#this titan against the most powerful entities.

[promethies]

do i think that prometheus would die in mainv. to save the fate of humanity from the gods? yes.

[kizzer55555]

DP x DC: The Most Dangerous Card Game

Ok so Danny has essentially claimed earth as his. And he is fully aware that there are constant threats to the planet. Now he can’t stop a threat that originates on earth (that’s something he’ll leave to the Justice league) but he can do something about outside threats. Doing some research on ancient spells, rituals, and artifacts, he cast a world wide barrier on the planet to protect it from hostile threats so they cannot enter. This will prevent another Pariah Dark incident. However, barriers like this come at a price. You see, there are two ways to make a barrier. Either make one powered up by your own energy and power (which would be constantly draining) or set up a barrier with rules. The way magic works is that nothing can be absolutely indestructible. It must have a weakness. The most powerful barriers weren’t the ones reinforced with layer after layer of protective charms and buffed up with power. Those could eventually be destroyed either by being overpowered, wearing them down, or by cutting off the original power source. No, the most powerful barriers were the ones with a deliberate weakness. A barrier indestructible except for one spot. A cage that can only be opened from the outside. Or that can only be passed with a key or by solving a riddle. So Danny chooses this type of barrier and does the necessary ritual and pours in enough power to make it. And he adds his condition for anyone to enter. 

Now the Justice league? Find out about the barrier when Trigon attempts to attack, they were preparing after he threatened what he would do once he got to earth. How he would destroy them. The Justice league tried to take the fight to him first but were utterly destroyed, so they retreated home to tend to their injuries, and fortify earth for one. Last. Stand. Only when Trigon makes his big entrance…he’s stopped.

The Justice league watch in awe as this thin see-through barrier with beautiful green swirls and speckled white lights like stars apears blocking Trigon and his army’s advance. The barrier looks so thin and fragile yet no matter how hard the warlord hits, none of his attacks can get through and neither can he damage said barrier. That’s when Constantine and Zatanna recognizes what this barrier is. Something only a powerful entity could create. For a moment, the league is filled with hope that Trigon can’t get through yet Constantine also explains that it’s not impenetrable. And clearly Trigon knows this too for he calls out a challenge. 

And that’s when, in a flash of light, a tiny glowing teenager appears. He looked absolutly minuscule compared to Trigon and yet practically glowed with power (this isn’t a King Danny AU though).

And that is when the conditions for passing the barrier are revealed. And the Justice realize that the only thing stopping Trigon and his army from decimating earth. The only way he can get through….is by beating this glowing teenager in a card game. 

Not just any card game though. The most convoluted game Sam, Danny, and Tucker invented themselves. It’s like the infinite realms version of magic the gathering, combined with Pokémon, and chess. And Danny is the master. So sit down Trigon and let’s play.

(The most intense card game of the Justice league’s life).

After Danny wins, this happens a few more times with outer word beings and possibly even demons attempting to invade earth, yet none have been able to beat the mysterious teenager in a card game. Constantine might even take a crack at it and try to figure out how to play. He’s really bad though. Every time this happens, the Justice league worry that this might be the time the teenager looses. Yet every time, he wins (even if only barely). 

Meanwhile, Danny, Sam, and Tucker have gotten addicted to the game and play it almost daily. Some teachers might seem them playing the game are are like ‘awww how cute’ not realizing this game is literally saving the world. Jazz is just happy they aren’t spending as much time on their screens playing Doomed.

[cerastes]

So ig my question is why don’t the Chinese or Japanese markets care much ab this?

I’m going to answer this from perhaps a different angle than expected, prefacing this with “completely generalizing is easy and stupid” so we’re not going to be doing that.

Now, without you knowing, you’ve probably seen a hundred Things You Should Have Cared About, like caricatures or vilification of Korean people in Japanese media, without realizing you were looking at that. Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei, I hear, has plenty of that “hidden” in some of its jokes (I share this anecdotally as I have not read that, only heard of this). Some years ago, think about how a lot of tension existed because of Attack on Titan’s imperialist/nationalist undertones that the average Westerner couldn’t immediately grasp. Yuuki Yuuna Is A Hero was a fun watch for me right up until its nationalist undertones, well, overtones registered to me as entirely intentional and sincere.

But if it doesn’t register as an issue to you, why would you see it as an issue? It can very well BE an issue, you just don’t even consider it could be one because you lack cultural background or, well, “cultural fucks” to give, let’s call it. It’s invisible ink, right in front of you, but you don’t see it.

So, flip it around. There’s racist Chinese/Japanese people, there’s progressive CN/JP people, there’s people that don’t really care either way or see it as an issue the same way Uncle Cleetus from the U.S. may or may not be aware of Chinese violence against natives, even if he is aware and cares about U.S. violence against natives.

It can always just be an issue of “that is so very distant to me that I can’t really put Caring Power on it given all the things closest to me that I have to put Caring Power into”.

It’s not about whether these things matter or not — I think they do matter — but inevitably the majority of people think more locally in terms of cultural fucks to give, so, they just don’t really care either way if they have more darker skinned characters or not, I’d say for the majority of people over there.

And, in the context of gacha, they are selling desirable designs, and what’s considered desirable by that demographic, going by their market studies and other such data, is probably light skinned anime girls, thus, that’s what most gacha characters are going to be, with anything straying from that being tangibly a risk. Because these games are made by corporations, not entities that ever claimed to be trying to be progressive.

If Chinese players wanted more variety of Chinese Character in, say, Call of Duty, with dialects and other local cues, John Call Of Duty probably would not give a shit, nor would the majority of Call of Duty players in the West, even those that can be perfectly progressive. It’s like that.

[monstersdownthepath]

Homebrew Horror: Dominion Disassemblers

(Art from The Book of Unremitting Horror, pg. 66)

Though this is beyond the knowledge of any worldly being, the Dominion of the Black was not always the galactic union it is now. Until a united council with a common goal took the head of the Dominion, wars both petty and planet-scarring were common among its many factions, though in the centuries since their grand union, these squabbles have been reduced to near-nonexistence except when weapons must be tested.

Many relics from this tumultuous time remain in use even to this day, one of the most 'famous' being the Gan-Dergorin, known in the common tongue as Dominion Disassembler, monstrous, nigh-unkillable biomechanical titans with a unique behavioral quirk built into their very genetic code which made them useful in the old wars, and has them remaining useful even now, long after they're no longer needed for their original purpose: destroying Dominion technology. The war machines of the Dominion are unlike any of the minor scouting and scientific units seen on Golarion's soil, the twisted mixtures of flesh and steel nearly impossible to truly put down for good, able to continue their terrible march even as enormous portions of their bodies were torn away.

That is where the Gan-Dergorin come in. These bestial constructs have a simple tactic when facing down any enemy: tear it to pieces too small to remain active. Even the most resilient Dominion machines of terror cannot survive the thoroughness of the destruction that Disassemblers enact upon them, severing every single joint and connector from one another until their victims are rent to their smallest possible components. A Disassembler which has the time to do so will then go even further by separating all types of tissue and matter from one another, then carefully sorting the mangled gore into piles and rows based on how useful it believes its alien masters may find the components, behavior which assured a steady stream of resources for the flesh-forges of the Dominion.

Even today, their gruesome displays are useful when intimidating or punishing captive populations, though Dominion science has advanced to the point such brutal measures are no longer needed; they have much more thorough and effective means of reducing living creatures to their component parts. As such, Disassemblers are used as weapons of terror against the Dominion's enemies among the stars and within their own populations, though this isn't to say they're restricted to distant worlds.

The arrival of a Disassembler on soil beyond the Dominion's grip is an occurrence which is rare to the point of nonexistence, but it has happened both by accident (errant portals and teleportation errors) and purposeful action. On the exceedingly rare occasions when a cultist manages to establish and survive contact with entities concerned with the Dominion's war effort, they can be convinced to send one of these horrors to the cultist's world. Rarely does the cultist survive to give the war machines an actual order, allowing the machine to do what it does best: kill anything it encounters, and assure its own continued survival.

Gan-Dergorin CR 11 Chaotic Evil Large Construct Init +2; Senses: Darkvision 80ft, Low-light vision, blindsense 10 ft, Perception +17 Aura: Frightful Presence (60ft, DC 15) ----- Defense ----- AC 25; touch 11; flat-footed 23 (+2 Dex, +14 natural, -1 size) HP:110 (13d10+30) Fast Healing 5 Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +7 Defensive Abilities: Reassemble, Upgrade; DR 5/--; Immune Construct traits; Resist Fire 10, Cold 10, Electricity 10; Weakness Serial Number, Thorough Disassembly ----- Offense ----- Speed: 30 ft, climb 10ft Melee: Pneumatic Cleaver +19/+14/+9 (2d6+6/x3), Variable Arms +13 (2d6+3/19-20) Space/Reach: 10ft/10ft ----- Statistics ----- Str 22, Dex 15, Con --, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 6 Base Atk +13; CMB +20; CMD 32 Feats: Cleave, Cleaving Finish, Critical Focus, Improved Cleaving Finish, Great Cleave, Power Attack, Technologist(B), Weapon Focus (Pneumatic Cleaver) Skills: Climb +19, Disable Device +9 (+13 vs machinery/technology), Perception +17, Stealth +3; Racial Modifiers: +4 to Disable Device checks against complex machinery and technology Languages: Aklo (rarely speaks) SQ: Freeze (pile of metal junk), Standing Orders, Thorough Disassembly ----- Ecology ----- Environment: Any Organization: Solitary Treasure: Standard (scrap material, integrated items)

----- Combat: Disassemblers are not complicated creatures. They charge into combat with reckless abandon, using their Great Cleave and Improved Cleaving Finish to slaughter as many weak enemies as they can with a single attack before focusing down remaining foes one at a time with their Full-Attacks, using Power Attack at every opportunity. If given an option, Disassemblers prefer to target any creature capable dealing damage it cannot resist or nullify. A Disassembler will chase down any creature it believes it can kill and will not stop until its enemy escapes or it is driven back by damage.

Morale: A Disassembler brought below 1/4th of its HP maximum will immediately retreat to recover, even if it means abandoning fallen foes, Once it has regained at least half of its total HP and perhaps integrated new weapons, it will track down its foes to dispatch them. If it is slain in combat but permitted to return to function, it will Upgrade itself and track down its killers if possible, and follow its Standing Orders if not.

-----

Reassemble (Ex): Dominion Disassemblers can reattach severed limbs and portions of their bodies by holding it to themselves for 1 full round. A Dominion Disassembler is not destroyed when it reaches 0 HP, but is rendered inert and helpless. 1d4 hours after being reduced to 0 HP, all the alien machinery within whirls back to life--it reactivates at 1 hitpoint and resumes Fast Healing. Only the thorough and comprehensive destruction of its remains using methods such as immersion in magma, acid, or a similar substance, or turning to ash via Disintegrate or similar, can prevent a Disassembler from returning to function; otherwise, it can pull itself together from even the smallest remains.

Serial Number (Ex): All Disassemblers possess a serial number etched on a plate of alien metal somewhere within their body which is kept hidden near their centers. The number cannot be observed unless the construct has been rendered helpless, and even then it requires a DC 23 Perception check to find. Any creature capable of reading and speaking Aklo can make a DC 23 Linguistics check to memorize the Serial Number or write it down perfectly.

A creature may give a verbal command to a Disassembler by speaking its entire serial number aloud and stating the action they wish it to take, in Aklo. Due to the length and complexity of each serial number, this is a full-round action which provokes an attack of opportunity, and being struck by the attack of opportunity ruins the attempt to speak the number. If left without orders, Disassemblers typically try to destroy any creature that knows their serial number. Most creatures which learn of a Disassembler's serial number can easily get rid of the creature by ordering it to take a self-destructive action, or to accept the effects of a spell which will teleport or plane shift it a great distance away.

Standing Orders (Ex): To await further orders from their commanders, Disassemblers go into a low-power mode if they have not encountered another creature in 24 hours. In this mode, they come to rest and resemble a pile of junk, though they remain somewhat aware of their surroundings and may make Perception checks at a -5 penalty to detect nearby creatures and passively make Stealth checks to hide in plain sight as a pile of scrap. They can remain in this low-power state indefinitely, and will do so as long as they are not alerted to any creature, and spring back to full functionality instantly when alerted.

Thorough Disassembly (Ex): A Disassembler gets Technologist as a bonus feat and has a +4 bonus to Disable Device checks to sabotage or take apart complex machinery and advanced technology, and Disable Device is a class skill for it. In addition, after reducing a creature to 0 HP, the Disassembler is compelled to butcher it to prevent its return. It can resist this compulsion by succeeding a DC 20 Will save; otherwise, it must spend its next round attempting to coup de grace that creature if it is still alive, or to begin ripping it to pieces if it is dead.

Upgrade (Ex): When a Disassembler is defeated but permitted to Reassemble, it learns from its failure and seeks out methods to upgrade itself. A Disassembler has a number of Upgrade Points equal to 3 + its Wisdom modifier (6 for a typical Disassembler) that it may divide as it sees fit, and each time it is defeated, its Upgrade Points reset and may be redistributed. A Disassembler requires 1d4+1 days to make upgrades to itself as it gathers raw material from any source it can find (the DM may rule it finds parts much faster in areas with high amounts of technology), and never wastes time and resources upgrading itself unless it is defeated. It can take most of the upgrades multiple times; their effects stack. It will typically choose upgrades which prevent it from being beaten via the same methods it fell to previously.

1 Point: Gain 10 points of resistance to 1 form of elemental damage, or increases its resistance to an element by 10.

1 Point: Increase its natural armor by +1 or its DR/-- by 1.

1 Point: The Disassembler integrates a set of armor and/or a shield it can get ahold of into its body, granting itself the benefits of wearing the armor/shield (AC, magical abilities) but without suffering armor check penalties or speed reductions. It can only integrate one set of armor and one shield at a time.

2 Points: Increase its walk and climb speed by 10ft each, or gain a 10ft swim speed.

2 Points: Gain a +2 profane bonus to a saving throw of its choice.

3 Points: Gain 25% Fortification.

3 Points: Gain 1 feat it qualifies for.

Variable Arms (Ex): The Disassembler's Variable Arms natural attack can switch between slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning damage as a swift action, or change into a tool capable of fine manipulation which also acts as thieves' tools. The construct can also replace its Pneumatic Cleaver with any melee weapon it finds with 1 minute of work, losing its Cleaver attack but allowing it to use that weapon without penalty. It is considered proficient with any weapon it integrates, and wields even two-handed weapons with a single limb.

[thefirstknife]

I have not played since The Traveler left and Rasputin died. WHAT is GOING ON in there? THere's pyramids, Eris is a Hive god, Xivu Arath is dead(??? unsure), there's a. A Veil in the Traveler? ??????????????????????

Oh dear, welcome back! I highly recommend checking Destiny Lore Vault for playlists for the campaign, post-campaign quests and seasonal stories (Defiance, Deep, Witch, Wish)!

Speedrun cliffnotes:

Lightfall! Witness found something called the Veil on Neomuna. The Veil is to the Darkness what the Traveler is to the Light; a paracausal entity that controls aspects of it. We also knew about it because Osiris had a vision of it and Rasputin confirmed that! We go to Neptune where we find Neomuna and Cloud Striders, a civilisation that escaped the Collapse. The Witness tricks us into getting near the Veil and uses our Ghost to create a link between the Veil and the Traveler which opens a big portal on the Traveler. The Witness goes through and has been missing since. This whole year was dedicated to figuring out how to follow it into the Traveler!

Defiance! The Witness left its fleet to attack Earth, we defend the Earth from its forces. Mara and the Awoken help us, Crow and Mara begin their reconciliation, Amanda dies sacrificing herself to save civilians.

Deep! Titan returns from the anomaly! We've been told previously that we have to go there because an "enemy of the Witness" lives there; the enemy is a proto-worm Ahsa who fled the Fundament and settled on Titan back in the Golden Age. Ahsa helped Sloane survive on Titan. The two of them team up to help us against Xivu Arath and to figure out the portal. Ahsa tells us that Savathun knows how to get into the portal which means we have to rez her.

Witch! We meet up with Immaru who tells us that Sav left instructions for this exact situation; she will only tell us about the portal if we "deal with" Xivu Arath. Eris embraces her Hive side and bonds with Ahsa, to become a temporary Hive God of Vengeance. She collects tithes from us, the Guardians, and becomes super powerful. Once she's ready to face Xivu, we rez Savathun and Eris kills her, scooping up all of Sav's power on top of our tithes and becomes the most powerful Hive god briefly. She uses that power to cut off Xivu Arath from her throne world; Xivu is now mortal. Eris releases her power and returns to normal, rejecting the Sword Logic and laughing in the face of every Hive ever. Savathun honors her deal and tells us that she already showed us how to get through the portal, then she strikes another deal; she is to be free, but we keep Immaru so if she does anything we don't like, we can crush him. Savathun's answer is hidden in the pattern of her wings - it's the 15th wish. The 15th wish is to get one person through the portal. We need an ahamkara!

Wish! Mara and the techeuns conjure Riven's spirit through her cleansed heart; ahamkara persist after death! Riven tells us she will grant the wish only if we help save her remaining uncorrupted eggs because she wants her children and her species to go on. We agree to this and spend weeks saving her eggs which were scattered through the ley lines to protect them (this was done by Riven's mate, Taranis, a kind and benevolent ahamkara). We fight the Sol Divisive Vex for these eggs, who are doing incomprehensible things as Vex do, and when we succeed, Riven grants the wish. Crow is the one to go through the portal because he and Mara share a bond and through that bond, Osiris and Mara figure they can use the Veil just like the Witness did and forge a connection that will open the portal for the rest of us. We're currently waiting for the final mission of Season of the Wish which will likely conclude by showing us that Crow made it and that the portal is opening.

That's the shortest I could get! Definitely recommend checking out DLV and all the stuff because there's A LOT going on and there's a lot of stuff also happening in the background, especially in dungeons, and with everything that appears to be hinting at post-TFS content. There's also a lot of stuff with the Veil and the nature of Light and Darkness, mostly in LF campaign and Parting the Veil quest from post-campaign; some incredibly cool reveals and information going on.

I'll be happy to answer any further questions, if anything interests you more than other stuff, but also feel free to dive into the content yourself! And as usual, Ishtar Collective will help as well, with all the lore books and lore tabs.

We're currently in the free update, Into the Light, which focuses on the continued attack of the Pyramids on Earth, something that appears to be a last ditch effort of the Witness' forces to prevent us from following it to the portal.

[deckofflora]

Wizard101 Combat/Game Mechanic Head-Canons * Note, all quotes are fan-written in-universe flavor-text, and any mentioned events that differ from canon are due to the fact that these exist within my AU's storyline

Health

“Enveloping every entity within the spiral, exists an aura unseen by the naked eye. This aura, often referred to as an individual’s ‘Health’, protects the body, spirit, and mind against attacks.” “Originating from the ‘antibodies’ of Raven, Bartleby, and Spider’s inflictions in the Primordial Nebula, ‘Health’ provides a means of preventing the full force of magical or physical damage.” “‘Health’ withstands the attacks of spells and weapons, the body remaining unscathed.” Despite its wonders, ‘Health’ is not a means of invulnerability. It can be worn down, pierced through— stolen. It is merely nothing more than the byproduct of their environment, this Spiral they inhabit. The will of a wizard or the power of a pirate is enough to break down this barrier, have they not the strength of their own to persist and triumph. Once the barrier has fallen, the individual is vulnerable to the full force of an attack, leading to possible unconsciousness, illness and/or injury, or fatality. The natural ‘Health’ of an individual is dependent on their physical health, mental health, and most importantly: their willpower. Those with injuries, illnesses, or mental health concerns are often deemed to be unsuited for combat, due to their lower ‘Health’. Fortunately, health can be replenished via rest, healing spells, and ‘Health’ wisps found throughout the spiral. The practice of increasing one's ‘Health’ is often done via self-care, meditation, and physical training; it is common to see a variety of practices throughout the worlds of The Spiral.

Mana

"A permeating energy that separates our Spiral from what lies beyond the veil. This force- This 'Mana'- indiscriminately seeks to fill the space it occupies, even imbuing itself within spellcasters." "Those whom open their mind, body, and spirit to Mana's flow- spellcasters- have the unique ability to pull upon this energy within, casting their own intentions forward." "Mana is the fuel for the very spells we cast." 'Mana' exists virtually everywhere within The Spiral; it can be compared to the air our words flow through. It acts as both the canvas and the paint for spells. Despite the wonders that can be achieved, those with reliance on this energy often find themselves needing to manage an appropriate intake and outtake of this force. Too much mana within The Self leads to symptoms of magical outbursts and overflowing instability, while too little mana often shows symptoms of fatigue and inability to spell-cast. Fortunately, these ailments can be both prevented and amended. Cases of mana-drought can be cured via rest, stored-mana consumption, and 'Mana' wisps found around the spiral. Those experiencing mana-overcharge can expel this energy via spellcasting, mana-pulling, and other grounding techniques. The practice of increasing one's 'Mana' limit is achieved through meditation and magical training; it is common to see a variety of practices throughout spellcaster-inhabited worlds of The Spiral.

Duel Circles

"Historians say the circles originated from The Titan War as a manifestation of conflict itself, though in my opinion… only them prissy spellcasters from them fancy schools use 'em." "The tampering of them things, now that's what's scary, there be these so-called 'rules', and man… you don't wanna be around when one of them circles go off." "We don't play with them rules 'round these parts, why 'r askin' 'bout such things?" An unintended consequence of The Titan War, Duel Circles are manifestations of pure Conflict. This energy, often theorized by scholars to be a direct counterbalance to Harmony itself, acts as a catalyst for 'resolving quarrel' within The Spiral. Despite it's namesake, origins, and typical-use, these catalysts can manifest themselves for many types of interaction, acting more as a compromise between two opposing ends. Duel Circles define their own laws of magic when called upon, the 'rules of combat' being appointed beforehand- whether verbally or as a subconscious middle-ground between participants. Once the participants enter the ring, there is a short grace period before the battle commences, this 'planning phase' is known to occur between each round of action, each member getting their own turn. The variation of appearance and mechanics makes this ancient construct a great tool, able to provide a stable environment for spells, confine the impact of magic to a closed space, limit the effects of combat on non-participating individuals, and enforce a fair fight. In spite of it's accomplishments, Duel Circles have a concerning impact upon Mana and Health. It pulls upon the bounds of an individuals Health, stretching it to fill a larger confine, any adverse or beneficial side effects of this are unseen. These perimeters also take a heavier toll upon a spellcaster's mana, seemingly feeding upon excess mana from spells that otherwise would have recycled itself into the caster's system. The existence of rules subsequently creates the desire to test their elasticity: a practice known as The Arcane. Followers of this discipline hail back to the Titans themselves, known to force their own ideals upon the field. They manipulate and act between the laws of the Duel Circle, cheating the battle to their favor. Like all rules, they have consequences when broken. Due to the nature of Duel Circle's impact upon Health and Mana, destabilizing these battlegrounds can lead to fatal consequences; including, but not limited to, complete depletion of health and mana, physical and spiritual deconstruction of one's self, combustion of organic and inorganic matter, and unconfined spell-impact; affecting participants and surrounding onlookers. The diversity of cultures within The Spiral lead to many variations in how Conflict manifests between worlds, even mana-lacking societies opting to not utilize them at all. These disparities often open the doors for magical institutes to be founded for their respective teachings of combat and methodologies of spellcasting.

[utilitycaster]

So, not gonna lie, I’m having trouble understanding this arc and what story the cast is telling, I’m hoping you can help me understand a little bit, are the gods good or bad? Should we be against them? Or is it a thing of “even the gods can make mistakes, their not above criticism and analyzation. And this is humanizing them.” I don’t know, I’m confused.

Hi anon,

If I may, you cannot know the exact story that’s being told by an ongoing improvised show until it completes, and stories for adults often do not have a clear good/bad split but rather encourage you to draw your own conclusions. As a result, I think it is impossible to answer the question that was asked, but I can try to provide some insight.

In Exandria, there are both good and neutral-aligned gods (Prime Deities) and evil-aligned gods (Betrayer Gods), and these gods explicitly oppose each other; they have only rarely come together as when, along with the primordial titans (post-Schism, loosely allied with the Betrayer Gods) they sealed Predathos. The Ruby Vanguard is against all of the gods, whether Prime or Betrayer, and in favor of Predathos. In the past, most heroic characters we’ve seen have been affiliated with either the Prime Deities or with entities who are neither, and most villainous characters we’ve seen in the past that were associated with a god were associated with Betrayer Gods.

During this arc, we’ve seen a lot of people’s opinions on the gods, and we’ve seen the actions of various people, affiliated and unaffiliated, with the gods. But we’ve actually only quite briefly seen the gods themselves, during FCG’s two castings of Commune, and the Dawnfather’s visitation upon Deanna. So, in the interest of guiding people towards developing their own conclusion on the gods: Would you form an opinion based solely on the opinion others have about something? Or would you take into account their biases, their reputations, and the structures of their arguments, and if possible, go straight to the source?

The Ruby Vanguard and Paragon’s Call, as well as people who have found meaning in Ludinus’s speech, have fallen into three broad categories:

Some, like Tuldus or the people of Hearthdell, have suffered at the hands of those who worship the gods. Whether this is the will of the gods or not is unconfirmed.

Some, like Liliana Temult, and possibly Ludinus Da’Leth, have suffered in life in general, and see this as a failure of the gods. This in fact touches on the question of theodicy (“if there is a god, why does evil exist/occur”) which has been a core question of religious philosophy in the real world for at least four millennia. I do not think we are going to be the ones to answer that definitively.

Some, like the various underlings at the Tishtan site, are merely apathetic. The gods don’t mean anything, good or bad, to them, and they are getting paid to help build and protect the key, so who really cares what happens.

The player characters we’ve seen this campaign have, with the occasional exception of Imogen (whose opinions fall weakly towards the middle category), either been in favor of the gods; apathetic but have not been given any incentive towards releasing Predathos; or apathetic/neutral but have suffered at the hands of those who worship Predathos. Indeed, one can argue that everyone except Deanna and FRIDA have suffered in some way at the hands of those who worship Predathos by being teleported at random. Certainly all of Bells Hells has by being attacked and in some cases murdered.

Now: I think that the point of this exercise is to help you make your own decisions, but I’ll reveal my bias. I think the most consistent message of this arc is what Ashton, Orym, and Laudna have been saying the entire time: regardless of whether the gods are good or not, as individual entities or as a greater system of power, people have always had free will. And regardless of whether the gods are good or not, Ludinus, Otohan, and other members of the Ruby Vanguard have slaughtered innocent bystanders without a second thought. I think the most important takeaway is that the primary source of both good and evil in the world of Exandria is, and always has been, mortals. The gods of the story are real within the story, but from the perspective of an outside viewer? This seems almost purely metaphorical to me. If things are less than ideal - if parts of complex systems have at times perpetuated harm, perhaps - should we introduce an unknown force with its own unknown potential to do harm to destroy them? Or should we work to address the issues within the existing system and at the very least gather considerably more information before asking something that might be even worse to rescue us?

[lyra-333]

Zimbo — Brother of Za'lgatoth.

Version 🇺🇸

- The images are illustrative, I haven't done a 100% look for it yet.

"At the edge of the cosmos, the battle rages, A clash of titans, fate reviews it, But in the silence of the night, echoes without end, The cursed phrase: "He's not coming."

"He's not coming," whispers the mist, An ominous promise that destiny sums up, Protects its allies with strength and fury, But its heart burns with vengeance and pain."

__________________________________________________________

About him, he's not very different from Zalgo... His "twin" brother, the root of his rancor and extreme hatred.

Like Zalgo, Zimbo is the embodiment of negative feelings and energies... Born of rivalry, resentment, revenge... A lost god, like Zalgo and Slenderman.

The auras that surround you beg for forgiveness. But your heart, consumed by rancor, ignores it.

__________________________________________________________

- PAST.

Your skills on a par with Zalgo....Even though you're so similar, rivalry reigns. Everything bad in his heart can be summed up by how his brother betrayed him in the worst possible way.

The towering tree, the shady cliff and the land profusely adorned with vibrant flowers were home to the three ladies of peace. Among them was Zimbo's Bride, whose delicate touches had the power to calm the most troubled minds. However, of the three, Zalgo had always been the most uncontrollable.

Zalgo's fiancée bore the brunt of his anger in silence, and no one dared to interfere, as they didn't think it was necessary. Until, in a moment of devastating impulse, a chaotic fury consumed Zalgo's mind. In an instant, his cursed claws penetrated the lungs of his beloved under the shade of the tree of peace, dyeing the nearby flowers with his deadly blood.

A sepulchral silence prevailed. No one dared to intervene or even mention what had happened. The mind of Zalgo, one of the gods, became a whirlpool of chaos. Envy ate away at his heart when he saw his younger brother's fiancée still intact, living in the land of peace. Seized by ENVY, Zalgo did not hesitate to destroy the reigning peace. In a frenzy of destruction, he beheaded his brother's bride, staining the flowers with deadly blood. Only one of the ladies of peace remained. Why not finish her off too? Zalgo did so, and the flowers turned red, heralding the end of tranquillity.

The souls of the three came into conflict, unleashing the greatest apocalypse the universe had ever seen, causing fear in even the most powerful gods and souls. Over the years, the three destroyed everything they had built, separated and began to seek the reincarnation of their loved ones on earth.

Zimbo, consumed by resentment and rivalry, longed for revenge against his brother. In the distant future, Zimbo formed an alliance with an old acquaintance, Slenderman. This being, also one of the three, had had his serenity stolen by Zalgo, as had his beloved. Driven by common goals and a deep hatred of Zalgo, the two joined forces in a dark pact. This union marked the beginning of a tireless quest through immense realities and possibilities, in the hope of finding their mortal loved ones. United by resentment and a thirst for revenge, Zimbo and Slenderman prepared to face chaos, determined to restore balance and destroy the one who had once been one of the three.

________________________________________________________

- ABOUT.

Describing Zimbo, he would be part of the Nezperdian Gods, just like Slenderman and Zalgo. I don't know if there are only three, but I put them as the main ones. Zimbo would have joined Slenderman to keep Zalgo inside his seal. To prove his loyalty to Slenderman, Zimbo ripped out his eyes and mouth, remaining faceless, Slenderman to prove his loyalty to Zimbo, ripped out 4 of his main tentacles, as a pact.

The two share great power over Proxies and the entities that serve them. Zimbo is a little different from Slenderman in terms of personality and instincts. As far as the Proxies are concerned, Zimbo has some sort of habit of protecting them and, for some reason, taking care of them, even when Slenderman starts having that damn wheeze in his brain...

He has nothing against humans, he usually just watches them from afar... However, when necessary, he possesses the minds of his victims, being able to communicate, hear the thoughts of those he has possessed, read their desires, dreams, past, among others...

To maintain his power and energy, the main victims and the

Zimbo's targets would be entities, spirits, ghosts, some low angels, among others. But his main sources are the prophets, Zalgo's proxies. He feeds on the spirit world, unlike Slenderman who prefers children.

His catchphrase would be: "He's not coming." "Il ne vient pas."

He doesn't have many contacts with Creepypastas, he just observes them from afar, with curiosity and almost admiration. But he has a certain kind of grudge, perhaps disgust, with Offenderman.

His past has left wounds, and Zimbo has become slightly protective of mortal women, which explains his hatred of Offenderman.

To camouflage himself, to observe his goals, he has a human form, a tall man with long black hair, apparently aged 40-50.

His original form has a different color, a kind of blue that is almost 100% black... The blue on his body has a meaning. The fact that Zalgo, his brother, has a red color with his representative, blue is the opposite color of red... Symbolizing Zimbo being the opposite of Zalgo.

This brings us to the end. Of course, I intend to add a LOT more to him, such as supernatural abilities, strength, personality, voice, thoughts, more about his human form and relationships with other entities.

(Sorry if the text has errors, I used the translator, as I don't speak English.)

— Lyra.

[happyk44]

You know, I don't think we really talk about how brave Grover is because in canon he's very characterized as nervous and scared most of the time, but. I mean to be a Keeper/Protector in and of itself is a brave concept. You are risking death by monster to go and find demigod children who don't know how to fight or use their potential powers and bring them back to camp all by yourself, sometimes more than one. You have to constantly be in disguise which impacts your capacity to move or fight back. A lot of your kind have likely died protecting these kids. And the godly parents of these kids aren't compensating you or thanking you for bringing their kid back safely, but they likely get peeved if you don't.

And then to be a Searcher. Again you are alone against monsters and gods and other magical entities that might eat you or fight you. Again a lot of you have died trying to find Pan. A lot of them were your family members - your father, brother, uncle, etc. There are many monsters, many creatures out there that deceive you about his presence.

Grover has found all known children of the Big Three. He helped Luke, Annabeth and Thalia make it to camp and dealing with monsters the whole time because Luke kept seeking out fights. Despite this and despite seeing Thalia "die" in front of him, he still went back out! He spent a year in full disguise at a boarding school, went on his first quest, helps in the fight against Medusa, and so on. Even goes inside the Underworld with the other two, even though he hates the underground.

Despite all of that shit, he still goes out to find Pan after he gets his license and manages to bullshit his way into staying alive the whole time and help bring back the Golden Fleece.

Then he goes out again! Like right after he got back because he was at Bianca and Nico's school for a while posing as a student again and TTC happened in December. Goes on the quest to rescue Artemis and Annabeth.

After he goes back on the search for Pan. Six months later he goes into the Labyrinth (which is underground and he hate the underground). He lets Tyson come with him to find Pan, even though he's terrified of a Cyclopes and Tyson has the mentality of a young child.

He fights in the big battle afterwards, and then informs the other satyrs that Pan is gone - a decision that he knew could've had him exiled. Which they tried to do! And still he decides to go out and spread the word, despite the fact that other satyrs would likely be as dismissive of the news as the Council at CHB.

He confronts Morpheus while trying to rally other nature spirits. He helps battle! He's there in the bubble that Kronos makes with Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia, which means he was literally right next to a scary evil Titan that wanted to destroy everything!

He is so so brave!!

And if you correct Rick's math, then you get that he's around 14 (slightly younger, calcs put him at 13.7) at the end of the TLO, so he's the "youngest" on the team directly fighting Kronos, and when he becomes Lord of the Wild. Between TLT and TBoTL he's 12 and 13 by mortal standards. Yes, he's "technically" 16 right now but he was 28 in TLT which was supposed to have him pass as a 12 year old (since Percy was 12, turning 13) and so the math is not exactly half despite Rick saying so.

I guess we could argue that he was 14 in TLT and was just small enough to pass as a middle schooler, esp since Percy says he thinks Grover was held back because of his wispy goatee (which I always took to be a foreshadowing of Grover's goatman status, and not "he's a tiny 14 year old by human standards") and acne (was I the only 12 year old with acne) but I think it would be so funny for Percy, at 16, to a 32 year old bestie and a 13/14 year old bestie at the same time and everytime he says that people give a look and he just giggles to himself about it.

When he's 20 and Grover looks 15 but is actually 36 it's even worse because of how casually touchy he and Grover are and everyone is like "Percy plz stop calling Grover babe in public, you look like a pervert" and he's just offended hand on his chest, how dare you imply his relationship with Grover is inappropriate, they are both adults who love each other, and it's just gritting teeth, we know that Seaweed Brain but other people do not.

But lmao, anyway!! Grover is a brave brave boy! He is Lord of the Wild! He appears to be the head of the Council at camp as well! He takes charge and leads the nature spirits into battle as well. He was part of the planning group with the cabin leaders in HoO.

Despite his fears, he is so so brave! He would jump into front of a bullet for Percy (but Percy would not let him, Percy is so much "I would die for you, but if you even think about getting so much as a papercut to save me, I will be so fucking upset about it). Grover is so wonderful and cool and we need to talk about him more!!

[howardduck1490]

Teen Titans Go! Plastic Man

Plastic Man is a superhero whose unique completely malleable body chemistry allows him to stretch to great lengths and contort himself into any position imaginable. Originally a criminal nicknamed "Eel" O'Brian, an accident in a chemical factory gave him his ability and he reformed to fight against crime.

Woozy Winks is his bumbling best friend and sidekick. Despite being one of the most powerful entities on the planet because of the limitless nature of his powers, he has a care-free and humorous attitude towards life, leading many to not take him seriously. He has been a member of the Justice League, the All-Star Squadron and the Freedom Fighters.

Plastic Man was created by Jack Cole for Quality Comics, first appearing in Police Comics #1 (1941).

[suteknakht]

Seth-Typhon's role in ancient magic

(This is an adaptation of an essay I wrote for my bachelor, which didn’t get published.)

Seth is not the most prominent or most called upon figure in ancient mediterranian magic, but I do think he’s one of the most interesting. Seth himself can be considered to be a controversial figure, with his fluctuating reputation and trickster nature. The same cannot be said for the Greek titan Typhon, who was viewed as thoroughly negative, being considered one of the most dangerous entities in the cosmos. From 500BC onwards the Greeks identified their Typhon with the Egyptian Seth, and so Seth-Typhon was born. Combined with the declining reputation of Seth, Seth-Typhon was largely viewed as a negative god. At the same time, he was called upon in magic spells for his power and dominion, even being called the ‘God of gods’. So what is Seth-Typhon’s role in magic? And what made him appealing to magicians?

Seth-Typhon’s titles and powers in magical texts At the end of this post I have included some excerpts from the PGM and curse tablets from the Athenian Agora so you can read these for yourself. Seth-Typhon is referred to in a number of in ways, of which these stand out to me:

-Ruler of the realm above -master / lord -God of gods -the ground, sea, Hades, heaven, sun, moon, stars, and the whole universe tremble at his name -whose name forcibly brings gods and daimons to it -when his name is called, whomever you called will appear, god or dead man -who controls the gods’ wrath -who holds the royal scepter over the heavens -who is the midpoint of the stars above -the dreaded sovereign over the firmament -who is fearful, awesome, threatening, irresistible -hater of the wicked -who holds sovereignty over the Moirai [Greek personifications of fate] -capable of binding the ‘Aion of oblivion’ -called upon to ‘chill and destroy’ -Mighty Typhon -‘Lord over blacking out and chilling’ (and sometimes ‘powerlessness’) -taking away strength

Additionally, some other notable details from these texts: -the magician identifies himself as ally of Seth, who helped him ‘in war with/against the gods’ -the magician is ‘conquered’ and ‘thrown down’ by the gods for this. -Seth is capable of raising someone up (who has been thrown down), and granting power. -the victim is ‘handed over’, which seems in parallel to ‘I brought Osiris before you chained’ in the PGM.

There is a lot to unpack here, and I won’t cover everything here. Relevant for this discussion of magic are the following themes: 1) Seth-Typhon as powerful, God of gods, master over the heavens, the whole universe trembling before him. 2) Seth-Typhon as controller of fate. 3) Seth-Typhon as binder of people, spirits and gods. 4) Seth-Typhon as fearful and terrifying, yet awesome and irresistible. 5) the magician identifying as an ally of Seth-Typhon, to gain his favour. Now let’s dive a little deeper into why he is associated with these powers.

Seth-Typhon as the God of gods As mentioned, Seth-Typhon is in some spells considered to be the God of gods. How did he get to be positioned in this role? Partially, this can be explained through the association between him and the Jewish God in the PGM. This association is clear through that Seth-Typhon is being referred to with names as Iao and Saboath, which are also used in reference to the Jewish God. D.R. Jordan mentions a theory that posits that the ancients made a connection between the Greek spelling of Iao and the Coptic spelling for ‘ass’ or donkey, the animal associated with Seth. This identification of Seth-Typhon with the Jewish god is also evident in the use of what Jordan calls ‘the Borphor syllabels’. These are syllables of unknown meaning that consist of a combination of ‘bar’, ‘bor/boor’, and ‘for/foor’, often associated with Hekate/Selene, but also with both Seth-Typhon and the Jewish god. Jordan theorizes that these syllables could represent general ‘outlandish sounds’ or barbaric language to the ancients, which would be fitting to use for deities of a destructive nature because of the connection between foreigners and violence/barbarism that both the Greeks and the Egyptians held. With the Jewish God being the highest possible god, this identification lifts Seth-Typhon up to the same status. This made Seth-Typhon into a much bigger figure of cosmic proportions than he was before. This of course also gives him great powers.

Seth-Typhon’s power and allure to magicians Why was Seth-Typhon attractive for magicians, considering all the other gods connected to magic? This relates back to Seth-Typhon as the God of gods, the highest cosmic entity. Naturally the God of gods holds a lot of power, and this power is attractive for magic practitioners to tap into. There are a number of instances in which the magic practitioner explicitly identifies with Seth-Typhon’s forces in order to persuade him to grant them powers. Specifically there are two prayers to Seth-Typhon in IV 154-285 of the PGM. Here the magic practitioner identifies himself as ‘the one who brought Osiris to you chained’ and as a soldier ‘who sided with you in the war with/against the gods’, among other things. The spell also makes it explicit that this is done in order to ask for help, for it is immediately followed by ‘raise up your friend [the reciter]’. A few lines later, the practitioner pleads: “O grant me power… so that, whensoe’er I tell one of the gods to come, he is seen coming swiftly to me in answer to my chant”. In this passage it’s clear that Seth-Typhon is powerful enough to command all other gods, forcing them to come when called. As ‘God of gods’ he seems to function much like other ‘highest god’ figures, like in the Eight Book of Moses. Like this highest god he is capable of commanding other gods that are considered to be below him in hierarchy.

Besides the PGM we see Seth-Typhon called upon in some curse tablets. Here he is not explicitly called upon as the highest cosmic figure, but does perform the same role of binding and additionally destroying people. He is however called ‘mighty’ and capable of binding the ‘Aion of oblivion’, the same powerful binding role as in the PGM. The curse tablets often start with that the magicians ‘hands over’ the victim to Seth-Typhon. This seems to parallel the identification of the magician as ally of Seth in the PGM;  ‘I am he… who brought Osiris before you chained’. In addition to the role of binder, Seth-Typhon is considered to be capable of taking away the strength of people (though you may see this as a result of binding).

Application of power; binding, restraining, divination Seth-Typhon’s powers then are those of strength, and the binding and controlling of both men and gods that this enables. His power is unparalleled as God of gods. Because of this, Seth-Typhon was also considered to be particularly effective. According to Giulia Sfameni Gasparra, Seth-Typhon was praised for his great cosmic power including his binding and dangerous aspects. Force this reason he is appropriately called upon in spells that seek to bind or destroy their targets, wether they are people (like in the curse tablets) or gods (in the PGM). His power of binding goes so far that he is is invoked a ‘charm to restrain’ in the Paris Papyrus (PGM IV) that ‘works on everything’. This binding power is also useful for divination. The lines IV 154-285 in the Paris Papyrus are a divinatory spell, and the Leiden-London papyri contain a divinatory spell invoking Seth-Typhon as well. Divination in this sense meaning that a spirit is called upon to disclose information to the magician. Additionally, as master of the Moirai, he has knowledge and controle over fate as well (which relates to divination). Perhaps Seth-Typhon's power reaches its peak in another spell from the Paris Papyrus ‘powerful spell of the Bear (a constellation associated with Seth) which ‘accomplishes everything’ (PGM IV 1331-1389). This truly attests to the all-encompassing power of Seth-Typhon.

Conclusions What is Seth-Typhon’s role in ancient magical texts and why is he alluring for magicians? His role seems to be twofold, both relating to his strength and binding. In one way, practitioners call upon his power to bind, weaken, and destroy human targets. This is evident from the curse tablets. In a second but similar way, Seth-Typhon's strength is great enough to bind and control other deities and fate itself. This is not just useful in the binding enemies or gods to make them do your bidding, but also for practicing divination. In these matters the practitioner does not just call upon Seth-Typhon as a strong deity, but as the mightiest, the God of gods, master over the universe and fate. Due to his cosmic power he was also considered to be very effective. We see this in the spells that ‘work on everything’ and ultimately in ‘powerful spell of the Bear which accomplishes everything’. His power is great enough to work on everything and to accomplish everything. Indeed, as D. R. Jordan argues, Seth-Typhon is ‘the deity par excellence in syncretic magical texts’.

Sources: Papyri; the PGM (translation by Betz), Paris Papyrus, and Leiden-London Papyri (I don’t remember which translations I used I apologize).

D.R. Jordan, ‘Defixiones from a Well Near the Southwest Corner of the Athenian Agora’ in Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Jul. - Sep., 1985, Vol. 54, No. 3, pp. 205-255. Published by: The American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

Giulia Sfameni Gasparra, ‘Egyptian Theological Lore in PGM IV: a religious-historical commentary’ in The Wisdom of Thoth. Magical Texts in Ancient Mediterranean Civilisations, 2015, pp. 111-119. Edited by Grazyna Bakowska-Czerner, Alessandro Roccati, Agata Swierzoska. Published by: Archeopress publishing.

Excerpts:

PGM L 179-200 "O mighty Typhon / I ruler of the realm Above and master, god of gods, O lord ABERAMENTH~OU (formula), O dark's disturber, thunder's bringer, whirlwind, Night-flasher, breather-forth of hot and cold, Shaker of rocks, wall-trembler, boiler of the waves, disturber of the sea's great depth, / ERBET AU TAUI MENI, I'm He who searched with you the whole world and Found great Osiris, whom I brought you chained. I'm he who joined you in war with the gods (but others say, “against the gods"). I'm he who closed heav'n's double gates and put to sleep the serpent which must not be seen, Who stopped the seas, the streams, the river currents Where'er you rule this realm. And as your soldier I have been conquered by the gods, I have Been thrown face down because of empty wrath. Raise up your friend, I beg you, I implore; Thrown me not on the ground, O lord of gods, AEMINAEBAROTHERRETH~RABEANIMEA, O grant me power, I beg, and give to me This favor, so that, whensoc'r I tell One of the gods to come, he is seen coming Switfly to me in answer to my chants, … [l200]

L 218; Lord, god of gods, master, daimon.

L245; But you are not unaware, mighty king and leader of magicians, that this is the chief name of Typhon, at whom the ground, the depths of the sea, Hades, heaven, the sun, the moon, the visible chorus of stars, the whole universe all tremble, the name which, when it is uttered, forcibly brings gods and daimons to it. This is the name that consists of 100 letters. Finally, when you have called, whomever you called will appear, god or dead man

A protective charm: L 261; "I call you who did first control gods' wrath, You who hold royal scepter o'er the heavens, You who are midpoint of the stars above, You, master Typhon, you I call, who are / The dreaded sovereign o'er the firmament. You who are fearful, awesome, threatening, You who're and irresistible And hater of the wicked, you I call, Typhon, in hours unlawful and unmeasured, You who've walked on unquenched, clear-crackling fire, You who are / over snows, below dark ice, You who hold sovereignty over the Moirai [Greek personifications of fate], …”

Jordan’s curse tablets/defixiones: “"('Borphor' syllables) -babaie, mighty Betpyt, I hand over to you Eutychian, whom Euty- chia bore, that you may chill him and his purposes, and in your dark air also those with him. Bind in the unilluminated aion of oblivion and chill and destroy also the wrestling that he is going to do in the . .. this coming Friday. And if he does wrestle, in order that he may fall and disgrace himself, Mozoune Alcheine Perpertharona laia, I hand over to you Euty- chian, whom Eutychia bore. Mighty Typhon Kolchoi Tontonon Seth Sathaoch Ea, Lord Apomx Phriourinx over the blacking out and chilling of Eutychian, whom Eutychia bore, Kolchoicheilops, let Eutychian grow cold and not be strong this coming Friday, but let him be weak. As these names grow cold, so let Eutychian grow cold, whom Eutychia bore, whom Aithales promotes."”

“"('Borphor' syllables) -babaie, mighty Bepty, I hand over to you Attalos ... in the wres- tling . . . completely, but fall, Monoune Alcheine Pepertharona Iaia, I hand over to you Attalos the ephebe, son of Attalos. Mighty Typhon Kolchloi Tontonon Seth Sathaoch Ea, Lord Apomx Phriourinx over blacking out and chilling and powerlessness, Kolchoichei- lops, let Attalos the ephebe grow cold and do not let him wrestle (and come out) first. As these names grow cold, so too let Attalos' name and breath, impulse, knowledge, reckoning grow cold. Let him be deaf, dumb, mindless, having no impulse ... wrestling, not having any strength at all."

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

What are Demons in COTL?

My personal interpretation and theories.

Spoilers for Relics of the Old Faith Below...

Ω Introduce

I made an observation a while ago about the demons in cotl being named after gods rather than actual demons unlike most characters in COTL. After some contemplation, I have come up with a few theories as what Demons could be within the world of COTL.

Ω Demons, what are they?

Demons, IRL, are not always seen as evil entities in cultures that believed in them. They could be helpers or hostile, reflection of the darkers aspects for human emotion or forces of nature. Exorcist canonically exist in COTL so we know demons did sometimes have negative interactions with people to need to be exorcised but, then there are the more benelovent demons like Hathor, Paean, and Vosegus.

Θ How I interpret Demons.

In my opinion, Demons act as foils to gods in mythos. Gods being untouchable and unknowable to mortals. Always above them. Whereas Demon are more grounded and perceivable for mortals. They too are below gods but exist within the same capacity as they do. The realm of the representational concepts and the supernatural. Within COTL they are more tangible and seem to exist as individual species. Their names refer to the type of demon not a personal names. There are many Orcus or Hathor and they are all referred to as such. I interpret this as the demons being derivatives of a larger being who originated that singular type.

Theories

1.

Demons in COTL are fallen gods.

More specifically gods that have been punished for some transgression. IRL demons, in Christian theology, are fallen angel cast out of heaven for rebelling against their God. As there aren't angel equivalent beings that we know of in-game, I am substituting Gods in their place. Who in COTL would have the authority to punish a god and what for? Other gods.

Inspiration

In IRL mythos, there are gods that receive punishment from others god for one reason or another. The main reason I can find is giving mortals forbidden knowledge of some kind. This is inspired by the legend of Prometheus, a greek titan who defied the gods of Olympus by teaching mortals higher learning and technology. There are many versions of this tale but the reason can simplied as thus, mortals gaining knowledge pushed them away from worshipping the gods or show respect to the gods in a way they saw fit. In a world like COTL, where gods seem to rely on mortals/their followers for power and relevance, I can imagine them collectively punishing gods that cause all their followers to stray. These God-turned demons could have more inclined toward the welfare of mortals under their protection. Unlike the gods we see in-game, who care about the resources their followers provide them.

How does a God become a Demon?

Thanks to the new DLC we learn that the bodies of gods and their possessions can hold power that can he harnessed by others. We also learn that the spirit/soul of a dead god can effect things even from beyond the grave. Demons could be the soul of a god possessing the body of a mortal. As far as to what makes a fallen god I can't quite explain. The act could be willed by the fallen god, one last act of good will or malicious intent. Or inflicted by the persecuting gods, the fallen deity never knowing the sweet release of true death being used a tool by the mortals they loved so much.

11.

Demons are physical, supernatural manifestations of the emotions of the person they possess.

As in, they respesent the deeper, core personality of that person. A need to protect, deep saddness, anger etc.

Inspiration

Ratoo's Quest is what lead me to believe this as this is the only time we see a demon having come from a person directly. Ratoo's physical heart seems to have been possessed by a Hathor demon. This could mean demons can possess more than just a person but individual bodyparts and inanimate objects too. With objects it could be that it held significant sentimental value to it's owner, enough to draw the presence of a demon. Like Ratoo's heart, the sentimental value could be from Ratoo himself, or the person who came to possess it, his Lover. Or both. I like to imagine the process is like the creation of relics only, rather than already having innate worth or power from a god, demons , and the things they possess, are mundane objects given held in such high regards by mortals that they gain supernatural properties as a result.

Sidenote

Conclusion

While we are able to decline giving him Hathor, it can still be given at a later date, even if it is from a different follower. Although this may just be a game mechanic.

Demons are funky little critters and I find them fascinating. I wonder if Massive Monster will ever expand the demon summoning system or add actual lore about them oneday? They have the potential for some interesting worldbuilding.

[cuppajj]

Lore notes on the Mech Pilot AU

I was going to put this under the initial post but it got a little long, so I'm putting it here instead!

The TL;DR is that the mech pilot au involves giant robots fighting other giant robots, as well as fending off alien attacks, exploring the universe, with a little bit of space gods thrown in.

Earth and Cybertron are one in the same (but for simplicity's sake I'll call it Cybertron), though the geographical features and regions are cybertronian with the flora and fauna of earth. Cybertron has colony worlds that stretch throughout the rest of the solar system and beyond, so planets like Caminus and Velocitron still exist. When the war happens, it's on Cybertron and other colonies and planets, and the two sides fight with giant mecha (that are either manufactured or retrieved as endoskeletons/base frames from the planet's core).

Primus and Unicron are supernatural entities that form the cores of two respective planets. While primus is the core of cybertron/earth and is the source of naturally forged mecha skeletons, Unicron is the core of a dead, distant, monster-infested planet that slowly traverses the universe in search of his brother. Sometimes these unicronic beasts will find Cybertron, and the best mech pilots will rise to eliminate them.

Titans are directly spawned from Primus, and the only case of a fully sentient mecha. Curiously though, they can create artificial human bodies to masquerade as an ordinary mech pilot. Some are the size of entire cities, though others are only the size of massive starships. Long ago, the city titans served as as vessels tasked to form colonies on other planets, while the starship titans were talked to chart the edges of the known universe. However, some have remained on Cybertron, and their artificial human consciousnesses walk among ordinary society. Their speakers are real humans who attain cybernetic attachments to help them last longer with their titan, but they are still mortal and die after thousands of years.

Mech pilots are situated in the chest, with the eyes of the mecha serving as cameras they can see in the cockpit. The mechs themselves are divided into classes categorized by size, the smallest (known as the miniature class) being 20 ft and the largest (known as the leviathan class) being 200 ft. Their structure is also determined by their purpose. Bulkier mecha meant that are military grade or meant for hard labor will be bigger and have wider cockpits complete with a bigger dashboard, but smaller/slimmer mecha meant for less labor intensive scientific/exploration/stealth work will have narrower cockpits with smaller dashboards. The mecha are more greebled than their transformer counterparts, with more articulating lines, cables, and/or vents, and are in some cases bulkier (especially the commander, bastion, and leviathan class). They can still transform, but the process isn't instantaneous and is mostly reserved for military or labor mecha. Not every human is a mech pilot, but they can become one as long as they're licensed. They technically don't need one, but if you want to abide by the law, it's required.

The spark is the mecha's power source that is situated behind or under the cockpit. The pilot's suit has a fragment of this spark energy as well, that acts as a signature that binds them to said mecha. Pilots can use other mecha, but they will never be as skilled and powerful as they would be if they stuck to the mecha they share the spark signature of. Functionism still exists in this au, and there's a prejudice against those who don't pilot "Primus-born" mecha. Manufactured mecha are built with artificial spark signatures, whereas forged mecha carry spark signatures fro Primus. Most mecha are manufactured, with the primus-born mecha reserved for the most elite pilots, richest buyers, or others who acquire them through different means.

The classes of mecha are as follows: Miniature Class (20-50 ft), Trooper Class (70-80 ft), Cavalier Class (90-100 ft), Bastion Class (110-130 ft), Commander Class (140-170 ft), and Leviathan Class (180-200 ft). The most common military mecha are the Trooper and Cavalier Classes, with the Commander and Bastion Classes piloted by military elites. The rarest was the Leviathan class, which was exclusively for specially-recruited teams which piloted them at once (combiner equivalent). The largest mecha used to be the Bastion Class, but the war introduced the larger Commander and Leviathan classes. Map for scale (using the greatest possible heights for each):

The Autobot and Decepticon war still happened. Optimus and Megatron both pilot commander class armor, the former's being primus-born and the latter's being manufactured. Megatron's mecha was a Bastion Class that was retrofitted into a Commander Class.

The everyday mech pilot usually pilots a miniature or trooper class, though the more affluent pilot cavaliers. Bastions are a rarity, lest you're a pilot meant to work in hard labor. Deep space exploration, mining, and construction work are prominently carried out by manufactured Bastion Class mecha.

The Quintessons are an alien race from a distant world, who once enslaved the cybertronians and exploited the well in which Primus created mecha. They were driven off the planet after the uprising, but they were able to successfully replicate Primus's creation ability on their own world, creating sentient and hostile robots that obey the orders of their masters. They also tamed the local wildlife of their planet, from small creatures to kaiju-sized monstrosities, and will often send them to Cybertronian colonies, Cybertron itself, or elsewhere to wreak havoc or serve their ulterior motive. After the war, much of Cybertron's best mech pilots have banded together to fight this threat, establishing an organization that recruits mech pilots to aid the cause on different levels.

The average joe with a mecha can be paid to help in humanitarian efforts on Cybertron (or sometimes its colonies), but those who are more daring can undergo a two and a half-year training course that prepares them to fight legitimate threats for even higher pay. It can still technically be a part time job, but the requirements to stay part of the organization can be pretty strict, so slacking is heavily discouraged too. The full-timers are those who have undergone the full four year training course to venture into space to seek out and fight threats away from Cybertron or its colonies.

This organization is run by Ultra Magnus, a Commander Class pilot. Elita One and Bumblebee (Bastion and Cavalier respectively) are also officials. Rodimus (Cavalier Class) might be an official too if he wasn't off doing his own thing.

Like in the normal universe, are still post-war skirmishes between Autobots and Decepticons, and all sorts of people with ulterior motives. Even though the war’s over, fighting happens all the time.

Cybertronian society is basically a technologically advanced earth with the same visual urban aesthetic as Cybertron.

Non-cybertronian species such as Quintessons, Nebulans, etc. stay the same.

[shimmerbeasts]

The White Fox Of Vesani

In the northern regions of Ionia, particularly in the sparsely populated towns located in the Shon-Xan exists a local legend of a malevolent fox spirit, known as The White Fox Of Vesani or as its name is sometimes shortened into Vesani. Depicted as a massive, snow-white fox with nine tails and the power to control icy blue, ghostly fire, Vesani was regarded as a monstrous creature, capable of eradicating entire towns. However, as bad tongues liked to say, the targets, Vesani liked feasting on the most, were young children.

The legend of Vesani predates a time before Ionia had written language. Because of this, a lot of facts and fiction became blurred. Ionian scholars argue whether Vesani describes the name of a Vastaya tribe, now having gone extinct, or maybe a place that existed millennia ago.

The truth is that Vesani was the name of a small town in northern Shon-Xan, located at the edges of a forest, climbing up a mountain. It is here that a tragedy happened way before something like a Vastaya even existed. And it is here, where the birthplace of the white fox originates.

During the time of the war of the Titans, which threatened The First Lands, the spirits of Ionia offered their aid towards humans. Enlightened mortals should merge with them, thus becoming a powerful, magical being called Vastayashai'rei. Around this time, the town Vesani shared the beginning of the forest with a huge, malevolent fox spirit. The entity was willing to do its part in the fight against the Titans, however, it had a catch: It didn't want any human to merge with it. It asked specifically for a child.

Nobody was willing to hand over their child towards the monstrous fox. Even before the Titans threatened Ionia, this spirit had already caused a lot of harm and thus nobody trusted the creature. However, without a Vastayashai'rei, the small town would be left unguarded and defenceless against the overwhelming power of the Titans.

Among the children in Vesani was also a young orphan girl named Ahri. She had no next-to-kin or friends, however, from a young age, she had the uncanny ability to see and commune with spirits, both ghosts of the dead and the spirits, native to Ionia. What other healers had to study and train over the years, Ahri had an almost natural talent for. Because of this, the healers of Vesani were not really sure if that talent was a gift or a curse. Ahri was regarded as strange and people avoided her.

Realising that nobody was going to make that sacrifice, Ahri in the dead of the night tracked the fox spirit down and offered herself up as the one to merge with it. Ahri showed a lot of courage with this act as the fox spirit towered over her. It was larger and more fearsome than any being, she had ever seen. Yet Ahri didn't back down, even when the fox spirit used its powers in a variety of ways to test her resolve.

Impressed by Ahri's determination and unwavering resolve, the fox spirit accepted Ahri's offer, not without warning her that if they merged its nature would take her over. Its malice would become her malice. It would be everything, she had ever known. Ahri accepted that knowledge and said Vesani still needed protection against the Titans. Therefore, that warning at this moment was irrelevant to her.

The fox spirit merged with Ahri, forcefully ageing the child up into a young woman as it and she became one in the form of a Vastayashai'rei. Wanting to keep her word and the spirit's promise, Ahri returned to Vesani to tell them that she would protect them from the Titan. However, upon seeing the fearsome fox woman, the town's people were horrified and scared, not able to comprehend how this had happened. They accused Ahri of dooming them all and that they would rather face the Titans than be protected by someone who made a deal with a monster.

Ahri's anger made her change into a ginormous, snow-white fox and made her unleash the full power of the fox spirit upon Vesani. Now that it had a body, it could cause damage in ways, its spirit form had only ever dreamt off. Ahri felt hurt and betrayed; emotions, which were only exasperated by the spirit's inherited malice. Ahri killed every single person in Vesani, save for a pair of siblings, even younger than her former human self, who managed to escape her clutches. She destroyed the entire village and levelled Vesani to the ground. The town was gone. It didn't exist anymore.

When Ahri calmed down from her anger and realised with horror what she had done, she fled up into the woods and high into the mountains. The small traces of benevolence, she still possessed from her former human self, were so tormented by guilt and terror at what she had done, that Ahri begged for a way for this pain to stop. Eventually and entirely subconsciously, she used her own powers upon herself, inducing a powerful magical amnesia, which de-aged her back into the shape of a fox cub. Collapsing in the snow with a mind scrambled and memories jumbled and misplaced, Ahri as a little cub was discovered and taken in by an ice vixen, which had lost one of her cubs prior.

Ahri grew up under the care of the ice foxes, being accepted as one of them. She was blissfully unaware of the terrors, she had unleashed. However, as Ahri lived in the wilderness, the legend of the white fox of Vesani soon spread like wildfire across Ionia. The legend would only be revived and retold countless times as Ahri began to mingle with society and driven by the fox spirit's foggy memories, hunt after children, often preferring siblings over only children.

[pin-crusher2000]

Future DC video games.

Here’s some video game ideas that Warner bros & DC can make:

Animal Man: The Dreaded Red: A third person psychological horror game using influences from Alan Wake 2 & stealth games like metal gear, (based on new 52 issues) you play a Buddy Baker (animal man; can use hero outfits as a optional costume) searching for answers for his unique powers & save his children from a evil cult that make sacrifices for “The Red.” (Plus terrifying creatures that were shown in the new 52 series) Buddy uses a hunting rifle & pistol (rifle was something he use for hunting back during new earth days) plus use his Red abilities to help him, like using a red version of eagle vision from assassins creed or using a bear form to knock away a large group of enemies.

(Two different versions of the next game)

Version 1-Superman: Project Parasite: A open world (metropolis only) third person beat em up where you play as the superfamily; SuperBoy Conner Kent, SuperBoy Jon Kent, NightWing Chris Kent, SuperGirl Kara Danvers, & the Super-Twins (where you earn them middle to late game or early access for preorder) fighting against massive hordes of parasites (based on the Superman 2023 series) with the final boss being a corrupted Superman with a massive pink arm & purple eyes, fused together by the main Parasite villain. Gameplay is from the undefeated fan made Superman game on YouTube & a little bit of the Arkham games, with each member having a unique super move like NightWing summoning the Nightwing entity to shoot out blue flames that burns enemies overtime.

Version 2: a left 4 dead/World War Z type of game with guns (with some influences from the Suicide squad game) (yeah that’s it XD most people would definitely chose version 1 😅)

DLC for both would include: Metallo robots (cyborg Superman as final boss) Blue Earth group (Sister Shadow green flame demon as final boss) & lobo “clones” with brainiac as the final boss.

Teen/Young Titans game: a third person action game based on the guardians of the galaxy game & the nostalgic 2003 teen titans game where you play as the teenage/children heroes (Teen is the main game & my group is DLC) based on the plot of the suicide squad game where brainiac captures the league (& kid brainiac teen titans for the dlc) you play as Robin (FireWing/NightStar) as the main character(s) while controlling the others in specific conditions. Similar to the huddle up mechanic from guardians game (which is titans together when activated & titans go when “winning the mini game”) you get boosts in damage & stuff.

[neruomancer]

HAYS LOUNGE RESEARCH DOCUMENT

(The materials gathered from this document cannot be revealed or reviewed at this time, once more appropriate OPSEC can be applied we will begin internal circulation of necessary information)

(NOTES COLLECTED FROM THE PRIVATE WRITINGS OF PHILIP PHISH)

+"The action of finding a tutor or a learned adept is a difficult task for modern day Magi, the average person's relation to the necessary tomes are limited by finance, infrastructure, personal or political fraternity, etc. So we are limited to the secrets of cosmas as it is piecemealed to us slowly by our governments, our churches, and other moral institutions.

I discovered a short cut however, when reading about the inner discoveries of sorcerers and wizards from the past we hear stories of pacts with demonic beings ,angelic envoys, ancestral spirits and other such immaterial hosts. In the modern century it seems that the avenues or channels of the old world do not align with our current spiritual selves. New paths and channels need to be carved in order for records to be stored. The occult and the mysterious desire to be known and so we must act as the currents for these energies"

+ "When contacting these entities, they do not have immediate access to our material plane and so they will have to make contact through other means such as subconscious/unconscious sensations such as visual and auditory hallucinations, automatic writing, or other non traditional means of communication. These beings exist at much lower vibrational frequency from the more solid and fixed states of our bodies, they require more high energy templates to travel to in order to interact or impact physical reality"

+"The entity that I have been making the most frequent contact with has come to me in the shape of a man with a black trench coat and three piece suit that seems to be made from some kind of carapace or a hardened black fungus, pale and translucent skin in which you can see blood pool around spot on there face. It looks with damaged eyes that blinks with two sets of eyelids and has a small slit of a mouth with the impression of red lips pressed against its flat face. His name is Mr. Fink"

(The notes going forward are being transcribed from the perspective of the entity in question, the notes will be written to account for misspelled words or sloppy writing styles implied by "Mr Fink/Phish" )

+ "Names of gods or titans are not need specifically to worship they or to give them power, it is actually the other way around. These names act as gravity for the user to channel nessecary energies for there wills to be enacted. Tsathoggua is a name that rewards the curious and for those that accept its black seal will be opened to lower vibrational energies to be crystalized and made into material form. Y’golonac is a name invoked to enact personal and psychological pleasure into material reality and Ghatanothoa is a name invoked to curse or blight the chosen target whether that be blindness, physical illness or to be marked for attack by familiars"

(Notes continue for several pages as transcribed by Phish/Mr Fink, the authenticity of these notes are in question with our research staff currently the most immediate information learned will be applied for approved research safety and field application)

+Collected for the personal effects of Phish's home.

"Mr. Fink"