigods has him question the ‘right path’ – which Deuce finally thought he found.  Yuu might remind him that effort alone is not always enough to overcome challenges—sometimes, one must rely on intuition, teamwork, or emotional resilience to succeed.

Resolution: Deuce learns that true strength doesn’t just come from hard work, but from the ability to adapt, trust others, and remain flexible. Yuu teaches him that it’s okay to rely on others and embrace different strategies to solve problems. That there is a balance between good and bad – perfection and rebellion.

[blueishspace]

HermitShift/EmpiresShift

Part 2

Previous part

Impulse (Pearl's role)

(Saint + Scarlet + Regular)

Was part of Evo smp for a short while before meeting Bdubs and joining the Empires server.

Died at the end of Empires after linking his life force to his empire, accidentally ascended to godhood, symbolic flower is the Aster flower.

Joined Hermitcraft in season 8 and joined the boatem crew, just in time for the moon falling.

Won Double Life after being abandoned by his soulmate OVER A CLOCK...no, he is still not over that, thank you for asking.

Has an... interesting relationship with Skizzleman.

Pearl (Cub's role)

(Vex + Old + Regular)

Aussie mad scientist is a pretty interesting combo lmao.

Vex, I headcanon Scar and Cub to not have been born vexes but to have become vexes trough magic, soooo Vex Pearl.

Still wears her hoodie under the lab coat.

Got corrupted by sculk at one point, they told her to stop putting the catalysts on people's bases and she was very compliany... started putting them UNDER the bases instead.

Started going all "cleaning lady" on the permit office and poe poe at one point and ended up becoming the new leader for both.

Cub (Skizz's role)

(Third Life + Regular)

Scar's best friend, has a survival ultrahardcore server with him where they play together and accomplish weird tasks. Why do that when Scar is...well, Scar? You see, that's the point.

Was present in all the life series but always gets out early mostly because he doesn't really care about winning, just causing psychological torment. So like...the opposite of our Skizz.

Joined Hermitcraft in season 10, got roaped into the Poe Poe pretty much randomly, he is very efficient at it though.

Skizz (Gem's role)

(Season 10 + Red Life + Regular)

Just a universe travelling angel, used to be in Empires and have a kingdom of lapis lazuli but that kinda went really badly. He met Impulse there though, that's really important.

Joined Hermitcraft in season 8 , got caught in the moon crashing, you already know that much.

Is not nearly as threatening as Gem? Still fought a lot of people but mostly to actually get better...and it kinda worked? Not as good as like a top pvp'er but still, improvement.

Got betrayed by Impulse, will never forgive, will never forget.

... In season 10 leans a lot more into the pirate aspect then Gem, feels like something he would like.

Gem (Joel's role)

(Last Life + Esmp 2 and 1 + Regular)

Like Scott she has been in many many many smp's.

She did not choose the mesa in Esmp1, she would have rather chosen the mountains but Skizz had already claimed them and doing something new is always fun!... Right?

Did not gain godhood like joel, she just revealed her pre-existing celestial goddess-ness to the other. That's because unlike the convex I do think she was born a celestial and therefore that doesn't change with the roleswap.

Does not go crazy when red like our Joel, no, she fully locks in and that's just as scary. Still took a while to get the win mostly because being hyperfocused on an objective or mission has a tendency to leave you... Vulnerable to surprises.

Hermitcraft season 10's top rated pop star, creating top selling music disks left and right.

[the-shifting-long]

one fascinating thing about the Princesses is how often they echo the mindset that motivates the Shifting Mound.

Shifty/Felina is someone who is convinced that she is what she is, that the totality of her being is something that cannot be changed or denied. There is no compromise, in part because there is nothing to compromise-she simply is, you simply are, and this is how things are.

Communicating with her using words pre and post awakening is difficult-words are difficult for her. They never quite weave into what she wishes to say. She often resorts to flowery metaphors, unable to use imprecise and unnuanced language to say the things she wants to say. When frustrated by the player or by this issue of communication, she often falls back on how there is no constant, there is no center, everything exists in relation to everything it isn't and vice versa, "nothing" is a concept that exists because there's "something", and how can we even begin to talk about the inherently contradictory, multifaceted aspects of our existence when language cannot account for it?

Precisely because she dislikes words, and feels she has to fall back on metaphor for them to have any meaning, she values action more than anything-more specifically, she values conflicts. She values the ins and outs, the victories and defeats, things ending and breaking only to be reborn. This also ties into the Shifting Mound as a force of entropy, change, and death-she is what she is, viewing death and fear and pain and change as necessary parts of the world, and what's needed to improve yourself.

She loves it so much, loves the player so much, finds it so romantic, that she often refers to it as a dance. Conflict as music. Something beautiful and timeless to be adored and made over and over and over again in a billion different styles across a billion different times and places.

This is all basic Shifting Mound analysis, and it's important for establishing a baseline of Who She Is (without getting into what her Heart versions say, and why there's incongruence there-that's a different post! we can definitely go deeper) Because...every single one of her vessels reflects one or more of these aspects of Felina.

The Damsel line is all about TSM's connection and adoration of the player, how she loves the player even at their very worst and comes up with the most loving poems for the most horrifying things. Even when killed, she decides to return the favor with a smile and with your hand in hers. Damsel's deconstruction refers to the end of the world as "unleashing unceasing entropy upon all creation", Happily Ever After wants nothing more than to leave and dance, and even wears TSM's crown and takes similar poses to the dance Felina has with the player in the Leave ending.

Prisoner is once again about the failure of words, being able to communicate without them, or find hidden meanings. So much of Cage involves both Princess and Voices having literal understandings of the situation, and twisting it for their own ends, along with the natural fall into conflict-and that conflict being beautiful. Drowned Grey is beyond words, instead letting her own corpse's appearance and blank stare speak for her. She's also got this idea of destruction as something necessary-she's perfectly fine, even happy, being nothing but a head and losing her body completely. When that doesn't work, the cabin breaks down on its own, and its destruction is unambiguously a good thing.

Razor's a blatantly more meta route where you manifest a knife for your enemy to kill you with. Razor in both forms is about going through an endless stream of trials until you are about to embrace godhood, either being pushed into another very romantic conflict-the ebb and flow-or rising about it to break her against yourself. It's a beautiful parallel to Shifty herself, this unstoppable force that will never change, and where the relationship only changes because you're able to rise against it.

The Nightmare is about how she simply is what she is, and she can't change that. Fear and death and horror are necessary things to keep the world running. Noteably, Nightmare doesn't want to end the world so much as "hold it in her hands and squeeze." Nightmare doesn't see bringing death and destruction and most importantly, fear as an ending, but a new beginning, and an inevitable part of her nature, just like her fully-awakened self.

Spectre is one of the routes that plays a lot with perception-you think she's dead, so she is, and in Princess and the Dragon, she is both dead and alive until the metaphorical box is opened by an outside observer, schrodinger's cat style. Like the Shifting Mound, she personally chooses to see the best in the player until proven otherwise, and even then, is inclined to embrace violence as a natural part of their relationship if pushed down Wraith or the Stenciled version of Princess and the Dragon. Shifty, Damsel, and Spectre want nothing more than to be with you.

And Tower wants nothing more than to be with you, too...as a goddess while you sit by her side as a pet, or at best, a priest. The Tower princesses are arguably the ones that get closest to godhood, to being what the Shifting Mound and therefore all of the Princesses are. They're held back by their inability to treat the player as an equal, and there's definitely an argument to made for Felina's own arrogance and assumption that she can never be wrong, so you must concede to her. Tower and Apotheosis in particular are delighted by the player's acts of resistance, much in the same way the Shifting Mound gets excited when you're able to successfully resist her. In terms of personality, I'd argue this line shares TSM's general attitude and behavior the most.*

*Tower-Fury is different from the rest of her line in a lot of ways, such as actively disliking the player's resistance, but keeps the divine arrogance even when she believes it's been denied to her, and is genuinely upset it has been much in the same way a certain pre-awakened someone doesn't take kindly to the Oblivion paths.

The Adversary line, similarly to Tower and Razor, once more involves that core belief of conflict between the two of you specifically leading to greater and greater heights. If the Tower reflects TSM's overall attitude, Advy is a reflection of what TSM tries to get at with metaphor-Adversary in all of her forms finds no use in words, only purpose in action, but will still literally cry from joy if this action is compared to a song written in blood. Both Eye of the Needle and Advy-Fury share this trait, with Advy-Fury deriding words as things that "aren't music. They aren't dance. They aren't feeling." TSM shuts down arguments that nitpick her language much in the same way the Adversaries are uninterested in language period, while also using the same language Of song and dance and music. And, while ambiguous, you could say the Leave ending, the endless joy of being with TSM as the world dies and is reborn over and over, presents a similar dynamic to the end of Adversary, where the two of you fight each other over and over with such fervent passion death itself no longer sits on your shoulders...

Stranger's so meta and so obviously a mini-Shifty, it almost feels like a waste to talk about how she's Shifty. A billion realities colliding into one, parts of them dead, parts that don't fit...even pre-awakened TSM says she's in the shape of her, but is unable to hold everything she is.

Witch brings our favorite dance metaphor back right alongside stories about love, change, and growth. While the Witch herself is a wretched little thing, in her own words, she contains so much potential to become something beyond that. Witch, Nightmare, and Razor are all some of the more playful sides of TSM. I feel like things get really interesting in Witch's chapter 3s, ESPECIALLY the Wild.

That's one where you and the princess are literally merged together, right where she believes you belong, and are so, so close to getting everything she wants before the nature of the construct and TSM kick in and the walls close. I can't do a playthrough where I intend to leave with TSM without getting the Networked Wild as a vessel-it just feels that important to Felina as a character, to see what her pre-awakened self describes as a literal shadow of herself, a much more vulnerable version, and for her to be right there...while Tower/Apo feels closest in terms of godhood and attitude, and Stranger feels closet in terms of what she physically is and experiences, Wild feels as though she's the most similar to TSM's inner heart and feelings, right down to the buried parts of herself that still want to get violent.

And then there's Beast/Den. You've probably heard this one from Nightmare and Razor before, get ready to here it from the lion's mouth this time: I am what I am, fledgling. There is no reasoning with that. Adversary says she's beyond words while still happy to use them-that's more than fine, TSM loves poetry despite (or perhaps because?) of her frustrations with language. Den literally gets to the point where she's beyond words. This is a princess who doesn't care for the pretenses that she's a normal, human, mortal being anymore, a princess who embraces everything she is and wants, and who will always be happy to show you exactly what she means...through biting you biting you biting you biting you biting you saving you from a collapsing tunnel biting you <3 Once more we see that repeating motif of merging with the princess, being one with her. Once more we see how badly the Shifting Mound wants to be with us, by any means possible, through the lens of her vessels.

Anyways I think it's really neat how these Princesses are all full-fledged and deep, nuanced characters in and of itself while still contributing to the gestalt of another woman who is made of all of them, and helping to inform her characterization as much as their own. It's like Slay the Princess is insanely well-written and good or something.

[caligvlasaqvarivm]

CLASSES - a comprehensive guide

The first thing that needs to be said is that there is no such thing as a "bad" class. All of them have the potential to be a great detriment OR great boon to the rest of the team, depending on how far along the journey of self-actualization a party member is. Some may have steeper challenges, but this corresponds with greater rewards.

The second thing that needs to be said is that all players are part of a team, and all personal journeys and playstyles are interlinked. No class is truly "solo." Even the smallest viable session is still two people, and even the most suitable classes for solo play are stronger when they're in a party.

The last thing that needs to be said is that the game wants you to succeed. The game, inherently, wants every player to reach godhood, wants every player to self-actualize, wants every player to win. It respects free will and free choice, so it will allow for failures (and, indeed, doomed timelines are vital to the alpha one existing), but Skaia is ultimately optimistic, and tries at every turn to ensure that a golden ending is possible.

Because, after all, SBURB/SGRUB - and Homestuck itself - are about children growing up, maturing, and learning compassion for each other. About fixing their flaws and rejecting the negative aspects of the society they came from. It's about how it is our duty, our responsibility, to become kind, mature people who care about one another, because we will one day be responsible for creating a new society.

And so, without further ado:

ACTIVE (-) Classes and PASSIVE (+) Classes are described with the dichotomy of "powers working for the self" vs. "powers working for others," but I believe this to be an oversimplification of what the active and passive split is. Both active AND passive classes benefit from being in a party; however, an active class will gain fewer party benefits in exchange for being more suited for solo play, while a passive class will be less suited for solo play, but confer much greater benefits to party play.

This is reflected in their personal quests: while active classes and passive classes will both require intervention, empathy, and guidance from their teammates, the struggle of an active class is usually one of grappling with internal flaws, and the struggle of a passive class is one of grappling with interpersonal or societal relations. In other words, the personal quest of an active player will usually involve getting therapized, while the personal quest of a passive player will usually involve addressing a systemic societal issue. Often, both will be required, but whether a class is active or passive will indicate an area of focus.

KNIGHT - / MAID +

PARTY MANAGEMENT

one who wields [aspect] or leads with [aspect] / one who distributes [aspect] or manages with [aspect]

KNIGHTS (-) are a very flexible and versatile class; "wielding" their aspect does not necessarily mean they are skilled at DPS. It actually indicates the way a knight interacts with their aspect, a very straightforward relationship of tradesperson and tool, or soldier and weapon. Similarly, while a knight does not always take up the "leader" position in the party, they will be the "spearhead," a point behind which the other players rally, a beating heart keeping the party together.

This straightforward relationship between a knight and their aspect leads to knights finding little difficulty mastering their aspect once they've begun. Many knights are, in fact, instinctively drawn toward utilizing their aspect, in the same way that they are naturally drawn toward roles of importance or heroism.

Knights often struggle with their perceived place in society, as well as with their innate sense of self and self-worth, seeing themselves as outcasts, resenting the responsibility placed on their shoulders, and fearing vulnerability. Unaddressed, these issues will lead to knights who actively become a detriment to party success. For example, they can dismiss valid concerns, shirk their duties, and in the worst case scenario, actively lead the party down the wrong path, invoking their natural ability to lead for ill.

Therefore, a knight's journey is one of accepting themselves and accepting their duty to better the world. It is about coming to terms with their own insecurities and learning to rely on others. It is about learning to take responsibility, and accepting the banner of a just and glorious cause.

A fully realized knight will be the center of every charge, the guiding star behind which the other players rally. They can provide clarity and guidance to those still on their journeys, and peace and comfort to those who are struggling or in pain. Where the knight goes, the party will follow, as a unified and united front.

MAIDS (+), meanwhile, tend to be on the backlines. If the knight is the forward march, then the maid is the supply line, an incredibly vital role whose absence is disastrous, even if its presence is nearly invisible. Maids have a nearly infinite well of their aspect to distribute, and are uniquely talented at managerial duties - keeping players on task, patching up the holes in a plan, sourcing and supplying resources, so on and so forth.

This is not to say that maids are relegated to support roles - a maid is usually capable of holding their own in combat just fine, especially if they've been endowed with a more combat-suited aspect. Both knights and maids are extremely versatile. That being said, maids truly shine when they're able to take on these backline roles, and many maids are more noticeable by the devastating effects of their absence rather than the invisible touch of their presence.

However, they are the class that most often starts in subservient conditions - low status, strict duties enforced upon them, so on - and their personal journey is a constant struggle against the control of others. Maids whose parties fail to grapple with and undo these shackling forces will find their maids succumbing to the influence or control of malicious entities; in the worst-case scenario, a maid can become an actively hostile enemy or saboteur, invisibly pulling the party's strings and setting them up for failure.

Therefore, a maid's journey is about rejecting societal oppression and throwing off the chains that bind them. A successful maid rises to become the head of the household - nothing occurs within the game that does not first pass the maid's inspection, and their touch ensures that there is a place for everything, and everything is in its place.

A free maid, who belongs to themselves, incomparably increases a party's efficiency. Every communication line is clear, every distribution route is clean, every mystery is solvable, and every plan is airtight. A maid guarantees that nothing can ever go too wrong.

PAGE - / HEIR +

TEAM BONDING

one who must earn [aspect] or inherits the mantle of [aspect] / one who is beloved by [aspect] or awakens to [aspect]

PAGES (-) start the game with the fewest benefits from their aspects, but the greatest potential for growth. Theirs is a constant battle with the self; they are often cowardly and naive. They possess sensitive souls, and while it is incredibly easy to hurt a page, it's much more difficult to build them up. Because of the difficulty of raising this class, it's practically defined by its journey - a constant struggle against the self - rather than its destination, and the powers the class confers.

Pages, like heirs, are classes of inheritance. A page is promoted by trials and tribulations and comes to inherit a greater power than they begin with; in the same way, the class will one day come to embody its aspect, although the road will always be turbulent and long. Moreover, it is a journey without end; pages, being as sensitive as they are, are the most prone to backwards progress, even after reaching their peak.

They prone to staying weak throughout the entire game, never self-actualizing past being the party joke. They attract the obsession and ridicule of stronger-willed players, and their mistreatment can become extremely divisive. A page can easily become a party's albatross, the epicenter of massive interpersonal conflicts, which can tank an entire session.

Therefore, a page's journey is one of the most difficult of all - that of teaching others how to care about other people. Pages rely on great patience, kindness, and understanding. Their sensitive souls must be carefully nurtured and propagated with love and attention. In the same way that a page can tear a team apart, they can bring a team together, all in the name of compassion and empathy. A fully-realized page is the symbol of a party that has linked hands with one another.

Self-actualized pages, as a result of the difficulty inherent to the class, are incredibly powerful and versatile when fully realized. Inheriting the mantle of their aspect, they become pure embodiments of their aspect, capable of achieving impossible feats of raw, unfiltered power, and inspiring all those who gaze upon them.

HEIRS (+) begin the game very strong, but have a difficult time becoming stronger. This is because their usage of their aspect is very instinctual to them, even at times being entirely beyond their control, hence, "beloved by" in the class description. However, because of how naturally their aspect comes to them, it makes taking further command of their powers difficult.

An heir "awakens to" their aspect because their natural, intuitive control often renders them too comfortable to grasp the greater implications of their class. As an inheritance class, heirs can come to embody their aspect, transforming entirely into it. Their challenge lies in breaking out of their comfortable shell and learning how to utilize their powers in more active, intentional ways.

This is reflected in their personal quests. They are often set to inherit great privilege or wealth prior to entering the game, and are thus naive to the realities of the suffering and pain of others. Without a supportive party willing to challenge their views, heirs can perpetuate that pain by submitting to their place in the world, becoming a divisive force within the party, or, in the worst case, losing themselves to their inheritance, and submitting so wholly to their aspect that they become lost to the rest of the team.

Thus, an heir's journey is to question the stratification of the society they belong to, so that they can recognize and address its flaws. They must learn to interrogate their inheritance, separate it from themselves, and reconcile with it. Theirs is an arc of examination and understanding, descending from their position of privilege and peace to learn about the suffering of others, and deciding that they wish to do something about it.

With full command over their aspect, and a clear vision for how it ought to be distributed, the party gains a new and powerful ally - the aspect itself, which will come to embrace the entire party as family. A fully-realized heir connects the privileged and underprivileged, spreading their inheritance to all.

MAGE - / SEER +

GUIDANCE

one who invokes [aspect] or is drawn to [aspect] / one who comprehends [aspect] or is guided by [aspect]

MAGES (-) are a class of prophets, although saying they "see the future" is misleading. Rather, mages "invoke" the future, collapsing causality to align to their desires. Most mages remain unaware that they are doing so until well into their journey. While all players weigh on the scale of causality, affecting both past and future events, and which sequence of events is the "alpha" sequence, mages have the most direct effect.

Because of this ability to invoke future events, mages possess powerful buffing/debuffing abilities. Furthermore, as one of the two knowledge classes, a mage usually has a very deep understanding of their aspect, and an intuitive knowledge of how the flow of time and causality function. They are "drawn to" their aspects in this way, instinctively searching out points where their influence can affect the flow of events.

However, with great power comes great cost; the mage class is usually assigned to those who are stricken by tragedies and prone to negativity and self-loathing. Mages often begin the game as a detriment to the party, "prophesying" future events that leave the party - including themselves - at a disadvantage. In the worst case scenario, a mage can invoke certain doom for their party or themselves.

Therefore, it is vital that a mage address their tragedies and be given a chance to heal and grow. The ones most struck by tragedy, theirs is a journey of reclaiming lost joy and rediscovering lost hope. However, the transformation is powerful once completed - as the one who suffers tragedy and loss most intimately, a mage can also come to be one of the most empathetic and compassionate members of the team.

If a mage is uplifted, and capable of believing in a kinder and gentler world, then their ability to invoke the future - and the aspects of their aspect that they are drawn to - become kinder, as well. Pain and suffering still have their place, but the ending will be a happy one. With a fully empowered mage, the future will always be better than what came before.

SEERS (+) see multiple branching paths. A mage determines where a road will be built, but a seer tells you where a road CAN be built. They are also often gifted with knowledge of the game and its mechanics, and are especially uniquely gifted with understanding of their own abilities. In this way, they "comprehend" their aspect.

Seers themselves are not particularly gifted in combat through their classpect alone; however, in exchange, they often play a vital role in steering the party. They are the game's built-in guides, with an intuitive knowledge of the game's victory conditions, as well as an instinctive desire to lead others along their paths. Seers are, therefore, one of the most important classes in the game, when one is present.

However, the ability to see is a burden as well as a gift. Seers find themselves paralyzed by choice, and often doubt their own abilities to choose "correctly." They are prone to becoming mired in what-ifs, and struggle with political or ethical debates with no clear answers. In the worst-case scenario, a seer may feel so cursed by their sight that they self-destruct, and deliberately choose poor or incomprehensible answers, in an attempt to free themselves of their sight.

Thus, a seer's quest is, ironically, to see the world beyond the purview of their aspect. They must come to have a more comprehensive understanding of the world they live in, and what purpose they are trying to achieve, so that they can feel confident in the choices they make. A seer is often blind - their journey, therefore, is that of regaining their vision, by connecting with the world outside their inner sight.

A seer with a clear vision for the future will always know exactly which path to choose. A party with such a seer in it will never be stuck and never be lost. If there exists a path to self-actualization, the seer will know it. And if there exists a path to a breathless and perfect victory, a fully-realized seer will light the way.

THIEF - / ROGUE +

UTILITY

one who steals [aspect] from others or steals with [aspect] / one who steals [aspect] for others or steals from [aspect]

THIEVES (-) are a very difficult class to play. They start out with almost no passive abilities regarding their aspect, and their ability to actively use their aspect is contingent on their ability to first "steal" it from someone else. Thus, they are always playing a game of resource management, and there is always a chance for them to be left helpless after a heist gone wrong.

However, their gimmicky nature allows them to overtake other classes even in that class's specialty, if they can set up the exact right circumstances and manage their resources well. This makes them incredibly versatile, especially when a thief is working together with a party, and thus able to count their party among their potential resources. It takes great cunning to play the thief class well.

However, this also makes the thief a potentially dangerous element to the rest of the party. Thieves are often egotistical and self-serving, willing to see enemies and allies alike as resources and tools. Unaddressed, their reckless, selfish natures will earn their teammates' distrust and enmity. In the worst case scenario, a thief running rampant can severely harm the party, or earn so much ire that the party turns against them.

Thus, their journey is that of realizing that their selfishness and ego are flaws - the classic parable of "money doesn't bring happiness." Beneath their uncaring surface lurks genuine emotional distress; a thief must come to realize that their greed and selfishness is an active detriment not only to the people around them, but their own selves. Only then can they heal from their injured souls.

A thief that has undertaken this journey is one who has realized that they are stronger when they are working with others. Their versatility, creativity, and cunning are incredible assets once harnessed toward the will of the party. No situation will ever be inescapable, no safe uncrackable, and no problem unsolvable - not if the thief has anything to say about it.

ROGUES (+) are similarly difficult to play. Unlike the thieves, rogues do see passive benefits from their aspects. However, their active abilities are much less straightforward, and rogues often struggle with understanding them. A rogue's role is to redistribute wealth - thus, "stealing for the sake of others."

A rogue, being able to steal directly from their aspect, truly shines when given enough time to prepare. If a thief must fly by the seat of their pants, then a rogue is a heist planner - they have an infinite box of tools to pull from, if only they know what tools they'll need for the job. This makes them incomparably versatile, even if not necessarily in the heat of combat.

Rogues take on the mantle of challenging the status quo. They usually begin the game already in opposition to their society, seeking out better alternatives and considering unorthodox options. However, not every party is ready for a rogue's radical ideology, and not every rogue has considered the full consequences of their belief in change; in the worst case scenario, the rogue can become outcasted and disregarded, or cause an upheaval that proves disastrous, rioting for the sake of rioting.

It often requires the help of others for a rogue to understand how to use their powers. In the same way, it requires the party's honest communication and exchange of ideas to help a rogue grasp exactly what form their rebellion ought to take. A rogue knows instinctively that something must change; their journey is learning how they ought to go about it.

Once they do, a rogue - given enough time to prepare and plan - is the ultimate utility player, having the right tool for every possible situation. Their abilities are only magnified in a party setting, as their teammates become variables that unlock new possibilities. A party with a fully-prepped rogue always has a perfect plan, a way to solve any problem that they might face.

WITCH - / SYLPH +

AREA CONTROL

one who manipulates [aspect] or achieves dominion through [aspect] / one who nurtures [aspect] or creates a land of [aspect]

WITCHES (-) carry with them the winds of change. A witch manipulates, changing properties of their aspect and their aspect's effect on others, creating a "territory" over which they rule. They see few passive benefits of their aspects, in exchange for their active abilities being so all-encompassing and overwhelming.

Once their territory has been established, witches make the rules. Their changes can be permanent, temporary, massive, and miniscule. However, a witch "achieves dominion" with their aspect - this means that they must first struggle to create this domain, and it's difficult for their abilities to manifest until they do, often leaving younger witches weak and vulnerable.

Witches have strong feelings for how things should and should not be, but not necessarily grounded ideas for how to implement them, often due to some "outsider" status in society. Unfocused witches become dangerous for the party, as they are easily manipulated; in the worst-case scenario, they can fall in with malicious forces, who can sway a witch's turbulent heart and utilize them as a force for negative change, rather than good.

Thus, a witch's journey is that of interrogating right and wrong. A witch must struggle with morality and ethics, and come to clarify their own beliefs; only then can they know what sort of domain they wish to establish, and what sort of rules they wish to enforce. Once they know their own hearts, they can shake off the insidious whispers of malicious external influence.

As if a reward for their struggles for autonomy and independence, the witch is the one whose will is most imposed on the world that comes after them. Just as an evil witch putrefies the world around them, a fully-realized witch who has decided to use their influence for good can create a near-utopia.

SYLPHS (+) call to mind the images of fey folk who sprout plants where they walk. That is how a sylph "creates a land" of their aspect - merely by existing, the world around them becomes suffused by it. A sylph's mere presence nurtures, grows, and heals their aspect; unlike witches, who manipulate what is already there, sylphs can create something from nothing.

The establishment of their domain comes naturally to them. Those caught within it are on the receiving end of their aspect, whether they want to be or not. In exchange for such powerful passive abilities, a sylph's active abilities are weaker, and usually unsuited for solo combat, generally being of healing, buffing, or debuffing nature.

A sylph is prone to selfishness - to luxuriating within their own land, their own aspect, their own mind. They often have difficulty connecting with others and understanding why their own personal world may not be to the liking of the world outside of themselves. Often, they are aloof. An unrealized sylph can cause great harm to the world around them, their domain choking out and smothering their party; in the worst case, they can mire their party within it, leaving their party unable to proceed.

Thus, it often requires the outside world to breach their safe haven in order for a sylph to grow. They must be made uncomfortable, and then made to accept that uncomfortable things are also important - maybe even more important than comfort, at times. Growth often requires pruning; a sylph's journey is to come to understand that good intentions may lead to harm, and, vice versa, that harm can often lead to true growth.

Sylphs can provide the greatest compassion and emotional comfort within a party, encouraging - if not enabling - their teammates' growth in their personal journeys. Once a sylph understands when it is appropriate to encourage, and when it is appropriate to pull back, there is no refuge safer for the party than the sylph's domain.

PRINCE - / BARD +

OBSTACLE REMOVAL

one who destroys [aspect] or destroys with [aspect] / one who allows the destruction of [aspect] or allows destruction through [aspect]

PRINCES (-) possess the ability to annihilate, a destructive class not limited to physical or tangible objects. Princes also enjoy auxiliary benefits as befits their royal titles - many princes start the game with great talents, great status and wealth, or both. They are also endowed with royal presence; their very existence provokes strong emotions from those around them, for good or for ill.

One of the more straightforward classes in the game, a prince's ability to destroy most commonly manifests as DPS. However, their abilities encompass a greater scope than mere damage - the prince's ability to annihilate figurative or metaphysical concepts makes them capable of directly removing any obstacles that stand in their way. As if hungry to consume their aspect, they are naturally drawn towards where it congregates.

However, with great power comes great responsibility: princes are often the most psychologically maligned within the party, and their destructive talents can very easily become self-destructive instead. Usually the result of societal pressure, trauma, and suffering, a prince is prone to embodying the lack of their aspect, rather than its presence. In the worst-case scenario, a prince spreads this misfortune to the rest of their party, destroying the presence of their aspect from their session altogether, often taking themselves along with it.

A prince must be shown compassion. Though they are often viscerally unpleasant to engage with, turning a blind eye to foolishness, loneliness, and suffering - which a prince embodies - is one of the worst things that a party can do. Though the effort at times seems undeserved, to heal a prince requires a staunch belief that there is good to be gained if we are kind to each other. This kindness will be returned; once you are counted among a prince's "people," they will do anything to keep harm from befalling you.

A prince, once shown this grace, is incomparably powerful. To destroy their aspect or with their aspect is the ability to destroy nearly anything, including concepts such as despair, death, and doom. As if proclaiming a royal decree, a fully-realized prince can banish misfortune and ill tidings altogether, leaving nothing standing in the party's way.

BARDS (+) are a wildcard of a class, often responsible for a party's improbable victory, abject defeat, or both. Their abilities are not very well-understood, even by the bard themselves, and they often utilize both passive and active abilities intuitively, unaware that they are doing so. The morale of the party is deeply tied to the bard's own, and it's unclear which side is cause and which is effect.

The ability to allow the destruction of their aspect, or invite it through their aspect, is actually something of a debuff rather than DPS - the bard's ability is to break unbreakable shields, tear down unclimbable walls, and nullify unstoppable forces. Rather than dealing damage themselves, they allow for damage to be dealt that would otherwise have no effect - in other words, by nature, they make the impossible possible. This is the true source of their ability to evoke "miraculous" situations.

Bards are inextricably tied to society - after all, their tales only hold as much value as their relevance to the audience. This means those with the bard class are invariably molded by the worst aspects of the society they come from. They serve as living embodiments of the most unpleasant aspects of society, and living reminders that leaving these elements to fester only means they will multiply in severity. If these beliefs are allowed to go unexamined, bards will always steer a party towards ruin.

Therefore, a party must engage with the bard earnestly, compassionately, and openly, and help them see the errors of the past. A bard must be led, with gentle guidance and genuine openness, to discard their harmful beliefs, and sing a new, more beautiful tune.

A bard that has been brought back into the fold is a worker of miracles. When every other possible option has been exhausted - the knight and maid in disarray, the page and heir unable to keep the party together, the mage and seer blinded, the thief and rogue out of action, the witch and sylph with their territory lost, the prince no longer able to function - this is where a bard will step in, transmuting abject defeat into a perfect and breathless victory.

[swanpyart]

I love how literally every version of the Princess could be interpreted as a piece of the Shifting Mound and, no matter how weird our relationship with her gets, it’s still applicable to our relationship with her as a whole.

Smitten and Damsel show how the Long Quiet and the Shifting Mound are star crossed lovers.

Skeptic and Prisoner reflect their inability to escape without working together. They are both Prisoners, even if only one is wearing a shackle.

Hunted and Beast present them both as archaic forces of nature that must change and adapt. As death, Beast is an offensive predator, and as life, Hunted is defensive prey.

Stubborn and Adversary demonstrate that the two gods are true equals in every sense, and that death means nothing to them in the end as long as they have each other.

Cheated and Razor show how conflict is in their nature, and that no matter how much violence the Shifting Mound dishes out, the Long Quiet is always strong enough to stand against her.

Broken and Tower show the contrast of Shifty’s embrace of her godhood vs the internal conflict of the Long Quiet, as well as the desire to embrace her for everything she is regardless of her flaws. Perhaps, in a twisted way, Broken shows an embrace of our godhood as a whole…

Cold and Spectre demonstrate the dynamic set by the Construct: a killer and his victim, as well as showing the true power of the Long Quiet, and showing that, underneath the struggle and conflict, LQ could end this all disturbingly quickly if convinced to.

Paranoid and Nightmare show the fear that infects the dynamic of the two gods, like Paranoid’s fear of the Nightmare and the Nightmare’s fear of sharing her heart, along with the desire to know the other but the inability to do so organically.

Opportunist and Witch, like Stubborn and Adversary, show the equality of their relationship, but rather than one built out of mutual respect, its mutual animosity fostered by the artificial tension of the construct. It’s the opposite of Skeptic and Prisoner, as, rather than realizing they can escape together through mutual trust, they both try to win against the other when it’s not a winning game.

Contrarian and Stranger show the inherent contradictions in the Gods’ natures; like Shifty says, aspects of who they are contradict themselves, and nothing can exist without contrast and change.

[liltalle]

Shardic Opposite-Pairs – Cosmere Theory

It's been said that some of the Shards have opposite Intents (Preservation and Ruin). The obvious question is how inherent is this to the system? Given the symmetry of the original 16, do all of the Shards fit into 8 opposite-pairs?

As of Wind & Truth, we know the names of all 16, so I'm going to try to pair up each and see how they fit. (Cosmere spoilers below)

(Our pool: Devotion, Dominion, Preservation, Ruin, Odium, Cultivation, Honor, Endowment, Autonomy, Ambition, Invention, Mercy, Valor, Whimsy, Virtuosity, Reason)

Preservation/Ruin - This is our canonical example. I don't know that I need to elaborate on their locked conflict on Scadrial and Harmony's difficulty integrating them.

Devotion/Dominion - Khriss describes these two as having "a polarized relationship [...] Forced together as they are, trapped and bursting to escape". Also, the submission/dominance dichotomy seems obvious here.

Cultivation/Endowment - The Nightwatcher is all about fair if esoteric prices for the good she offers, and Cultivation takes that to a deeper level—her deal with Dalinar is about the loss necessary to relief, and the pain necessary to growth. Whereas, Endowment grants godhood freely as she sees fit.

(These first 3 seem pretty clear to me, and they're some of the Shards we know the most about. Those that follow I'm less sure of.)

Odium/Mercy - Odium represents many emotions, but the strongest emotion is hatred, which... I think could be described as a passionate attachment to a wound, lashing out at its perceived source. (That adding Honor's sense of righteousness yields Retribution supports this interpretation.) Mercy is the opposite of that, of Justice classically, letting go of wounds and forgiving. (The two things we know about Mercy canonically are that Harmony was disturbed by discussing Odium with them, and that they were involved in the clash of Odium and Ambition. The former could be Mercy expressing mercy for Rayse himself, but that's not well determined. What happened around Threnody is known to be disturbing, so that's a more obvious interpretation, and this is complicated by knowing that Vessels and Intents don't always align. So, the name is all canon really gives us.)

Autonomy/Honor - (On with my bolder choices.) Harmony says "Autonomy is driven to divide off from the rest of us, go her own way," while Honor's most famous directive is "Unite them." Autonomy's individualism and distinctiveness contrast with Honor's legalism and uniformity. Autonomy avoids constraint while Honor is all about binding people. (This one surprised me, but I think it holds up quite well. Another option was Honor with Whimsy, constraint vs. spontaneity, but I think this split is better, as I'll elaborate later.)

(We know very little about any of the remaining 6 Shards.)

Ambition/Valor - Ruthless self-preservation and accomplishment (Ambition would be mono-black in Magic: the Gathering, Brandon says) vs. selfless defense of others. (Here's a decent place to note my recurring thought that the saying "Discretion is the better part of Valor" is relevant to Hoid not being able to find her, though she does talk to others, so I don't know if that fully tracks.)

Invention/Virtuosity - My flaw here is that I've not read Yumi & the Nightmare Painter yet, only skimmed Virtuosity's Coppermind article. Still, there seems like a basic opposition here between the creation of new things vs. the mastery of existing arts (Renaissance art's focus on proper perspective, photographic painting, etc. vs. Modern art's focus on surprise and violation of convention).

Whimsy/Reason - Whimsy could well be defined as not doing things for reasons, but following unanalyzed spontaneous impulses. We're told the Shard is not congruous with intense planning or ambitions (per Coppermind, which is an argument for Whimsy/Ambition, but I'm guessing the planning aspect might be more important.) It's also not dignified. Reason, however, seems to be our most dignified and deliberate Shard. It's the Survival Shard, of which Brandon said "The intent is related but only tangentially. Mostly it just knows what's going on and is smart enough to get out of there." This sounds to me like Reason is relevant in that it channels the knowledge of the Vessel to a coherent conclusion that it follows very consistently. Having the discipline to hide from other gods for millennia does seem antithetical to the fun and spontaneity of Whimsy.

So... that fit better than I expected. There's a few other shufflings I could see, and if anyone wants to reblog with their own arrangements I'd be delighted to read your arguments. But it feels just coherent enough that this might actually be Brandon's intention and not only me projecting and forcing patterns to make it more interesting (as my OCD likes to do).

The obvious next question is whether these pairs are part of a more complex structure, analogous to the 16 mundane metals in the Metallic Arts. Each pair would then be like a Push/Pull duality, the 16 should be divisible into 4 quadrants, and so on. I do not know if Brandon planned that far ahead, but... the question of whether each of the four Dawnshards corresponds to a quartet of Shards was RAFO'd, so maybe (Cultivation and Ruin as under Change makes sense, Preservation then under Exist... maybe I should stop here, we only know 2 of the Commands anyway). Again, any thoughts are welcome 😉

[navigatebetweenthelines]

listen im not an expert on wanderer or sethos lore at ALL so im probably wrong about everything im about to say

but i love a beautifully poetic moment. With sethosscara feels like the right test of wanderer's character. there is great potential for a full character arc.

a person so jadded by the world they inhabit and the human aspects of himself he decides to abandon it by any and all means. For him to be accepted by the god of knowledge and life and give him the perfect place to heal old wounds. In the nation of knowledge and life everlasting is where he comes to terms with death and betrayal. that is so beautiful and him and sethos' relationship (even platonic) is a cherry on top because Sethos is electro.

he represents everything wanderer wanted: a friend, someone who cares about him, someone who asks for him and a person who isnt interested in power and greed. sethos is unrelenting in his selflessness. he gave up the potential for power to help someone. Sethos has met people who have needed countless things from him (some of them could have been like scara who were vulnerable and desperate).

Sethos also represents everything that scara blames for his misery. he has a connection to Godhood like scara. he is in charge of the temple of silence which is a parallel to the plane of euthymia. Faruzan might have been trapped there for those 100 years. Sethos, like Ei has a strong respect for the past and protects it. The thankless pursuit of "eternity" is present for the both of them.

To accept sethos' friendship or beyond Scara would have to let go of the misleading principles he held onto to protect himself. He'd have to accept that unfortunate things happen regardless of the situation.

the most beautiful part is that sethos doesn't ask him for anything. He isnt loudly asking for any of this. He just simply thinks he is interesting and wants to know more. The keeper of the temple of silence, the protecter of all knowledge surrounding king desheret, is uniquely insatiable about Hat Guy. its not for any glamorous reason, its just that the makings of Scara soul pull him closer. he doesn't want to know the doll, or the god, or the legend. He wants to know wanderer. that's all. that's really all he wants.

[sillovain]

Denizens of Heaven

Part 2, trying to take stock of the various gods of Elden Ring. Elden Ring uses the word "god" (much like giant, dragon or even human) in a non-specific way. Still, I don't think it is controversial to say that The Scarlet Rot and Marika are not equivalent entities. On one hand, you could argue for a political definition of godhood - "anything worshipped as a god is one to it's followers". This can be true, but within ER, gods seem to come in at least 2 distinct types - the Outer Gods (distant, abstract, unknowable) and the "Worldly Gods" (deified mortals that walk the earth). All lore essays -> #Treesandbeasts

1.1 Celestial Powers

For the Outer Gods (incl. The Greater Will for simplicity sake, though its debatable), you can say the following about how these entities are characterized.

They are not limited by physical space - think about how the influence of Scarlet Rot and Formless Mother can manifest in both the Land of Shadow and The Lands Between, the veil does nothing to stop them. There is also nothing to suggest that Outer God influence needs to be spread in a physical manner. Rather it seems that Outer Gods are omnipresent but are only encounterable by people in great suffering - Romina simply discovers the Scarlet Rot after being immolated, likewise for the Bloodfiends and their tutelary.

They are unknowable - there is nothing that we can point to in-game as being the spoken words of an Outer God, nor is there any known/definable goal for these entities. When there is a claimed connection (eg. Greater Will), contact has filters (fingers + priestesses), is not in real time; and the reality of said connection is spurious anyway (as per. Metyr).

They have envoys - every cosmic god seems to have mortal representatives that manifest it's power on the worldly scale. Mohg with The Formless Mother, The Twinbird with it's unknown god etc.

Whatever they are, these are not personified gods. Which then leads to the question: are Outer Gods even sentient? Sure, the Scarlet Rot consumes and spreads, but so does any fungal colony. The Formless Mother is the only one that seems to have wants or a relationship with its followers. But even then, this is a simple give-and-take affair, is it any more complex than the relationship between cultivator and crop?

You offer blood to the Formless Mother so you can cut it's body for blood. You offer water to a tree so you can cut it's body for wood.

I stress this because the "Outer Gods are simply forces of nature" line of thinking has become very compelling to me. There's really nothing to suggest they behave on a level more complex than a bacterial one. Perhaps they are forces seen as being particularly dangerous, but still simply forces nonetheless. Note that the known Outer Gods are rot, blood and death (The Twinbird's God) respectively.

All these aspects require the existence of life. Since The Greater Will is the originator of life, the known Outer Gods could be thought of as being dependent (even parasitic) on said creation.

Rot in a controlled form is fermentation (as per. Verdigris and Forager Brood items). Something can be both useful but also highly destructive. Think about the relationship between early agricultural societies and rivers, floods or storms.

This is to say; theories that talk about how the Outer Gods have plans, or describe them as personified gods (in either an Abrahamic or Pagan sense) are very unfounded and don't follow how these entities are characterized.

1.2 Celestial Bodies

While the known Outer Gods are never described with a physical form, The Greater Will absolutely has one. Specifically, it appears to be a region of space (The "distant starry expanse" as per. Comet Azur), if not the entirety of the observable cosmos itself (if you read anything into the Microcosm). Thus, there is a very interesting idea that the "cosmic gods" as a whole are celestial objects in the most literal sense.

The Outer Gods are thus "Outer" in the sense that they are outside the golden ring of the microcosm (ie. outside Order). If so, then maybe The Greater Will is categorically something else - or perhaps the "Outerness" is only something of concern to us mortals.

The cultural obsession with astrology becomes self evident, its about tracking the movement of divine celestial objects. Which I guess is also a very literal interpretation of IRL astrological belief that celestial bodies influence life on earth.

If so, then moons are probably also Outer Gods. And the sun? go figure who that is.

2.1 The Worldly Gods

Beginning this section with the following statement - By virtue of their birth, every demigod is already an immortal being with supernatural abilities. Yet, Ranni and Miquella must strive to achieve godhood; it is something that they do not innately have, but can ultimately gain.

The game is quite is explicit about how godhood is a status an empyrean gains through personal ritual journey. The "empyrean path" is very formal, there's an institution (fingers) that selects candidates (empyreans) and even grants a personal magical guard (shadow). From there, the journey as empyrean (as with both Miq/Ranni) only needs a handful of loyal followers and can be done hidden from the public eye.

In all (non FF) endings, the ring either stays in Marika's body or is taken by another ascended empyrean (Ranni). If godhood is simply due to no-one being able to wrest the Elden Ring from Marika, why is there no ending where the player simply takes it and runs? This is to say, Empyrean Flesh has real magic, its not just a title for royal heirs.

As per. Enia, Marika remains a god, vessel of the vision despite her imprisonment. She continues to be god regardless if she actively rules in any capacity.

Message "God Slain" is used for the only 2 people known to have undergone a Divine Gate ritual. Neither Goddess of Rot nor the Gelmir Serpent return this message despite being worshipped as a god by some.

What about Tutelary Deities? the sparse lore on them also implies that it is a state attained by ritual means. (Will write more about them next entry).

The point here is that the essence of godhood does not come from monopolizing power - eliminating all your rivals and getting the world to worship you. Rather it seems to be the opposite. Marika became a god and enough people believed in her vision of the Erdtree age to make it reality, exterminating the Fire Giants and waging wars of expansionism to make her the de-facto power.

Gods are not made by powerful people declaring themselves as such. Instead, people becoming gods makes them powerful.

~ Thanks for reading

[valentinemesis]

Would it be possible to ask what you were going for with all of the characters in your “>ascend” piece? I absolutely adore it and would love to know the meaning you put into it if that’s okay! I’ve seen a couple different interpretations and would love to know the actual meanings, if that makes sense!

Thank you!! Okay long post incoming! these were my intentions but it's also nice to see other interpretations!

June - Her life is so tied to fate as a concept (breath) that she can't even allow herself to stray from the set hero's path. Her own retcon hands are grabbing her, stopping tears from flowing, stopping her body from changing. It's a general disconnect she has from her own humanity I guess? She has to be The Hero. She has to be The Main Character. Gender identity is a huge factor here, even something as basic as that is outside her control unless it serves the narrative. See how the most common anti-june talking point is how it doesn't line up with homestuck's narrative? Some how? I think I referenced hs2 here the most bc I just like this kind of internal struggle from a protagonist. Very Steven universe future 🙂‍↕️ (I mean this in a good way)

Rose - I THINK her being a seer of light, and just being the kind of person she is, she will always be blind to genuine self reflection. She is so focused on the big picture that she neglects her issues, her friends, her girlfriend/wife (because this happens both in homestuck and hs2). She continued talking to doc scratch, communing with the horrorterrors, and in hs2 collaborates with ult dirk + jade in their respective schemes. All because she thinks only in large-scale meaning. She thinks hurting herself and her loved ones is an acceptable trade-off.

Dave - admittedly less thought out😴. But it's about his time aspect and his trauma leading to a general apathy towards his own life's worth. Dead Dave do not acknowledge!

Jade - My favourite one I did because I've had the idea for a whiiile🥲🥲. Her aspect, her power, her presence, and her love is so big and all encompassing that it leaves no room for her to thrive in. she will always be alone!

Jane - Life is kind of a shit aspect to wind up with, because people are going to heavily depend on you. And I don't think she's well equipped for it. I was kind of thinking how dirk wanted her to be their leader, but she couldn't fulfill that role. How the trickster lollipop immediately made her want to fix everyone's problems without any meaningful actions. And then in hs2 she takes on a leadership role even though she's not built for it and also evil 🔥🔥. She is self focused in a way that makes it hard for her to acknowledge her own faults, which makes it even harder to clean up personal messes.

Roxy - He's dancing outside the spotlight💃! Which is cute and fun on the surface but I think Roxy's issue is avoidance, which is a part of his aspect. He experiences the most personal growth in the original webcomic, but it gets set back a LOT in candy+, which I actually think is a natural progression Considering his personality. He's kind of an inverse of June in ways? Instead of feeling the need to be The Hero and The Main Guy, he'd rather live a normal life on the sidelines (even at the cost of personal and interpersonal situations)!

Dirk - self subjugation was the imagery I was going for. Not muuuch else to say? Sorry striders ur some of my favs but ur emotional + godhood problems manifest in pretty obvious ways.

Jake - literally what's happening is that there are malformed hope shaped wings sprouting out of his back. It's supposed to look painful because his faith in others (and himself!) often bites him in the ass. You can't hope yourself into stable relationships 💔 especially when you refuse to engage in any critical self reflection💔💔

[nekropsii]

do you still do session analysis?

I've never really done that, so no.

I appreciate the value placed in my opinion, truly, but I guarantee you it will be way more fun and satisfying to write things like that on your own than it is to get some stranger to do it for you. I don't feel good depriving someone the joy and learning experience of figuring out Character + Classpect Dynamics on your own. It's hard, for sure, but it's completely worth it. I'll give my thoughts on Individual Classes, Aspects, and Classpects now and then, if the mood strikes me, but the way that will affect a Group Dynamic is far more dependent on the individual characters involved and the narrative they're in than a lot of people seem to give credit for. Yes, the Classpect of a character says a lot about them, but it doesn't really express their Moral Alignment, the full breadth of their Personality, any specific Traumas or Neuroses that may afflict them and affect their relationship with their life, surroundings, and the people around them, et cetera, et cetera...

Basically, a Classpect says a lot, and a Group of Classpects can also say a lot, but I find it personally difficult to make very solid statements on the Viability of a Session or the Dynamics within it without having a deep understanding of not only the characters involved but also what kind of story is being aimed for. What a Classpect can mean or entail depends a lot on the Hero in question, and the specific Meta of the Session. You can keep the Meaning of all Classes and Aspects nigh completely Canon Compliant, but still have them imply and result in totally different things within a Session, purely because the Story and Character demands something that isn't, like... Just a straight up repeat of things already tread upon in source material. You could have a Seer of Light that's evil. You could have Bard of Rage that's a pretty good guy, all things considered.

For example, Sovereignstuck has a very particular Meta with its Classpects, and it's going for a very particular narrative. The characters in it are also very much so their own beasts - though their Classpects may say a lot about them, it doesn't really tell you anything about their morality, or how willing they are to hurt people or even just ascend to godhood in the first place, which is a really big deal in what is essentially a literal Deus Ex Machina Death Game Horror/Drama RPG setting especially. To use a particular example from Sovereignstuck - Bards of Mind tend to be billed as chaotic forces and, due to being a Bard, inherently bad people, with some even suggesting the best way to write a Bard of Mind is to write a straight up Bigot. We've got a Bard of Mind in the Player Session, Emeric Sargas, and while she is a complicated person - as is the truth for everyone ever - she is, generally speaking, a very child-like ball of sunshine that basically no one has beef with because she's just very sweet. Odd, yes, definitely, she does have a litany of very strange beliefs about how the world works, but overall a nice person. We have two Maids of Space, even, and they're extremely, extremely different people.

It's not as simple as saying "Princes of Void and Witches of Heart are guaranteed to not get along!", or "This Session will fail because it has an insufficient Player count!". Hell, it's difficult for me to even say a Session is doomed to fail if they have no Time and/or Space Players. Maybe the Meta of your Session simply doesn't abide by typical SBURB rules. I know my Fanventure sure doesn't, it's running on a fucking spinoff game with no Universe Building aspects to it - it's just a God-Making Machine. Maybe you don't need a Time or Space Player. Maybe you don't need a Knight, or an Heir. Maybe you can have five Pages. I literally don't know. Write whatever you want. Get creative. You truly do not have to abide by the rules set by SBURB if you don't want to write a Creation Myth. My only recommendation is that if you're breaking the mold, make that clear - explain what the purpose of your game is. Hell, explain the purpose even if it's just SBURB 2. The Characters are gonna have to learn what it is, even if the reader is aware of it already.

I could talk more, but this is already a long enough response to a pretty simple one sentence yes or no question.

TL;DR: No, I don't, sorry.

[cursedcola]

Discussion: "The Prophecy of Twisted Godhood" <- A reimagining of Twisted Wonderland through Greek Mythology. Where instead of a world based on Disney - Yuu is sent to a school meant to train demigods in another realm. Dormitories: Heartslabyul || Savanaclaw || Octavanille (Here) || Scarabia || Pomefiore || Ignihyde || Diasomnia || Ramshackle (full lore and main plot outline) || Others Notes: Hey everyone - believe it or not, this was the original idea back when I started working on my TWST otome. I went a more traditional route since I wanted more of an immersive product...but I still have all of these ideas, y'know? So why not share them since I won't be making it into a game. Character designs and comics might come if i ever want to add more

Premise: The Prophecy of the Gods’ Reawakening

At NRC on the Isle of Gods, a prestigious institution built upon the ruins of ancient temples, Yuu (the protagonist) is just another student. However, Yuu’s, a supposed ‘godless human’, arrival is no accident—there’s an ancient prophecy surrounding them that foretells the fall of all gods, threatening the balance between the mortal and divine worlds.

The gods, once all-powerful, are losing their grip over their domains. Their children, the demigods, have become restless, each facing the expectations of their divine parentage while undergoing trials at NRC. The mortals are unaware of the ancient forces at play, but Yuu is caught in the center of this storm by ‘chance’ with no power to return to their realm. As they unravel the ties between the demigods, Yuu discovers that their very existence could either restore the gods' reign or bring about their ultimate downfall.

The students of Night Raven College, in this realm known as Nether Realms College, split into seven dormitories, each reflect different aspects of the divine legacy that they inherit. Each dorm conflict mirrors a myth or curse, and Yuu must navigate these volatile relationships and broken alliances, all while uncovering their own mysterious divine heritage.

Octavinelle - The Realm of the Abyss and Deception

Renamed: "Thalassos Dormitory"

In Thalassos, the students’ connections to their divine parentage are deeply tied to power, manipulation, and chaos. The dorm’s members embody various aspects of ambition, secrecy, intelligence, and the unpredictable nature of the world. Each student is forced to reckon with their desires, morality, and the impact of their divine inheritance, all while facing the Prophecy of the Gods’ Reawakening and the threat it poses to both the mortal and divine worlds.

The complex dynamics within Thalassos are rooted in manipulation, hidden motives, and the pursuit of self-interest—themes that are amplified by the growing unrest between the gods pulling power from their demigod children – causing them to use other methods to gain higher ground. The tension within the dorm stems from each member’s desire to control their fate, whether it’s through manipulation (Azul), subtle influence (Jade), or chaotic freedom (Floyd). Most Thalassos students have an equal-standing relationship with their patron, creating a false sense of control that becomes threatened once their gods’ power is threatened. Yuu’s arrival in the dorm will reveal the tension between control and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, as each character grapples with their crafted role in the prophecy and their divine legacies. In this arc, the true purpose of NRC comes to light, revealing the true purpose of demigod children, their training, and the known prophecy. One each student is aware of – to Yuu’s surprise.

Children of the gods train for their parent’s favor – and are destined to either usurp their god, serve another child who succeeds, or be absorbed as a source of power. Hence the competitive nature at NRC, as this cycle has been since the beginning of time.

Azul Ashengrotto – Son of Plutus (God of Wealth and Commerce)

Reasoning: Azul Ashengrotto is very much a figure of wealth, ambition, and resource manipulation, which connects him with Plutus, the god of wealth. Plutus controls the distribution of wealth, much like how Azul manipulates contracts and deals to his advantage.

-

Conflict:

Azul, born as the child of Plutus, the god of wealth, stands at the apex of power withinThalassos. His life revolves around contracts, control, and the flow of power. His entire identity is built upon the idea that wealth, both literal and metaphorical, equates to power—power that he manipulates with finesse to maintain a stronghold over his dormitory and the students within it. But Azul’s calculated, business-driven nature is constantly at odds with his divine legacy. His god, Plutus, rules the distribution of wealth but is, by nature, fickle and more concerned with his own desires than loyalty to Azul.

Azul’s ambition goes beyond simply becoming the most powerful student at Night Raven College; it’s about usurping Plutus’s place as the ultimate authority in his life. However, the prophecy looming over them threatens to unmake everything Azul has worked so carefully to build. As Yuu arrives at Night Raven College—a "godless human" tied to the prophecy—Azul’s calculated world begins to unravel.

Yuu is the wild card he never anticipated, a force that disrupts his control in ways he doesn’t fully understand. Yuu's very existence challenges the natural order that Azul has established, questioning the very tenets upon which he’s built his power. Unlike his fellow demigods, who are all tied to their gods with a fragile, transactional loyalty, Yuu represents something beyond that—an unknown, "godless" force that could either shatter or restore the balance between mortal and divine realms.

Azul’s inner conflict arises from his fear of losing control over not only the students of Thalassos but also over his own fate. If Yuu were to embrace their role in the prophecy and align with the gods’ agenda, Azul would become a pawn in a much larger game, or worse, be discarded as a source of power. For someone who thrives on orchestrating every facet of his life, this is terrifying. Azul is both drawn to and repelled by Yuu’s potential influence, unsure whether to view them as an asset or a threat. On one hand, Yuu could help him gain the upper hand in his struggle against Plutus. On the other, Yuu’s potential to destabilize the entire system could strip away his carefully built empire.

Tension with Yuu:

From the moment Yuu arrives, Azul sees them as a potential ally in his quest for supremacy. He quickly begins to recognize their unassuming yet potent influence over the other dorms, sensing an opportunity to form a strategic partnership. Yuu could be the missing piece in his complex web of manipulation—a wildcard who could help him either consolidate his power or serve as a leverage against his patron, Plutus.

However, as their relationship develops, Azul begins to realize that Yuu isn’t someone he can control with the same ease as his usual deals. Yuu’s true nature is unpredictable, shifting, and at odds with Azul’s methodical approach. While Yuu doesn’t actively try to challenge Azul, their mere presence undermines his sense of control, making him question whether he can truly trust anyone, even someone who seems to be a useful pawn.

The tension between them becomes a dance of power dynamics, manipulation, and mutual suspicion. Azul’s need to maintain control clashes with Yuu’s unintentional subversion of that control. As Azul spends more time around Yuu, his need for dominance over others intensifies, but so does his fear that, by relying on someone else, he is slowly losing himself in the process.

Azul’s deep-seated fear of becoming irrelevant or powerless leads him to an increasingly unhealthy obsession with Yuu. He’s not just interested in their potential to help him gain power—he becomes fixated on understanding them, especially since Yuu seems to be a symbol of something beyond his control. The more he delves into Yuu’s secrets and motivations, the more he realizes that they represent a kind of freedom he doesn’t know how to attain. This becomes a subtle conflict in their interactions: while Yuu’s presence challenges Azul’s control, Azul finds himself drawn to them, not just as a pawn but as something he cannot comprehend or command.

Resolution:

As the prophecy of the gods' reawakening unfolds, Azul realizes that his wealth and control over Thalassos won’t be enough to safeguard his position. Plutus, his divine patron, cares little for his loyalty – Like Father Like Son – the moment Azul begins to waiver he will lose his father’s power, and the rising threat of divine upheaval risks undoing everything Azul has built. He understands that to survive and outmaneuver Plutus, he must adapt—no longer relying solely on manipulation but strategically cooperating with others.

Yuu, the "godless human" tied to the prophecy, becomes a pivotal figure for Azul. While he initially sees them as a potential pawn, Azul begins to recognize their influence on the unfolding events—and his own vulnerability. Yuu becomes a weakness for Azul, a threat to his control, as their very presence is tied to the gods' fate. Though he still doesn’t fully trust them, he grows increasingly protective of Yuu, recognizing that they are both an asset and a potential liability. His attachment to them grows reluctantly, born from a need to ensure their loyalty. He knows that Yuu’s role in the prophecy could either empower him or be exploited by Plutus to destabilize his position. This makes Azul's dependence on them a complicated necessity—he cannot afford to alienate them, but he also refuses to relinquish his grip on the situation. In the end, Azul adapts to the shifting dynamics, using his newfound understanding of alliances to protect his interests while still maintaining his ambition. As Plutus’ power begins to wane, Azul takes a new approach. His goal is still to usurp as the new god of commerce, but rather than crush his fellow demigod – offers a plan to reform their standing. Rather than beat them out, he will gain their support (placing him as the only option for Plutus’ power) and usurp his god as a team.

Jade Leech - Son of Hecate (Goddess of Magic)

Reasoning: Jade Leech, with his enigmatic and almost aloof personality, is a perfect fit for Hecate, the goddess of magic, witchcraft, and the underworld. Hecate is associated with the mysterious and hidden aspects of the world, often in places where secrets are kept, much like Jade's cryptic nature and his love for observing others from the shadows. Both characters have an air of mystery, possess an unsettling calmness, and are master manipulators in their own right.

Connection: Jade's strategic, mysterious nature and his interest in controlling situations through knowledge and subtle influence are aligned with Hecate’s domain over magic, secrets, and the unknown.

-

Conflict:

Jade Leech, embodying the traits of Hecate, stands as a figure of calculated control, secrecy, and manipulation. Hecate’s domain over the unseen and the mystical forces resonates deeply with Jade’s own strategic, quiet nature. He thrives in the shadows, pulling the strings of others with precision and patience, much like how Hecate governs the realms of the unseen. Jade’s careful manipulation and love for secrecy are essential to his ability to navigate the complex and often deceptive world of Thalassos. His existence is marked by his ability to watch and influence without being seen, maintaining an aura of mystery that mirrors Hecate’s power over hidden truths. Jade is a unique force within Night Raven College – having killed all his brethren as a child, there is no competition for Hecate’s patron. The only remaining is Floyd, his twin who was born to another god’s power – aka. Jade taking a blessing from his mother and Floyd the only of their ilk from their father. Jade spared Floyd out of curiosity, and the two became the dominant candidates for their patron’s favor. Therefore, Jade’s conflict with Hecate resides solely in if she will absorb his power or become usurped. Due to his grey nature, the relationship between Jade and Hecate is never explicitly established. Both god and son are secretive in nature – and whether a 3rd solution or agreement has been established remains to be seen. Yuu’s arrival creates an unforeseen disruption in Thalassos – Jade, ever the lover of the unexpected, is intrigued by his Warden’s infatuation with this specific pawn. Despite his cool demeanor, Jade finds himself curious of Yuu’s ability to see through the layers of deception and hidden motives that others cannot. Their insight seems to undermine his carefully orchestrated world of manipulation. At first, he treats Yuu as an experiment, wondering how a "godless" human could cause chaos in a space designed for the children of the gods. They remain in neutral territory for most of this arc. Jade wonders how this disruption can be used for his benefit but is forced to reevaluate his position when Yuu’s presence begins to unbalance not only his own machinations but also the relationships within Thalassos —especially with Azul, whose investment in the godless prefect is both a personal delight and a professional dilemma for Jade. He finds himself needing to assess the situation more critically than he initially expected.

Tension with Yuu:

Jade’s reaction to Yuu is less about outright hostility and more about uncertainty. As someone who thrives on manipulation and the ability to control situations, Jade cannot ignore Yuu’s calm ability to dismantle the intricacies of his carefully constructed network of influence. Unlike others who might react out of fear or anger, Yuu simply observes and deconstructs, leaving Jade uncertain of how to handle them. Initially, Jade views this as a challenge—an opportunity to observe how Yuu, a “godless human,” will react to the shifting dynamics within Thalassos. He enjoys playing with them alongside Floyd – going along with Azul’s plan to overtake influence and pull this pawn into their shared grasp. What begins as casual curiosity, however, soon grows into a more serious contemplation.

Jade sees Yuu as both a threat and a fascination. Their ability to remain calm and composed in the face of power struggles beyond mortal comprehension presents a paradox that Jade is eager to explore. They are neither intimidated nor swayed by the complexities of godly influence that dominate his world. A human’s presence is already enough to sow chaos – but he cannot help but sense more secrets to Yuu than the human themselves realizes. He looks forward to seeing if they survive or crack under another demigod’s heel.

As his relationship with Yuu deepens, Jade finds himself questioning his motivations: Is Yuu merely a pawn in this game, or could they become an ally—or even a liability? Considering his kin’s growing attachment and Azul’s struggle – Jade is forced to face the human as more than a toy now that there are personal stakes.

Jade must also contend with the emotional complexity of growing closer to someone who challenges his detached nature. While he does not openly express his emotions, he realizes that Yuu’s presence might force him to confront his feelings about connection and power. While his connection to Hecate remains unknown, whatever agreement he has made with her may not be reflective of his goals after this arc’s completion. Therefore leaving him with motivation beyond curiosity to see how this prophecy pans out.

Resolution:

Jade’s arc doesn’t resolve in a conventional sense, as he never fully struggles with his alignment to Hecate or his understanding of self. Jade is the product of a world in which manipulation, secrecy, and influence are natural extensions of his being. As long as Hecate continues to support him, Jade will act accordingly. If she decides to pull her power, Jade will adjust, but his core principles will remain unchanged. Should the gods fall, he will simply adapt to the new world order, seeing it as another challenge to be navigated. Even as Hecate’s power begins to wane, it is never revealed if he is affected or not. It remains uncertain if he even pulls from her power at all.

When it comes to Yuu, Jade is pragmatic. While he never truly forms a deep emotional attachment, he respects their ability to provoke chaos in a controlled environment. Jade finds the "godless" human intriguing in the same way someone might find an unpredictable game fascinating—not necessarily something he can control, but something worth observing. Yuu, in Jade’s eyes, represents a chaotic element that is as valuable as it is dangerous. His ultimate stance is one of curiosity, watching Yuu navigate the currents of the prophecy without interference. Only at the end of this ARC does his involvement make waves, as he finds Azul’s development the most unexpected trump card of all. Moving with his kin and dorm leader – Jade becomes an ally to the godless prefect that is beginning to draw attention. In the end, Jade recognizes the inherent chaos in Yuu and acknowledges that their role in the unfolding events will be inevitable. He remains unperturbed by the prophecy's potential outcome, as he knows he will always could act in his own best interest, regardless of what transpires.

Floyd Leech - Son of Pan (God of Wild Nature)

Reasoning: Floyd Leech is energetic, unpredictable, and thrives on chaos and excitement—traits that align him with Pan, the god of the wild, mischief, and nature. Pan is known for his mischievous, often unpredictable behavior, and his tendency to incite chaos among humans and gods alike. Floyd, like Pan, is a force of nature—unpredictable and carefree, with a love for pulling pranks and creating disorder. Both are embodiments of youthful energy and playfulness.

Connection: Floyd’s wild, chaotic personality and his love for fun make him the perfect parallel to Pan, the god of mischief and untamed nature.

-

Conflict:

Floyd Leech, as a child of Pan, embodies the god of mischief, chaos, and untamed freedom. Like his divine parent, Floyd delights in unpredictability and thrives on disrupting the status quo, especially within the confines of Thalassos. His playful nature, fueled by a desire for chaos and fun, clashes with the more structured ambitions of his fellow dorm members. He holds no conflict with his God other than the constraints of fate – he is a force to be reckoned with and cannot be controlled. He follows Azul and his brother, Jade, out of love for the game. He stands on equal footing with Pan, not to overtake like Azul or remain indifferent like Jade – but as a menace more than eager to fight back if challenged by his father. However, despite his chaotic nature, Floyd is not entirely unconnected to his dorm. Though Floyd enjoys causing upheaval, he is also quite loyal to his dormmates when it matters. The entire rivalry between demigods bores him, but the demand of their gods and the school’s instructors agitates him more.

Floyd’s conflict begins when Yuu, a “godless human,” enters Thalassos. Initially, Floyd sees Yuu as a source of amusement—a curious, and harmless figure to poke fun at and bring into his chaotic antics. They are someone without a blessing, yet seem to have a bone to pick with the gods – their bad luck is pathetic but offers something different for Floyd to see. He’s intrigued by how Yuu, despite being “godless,” manages to hold their own, unshaken by Floyd’s wild behavior. In a dorm filled with godly offspring vying for power, this normal human without divine heritage has guts and it pisses him off. It’s a strange concept for Floyd, who doesn’t understand why Yuu isn't moved by the games and manipulations that define his world. His whole life he thought mortals to be plain and weak in the shadow of gods. He had no interest…until now. As Yuu’s ability to remain unaffected by his antics becomes clearer, Floyd begins to grow more and more frustrated. He utterly despises their lack of reactions. Especially with Azul’s infatuation with getting their favor and other demigods from rival dorms poking their noses around Thalassos. Yet, even with this frustration, Floyd finds himself drawn to Yuu, because nothing would anger the gods more than forming an alliance with this human. Even Pan, who Floyd cannot seem to get a reaction from beyond their many fights.

As the Prophecy of the Gods’ Reawakening looms larger and the tension rises among the demigods, Floyd watches Yuu closely. The other students in Thalassos are obsessed with gaining favor, with vying for position and power, but Yuu doesn’t seem to care about the game surround them. Not beyond their needs, not for fun, not for knowledge or anything else. Everything they do seems almost like an orchestrated, chaotic, accident. While watching them get crushed like others at NRC would be an amazing show – like when he first met Azul, Floyd takes an interest in seeing how they will bring about a new end to what every demigod has known since they were born. He forms a symbiotic bond with them by then end of this arc, intent on being on their side when conflict strikes in exchange for their company/care. What begins as a quest for entertainment and to anger Pan – ends with him having the most genuine attachment out of the three main members in Thalassos, especially since he gets to mess with other dormitories by taking Yuu under his protection.

Tension with Yuu:

The real tension with Yuu comes from the fact that Floyd cannot manage a reaction from them. He works with Jade to make Azul’s plan a success – but every interaction with Yuu irritates him more and more. He thrives on reaction, on making others flinch, on creating an emotional ripple. Yet with Yuu, there’s an unsettling calmness that doesn’t break. He thought from the rumors circulating about conflicts in Themantica, and Koryphaios that they’d be the perfect target to unsettle…but there’s something almost hollowing about them. A lingering feeling that unsettles the power he borrows from Pan, and he can’t stand it. Outside of Thalassos they behave completely different, and only when Azul went after the other demigods he’d not waste time with do they actually seem invested. This frustrates him to no end. It’s not fun for Floyd when he can’t get a rise out of someone. It makes him question whether his chaotic nature is enough to get under their skin, or if Yuu is simply too removed from the very concept of power dynamics for him to make an impact.

Floyd’s unsettled feelings grow as he watches how Yuu manages to survive in the cutthroat world of NRC. They don’t follow the script he’s used to seeing—the one where everyone vies for favor and struggles to manipulate one another. Yuu seems content, neutral, even when faced with adversity. For someone who acts on their gut feelings, he cannot escape the nasty sense that pulls up whenever he looks their way.  He’s never seen someone so distant towards the system (not even Jade), so neutral to their end, the way Yuu is, and for a god-child who is used to pushing boundaries and shattering expectations, it’s something that feels both threatening and thrilling. It’s discovered that Floyd’s unease is not only Pan’s influence – because in a school where all students are ready to fight for power, they all still fight. It goes against the law of the wilds for Yuu to simply accept Floyd’s abuse, follow Azul’s plans, and default their fate to others as their time stuck on the Isle of Gods drags on. His anger is at this lack of spark – regardless of what they’ve endured prior to NRC or in those other dormitories. Living things are supposed to want to keep living. Once they snap, pushed too far by Azul’s game with his god/dorm, Yuu earns Floyd’s favor by acting in self-interest for once. Showing him humans still embody the will of the wilds, and proving that making them an ally is just what he wants to do.

Resolution:

As the Prophecy of the Gods’ Reawakening looms closer, Floyd’s relationship with Yuu evolves from mere entertainment to something more substantial. At first, Floyd’s interest in Yuu is driven by frustration, annoyance, and the desire to create chaos in a way that will anger the gods—but over time, he begins to see Yuu as a genuine ally. As the arc concludes, Floyd is left assured that not a single feeling he has is from Pan’s influence. His gut feelings are his own, and he is free to choose his path without needing to prove anything to his father or others. In fact, his moral compass hasn’t changed at all. Other than he’s now curious of the earthly lands below, and isn’t keen on a prophecy or higher power telling him what he has to do once his time at NRC is up. He only came here to follow Azul and Jade – and it was a drag at first, but with Yuu he expects the plot to kick up more.

By the end of this arc, Floyd forms a symbiotic bond with Yuu. It begins to mess with Pan and upset the established order, but it grows into something more complex. Floyd becomes genuinely attached to Yuu, seeing them as a new branched path for the future. They better get back to earth, he’ll help, because he wants to follow and see what the mortal world has to offer. They won’t be able to escape him in this life now that Floyd’s set his mind.  In being the initial catalyst for Yuu’s investment (aka bullying them into snapping and caring to live through this hellscape) – Floyd stands by Yuu as a self-proclaimed protector. Both to taunt the gods and their waning power, while also playing himself at the center of blissful chaos.

[rhaecresent]

long time no morgott drawing. either way, i'll post it once its done. and the adohan doodle in the image. i personally think its the best rendition of how she looks like in the fic((still in progress but its coming i swear)).

adohan is much like a hawk, i think, meanwhile inspiration for morgott's appearance is often taken from wolves, goats and deer, both predator and prey alike.(more on that bellow if you squint)

general (certainly bitter) morgott fic rant down below((warning: EXTREMELY opinionated, pessimistic and lacking in much structure))>>

since my time learning english through elden ring fan fiction, ive noticed a pattern of people reducing morgott to one of two things: sad, broken and pitiable, old, virginal maiden who is desperately in need of the main tarnished character to crack him like a nut and show him that "being omen is beautiful and he should be proud of what he is!", or he is an "alpha male", still perhaps in the prime of his physical abilities and has a libido equivalent to that of a spring hare. the second usually tries to encorporate some sort of vulnerability as to explain and/or compensate for his general lack of empathy towards the writers MC. by the end, his behaviour is read as not that of an old bitter demigod as is in canon, but as that of a middle school child involved in a middle school relationship with the MC. this gets to a point where im not sure who is more immature; the generally passive and/or 21st century type progressive MC who lacks the self respect to leave when they are clearly emotionally mistreated in a (seemingly) established relationship or morgott.

the first morgott trope by the end tends to have him reduced to the main characters elden lord/husband. perhaps managing doing all the work to rebuild the in shambles lands between, having him balance being both housewife and ruler while the MC either follows him around putting in barely any substance into the conflict post lordship as they are usually horrifically under qualified for a job like this. morgott is made into a tool to fix the world because he is the only one qualified for this job while also infantalised in every other aspect of his character(personality, general history of murdering a meriad of tarnished and other folk during the shattering war, his sexuality, and social skills all while tanking his ego along with it.) he always either repents for his crimes against his spouses kind or it is simply not ever mentioned as if he wasn't giddily hunting tarnished for sport right before meeting them at the gate to stormveil.

somehow the second trope upsets me even more. yes, perhaps morgott does place himself into godhood and the comical lack of political qualification that the tarnished is given can be excused. however, the tarnished is so passive in the relationship (usually not the main plot) that they will endure mistreatment, fire and storm with a soft, loving smile on their face while morgott smacks his head against the wall in hatered for himself and in hatered for the ardent desire he holds for the tarnished.

if i had a nickel for every time the MC gave a monologue about how it doesn't matter that morgotts an omen, and that they still love him despite his outbursts and bad attitude, and how the golden orders rules are bullshit and how he should totally reject the values he's lived and served by for the past couple thousand years, i'd be pretty rich.

it's ridiculous to assume he'd just change his mind to support the tarnished in their quest to lordship overnight.

despite his easily interpreted "self-loathing" nature, i simply cannot believe he is this much of a broken mess that people often write him as. he's ruled leyndell (well enough?) for a while now, he's well spoken, has incredible skill and/or talent to conjure apparitions of people(godfrey, that small guy in altus feild, margit at stormveil), so it's terribly hard to assume he'd wasn't educated or trained like a prince of his position would, even if he was cast down into the sewers at whatever age he was. he's certainly had tutoring at SOME point in his life, either before the sewer, during inside the sewer, or after and during his reign in leyndell.

what i also dislike, is the reduction of his character to his trauma. in many works he is presented as an object to be pitied and fixed by his love interest, as if a lifetime of conditioning and omen racism can be undone through the power of love. the idea that he deserves love due to his trauma before meeting his love interest is the most degrading thing he could be put through. being reduced by a large part of the fandom to the worst experience of your life is so unfair that it seems cruel.

his sexuality and experience is another gripe i have with how he's commonly written and portrayed. i really enjoy the "Chehovs Gun" analogy and this is one of the times it should be considered. if morgott is mentioned to be a virgin, then the context and subject of abstinence/repulsion/celibacy/etc should be expanded upon and developed, otherwise the mention of his virginity is pointless and to me is only interpreted as The Writers Barely Disguised Fetish (which is fine but still, i am only writing this to complain). if virginity is explicitly mentioned then it should be lead by a conflict that comes up later in the story.

on the other hand, if one interprets morgott to have had many relationships and connections in the past before meeting the MC, then that too should be expanded upon as well. the first spouse is just as important to a character's development as is their second spouse. why mention that he has Been Fuckin' if you throw the concept of the previous love/relationship towards sexual encounters out of the window as soon as it's mentioned?

expanding upon the "second trope morgott treats MC like garbage even when they're in the talking stage" point: i enjoy weird power imbalances and toxic relationships as much as the next guy, but if an MC allows themselves to be mistreated without any real struggle against the "abuse"(used lightly), then i will just assume they have the will and boundaries of a wet handkerchief, which makes not only the growing kinship and mutual love between the two terribly unbelievable, but also the believability of the MCs will to become a good elden lord/god by the end of the journey is very small. an MC that allows themselves to be pushed around and morgott who seemingly enjoys pushing them around growing healthy feelings for each other is ridiculous to me unless they are both really into it.

don't take my opinion as fact, or as anything at all for the matter. however, this *is* my blog, and i *do* post whatever i like. either way, there are certain misinterpretations on my part due to bad translations to my mother tongue/my own poor attempt to translate the fic. take this with a grain of salt and if you've managed to read this far - tell me how you feel about morgott fics and tropes like this, i am but a humble reader who's english is about as good as that of an apple

[rosecoloredtarot]

What is the latest belief or thing you added to your faith?

Faith specifically? That godhood is a title bestowed or earned, not an intrinsic aspect of an entity. This is a slight expansion of Stag's "spirits in silly hats" theory.

So last year I started my journey, maybe not on the crooked path, but next to it? within eyeline of it? Idk, I started seeking out The Witchfather. And things went really well, we have a good relationship going, I've expanded my craft significantly in just the 6 months since I made my pact (that sounds WAY more serious than it is, right now I have a year and a day deal going with him, we will reassess on my birthday). I also went into this relationship relatively blind to literature and prevailing ideas surrounding him. I wanted to get to know each other before I started researching him in depth.

As the weeks and months passed, I started to realize he was rather limited in power relative to what I thought a god should be able to do. Most of what we did together was tied to the forest behind my house, and his ability to act outside of my property was minimal. I have since come to the conclusion he is the spirit of that forest, not The Witchfather (capital T capital W, big daddy God [which I'm sure is a cultural Christian expectation anyway]) that I thought he was. He was simply MY witchfather. He only became a deity because I decided he was one, and from what I can tell, he does not give two shits if he is considered a god or not. He simply is a Guy who answered when I called out. I am the one who put that crown on his head, and he wears it indifferently.

So I think a lot of what makes godhood is how we as people/worshippers/whatever you wanna call us treat the entities concerned. Aphrodite is not the goddess of love, sex and beauty because of any inherent quality she possesses, the ancients just gave her that domain and she ran with it (and she's doing a wonderful job as far as I'm concerned).

This whole change in philosophy was super freeing with regard to my idea of faith and devotion. It takes the pressure off of my ideas of divinity. It is easier to approach someone when you think of them as "just some guy with a fancy title" god instead of "behold my radiance, look upon me and weep" god.

Thanks for the ask! It was nice to actually write this all out and get it to be coherent.