#the master is also an Arcane scholar

[raspberry-gloaming]

I very much doubt there's much chance of this, but is there anyone out there who is a fan of both Doctor Who (and especially/possibly the Gallifrey audios) and the Nevermoor series? As I have many au thoughts but no-one to share/discuss them with.

(if you are please message me)

[ask-neloth]

Greetings, Magister Neloth!

It is no mystery that your stay on the isle of Solstheim, besides the notional study of heartstones, also includes research of the daedric grimoires known as Black Books. While the effects of these dangerous artifacts are relatively well-known, your own relationship with them is not.

Would you care to elaborate on your history with these Black Books and their creator? Did they become a research subject by happenstance or is there a more personal investment involved?

Your question is incredibly forward, but I shall humor it within reason.

Hermaeus Mora is neither considered one of the Good Daedra nor part of the House of Troubles. As an entity, he is neutral in most dealings, with relatively well-defined rules of engagement, motives, and boundaries. It is rare that one strolls into Apocrypha unwittingly. Anyone who considers themself a scholar knows well what to expect and what is expected of them when dealing with Hermaeus Mora. That being said, I was quite young when first introduced to the endless libraries.

Given a mere glimpse into the fathomless depths of Apocrypha, I was left bedridden for weeks as my family’s best healers attempted to repair my fractured mind. I made a full recovery (despite what some might claim), and for a time I devoted myself to regaining entry to Apocrypha while also retaining my sanity. It took much trial and error, combining the schools of Restoration and Mysticism in ways never before attempted. Now mind you, this was in the late second era, when travel between Nirn and the realms of Oblivion was both deeply frowned upon and strangely accessible, if one knew where to look.

After several years of training my mind and strengthening my Will, I was able to locate a functional portal on the Telvanni peninsula. And thus, the infinite knowledge of Apocrypha stretched before me.

Of course, no mortal enters Mora’s realm without drawing the attention of the Great Eye, and he naturally chose to address me personally after I’d managed to pass as a visitor on multiple occasions. He offered me a contract, which I did not immediately accept, but gave great consideration. A contract with any Daedra is not something to be taken lightly, though in my upbringing it is considered far less taboo than in other parts of Tamriel. With the attainment of great power there must also be an equal sacrifice. In the end, I presented a counter-contract, and we reached an agreement. I was given access to Apocrypha in exchange for my conditional servitude. 

What does ‘servitude’ under Hermaus Mora look like, you might ask? You must fashion yourself to be an eternal Apprentice of arcane study, and he is your ever-watchful Master. There is no knowledge you possess that Mora does not also have access to. In a sense, you are sharing your mind with a God. 

As for the Black Books, my mind is protected from the madness that these artifacts can induce so long as I remain faithful to our agreement. Each Book is an entry point into Apocrypha without having to physically leave Nirn. As to the conditions of my contract, I shall be keeping those to myself. And upon the expiration of my mortal body, I have a promised place in Apocrypha, where I shall continue the Work into eternity and beyond. I can imagine no better fate for myself.

[katyspersonal]

List Master Willem’s war crimes for the judge and jury, please!

Alright this is genuinely a good question! I'll start with a plain one:

1) Fishing Hamlet massacre is Willem's order

Sorry, Laurence only condoned two massacres, not three. xD We yet can see he did have a good teacher in more ways than one hfsdhffd And it is definitely not hard to guess what was the reasoning:

2) The OG grave-robber

Obscure lore because it is locked to an item most players never found as it's gathered through unlikely platformer. But yeah, he and his friends done it before Tomb Prospectors made it cool XD Furthermore, some Chalice Rituals materials are found within Byrgenwerth (Red Jelly, Pearl Slug).

Granted, since Gehrman and Maria are associated with Byrgenwerth and Old Hunter Vitus is a summon in the Dungeons, he could have rather used aid of the Old Hunters instead of terrorising leftovers of Pthumerian civilisation himself. Maybe what he and his friends did was simply checking! But in that case, bothering Pthumerians was still his order, similarly to Fishing Hamlet.

3) Something to do with the infants..

There are multiple fetuses found in Byrgenwerth, in two variants: a petrified one (a common sign of strong Arcane exposure) and a 'cursed' one (with horns and multiple tiny skulls):

This is a large room for speculation on whether they were somehow lab-grown, or kidnapped from the Dungeons... Or, maybe, they were forcibly conceived in test subjects? Commoners that live in the woods around Byrgenwerth, kidnapped Pthumerians, whatever. To "lighten" the mood, maybe volunteer scholars? In either case, something heavily unethical happened here. The reason MUST have been the Great Ones' infants umbilical cords:

We are fighting adolescent (?) version of OoK, whereas their real 'presence' that we sever to destroy the heart of the Nightmare is a much smaller form, so, very likely, OoK was stolen as an infant, from the womb of Kos, and his cord was retracted.

(Side note: it is not necessary that the cord Fauxsefka drops was stolen from Byrgenwerth, let alone that it was the cord of OoK specifically, since she only drops it after Bloodmoon. I think that either she got pregnant like Arianna, especially since she is a Vileblood too, or she was on her way to be reborn into a GO infant like Paleblood Hunter does in the New Beginnings ending! The latter is very possible since that ending is only accessible after eating 3 cords, so, after gaining a lot of Insight, which Fauxsefka does! Basically we don't know the fate of OoK's cord, but nonetheless it is likely that Willem still had it!)

4) Was Rom's fate his fault?

This is the potential one rather than apparent! There is a common assumption that he was experimenting on Rom, supported also by the fact that Byrgenwerth is the only place where Gardens of Eyes type of Kin are found (otherwise they're only found in generated Chalice Dungeons, so, "non canon" ones). Granted, there is a lot to talk about Amygdalae and Nightmare Apostles involvement with the 'Spiders', as well as Patches the Spider being in Byrgenwerth! Still:

Not an unreasonable assumption! Though it is up to interpretation whether Rom was forcibly experimented on, groomed by him to "agree" to it for greater good as Byrgenwerth is hardcore gatekeepers, volunteered herself, or did have that weird involvement with 'Spiders' and Willem simply utilised the (unwell) result by at least hiding it in the Lake. Another sidenote though is that by the game's events, Rom is THE person concealing Mensis Ritual, and Willem is the one to urge our Hunter to hunt her with his scepter!

(Backing this up because there might be people that didn't play BB yet since Sony hates fun and joy)

So I think whatever was his reason to hide her in the Moonside Lake was not Mensis Ritual; he did not see it coming back then, and now understands what has to be done to stop it! (Damn, this brings back memories, this issue was one of my very first loredigs...)

5) Willem secretly orchestrated the Choir?

This is the second potential one. Yurie was strangely titled The Last Scholar, and considering her spot, I can only think of the implication of her returning in the walls of Byrgenwerth! There is a secret cave in the woods (most likely the one Fauxsefka invaded from) that allowed communication with Byrgenwerth, as well as White Church Set is found in the Woods! And furthermore, Gatekeeper that guards the entrance to the Woods on the way in Byrgenwerth uses the adage coined in by Willem as the password, and adopted by the Healing Church!

From the looks of it, the way to Byrgenwerth was not only declared to be a forbidden area, but even hidden from the "lower rank" Healing Church staff, as Alfred says gatekeeper would not open. That'd mean he doesn't know the adage, when Amelia must be. Choir and School of Mensis are higher echelons of the Healing Church, and as you can see, Yurie(Choir) is an NPC there, whereas Damian(Mensis) is a summon there! My interpretation here is that communication with Byrgenwerth remained, just that Healing Church made effort to hide it so the unsightly, as Simon put it, secrets of their origins REMAIN secrets.

(For lyrics: ( x )) The petrified spider found in Altar of Grief IS possibly Rom! That theory could be easily discarded at the first glance because the legs don't match, but they do, as you can see from the holes in her Lake form! Lyrics of Ebrietas' song also seem to refer to Mensis Ritual, as if she knows what has to be done to stop it when she cherished Rom for one reason or another and cries at her "grave".

Willem could have had connection with Ebrietas from the start. And, hell, he should have pulled the biggest "told you so" face when Laurence's Healing Church first took a big route around to try and mess with the Deep Sea, and only through so many failed experiments decided to seek the guidance of the Stars instead, and find the 'right' way to aspire for ascension:

Myazaki please stop tormenting me enough is enough sfhdhfd So, the way things likely happened: Willem was able to tell 'Stars' was the way to go even before meeting Ebrietas in person, Laurence separated from Byrgenwerth to try out Blood Ministration when Willem already warned him it was dangerous, then his Healing Church had attempts to dive into Deep Sea for the eyes (if Micolash and Rom somehow had nothing to do with it I am suing everyone fdhfhds), then turned out patients are doing better seeking Stars (Lumenflowers balcony) and it even happens besides their will (Living Failures), they find Ebrietas and reform Research Hall into Choir/Orphanage, they focus on Eyes when Laurence favours Blood and Hunt more, they remember what Willem told them from the start and seek him, eventually people like Yurie and Rom return to their roots for the lack of better term. As for Fauxsefka, either 1) she returned with Yurie but then changed her mind on being a lazy fence-sitter and rage-quit 2) she invaded Byrgenwerth later on, after 'Choir's ways differed from Willem', might have stolen a cord from there but we don't know 3) she never even invaded and her story goes separately, but she IS from Choir's era of 'differing from Willem', that Yurie didn't catch onto.

...what I am saying, is that for all we know, experiments on the orphans and maybe-grooming Rom into sacrificing herself were under his doing, behind Laurence's back, even. Too bad that Micolash in the end turned out to be more cunning than EVERYONE in this scheme, but still, Willem could have played not the last role here! Poor Laurence, so ambitious yet so very dim.

____________________________

So yeah... This might not seem like much, especially as part of this is speculation, but I think this paints the picture of 'mad researcher' character that appears in basically every Soulsborne game at least once x) Laurence and Micolash maybe have created the main mess of the story, but even if they never existed, with Willem, there would be a lot of unethical experiments, a lot of extermination of "less intelligent" species, and a lot of dead infants! He is guilty not as much for teaching Laurence and, likely, Micolash (the boys still had their agency), but for just being himself lol. ROFL at the guy ordering to kill a pregnant mother and her baby and their worshippers in order to learn how to stop being barbaric as human beings fdjhhfdsds

[95jezzica]

Additional Scion Jobs

Long title: Additional Classes & Jobs I think would suit/have suited the Scions. 👀 (And no, I'm not gonna cheat and put Scholar on all of them, although in some case it would actually fit).

[Sorry in advance, the European FFXIV servers went down and they didn't bother to get them up again before the planned maintenance in a few hours, SO this accidentally became a long one post of thoughts, so I'm putting it below 'Read More']. 😂

So. Additional Classes & Jobs I think would have suited the Scions.

Minfilia Warde: White Mage. 🌟 I always wished for her to get something more to fight back with - and White Mage would fit her with the themes of seeking peace, harmony and wanting to support her friends. Seeing as Minfillia spends most of ARR stuck back in the HQ overseeing their operations it'd also make sense to make her a Healer who can take care of her returning comrades once they come back from their missions. Minor spoilers for HW/Shadowbringers, but her being White Mage could also further explain her connections and deeds later on in the game. Though there's a lot of memes about White Mage being a "green DPS" I think she'd be more focused on the healing part.

Tataru Taru: I was about to jokingly say Machinist to give her a gun, but jokes aside I'd give her the class/job Botanist. 🌼 Tataru not being a fighter but still wanting to help is kind of a plot-point within the game, and so I shall abide by the rules. (Though I suppose her being an Arcanist can still be considered canon considering the blue quests in Stormblood?). At any rate I think she'd fit well as a Botanist. Not only would it give her a way to Sneak around, but it'd also help her Gather the resources she or her friends need. As her only listed canon class is Weaver on the wiki, I'm also tempted to add Leatherworker and Culinarian into the list, seeing as we do have some moments where she already works on these even if they're not listed as canon classes (yet?).

Y'shtola "Master of Destruction" Rhul: Summoner. 🔥 No one can deny Y'Shtola is a master of magic. With Conjurer & Black Mage already under her belt it should come to no surprise I think she would continue with a similar line of study, and because of this I think she'd be perfect as Summoner. We COULD technically argue Arcanist/Summoner is semi-canon considering her past studies, but since it's not listed as one of her canon classes/jobs I shall not count it as one either, because the job is too perfect for her to ignore. Additionally I could see her pick up Blue Mage for the challenge it'd give her, even if it wouldn't be a main-job she'd use in world-deciding battles.

Lyse Hext: Dancer (and/or Monk?). 💃🏽 I was admittedly surprised Lyse's only canon listed class/job on the Wiki is Pugilist, and I honestly can't remember if Lyse ever got to upgrade to Monk, but I could have sworn she got the Dancer? Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but either way I think she'd fit well with the Dancer job. She has always been light on her feet and being Dancer would also give her a ranged class to complement Pugilist/Monk, which is very close-ranged.

Papalymo Totolymo: I'd say Sage, after much consideration. 🛡 He was a difficult one to decide on though, but in the end I think it's the one who would make the most sense for him given the lore of Sage being a Sharlayan job difficult to master. It's also canon Papalymo studied the arcane for most of his life, so it'd make sense to give him something related to magic outside of him being a Thaumaturge. That, and I don't feel like he'd fit as a Scholar (the job), Astrologian, Summoner, Red Mage or Pictomancer. I could give a maybe to White Mage, but that's a MAYbe.

Thancred Waters: 🔫 Machinist was obviously my first thought, because hey, canon Gunbreaker already - but given his past as both Gladiator & Rogue he also has a lot of potential as Dark Knight and/or Viper, all which I feel would fit him well. Since he's already a tank with Gunbreaker I'd say Thancred getting Machinist and Viper would be the most useful for him though, and would let him use his experience at the same time as giving him better DPS stats. 🔪

Urianger Augurelt: Scholar, to the surprise of absolutely no one. 😂 xD Listen, if any of the scions deserves the Scholar job, it's him - and it'd be especially fitting for Shadowbringers and give additional reason(s) as to how and why he was able to get along so well with the fae. 🍄 Perhaps a little more surprising is instead that I think he'd also do well as a Reaper. Urianger has proven again and again he does what's necessary to save those he cares about, even at the risk of earning their scorn, and since he's already a canon Astrologian with Scholar added to the list from me Reaper is a good way to balance him out a bit to not only be focused on the healing jobs. 👻 Especially since there's already so many Scions who are Thaumaturge and/or Black Mages and I can't really imagine him taking on a job as a tank. Even with his character development I wouldn't say he enjoys being the center of attention.

Alphinaud Leveilleur: I so badly want to give him a DPS job, but tbh I don't think he'd really fit as any of them? As previous Arcanist and nowadays Scholar/Sage I could simply give him Summoner and be done with it, but it'd be kind of ironic to see him running around summoning a mini-Bahamut. If hard-pressed I'd give him Pictomancer instead, which would be a fun nod to Shadowbringers/Endwalkers as well, but it doesn't feel like a perfect fit either. 🖌 Tbh the perfect job for him would be a tank focused on magic with magical shields and the likes, and to this day I badly wish FFXIV will introduce one in the future. Sadly I think it might be difficult for them to make it different enough from Sage, so Idk if I'll ever get my wish come true.

Alisaie Leveilleur: Gunbreaker. 🔫 / "Jezzica, WHY!???" / Okay, so admittedly part of it is because it'd be hilarious to see her run around with a big gun, but given her personality a job as a tank would actually suit her very well and make her tanky enough to actually continue to stand in the aoe without moving. 🔫 Alisaie is not the healer in a battle, but doesn't mind helping out with healing outside of it. She's loud, honest, and loves being in the middle of it all. Additionally Alisaie has always been the most outspoken about how everyone is relying too much on you (the WoL). Her being a tank fits her personality really well, and quite frankly I think she would quickly become a Dark Knight if you (the WoL) ever died within the game. Given the fact Alisaie is already a Red Mage she also has potential as a Viper, but at the current time I still think Gunbreaker would fit her the best as an additional class/job.

Krile Baldesion: Another difficult one, but I'd probably give her Dancer based on vibes alone from the DT-trailer(s) and her already being a canon healer and Pictomancer. 💃🏽 She's a difficult one though, because I haven't spent as much time with her in the game yet.

Estinien "Wyrmblood" Varlineau: Defeating dragons was his entire life for so long that I think he'd struggle to be anything but a Dragoon even if he has another purpose now. 🐲 The fact that he was basically raised by the former Azure Dragoon after being orphaned wouldn't have made it easier to introduce Estinien to another job either. 🐉 Part of me wanted to put Estinien's additional job as a Dark Knight ⚔ , but tbh he's more of a "attack is the best defense" kind of guy, and he's more driven by attacking the problem than defending those behind him. 🪓 He could potentially fit well as a Warrior, but then he'd probably be a "one-man army" kind of Warrior who forgets to turn on his stance. 😂 Anyway, in all likelyhood I think Estinien would aim for another DPS if he had to add another job, and amongst those I think Reaper might actually be the best fit. Purely physically he could do a good job as Pugilist as well, but I have a hard time imagining him go around unlocking chakra(s) and/or later upgrading to Monk. x)

G'Raha Tia: 🐱 Jack of All Trades, Master of None, is yet always better than Master of One. With that said I think we can all agree that adding Summoner to his list of already many jobs is too perfect to ignore. 😂 With Archer/Black Mage/Paladin/White Mage already under his belt we probably shouldn't add more to his big list after that though. 😂 xD

[wundrousarts]

Various Wundersmith thoughts and things I've noticed after rereading the book for yet another time:

This one is significantly longer and a little bit more random than my recent Nevermoor reread, but who cares 🤷 the more the merrier!

There are things both serious (theories, thematic parallels, etc.) and silly (jokes, personal reactions). This time around I discovered the annotations feature in Apple Books and had a lot of fun with that, so I'll try to include the bits I highlighted when necessary. Enjoy!

— I don't mean to have a shippingbrain, but it feels impossible to view Jupiter and Israfel as anything but exes/folks that had a Thing in the beginning, omg.

—— Israfel throwing the "old friend" back at Jove..... my note for this one was "#gay"

— I like the interest Mog has in Bohemia, and I'm interested based on that one Silverborn snippet for her to return (and eventually explore other parts of the city as well)

— Jupiter referring to the junkies as "they're not patrons of the fine arts" feels like a nice little set up for the Museum later on. Thought of and admired as an art piece, but the rich folks at the auction don't actually care about the work put into it.

— Do you think the folks at Wunsoc that organize the little show that welcomes 919 are a little peeved that the Fireblossom's being reignited means that they can't perch creepily in them anymore lol.

— I wonder if the Wunsoc Oath has a pre- or post- Massacre origin

“The nature of Miss Crow’s unusual –" she paused, seeming to catch herself before calling it a ‘knack’ – "situation.” (Ch2)

—— Elder Quinn hesitates to refer to Mog's power as a knack, so I wonder if that's just a general thing of Wundersmithery being different, or if knacks are a post-Massacre categorization

— I love how this book really starts to solidify the theme of family in Nevermoor... Wunsoc, her Unit, the Deucalion, Wundersmiths, the Crows, her mother..... AAAHHHH!!! I can't wait to see where it all goes.

— A "note sealed with silver wax" from "the Celes-" ..... YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!!! 😁😁😁

—— Likely about Cassiel but even that and beyond could tie into a lot of other Silverborn Theories..... Noelle..... The Silver District....... I will keep this all in mind

—— Also, updating my SIlverborn Masterpost posthaste ✍️✍️✍️

— It likely doesn't matter and will never be explained, but I wonder if the room between student's houses and their hometrain station is part of the Gossamer, and like a thin place between worlds

— Miss Cheery's first outfit is so y2k I need to draw her. It makes sense because she's like 20 in this book.

— The Wunsoc circle diagram has always interested me since I first read it. I wonder if the size of the circles ever means anything??

—— Could it relate to the probability (?) of the knacks? Mundane is the most common to occur, Arcane more specialized, and then Wundersmiths are very, very rare

—— Something I often forget is that folks in Wunsoc that weren't Wundersmiths have always existed. Were there more than 9 of them in each year? Were there always 9 non-Wundersmiths? Did the trials always exist? What was the relationship between non-Wundersmiths and Wundersmiths like?

—— On that note, did C&D only become the Wunsoc motto / purpose post-Massacre? Or did they do that before as well? If the motives of Wunsoc have changed over the years, has what they look for in students changed as well?

“Everybody at Wunsoc has a job to get on with – every junior and senior scholar, every graduate, every teacher, every patron, every Elder and every Master.” (Ch5)

— I am still forever curious about what Masters are, and why they are on the same level or possibly even slightly higher than Elders

—— Are they previous Elders? Are they people who excel in their craft? I'd like to say there could be a connection to Wundrous Apprenticeships but 1. those seemed like a natural given, 2. likely aren't really around anymore, and 3. I'm not really sure why they would have so much authority if so.

—— I like to headcanon that senior scholars do internships/apprenticeships

— Something that makes me laugh is that I will famously agonize over something, in this case the Wunsoc academic school year, only to discover upon a reread that it is explicitly stated how it works. lol.

— Brilliance Amadeo and her predecessors are referred to as "First-Line Wundersmiths." This likely relates to the chambers in the Liminal Hall in Sub-Nine that we see in Hollowpox.

—— Knowing Jess, I bet that either Mog or Squall are part of the Ninth Line

“Your kind are … all … dead," continued Professor Onstald. "And if they’re … not –" he blinked his watery eyes at her and took a long, rasping breath – "they should be.” (Ch6)

“My duty is not … to save you … from yourself. It is to show you … that you are … beyond saving. All of your … kind … are beyond …” (Ch6)

“If you were half the Wundersmith you ought to be by now, it wouldn’t be possible for me to tap into your power like this. (Ch24)

— I've had a theory post on the progression of Wundersmiths in society towards the Massacre in the works for awhile that I've postponed until after my Hollowpox reread, but:

—— What if it was a group effort?

——— There's a part in one of the books that's like, "Squall led his fellow Wundersmiths in a coup, and then turned on them" and as much as Wunsoc likes to spin and fabricate things, I think that this could also be true. What caused Squall to turn? That's a mystery we'll have to unravel later...

———— This book is heavy on Squall controlling and manipulating folks, both literally with Wunder but also mentally with words, so could be interesting if that played a part in the revolt

— Regardless, something spooked Onstald enough to turn from admiring and studying Wundersmiths and their ways to hating them, and I'll forever be interested in what happened.

—— I think there could be some slight truth in him viewing all Wundersmiths as bad, because some stuff, like Mathilde's Morbid Museum (lol), could indicate some darker inclinations by folks other than Squall

— Maybe I'm an idiot for not realizing this before, but I don't think it was Jupiter that got Mog/919 into the Maps class.

“I have dedicated my life to taming this monstrous city, and I love her with every fiber of my being.” (Ch8)

“Goodness. You’ve only been here a year? And yet you and Nevermoor seem to go hand in glove. It’s almost like this place was made just for you.” (Ch8)

—— So Squallish. I wonder if anything he said was coached.

—— Do you think this is how he got him on his side? Did they bond over both being obsessed with Nevermoor?

— I think a lot of Mildmay's problems would have been fixed if he had simply been more proactive about networking instead of turning to a life of crime. I mean, he's only 19, just out of school! Way to quit early, dude.

One bite brought on the specific sensation of bittersweet late-summer nostalgia … which sent Francis straight back to the test kitchen, as he’d actually been aiming for the carefree abandon of a mid-summer music festival. (Ch9)

— I wonder how much of Francis's knack/what he cooks/cooks with has a Wundrous origin. I'm also often reminded of the Smoking Parlor.

—— I like to relate it to my Communication "Art" but alternatively... does remind me of Israfel's voice. Curious about how Celestials and Wunder interact.

—— Alice Frankenreiter of 915 is mentioned as a shapeshifter..... how Masquerade-esque. Another point for the "knacks being related to Arts" theory?

——— I also have to point out how funny to me the "Franken-" is with the knack. lol. (makes me think about Frankenstein)

— There is a "noise like a thousand tinkling bells" when the Ghastly Market is revealed. This noise also shows up in the other two books during the Christmas Eve battle. In a world where magic by Wundersmiths heavily involves singing in order to use Wunder, I like the further comparisons of magic and sound. Will keep an eye out for more during Hollowpox.

—— We see this as well with this line:

Her fear and revulsion and rage swelled inside her like a symphony (Ch16)

which I just annotated as "music/art comparison. slay."

——— On that note, I feel like the connection between Wundersmiths/Divinities and the Celestials being explored more could be interesting, as both of their powers involve singing. I'm curious how/if their magic overlaps.

— The fact that the Loyalty Trial was from the Elders and thus they were the ones who asked Cadence to humiliate Baz will never not be funny

— Chapter 18 mentions a "Polaris Hill." Named after Griselda Polaris?

— Have to say: Between being excited about a killer flytrap and teaching 919 swears, an underrated Mahir trait is that he is actually very silly.

— If you've ever seen me call the Gossamer-Spun Garden the "Wundergarden", please know that the Murdergarden is 100% why lol

— I hope hope HOPE!!! we get some proper definitions someday for the Wundrous Act Classifications. Like Spectacle, Phenomenon, Singularity, etc... I hope we get to learn what they each are someday!!!

“To do just what a Wundersmith does," One corner of Squall’s mouth twisted into a quarter-smile.” ... "To grant your fondest wish. To give you the thing you want more than anything else.” (Ch19)

— I feel like this line is often overlooked and is an underrated hint at what a Wundersmith's role in society was like

— I'm a bit of a pessimist (SORRY) about the movie adaptation, and once thing about this book is that I'm mourning that it'll probably never get adapted.

—— I think that the idea of Nevermoor as a movie musical works so much better with Wundersmith because there's so much more magic and music and singing in this one, with both Israfel and the first Nocturne lessons. I could see it the integration of the non-diegetic (?) songs that the characters sing and the themes of the movie/books work better with this book than the first one just because of that.

—— Also the theatricality of characters such as Squall and Mildmay is off the charts in this book! I'd even throw Dearborn and Murgatroyd in there as well. I think they could make for more interesting characters in a movie musical than the general supporting cast of the first book.

—— I'd say that perhaps they could mix and mash stuff from both books 1 and 2 into a single movie, but I don't know if they have rights past the first book.

Squall cocked his head to one side, a deep frown etched into his forehead. ... Squall took a step towards her. He looked like he was remembering something. (Ch19)

— I wonder why he recognizes the song!

—— Curious if anyone else has their own theories on this they want to share. I brought this up in the discord a few months ago and have yet to make a proper post but here's my idea:

——— Squall's song and Mog's song are very similar in a few ways, so perhaps one of the songs was influenced by / is “descended from” so to say from the other, or they have a common ancestor.

——— Could explain why Little Crowling is familiar to Mog and Morningtide’s Child is familiar to Squall

... into the cold embrace of a capricious and unknowable city. (Ch19)

— This is like, baby's first comparison, but I do enjoy how this refers not only to Nevermoor but also Squall just a moment earlier. They are sooooo linked. I wonder if there's other moments like this in the book that I've missed.

— The Jemmity Park stuff is interesting to think about because I think Odbuoy is the youngest Wundersmith present at the time of the Massacre.

—— The idea of him being the youngest I feel then fits with him making the park only work for children, as that seems appropriately mischievous.

——— Because of my (outdated tbh) Eventide theories, I had a silly theory he was 7 when he made the park, but when you think about that more, it falls apart. A little funny to think about though, ngl.

— Anyone else think that the Elders should have told Jupiter about Sub-Nine in case he wanted a part in that? I feel like as a patron and adoptive father figure of a Wundersmith, he might want some access to Wundersmith history and culture. His excursions to the park and Cascade Falls really prove an interest and he could be helpful to the group.

— Morrigan compares Squall's Séance Synchronicity to Coven 13 in the Fright Trial... are these magics connected at all, or will we learn more about the different magics in the world at some point?

Squall held his hands out – palms downward, twisted into claws – and made his fingers dance like a puppeteer twitching strings. (Ch24)

— I find it so funny how the Puppeteering (also known as Marionette) parallels– the statue in the Elder's hall, the stunt with the Charlton Five on the platform, and this scene– were so obvious, and yet it took a solid 2 years after Wundersmith's release (right before Hollowpox was out!) for somebody to bring it up for the first time. And now everyone accepts it as basically canon lol!

— Wonder if the Wundrous Arts sign got changed to Wretched Arts before or after Squall's exile, in order for him to know about it. I have some theories on the timeline of all that that I'll share at a later date.

— I often forget and I think it's often overlooked that the Magnificub growing was Squall's doing, not just Mog's.

—— Wonder if he was stalking her that night as normal OR detected her intention and swooped in OR was there already due to the auction

— The way that Squall bows dramatically to tease Mog and then Mildmay does the same a chapter later is so funny.

“There are far greater monsters –" his eyes flashed – "and far greater dangers. Miss Crow, we have a shared enemy you could never imagine. If the Wundrous Society doesn’t take you off the leash, if you aren’t given the freedom to grow, to become the Wundersmith I need you to be … then terrible things are coming down the line. For both of us.” (Ch24)

— War in Arc 3 pleaseeee

—— It's interesting because it seems that Nevermoor/Free State has been relatively peaceful ever since restructuring… but the Wintersea Republic has had the same amount of time to build up! And now they’re looking to take the last slice of the pie…..

“There. That feeling. That fire in your heart, that spark of anger and fear. Focus on it. Feel it. The flickering, burning anger inside – THAT is Inferno.” (Ch24)

— What if each of the Arts are bolstered by an emotion? Doesn't seem so but 🤷 could be a fun AU idea perhaps

— A lot of the description of Inferno in this book– a flame or firework in Morrigan's chest– reminds me so much of Howls Moving Castle (2004) that it's on my eternal to-do list to draw.

— Between Mog's lessons in this book and Goldberry's circular breathing, I think it's interesting how much of Inferno relates to breath

—— "Breath of life" ?

—— Could relate back to music/singing, which is needed to summon Wunder

—— Do any of the other Arts (excluding Nocturne and Inferno) have any connections to breath that we know of? Or even are just aligned with a specific part of the body? If anyone has any thoughts on this, please do share!

— Anyone else like to think about the Hunt of Smoke and Shadow and the way the Hollowpox hunted? No? Just me? Okay

—— I think that Wundersmiths definitely probably have specialties– and these are based on natural affinities, NOT lineage– and Mog's is likely Inferno whereas Squall's is likely Veil

He took a deep bow, still laughing. (Ch25)

— My note for this line and the whole scene was simply, "🖕 WORST 19 YEAR OLD EVER" lol

“You saved my life tonight. I find myself in your debt." He watched her for a moment, pressing his mouth into a line. Morrigan could tell he wanted to say something more, but wasn’t sure if he should … or perhaps he couldn’t quite find the right words. Israfel breathed a deep sigh. "You’d do well not to mention that to the folks at Wunsoc. I shouldn’t be in your debt.” (Ch27)

— What does this all meannnnn

— Interesting how Jupiter mentions that he thinks Cassiel's disappearance is unconnected to all the Ghastly Market stuff

—— I've mentioned before (maybe not on here, sorry) that the timing could perhaps line up in order for Cassiel to be the Celestial that Noelle's knack is stolen from, if we want to go with that theory

— Mog saying that Squall said something funny, as in weird, yet Jupiter's first response is to ask if he said something "funny haha" is so funny to me. Why is that his first response.

— Folks have mentioned it before, but I'd love some more bonding between Mog and Lam based on the fact that they're both from the Republic

— Elder Quinn refers to Mog as "our Wundersmith" as in like, just another brother and sister in Wunsoc, but it could be interesting if that wording is ever brought up again to try to use Mog, or make her do something no one else can because of her powers, like in the days of old

And finally (about 3k words later):

— Lam is referred to as "the smallest of all of them" in terms of 919. Not to me! While I wholeheartedly believe she is certainly short, she's not the shortest for me. #ShortMogSupremacy.

[lcftyambiticns]

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED TO @lcftyambiticons-archive !! moving back to this blog!

♔ ❛ 𝑰nd. &. private 25+ 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐃𝐔𝐑'𝐒 𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐄 roleplay blog for ℒORROAKAN ; self-appointed MASTER OF RAMAZITH'S TOWER &. ARCHMAGE of Baldur's Gate. TRIGGER WARNING for dark / adult content. SECONDARY MUSE: Rolan ( on request only! ) RULES AND ABOUT UNDER THE CUT.

MEMES | HEADCANONS | GALLERY | VERSES

STORIES: ✍︎ ℳEMORIES.

RULES.

GNEREAL

25+ ONLY. This blog is written by an adult for other adults, so please act accordingly.

I'm careful about how I curate my online space. The block button and I are besties. Muns who engange in OOC drama, OOC bigotry and LGBTQA+ phobia of any kind, callout posts, OOC political discourse will be blocked on sight. I also tend to steer clear of writers who have lots of DNIs or triggers.

This blog is anti-censorship. Fiction =/= reality. If you don't like someone's content, block them. Protecting your online space is a mature thing to do, and I promise I'll 100% support that. What's NOT okay is trying to police adults on what to write on their blogs (go touch some grass).

Triggers you may encounter on this blog: violence, murder, abuse, gore, monsters, gaslighting, manipulation, cults, canon-typical fantasy racism and overall offensive / problematic themes. Triggers won't always be tagged. If you're triggered by any of these, this blog isn't for you. I love angst and exploring dark content!! If you have any triggers, let me know.

Communication is key! <3 Writing is so much more fun if the muns get along. I promise, I don't bite!!

INTERACTION

This is a private blog simply because I can't spread myself too thin. I'm particularly selective when it comes to mumu-blogs featuring muses from fandoms outside the DnD / BG3 verse. If I follow you, I have read your rules and want to interact! Don't be shy <3 I will also assume that if you follow me back, you're fine with me sending you memes / tagging you in starters / sliding into your IMs to plot.

Personals are welcome to follow, but no touchy my RP stuff.

If you're a RP blog, I'd love it if you follow with the intention of interacting. Also, if you followed me first, I'd appreciate it if you reached out first to start things off — I'll do my best to do the same! I feel like this approach makes it easier to get interactions going.

If we're not mutuals: You're welcome to send headcanon and plot-idea asks! If I can take on another thread, I'll let you know. <3

Formatting: For accessibility reasons, I won't follow if you use spaced out words and punctuation, all caps or all lowercase (for entire paragraphs).

MEMES. YES! If you want to continue a meme, go right ahead!

Plotting: Hmu with a plot idea anytime! I'm not a fan of plotting out every detail, but Lorroakan is a particularly uncooperative muse. Having a general idea of where we want this to go really helps to keep the ball rolling, even if we end up going in a different direction!

SHIPPING / RELATIONSHIPS

This blog is multiship, male lean. Fair warning; Lorroakan isn't particularly interested in romance or sex, and he's a prick. I'm open to shipping, BUT ships will most likely be toxic / one-sided, particularly with Rolan (with the potential to develop into something wholesome over time!), and slow burn. By slow I mean glacial. In most cases, at least.

I won't write smut on the dash. The steamy stuff will be moved to discord or IMs.

Pre-established relationships: Yes. While first meeting or "they have been business partners" threads can be fun, they often take a while to get juicy, or they end up fizzling out. What if your muse was Lorroakan's childhood bestie? Another (former?) apprentice? A fellow scholar of the arcane he used to work with? An ex?

MUN NOTES

Mun =/= Muse, I obviously don't condone any of Lorroakan's bs IRL. While I will absolutely respect your boundaries OOC (if you talk to me beforehand about them, pretty please with a cherry on top), I won't water him down.

I have the memory of a soggy pickle. If you don't want me to interact with you, hard-block.

Activity: Sometimes I'll reply super fast, sometimes it takes me ages, and sometimes I can only focus on specific threads / muses.

Discord is available for moots I interact with frequently.

They / Them, hatched 1995, dog parent, hyperfixating on problematic villains, D&D player.

𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄

GENERAL Lorroakan is in his mid-late 30s, fairly young considering his achievements (mostly obtained through deceitful methods).

He presents himself as the great archmage of Baldur's Gate, but while he is a compentent wizard and keen enchanter, he is nowhere near as powerful as he claims to be.

Lorroakan laid claim to Ramazith Tower after its previous owner mysteriously disappearend, and he refuses to share the knowledge it holds (at least for free).

He is originally from Athkatla, one of the wealthiest cities in Faerun, but he grew up in the shadows of its splendor. His family (mother, father, two sisters, four brothers) could barely make ends meet, but Lorroakan has always been ambitious and harbored dreams of one day being just as wealthy and powerful as the elite of the Gem District. The practice or use of arcane magic is explicitly illegal within the city of Athkatla, but that didn't stop him; he practiced in secret whenever he could get his hands on a spellbook.

PERSONALITY IN A NUTSHELL . . . as interpreted by the mun ; Ambitious, diligent, intelligent, clever, creative ; selfish, arrogant, manipulative, power-hungry, petty, vain.

He has a superiority complex ; he is vain, has an overly high opinion of himself, makes boastful claims that aren't backed up by reality, has a habit of putting down those who outshine him.

(The way I see it) Lorroakan isn't a straight up villain. However, his ambitions and narcissistic nature drive him to commit morally questionable, and at times, outright despicable acts.

CHARACTER STUDIES / RELEVANT HEADCANONS: bad money habits more about his past & why he is how he is

Shippy HCs CONs of being his lover PROs of being his lover NSFW headcanons

[dailycharacteroption]

Retrograde Revision 3: Archivist

(art by suomar on DeviantArt)

Another case of bards in name only, today we’re looking at an archetype that is essentially a librarian.

Described as being “bards that eschew the dramatic aspects of their training”, that need not necessarily be the case, as archivists could easily have gained their arcane/occult magic by studying the body of work under their care rather than having gone to any bardic college.

Either way, they are still associated with academia, and may have a personal history as a scholar first.

The badass librarian has been a thing in recent decades, so whether they are archivists or scientists doing field work, these brilliant minds can prove how effective their stores of knowledge are both on and off the battlefield.

This archetype feels like a first pass at a non-loremaster knowledge-based character, the sort of thing that would evolve later into the overall vibe of the investigator class, so it’s interesting to see where it got it’s start.

Rather than inspire bravery in others, archivists instead focus on providing running commentary and guidance on how to fight the creatures they and their allies are currently facing. While they have to identify them first, doing so gives their allies an offensive and defensive buff against them as they point out vulnerabilities and limitations in the subject’s attack and defense.

Whether it be supernatural boredom or the sheer crushing weight of their focus on minutiae, these archivists can wax technical on a subject to daze or confuse those under the effects of one of their “fascinating” lectures (how fascinating they actually are may vary.” Later on, they can even affect whole crowds this way.

Predating the skald ability of the same name, these archivists know so much that they are true lore masters, able to recall incredible amounts of information on a topic a few times per day.

Additionally, their magical lore makes them better suited to identifying magic items, disabling magical traps, and recognizing magical runes in time to better brace themselves against their effects.

Furthermore, they also demonstrate proficiency with all skills, which only grows over time.

More powerful archivists are so knowledgeable that they can predict a possible outcome and occasionally take the most average result on any sort of activity, including when attacking and resisting, which can be useful in an emergency.

The archivist, with it’s eventual ability to treat every single skill as a class skill, as well as taking 10 often and 20 a few times per day at a low level, has the potential to be the arguably best skill monkey in the game. The base combat performance providing both an offensive and defensive buff against identified foes is also very nice, though the ability to daze or confuse foes that are already fascinated is of dubious unsability, since most situations in which you’d fascinate, you’re trying to avoid combat, and it’s not clear how confusion and daze work in regards to keeping people fascinated when they might start punching each other. Beyond that, however, I recommend spell and feat choices that help you have an at least partial answer to any situation you come across. Damage spells with a variety of types, utility spells, debuffs, buffs, you name it.

The nature of their ability to debuff foes they fascinate might give some the assumption that they are boring or dry lecturers, but that doesn’t have to be the case. It could be that their passionate diatribes are simply bewildering to others, and you can certainly portray them as being passionate about many a subject.

A mystic prank goes wrong when a bookish student cast a forbidden spell to get back at his classmates, and now they are all stuck inside a demiplane centered around the most popular tabletop board game in the school. Experienced adventurers are needed to enter the game’s world, master the rules, and rescue the students.

Palanz Whisperwind has never seen any of the monsters he’s spent his whole life studying. In need of a change of pace, he hires a party of adventurers to escort him on this field study. Putting up with his incessant droning and condescending attitude may drive the party up the wall, though.

The secret name of Falrax, the demon lord of night, is hidden in the secret archives of the Library of Thoumous Rang. Getting to the repository, however, will prove difficult, as the gynosphinx archivist Written Conundrum is loath to allow the ignorant and uninitiated to touch her tomes, even if the fate of the world is on the line.

[etheirysnoir]

just the basics — yiuno.

[ lore / writing / answers / gpose / aesthetics ] — Updated 2024.09.14

An adventurer by day, and an assassin by night—Yiuno Reine is an enigmatic Viera who walks along the blurred line of light and darkness. From the politically righteous Grand Companies to the unknown depths of the Eorzean underworld, Yiuno will work for anyone for the right price, especially if the job aligns with his personal agendas. However, the dangerous secrets that have slept within him for so long will become the key to the fate of the world… once more.

— basics.

NAME. Yiuno Reine. ALIASES. Yiune Rei (alter ego), Sigrid Rindr (birth name). AGE. Unknown; appears to be in his early twenties. NAMEDAY. 15th Sun of the 3rd Umbral Moon. RACE. Veena Viera. ORIENTATION. Demiromantic Asexual.

— appearance.

HAIR. Born silver-white, which he normally keeps short. Changes hair colors and styles often due to personal circumstances and line of work. As Yiune, he wears bobcut wigs. Dislikes long hair. EYES. Originally born with blue eyes, Yiuno now has heterochromia—blue right, green left—ever since the coup d’etat in Ul’dah. Has larger irises compared to common male Viera, with long eyelashes. Red markings accentuate the corner of his eyes, with a beauty spot under the left. PHYSIQUE. Considerably tall for a male Viera with a gracefully lithe frame. Sometimes mistaken as female even when he’s not in Yiune guise. Very fair complexion. No visible wrinkles, scars or tattoos. CLOTHING. Usually seen in an assortment of suits or military uniforms, consisting a combination of trench coats, shirts and ties, and dress shoes. For casual wear, Yiuno favors hoodies, high-neck sweaters, and survival boots. As Yiune, he may go for more daring designs, such as high-silt dresses or low-cut tops, and over-the-knee heel boots. ACCESSORY. Due to his circumstances and line of work, Yiuno often avoids having telltale items that may easily blow his covers. However, he does wear a leather-bound necklace with a wind-aspected crystal—a gift from his twin sister, Yiuna, with quite a story behind its origin.

— résumé.

PROFESSIONS.

ALCHEMIST. Cover story when he travels from city to city. Usually conducts trade with curative potions and antidotes. GLEANER. Mostly known amongst guilds of arcane arts. Mainly hired to hunt and retrieve dangerous magical artifacts of eons past. Also works as normal treasure hunter (at times, a dungeon raider), possessing a collection of rare items of his own. ASSASSIN. Only known in the Eorzean underworld. Goes by the cover identity “Yiune Rei,” a Hingan courtesan deeply shrouded in mystery, prized for her beauty and talent in Astromancy. Uses honey traps to kill her targets in cold blood.

SKILLS & ABILITIES.

JACK OF ALL TRADES. The perks of being immortal grants Yiuno unlimited time to acquire an arsenal of skills and abilities, which would usually be difficult or even impossible for beings with a normal lifespan. However, regardless of the numerous know-how he has under his belt, he never considers himself a master of any. He has no interest in becoming an expert in a specific field or area, anyway. MAGICAL APTITUDE. Both Yiuno and his twin sister, Yiuna, are naturally gifted in aether manipulation—so much so that even the likes of his former mentor, Shatotto, and later on his partner, Y’shtola, are able to discern in one glance. RECONNAISSANCE. “Knowledge is power,” is a quote often used by scholars, usually associated with books. However, to Yiuno, the same can be applied to field work, especially the kind of jobs he’d take on. Terrain of the site he’d be scavenging as a gleaner. Profile of the target he’d be killing as an assassin. Always preparing himself for the worst.

TRAITS.

MOST POSITIVE. Resourcefulness. Yiuno has lived for a long, long time, which gives him a wealth of knowledge and experience well beyond any beings with an ordinary lifespan. It has helped him to live in the shadows for millennia, enabling him to constantly adapt to the ever-changing world he’s forced to live in—for eternity. MOST NEGATIVE. Cynicism. Yiuno harbors a strong mistrust towards people in general—after all, he has lived through many calamities and countless wars in his immortal life, which have shaped him into a bitter, pessimistic man. He’s driven by personal interests, and he believes that others are no different from him, since he sees it as a basic survival instinct that every living being is born with.

— personal.

HOBBIES. Reading and research, people-watching, training (usually by himself, sometimes with Y’shtola or Sora), traveling. COLORS. Monochrome—the different types of gray, including black and white. Doesn’t mind neutral colors like brown. To a lesser extent, the darker shades of red and blue. AROMAS. Freshly brewed coffee or tea. Amongst musty old tomes in libraries and bookshops. TEXTURES. Soft, fluffy hair of the people he really likes (ex. Y’shtola, Sora). Cold, hard surface of bladed weapons. Rough, wrinkled pages of ancient books. BEVERAGES. Drinks that contain high amount of caffeine with low to no sugar content at all. Long black and herbal tea are his go-to.

FAMILY.

Born into an ancient clan built upon strict matriarchy and meritocracy, Yiuno’s understanding of a family greatly differs from common Eorzeans. Shortly after their birth, kits (young Viera children) were placed under custody care in a specialized facility within the civilization; raised collectively by adult Viera designated to be their caretakers, none of the members knew who their birth parents were. They didn’t care, either—the concept of blood relation never once crossed their mind, for they were taught since young that everyone in the clan is family. The only exception to this is Yiuna, his twin sister. Their birth was met with scrutiny, for no twins were born in the clan for centuries until they came. They share a special bond that they can’t explain, but they know and they can feel it between them. They were banished from the clan due to Yiuna’s deceit—she disguised her brother’s true gender and made him to pretend to be a female so that the wood wardens wouldn’t take him away from her when they hit puberty. After the Seventh Umbral Calamity, Yiuno woke up in the middle of the Black Shroud with an amnesiac Xaela, Sora Amariyo; Yiuna was nowhere to be found. He became a mentor and guardian both to the young Warrior of Darkness, and they began their journey through the realm. As of DT, Yiuno is still searching for Yiuna, trying to reunite with his missing twin sister.

PETS.

Yiuno owns a collection of minions—automated mechanical dolls that he uses as either unsuspecting scouts or diversion puppets in his line of work. He can also summon familiars, in the form of black-feathered owls, to do his bidding.

— law & order.

SMOKES? Never. He despises the smell. ALCOHOL? Drinks socially to maintain some cover stories; this is especially so when he assumes the identity of the mysterious courtesan, Yiune. While he’s unable to get drunk due to his unique body condition, he does enjoy a wine or two on special occasions. DRUGS? Similar to alcohol, drugs have no effects on him due to his special circumstances. However, he has no qualms to use them on others. MOUNT? Yiuno rescued a chocobo sometime during the ARR timeline—the chocobo was apparently abandoned by its original owner because it was an albino. To avoid any issues with the law enforcement, Yiuno registered this chocobo as his mount with the Grand Companies, naming it “Sören”. CRIMINAL RECORDS? Too many to count, given his immorality; some were major historical incidents, such as the War of the Magi. Though Shatotto erased his name from history and bore the weight of his crimes onto herself, Yiuno would never forget the sins he’d committed, even till this day.

[theblackbookofarkera]

Order of Copper & Prayer

In the kingdom of Eronah, amid the steep hillsides dotted with ancient olive groves, stands an unassuming yeshiva known as the House of Hidden Works. Though it appears much like any other center of Elshar religious study, this institution houses one of the most secretive and extraordinary schools of rabbinical practice in all of Arkera - the Order of Copper and Prayer, creators of Eronah's legendary copper defenders.

Selection for this arcane brotherhood is rigorous and begins early. Prospective members are identified among young religious students who show not only exceptional theological aptitude but also natural talent in metallurgy and mathematics. These candidates are tested through a series of increasingly complex theological riddles disguised as ordinary religious instruction. Many complete their entire religious education never realizing they were being evaluated for a greater purpose.

The chosen few who are finally initiated into the Order first undergo a year of isolation in special meditation cells carved into the hillside. During this period, they learn the fundamental principle that guides all their future work: the idea that sacred geometry, when properly aligned with divine law, can create channels for holy power to flow into the physical world. They study ancient texts that blend metallurgical formulas with kabalistic numerology, learning to see copper not just as a metal but as a physical form of divine potential.

The Order is structured in concentric circles of knowledge and responsibility. The outer circle, known as the Shapers, focus on the physical crafting of the golem forms. The middle circle, the Scribes, master the art of inscribing prayers so tiny that hundreds can fit within a single fingerwidth of copper. The inner circle, called the Breath-Catchers, undertake the dangerous work of capturing and implementing the divine breath that animates the golems. Each circle has its own mysteries and techniques, passed down through an unbroken chain of master to apprentice since the Order's founding.

What makes these rabbis unique among religious scholars is their seamless integration of the practical and mystical. They maintain vast workshops hidden beneath their yeshiva where sacred forges burn day and night. These forges are said to be fed with specially blessed olive wood and tended by acolytes who must maintain perfect ritual purity while working. The smoke from these forges is channeled through a complex system of ducts inscribed with prayers, ensuring that even the waste products of their work remain within the bounds of religious law.

The Order maintains extensive libraries containing centuries of accumulated knowledge about their craft. These texts are written in a special script that combines Hebrew letters with metallurgical symbols, creating a unique technical-theological language that is all but indecipherable to outsiders. Each generation adds to this knowledge, documenting their successes and failures with meticulous care.

Perhaps most remarkable is the Order's approach to innovation. While deeply respectful of tradition, they actively seek to improve their techniques through what they call "holy experimentation." They believe that since their work serves divine purposes, careful innovation is itself a form of religious devotion. However, any proposed change to their methods must be approved by a council of elders who examine it from both theological and practical perspectives.

The physical toll of their work is considerable. Extended exposure to the divine energies they manipulate often leaves its mark - premature aging, recurring visions, and a peculiar sensitivity to metal that many develop. Some members of the inner circle eventually lose the ability to sleep normally, claiming they can hear the whispers of copper in their dreams. Yet they consider these afflictions small prices to pay for the privilege of their sacred work.

The Order maintains strict protocols about contact with the outside world. Members live primarily within their compound, emerging only for necessary religious duties or to acquire materials for their work. They are forbidden from discussing their true purpose with anyone, including family members. Many of their public religious duties serve as cover for their real work - for instance, their regular pilgrimages to coastal cities to "pray by the sea" are actually missions to acquire specially purified copper from secret suppliers.

Their dedication to secrecy extends to their methods of instruction. Much of their crucial knowledge is never written down but passed orally from teacher to student. They employ a complex system of mnemonics disguised as traditional religious songs, hiding metallurgical formulas and ritual instructions within seemingly innocent melodies. Even their workshops are designed to be quickly converted to appear as ordinary study halls should uninitiated visitors arrive.

Despite their secretive nature, the Order maintains careful oversight of their work through a system of internal checks and balances. Three senior members must approve each stage of a golem's creation, and the final activation ritual requires the unanimous consent of the entire inner circle. They believe this careful approach helps prevent both technical errors and spiritual transgressions.

In recent years, as threats to Eronah have grown, the Order has quietly accelerated their work while maintaining their exacting standards. They view their mission not just as creating defenders, but as preparing vessels worthy of containing divine power. Their workshops now operate around the clock in shifts, their prayers and hammers ringing out in careful harmony as they labor to prepare for a future they hope will never come.

For all their power and knowledge, the members of the Order maintain the humble demeanor expected of religious scholars. They see themselves not as mighty artificers but as simple servants of divine will, privileged to work with holy mysteries but always aware of their own limitations. In their precious few moments of rest, they gather in their private sanctuary and pray that their creations will never need to be awakened - while working tirelessly to ensure they will be ready if that day arrives.

[thelorehold]

Shadows of the Guardian

Introduction

Title: Shadows of the Guardian

Setting: The adventure takes place in the Skyreach Citadel, a towering fortress built atop the highest peak in the Stormspire Mountains. The Citadel was once home to a legendary order of warriors known as the Guardians of Aetheris, who were bestowed with incredible powers to protect the realm from supernatural threats. The Citadel is now in ruins, and rumors suggest that a powerful villain has risen within its walls, threatening to plunge the world into darkness.

Purpose: This adventure is a high-stakes, superhero-style quest where the party must harness their own latent powers or acquire new abilities to confront a formidable enemy. The adventure is designed to inject a sense of epic heroism and grand, cinematic action into the campaign.

Game Master Notes

Adventure Type: Epic Superhero-style Quest with elements of exploration, power acquisition, and a final battle against a supervillain.

Creatures: Skyward Sentinels, Elemental Titans, The Voidbringer (final villain).

Quest Hooks

Call to Heroism: The party is approached by High Oracle Maris, a powerful seer who has foreseen the rise of a new threat in Skyreach Citadel. She believes the party holds the potential to become the new Guardians and tasks them with reclaiming the Citadel and defeating the villain within.

The Relic of Aetheris: A renowned scholar, Professor Eltharion, requests the party’s aid in retrieving the Heart of Aetheris, an ancient artifact that can grant immense power to those who wield it. The artifact is believed to be hidden within Skyreach Citadel, now claimed by dark forces.

The Vanishing Light: The once-brilliant beacon of Skyreach Citadel, which has protected the surrounding lands from storms and natural disasters, has gone dark. The party is hired by the leaders of the nearby city of Stormwatch to investigate the cause and restore the beacon’s light before a catastrophic storm engulfs the region.

Rumors:

"They say the Guardians of Aetheris could fly like the wind and control the elements—maybe some of that power still lingers in the Citadel."

"The Citadel was abandoned for a reason; whatever lives there now isn’t human, and it’s stronger than anything we’ve ever faced."

"A storm is brewing in the mountains, and it’s no natural tempest—it’s said that the Voidbringer is calling it down to destroy us all."

"The Heart of Aetheris could grant godlike power to anyone who finds it—just be careful it doesn’t corrupt you in the process."

"Strange figures have been seen soaring above the Citadel at night, leaving trails of lightning in their wake."

Key Locations and Encounters

Location 1: The Thunderstone Pass

Description: The Thunderstone Pass is a treacherous mountain path leading up to Skyreach Citadel. The air crackles with electricity, and massive stones hover and shift unpredictably in the wind, charged with elemental energy. The pass is the only way to reach the Citadel, but it is heavily guarded by ancient defenses left behind by the Guardians.

Explorations: The party must navigate the dangerous terrain, avoiding or disarming elemental traps designed to deter intruders. They may also discover ancient carvings that hint at the Guardians’ powers and the location of hidden caches of energy-imbued artifacts.

Encounter: As the party progresses through the pass, they are ambushed by Skyward Sentinels, animated statues powered by elemental energy. These sentinels wield lightning and wind attacks, forcing the party to adapt and overcome their defenses, perhaps learning to harness elemental powers in the process.

Loot: The party can find a Storm Gauntlet (grants the wearer the ability to cast Lightning Bolt once per day) and a Guardian’s Crest (a relic that provides temporary flight for one minute).

Location 2: The Hall of Echoes

Description: The Hall of Echoes is a vast chamber within Skyreach Citadel, lined with mirrors and shimmering with residual arcane energy. The hall was once a training ground where the Guardians honed their abilities, and it is said that echoes of their powers still resonate within the room.

Explorations: The party can interact with the mirrors to unlock fragments of the Guardians’ memories, gaining insights into their training methods and possibly awakening similar powers within themselves. However, each mirror they interact with also brings forth a shadowy duplicate of the party, testing their resolve and their understanding of their newfound abilities.

Encounter: The party faces off against their Shadow Echoes, mirror-image duplicates that possess all their abilities and knowledge. This battle tests their strategy, creativity, and teamwork, as they must outthink and outmaneuver their doppelgängers to progress.

Loot: Upon defeating the Shadow Echoes, the party can acquire a Shard of Aetheris (a crystal that enhances a single spell or ability, doubling its effect for one use) and Echo Cloaks (enchanted cloaks that grant advantage on stealth checks and allow the wearer to cast Mirror Image once per day).

Location 3: The Stormward Spire

Description: The Stormward Spire is the highest tower of Skyreach Citadel, where the legendary beacon once shone. Now, it is shrouded in darkness, with storm clouds swirling ominously above. At the top of the spire waits The Voidbringer, a fallen Guardian who has been corrupted by the void and now seeks to bring about an age of eternal night by extinguishing all light and hope in the realm.

Explorations: As the party ascends the spire, they must overcome powerful wards and traps set by the Voidbringer. The storm intensifies as they climb, with lightning strikes and gusts of wind threatening to knock them from the tower. They may also find traces of the Voidbringer’s past, learning of his tragic fall and how he was once a hero like them.

Encounter: The final battle against The Voidbringer is a cinematic, multi-stage confrontation. The Voidbringer wields the power of the void, summoning shadow creatures, creating zones of darkness, and manipulating the storm itself. The party must use all their acquired powers and artifacts to counter his abilities. At a critical moment, the Voidbringer attempts to corrupt the Heart of Aetheris, and the party must decide whether to destroy the artifact or purify it and use it against him.

Loot: Defeating the Voidbringer rewards the party with the Heart of Aetheris (a powerful artifact that can either be used to restore the Citadel’s beacon or grant the party members enhanced abilities) and The Voidbringer’s Mantle (a cloak that allows the wearer to phase through solid objects once per day and grants resistance to necrotic damage).

Rewards:

Material Rewards: Storm Gauntlet, Guardian’s Crest, Shard of Aetheris, Echo Cloaks, Heart of Aetheris, Voidbringer’s Mantle.

Non-Material Rewards: The title of Guardians of Aetheris, alliances with powerful entities of the realm, and the admiration of the people of Stormwatch. The party’s actions also restore light to the Citadel, averting a natural disaster and stabilizing the region.

Conclusion

Outcome: If the party successfully defeats the Voidbringer and restores the Heart of Aetheris, Skyreach Citadel becomes a beacon of hope once again, and the party is celebrated as the new Guardians of Aetheris. If they fail, the Citadel remains in darkness, the storm spreads, and the Voidbringer’s influence grows, plunging the region into chaos.

Success Conditions: The party successfully defeats the Voidbringer, purifies or secures the Heart of Aetheris, and restores the beacon at the top of the Stormward Spire.

Failure Conditions: The party is defeated, the Voidbringer corrupts the Heart of Aetheris, or the storm overwhelms the Citadel and the surrounding lands.

Graphical Elements

Maps: Provide a map of Skyreach Citadel and the surrounding Stormspire Mountains, with key locations marked, including the Thunderstone Pass, the Hall of Echoes, and the Stormward Spire.

NPC or Villain Images: Include illustrations of High Oracle Maris, the Skyward Sentinels, the Shadow Echoes, and the Voidbringer.

This adventure is crafted to evoke the epic scale and dramatic confrontations of a superhero fantasy movie, where the party must rise to the occasion, unlock their hidden potential, and face off against a powerful villain in a climactic showdown that will determine the fate of the realm.

[darklordazalin]

Azalin reviews Darklord Vecna

Domain: Cavitius Domain Formation: 750 BC Power Level: 💀💀💀💀 💀 Sources: Vecna Lives! (2e), Vecna Reborn (2e), Die Vecna, Die! (2e), Book of Artifacts (2e), Domains of Dread (2e), Dragon Magazine #402 (4e), Vecna Dossier (5e)

Vecna is known by many names. The Master of the Spider Throne. The Lord of the Rotted Tower. The Maimed God/Lord. The One Named Only in Whispers. The Whispered One. The Dying King. The Undying King. While imprisoned in the Mists of Ravenloft, he was known as the Chained God. Aren’t we all?

The ‘history’ surrounding the lives of those that ascended to godhood are obscured by time, embellishments, and outright lies of their followers. Vecna’s is no different. Likely only Vecna, who holds onto secrets like a miser holds onto copper pieces, knows the full truth in these matters.

Vecna was born on my home world of Oerth. Many powerful wizards hail from Oerth: Mordenkainen, Iggwilv, Acerarak, and myself to name a few, but Vecna was said to be the ‘greatest of all wizards’. Though, his life is said to pre-date the ascendancy of the Suloise Empire, so there weren’t likely many wizards to compare him to at the time.

His origins on Oerth aren’t well known, though new information indicates he was born into the peasantry and studied magic in secret when he was forced into servitude after his mother was exiled for performing ‘dark magics’ e.g., the best kind of Necromancy. Despite this recent glimpse into his life, some believe he is from another plane of existence and others say his Rotted Tower simply sprung out of the deeps of the Lake of Nyr Dyv. More likely he was born and rose to power in more traditional and less fantastical means.

Vecna was a master of the arcane and he conquered entire regions of Oerth by creating armies of the undead, constructs, and mortals subjugated to his will. As city after city fell to Vecna’s might, it was not enough for him for only Vecna’s ego could surpass his arcane prowess. Newer scholars believe Vecna rose up against his Master’s and with the whispered voices of an unknown entity (the Serpent, perhaps?) penned all of his evil into the Book of Vile Darkness. Given some of the ‘feats’ in this book of his, I can confirm that it is aptly named.

How did Vecna become a god? Well, the one truth that remains consistent among the many tales surrounding this lich is he had a lust for power and domination that, regardless of how much he took, he could never satisfy. The Zarovan Vistani tell a tale in which Vecna became obsessed with overcoming death after his dear mother passed. An extreme reaction to the death of a parent, but it seems to be a requirement of lichdom to have parental issues…

In his quest for eternal life, Vecna is said to have bred entire villages purely for the purposes of experimenting on them and that he reshaped the landscape of Oerth with his magics – many claim that it was Vecna who created the Bright Desert. Given he was not even a lich when he apparently accomplished these feats, it is more likely that he caused a bit of a drought once with some ill-conceived weather magic.

Vecna used Necromancy to extend his life as he continued to search for a way to extend it indefinitely. There are some that say Vecna was cursed into lichdom by powers greater than his own to punish his pride and arrogance. Though, if that was the case they should have targeted Mordenkainen by now. There is also the mysterious entity known as the Serpent that speaks directly into Vecna’s mind, revealing to him the secrets of multiverse and perhaps provided him with the knowledge to transform into a lich. This Serpent could exist or it could be a creation of Vecna’s own decaying mind. Perhaps a leftover imaginary friend from when he was a child and no one wished to converse with him? I personally believe he sought lichdom himself and most stories tell how he conducted dark, mysterious rituals to transform himself. I’m sure I am more than familiar with the sort of ritual he performed.

Another name that Vecna should consider donning is The Betrayed Lord of He Who Misplaces his Trust. Many know of Kas’s betrayal, but there was another before him: a wizard Apprentice of his known as Acerarak. With desires to obtain his master’s secrets, Acerarak orchestrated Vecna’s near annihilation at the hands of the priests of Pelor. When the lich was at the brink of destruction, Acerarak made a convenient appearance and saved him.

Acerarak soon stole his Master’s secrets and quickly departed before his treachery was discovered. Seeing what Acerarak became, I think it is easy enough to figure out what sort of secrets he stole from Vecna. You’d be correct in blaming Vecna for any damage the Tomb of Horrors/Annihilation has done to you. Humiliated, Vecna became more obsessed with his secrets, swearing to never make the same mistake again.

Then there was Kas the Bloody-Handed or the Destroyer or ultimately, the Betrayer. Kas rose quickly in the ranks of Vecna’s armies, his merciless violence matching Vecna’s own and eventually he became Vecna’s top lieutenant and adviser. If the lich ever had a friend, it was Kas. The two would spend countless hours scheming together to expand Vecna’s empire. So fond of Kas was Vecna, that he extend his life through necromancy. Something I have granted my most loyal of servants. For what better gift is there than the gift of serving me longer…or even forever?

There are two tales regarding how Kas became a vampire. In one, after he could no longer extend his life, Vecna gifted him with a silver, fanged masked. Upon donning the mask, Kas accepted the gift of immortality as a vampire. In the tales told by Vecna’s loyal followers, Kas became a vampire after the pair were claimed by the Mists. I think it more likely the former tale to be the truth as it shows Vecna misplacing his trust a second time, which would be rather embarrassing for a deity of secrets.

As his empire grew, Vecna relied heavily on Kas. He became the lich’s hand of justice and spokesman. Kas’s word was considered as good as Vecna’s. Still, the lich’s past haunted him and the Paranoid Lord could not fathom anyone having true loyalty to him without ulterior motives.

Vecna crafted a sword for Kas. Bards would have you believe the sword was made from the heart of a frozen star and forged in the flames of a stolen sun. Utter nonsense, of course, but it was a very powerful weapon. The lich infused part of his essence into the blade in order to overhear Kas’s plans and, on occasion, read his very thoughts. Perhaps such mind reading spells were beyond Vecna’s abilities? As that seems like a far simpler method.

Kas gave the sword the very original name of The Sword of Kas. The sword, annoyed by its moniker and having taken on far too much of it’s creator’s personality, desired domination and the hording of secrets. Instead of allowing Vecna access to Kas’s conversations and mind, the sword fooled the lich with false thoughts of loyalty while it influenced Kas to betray him. Yes, the God of Secrets and Magic was fooled by a sword he created.

While Vecna was performing complex rituals to ascend to godhood, the sword convinced Kas to attack and destroy the lich. The two were, by all accounts, evenly matched and in the end the only things left of the pair were Vecna’s left hand and eye and the Sword of Kas. All of these artifacts are said to still exist on Oerth and at times, elsewhere. The Sword is one of the few things that may be able to kill the deity of secrets. The eye and hand of Vecna are incredibly powerful, but to use them is to invite the Whispered One into your very soul. Their use in the past has only resulted in disaster for the welders and more often than not fail them at a crucial moment. Fitting for the lich who was cut down by the sword of his own making (unmaking?) by his ‘loyal’ lieutenant while trying to become a god.

Vecna’s essence roamed in between worlds for decades or centuries depending on the source. Foolish mortals continued to worship the fallen lich allowing Vecna to grow in power and become a demigod. That was not enough for his ego, however, and Vecna wished to reshape Oerth in his own image. Working through an Avatar, Vecna began his campaign of domination anew.

Through his Avatar, Vecna had a strong tie to the Prime Material Plane. If he had been satisfied with mere demigodhood, he would never have had this weakness nor a way for the Dark Powers to claim him. But since Vecna’s ego always demands more, the Mists claimed him and his fortress, the Citadel Cavitius.

In Ravenloft, Vecna seethed and obsessed with escaping, but he was also distracted by the presence of Kas the Betrayer, now the lord of Tovag and just on the other side of the volcanic range known as the Burning Peaks that seperated Vecna’s Domain of Cavitus from Kas’s. They sent armies against one another, but as Vlad Drakov has yet to figure out, they could do very little damage to one another.

Cavitius encompassed a life draining desert and a single city, the Cavitius Citadel, where the living survived on fear and desperation. For Vecna knew every event, every thought that occurred within the Citadel’s walls. He was said to “fear none of the living” yet his laws essentially amounted to not worshiping Vecna = death. The lich even outlawed the use of magic just in case one of his subjects decided to rise against him. Sounds like he feared mortals quite a bit, actually.

Trapped in the Mists, Vecna was still a demigod. Some of his more potent abilities include being able to cast any wizard or cleric spell, teleport instantly anywhere in his Domain, and reach his followers outside of Ravenloft. Only the most powerful magical weapons can hope to harm Vecna and even if someone manages to destroy him, he eventually rises again.

Vecna did escape Ravenloft, though because of his pride and desire for vengeance against Kas, he failed in his first attempt. The Serpent taught Vecna the Three Words of Creation, which would transcend him into godhood and thereby break free of his prison. He could have done this without bothering with Kas, but instead he attempted to use the Three Words to be reborn in Togav where he could destroy Kas then escape. This plan ultimately failed as a group of adventurer’s stopped him.

As one should, Vecna did not give up hope and made another attempt to escape, this time ignoring Kas. He knew that in order to become a true god he would need to complete a ritual in which he consumed the essence of another demigod. Seeing as there were no other such beings in Cavitius, Vecna created two tablets, shadowed in mystery and lies, that promised the secrets of transcendence. These tablets drew Iuz, the Corpse King, to Vecna. Iuz invaded Cavitius through a portal from Oerth, but instead of finding his own ascension there, he was consumed by Vecna.

Vecna ascended to true godhood and escaped the Mists. He made his way to the City of Doors (Sigil) and as is his nature, attempted to reshape the entire multiverse in his image. Vecna obviously failed as we are not currently living in a world made up entirely of skulls and imaginary snake friends. Though it is only a matter of time before Vecna tries again…

[wild-magick-child]

Wizardry: It's Not Witchcraft

I see all over Witchblr and across the greater magickal Tumblr Community that the general consensus is Witchcraft. I practice Wizardry, not Witchcraft. Most would likely assume that these are different terms for the same thing. You would be wrong.

There is a reason these are separate terms: they are completely different practices. "Wizard" comes from Anglo-Saxon "wysard" ("learned one"). Wizardry translates to "Art of Wisdom." The primary attribute of a Wizard is a thirst for knowledge and a keen mind. Indeed, ALL Wizards are loremasters. We are essentially the Scholars & Philosophers of the Magickal Community. That being said, Wizards often go to colleges to study with other Wizards or seek out a Master to train them in Wizardry, just as I have done. My Master was Jeremy Maloy, a Draconian Wizard who trained me in Merlynean Wizardry. An example of a Wizard college would be the Grey School of Wizardry. I go there on occasion to expand my knowledge and power.

Our Magick comes from our strong minds & the ability to focus, the ability to learn and gain knowledge. Wizardry focuses on the attainment & preservation of arcane lore. Our power comes from our vast knowledge. We spend our whole lives studying Magick from books that have been passed down by Wizards from Master to Apprentice. The more knowledge we have, the more power we have. The phrase Knowledge is Power was made by Wizards.

Whether Modern Witches like it or not, traditional lore dictates that Witch's power is granted to them by their Familiar Spirit. Witches can do nothing without the aid of spirits. Even Atheist Witches use the Superconscious Mind (a consciousness directly outside of themselves). Witchcraft is bound to the Spirit World & the Astral Plane. A Familiar Spirit is really any spirit that aids the Witch in their Magick (yes..."their" because Witch is still a gender neutral term). Another common entity that aids Witches is their Fetch. There is a good reason for this. Witches don't use Mana. Witches raise power in a Sacred Circle, called the Cone of Power.

However, Wizard's power comes from our knowledge of Magick & ability to absorb Mana from the air we breathe, food we eat, & water we drink. Wizards store mana in what we call the Core, the origin of our power in the center of our being. It (aether) comes from the Wellspring. Since we absorb aether & our bodies use it to generate Mana, that Mana has to be stored. As such, we have a natural capacity for Mana. That means our Magick is Vancian: we have a certain number of times we can cast/certain amount of power for spells before we run out of Mana. We don't "raise power." We use what we have in our Cores.

Even though Witches can specialize if they choose to, Wizards always specialize. In fact, that's the defining trait that separates Wizardry from Witchcraft. Wizardry is divided into Disciplines: areas of magickal concentration. There are 16 of them, each with a color related to the field of study:

• Loremastery (Grey) (my Discipline)

• Thaumaturgy/Sympathetic Magick (Black)

• Ceremonial Magick (White)

• Magickal Practice (Gold)

• Natural Philosophy (Silver)

• Beastmastery (Brown)

• Lifeways (Pink)

• Mathemagicks (Clear)

• Psychic Arts (Aqua)

• Alchemy (Red)

• Performance Magick (Orange)

• Divination (Yellow)

• Wortcunning (Green)

• Healing (Blue)

• Mind Magicks (Indigo)

• Cosmology (Violet)

These Disciplines also have a wavelength of Mana related to them, I call this "Mana flavors." Mana is a spectrum, a color spectrum to be precise! This is often why Wizards always have a Staff made of a specific wood. It's based on the idea that the Staff carries the magickal properties of the tree it is made from. Each tree is aligned to a specific "flavor" of Mana and is so aligned to a specific type of Magick (more on Staves later).

Staples in Wizardry are Numerology & Planetary Days/Hours. Our Magick is highly calculated based on Circumstances. We can't just cast all willy nilly. Because of this, our Magick is very Vancian. That means we have to prepare our spells AHEAD OF TIME in order to cast when we need to. For this reason, we learn the art of Dragoncrafting (for more information, check out Amber Wolfe's Druid Power). This is also why Wizards have always been heavily associated with Dragons. Our spells are often in the shape of Dragons as thoughtforms. This is not always the case but the point is we always shape our energies & spells into thoughtforms with the traits we need. That's why you will often catch me sharing a lot of stuff about Thoughtforms, Servitors, & Egregores.

The last thing of note is the Wizard's Staff. While Witches *can* have a Staff, a Wizard is required to create & use one. The Wizard's Staff is essentially part of their body. It is composed of the very essence of the Wizard who created it. It is the Wizard themselves synthesized into a Staff. Much like the concept of the Witch's Fetch. Just as a Fetch is part of a Witch naturally, the Wizard's Staff is part of the Wizard who makes it.

The Staff also has many other significances:

• Extra Power: The Staff is simply capable of drawing power from the ambient and delivering it to the linked Wizard. A linked Staff simply increases the surface area the linked Wizard has to draw mana from his surroundings.

• Mana Magnification: The Staff is essentially a focusing lens. Think of it like a water hose with a nozzle attached. Without the nozzle the water just flows and pretty much just goes wherever you point the hose. Great for watering gardens, not great when you need to power wash something. Without a Staff, a Wizard's mana flows out of them without resistance. Which is okay if you are just using your powers and don't need a "push." But for the bigger stuff like when you need to project a large amount of energy in one direction, then a Staff is needed to concentrate the Mana into a narrow beam. Like a magnifying glass in sunlight.

• Load Balancing: A Wizard uses mana when casting spells, but his ability to draw mana is probably constant over time. A Staff helps to balance the load of Mana. This prevents "short circuiting. My old Master taught me that "a Wizard's power is measured by how much energy we can continually channel at once." Remember that nerves can be fried if you force too much energy through them. Like trying to force 600 volts though a 60 volt wire.

• Mana Concentration: Instead of collecting mana within itself, the staff attracts it. This essentially creates a high mana field around the Wizard. It would in practice work much like the previous option, but would be more transparent. It would also be useful for non-combat (non-offensive) spells as the level of mana can limit what magick can work.

• Power Filtering: The Staff allows the Wizard to draw clean and stable power. It filters out spikes and "dark mana". It also filters out dips in the mana. This allows the mage to use less of the available power and time to stabilize the spell without increasing the chance of spell failure. It just makes casting spells easier and more efficient.

• Flavor Conversion: Since there are multiple flavors of mana, the Wizard is not equally efficient at using them all. The Staff collects mana the Wizard is bad at and converts it to what the Wizard actually wants. The effect is similar to extra power and power filtering options. This trait acts like a prism to light. We can use our Staves to "split" Mana into a spectrum, then transmute the Mana into what we can use. This is one of the core functions of a Staff, and is based on the type of wood the Staff is made of.

Sources:

Amber Wolfe's Druid Power

Oberon Zell's Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard

5 years of Training in Wizardry by Jeremy Maloy, a Draconian Wizard

Fairy Tail Anime

Rise of the Shield Hero Anime

Grey School of Wizardry

(I know this was made for RPGs but it's such a great source for my purposes of explanation!)

[moondust-bard]

Tell-All Tuesday

THE COVEN WYRMWOOD

Named for its founder, the unhinged genius Winifrede Wyrmwood, this coven is burdened by the weighty motto “Keepers of Time”. The wyrmwood coat of arms— an open tome balanced upon two gnarled branches, a crescent moon, stars, and hourglass beneath it— illustrates the ancient mission this coven has chosen for themselves.

Ever-formal, most Wyrmwood witches dress primarily in sage green, sand brown, and olive green. Its members are said to be disciplined, diligent, and erudite. This coven is made up of scholars and dedicated history keepers. Natural-born Wyrmwood witches often possess enhanced mental capabilities, omnilingualism, and near-perfect memory— though a tendency toward madness and obsession is said to also run in the family. Mastering the manipulation of time is this coven’s eternal ambition. Their stronghold, the Arcane Archives, is famous for its multi-story library and state-of-the-art laboratories. Their modest wealth comes from their patented potions which grant drinkers enhanced mental clarity and prolonged wakefulness.

Learn more about the wip here

[zstargalaxy]

MASTER JOURNEYS ACADEMY (TWST AU)

Open to people of all types, Master Journeys Academy allows its students to harnace their knowledge and experience to become their very best.

Master Journeys Academy is a ten-year arcane Academy where it teaches both magical wielders and magicless individuals, starting on the age of ten, on an archipelago that is off beside the Country of Pyroxene where special, beautiful, strong, dangerous, and unique creatures inhabited there that are called Pokemon.

The academy is known to educate great scholars, magicians, Idols, Actors, Writers, Professors, etc. But MJA is mostly famous for teaching future Pokemin Trainers, or known otherwise known as Beast Tamers outside of Adventure Archipelago.

ENROLLMENT

Students of all walks of life can enter in this school through signing forums and enrollment documents like any average school there is due to how the country of Adventure Archipelago, where the Academy resides, is slowly and surely opening to other parts of Twisted Wonderland with MJA being part of the progress of openness and alliance.

A letter will be sent to the student's home via mail delivering pokemon that will give them a guide of what they should expect for the coming year(s), of what subjects and lessons that they will learn, of what items or supplies they shall bring to school, and some information of where they shall be picked up in their respective location so that they will be go to MJA.

Master Journeys Train, the school's personal train that has been used to pick up incoming students, will arrive at a certain location (the location depends on how far or near each students are on their local area between eachother) with other students who will be also at that same location if all those students are in the same country or location. The train is run without magic, just like any inventions that are made in Adventure Archipelago, so it uses teleportation with the help of the school's fellow helper pokemon, Hoopa. It even picks up soon-to-be students from underwater.

Students, who are magically gifted, are given magestones upon enrolling to the academy (thanks to the coaporation between governments) with the stones styled into a bracelet for the students to wear confortably and easily.

UNIFORM

The school dosent have any requirements of unifrom that the students should where so they are free to design and wear whatever they like under some rules, like one of them being that all students should where the ribbon that has the schools crest.

Each students can where the ribbon whatever they like, in their hair, clothes, as accessories and so much more, as long as they wear and/or have it for not having it is against the school's dress code.

SCHOOL LIFE

During their first year, all students are first given six pokeballs by their designated homeroom teacher and, by the student's permission, can get their phone turn into a Rotom phone by letting a Rotom inhabiting the device.

Students are given the time to choice their first pokemon. Teachers and even the Headmistress can give the students a choice out of the three starter trio of each region to pick as their partner, friend and part of their family but they also allow the student the needed amount of time if they can make up their mind or simply wanted to catch one themselves.

Around the end of their second month or beginning of the 3rd month in MJA, the school's tradition of a open-ended independent study assignment will be present/commenced where students of all grades and years are free to set out and travel Adventure Archipelago in their own merit, with the purpose of the assignemnt is to widen the world for the students and to learn and use the knowledge during their first few months at MJA and their journey so that they could grow responsible, mature and smart through the experiences with their Pokémon.

POKÉMON

Pokémon are creatures of all shapes and sizes who live in the wild or alongside their human partners (called “Trainers”). They are found everywhere in Adventure Archipelago (or Adventure Islands for short) but cant be found in other places in Twisted Wonderland. During their adventures, Pokémon grow and become more experienced and even, on occasion, evolve into stronger Pokémon.

Pokémon at the academy roam freely, work there and even partner up with the staff and students of all kinds for many years since it's construction around 900 years ago.

There are pokemon helping in the library, botanical gardens, cafeteria, kitchen, faculty and so much more. There is even a playground where Trainers can let their Pokémon run, play or doing anything they want as they wait for their trainer during their class time.

Though Pokémon is evident in the students curriculum and school life, during classes where Pokémon arent needed must be entertained and occupied somewhere else to not distract the students while class is in session.

STAFF

Headmistress - Tamaki Walter.

Science Curriculum and General Magics Teacher - Magus Sidyen.

School Counselor - Avia Willowbark.

Physical Education Teacher - Gabrielle Jennings.

Battle studies Teacher - Saisho Sukaretto.

Music and Language Teacher - Feliciano Fernandez.

Home Ec. Teacher - Stella Yorokobi.

Social studies Teacher - Shojocha Chishiki.

School's Nurse - Nurse Emily Yorokobi.

Head Security Guard - Officer Alexis Jennings.

[wyvernwriterarchive]

🔮How I Design Magic for Tathylia Chronicles

How Magic Affects Society

Magic is generally seen as an accepted part of life. Some say it was a blessing from the heavens, adapting and changing with the earth. Others see it as a science, with schools and scholars studying it to gain a better understanding of it.

This isn't to say there aren't things about it that aren't doubted in some way. For example, dvination and fortune telling are technically possible and yet are often dismissed by the general public.

It is most often used for war and combat It's a very dangerous weapon, akin to cannons and early firearms. It has immense power that can pierce through normal defenses, but if not treated with respect and caution, it can cause a serious accident.

Controlling Magic

In order to use magic, you first have to ha e the potential to use magic inside of you. It isn't exactly uncommon for there to be more people who can't use magic than people who can. Plus, this isn't even considering people who can use magic, but don't for a variety of reasons (they don't want to/they don't know they can/they can't learn for some reason.)

Usually, magic requires a conduit of some kind in order to be used correctly. Most commonly, this comes in the form of tomes, staves, or enchanted objects. Though this isn't a constant. Some memorize runes or rituals. Others have innate knowledge and power that allows them to cast magic freely.

One thing you need to know is that the magic in these tomes is somewhat finite. Once a tome runs out of magic, you can still get magic out of it, but it will not be nearly as potent, usually being useless for combat. The same goes for staves and enchanted items. After this, they usually get used for training and teaching, allowing budding mages to safely practice spells or how to channel magic.

Types of Magic

There are five specific types of magic that are found in the world, and they can be separated as such.

Arcane Magic🔥⚡️❄️

Magic used through study the arcane arts of the world. There is magical energy everywhere, and wizards learn to harness it, turning that raw power into something truly great. It is varied and very common in the world. Oftentimes, it comes in the forms of pure energy and gravity, as well as fire, ice, and lightning; extremes in nature and science.

Divine Magic☀️🕊 📿

Magic gained through prayer and conviction. Through praying to the goddesses or swearing a true oath to a cause, saints gain the ability to harness the powers of the light and the sun. These blessed magic spells may shield the user from harm or otherwise support them or the allies around them. They are also handy and slaying demons.

Elder Magic🌑💀🪦

Magic thought to be from a time immemorial, fueled by the chaotic energies of the ground and darkness itself hexing or weakening foes or spreading curses or maladies. It is often seen as evil and dangerous due to its destructive force, even to the user. It also has extreme effects on any dyreblod it is used on, corrupting their natural souls. But any good warlock knows of these drawbacks, and must be careful not to let the call of the elden spirits take them.

Primal Magic🍃🌊🪨

Magic that comes from the spirits of nature. By communicating with them and learning about the natural world, they gain the ability to command powerful forces of nature. The practice is uncommon, and it is rare to see druids out and about. Yet their spiritual power allows them to use elements like wind, water, and earth to control the world around them and target specific weaknesses.

Utility Magic🪄🔮🧿

Magic called upon by using unique spells or enchanted items. It is very simple to use, yet hard to truly master. You channel energy into an item, and a spell is activated. Some items do that without you having to use your own energy at all. These types of spells can come in the forms of healing and curative spells, as well as inflicting effects on foes or imbuing people or items with magical strength. Most commonly, these spells come in the form of staves, and most mages can use them if given enough time to practice.

[eldritch-horror-rp-blog]

Laurence x Reader Fic (WIP)

I’m a very slow writer, so please forgive my taking forever to post writing and such. Here’s a WIP of a Reader x Bloodborne Character that I’ve been working on for like forever. It’s short so far but this is what I feel comfortable posting right now. Still in WIP format and far from done but I still wanted to post it anyway. Hope you like it so far. <3 I will continue to work on this but I don’t know when it will be done.

= Byrgenwerth was full of corridors and hallways that seemed to go nowhere, and such a vast number of rooms that you could hardly remember all of them though you did try. Lined with candles, the shadows did not seem to abate, no matter how many were burning. The atmosphere gave you a chill as you went on your way. A new scholar, you were graciously invited to come and study amongst the masters and the elite, hardly a fate you could have imagined for yourself months ago.

By the Gods, how could I be worthy and intelligent enough to study the lore alongside the likes of Master Willem and the others?

Even now it still boggled your mind.

Such potential, the letter that you received had said, making your heart rise in excitement. You had heard the tales of the secret things that went on here, the hidden experiments and the mysterious rumors. Everyone in town spoke of them. And the fact that you would not be part of these stories was more than your emotions could take.

Of course, there was also talk of Laurence. The brilliant Laurence, a former student now turned academic of the arcane, who also roamed these halls as well. You had yet to see the man, but you hoped that one day you might sit in on one of his talks of what he called the “Blood Ministration.” He had yet to reveal what exactly this meant to the public, but you were sure that it had to be of great significance. The thought of it made you swallow in anticipation.

And perhaps, I might be able to add to that knowledge as well. Eventually…

A fire of ambition burned deep within your chest, for wisdom, insight, spurning you onward in the direction of the office that belonged to Laurence. The sound of your footsteps the only sound in the empty hallway. It all felt so unreal. Reaching out with a nervous hand, the knocking on the heavy oaken door sounded far away, as if a thousand miles away.

“Come in.” A male voice said, from beyond the threshold.

You moved, turning the doorknob and pulling open the door. =