#this can even stretch to other pantheons and magical beings

[wolfsbanesparks]

Got this in my head

So in dc gods can’t interact (or stoped interacting) with humanity so when the gods want to talk to Billy but give him headaches when it’s not one of his patrons, so they start possessing toys (or animals if they desperate idk) and now billy has a bunch of toys laying around bc the gods refuse to use the same another did.

This is such a fun headcanon!

The gods often have animals that are associated with them/sacred to them, so those are the ones that they might possess to talk to Billy. But because Billy lives in the middle of a city, most of those animals are very conspicuous so they avoid it. But whenever Billy goes to the zoo, he risks having to talk to one of the animals because a god had something to say to him. Often it's a small quest or errand that causes him more trouble than he rightly thinks is fair.

But the stuffed animal/toys? Yeah those are much easier for the gods to possess and less likely to cause people to gawk at them. i definitely agree that the gods are very picky (and possessive) about which toys they possess. They probably all try to pick something that represents them (a sacred animal or something) Billy has to take care of each one so none of the gods feel offended that their preferred toy is dirty or broken.

The first time someone (Freddy or maybe a JL hero) sees his huge collection of toys they just think its sweet that Billy can still be a kid and enjoy playing with toys. They are all well loved and practically form a shrine. They just think that he internalized Toy Story and wanted to take of all of them, but then Billy (not wanting to be thought of as a baby or childish) tells them "those are the vessels of the gods". Naturally they laugh about it but then like an hour later one of the dolls sits up on its own and speaks in a deep voice asking for Billy's help breaking a centuries old curse.

[nine-of-diamonds]

Perigee (Heavenly Bodies deleted scene)

Centuries before the fall of their pantheon, two kindred gods chat.

also posted on ao3 if you prefer to read it there!

---

The planet is miniscule before her, a distant speck from her divine throne. Her chin is propped against her clawed hand as she leans on the armrest of her seat. Beside her, Xelqua lounges on his own glittering throne, eyes shining the way they always do when a new idea crosses his mind. 

“You want to go down there?” she says, shooting her partner a curious look. He shrugs, his expansive golden wings fluttering behind him as he does. Light glints off his feathers, reflecting pinprick rays down to the world below.

“Why not?” he asks, nonchalant in a way that only a god who has never known human consequence can be while proposing something that has never been done before. “I think it would be fun to see it all up close, don’t you think?”

She stifles a small laugh as she answers, “Mortals can’t even look upon our true forms—you’ll end up killing them all.”

“Oh come on, Lady Pearlescent,” he says, drawing out her name with a sly smile, “don’t tell me the goddess of transformation and concealment is incapable of disguising herself.” 

The look on his face is smug and teasing. It would earn anyone else a sharp glare for challenging her, but Lord Xelqua has never been just anyone to her—in the very beginning, their close relationship was often mistaken for something romantic by the other gods before they corrected the assumption. They’ve never entertained the idea of being lovers and she cannot stand the thought of it. Their bond, like the extent of their power, is beyond capturable by words. It simply is. 

“Oh, I’m plenty capable of it,” she drawls, huffing a small laugh. “I’m just worried about you, Lord Xelqua, god of truth and clear vision.” He rolls his eyes at the formal title as she continues, putting on an innocent voice, “Can you mask yourself well enough to pass as mortal?”

“Who said we’d be pretending to be mortal?” he shoots back. 

She hesitates, seeing the earnest look in his eyes as he says that—he really has no plans to hide his divinity beyond what is necessary, she laughs inwardly. 

“And what of the consequences of confirming our existence?” she asks, knowing full well what his answer will be. It’s all too easy to read him after centuries by his side.

The number of unwavering truths since the dawn of time is small, but Pearlescent can name three about her partner:

One—Xelqua thinks quick but acts even quicker. She would be worried about his safety were he not immortal, given how impulsive he can be once he finds something he wants. 

Two—Xelqua is in love with the mere idea of life, even if it is a degree removed from his dominion. He’s the god of liveliness, technically, a distinction that means he has no sway over whether something is or is not alive, but rather can inspire those who are already alive to live more vibrant and active lives. She sees how creatures are energized in the warmth of his sun, how a touch of his magic can restore light to a weary man’s eyes. And she sees how he feeds off their energy in turn, relishing in his ability to influence the world on a scale impressive even when compared to other gods. 

Three—Xelqua, the impulsive life-lover he is, is fascinated by chaos, and gets a kick out of causing it. He’s not a malicious god, but he is one prone to boredom if the mortals below are acting too passively for his tastes. He never goes after humankind directly, especially not his favorites, but he has been known to poke and prod at the other gods in hopes of garnering an entertaining reaction that inevitably affects the world below.

Take all of this into account and Pearlescent can recite his answer the same time he does, “It was getting a little boring around here, anyway.” He grins as she rolls her eyes fondly. 

“You’re going to be the reason this world ends,” she sighs, “I can see it already.”

He laughs, one wing stretching out to whack her on the shoulder nearest to him. “You’re going after Solidarity’s role as the omen-bearer now?”

“Nah, he can keep it,” she replies. “That's all he has going for him, y’know?” They snicker at the same time. It’s not that Solidarity is a weak god—in fact, it’s his magic that keeps them aware of and accountable for the far-reaching impacts of their actions. That said, he’s one of the gods with the least power to influence the world on a material level, which often lends him to being the butt of the pantheon’s jokes. 

“Really, though,” Xelqua says once they’ve stopped laughing, “I think we should do it.” He stands and steps closer to her. The diaphanous silver light emanating from her throne dances off his shimmering feathers. “Humans—they always make up their own stories, anyway. Now that worldwide travel has become more widespread, it’s only a matter of time before they solidify their own ideas of what their gods are like. We may as well give them faces and personalities to associate with our domains before they come up with portrayals of sun and moon deities that we’ll resent for eternity.”

She hums in acknowledgment. “They need to know their sun god looks like their chickens,” she says in a faux serious tone.

He scoffs, crossing his arms. “There’s nothing wrong with chickens,” he says. 

Pearlescent raises an eyebrow. “I never said there was.” 

“You implied it,” he retorts. “They’re very noble creatures.”

“Well, in that case, you can officially claim them as part of your domain,” she says, flashing him a grin that shows off her sharp teeth. “They’re not too different from songbirds, anyhow, and I don’t think anyone else wants them.”

“Maybe I will,” he says, jutting his chin out stubbornly like a mortal child. 

“I look forward to that announcement next time the pantheon meets.” They manage to maintain their composure for a solid moment before they break out in laughter once more. 

How lucky she is, she muses, that not only is she a goddess, but one with such an easy partnership of equals. 

“Let’s do it,” she says, reaching out a hand for him to pull her up since he’s right next to her.

He cocks an eyebrow. “The announcement?” he asks, tugging her to her feet. 

“The walking among mortals idea,” she says. “Let’s go.” 

His face lights up, wings fluttering in anticipation. He claps his hands together. “This is going to be fun,” he promises. “You’ll see, all the other gods will be doing the same soon.”

She chuckles. “Now who’s going after Solidarity’s title?” she jokes. Xelqua pays her no mind, continuing to ramble about possible glamors they can take on and villages they can visit—

What would it be like, she wonders, if mortals all had the same zest for life as her partner? Would they look to the sky with the same sense of awe as he does when peers down at them? 

What would Xelqua be like had he been born mortal? The question crosses her mind and snatches her attention for a moment—she wonders, would he be filled with the same vitality without his divine magic?

What would it be like to be truly mortal, to be human? Who would they be without their power and influence? 

Xelqua grabs her by the arm as they descend to the mortal plane. She wasn’t really paying attention when he told her where in particular they were heading, but she follows him anyway. 

If they were mortal, she decides, they would be mortal together. And while she does not know much about human needs, she thinks that would be enough for them. 

[haootia]

Wanna hear about the fantasy/rune thingy you were working on and never went anywhere ヽ（・＿・ ；)ノ

basically it was about two kingdoms locked in a decades-long war over this stretch of land between their two countries that had once been fertile but over like 100+ years of war it had become a total wasteland yet the two kingdoms were still fighting over it because they didnt want the other one to win. one of the kingdoms set up a program to recruit kids aged like 12-18 to become soldiers with the promise of sending a lot of money to their families, bc a lot of people had been killed or disabled in the war, and as part of this program they offered the kids this magical healing service where by tattooing sigils on their body with enchanted metallic ink they could cure essentially anything, and they had implants/prostheses for missing eyes and limbs and stuff, but the trade off was that you had to sign up to be a soldier for 20 years. the ink was super expensive so this was the only practical way to get it for 99.9% of people. but of course recruiting child soldiers for your pointless infinite war machine is Bad, Actually, and the vast majority of the recruits just got immediately killed as soon as they stepped into the wasteland. also the survivors had to go back and recover the dead bodies so the alchemists could recycle the metal ink. not a great system for anybody really

so yeah i put a lot of thought into the setting of this world, but i just could not come up with a plot that was interesting and character-driven while also being even slightly reasonable. turns out its actually very difficult for a ragtag group of charismatic teens and young adults to save the world from evil. in order to make the story resolve according to my standards it wouldve had to be like several massive arcs of incremental change as they slowly dismantle the war machine, because i just couldnt in good conscience end it with the kids killing the evil emperor or whatever. i mean for one theres two of them. neither kingdom is good here you dont want either of them to win. basically the scope span way out of control, and like, i still really like all of the stuff i came up with! but i decided to put this in cold storage for a while and work on other projects. maybe ill come back to it in 10 years and write a bestselling series of 6 full-length novels that perfectly balance plucky YA heroism with the horrible realities of war while also having great action sequences and just enough political intrigue to be interesting. who knows.

some other concepts / plot points include:

everybody has some amount of innate magic, but the dominant society heavily restricts its use to healing and war only. elemental magic is definitely possible and was common a few centuries back but now they consider it a perversion of the natural order and its mega illegal

both kingdoms originated from the same culture group and worshiped the same pantheon of gods, but in the modern era one has forsworn all religion and claims to be all about science and rational philosophy, and the other teaches that their favorite god (Death) has killed and eaten all the other gods except for one (Birth) so now those are the only two youre allowed to worship

(in the endgame, it turns out that the gods are, to some degree, literally real, and Death is able to grant the protagonist some last-minute save because in abandoning all the other gods the kingdom has unintentionally given all their power to Death and now she's pretty much all-powerful. like, the system here is that there are definitely real divine forces, but their exact configuration depends on what humans call them, so that the more gods are recognized the smaller each one's scope is. by getting rid of all but two of them this kingdom has basically put all their eggs in one basket with Death and it turns out Death is not actually cool with that and wants to see them get wrecked)

people can have animal familiars by putting some of their own magic into a dead or dying animal which then comes back to life and also acts as a backup life for their creator. and the familiars look cool as fuck and glow and stuff, and they can communicate telepathically with their creator but no one else.

the protagonist has chronic pain from a spinal injury that gets "fixed" with magic ink and implants but then it turns out that the enchanted metal is not actually a perfect forever solution and if you use a lot of magic it starts literally melting out of your body, oops! people who survive their initial recruitment into the royal army generally have to keep getting more and more stuff put on or in them to stay in fighting shape. as the protagonist journeys around fighting stuff his body gradually degrades and he has to figure out how to keep doing stuff as his pain comes back.

at one point a woman with a huge amount of metal fixtures forced on her by the army uses all her magical power to destroy an entire army and all the metal melts out of her and floats around in a ball of liquid steel which she throws at a siege machine to destroy it. then she dies and is revived by her familiar and lives the rest of her life much more happily with ordinary mobility aids and accommodations

at another point a different woman uses super secret forbidden elemental magic to turn a whole sandstorm into glass needles and its awesome as fuck

at least one hurdy gurdy

[bureaumantic]

Interesting prompt! I never really considered it before!

There are two methods that a person can use to seek medical care in my main world! The first one is boring and it's the same way people do in real life. They go to a hospital and receive their treatment.

The second method is much more interesting, but it requires some background! You see, my world does have a "magic system," if you can call it a system. It is dependent on the pantheon of gods, known as the Eternal Bureaucracy. The EB is an infinitely ancient afterlife that is structured pseudo-office that stretches into infinite. All of my worlds are linked up to the EB. Upon death, souls are transported to the EB via the Department of Death and can work in a myriad of departments that are all tasked with upkeeping the mortal planes. For example, the Department of the Seas may calculate the trajectories of different waves or collaborate with the Department of Physical Nature to keep up all the fish and whatnot. The gods and goddesses of the pantheon are all managers of different departments and are all led by the present manager of the Department of Labor, Raine Burlough. Each god has interns, who are mortals who exemplify a special interest and talent in a given department. Interns are rewarded for their interest in different fields by being given unique powers related to their interest by the gods. This is the magic "system," and you can see why I put system in quotation marks. Each individual intern has their own uniquely tailored powers. Some interns may not even realize they are interns. For example, an author may be gifted with the power to write incredible stories because of their special interest in the field from the Department of Literature (which is under the Department of the Arts which is under the Department of Spiritual Nature and yeah there's also hierarchies in the EB based on how high up your department and position is) and may spend their whole life honing and using their unique gift without realizing it.

Other interns are explicitly aware of their relationship with their god/goddess and may even meet up with them every decade or so (that's the soonest a god can usually fit someone in their schedule. they do have to handle every world after all, and their job is much more than just catering to interns). While many departments' interns can find some way to bend their powers to heal, most magical healers come from the Departments of Physical and Spiritual Nature (particularly the sub-departments of Faith and Love).

By the way, interns are not secret. Most people know of and believe in interns and their power as well as the gods, although with the gods exponentially investing less time in this world and more time in other worlds, supernatural interventions are rarer and rarer and atheism and agnosticism is on the rise.

Healers' reputations are usually local. Since they're so rare compared to population densities and sizes, most people haven't had an opportunity to be healed by magic and it's often described as a---well---magical experience. Interns are usually discouraged from actively seeking out other interns and to instead focus on honing their skills alone (it's a competitive job market out there, interns!), although it isn't strictly prohibited. Guilds of interns have formed in the past but they weren't powerful enough to have stuck around to the modern day. Most interns nowadays live alone---sometimes a good but convenient distance from civilizations but others in small towns and whatnot---practicing and honing their craft.

The True Kondrian Empire conscripts interns whose powers could be useful in combat into the Special Warfare Group. The SWG is usually used to top secret operations and the like, although they aren't that good. They're still just people and require the same training and more than that which regular soldiers and even commandos receive. Their powers aren't so powerful that they can single-handedly win the war or even desert from the army (bullets still kill and a group's worth of troopers [like 90 of them] isn't going to get stopped by a single wall of water or some fireball or something). Of course, many interns would escape conscription but many others wouldn't. I can't emphasize enough that a lot of the time interns are still just people with some minor powers attached.

So yeah my answer to the prompt has spiraled into an explanation of something completely different but hopefully it was enlightening! (wow my first wbw is also the first wbw of the year! [even if it is Tuesday evening for me!])

Worldbuilding Wednesday!

Ahh, first Wbw of the year! Now ain't that nice...

Here's your Prompt!

Tell us about the ways people in a society in your Setting might seek medical care! Are there professional organisations of practitioners, or is it all done on an ad hoc basis? Has it always worked this way, or has the system changed over time? How much trust do people in that society have in these healers?

Tagging @athenswrites @theprissythumbelina @hessdalen-globe @nerdexer @caxycreations @avrablake @imslowlydisintegrating @coffeexafterxmidnight and anyone who'd like to take part!

[j4gm]

TOGETHER AGAIN SPOILERS

A thread of lore, Easter eggs, episode connections, and background details from Adventure Time: Distant Lands: Together Again! Let me know if I missed anything! This is adapted from my original Twitter thread.

Keep reading ⬇️⬇️⬇️

1. I was expecting them to perhaps do a classic style title sequence for this episode, but I wasn't expecting them to straight up use the original title sequence. The only difference is this final screen saying "Distant Lands".

2. The background of the title cards is also the hill from the title sequence.

3. The ice cream having "50 flavours" and having an image of an enlightened soul is an obvious reference to the 50th Dead World as we see it later in the episode.

4. Continuing with the metaphor, the dirt in the ice cream could be a parallel to the fact that Jake's Nirvana actually wasn't perfect, because his inaction was allowing for injustice to perpetuate.

5. This whole scene feels immediately slightly off. Finn has his Scarlet sword and is out on a classic Ice King adventure, but he speaks in his grown voice and all the slang feels much more forced than it did in the real season one. Turns out this was deliberate.

6. The snow golem speaks with a baby voice like it did in the pilot episode, even though in canon it has a deeper voice. This further hints that something is not quite right.

7. The first major break in continuity is these snow golems resembling Uncle Gumbald and Peace Master, who Finn didn't meet until later in his life.

8. LSP sitting on Finn's head like this is reminiscent of Pen Ward's piece for the 2018 Ble crew zine.

9. Finn being given the choice of helping somebody but ending up helping everybody reminds me of "Memories of Boom Boom Mountain". It's the kind of resolution that wouldn't happen so much in the late seasons of the show, which helps make this scene feel even further out of place.

10. Jake is half frozen by Ice King in pretty much the exact same way as he was in "Prisoners of Love", and even has a very similar line.

11. The Snail is seen here. The crew have said that the Snail has been deliberately left out of previous Distant Lands specials, so its placement here is another very deliberate hint that this whole sequence is "trying too hard" to be like the early seasons.

12. The book "Mind Games" appears a couple of times, as seen in several previous episodes of Adventure Time. The first is as Finn is approaching the library in his dream. It also appears as one of the items in Finn's backpack later.

13. Jake is hurt when Finn fist bumps him with his metal arm, revealing that this scene is not real. This is also a callback to the title sequences of "Islands" and "Elements".

14. A whole bunch of familiar skeletons are seen in the bird's nest: Dirt Beer Guy, Abracadaniel, Me-Mow, Lemongrab, Mr. Pig, and the Snail again. This doesn't necessarily mean that all these characters are dead, since this scene is just a hallucination.

15. Old Man Finn! He's still got the chest tattoo of Jake, and this time we know that Jake is dead, so the theory that Jake died before "Obsidian" seems pretty likely. He looks similar to his old man design from "Puhoy", with the same facial hair.

16. There are several cameos of familiar characters who apparently died at the same time as Finn. The first is this duck, who previously appeared in "Ocarina".

17. The second is Donny, from the episode... uh, "Donny".

18. This goblin guy is an unnamed background character from “The Silent King”.

19. This old lady first appeared in "The Enchiridion", way back in season one. Old ladies are a species in the Land of Ooo, so I guess she wasn't actually very old back then, given she just about outlived Finn.

20. This is the cobbler who first appears in "His Hero". Amazing that he lived so long given all the trouble he got into in that episode.

21. Land of the Dead! This place was first seen in season two's "Death in Bloom", and now we are finally learning its actual purpose. It's a sort of gateway and hub to all of the other dead worlds.

22. There are some more minor cameos at the gates: a house person from "Donny", a soft person from "Gut Grinder", and a wood person from "When Wedding Bells Thaw". And, of course, the gate guardian himself from “Death in Bloom”.

23. Finn completely ignores the gate guardian in the same way he did in Death in Bloom. This also has the convenient effect of not having to reveal how Finn died, leaving it up to the audience's imagination.

24. Mr. Fox! We already knew he would die at some point because BMO had his skull in the finale.

25. Finn has his design from the first Distant Lands poster in this scene. Turns out it's young Finn in old Finn's clothes. But they gave him a shirt in the poster so you wouldn't be able to see the tattoo.

26. The clapping that Finn does while he's looking for Jake is a callback to "James Baxter the Horse", when Jake tells Finn to listen for that same rhythm if they are killed and need to find each other in the afterlife.

27. Mr. Fox talks about a "past life quotient", suggesting that there might be some kind of limit to how many times somebody can reincarnate. Finn's reincarnations are also seen in this scene; a callback to "The Vault", and confirmation that reincarnations share the same soul.

28. Boobafina, the goose who Mr. Fox was in love with in his debut episode “Storytelling”, apparently reincarnated into a tugboat. We've already seen that objects can have souls in the episode "Ghost Fly".

29. Finn is initially assigned to the 37th Dead World, which is the same one that Jake went to when he died in "Sons of Mars". We can only guess at what the other numbers on the ticket mean ;)

30. Tiffany! Despite several lucky escapes throughout his life, Tiffany has finally died. I like the use of this imagery to express Finn's conflicted feelings about him.

31. The 50th Dead World has long been established as the "highest" dead world, and the one synonymous with Heaven within Adventure Time's universe. It was first mentioned in "Ghost Princess" back in season three.

32. It's unclear what happens to souls which are destroyed within the dead worlds. It is a similar question to asking what happened to the ghosts that were killed in "Ghost Fly".

33. Death doesn't speak at all in Together Again because his voice actor, Miguel Ferrer, passed away in 2017 long before production began.

34. Finn phases through New Death when he tries to attack him, just like what happened way back in "Death in Bloom".

35. The 30th Dead World contains Tree Trunks as well as many of her love interests; Mr. Pig, her alien husband from "High Strangeness", Danny and Randy who first appeared in "Apple Wedding", and several more who we don't recognise, including at least one who presents as a woman.

36. Literally yelled when these two showed up. Joshua calls Finn a crybaby, which is a callback to "Dad's Dungeon".

37. The wall of weapons in Joshua and Margaret's house includes the iconic Demon Blood Sword, which was broken in "Play Date", as well as Margaret's auto-loading crossbow from "Joshua & Margaret Investigations".

38. Jermaine is sidelined a few times through the episode, in reference to his attitude in "Jermaine" where he feels that Finn and Jake were always their parents' favourites. I would have hoped things would be a bit better by now.

39. Fern gets name dropped while Finn and Jake are reuniting. A shame he doesn't actually show up in the episode.

40. In this scene, Finn says "What time is it?" This is a very subtle reference to the 2010 cartoon "Adventure Time".

41. In a couple of shots during this fight scene it looks like Jake might have a tattoo. It seems like it only becomes visible when he stretches out his arm.

42. New Death's amulet in this scene resembles parts of the Lich's cape, foreshadowing his influence on New Death.

43. There are several more cameos in the 50th Dead World: Booshy from "High Strangeness", one of the Marshmallow Kids from "Scamps", and Ghost Princess and Clarence, who were seen ascending to the 50th Dead World in "Ghost Princess".

44. Finn didn't interact with Booshy in "High Strangeness", but it seems they must have met at some point before they both died because Finn knows his name.

45. It seems like people in the 1st Dead World are slowly melted away until they become part of the landscape. Nasty.

46. Lots more cameos in this scene: a gnome from "Power Animal", a gnome from "The Enchiridion", a Bath Boy from "The Vault", Blagertha from "Love Games", Maja the Sky Witch, a troll from "Dungeon", Chocoberry, Choose Goose, Wyatt, a spiky person from "Gut Grinder", and possibly more.

47. Tiffany's insults are consistently nonsensical and amazing, as they were in the original series.

48. The Candy Kingdom looks extremely different. Peppermint Butler is wearing the crown so he might be in charge now, which is supported by the kingdom's very magical-looking augmentations. It’s not clear whether Finn and Jake were expecting to find Princess Bubblegum or Peppermint Butler, since both have the initials “PB” and both could be going by the title of “Princess”. Perhaps Peps and Bubblegum share the princess duties now that PB is living with Marceline more of the time.

49. Peppermint Butler has a "Boss" mug, although it's not the same colour as the one from "Obsidian".

50. Jake's ghost has the same design as he did when BMO killed him in "Ghost Fly". I also absolutely love Finn's ghost. This scene establishes that ghosts are just visitors to the mortal plane from the dead worlds.

51. Life has only appeared in animated shorts before now. Namely, "The Gift That Reaps Giving" which establishes her relationship with Death, and "Frog Seasons: Winter". This episode gives her a concrete place within Adventure Time's pantheon: she is in charge of reincarnation.

52. A translation of Life’s angry French dialogue by Shado: “After all I did for that boy. After all I did for him. No, it's not possible. It's not possible no, that... that makes me so mad but it's not possible.”

53. We finally have in-universe confirmation that Shoko's tiger is a previous life of Jake. This was previously confirmed by one of the writers, but wasn't canon until now.

54. I feel like Finn pulled off Shoko's look even better than Shoko did. I wonder whether Finn has gained the memories of his past lives now that he’s dead.

55. No Easter egg here, just want to appreciate this image.

56. There is an elemental symbol on the wall here, as seen in "Jelly Beans Have Power".

57. Tiffany's dramatic internal monologue is a recurring gag, as is his habit of nearly dying from falling into holes.

58. The Jake suit makes a cameo in the fight against New Death. It was last seen in the episode "Reboot”.

59. Finn's backpack contains a few familiar items: the t-shirt with the pocket from "It Came from the Nightosphere", Finn's underwear from "Little Dude" and other episodes, and a copy of Mind Games as I've already mentioned.

60. The Lich's Hand is present in the background of Death's... death scene. This is probably the unseen "friend" who New Death keeps talking about.

61. The Lich's menacing monologues often begin with a single command. Previously they have included "Fall" and "Stop". This time, the command is "Burn".

62. Jake uses the word "boingloings", which is a callback all the way to "Hitman" in the third season.

63. Jake's blue shape-shifter form from "Abstract" appears very briefly during his fight with Finn.

64. Finn's lumpy space person form also makes an appearance. This design was last seen all the way back in the second episode of the entire show, "Trouble in Lumpy Space".

65. Jake steps on the Lich's hand in a very similar way to how he stepped on Ash in "Memory of a Memory", which is itself a Monty Python reference.

66. The credits include a dedication to a few AT cast and crew who have passed away. Polly Lou Livingston was the voice of Tree Trunks. Miguel Ferrer was the voice of Death. Michel Lyman and Maureen Mlynarczyk were both sheet timers on the original series. Rest in peace.

67. The message that Finn and Jake write out on the ouija board is "BUTT", which Peppermint Butler takes as a distress signal. This message is also used as a distress signal by the Hot Dog Knights in "The Limit".

68. Peppermint Butler's reversed dialogue from the scene where he makes contact with Finn and Jake is "Kee-Oth Rama Pancake", the spell from “Dad's Dungeon” for banishing demons.

69. That appears to be President Porpoise with all of Tree Trunks’ other lovers.

70. In this scene, Life is humming part of "Lonely Bones", the song which Death tried to record for her in her debut short "The Gift That Reaps Giving". It's hard to notice because it's so brief.

71. Finn and Jake's cover is blown while in the Land of the Dead because Jake loudly farts, which also happened in "Death in Bloom".

72. The place where Mr. Fox explains the perception mechanics of the afterlife is the exact same location as the River of Forgetfulness from "Death in Bloom", which, as it turns out, was imaginary.

These are sort of out of order at the end because I was adding stuff to the Twitter thread as it got discovered. That’s all for now!

[kagrenacs]

Explaining the Iceberg #6

*Some things aren’t covered, namely things i’ve already discussed or content that I don’t feel is appropriate. And not everything is covered in depth

Tatterdemalion Moon Colonies: A since deleted forum post from MK, discussing the moon colonies of Reman that would later appear in c0da

Tamriel is the Far Shores: Orgnum is the immortal King of the Maormer, also said to be the Serpent God of the Sakatal’ indicating some connection to the Yokudan God of everything, Sakatal. Orgnum’s goal is to conquer Tamriel, this theory states that he may have mantled the Yokudan God and is confusing Tamriel for the Far Shores.

Water is Memory: One of the more difficult concepts to really pin down in these kind of theories, so bear with me. This topic has been brought up a few times in older lore discussions, and once again in ESO quite recently. First there should be clarification that I mean water both metaphorically and literally, just like the towers, there is no distinction between real and fake because this is a video game world. Second thing to note: There’s a lot of conflicting theories and ideas on this, i’m only providing the way I can conceptualize this all. If I provided every theory i’d surely hit some sort of character limit. Do you remember the metaphor about every soul in existence being a singular drop in an ocean? This is looking at the ocean itself, it’s the collective consciousness and memories of everyone out there, past, present and future. But this isn’t a synonym for souls and energy, this is a whole separate process. Sometimes souls are shown to be able to live without their memories (the soul carin), sometimes reflections of people's memories get stuck to places like ghosts (memory stones) When someone dies, their soul/energy and their memories may stick together and go to an Aedra or Daedra, or they might get split apart (like a Vestige) and end up in the Dreamsleeve to get recycled and in the Drowned Lamp which is a name for where all knowledge lost to history goes. This concept can be seen with the Daedra too, when discussing the ‘waters of oblivion’ when they get banished their essence heads back to this beginning place to spring back up. Water is memory also gets brought up quite often talking about Sotha Sil, who Vivec says is the selfishness of the sea, and whose ‘daughter’ is Mnemoli/Memory.

Crassius Curio, Time traveller: Another variant on the Crassius Curio plagiarism theory, accounting for why the lusty argonian maid is in ESO.

The Republic of Hahd: Mentioned in the Pocket Guide to the Empire, a group of people who claimed they lived off the coast of summerset, in an underwater civilization called Hahd. The only point in history that they became relevant was when they received tariffs for the transport of ‘mnemolite’ from the people of Hahd to the people of Nahd, and nearly sparked war between the Empire and the Altmer as they tried to figure out what was going on. Hahd and Nahd were both made up, thought to be by a group of psjjic students, as the island of Artaeum disappeared in that same year again.

Leaper Demons: Another name for Mehrunes Dagon, before he was cursed to become Dagon. Named this because of his ability to jump from Kalpa to Kalpa

Zero Stone: This is related to the towers, it’s the ‘heart’ of the tower, the piece that keeps it stable and functioning, essentially like a cornerstone. For the Red Tower and Walk-Brass this was a literal heart (the Heart of Lorkhan), but sometimes it’s other things like a fruit, or a person.

Tiber Septim Awoke Dagoth Ur: In the same short time as the Tiber Wars, where Tiber Septim was attempting to conquer all of Tamriel, Dagoth Ur awoken in Morrowind, which eventually forced ALMSIVI’s hand in signing the Armistice that would make Morrowind a part of the empire, hand over the Numidium, but allow Morrowind to largely keep it’s sovereignty. This theory suggests that Tiber Septim purposefully awoke Dagoth Ur as a long-term strategy, rather than trying to defeat ALMSIVI in wars. If not done purposefully, Dagoth ur may have been awakened by the presence of Tiber Septim (whose thu’um seemed to have came from Wulfharth, a survivor of the battle of Red Mountain and associate of Dagoth Ur)

Akatosh’s Shadow: MK mentioned Peryite as Akatosh’s shadow. Akatosh/Auriel largely introduced stability into the chaos of the Dawn Era as the God of time. Peryite has a similar function, that being natural order, where he micromanages Oblivion and Nirn. There’s more to this theory that i haven’t included due to sake of brevity  https://www.reddit.com/r/teslore/comments/4zct3i/the_shadow_of_aka_peryite/

The people of Et’Ada: Mentioned in the books The Light and Dark and Sithis, the people of et’ada are the descendants of the clash between Anu and Padomay, the original spirits that would give up their forms to become mortal

The Dwemer became their creations: A thought that instead of the commonly accepted Numidium Skin Theory, the Dwemer souls are the ones powering their automatons. 

Lefthanded Maomer: An in-universe theory that the Lefthanded elves and the Maomer are related. Evidence for this may exist in Orgunm being ‘Sakatal’

Skyrim getting Colder: A theory that says Skyrim is entering the ice age because of the recent snowfalls and the presence of Sabertooth cats and mammoths.

Anti-Magik Zones: Probably taken from D&D, areas where magic doesn’t work for some reason or other.

The Greedy Man: Another name for Lorkhan due to him ‘stealing’ the divinity of his fellow Et’Ada

Vvardenfell Lesbian Anomaly: The prescence of a large amount of wlw npcs in ESO and the presence of Tel Mora, an island full of women and Mistress Dratha who says she hates men. While the ESO one i’d argue that there’s a fairly equal spread of same sex couples, and Tel Mora is certainly the original developers adding in something ‘strange’ by having an entirely female island, various Lgbt fans of the games have made their own theories on this. @boethiah has proposed that Tel Mora was established as a safe place for lesbians, and Telmoran is the in-universe equivalent to ‘lesbian’ 

Prism Textract: A reference to a book from the mod Legacy of the Dragonborn

Ruptga: The chief god of the Yokudan Pantheon, people debate on whether he’s equivalent to Akatosh or Magnus, if he’s even equivalent to any god. He was the first god to figure out the Walkabout, and taught the other gods how to survive Sakatal (God of everything) shedding its skin.

The Elder Council world control:  References a theory that the Elder Council is an incredibly powerful political entity that controls the entire world. (looking at how things were handled in Oblivion, doubtful.)

Tiber Septim Shapeshifting dragon: Ingame theories that Tiber Septim was a shapeshifting dragon based on the empire’s affiliation with them. (source seems to originate from GT Noonan, pre-Oblivion and Skyrim) Could be an early idea for Dragonborns, or perhaps just a wild conspiracy theory.

Insane Time-God: Another MK text, et’Ada Eight Aedra, Eat the Dreamer. States Aka has gone insane due to how many names he has

The Staff of Unity and Chaos: The object you need to assemble in tes Arena. Is able to open gateways to other realms, near instantly kill people. In some of the early drafts of the main quest of ESO, a similar relic was proposed called the Staff of Towers, and would have been similar to the main quest of Arena.

Dracocrysalis: Mentioned in the Nu-Mantia, it’s largely unknown what this means apart from ‘it keeps elder magic bound so it can’t change into something lesser’ based off wording it probably means something akin to changing into a dragon.

Telescopic Aurbis: Refers to a quote from MK A single Wheel? More like a Telescope that stretches all the way back to the Eye of the Anui-El, with Padomaics innumerable along its infinite walls. Essentially this refers to the cycle of Kalpas, all wheels lined up with one another would make a telescope-like shape. The focal point of the telescope would be Mundus, ascending upwards you hit oblivion, then Aetherius surrounding that, and then lesser, more chaotic realms beyond that. This is also mentioned in the Murkmire book ‘Lost tales of the Famed Explorer.’

Gaenor is Sai: Gaenor is said to be one of the hardest bosses of Morrowind, in the Tribunal expansion you can give him gold and allow him to become an incredibly strong warrior. He has incredibly high luck (770 points) making him difficult to hit. This theory states that he is either Sai, the god of luck himself, or a champion of his.

Haskill is the Actual Mad God: This might be a couple different theories. 1st: The events of the Shivering Isles is a trick played on the player character by Haskill/Sheogorath, and the Sheo you see and interact with is just a projection. 2nd: From a loremaster interview from ESO, Haskill states he’s the ‘vestige’ of Sheogorath, the mortal remnants of the person who mantled the mad god in the last greymarch.

Moraelyn=Nerevar: Moraelyn of the King Edward books was likely an early draft for Nerevar. Both have association with roses, both are from House Mora and are considered a champion of the Dunmer. He probably participated in the War with the Nords, being described in the 36 Lessons.

Tsaesci Vampire Language eaters: From MK’s And we ate it to become it and another interview. https://www.imperial-library.info/content/fireside-chats Tsaesci feed on language, he doesn’t state if this is metaphorical, or literal (if that even matters in these games)

Scarab’s transformation: Refers to Scarab that Transforms into the New Man, or Amaranth. The Scarab is a metaphor for godhood. (Scarabs are symbols of divinity in Ancient Egypt) and the New Man is a person achieving Amaranth and creating a new dream/universe.

Trinimalarky: A fun name for Malarky. 

King Dead Wolf-Deer: A Bosmer transformed by the Wild Hunt. Lived from the first era until the beginning of the third.

Multiple Underkings: Another statement by MK, general consensus seems to be this refers to the existence of the Underking as two people, Wulfharth a nordic general from the 1st era who held the title. Zurin Arctus, who may have taken up the title after the 2nd Era, when Tiber Septim turned him into an undead being. Or both of them sharing the same body known as the ‘Underking’

Thot-Box: https://www.c0da.es/thotbox/7b10359a40bba7d2e654bc10226f694a68009f15 the worlds worst choose your own adventure. From what I understand of KIMMUNE, a thot-box is some sort of AI

Baar Dau is Shit: Pretty well known at this point. One myth states that Malacath got into a disagreement with Vivec and pooped on Vivec City..

Nu-Hatta: In reference to the person, they’re an ancestor cult member. Otherwise this is used to refer to the Nu-Hatta Intercept written by MK. The text in question seems to be a list of the various ways mortals have achieved divinity. 

Talos brought back dragons: Not sure about this one, there’s too many results to filter through to find what this is specifically about

Lyg’s Numidium: The thought here is that if Lyg is the parallel to Tamriel, then it should also have a Numidium that reinforces time and makes events a reality.

Dawn Era Ideological warfare: From UESP, Quote: The Dawn Era was a period during which time followed an incomprehensible nonlinear path and the very laws of nature remained unset, making a timeline an artificial fabrication. A conflict was simultaneously a mere ideological difference of opinion and a manifest war. What this means in simple terms, all possible outcomes in the Dawn era were simultaneous. This might also refer to the Ehlnofey wars where the wandering ehlnofey (ancestor of men) and the old ehlnofey (ancestor of mer) differed in opinion about the existence of Mundus and went to war.

Vivec destroyed Yokuda: A reference to the 17th lesson of Vivec, where Vivec states For a year they studied under their sword saints and then for another Vivec taught them the virtue of the little reward. Vivec chose a king for a wife and made another race of monsters which ended up destroying the west completely. In a literal sense (not that this means much in context of the lessons), this seems to indicate that Vivec created the sword saints, who ultimately ended up sinking Yokuda with the Pankratosword technique. Vivec also said malewife rights.

Ayrenn KIMMUNE: Another MK text. This one states Queen Ayrenn is actually a 9th era cyborg from the future. This was written after MK read an early draft for the Dominion quests and wanted to make it cooler. The writers of ESO have stated they don’t consider this canon.

Tiger Guars: A bit of old morrowind lore, Imperials would mistakenly call Guars, ‘tigers’

Hermaeus Mora is a failed Elder Scroll: Two theories here: 1st: The Black Books are Mora’s failed attempts to create Elder Scrolls (The first pages reference concepts such as the Dreamer and CHIM, Elder scrolls are fragments of creation) 2nd: Hermaeus Mora himself is a failed Elder Scroll. The Census of Daedric Princes describes him as ‘born of thrown-away ideas used during the creation of Mundus’

SITHISIT: the Ehlnofex word for Sithis

Khajiit Tattoo theft: Rajhin the thief god was said to steal a tattoo off Empress Kintyra’s neck as she slept. 

Mythopoeia: irl, it’s essentially a term for ‘world-building’ In the context of the elder scrolls, it means the ability to affect reality using belief or the will to change (similar to CHIM) In morrowind Yagrum uses it to describe the enchantments Kagrenac placed upon the tools. 

Dragons Biological Time-Machines: In the early drafts for dragons, MK described them as Biological Time-Machines. While this isn’t entirely reflective of what they are now, some truth holds. Being shards of Aka, dragons inherently have some ability to alter time itself.

Argonian Tits: I can’t keep doing this.

The Elven Lie: From what I gather, it seems to relate to the idea that the gods are infallible, when in fact they have weaknesses and flaws.

[shadow-kings-legacy]

"We're wide awake now, our eyes are wide open" Definition of hero

1a : a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability b : an illustrious warrior c : a person admired for achievements and noble qualities d : one who shows great courage source: Meriam Webster online dictionary

The dictionary definition of a hero paints quite a fantastic picture of an ideal good character, something my players and I have put aside for the PCs, who all have flaws, goals and needs. It makes me really proud everytime someone does something incredible and in-character when we play. But I digress, it's time to introduce the main characters of our journey. In order of appearence and color coded for your benefit: 🟡 Alyssa (the paladin) 🌞 🟠 Joshiro (the monk) ⚓ 🔵 Korinn (the warlock) 🌊 🎀 Nonemi (the artificer) 🔫 🟢 Ozthen (the rogue) 🍀 🟣 Vesper (the bard) 💄 ⚫ Cassius (the warlock) 📚 🔴 Phybble (the (villain) wizard) 🍵 (Not shown) Dakreg (the fighter) 💪 I'll go into detail about their backstories and my thoughts about them in individual posts. For now, I'd like to make a synopsis of the story and a little bit of the process of how I came up with it.

"Have you heard about the Warlock King?" "Shh! Don't call him that, least you'll anger him!" "Alright, how about Shadow King?" -Whispers amoung a Waterdeep tavern crowd It all started in our starting campaing, where our local tabaxi warlock Korinn chose Larloch, the Shadow King to be her patron. This is nothing new of course, he is a popular choice for he is know as an incredibly powerful archmage in the DnD lore, his existence stretching back for centuries, having been a powerful mage in the ancient Netheril empire. Always the naive woman, Korinn made a deal with the lich, and in exchange, she would bring him magical items and offer him interesting subjects for his research. But in her chaotic nature, Korinn chose to defy his orders at the end of Lost Mines of Phandelver, this being the starting point of our next plot, and the birth of our new BBEG (Big Bad Evil Guy). Now, for anyone who has read a bit about Larloch, you'll know he's not really "evil" by canon lore, he's a lawful (but still kinda evil, he kills anyone not of interest to him without a second thought, come on) crature, one who wants to be left alone to read and experiment by his lonesome like the nerd he is, he simps for the goddess of magic Mystra (he calls her The Lady, tips fedora) and makes the ocassional ground breaking new magical item / spell of the moment. That said, the wiki gave me a juicy hook to use him as a villain:

"But he was also insane, his mind affected by his extreme age. Sometimes he could be calm and even whimsical. Other times he was crazed, snarling and launching spells at random" -Forgotten Realms Wiki

"Well now, ain't that interesting" thought the me of the past. You're telling me this stupidly powerful being, who is presumed to have planned to every single variant that could occur, Dr Strange style, is a unstable old man? Sweet. So the magical equivalent of an atomic bomb's trigger was being held by this dude, let's just make the small sliver of sanity he has left realize he is loosing himself, that time is running out and he has to secure his legacy, to go out with a boom. But Larloch is not that selfish, he knows whatever plan he comes up with will affect Faerûn as a whole, so why not try to change the continet for good? Start a new era, an age of magic. Sweet lady Mystra, as much as she likes him, would not approve of him messing with her precious Weave of course, so his first step, deal with the meddling (but oh so beautiful) goddess of magic. He would not kill her, as he is no fool, gods can not be slayed (or can they...? Let's put a pin in that as well); so he'll just trap her, sealing her powers and keeping her safe in the safest place he knows, his phylactery. One deceitful invitation later, and with the help of his ol' "pals" Szass Tam, Zulkir of Necromancy and leader of the Thay nation; and the ancient black dragon (I know, he's cannonicaly green, but as I said, this is semi-homebrewed to fit the needs of my table) Vorgansharax, better know as the The Maimed Virulence, Mystra finds herself trapped and helpless at the hand of one of the few mortals she admired. Ain't life funny.

"Wait, so you're telling me a goddess, and not just any goddess, the misstress of fucking magic got trapped and no one noticed?!" Well, not quite dear reader, the other gods of the pantheon of course noticed, particulary god of justice Torm and his fiance (again, homebrewed) goddess of beauty Sune. The latter being the first to realized the absence of her dear friend, who went and told her man something smelled fishy (or dead, considering Larloch's an undead?). Both set out to investigate, and considering not many beings in the realm could be a danger to a god, the trail let to our lich friend quite fast. Torm, being a bit of a hot-head jumped at the chance to teach justice to this creature, while Tyr, the old god of justice begged him to reconsider, to think things through before taking actions. "A mortal capable of making Mystra dissapear is not to be taken lightly my friend" he said to deaf ears.

And so, with Sune helping him, Torm met with quite the surprise. Larloch had prepared for the interferance of other gods, so he ran a little experiment, he knew gods couldn't be killed, but why was that? The church would tell you it's because the gods live on all of us, as long as we believe in them, so even if they were to be struck down, the faith of the believers would bring them back. "The hypothesis is set, it is time to test it". And test it he did. With the raw power of two ancient liches and a black dragon, they were struck down in all of their inmortal arrogance. Larloch tracked the massive magical energies to two mortals in the Material Plane. "Interesting". The gods, after the mess that the Spellplague caused in the mortal's plane, had decided to not pick "champions" to control again it seemed, but still designed "vessels" of high faith and compatibility with their characteristics to recuperate their strenght at a faster rate if something were to happen to them. "So it is true, gods cannot die as long as their faith exist in mortals... Well now, what would happen if we removed this faith? Time for a new experiment. How intriguing". And so, the Shadow King set out to do the impossible, again. I'll tell more about the backstory and start tyring to tie in the PCs in the next posts. it is quite a lot of information, so putting everything together is a bit overwhelming, but so fun. Makes me realize how much work I've put into this. I'm proud of myself, take that depression! Stay tunned, and beware of the shadows 💀 Credit of the Faerûn map goes to Johnovick on Reddit.

[btsslowburnfic]

Chthonic Love Chapter 7

Series Summary:  A Greek Mythology AU featuring Yoongi/Suga as Hades and reader as Persephone. Olympian ruler Namjoon has delivered you, Persephone, as a gift for his brother, lord of Death, Yoongi

Previous Chapter here

The hours passed quietly. You had sketched out both the garden and the shore. Occasionally you walked over to the window and looked out for reference.

You heard Yoongi scoot his chair back and you looked up. He was stretching his arms. His gravelly voice broke the silence, “You can stay here if you like. It's almost time for the next reaping.”

You found yourself yawning, “Actually, I think I'll go and find Lethe.” You said as you got up from your comfortable pile. “Thanks for the day.”

“Of course.” he said, looking down at your drawings as he walked over. “Those are really good.”

“Thanks.” you smiled, proud of your artwork. “Where should I put them?” you asked, picking the papers up.

“Here. For now...” he took the sketches from your hands and placed them in one of the chests.

“Great. Thank you.” you said. “Oh. Hold on.” You removed the cloak you were still wearing and fastened it around his neck. Yoongi momentarily forgot how to breathe. “There.” You looked up at him and smiled.

He felt a blush creep across his face. What the hell is this? he wondered while he reached to open the door for you.

You walked past him, keeping your own head down as you suddenly felt very shy. You immediately ran into Penthos. “Ahhh!” you shrieked out a bit. “Sorry, you surprised me.”

“I work here,” he said bluntly.

Behind you, you heard Yoongi clear his throat. “What was that Penthos?”

“Pardon me Lady Persephone. I was just coming to give Lord Yoongi a daily report.” You saw the barely noticeable eye twitch that occurred as he answered.

You tried your best to maintain your pleasant demeanor. Honorifics were never really your thing, but it seemed as though Penthos was usually all about them; just not with you.

“Well then, I shall leave you to it. Good evening gentleman.” you awkwardly maneuvered around Penthos and went down the stairs. Your mood was slightly soured by the interruption. You weren’t quite done saying goodnight to Yoongi. You pouted as you traveled through the great hall and kitchen looking for Lethe. You realized that you didn’t really know that much about the Obsidian Palace. You decided to ask Yoongi for a tour tomorrow. You looked in your room. No Lethe. Garden? Nope. You sigh. Was there anyone else around here?

You go back to the Great Hall and find one of the random servants dusting something. “Excuse me. Have you seen Lethe?”

The woman looked at you like you are the most terrifying thing ever. “Ok. Sorry I asked. I’ll just go.” you backed away slowly. Another servant came over, “Sorry milady, Aida is new here. She’s still adjusting to being dead.”

“Oh,” you put your hand over your mouth. “I’m so sorry I had no idea. This must be very hard for you Aida.” She nodded her head slowly and resumed her semi-dusting activity.

“Is there something I can help you with?” the other woman asked.

“Yes. I’m looking for Lethe.”

“I think she is in the laundry room. Let me fetch her for you.” she started to leave.

“Please take me with you. I would be very interested to see where the laundry room is.”

“You can’t be serious milady. It’s a laundry room.”

“Well you see I have never seen a laundry room before. Ever.”

The woman laughed, “Alright, come along then.”

You followed her through several hallways and arrived at a small door.

“Lethe?” she yelled as she opened it. “Lady Persephone is looking for you.”

“Alright I’ll be right there.” you heard Lethe shout.

You walked through the door. “No need Lethe, I came to find you.”

“Did you need something?”

You turned to the woman who had brought you here, “Thank you so much.” She curtsied and left. “No. I’m just bored.” you admitted.

She laughed. “Well I suppose compared to the mortal realm there isn’t a lot to do here.” she stirred a large cauldron full of clothing.

“May I ask you something highly inappropriate?” you said, completely catching Lethe off guard causing her to stop stirring the clothing.

“Umm...I suppose but if it’s about Lord Yoongi I feel like I shouldn’t say anything given that he’s so powerful and in charge of my contract and…”

“It’s not about Yoongi.” you quickly cut her off.

“Oh. Ok. Then what? Is it about being dead?”

“No.” you took a deep breath, “Why doesn't Penthos like me?”

Lethe resumed stirring the clothes. “Who says he doesn’t like you?”

“Goddesses can tell when people are lying.” you bluffed. “One of our lesser known abilities.”

She sighed, “Penthos is one of the few people who chooses to be here. He's not just a dead human like most of us. He’s a demi-god who cares deeply for Lord Yoongi. He’s been here for centuries.”

You cocked your head to the side, “I still don't understand. I've been nothing but kind to Yoongi. I mean, I screamed a lot at first but I feel all things considered I’ve taken this kidnapping pretty well. “

“Maybe that's part of it. In a few days or weeks or months at the most, you'll be leaving here. Lord Yoongi will still be here. Forever. He can't even leave the underworld for more than a day or so or else there would be chaos in the mortal realm.”

“Pshh even when I leave I would still come back and visit if Yoongi wanted me to.” You said as you folded some random clothing.

Lethe raised her eyebrows in surprise, “You would? Stop doing that.” She scolded you.

“I can’t just stand here and do nothing.” you responded.

“Fine. Fine. I suppose I shouldn’t argue with you.” she finished stirring the laundry and started pulling the pieces out. “I don’t suppose you have any magic for lifting things or drying laundry?” she asked.

You created a flower in your hands, “Nope, life magic only.” You smiled. “It’s been useful at times, but there are definitely more practical abilities that the Pantheon possesses. What powers does Penthos have?”

Lethe paused and thought, “I’m not entirely sure. I know he has the ability to move objects without touching them. And he can combine solid matter, like the orb you arrived in and a large portion of the Obsidian Palace was crafted by him.”

“Interesting,” you mused. Demigods were always a question mark when it came to their abilities. Some were immensely powerful and others barely registered any abilities. Regardless, it was good information to have. You picked at your flower petals. “Soooo anything else interesting? Cursed rooms? Labyrinths? Secret mistresses?”

Lethe laughed, “Nope. The catacombs are a bit treacherous but Lord Yoongi keeps those locked up. Like I said, life here is quiet but boring. It’s one of the reasons we are sent here: quiet time to reflect on our poor choices.” She sighed sadly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring that up.” you quickly felt bad.

“Oh no, you didn’t. It’s just one of those thoughts that’s always on my mind. I can relate almost anything to it, to be honest. But let’s see. What’s something interesting…? Hmm...I mean seriously you are the first guest we’ve had in the fifty years here so there’s just not a lot to say.”

“Really? That’s sad.” You remade your flower again with a different color.

“Well, the trip is a little dangerous.” She said as she hung the clothing on a line in front of the fire.

“Not for Olympians. Please. That’s just an excuse. They travel to Olympus all the time for parties ands stupid stuff. It’s just rude.” you scoffed.

She paused thoughtfully, “Well milady, forgive me for pointing it out, but you never visited either until you were brought here.”

You mused for a minute, “I suppose that’s true. But I don’t go to Olympus either. I have a general distrust of other Gods. Clearly I was right seeing as how I was transferred like chattel. Anyways. I have visited the ocean realm because of the animals there. Are there any animals in the Underworld?”

Lethe shook her head, “Monsters. And some are nice, but most aren’t. It’s not really safe to leave the palace.”

You walked over and started hanging up clothes alongside her, “Ah that’s too bad. I was hoping there were secretly Stygian Sharks or something.”

Lethe had given up on scolding you for helping. “Can’t you create some?”

“No, I can sustain animal life and create plants. I could create an animal but it would die before it could live a real life, my powers are technically life magic, not creation magic; that’s Gaia.” you smiled, “I wish I could create some Stygian Sharks. I’d totally do it. And some Sorrow Scorpions for the desert. Moonlit foothill fainting goats.”

Lethe started to laugh, the kind of laugh that comes from the stomach and makes the sides hurt. This caused you to laugh even more, imagining your strange animal creations. It continued for a while with the two of you making up absurd animal creations. “I can’t remember the last time I laughed like that,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes.

“Me either, my throat hurts a little.” you said as you hung the last sock.

“Let’s get you some tea then.”

“I won’t argue with that,” you replied as the two of you left the laundry room.

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

“Sir have you received any word from Hoseok?” Penthos asked as he followed Yoongi down the stairs.

“No. But it’s only been a day. It takes time for things to reach the mortal realm.” he responded nonchalantly. “I need to go speak with Arachne before the reaping. Is there anything else for this evening?”

Penthos was taken aback slightly, “Sir, you just saw Arachne yesterday. Is everything alright in the catacombs? I can investigate if there’s been any trouble.”

“No. No trouble. Persephone needs a warmer cloak.” Yoongi said as though it was the most obvious thing ever.

Penthos tried to hide his confusion. “Will she be staying long enough to need one?”

Yoongi involuntarily flinched and stopped walking. He looked over at Penthos, truly assessing him for the first time in years. “I don’t care if she’s staying for one night or forever. I don’t want her to be cold while she’s here.” he said tightly.

“Yes sir.”

“Another thing?” Yoongi asked.

“Yes?”

“Go check on the golems. Just make sure they’re in working order.”

“Sir?”

Yoongi looked down and walked closer to Penthos, resuming eye contact once he was within inches of his face. “I’m getting tired of your questions this evening Penthos. I have indulged several based on our years together. Check the Golems.” he put his hands in his pockets and turned back towards the catacombs.

“Yes, sir.” NEXT CHAPTER

[vantablade]

【 🌌 MYTHOPOEIA V. 】

TLDR: A lore/world-building headcanon that focuses on the chronology (in this case, Epochs or definitive eras) of the in-universe of Nocturne’s canon. Also has some information, vaguely, regarding the mythology of divinity and important figures.

An era is defined by the most significant factor of its time. While planets and countries may have their own eras, defined by the reigning monarch or a particular age of change, the Bright Star System, as a whole, follows the timeline of Epochs, which denote significance of a grander scale. As of Nocturne’s position in the chronology, we are in the Sixth Epoch, which would be known by her people’s descendants as the Age of Anarchy. In-universe scholars will argue about the true beginning of the Sixth Epoch, as they argued about the Fifth before it, and the Fourth, and so-on; it is the Epoch’s nature to be debated, discussed, analysed and re-interpreted to fit whatever narrative is best to be served. Epochs are not limited by a particular stretch of time—there is no mandatory “limit” of days, months, years or centuries that permit a new Epoch being determined. Rather, it is determined by a time of significant change that alters how the denizens of Bright Star understand or adapt to their environment. For example, while the Genesis Migration was a significant cross-system event, it did not, on its own, cause enough of a cosmic upset to earn an Epoch-level importance to begin an era. Rather, it was but a mere instrument in the grander scheme of the Age of Champions, the Fifth Epoch.

This headcanon exists to give a context towards the chronology and a greater understanding of the world Nocturne is a mere part of. There will be references towards the in-universe mythology and other significant events that took place far beyond our hero’s birth, but there will be no in-depth description of those events, as I want to keep everything that could reveal too much—or is unnecessary in understanding Nocturne—under wraps. However, hopefully there will be enough information to provide a better grounding of the world Nocturne lives in, particularly if you are interested in combining universes or developing deeper threads with her character.

Despite the fact Nocturne exists in the Sixth Epoch, truthfully there are Seven; the first of all Epochs is known by scholars as the “Zero Epoch”, a time before time, a space before space, where the original Primordial first willed itself into existence. Here is where Essences, the foundation of all life, magic and matter in the Essential Universe, first came into being. It would not be until the First Epoch that actual physical space began to take form, as the Ancients—Gods comparable to the Titans of Greco-Roman mythology, who were more a physical embodiment of the things they ruled over and interpreted to be “carriers” of the Primordial’s divine will where it could not directly enact on its wishes—came into being. These Ancients are also comparable to the incomprehensible deities of the Cthulhu mythos, with titanic, unbearable bodies and minds so alien to us that they evade description or empathy. They are more like machinations of cosmic law, unkillable and undestroyable, for on their shoulders rests the entire Universe.

The Second Epoch is when the Divines, Gods who created “bi-essences” that combined the Primordial Essences into Lesser Essences, came into being as “children” of the Ancients that possessed a sentience closer to the realm of comprehension. They are capable of whimsy, of want, of ire and of fondness. Here, they would be most comparable to most pantheons of deities, with inter-relationships both within the circle of the Divines and with their creations, the Kinetics, pseudo-mortals who co-existed with the Divines and were taught their magic in return of being subordinate with them.

The Third Epoch is the first Epoch marked by a war of tremendous proportion, that resulted in the death of Divines and the weakening of magic that is still felt to this day. Here, the Divine Nolu, the God of Secrets and Mystery, prompted the Kinetics into rebelling against their deities by telling them forbidden secrets of mortality, encouraging them to upheave the heavens and take their power by storm rather than tolerating watered down lessons that kept them under their benevolent Gods’ thumbs. Nolu would abandon the Kinetics during this war, leading to slaughter on both sides, only to return at last moment to assure the death of all Divines—aside from themselves. The Third Epoch was solely this war, though the duration of it is unknown, and the true extent of the damage and knowledge of what the pre-Divine War world was like is knowledge lost, perhaps for eternity. All that is known is that likely it was a time of Edenic bliss, where magic flowed like wine and mortals were cared for by Divines. After the trauma of the War, the Fourth Epoch was birthed: the Age of Ruin, the Age of Loss, the Age of Abandonment.

Kinetics, now scorned by the Ancients whose children they had revolted against and punished by the Primordial who hosted them, suffered the punishment of agelessness. They were removed from the life-death cycle that promised reincarnation and forgiveness of the soul, forcing them to live an eternity of repentance and grief as they watched the world they knew rot into a mere husk of its former self. Magic weakened with nobody there to teach them, and without Divines to create Kinetics with such innate skill, they were condemned to physically reproduce until there were only Mortals.

Mortals lacked the intimate tutelage that gave Kinetics their mastery over the Primordial Essences, or the Divine Essences, and so their powers weakened too. Magical knowledge was not lost completely, but it would take lifetimes to achieve a level that most Kinetics had earned in adolescence. Over time, the era of bliss and magic that had once been an undeniable reality would fade to myth across the Cosmos, with the division of the New Way (the belief that all of this was purely mythology) and the Old Way (the belief that all of this was fact) separating mortals across the Universe, severing some from their magical heritage entirely to make way for man-made scientific advancement devoid of spiritual attunement.

The Spider Star System was a System that followed the New Way, forcing the less-magically repressed mortals—known as Undanes—into hiding lest they be rejected or destroyed for their absurdities. This System would also become the grounds for one of the greatest calamities recorded, with the Genesis Collapse marking a potentially unrepairable wound in the very fabric of reality whose effects are still present today, giving way to the Paroxysms that blight the Bright Star System in the Sixth Epoch. The Bright Star System followed the Old Way, however, and magic is still understood and studied with varying levels of skill and mastery across the System. It was the Genesis Migration that introduced the Genesse people, Undane and Mundane alike, to the cohabitation of magic-repressed and magic-expressive people, though not without duress. It was this discovery for the Mundanes that contributed to the genesis of the Ametsuchi, forged out of hardship, exile and sacrifice brought on by a primal rejection of this magical nature.

The Genesis Collapse was the locus of the Fifth Epoch, the Age of Champions, where it became apparent that Divinity could be reached by mortalkind should the Primordial bestow upon them the capability. The nature of Champions is debated among scholars; some argue that Champions, of which there is only one certainty and one other heavily contested, are the Divines reborn, returned from their celestial graves, while others argue that the Champions are entirely new in spirit as it would be disrespectful to the Divines to ignore the devastation they had suffered at the hands of men. Unfortunately, the effects of the loss of Divines is still felt to this day, as the sole Champion of the people, Genevieve (the sacred figure of the Holy Order), is absent. Whether she perished after the Genesis Collapse or otherwise went to another System or was killed by the Goliath in some unseen battle of tremendous proportion, is completely unknown. Mortals can only emulate what they think she would have done, such as the Divine Right of Kings applied to the Boucher imperial line on Neo, or the Holy Order’s fight against Paroxysms.

The Fifth Epoch is potentially the shortest of all Epochs, having spanned only several generations, perhaps not even a millennium.

The Sixth Epoch, then, is the playground for the plot of this blog and its attached extended canon. It is the Age of Anarchy, the Age of Monsters, of all things Eldritch. It is uncertain when the Sixth Epoch came into play, for some argue it was with the formation of Spider’s Eye as it tried to awaken the Spider-God Goliath, the destroyer of Genesis and the foe of the Champion Genevieve, or with their first use of Chaos manipulation and Paroxysm invocation as a weapon in the assassination of the Green-King Eoin of Namana. It is potentially even incited by the Ametsuchi Massacre, which was tied to the actions of Spider’s Eye and the High King Kazumi Ametsuchi, resulting in Chaotic manipulations and mutilations of all remaining Ametsuchi. The onus of the Sixth Epoch may be debated, but the end of the Sixth Epoch is entirely unknown: some fear that it may never end, others fear that it is the end, but hopefuls pray for a better, kinder Seventh Epoch, just on the horizon of what may be the most horrifying Epoch to exist in.

[thegospelaradia]

Crystal Matrix Basics

Hello my witches, baby witches, aspiring spell casters, students of the occult, and seasoned shamans alike! I'm coming at you today with a brand new entry in my special series on intermediate to advanced sorcery. I'll try to keep updating this blog on at least a weekly basis - if not more often. But, I'm only an interdimensional multifaceted galaxian xenine quantum manipulation nexus in a human body, after all!

Crystal matrices are a component of a much larger school of magic, and one that I always enjoy teaching: the art of WARDING!

To ward means to guard or protect. We do this in the most basic sense a lot of different ways. Someone making the sign of the cross, spitting upon seeing a bad omen, casting a circle of salt, amulets, talismans, gris gris bags, a chicken's foot, eleke beads, a pocket full of iron nails - these behaviors all have one thing in common: they're wards.

My Catholic mother rarely makes the sign outside of church, but when she does? It's a whole production. Spitting to her left and right as she crosses herself, raising her eyes to the sky, and muttering what I imagine is the Hail Mary. There's a rarity to it, because of the severity to it. My mom is in the habit of crossing fingers and knocking wood, and there's always a crucifix around her neck. That, combined with her morning and evening prayers, is typically enough to keep her feeling "warded" all day.

All cultures have their own warding rituals, and it's very likely there is a specific tradition (I find "superstition" racist and colonial) from your own family's culture. If there is? Use it. The magic of your ancestral lineage is always going to be more powerful than a spell you find online.

I've gotten a bit off track, but it's important to realize that all people, from all cultures, and from all walks of life perform some manner of warding magic.

Now, the working we'll be learning today is a bit more complex than the sign of the cross, but as a witch I believe we have more complicated needs when it comes to magickal protection.

Whenever we create sacred space in a traditional manner or cast a Wiccan circle, it's important to remember that these practices are fundamentally seperate from warding spells. A magic circle is a space in which to raise and contain energy in a cone of power. They are NOT circles of protection. No matter how deeply you are embraced by the magick, there is very little chance that a circle of salt is going to "protect" you. That's why we have banishing spells after our rituals.

Why is it important to have this in mind? In my practice, demons and spirits are what we make of them. All demonolators know that just as one might work with the Greek and/or Roman gods - for example - demons can also be part of your pantheon. Not even a very accomplished Magus could cast a warding spell to keep out Diana or Bacchus, and the same goes for demons. At best, a magical circle keeps out all the negative "vibes" that we're increasingly bombarded with.

I have a labyrinth of selenite as a permanent part of my altar - they're great at absorbing EMF and negative energy, and I keep them front and center for just that reason. But, back to demo

Demons are the gods that Christianity tried to eliminate. There's really not much to be afraid of where they are concerned. Working with demons is something best attempted by shadow magi (those who have integrated their shadow selves) but again - I'm not teaching wards that stop demons, angels, or gods. Do you really think Belial or Leviathan can be bothered to pay you personally a visit?

A fear of demons is a Christian concept. The word originally (the Greek Daimon) was a sort of guardian spirit everyone is born with. The Devil isn't the source of all evil (that's capitalism) and demons aren't in shadows waiting to ruin your life. Few things are.

Now, let's get to the magick!

With those disclaimers and background out of the way - let's talk crystal matrix warding!

For this enchantment, you will need:

Palo Santo, Agua Florida, Holy Water, Black Salt, Yerba Santa, or any other purification medicine. (Remember: white sage is over farmed and culturally specific.)

A magic broom / a bundle of tree leaves, esp. from the druid sacred trees.

Copal, sandalwood, cedar, francincense, myrrh, or your preferred incense.

4 quartz points*

A small table

Incense holder

Wand

Athame

Optional: an equal number stones of various types.

Optional: an orgone pyramid, a large piece of vanondanite, a meteor, or a large free-standing piece of selenite/himalayan pink salt

*as these are the only requisite stones, and will be doing the brunt of the work in the spell, choose 4 crystals that are at least 1.5 to 2 inches and well shaped for the task (jamming into the corners of your room).

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of spells that come with long lists like wedding registries. Brujería on a budget is my favorite kind of magic. That said, you should always have purification medicine (I can't ever remember NOT having a bottle of Agua Florida), at least one sacred incense (Nag Champa is a great substitute), and some kind of ritual tool (don't have a wand made of elk horn, emerald, and gold? Enchant a kitchen knife or paint brush. Consecrate a Sailor Moon wand replica. Go outside a stick, hold it up, and shout "this is my magic stick!". You really don't need to drop a lot of cash on this.

Oh, and a magic broom.

Seriously.

Your broom needs to be functional but sole-use. Using the same broom to sweep the kitchen and then your sacred space? It almost cancels out. A magic broom must have a single purpose - to sweep away negative energy.

Your magic broom doesn't have to be fancy. You need not buy a hundred dollar bundle of twigs from Etsy (you can though, if you want). In a pinch, buy a hand broom (not that comfortable) or a regulation size broom from a home goods store.

TBH? I just finished my masters degree so I've had to get very creative with my spell ingredients. Rather than go make an Ikea trip to find a nice witch broom, I gathered a few thin branches from a cedar tree. I've also - when they were blooming - used stems of my yerba santa and basil plants. These work best with holy water, but consecrating is a breeze. Find what you have on hand and use that - don't blow all your money on magic.

OK, now down to the actual spell! Let's go through it step by step.

First, cleanse and purify the room you want to ward. Using either a standard broom or a bundle of herbs dipped in holy water, sweep or swish from the center out - widdershins.

Light your incense in the center of the room. Sit in front of the censer and enter into a state of contemplation. Slow your thoughts. Follow your breath.

If you work with deities, divinities, demons, orishas, etc. - invoke their power.

With a clear mind, close your eyes and begin to meditate on safety - set your intention: "harmful forces: be this your bane. Go ye back from whence you came." Your intention is to block negative energy - not spirits. Most supernatural beings are indifferent to you.

Walking clockwise around your room, place into each corner a quartz point. Whisper into the stone your wish - that no negative energy will enter.

Once you've placed all four crystals, take your athame in hand. If you have a compass, locate the NE or E crystal. Check that the crystal is secure (I shoved mine in the wall cracks) and then touch it with the tip of your athame/tool.

Here you'll need to utilize your visualization skills. Using your athame/tool, draw a line of energy (gold, white, or blue are good choices to envision) from the first crystal to the next.

Repeat this process until you return to the first crystal. You will have a line of magical light running along the wall and around the bottom of your entire room.

Starting at the first crystal, raise a line of magick up to the ceiling. Repeat the previous process.

When you are done, (you should be going up, across, down, back up, across) you will be in a cube (or irregular polygon) of magical energy. Focus on the crystals as you move.

Sit for a moment in front of the censer and strengthen the visualization - you are sitting in an irregular polygon of energy.

With your wand, walk around clockwise from the first crystal. This is where your creative energy comes in - draw (like a light drawing) magickal and protective symbols as if on a wall that sits like skin atop the physical wall. Invent your own mantra to chant. "Ommmmmmm" works in a pinch.

Your room is now a cube or polygon of energy, covered on all sides with magical graffiti. These symbols will protect you. The crystals have become sentient guardians. Imagine, if you can, a spider web of runes and protective symbols stretching across it.

This is optional, and a bit labour intensive, but the next step would be to create a "generator" to "power" your warding. On a small table, lay out a cloth and place in the center a crystal pyramid, an orgone pyramid, or any other large power stone. Around it, either in an ordered or organic manner, place various small crystals.

Once you are confident with your "core," enter into as deep a meditative state as possible. Channel energy from above and below, push it into your core matrix, and then envision beams of the same magical energy from the central matrix to the other, larger one. In your mind's eye, see the energy swirling clockwise from the generator outwards. Your matrix is now powered by a crystal core.

For the next few days, meditate on your matrix and the core (if you built one) to reinforce the permanence of the ward.

It's easy to find crystal matrix cloths online - especially on Etsy. I use a Cube of Metatron crystal matrix cloth - because it's pretty. You can use anything, honestly. The energy and intent are what's important.

And that's pretty much it! Keep your matrix in mind as often as possible. Maintenance is importance so this spell isn't a one time deal. In addition to reinforcing the wards, it also will give you a good indication as to when the system needs to be recharged - from the core outward.

I know, I know; this is a lot. I just hope you haven't gotten too confused by what should have been "crystals in each corner and some more in the middle of the room."

Complicated and long as it may be, this spell has given me a peace I didn't know I could have. As someone with PTSD, feeling secure and safe anywhere is massive. And it isn't just me: everyone who comes into my space remarks on how safe and warm they feel in the matrix. As I said - forget demons and "evil" spirits. Once you're protected from the rampant negative energy radiating from your surroundings, you'll thank me.

And then there's my favorite protection charm - my Black Magic woman.

But that will have to wait until next time, my witches!

-Magus Aradia

[rufousnmacska]

The Raven and the Queen - Part 3

This is the last chapter :)

Part 1

Part 2

Dorian’s blood ran down the edge of the blade, dripping slowly to the floor. He took a rasping breath and stared numbly as the drip turned into a cascade. The searing pain he’d first felt was dissipating, and he knew that was a bad sign. She still held Wind Cleaver. And when he fell to his knees, she bent with him, as if guiding him to the floor.

He knew the gratified gleam in her eyes came from Maeve. If Manon was still able to exert any control, to feel anything, she’d be horrified.

He’d failed. Miserably.

Knowing she’d have to live at the mercy of a valg, in the prison of her own body, hurt him the most. The only thing keeping him from breaking completely was the hope that with her newfound magic, she’d be able to wrest control from Maeve. He hadn’t given her enough time. But maybe she’d have it now.

He slumped onto his side and groaned in pain. Blood bubbled out of his mouth with the sound. She was on her knees, leaning close to him, watching.

Forgetting about Maeve, Dorian stared into Manon’s golden eyes. Hoping she could see his love, his sorrow for having failed her.

With his last bit of strength, he lifted a trembling hand to her face. And just before his eyes closed, he said, “I’m sorry, witchling.”

*****

Manon shuddered in disgust at the sensation of Maeve’s triumph filling her body. But she did nothing to counter it, letting the thing gloat. Letting it become distracted by its victory so that she could think. And watch.

Watch the man - Dorian - choke back blood. Watch her hand maintain a soft, pliant hold on the sword, so she didn’t hurt him further.

And... it was her hand.

And it felt like he was seeing her - her, not Maeve - as he stared into her eyes and smiled. His feather light touch on her cheek... she felt it with an intensity that shocked her awake. Aware. Alive.

His magic kindled something in hers, boosting its force and depth. And then, his magic was dwindling away. She felt it going.

“I’m sorry, witchling.”

Witchling. That word felt… He felt…so familiar.

She brushed her fingers across his brow and saw they were shaking.

Again, hers. It was her hand. Her will.

Remembering his voice from moments ago, Manon fixated on one word.

Fire.

If this thing was afraid of fire, then she’d incinerate the entire world to burn it out. Punishment for what it had done to her, and to him.

Summoning every ounce of strength and magic, sparks sputtered and leapt to life. Gathering it in her hands, she carefully shaped it into a glowing, swirling orb.

This finally drew Maeve’s attention. The thing lashed out in a feeble attempt to subject her to more pain, to control and subdue her. It hit her imagined barrier and rebounded. Maeve’s agonized cry pierced Manon’s soul and for a second, she faltered. The ball of fire flickered.

“Enough!” Maeve screamed. “You are mine!”

Manon took a long, centering breath. The memories she’d had flashes of earlier came racing back, more clear, more complete. Everything came back.

The Thirteen. Asterin and Vesta and Sorrel and the others. All dead. Gone, to ensure the chance for a better world.

Dorian. Abraxos. Glennis. Petrah. Her friends and people. All the armies converged on Orynth. Fighting desperately for the same end.

Fighting and dying at the hands of the thing that inhabited her body. The valg queen her grandmother had sold her to.

The rage and the grief, the sight of Dorian at her feet, in a puddle of bright red blood, all of it culminated in a rush of power that inflamed her entire being.

“No,” Manon said, her voice deathly low. “I’ve had enough.”

Sensing Maeve retreat a step, as if trying to remove herself, Manon unleashed her magic in a wild explosion of fire. It poured from her every cell and nerve, pulsing in waves.

Maeve’s pleading screams ceased as she was obliterated in a torrent of blinding white heat.

An ear-shattering crack sounded as the collar around her neck fractured and fell to the floor. A heavy blackness descended, and she slipped away.

*****

Manon opened her eyes.

She was greeted with a dull ache in her head from where she’d fallen. As she’d done each time she’d awoken here, she stretched out her hands to inspect her surroundings. It took a moment to realize it wasn’t necessary.

The room was no longer pitch black. The sunlight of late afternoon shone through the windows. The acrid scents of smoke and magic filled the air. And underneath them, fresh blood.

She bolted up and scrambled across the stone floor to where Dorian still lay, Wind Cleaver jutting from his chest.

“No, no, no,” she muttered. Her shaking hands hovered over his limp form, wanting to touch him, to help him, but unsure of what to do. She bent down and placed her ear to his blood stained lips. After what felt like an eternity, the slightest bit of breath brushed over her skin.

With a grateful sob, she looked him over. She’d seen him and his friends heal with their magic, had even been on the receiving end. But she had no knowledge of how it was done. Did it rely on intention? Direction? She had the desire to heal him. What she lacked was precision and control of her magic. If she did nothing, he would die. Desire would have to suffice.

“Stay with me princeling.”

As gently as she could, and hating herself with every inch, she pulled the sword from him. His body arched slightly with her movement, then flopped backwards. Fear threatened to overtake her and she had to force herself to keep breathing. She rolled Dorian onto his side and placed one hand at the exit wound and the other at the entry. Praying to the Three-Faced Goddess, to the entire pantheon, to anyone and everyone, Manon closed her eyes and pushed.

Not with her hands, but her magic. It poured from her into Dorian. With a vague yet impassioned command to Heal, she offered everything she had, and didn’t move until she sensed that tiny connection of energy that she’d felt before.

Her magic animating his. Alive, if not yet awake and aware.

With so much blood surrounding them, she continued applying her magic until his breathing grew regular and strong. Exhausted, she let herself fall next to him, never removing her hand, her magic, from his chest.

*****

His eyelids felt like they'd been cast in lead and he struggled to open them. Every part of him felt heavy, remote.

There was a warmth alongside him. A hand on his chest.

With a surprising amount of effort, Dorian cracked his eyes open, just enough to see torchlight, the night sky through a window. Opening them a little more, he turned his head slightly to see a head of white hair on his shoulder.

“Manon,” Dorian croaked, finally tasting the blood in his mouth. He thought she was asleep but she sat up immediately. The pressure of her hand didn’t change and he used all his strength to cover it with his own. “Witchling.”

“I thought I’d lost you,” she said, her voice as hoarse as his.

But it was her voice. Not Maeve’s.

“Is she-” He coughed, wincing at the expected pain. But none came.

In answer to his unfinished question, Manon glanced to the corner where the split collar lay next to a pile of ash. Maeve had been reduced to dust once before. Unless that had been some sort of illusion. He didn’t think they should take any chances. Before he could try to call upon his magic, Manon made a sweeping motion with her free hand and the ash burst into flame, burning white hot until all traces of the valg queen were gone.

For some reason, the sight of her magic triggered the memory of the sword entering his chest. The pain, the blood. He should be dead.

“How?” he asked, looking down to where Manon’s other hand still hadn’t moved. He tried to lift it, so he could inspect the wound, but she resisted.

“No,” she said, shaking her head vigorously. “No. I can’t let go. If I let go...” She trailed off and he felt her hand tremble.

How long had they been lying here like this? How long had she been afraid to move for fear of hurting him? More importantly, was she okay?

“Can you help me up?” Before she could protest, Dorian added softly, “You don’t have to let go.”

Manon hesitated but agreed. Once he was sitting, eye to eye, he placed his hand on her cheek. “How do you feel?” She leaned heavily into his touch. “Your iron.” It was all he could say, unable to imagine the scope of her loss. Such an integral part of her, gone. Like the Thirteen.

Silver lined her bright gold eyes and he thought she must have read his mind. But she only said, “The magic feels... odd.” Glancing worriedly to where her sword had run him through, she said, “I don’t know if I did it correctly.”

“I’m alive,” he said. “Because of you. May I?” Gently, he tugged at her hand, and when she relented, he lifted it away. Red blood covered the blue that had dried on her fingertips. The sight made his heart break. “Does it hurt?” A quick shake of her head, which he did not believe. Perhaps there was no physical pain. It was the emotional that would linger. “Is there someplace we can wash?”

Manon helped him stand, and again, when he expected pain, nothing happened. His blood loss left him weak, but otherwise, he was fine. She’d healed him. Maybe brought him back from death, or near enough. After expelling Maeve and breaking the wyrdstone collar. A valg queen, arguably more powerful that Erawan. For the first time since regaining consciousness, he reached out with his magic. There was no need to direct it. Her magic attracted his. Like a magnet. And when they joined, he gasped at its intensity.

"What?” she asked, reaching to hold him up even though he hadn’t stumbled.

Dorian stared at her in amazement. “You have raw magic. More than anything I’ve ever seen.”

She blinked and continued to walk as if she hadn’t heard him. The trade - her iron for raw magic - was not a fair one. Certainly not one she would have chosen. The sad truth, though, was that without it, neither of them would be alive.

*****

Shivering from the icy water, they washed away as much blood as possible.

Manon remained silent throughout, ignoring the magic pulsing in her blood. And the urge to scour her skin raw. Maeve was gone. The collar was gone. But the feeling of her, of it, remained, like a coating of filth that she could clean off if she just scrubbed hard enough.

It wasn’t until Dorian took her hand, stopped it from its furious work, that she realized she’d scraped the skin of her forearm until it bled. He said nothing, just held her hand until the shaking stopped.

“I feel...” But she had no words. And judging from his expression, she didn’t need them. He’d felt this. He knew.

She stared at her fingers. The scars along each one were visible now that the blood was gone. They no longer hurt. Running her tongue across her gums, she felt scar tissue there. Her mouth no longer hurt either. Perhaps her magic had healed her wounds as well as Dorian’s.

No sign of her blade marred his chest, or his back. There hadn’t been time for scars to form. Enough had passed since her iron was taken that her magic could not remove them from her skin.

Magic. No iron.

Am I still a witch? she wondered.

“Yes,” Dorian said, almost angrily.

Manon hadn’t realized she’d spoken out loud. His eyes were softer than his voice and she knew his ire was not directed at her.

“You are an Ironteeth witch. A Blackbeak and a Crochan,” he continued. “You are a Queen.” Cupping her head in his hands, he said, “What they took from you, what they did to you...” He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. “It changes you, yes.”

She didn’t miss the word choice. He felt this. He knows.

“But not all of you.” He put a hand on her heart and she felt heat radiate from his palm. It settled in her chest, spreading warmth throughout her body. “Not the true you.”

Manon tried to smile, tried to believe him. But that heart he held with his magic wasn’t sure. How could she be an Ironteeth witch without iron? How could her people accept her now?

As if he knew her doubts, Dorian said, “Before I left Orynth, Glennis gave me something.” He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small piece of fabric. Unwrapping it carefully, he said, “She wanted me to give it to you.”

In the middle of the cloth lay a tiny purple flower. Aside from being a little flattened, the vibrancy of its color made it look like it had just been picked. Gingerly, she picked it up and sat it in her hand.

“It’s from the Wastes,” he said, answering her question before she could ask. “From Rhiannon’s city. They’re blooming there. Everywhere.” Manon choked back emotion, unable to speak, and looked up at him with tears filling her eyes. “The Thirteen. They broke the curse. And you. You united your people, Manon. You are their Queen.”

*****

Avoiding the bodies littered throughout the Keep, Dorian led Manon to the balcony outside one of the windows. Little more than a wide ledge, he clung to the stone in wyvern form so she could climb onto his back. His magic had been regenerated by her own, and he felt strong enough to fly across the continent. But he was in no hurry to return to Terrasen. They would take their time, giving her the solitude to begin processing what had happened.

He flew them to where Abraxos waited and they could set up camp. The wyvern had followed him from Orynth despite being tied down by the witches. When he neared Blackbeak Keep, Dorian had pleaded with him to stay behind, hidden from the Matron and her coven. And the lethal magic encircling the Keep. The beast understood, and, reluctantly, remained in the woods a safe distance away.

Upon seeing him, Manon ran and swept him into a hug, her arms around his thickly scarred neck and his silvery wings wrapping around to shield her. The sight made Dorian smile for the first time in a long while. As he left them to go into the forest to hunt, he heard Manon speaking softly to Abraxos, and the wyvern replying with huffy breaths and low, peaceful coos.

The fire crackled, sending up sparks into the frigid night sky. He was worried she might not eat, but when grease started to drip from the rabbit he’d spitted over the flames, her eyes lit up. They ate in silence, then curled up against Abraxos, and each other, to try and rest.

“You came for me,” she whispered sleepily.

“Of course,” he replied. “Nothing would have kept me away.” At the heave of Abraxos’s side as he inhaled, Dorian corrected, “Nothing would have kept us away.”

“And I stabbed you with my sword.”

Dorian laughed, unable to help it. He pulled back an inch or two to get a look at her face. Manon’s eyes were closed but her lips curved upwards in a faint grin. Her beauty always struck him with such force that it left him with a sensation of falling. Luckily, he was already on the ground. Kissing her forehead, he said, “A small price to pay.”

Less than a minute later, she was asleep. Dorian stayed awake, holding her tightly to him, thinking about all she’d lost and all she’d endured.

Even before she had magic, and now without iron, Manon was strong and possessed of a fierce, compassionate heart. He didn’t think he had any of those things when he’d been subjected to the collar. And yet, he was still here. Thanks in no small part to his friends. And her. She would survive this. And he would do whatever he could to help.

.

*****

Tagging - @itach-i​ @nestasbucket​ @blackhavilliard​ @monstrousloves-explodinggalaxies​ @sierrareads​ @chloe123love607​ @manontrashbeak​ @over300books​ @bookishwitchling​ @jimetg98​ @mis-lil-red​ @yourfacesickens-me​ @awesomelena555​ @tswaney17​

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fanfic master list (includes the link to my fics on AO3)

[zeravmeta]

Tbh I really like the idea of Guda being just a normal human being working with other mostly normal ppl to surmount the odds, but your post pointing out the odd things that might say otherwise (esp. about an eldritch god wanting to posses them) is rlly interesting! I wanted to ask, if there IS something up w/ Guda Nasu isnt telling us, what do you think it might be? & Are there other things not yet officially translated that also suggest so?

Ok so full disclaimer: I really do think that Guda is just a regular human. The thing is though that they're a regular human whose now interacting with Servants, Heroic Spirits, Gods, Eldritch horrors and the like across all timespace.

One theory I do hold as to why theyre so immediately friendly is that Guda may have had neglectful parents or an unhappy, lonely life before coming to Chaldea (according to one of the Drama CDs Guda was badgered and stalked by mages due to their high master potential and practically nobody noticed them leaving) and suddenly meeting a bunch of magic heroes interested in them would be their dream, and Servants, who are essentially starved for attention, would eat it up immediately.

If (and I stretch the if because I seriously doubt it even then and still do now and this is a HELLA transcendent multidimensional theory here) there is any sort of special reason behind Guda, I'd say that maybe *puts on tinfoil hat* they're unwittingly becoming an agent of the Counter Force, or rather becoming the Counter Force itself. Guda is going around collecting what is essentially entire pantheons and histories of heroic spirits to travel across time and undo HGWs and Singularities that could potentially lead to the mass extinction of Humanity.

And thats basically what the Counter Force does. The Counter Force is composed of two concepts: Gaia (the will of the planet Earth and the intrinsic wish to survive) and Alaya (the 'collective unconcious' of humanity' that also wants to survive). Because of the Age of Man accelerating further and separating itself even more from Magic/Magecraft and Mystery, these two forces have sometimes clashed (more on this in a sec) but all ultimately work together.

And then Goetia burns the modern world, and later on the Alien God invades and attempts to replace Panhuman History with a bastardized version. These are two giant, cataclysmic extinction events happening within a year of each other.

So suddenly Gaia and Alaya who are almost completely gone are like "oh shit" and Guda, the last Human Master who can be safely converted into spiritrons and also command Servants perfectly, is the prime candidate to fix these events. Romani speculated that the Counter Force dissappeared because of Goetia but what if Guda is the living Counter Force because for both of those events, the entirety of humanity really does exist in Chaldea and all the Servants who are summoned to prevent these cataclysms are working under Guda.

Theres also two things that lowkey support this: In Lostbelt 3, we meet Qin Shi Huang, who controls the entire planet and has instituted a order entirely under their supervision. I remember a theory by @tainbocuailnge that our dear moth has become similar to the Counter Force/Type-Earth in their world because since QSH has completely taken over and then integrated themselves with Earth, and has in essence become Alaya because they control the entirety of humanity in enforcing their will. When you encounter them in the Lostbelt and later in their Bond Lines, QSH is confused as to how you can function as you do without being an existance similar to theirs, and for the majority of the time had assumed you were a being similar to them because they couldn't understand how you could work together as a group.

Theres another wild thing here: Remember how Gaia and Alaya could clash? Both Gaia and Alaya have a "Beast" that they use to kind of keep each other in check. We know the Beast of Gaia as Primate Murder, or Fou. Primate Murder is there to kill humans and keep Alaya in check. But we dont know who the Beast of Alaya is, unless it could also be Guda, who in maintaining humanity and stopping all the random chaotic servant summonings from all the singularities and HGWs that go around murdering humanity would in a sense be keeping Gaia in check, since Gaia is the main mechanism while Alaya is a sub-mechanism.

The Beast of Gaia and the Beast of Alaya working together as the Counter Force to prevent the mass extinctions of humanity and the planet itself by Goetia and the Alien God.

sorry for the overly long post but thats as crazy a theory as they come for Gudas general weirdness. Or yknow, Waifuism but thats an unsexy answer

[roadklls]

hello, rylan (27, she/her, gmt+2) again, introducing you to my lil angry hedgehog by the name of kara davidsen + more info, wanted connections. / @redridgeimp​

name: kara davidsen nicknames: n/a age: 31 ethnicity: Indigenous (Awaetlatla First Nations + Himalayan; this is unknown to them, as their arrival in the orphanage was not met with any information regarding their biological family). gender/pronouns: genderfluid, they/them, she/her sexual/romantic orientation: pansexual/demiromantic been in red ridge for: on and off all their life occupation: criminal (mostly drug dealing atm) affiliation: none (deviant, though occasionally will lend a hand to valencia or whoever needs it) positive traits: loyal, observant, clever, headstrong, generous, determinate. negative traits: proud, aggressive, cold, hot-headed, cruel, resentful.

BIOGRAPHY —

(WARNINGS for child abandonment, abuse, bullying, substance abuse, medical misconduct / patient abuse, overdosing, death, violence).

red ridge, nv, 1989.  left, discarded like unwanted leftovers — they found them in a cardboard box, half-freezing, on the doorsteps of the charming orphanage. they were given a name that was supposed to be temporary, until a family would pick them up: kara. something breaking, something thunderous, like the storm raging on the night they’re found. their last name davidsen, from the orphanage of st. david’s. lost in the world, but they soon found an ally in a child left, discarded like they were — delphine, though sharing none of their blood, became their sister.

red ridge, nv, 1993. it was clear from the very beginning that the two would have to fight teeth and nails for their place in the world, but their bond served as a double-edged weapon, kept them safe with one another and the rest of the world away. the two barely ever left each other side, and kara, in particular, soon developing a violent protectiveness over their sister. this bond would allow them to sustain the abuse, the violence, the difficulties they were soon thrown into the second they were assigned to their first foster family. it is a poisonous environment, one that corrupts the valorous side of them to leave the broken parts behind, the damage. together, they fight back. together, they survive.

red ridge, nv, 1999. taken out of the foster family, they both return to st. david’s. it’s not a victory, but it’s the chance for something better to happen - kara won’t admit it, but they hold hope someday this might have a sense. find a family for the both of them, with food on the plate and fresh clothes every day.

red ridge, nv, 2001. delphine might just get that. changes of getting out st. david’s are always slim (there’s a thing about kids grown in the desert, they bark and bite as if coyotes themselves have been the one raising them), but delphine is taken away. off to a good family, off to a better family: the bond, the magical bond that had kept them fighting through the various different wildfires life had enjoyed putting them through, it suddenly broke. kara was left behind. dumbfounded, angry, a question left ringing in their head without the knowledge to put it into coherent words: what’s the point of loving, what’s the point of caring — if it all gets taken away?

red ridge, nv, 2003. but they do love, and they do care. in their own misguided, clumsy way; and one day they bring another kid in the orphanage, two years their younger, a scared, wide-eyed kid. the other kids enjoy teasing him, enjoy the look he gets when they knock the glasses off his face and he has to go scramble to find them. kara hates that. kara enjoys putting themselves between them and him and grin at them: say come on, what are you gonna do? what’s that, are you afraid? (maybe they mimic the way delphine would look after them. maybe, in their own half broken language, they are just trying to summon delphine — or their spirit, the protective archetype of an older sibling — back into their bones. they vow they will protect eric, even though they have to endure the other kids’ beatings in his place. but one day it is too much: we gotta get out of here, they say to him one night, after they found the other kids collecting punches in eric’s gut and the tutors pretending to look the other way. we gotta get out of here.

somewhere across the nevada / utah border, 2005. breaking out wasn’t the hard part; by now kara knew exactly how to slip out, just had lacked a motivation to leave the orphanage. the hard part is when they’re out in the cold, freezing their asses off somewhere in utah, trying hard to find a fucking way to live and coming up empty. they steal cans of meat from a barn; the owner finds them, threatens them both, a shotgun aimed at kara’s throat. he sees something in them, and then somehow understands: these aren’t thieves. these are assets.

eureka, ut, 2006. scott halbridge has a lot of flaws, but one couldn’t say he isn’t a resourceful man. there isn’t a single felony he and his makeshift clan haven’t dabbled with, even just for a taste of it — and the two orphans he found in his barn might just help him grow his business. the younger kid, the one with the glasses, is soft and unassuming but he’s got a skill — he’s good at handling drugs, he’s good at selling ‘em too. the other one, the girl (he keeps calling them that and kara wants to bite the vocal cords off his throat but they won’t; they won’t, he won’t understand, it’s better they just play nice) — kara’s tougher to handle. but they’re great at kicking ass, and when needed they can slip in and out of buildings and steal shit without anyone ever noticing it. they’re both extremely useful. but eric gets to try the merch he sells and he begins growing a sweet tooth for it. when the money he brings back to scott every week grows shorter by one, two, ten doses — that’s when he understands. and his way of making eric understand, too, is by jumping on him, bashing in his head, slamming him against the wall. kara doesn’t think — it’s a single instinct that leads their arms to move, retrieving the shotgun by the side of scott’s desk, aiming, shooting. the shotgun recoils back and throws them off their balance. kara falls, but so does scott: his brain sprayed all over the walls. panting, eric stares at kara. they know what he’s seeing: something damaged. something terrifying. kara breathes, wipes the blood off the side of their cheek. “we gotta go”, they say, and then they’re on the road again.

elko, nv, 2010. another kind of scott halbridge ends up taking them in. a gang of sorts, someone who has use for their talents. kara’s attitude for fighting and taking one, two, a hundred punches, proved them to be a great resource for the needs of criminal enforcers. eric’s charm, instead, proved once again to be a fruitful assets in selling drugs: they found a life of their own, as unlawful as it was, and kept surviving on their own.

carlin, nv, 2013. eric was too soft for this world. kara had known from the beginning, and yet it still caught them off guard. the drugs got the best of him, swallowed him whole — after he’d given in to a manic episode in public, he was forcefully committed to a rehabilitation facility where the limits of ethics were more than a little stretched. they’d abuse him verbally, physically, use prescription drugs on him too liberally until he was left a screaming, aching mess of a human being. once kara learned of this (once they were able to track the place they’d taken him to), they followed through with the promise they’d made with delphine years before, the one that the loss of delphine had  led to breaking but had to be respected now, for it was sacred: them against the world, no matter what. somehow, kara managed to break him out of the facility. somehow, he got his hands on drugs again. eric overdosed at the age of 22.

red ridge, nv, 2014. though kara had known anger all their life, this was the first time they experienced pain. on their own, with no destination, or even a reason to keep moving forward, they ended up back in the place where they’d began. red ridge, nevada — old contacts allowed her a way into the safe, usual business of fucking around and stealing cars, selling drugs, whatever could get them by. they were good at dealing, even good at fighting for respect. within years, they had a decent business network going on. though they didn’t care about valencia’s business in the city, and the many gangs trying to start shit in town, never did, really — they found the conflict, the violence, to be the healing balm for their aching soul. they soon began fighting at rogue’s club: though lacking discipline or any sort of training, they’d been fighting since the day they were born and could take punches for hours. the pain became a shelter, a relief. it kept them alert and out of their sorrow, out of their weakness. her life became a pantheon for violence — the fights, the ghosts, and the drugs she wouldn’t use. each of them a replacer for something she couldn’t get anymore. each blow landing against her ribcage, a reminder: this is for delphine, the way she was taken and gone forever, and perhaps a part of them had hoped coming back to red ridge would make her show up again, summoned by memories and whatever bond they’d shared — that’s a fairy tale, isn’t it? they always fucking hated those. this is for eric, the way he vanished out of thin air, no matter how much they tried to hold his molecules together, force shapeless air back into the container of his body. this is for their inability to accept it. this, at last, is for kara davidsen and all that’s left of them. a bag of bones, a blooming of bruises. and their anger: so thick, so venomous you could smell it in the air.

[dailyaudiobible]

09/18/2020 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 28:14-30:11, Galatians 3:23-4:31, Psalms 62:1-12, Proverbs 23:19-21

Today is the 18th day of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I'm Brian is good to be here with you today. We’re here for the same thing that we come here for every day, to take the next step forward on our adventure through the Scriptures and do it together in community. And, so, here we are, let's go, buckle up. We’re reading from the English Standard Version this week and continuing our journey through the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament today. Isaiah 28 verse 14 through 30 verse 11.

Commentary:

Okay. So, we’ve spent a lot of our time this week talking about the letter to the Galatians and trying to put ourselves in the position of those hearing Paul, trying to explore from their viewpoint, their perspective, the culture they were in, how this message was treated, how it was heard, how it was interpreted, how and why Paul seemed to be so controversial, controversial enough that people wanted to assassinate him, which is pretty controversial. So, we’ve looked at it from some different angles, like cultural Jew / Gentile angles - how Jewish people would’ve looked at Gentile people, especially Roman people, as their oppressors and how there's like all of that baggage involved in trying to find some sort of unity. And maybe the Romans being citizens, having more privileges and rights than Jewish people, you know, kind of coming into a mixed community with a level of arrogance. Like all of these things play into the world of the first century in Palestine or the province of Syria. We’ve also looked theologically, like religiously at why Hebrew people would be so confused. Because what Paul is saying is good news but gosh, the things that have to be set aside to get there will be to fly in the face of religious and cultural tradition. And of course, we’ve also talked about how the Greek speaking Roman citizens of the time who worshiped a pantheon of gods and didn't really have any kind of separation. God's were everywhere, involved in everything, would look at what Paul’s saying…well…just as Paul put it, nonsense. We’ve looked at these things and we’ll continue to look at these things, but we get to this point in…in the letter to the Galatian, and nearly every year I’m struck by it and nearly every year I talk about it because it gives us the chance to bring the tension and disruption really, really close, like so close that some of the things I’m about to tell you are probably gonna be disruptive, things that are like, “O my gosh, I had not thought about it like that before. That is…that is mind bending stuff. Like I have to think that through.” So, I’m gonna quote Paul here. “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So, then the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.” Okay, we can listen to that and go, “yup…that’s what I believe. That I'm free from…Christ has come and set me free and now I'm free.” Here’s where it's about to get disruptive. When Paul says law, he is referring to Mosaic law, he was referring to Torah. There was no New Testament at this time at all…at all. There was nothing called the New Testament at this time. It's essentially Paul's ministry and writings that reveal this concept of a new covenant inaugurated by Jesus, a new thing happening in the world. So, the only thing that would have been known as Scripture or Bible, of course Bible is a more recent word, but Scripture, Torah. The only thing that would have been known as the revealed word of God at this time would have been the law. So, to understand the tension that they were dealing with and accepting what Paul is saying, it's easy enough for us to take these three verses that I just quoted…four verses that I just quoted and replace “law” with “Bible”, and then all of a sudden all of the tension that they would've been feeling. And hearing Paul becomes our own tension. So, let me read this again. “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the Bible”, right? So, what Paul’s saying is “under the law”, which is Torah, which is the Scriptures that had been revealed. “We were held captive under the Bible, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So, then the Bible was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come we are no longer under a guardian for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith,” right? That is disruptive stuff, which puts us squarely in the position of kind of being a religious person hearing what Paul is saying as he unpacks the Good News. But it's hard to…hard to get that concept that God is doing something new and that new thing is fulfilling the old thing and now by faith we are out into the great wild frontier to find out and flesh out this new thing without a guardian. And do we not for the most part look at the Bible as…as that fall back, as that baseline, as the thing that we go back to and say, “okay. Contrary to this is a “no”. Encouraged by this is a “yes”. This is the Bible. These are the Scriptures. This is the word of God. So, if somebody comes along and says that has been fulfilled and God is doing something new well then you see, you gotta leap, you gotta stretch. So, to try to actually enter in now then to what Paul is saying, we then to try to apply it properly and understand the concept and wrestle with the idea, have to then look at the Bible and say, “what is exactly is this? What…what exactly is my relationship or my posture toward this…this book, this a series of documents that is contained in this holy book?” Most of us would say, “this is the revealed word of God. These are the stories and examples of people who lived before God. This…these are the roads and pathways where lives can go. This gives us wisdom. This is something that is a revelation.” And we probably would most mostly agree with that. That’s…that’s what we all think. That's what I think. But if we obey everything that's in the Bible. In fact, let's just say the old…le4t’s just say that Paul's right as we believe as Christians and say, “the old covenant, we need the old covenant, we need a read it, we need to understand it because there's no way to understand the New Testament without a Hebrew context. Like the don't…they're not separate from each other. So, let's say the old covenant is fulfilled and the new covenant that this is…this is what we’re dealing with now. And let's just say the New Testament. If we can obey everything that's in the New Testament, would following those rules make us righteous before God? Right? Because we’re living into this and trying to live up to it and trying to live into it and so often there this subtle idea than, the more…the better we can do it the closer that we’ll be to God, the more righteous we’ll become, the more God will pay attention to us and, boom, we are just doing the same thing that Paul is saying you're free from. So, let me just pick up where we left off as I was quoting from…from Galatians, quoting Paul. I continue. “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is no male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.” That's pretty big stuff. The unity that Paul is claiming that God is doing in the world through Jesus, this new thing that's happening in the world, this essentially new species of human being upon the planet of which Jesus is the firstborn, in that way of looking in that kingdom there's no slave or free, there's no male or female, there's no Jew or Greek, which is essentially Jew or Gentile. We are all one in Christ Jesus. That's the revealed word of God in the New Testament. Why do we not live into that? Why do we not live that way even if we agree with it? Because the words, just the words, the sentences, versus, they don't do anything. They’re words, they’re sentences that have to be activated. Like we have to understand those words and by faith believe in that reality. So, the versus, the words in between the two covers of the Bible, they're just words until we live them, until we believe in their reality, until we reach in faith believing that it's true. And that's kind of what Paul has been saying throughout all of what we’ve read in his letters so far. It's not the rules. You might need the rules as some sort of de facto baseline to know how well you're doing because we don't do well with mystery, but the rules aren't gonna save you anymore than the Bible can save you. The Bible…and listen, the…the Bible is my life. I love the Bible. The Bible…the…the Bible, like, pick up your Bible and carry it around. Like if you have...it doesn't matter if you have a giant large print Bible that you’re carrying it around in a backpack or a little mini New Testament that you carry around in your purse. It's wonderful that we do that but it's not gonna be some sort of magic force field that’s gonna keep bad things from happening to us because we have a book that we’re carrying around. That book leads us to the revelation of God's love for us and the lengths that He's been willing to go to in order to get our attention that we might be restored to Him. But just carrying around a Bible doesn't do anything. We have to live into what it says. And the main thing that we have to understand is the Bible's revealing God. God is behind the Bible. If we don't press through to God by faith, then we haven't gone anywhere. We just read a book which is the same way a relationship with God works. Understanding everything that we can possibly know, and I mean there so…there's been so much scholarship done on the theology of the Bible that…that there are…there is no end to the literature that can be read and studied over millennia of what people thought. So, it's impossible to absorb all that, in one brain, in one lifetime. But even if we could, even if we knew everything that everybody ever thought about God than that's all we know is everything that everybody thought about God. Do we know God? Does God know us? This is the experience that Paul is preaching. He’s chosen that although he is religiously educated and has done everything to live up to what he believed would make him righteous before God, he has found that he cannot get there on his own. He cannot behave well enough to become righteous before God. But God came to him and Jesus revealed Himself to Him and he experienced God and that changed his life. And that's why he's saying the things that he’s saying. He’s saying the path that you are on has lost its plot and it will not take you where you think you are going. You are going to have to reach out in faith to get there, which means you are reaching into the dark to get there and you are not always gonna know that you’re getting there. Just like the early church, right? Just like the arguments and confusion that they were experiencing. It's reaching out and allowing our faith to be perfected as we go in fits and starts. And it's okay because we can fall back into that pillow of grace we were talking about yesterday knowing that the transformation that's happening within us is not something we can do. It's something God is doing in us by faith. So, that is a heck of a lot to take into our weekend and consider and ponder. And it's good. It's good that we can encounter things in the Scriptures that are disruptive enough to make us go, “wait a second. I need to spend a little more time pondering, meditating, praying, seeking God. And, so, may we do that.

Prayer:

Father we thank You for the opportunity to reach to You by faith knowing that You are there, that You have reviewed Yourself to us so many times, that You continually are revealing Yourself to the world. We can't look anywhere without seeing Your fingerprints. And, so, give us eyes to see and ears to hear that we have to reach for You through faith. Come Holy Spirit we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

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So as…I mean…we mention these things often because they are important. The Prayer Wall is in the Community section and the Prayer Wall is a place that if you need prayer then you can go and just let go and people will pray for you. Or maybe you're just overwhelmed with life and it's become very, very self…self-focused because of all the stuff that's going on. Like, turning outward changes the atmosphere, the way we look at things to realize that we’re not the only one going through stuff. Like, everybody is going through…like we are all going through stuff. And, so, to just reach out in prayer makes a difference, makes us feel connected, makes us become more and more aware that we aren't alone and we’re not the only one. So, be sure to check out the Prayer Wall.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that dailyaudiobible.com. There’s a link on the main homepage. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner, or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174. I cannot think you enough for your partnership other than to just say the truth, like we wouldn't be here, none of us, this wouldn't be happening if we hadn't done this together over the years. And, so, thank you for your partnership.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement outside of the Prayer Wall which we just talked about, you…there’s also a Hotline button in the app at the top, you can’t miss it. It’s a way to reach out or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that's it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Good morning DABbers this is Shielded in Colorado. My heart goes out to Stephanie and the family in Oregon who lost their sons. I’m praying for all the people who have lost children. It is probably the hardest thing you will ever go through in your life. I lost my son four years ago and it’s been a journey. One thing I have learned is that you have to wade through it and experience it. You can’t run away from it. No matter where you go or what happens it’s just there. I want you all to know that I’ll be praying for you and all the other people who have lost children. It’s a special kind of grief and it’s…it can be hard. But my thoughts and prayers are with you. Love you all. Amen.

Hi everyone this is All the Treasures from Wyoming and I heard a prayer request for Vincent who has been hearing voices and I just wanted to lift up anyone in the community who is dealing with mental illness or who has family members who are dealing with mental illness and I wanted to pray some of Psalm 91 over Vincent and all the others who may be dealing with this. Vincent and all of the family who deals with mental illness, you dwell in the shelter of the most-high and you will abide in the shadow of the Almighty and you will say to the Lord, Lord you are my refuge and my fortress and it’s in you who I trust. For the Lord will deliver you from the snare of the fallow, from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions and under His wings you will find refuge because His faithfulness is a shield and a buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night or the arrow that flies by day nor the pestilence that stocks in the darkness nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, 10,000 at your right hand but it’s not gonna come near you because you have made the Lord your dwelling place, the most-high who is your refuge. No evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Lord God thank you so much for your word of truth. Thank you, Father for the privilege and the honor to stand in the gap for those who are suffering. God bless you DAB family.

Good morning everyone it’s Susan from Canada God’s Yellow Flower and I just want to pray for our brother in India who is suffering from brain atrophy. And I don’t know the cause of it all, but it must be very distressing. So, dear heavenly Father we just come before Your holy throne and we ask a healing upon our brother dear Lord that his brain and its function would be restored to normal even better than normal because You are such a powerful and holy God that we know that You can do miraculous things, things that seem impossible to us. So, we pray dear God a full recovery from this, this condition he has. And that Lord God You would bless him mightily to the power of Your holy and. Bless his family, bless his home dear God and fill his home the power of Your Holy Spirit that no evil could come in and You would just watch over each and every one of his family and draw them all into closer step with you. Dear God, just bless him in all ways and bring healing within his whole body. In Jesus’ precious and holy and wonderful name we pray. Thank You for Your love father. Amen.

Hey, DABbers this is Keira from Denver and I would like prayer for my son Nish. He’s homeless, he’s in another city for me, Albuquerque. It was about four years ago that I kicked him out. It was just me and him living in my place and he was still using, and I had just quit meth. And, so, I kicked them out of tough love, and I thought he would go to a friends or something I guess. Well, he ended up literally walking from Denver to my mother’s place which is deep in the mountains. And long story short, I had gone and visited him a year ago and the year before that and he offered to…I offered to help him to come back and he said he was good. He’s living so austerely. He has nothing and when he gets some items, I was told that the police take it away and then it builds back up. He lives in tunnels and eats garbage and somehow, he gets drugs. But, you know, obviously there’s real mental issues there. And I really miss him. He’s a sweet soul. I really wish him to find Jesus. When I kicked them out, I didn’t know Jesus, but I do now and I have told him. So, at least there’s a seed there. But I am asking the Holy Spirit. Guys please pray for me for strength and wisdom. I’m asking the Holy Spirit what I should do next. I really need to go and see him and find him. Please pray for me for strength guys. I really need it.

Hi this is Cecelia from Texas and I keep telling myself I’m gonna call more and more often and I don’t but I do pray in agreement and even in addition to the prayers that I hear at the end of the podcast and the community prayers, although I’m behind the community prayers. But I’m determined. I think God’s timing is perfect and that the prayers will go forth and produce. But today I heard Stephanie, God’s Chic and I…I’m a nurse as well and she told about her loss…losses and I can see the temptation to just not feel with that sorrow, that pain. And, so, am asking for God to put salt on her hurts, to bolster her up Jesus, to comfort, to be the lifter of her head Father God, that you would put a ram rod, steal, God infused, support system on her back Lord God. I love you Father and I know that You are faithful in Jesus’ name.

Good afternoon Daily Audio Bible brothers and sisters it’s September 15th this is Sunset Cindy in Washington state where we are experiencing raging fires and heavy, heavy smoke. I’m looking out my window and can’t see even a couple yards past my yard but that’s not the reason I’m calling in. I’m not calling in for my situation, I’m just calling in to welcome Kelsey to the family. She called in to give a report about the family in Eastern Washington who experienced the fire in the worst possible way by losing their little one-year-old son Arielle and they are both critically burned in the hospital and Jamie the mama is pregnant. So, I’m just praying, Lord Jesus please lift this family up and protect them and give them comfort and bring them the support they need. And I would like to pray Psalm 147:3 over this family. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. And, so, I just pray that He lifts up that family, the Highland family, and all of the people that are affected by this fire. Keep everyone safe. Keep the first responders safe Lord Jesus. And we pray your comfort and peace for all those that are experiencing loss. Thank you, family that there’s a place we can come. Thank you, Brian and his family that they have provided this resource for us all to come together around the world and pray for those that are in distress and need comfort in Jesus’ name Amen.

[livvywrites]

worldbuilding [tmq]

The Slaeyrs

pinterest | wip intro | the world tree | the eldoran pantheon | slaeyrs | magic 

[No moodboard for this one guys, cause I couldn’t figure out what kind of images would work best in it!]

I wrote this article/post differently than normal. I hope it works for you!!  

What are the Slaeyrs?  The Slaeyrs are the guardian race of Eldora, or so they were meant to be. A Slaeyr can be born to any race, and so they come in all shapes and sizes. What sets them apart is their increased lifespan and intense magical power. Typically, each Slaeyr channels a certain “god” and has some small control over their domain. (Usually the elemental domain, with the exception of Order, who’s domain is Time.) They are all born with internal magic, and a very deep well of mana. Physically, they look no different than other races, though some Slaeyrs will get tattoos to mark themselves. 

A Slaeyr who has children though, will always have Slaeyr children.

Where do they live? Up until 10 years before The Martyr Queen begins, the Slaeyrs were nomads. Some of them have resting periods, where they stay in or outside of cities along their routes. These resting periods typically happen in the winter, when it’s more difficult to hunt. Most “tribes” (not the official word I’m going with, but one that works for the moment) have an agreement worked out with the cities. They keep the monsters away and get a portion of their food in return.

Lyr and Ava’s tribe used to stopover in Illuminara. This is also where they were born, and where they lived the first five years of their lives---until they were old enough to travel. This is part of why Lyr and Talitha are so close.

How long do they live?  I’m still answering that question myself. My go-to was 15,000 years, but that... It stretches believability. It’s particularly difficult to answer because most people on Eldora live longer than others--I’ll be talking about this in my next worldbuilding post, which will be about magic itself.

What religion do they follow? This varies Slaeyr by Slaeyr. Because it was believed they were created to “clean up” after the gods, many of them see the divines as more flawed than the average citizen. As such, they don’t generally view them with the same kind of awe. Respect, yes, because the divines are powerful. But they know that they’re fallible.

Who created the Slaeyr? The gods worked together to create them. A piece of each god is within them, which is where they get their elemental powers.

How do you know when a Slaeyr is a Slaeyr? Their special powers generally start manifesting around the age of 10 to 12. Sometimes they manifest earlier, especially if one of their parents was a Slaeyr, and sometimes they manifest later. When these powers manifest, a symbol will appear above their heads. This is usually called the symbol of balance.

How long have the Slaeyr been around?  Not long at all. Before the Slaeyr, the Anari were Eldora’s guardians. Because discovering their history is so important to the story, I won’t be making a post for them. But they were quite powerful as well, up until they disappeared. Kai’os is only a second generation Slaeyr--his mother was the very first Slaeyr. This means Lyr and Ava are third generation. 

If they live for so long, how do they keep the population under control? One common theme in The Martyr Queen is that the gods... aren’t infallible. They make mistakes, and they don’t always think things through. There is a reason for this, and it’s probably easy enough to guess, but it’s spoilery so I’m going to keep it to myself ;) 

However, they did put in measures to keep the Slaeyr population from booming. Having a Slaeyr claimed/born in your town is extremely rare, and Slaeyrs themselves are not the most fertile of people. It’s very difficult for them to have children, and for the first fifteen years of their lives, the children are very vulnerable. 

Because they were created to fight against terrible monsters & beings, Slaeyrs are an extremely hardy people. They heal fast... but their children do not. Because of the rarity of children and how fragile they are, Slaeyrs are very protective of them---which is why most Slaeyr children don’t rejoin the traveling tribes until they’re older. Lyr and Ava rejoining at five was extremely uncommon, and only done because their mother was the leader of not just their tribe but the Slaeyrs as a whole, and she refused to leave them behind. 

Why aren’t the Slaeyr fighting Kai’os? Because he knew from the beginning that the greatest threat to him would be from his own kind. Fate helped him persuade many, and those that weren’t persuaded, he cut down.

 Why is it a plot point that Slaeyrs are hard to kill if Kai’os managed it so easily?

Because the Slaeyrs are young, most of the population--and Slaeyrs themselves--don’t really know how Slaeyrs can be killed. Their internal healing magic works so fast they’re immune to most poisons and illnesses (they also have a very hard time getting drunk or even tipsy), not to mention wounds. While Slaeyrs can kill each other easily enough, Kai’os has been around long enough--and so have most of his followers--that they have developed shields against magical attacks. 

Lyr, Ava, and Aishlynn (and Amara) are all quite young, and haven’t had the time or experience to develop their magical ability yet. They also have not come into full magical maturity yet. 

Plus... Kai’os has Fate on his side, which counts for a lot.

Did I miss a question? Is there something I didn’t include that you want to know? Please, leave a reply/reblog or come into my inbox and I’ll be happy to answer. Any new questions will be linked here <3 (Maybe not speedily, but, readily enough.) 

taglist: @quartzses; @idreamonpaper; @witchywrite; @runningonrain; @queenofsquirrelsstuff; @margaretcroftwrites (gimme a shout if you’d like to be added or removed <3) 

[jackdawyt]

The Unsolved Mysteries Of Dragon Age!

{Video} https://youtu.be/tg_02ef9hKE Hey guys, Jackdaw here!

Today I'm immersing ourselves into the unsolved mysteries of Dragon Age so far, I'll be leaving no stone unturned plunging into some of Thedas' enraptured enigma's that've still remained unanswered since the end of Inquisition.

First up, let's talk about mysteries concerning the Religions of Thedas:

The Maker

Who or what is the Maker, this creator of all things, a question up for debate, some yearn for the answers of this enigmatic entity, others in Thedas care-less. As a seeker of the truth, I don't believe it's a case of who or what, but how, if Solas created the veil, then how does this Maker exist? What's their place in this world? What does this mean for the chant of light? How is there a Maker if elements of this holy book don't prove to be true? What is true? The existence of the Maker is one of the first, original mysteries in Dragon Age, it's not the idea of a God, it's these elements in the plot that the Maker seemingly influences, like the creation of the veil and the foreshadowing of a second coming. The Maker's influence is ripe throughout Thedas, yet still one of the largest unknown myths in this world, will we ever know the truth?

Andraste and her descendants?

Who was Andraste, more appro-pro what was she, such folly around her existence, her ashes had the power to heal a man back from the brink of death, she merely must be more powerful than an average woman if her ashes have this capability. Did she really ascend to Godhood after she died? Or could she have instead entered Uthenera, the elves endless resting practice, translated as immortal? Concerning her descendants, what's the case with her bloodline, could such a powerful bloodline still wander amongst us and unbenounced to us in Thedas today?

The return of the Elven Pantheon

The Elven Gods once ruled over Thedas as their supreme home, a place which flourished with all types of magic, such curiosities like the gift of immortality were considered the norm in ancient elvhen. But that time has since gone, the Dread Wolf locked away each of the Elven Gods, these powerful elven mages with such unique and magical qualities, each designated with a given task over the elven kingdom. Seemingly the Pantheon betrayed their queen as their hunger for power rivalled Mythal, whatever you believe happened, it's the truth is unknown, each Elven God was banished, the Dread Wolf's grief for his queen had destroyed him, he locked his kinsman away behind the creation of the veil, a barrier that stopped the flow of raw magic, this crushed the elven kingdom into a respite, the pillars of this primal empire crumbled, and little remains to this day. Rumours of the lingering Elven God's live on today, could they be living in the Fade, are they hiding from the Dread Wolf, could they be hiding in Thedas as we know today? All that is known is, each of these God's was banished away, not complete bloodshed, could they still be hiding out there, if the veil were to be destroyed, would that unleash these Elven Gods? Such a mystery remain unknown.

The Old Gods of Tevinter

Concerning Tevinter's religion of the ancient, the seven dragons of the Imperium, two of these Old Gods remain shackled, still in a slumber, locked in the Fade until touched by the taint. Both Razikel and Lusican, not only does this mean that two blights are still in store for Thedas, but we don't rightly know the story behind these Old Gods, did the Maker really lock them away, if not the Maker then who? Do they relate to something else, and if so, what? In any event, Tevinter would be the place to uncover the mysteries concerning the truth of the Old God religion.

Next up, antagonistic mysteries:

The Executors

The mysterious representatives who speak "on behalf of powers across the sea", presumably entities from beyond the Amaranthine and Boeric Oceans. They're believed to be organized and maintain a number of agents and resources across Thedas, their motivations are unknown. A potential one world order? Entities once created by an Elven God? An army manipulated by a submerged Titan? One can only fathom concepts of what these Executors are, Maker knows what they do on behalf of a higher up. There's only one thing we can guarantee about this order, they've made their presence known to the people of Thedas, and believe-you-me, they expect to return one day in grand scale.

The Seven Magisters

The Magister Sidereal, sickened, prideful, righteous and now blighted, these Magisters of old Tevinter worshipped the Archdemons as idols. It's common knowledge that each of the seven mages was turned into the vilest of creatures known as darkspawn, forever tied to the blight, they have the capacity to control darkspawn and live as immortal's through the very taint that binds them. The Conductor of Silence schemed to enter the Fade and become a God, to some element he got what he wished for when the Inquisitor sent him into the Fade, whether he's dead for good, that remains to be seen, however, the other six still yet lurk across the shadiest parts of Thedas, scattered throughout the world. One day hoping to seek out and speak to their chosen Gods, they'll be greeted with nothing but shame when they hear absolute silence. They're out there somewhere, Maker only knows if they're as twisted and redundant as Corypheus.

Solas & Mythal

The Dread Wolf & The Mother of Vengeance are the two remaining sentient Elven Gods in the Dragon Age as of 9:44, questions linger on the mysteries of Mythal's betrayal during the ancient elven times, when they ruled all of Thedas as supreme mages, with the capabilities of immortality. With the all unknowns surrounding Mythal's death, it's hard to believe that this woman was merely killed by her kinsman for her now to be scheming against Thedas with the only other member of the Pantheon who was sympathetic to Mythal, such coincidence that the remaining Pantheon are now locked away and Solas and this Elven queen are once more planning something revolutionary for Thedas. One must wonder if these two have always shared such antagonist aligences, now that the other Elven Gods are out of the picture? In any case, they intend of splitting the veil, bringing the old magicks back and tearing Thedas asunder, for what gains you ask? Speculation aside, their motivations are rather unknown. To bring a lost world back, to restore an ancient kingdom, to re-establish such a powerful foundation of magic, to kill the remaining pantheon? whatever the aim may be, it'd truly destroy the Thedas we know today.

The Titans

These 'Pilar's of the Earth' are sworn to be the very shapers of this world, with their trembles, they moulded Thedas into existence. The only true thing we know about these Titans is that they produce a raw material that the people of Thedas have harnessed for the ebb and flow of magic, this lyrium is said to be the skin and bones of these shapers, mining this lyrium has caused countless wars in the elvhen times, until one day, just before the veil's creation, the Titan's completely vanished, like a candle in the wind, they were snubbed out. Whether the elves were to blame or not, like most things that remains unknown, however rumor what have us believe that the Titans yet remain, the raw material that once strengthened and helped the flow of magic has become corrupt, tainted red, tormenting the users of this red lyrium, the trembles that accordingly forged Thedas into existence have reawakened since the Dragon Age, reshaping Thedas for the Titans once more, to say that these Titans were the shapers of the world is a stretch, however to claim their existence to be futile is ridicule, they're out there and there waking up, either deep underground, or Thedas itself, the Titan's seek a reckoning and they may just have it.

Mysteries concerning the characters of Dragon Age:

Leliana

Concerning our most resourceful spymaster, the once sister of the Chantry has an acclaimed bound to the Titans, one instance reveals that Leliana once was killed in her sisterhood life, during her time as a spymaster, she left Skyhold after the Exalted Council to disappear into thin air, never again to be seen or heard. Such mysteries cultivate of our lady being a lyrium ghost, could such an apparition exist? Does lyrium have the potential to raise people from the dead, or are the Titan's the true shapers of Thedas? What does this mean for our spymaster now, was she created with a purpose and now that elements of that've been completed, has she since been reduced to an eternal slumber? Or is she at peace by the Maker's side like she used to dream of, in any case, can lyrium be used to raise the dead from their sleep?  

Sandal Feddic

Shah-brytol, bastard, elven-blooded noble or even Titan born, Sandal Feddic is a dwarf of a few words, however it's clear when he speaks with more than one word, he has the gift of prophecy, the words he's spoken have proved to shape the tide of Solas and his scheme to destroy the veil, how can one, young, folly dwarf know the future of such a time to come. Not only does he have the gift of prophecy, but his immersive skills with lyriun have proved Sandel to be quite the competent killer, does his half-elven blood grant him the power of terrifying magics, or could this boy really be born of a Titan, whatever the truth is, we should keep an eye out on Feddic, he could be more dangerous than we expect.    

Morrigan & Kieran

The so-called 'inheritor of the next age' and her most powerful son, a boy fathered by one of the Grey Warden's who helped end the fifth blight. Either born with the soul of an old god or just estranged from this land, Kieran speaks prophecy too, his mother is the so-called inheritor. Perhaps he simply means she'll help with the coming battles, or he could be foreshadowing a darker side to Morrigan's story, Flemeth has intended on passing her Godhood onto her daughter, could this be the case for Morrigan, could she be destined to be the next vessel of Mythal? Is this prophecy, whether she likes it or not? Will Morrigan's eagerness to fleet from her mother come to an abrupt end?

Valta

Concerning the Titan's once more, when the first trembling occurred in the Dragon Age, a small team guided by the Inquisition checked out the source of these quakes. A nimble dwarf by the name of Valta joined that journey and by the end of it, she was struck by a Titan's heart with pure, raw lyrium that should've killed her, but instead gave her unbenounced powers. Whatever she's capable of, she's culpable to the Titans, and will aid them. The questions that linger are, what sort of power does she know posses and what does this mean for the Titan's and dwarves connection, can dwarves possess magic with the aid of Titans? It's all quite intriguing.

And finally, pure curiosity & foreshadowing:

Qunari

Is it really true when they say that Elves and Qunari are related by ancestors, that the breeders of the Qunari people decided to mix with dragons, creating the race of Kossith that we know on Thedas today? Are the Qunari bound by blood to both the Elven people and dragons? By mixing blood of the two, is the Kossith race some sort of experiment, have the Elven people created their own warriors, that over time have overruled the elves, are the Kossith even aware of their origin? More abruptly, questions linger on ties to the blight, moreover the idea of Kossith being immune to it, the idea that no Kossith could be a Grey Warden, perhaps dragon blood is the cure to the blight which would mean that the Kossith could help save the blight by sheer blood participation with the other races of Thedas. Who can say if they'd even decide to help the people, with ongoing wars against Tevinter and the spread of the Qun.    

The Blight

The origin of the blight is rather unknown, folk talk about the Maker descending it onto his creations as a plague, for punishment of their excessive pride. Others speak on red lyrim and the blight being created as a defence mechanism by the Titans to stop the elves from mining their bodies for the resource. And there are even those who simply relate it to the Old Gods just wrecking havoc on Thedas, the truth on this plaque lurks, even if one were to kill the two remaining Old Gods, the blight would still continue. So who can say where this taint started?

Dreamers

Rumours linger from the upper echelons of Tevinter society that mages, high up in the magisterium have the capability to solely enter the Fade physically, these dreamers are said to be hiding within the ranks of the Imperium, never revealing the power from which lurks within themselves, for fear of what it could mean. This hubris once destroyed the very heavens, to even speak or have the capacity of repeating those actions means death in Tevinter, and so they hide, never to be discovered with this power.

Griffons

Such a mystery are these beasts of legend, Grey Warden's once perished their enemies in battle mounted on a fabled Griffon, these beautiful, voluptuous birds choose their rides, and even mourned when such a rider would die in battle, Griffons are sensitive, phenomenal creatures and rumour has it, that they're not so extinct as one might think. In 9:42, thirteen Griffion eggs were found in the Anderfels, just across from the Grey Warden's HQ, Fort Weisshaupt. Nothing but hushed whispers comes from the fort as it's gone silent ever since the Warden's of Orlais were bound to the calling. If the Warden's are keeping these Griffons a secret, they could prove to be to of significant value the right person. Changing the tide of battle ever so greatly, however, these are only whispers of what's going on with the Grey Wardens, just know that Griffons are not so extinct after all.

The Veil

The final enigma surrounds the veil, the Dread Wolf has made it his scheme to split the veil, crumbling Thedas and restoring his kingdom, however, how could such a megalomaniac fulfil such a deed? His original intention was using the orb of destruction, with that destroyed, a question lingers on how would the God destroy the veil? Even so, what would happen when he did, would the world simply be brought to ashes, or with the Fade and Thedas together once more, with magic restored, could aspects of Thedas still be saved? What mysteries and secrets we'd uncover if Thedas and the Fade were made whole, such would be uncovered relating to these fabled myths like the Maker, Titans, Old Gods, Elven Pantheon, etc. It'd mean answers, but complete desolation for Thedas, only time will tell if prophecy remains to be true and if this Dreadful God will actually destroy the world. https://youtu.be/tg_02ef9hKE