#titan forge games

[the-monkey-ruler]

Smite (2014)

Date: March 25, 2014 Platform: Mac / PC / Xbox One / PlayStation 4 / Nintendo Switch / Amazon Luna Developer: Hi-Rez Studios / Titan Forge Games / Hardsuit Labs Publisher: Hi-Rez Studios Genre: MOBA Theme: Fantasy Franchises: Smite Type: Crossover

Summary:

Smite: Battleground of the Gods (known in-game as SMITE) is a historical-fantasy free-to-play third-person multiplayer-focused action RPG developed by Hi-Rez Studios (later by Titan Forge) and released digitally by Hi-Rez Studios for the PC on March 25, 2014.

Building on the multiplayer-focused concept of the MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) sub-genre, Smite is played from a limited behind-the-back perspective, with gameplay similar to traditional third-person action RPGs. Along with a standard "Conquest" mode, the game includes some alternate arena-based modes. The game's playable characters are based on numerous mythological figures from multiple pantheons (including Greek, Norse, and Chinese).

Along with numerous content updates throughout the years, the game was later released for the Xbox One on August 19, 2015, PlayStation 4 on May 31, 2016, Mac on July 7, 2016, and Nintendo Switch on January 24, 2019. Throughout 2019, the game received full cross-platform multiplayer and progression support.

The game also received a turn-based strategy spin-off in 2018, titled Hand of the Gods: Smite Tactics.

Source: https://www.giantbomb.com/smite/3030-36241/

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veCgJ8dvcQU

[twohitgames]

SMITE 2 entra en su alfa cerrada sin restricciones

Titan Forge Games anuncia que SMITE 2 entra hoy en su fase de alfa cerrada 24/7. Los jugadores ya pueden jugar siempre que quieran y probar los nuevos dioses y añadidos que se han incorporado oficialmente al juego. Los anteriormente celebrados fines de semana alfa han ayudado a Titan Forge a mejorar SMITE 2 a partir de los comentarios de la comunidad. El estudio comienza ahora una nueva fase de…

[titanomancy]

The Reaver has been delivered, bringing another Titan build to a close. Total time spent, 64 days.

[foandgeld]

Old City Watch

A combined gang of City Watch from defective products

[lordshaxxhandler]

Destiny OC’s, Lore, & Stories

MASTER POST

I will be adding to this post as often as I can 🤞🏻

Full Main Story

The Burden of the Light

Master List of every Chapter on tumblr

Other/Short Stories

OC headcanons that are canon cuz I said so

Zavala & his office cat

_______

MAIN ORIGINAL CHARACTERS & AESTHETICS✨

________

Name: Thera Wylie

Pronouns: She/Her

Eyes: Green

Hair: Dark Brown

Height: 5’10

Race: Human

Class: Civilian, Amanda’s right hand/assistant ops coordinator for the vanguard.

Romantic Interest: Lord Shaxx

Personality: Fun, outgoing, fearless, confidant, & a little girly. Thera knows she’s not a guardian but she wants to help defend innocents against the darkness just the same.

Fun fact. Thera has an Exo arm starting from her elbow on her left side.

Reference photo of Thera drawn by the wonderful @deicide-in-the-sewers 👏🏻🤩

Introduction Short for Thera (1/3)

First Meetings

________

Name: Behemoth-29 (cuz he’s beefier than Crow 😂)

Pronouns: He/Him

Eyes: White

Height: 6’6

Race: Exo

Class: Hunter

Ghosts Name: Flare (Female)

Personality: Doesn’t talk hardly at all unless necessary, Very intimidating but intentional and not, protective of his fireteam and friends, hides in the shadows and keeps to himself.

My art work of Behemoth in his street clothes with Flare. 🔥

Introduction Short for Behemoth-29 (2/3)

Hunter vs Titan

________

Name: Celeste

Pronouns: She/Her

Eyes: Gold/Yellow

Hair: Snow White

Height: 5’5

Race: Awoken

Class: Warlock

Ghost Name: Astral (Female)

Love interest: Iron Lord Saladin

Personality: Kind, caring to the point of worrying about others before herself, friendly, sweet, & confident in her self and abilities.

Introduction Short for Celeste (3/3)

Lost Protégé

________

MINOR ORIGINAL CHARACTERS & AESTHETICS✨

________

Name: Siph

Pronouns: He/Him

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Black

Height: 6’0

Race: Awoken

Class: Titan

Ghosts Name: Oracle (male)

Best friend: Behemoth-29

Personality: Friendly but intimidating, focused to complete every mission perfectly, extremely protective of fireteam members.

Death by Hive on the moon. Giving his light and life for his fireteam.

_____

[boardgametoday]

CCP Games partners with Titan Forge for an EVE Online Board Game

CCP Games partners with Titan Forge for an EVE Online Board Game #tabletopgames #boardgames #kickstarter

CCP Games, the developers behind sci-fi spacefaring MMORPG EVE Online, announced a collaboration with Titan Forge, a miniature sculpting studio and board game publisher, to create a board game adaptation of the renowned spaceship MMO. The EVE Online board game welcomes fans and newcomers, bringing New Eden’s signature space exploration, player-driven narratives, and strategic warfare to…

[the-phoenix-heart]

miscellaneous thoughts about the Wisdom Saga

I imagine that the fight is happening right in front of Penelope's door and god it's juicy to imagine that your son is about to be killed by these suitors, but you can't reveal yourself.

Also imagining that Penelope and Telemachus's doors have some sort of contraptions on them to make them impossible to open? That's why the suitors can't just break in, they literally don't have the mechanism to open it. Which is why they ask Telemachus to open her door. Plus it just makes sense? These are rowdy suitors who are probably wrecking shit in the main halls, they can't have them doing that in the royals' rooms.

I personally imagine Athena not looking at Telemachus during the fight at first. Like, she appears behind him back to back with her arms crossed and then she looks at him when she's done being broody because he's so sweet.

That scene on the cliff that scene on the cliff-okay first of all Ody's monologue about all he's sacrificed and all his pain I like to think has Calypso thinking about her own past during the Titan War, but ALSO-also. When he's hearing Polites, Eurylochus, and Penelope's voices idk what the stream did for it but I'M thinking of it as them tormenting him in his mind. And like, I'm imaginig that Polites looks broken because he got crushed but he also has his eyes gouged out and he's holding Tiresias's staff and has a crown of lotuses, Eurylochus has a cow's head on as well as holding the wind bag and has lichtenberg figures on him, and Penelope's lower half is detached from her with a red x between her upper body and a mermaid's tail PLUS she's got eel heads around her. You get it they represent the different saga's and the different atrocities that happened you get it.

GOD GAMES I think while Athena is talking to Hephaestus the mural behind her is probably a commemoration of that time he trapped Aphrodite and Ares in bed ("He was betrayed and then imprisoned" that part of the song) and then when she mentions "he can still build a future with those who miss him" Aglaea comes up to him and like gives him a little beverage because he's in his forge you know and that's what gets him to say release him.

This last one has like, no basis in anything-is not even APPROACHING canon, but my brain says it would be such a fun idea if like Athena is struggling to corporealize after Zeus's attack, but then you see Poseidon behind a pillar raise his hand and a (sea green) tear roles down her face and when it hits the ground it ripples and Quick Thought activates with it's clock face and THEN she's seeing the memory of Odysseus and the motivation for Poseidon is he WANTS Odysseus to be free because he WANTS to kill him.

anyway, brain worms, brain rot, yada yada yada.

[whatwooshkai]

hey!!! could i request a 6 for the smoke and mirrors ask game? or really whatever number hasn't been requested yet lol

No one knows how it started. No one ever does.

And yet, here they are, listening to Heatwave and Chase argue about something petty again.

"Ooh, trouble in paradise," Blades croons, letting his helm loll over the back of the couch. "Mom and Dad are fighting again."

Boulder heaves a full frame sigh from next to him.

Heatwave and Chase have long since shorted out their universal translators, as they can't handle the amount of words being spit out at once, now the humans are watching on in a mix of confusion and fascination.

But it's not like Blades can really understand it either. Both Heatwave and Chase have really thick regional accents that tend to come out in full force when they fight, and they start slipping back into their mother languages the further and further they get into it.

The problem is, neither of them speak the other's.

"What are they arguing about?" Cody hazards to ask, wandering up to the couch. "They stopped speaking English a while ago."

"They never started," Blades mutters. "But I don't know. For Chase, I think he's speaking Iaconi, but I have no idea what Heatwave's speaking."

"They're speaking different languages?" Dani wanders over, putting her hands on her hips. "I thought you guys only had one language on Cybertron."

"I hope you realize how stupid that sounds," Blades drawls, and Dani at least has the decency to look a little embarrassed. "Of course we have different languages. We speak what the titans spoke."

"The titans?" Dani and Cody ask at the same time.

Blades sighs. "Boulder, you know more about this," he says, tapping the mech's shoulder. "Linguistics and shit. History."

The argument seems to be winding down, as Heatwave is taking deep vents and is clearly waiting for Chase to stop calmly speaking in a language he doesn't understand.

Boulder perks up almost immediately. "Hold on," they say, beginning to pull datapads from their subspace. "Let me pull up stuff on the titans. It really is incredibly interesting, there's a great article in here about language and how if it's instinctual only to sparks from hot spots or learned, and the difference between language code between cold constructs, forged mechs, and those who's sparks were born of bonds-"

Dani's gone visibly pale while Cody has absolutely lit up, immediately peppering Boulder with questions.

Blades sighs and turns back to the TV. With all that taken care of, he can finally get back to his game.

[magnificentwolfface]

Luke Castellan is one of the most compelling and tragic characters in the Percy Jackson series, embodying the blurred lines between hero and villain. To fully understand Luke, one must look beyond his actions and delve into his motivations, pain, and the circumstances that shaped him. Luke is neither entirely a bad guy nor a good guy—he is the product of his experiences, a person who sought justice in a deeply flawed system.

Luke’s Childhood and his roots of pain

Luke’s story begins with abandonment. His father, Hermes, largely ignored him, leaving Luke to navigate a world where monsters lurked around every corner, and he had no one to protect him. As a young boy, Luke craved his father’s acknowledgment and love. Hermes, the god of travelers and messengers, was distant, a stark reminder of the gods' inability—or unwillingness—to care for their mortal children.

This lack of connection was a crushing blow to Luke. He felt discarded and unimportant, a sentiment that grew into bitterness. Luke's anger wasn't just directed at Hermes but at the Olympian gods as a whole. The gods, with their immense power, seemed to shirk their responsibilities, leaving their children to fend for themselves in a world rife with dangers they themselves created. Luke’s pain was rooted in a sense of injustice: why were demigods forced to bear the burdens of their divine parents' legacies?

Thalia, Annabeth, and the concept of family

Luke found some solace in the makeshift family he created with Thalia and Annabeth. Their bond was forged in hardship, running from monsters and surviving in a hostile world. Luke became a protector and an older brother figure to Annabeth, who looked up to him as a source of strength. For Thalia, Luke was an equal, someone who shared her frustrations with the gods. Together, they dreamed of a world where demigods wouldn’t have to suffer, where they could be free from the constant threats posed by their divine parentage.

However, this sense of family was fragile. When Thalia sacrificed herself to save Luke and Annabeth, Luke felt the weight of guilt and failure. He believed he had let her down, further fueling his resentment toward the gods who had put them in such a position. Even with Annabeth by his side, Luke began to see their fight for survival as a losing battle. The gods had abandoned them, and he believed it was time for demigods to take matters into their own hands.

The betrayal and the role of Kronos

Luke’s decision to align with Kronos was not made lightly. It was born out of years of pain, frustration, and a desire to change the system. Luke saw Kronos not just as a way to overthrow the Olympians but as a chance to create a better world for demigods—a world where they wouldn't be pawns in the gods' games. In his eyes, the Olympians were tyrants who deserved to fall.

However, this alliance came at a cost. Kronos exploited Luke’s vulnerabilities, using his bitterness and hurt to manipulate him. While Luke believed he was fighting for justice, Kronos twisted his ideals, turning him into a weapon against the very people he once cared about. This is where Luke’s moral complexity shines: his intentions were noble, but his methods became increasingly destructive.

Luke's relationship with the gods

Luke’s anger toward the gods is understandable when viewed through the lens of his experiences. The gods often appeared indifferent to their children’s struggles, only intervening when it suited their own agendas. Camp Half-Blood, while a sanctuary, was also a reminder of this neglect—demigods were gathered there not out of love but because they were useful in the ongoing war against the Titans and other threats.

Hermes, in particular, bore the brunt of Luke’s anger. The lack of meaningful connection between father and son left a void that Luke tried to fill through rebellion. Hermes’s sorrow at Luke’s ultimate fate is a poignant reminder that the gods, despite their flaws, are not entirely emotionless. But their inability to bridge the gap between themselves and their children highlights a systemic failure.

Luke’s legacy as a tragic hero

Luke’s final act—sacrificing himself to defeat Kronos—cements his status as a tragic hero. He recognized the darkness he had allowed into his life and chose to atone for his mistakes. His death was not just a defeat for Kronos but a message to the gods: the system needed to change.

In many ways, Luke was a catalyst for change in the Percy Jackson universe. His rebellion forced the Olympians to confront their neglect of demigods and led to the promise of better treatment for their children. While his methods were flawed, Luke’s goals were rooted in a desire for justice and equality.

Neither good nor evil

Luke Castellan is not a villain in the traditional sense, nor is he a straightforward hero. He is a complex individual shaped by pain, love, and a desire to make the world better for demigods. His choices were driven by a mix of personal hurt and broader ideals, making him one of the most human characters in the series. Luke’s story serves as a reminder that the line between good and evil is often blurred and that understanding someone’s motivations is key to truly grasping their character.

There's a quote from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo that I truly thinks fits Luke

“We are all someone’s monster.” — Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

Why it fits:

This quote directly captures Luke’s dual nature. To Annabeth and Percy, Luke became the embodiment of betrayal—a monster who chose to fight against his friends and align with Kronos. However, Luke’s perspective complicates this: he saw himself as a liberator, fighting against the true monsters—the Olympian gods. His actions were monstrous to some but justified to himself, emphasizing the subjectivity of morality and how heroes and villains are often determined by perspective.

This is a poignant choice if you want to emphasize Luke’s complex morality and how his legacy is shaped by both his noble intentions and his tragic choices.

[mychlapci]

so I was chatting with a buddy of mine a few days ago, and my brainworms conjured up titan preggers in the sense that those tiny baby sparklets they conceive? Just like mama Primus'(titans are just Primus' oldest children when the largest contingent of Unicron's cum condensed to ignite the heaviest sparks before the process evened out) and the Well of Allsparks, fresh sparks ignite when there is enough robocum fizzling on the inside of their delicate meshes.

But you see, all those sparks are normal mecha-sized sparks. They're sooooo tiny in contrast to their massive gestation chambers and chasmic valves, their gigantic carriers have to rely on internal monitors to keep and eye on them. So these titans will exhibit all carrying symptoms even if they can't /feel/ where the sparklets have been deposited on their insides unless the entirety of their forge walls are covered in itty bitty baby sparklets.

Now, I like to imagine that every part of a titan can be converted into a functional facility that can accommodate normal sized mecha; this includes their valves and gestation chambers of course.

Just imagine how cavernous that shaft of a valve would be as mecha make pilgrimages up that slick surface to enter the forge, their little feet tickling the resident titan and charging them up so good. Sometimes they'd even convert their valves into being a part of the subway system, tightening just enough to still let trainformers pass through them, giving the mecha a pussy express shortcut to their holy destination: the soakhouse in the gestation chamber.

It's like a bathhouse, but you mainly go there to soak like in a hotspring or an oil pool. And of course, participate in various orgies while within. I mean, with how fertile everything smells when covered in the titan's juices, how can a bot resist? But do remember though, if you want to fuck inside the host, you best be sure to be ready to take up the responsibility if you happen to leave a happy little bundle of joy behind. Not that it's a definite guarantee, it's like a 1 in 3 chance, but still.

Because if you get a titan pregnant, they will never let you traverse through them peacefully until you go back in there and continue feeding the growing sparklet with your transfluid. Best hope your spray game is up to par if the sparklet is attached to high places. You can of course try to placate them by interacting with the physical features inside them, like rutting against any surface, like their missile silo shaft of a valve or against the spiral doors to their forge. You can even suck off the various fixtures in the soakhouse, like showerheads, faucets, gate pistons etc, but they still won't let you out until you nourish their sparklets.

Primes in particular are banned from spilling their seed inside the soakhouse, because the Matrix makes their cum extra fertile. This is why Rodimus gets locked in the cuck chair every time the lads say they're going for a soak in the bath house. FortMax and Metroplex are kind of tired of Rodimus knocking them up too many times.

Like don't get them wrong, they like the feel of those little adorable sparklings hatching and popping out from their casings after fully developing, falling into their liquids and crawling all over their insides until the pilgrims arrive to pick them up. But they're very, very tired of having sparklings with Rodimus' annoying temperament when they could have bitlets from the pick of an entire populace of diverse sparklines tochoose from yeah.

They singlehandedly repopulate/colonise any region they settle on after all, it's only fair that they should be allowed some extent of fussiness, no? Think about it, do you want Autobot City on Earth to be filled with nothing but baby Hot Rods? Not even Metroplex has the patience for a city full of mini Hot Rods.

The MetroProwlMagnus fic is coming along very painfully. I hate being in university sometimes-🔌

oughhhHhh i love this, i am writing this down immediately.

This is like a perfect mix between perverted mechpreg and normal transformer reproduction. Yes, cybertronians are forged in caves deep underneath the surface of cybertron, created from sentient metal and spark energy. and the caves? Pussy and uterus. Dripping and pregnant and so very fun to bathe in. And it's an extremely pleasant experience for the titan themself, who'll be overloading constantly as the little hands and feet of their citizens stroke their walls.

The sparklings hang from the ceiling and the walls of the forge, pulsing with life energy, each of them encased in a soft sack of energon and transfluid... I absolutely love the idea that as long as they have a titan with them, cybertronians can mostly reproduce wherever they settle. All they need to do is turn their large friend on and they'll be birthing a new population in no time. It's probably a little scary for the inhabitants of Earth... but it's not like they're gonna overtake them or anything!

ahshsjagsh and of course, Rodimus needs to be locked out of the bathhouses. He already has too many babies out there in the world, they don't need more.

[cynthiav06]

I loved the Vengeance saga, an absolute banger. Might be my second favorite after the Wisdom Saga, but here's the thing:

Odysseus wounding Poseidon or even being able to use his trident or trapping Poseidon amidst the storm is all extremely unlikely as in impossible even in the Epic canon.

Before everyone starts a riot, here's why.

Poseidon is a god. Not just any god either, one of the Elder Gods (as in first olympian gods). In fact before the Dark Ages of Greek, from at least Homeric Era to Classical Era, Poseidon was called Wanax or was at least heavily associated with him by the Myceneans and was the old King of the Gods according to them. But I digress.

Point is Poseidon is basically an Eldritch horror on legs while Odysseus, despite his brilliance and strength, is just a mortal, not even a demigod, a human. Albeit one blessed by the wisdom goddess.

Poseidon is a God of storms. And sure Epic might have some different connotations but apparently not cause Hermes himself quotes in track 2 of Vengeance saga Dangerous that no mortal can survive Poseidon's storm I.e he created it so he's the stormbringer confirmed. Plus, Odysseus himself does say that he will make Poseidon stop the storm.

That aside, Poseidon is literally the God of the Seas. No god, not even Zeus, can beat Poseidon in his own bloody domain. So Odysseus has no chance.

Even if Odysseus trapped him on land, Poseidon can create earthquakes with his trident, which is also prominent in his lore. So that's a no, no.

Sure, Odysseus could have made Poseidon drop his trident, but even if that happened in no scenario, would Odysseus be able to lift it. Poseidon's trident was forged by elder cyclops and is one of the three absolute weapons of power in Greek myths ( the other two being Zeus's bolt and Hades's Helm). These weapons were designed specifically for these gods and obey none other. Not to mention it weighs a lot, i.e., "only a god can lift it heavy."

In the impossible scenario that Odysseus lifts it(by some miracle or other), Poseidon could just summon it back to his hand.

For all those saying maybe Poseidon can't do close combat, he has fought titans. He has to all but breathe strongly in Odysseus's direction, and Odysseus will literally die, which is why Odysseus's survival is Odyssey is such a legendary feat.

It also beats the point of Odysseus's legends. Odysseus is the King of Ithaca, sure, but he's no demigod. He doesn't even have any special abilities aside from quick thought or the occasional godly assistance. He's basically a mortal that achieves things everybody, even demigods, failed at all through his wisdom, wit, and trickery. He is only human, but his mind is what makes him on par with the divine.

Odysseus resorting to physical fighting against a literal god goes against his very nature. Odysseus is the smartest Greek hero, a strategist, a manipulator, and he knows very well how to play to his strengths.

In the original works, Odysseus escapes Poseidon the second time due to intervention from both Athena and Ino. Ino is the goddess of protection, especially the protector of sailors. She gifts Odysseus with a veil of protection. And Athena pulls her usual strings.

This is Odysseus playing to his strengths. He has the situation in his favor, a plan as he has convinced these gods either with his past deeds or his unbreakable will to intercede on his behalf. By manipulation or sincerity, doesn't matter. He lies, manipulates, tricks, and thinks his way through, so he would never ever resort to a 1v1, that too physical with a god.

[Circe was a special case. He had the blessing of molly on his side due to him earning Hermes's favor. Through a plan]

I love Epic, I do, and I love Jay even more. He's phenomenal and Epic the musical is an absolute work of genius and I know he said he is taking inspiration from video games and anime which might lead to some divergences but this is a bit too big of a liberty from both the source material and the essence of Odysseus. Sure, it's enjoyable and badass, but it's a disservice to the original Odysseus in a way.

Just wanted to give my honest opinion cause I love Epic so much, especially with its imperfections.

[nadas-dirthalen]

I Saw Solas's Origin in an Achievement Icon and It Opened My Eyes on 15 Years of Lore

— PART SIX: if you haven't read previous parts, do it now! —

[ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ]

Welcome, friends and travellers! I wanted to get some thoughts recorded before Veilguard's release so I could see if I am right about an absolute BOATLOAD of theories I have.

In short: I saw the achievement list when it was released. I have seen the backstory hints for Solas included in said list. AND MY MIND WAS BLOWN.

You have been warned: THIS COLLECTION OF THEORIES INCLUDES SPOILERS FOR EVERY DRAGON AGE GAME AND ALL PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL UP TO AND INCLUDING OCTOBER 18, 2024.

Come sit down with me. Make a nice cup of tea (and hide it from Solas). We've got a lot of unpacking to do.

(no, this photo isn't the spoiler, I just like it.)

Today's Discussion: The Tragedy of the Evanuris (2/3)

— The Many Horrors Enacted Upon the Faithful —

As ever, please please pretty please go back and read the earlier parts of this series if you haven't already! I promise, there is a mountain of context that I don't reiterate in every post that I make, and I feel it is important for everything I say here and going forward.

Last post, we went over how the crimes/misdeeds of the Evanuris got their start: Mythal and her lyrium coffins, feeding dreams to spirits like Solas in order to turn them away from their Titans. From there, the experiments could begin: Elgar'nan with sundering the spirits that (I believe) would become Falon'Din and Dirthamen; Falon'Din then "blackening the heart" of a Titan. Crucially, all of these actions can be found symbolically represented by their corresponding vallaslin.

Bearing in mind that I don't want to guess at the specific chronology of all the Evanuris's deeds and crimes, I'm still going to sort these posts by gods, not by actions/year. This time, I want to talk about the crimes that continued from there as things began to spiral downward into incomprehensible horror.

Sylaise and the Scaled Ones

June, Architect of the Geas

Dirthamen: What Were His Secrets, and Where Is He Now?

If you're wondering where a certain very notable two Evanuris are on this list, don't worry: this post has three planned instalments. ;)

Sylaise and the Scaled Ones

Sylaise is known as the Heartkeeper in Dalish legend. She is a goddess of healing and knowledge. For a long time, I wondered what she could possibly have done to earn Solas's ire, for all the Evanuris are his mortal enemies. We know so little about her, don't we?

Let's start with what we do know.

It is Sylaise who gave us fire and taught us how to use it. It is Sylaise who showed us how to heal with herbs and with magic, and how to ease the passage of infants into this world. And again, it is Sylaise who showed us how to spin the fibers of plants into thread and rope.

Sylaise is clearly a goddess of fire and a healer and helper of the People, in Dalish legend. In this way, she gives me the same "vibes" as the Greek god Prometheus. Now, while I am no scholar on Greek mythology, I remember Prometheus as strongly associated with fire, and the creator of humans. I hadn't given much thought to the latter until now. But now, with the understanding that the Evanuris's crimes stem from the creation of the People?

I turned back to the Song to Sylaise, from the Temple of Mythal.

Sylaise, whose heat rivals Elgar'nan's light. Sylaise, whose temples rival Mythal's cities. Sylaise, whose breath rivals Andruil's spear. Sylaise, whose skill rivals June's craft. Sylaise, whose fire cannot be quenched. We give ourselves gladly to your service.

Let's draw connections between the Evanuris we have covered so far.

"whose heat rivals Elgar'nan's light" — now that we know that not only was Elgar'nan famous for his uncontrollable anger, but that he apparently sundered "the sun and the moon," I am wondering if this speaks not to Sylaise's potential anger, but her apparent affinity for forging and/or sundering spirits.

"whose temples rival Mythal's cities" — I always suspected this had to do with the population of Sylaise's temples, but before this month, before this spoilers, I had assumed those faithful had come willingly. That they were devotees who chose to live in her temples. What could be so bad about that? Well, now we know: Sylaise's temples rivaling Mythal's cities may well refer to how she created more people than Mythal.

"whose skill rivals June's craft" — we'll get to June in a moment, but I believe that June was crafting with lyrium, and that fits Sylaise in this context. Clearly she was shaping lyrium-spirits into something, and I believe this line says she did so with unparalleled mastery.

"Sylaise, whose fire cannot be quenched" — this shows me that the association with fire in Dalish legend holds true here, as well, albeit in a far more vicious light. That means, to find other references of Sylaise throughout the games and established lore, we should hunt for mentions of fire and the creation of people.

We need look no further than the Scaled Ones. Though they are chronicled as existing after the time of Ancient Elvhenan, I believe that they are Sylaise's invention: her armies stronger than Elgar'nan's, forged from something sturdier than skin; more populous than Mythal's; more well-crafted than June's (again, we'll get there).

We can also connect the Scaled Ones to the serpentine imagery present in Sylaise's vallaslin.

Torches would suddenly go out, leaving us to stumble though the dark and trip over discarded caravans. Then came the attacks, hard and fast. Father was one of the first. We heard breathing: slow and heavy, from a creature much larger than us. Father held out his arm and grabbed the front of my armor to make me stop. I saw its shadow move, darker than the darkness, and then my body jerked forward. It left Father's arm hanging, still grasping my chestplate.

The Scaled Ones had dominion over fire magic, it looks like: they could snuff out entire torches at a distance.

The Scaled Ones had set up a camp at an intersection in the Deep Roads. In the center there was a golden altar fashioned in the shape of fire. A chill swept through me. On the tip of each flame hung the corpses of those we'd lost—including Father and Drohg. They'd been drained of blood, leaving only bone wrapped in grey skin.

They also seem to worship this fire, which we know can still be associated with Sylaise outside of Dalish legend. They also seem to be harvesting the blood of those they've slain: in this case, dwarves. Blood magic, historically, is used to alter minds and to bind things. It could be that the Scaled Ones are keeping up with Sylaise's practice.

Or...

A robed Scaled One stood before the altar. Its voice was different from the others: softer, almost feminine. It chanted and raised a basin of blood towards the altar. The other Scaled Ones bowed low. The robed Scaled One produced fire from its palm and mouth and ignited the blood.

It could be that she lives on, somehow: a fire mage of unchecked power, with skin of the same scales that she forged in others. Watch for that in the post after next.

I still wish I knew more about Sylaise, and I wish I had time to go through everything I think about the Scaled Ones and their potential relationships with the kossith and/or Taash. But Sylaise's existence and the existence of the Scaled Ones do tell me that Ghilan'nain is far from the only Evanuris to have done biological experiments with her creations.

That sets a precedent for all the others, and I will continue to go on to describe why.

June, Architect of the Geas

For the little we know of Sylaise, we know even less of June. We know that he was the Dalish god of crafts, either husband or sibling to Sylaise (as much as the Dalish can even name the Evanuris's relationships accurately). The Dalish associate an unsolvable puzzle toy called "June's Knot" with him. The High Keepers of June seem to have been smiths.

I feel like this codex from the Vir Dirthara is trying to say the same thing:

The pages of this book—memory?—describe a heated argument between a group of well-dressed elves inside an elaborately arched pavilion on an island floating in a void. In the distance, haloed by a blizzard of light, thousands of elves are maintaining an elaborate magical ritual that pulls raw essence from the Fade, funneled into a sphere in the air. Through the lens of the sphere can be seen a world of indigo waterfalls and rust-red jungles, and a temple palace so frescoed and cleverly carved, it is a masterpiece in itself. The well-dressed elves' shouting grows so loud, it can be heard over the magic. One leaps at another, howling and pulling out a knife burning with prismatic flame. "Architects of the Grand Sonallium (a gift from Blessed Sylaise to Clever June as thanks for a great favor) in friendly debate over the color of the palace's roof trim."

However, he is never depicted with any of the tools that the Dalish associate with him. It's his architects who arguing here, one with a prismatic blade. Whether the blade belongs to June, there's more going on here than just common building and tool usage.

Rather than June's role changing over time, I think something else is true of June, and I see it when I look at his vallaslin.

Like the other Evanuris, he seems to have vallaslin designed reminiscent of lyrium branches. However, June's are all bent and woven very deliberately, in a more mechanical-looking fashion than Ghilan'nain's and Sylaise's. Even more important to me, though? They closely resemble Fenris's lyrium tattoos.

Considering that Fenris's slaver, Danarius, got the knowledge of how to embed lyrium beneath the skin from an "ancient treatise," it is possible that this knowledge was obtained from June's own notes. After all: in the codex with the Sonallium, has anyone made note of the thousands of slaves maintaining the magic around it?

Therefore, I believe June was the creator of the first geas, and the first vallaslin may have used geas magic to force the ancient elves into servitude.

To take it one step further and check my belief against other pieces of lore, I posit looking at one more source: the whisperings of June's archdemon.

I long wondered which archdemon might belong to June, but when I read the Chant of Light this week (again), I noticed something. The names of the archdemons' high priests are indicative, potentially, of which Evanuris they belonged to.

There is an Architect mentioned. Many of you may already be familiar with the name. The Architect is cited as the High Priest of Beauty: the old god of Beauty is cited in World of Thedas as being Urthemiel.

Per the Chant of Light:

The High Priest of Beauty, Architect of the Works of Beauty, designed Every work and wonder of the Imperium according to the plans of his god.

Remember how I mentioned that I believe the archdemons were puppeted by the Evanuris while they were imprisoned? This is no exception, and I'd like to draw attention to what the old god of Beauty whispered to his Architect.

And to him, Beauty revealed a grand plan: "Open the gates. And when you stand before me, I shall give you designs That shall rival the greatness of heaven. I will make you the First among the new gods, And you will build a paradise on earth."

To me, "designs that shall rival the greatness of heaven" should be interpreted in what the Evanuris would think of as greatness: limitless power, bending the very bounds of what should be physically possible, shattering common morality. When I read, "will make you First among the new gods," then, I cannot help but imagine the Architect of Beauty being given designs to help build an army of always-willing soldiers: ones operating under a geas. No great work would be impossible, in such an instance.

Thus, we have another facet in the tragedy of the Evanuris, the reason that all of them needed not just to be killed, but imprisoned, their works destroyed and never again recreated. Along with the ability to craft people with lyrium, to sunder spirits, and "blacken" the hearts of titans, the Evanuris used lyrium to create endless armies of seemingly "willing" slaves.

But even Urthemiel and his Architect were not first among the old gods or their followers. To understand the tragedy of the Evanuris and the complications in all of Solas's plans to stop them, we must look further into the Chant, and further into the Evanuris.

Silence, and his Evanuris: the Keeper of Secrets, Dirthamen.

Dirthamen: What Were His Secrets, and What Don't We Know?

I, like many others, assumed Dumat must be Elgar'nan's archdemon until a little while ago. But knowing Elgar'nan is alive and must still have his own, plus reexamining the Chant of Light and looking at DA:I with a more critical eye have shown me differently.

First among the Old Gods was Silence. His least whisper could end wars or topple Archons. A single word could turn recrimination into glory. The sacred fires of his temple burned Rare incense, and the trees of Arlathan, and lapped at the bones of slaves While his altars dripped with the blood of sacrifices that never dried.

Elgar'nan is not one to work with silence, nor whisper to topple an Archon. That doesn't seem like the way he would puppet an archdemon.

No mortal foot could tread those halls, No hand knocked upon the gate. Secrets beyond measure were the keys The Choir of Silence would need, and they had few. (7) And so the First Acolyte spoke to the High Priest And said: "We are the masters of secrets, But our god demands more.

Dirthamen is the Keeper of Secrets, and so I first looked to Dumat for clues on what, precisely, his worst deeds were. But then, the title hit me again. Keeper of Secrets.

What is a secret, I ask you, but a thought no one can know about? And in our understanding of the Evanuris, of spirits, and of Thedas itself, what is a thought but a spirit?

I dove into codices, because of course I did.

No beast is more beloved by Dirthamen than the bear. When the world was new, Dirthamen gave one secret to each creature to keep.

Let's rephrase this Dalish legend. Every time we read "secret," let us read "spirit." When we read, "gave one secret to each creature to keep," let us ask ourselves how it would sound with, "bound one spirit to each creature," therefore creating abominations.

The foxes traded their secrets to Andruil for wings. The hares shouted theirs to the treetops. The birds sold theirs for gold and silver.

It seems like this is describing what happened to each creature who gained Dirthamen's secrets. Foxes suddenly sprouted wings (sound like everyone's favourite Veilguard assassin to anyone?). The hares shouted theirs to the treetops.

Except, wait a minute, I know something about Dirthamen and trees.

He whispered into the mountains and the fallen trees of the forest gathered, shaping an immense and agile spider-like beast. It was the varterral. With lightning speed, vicious strikes, and venomous spit, it drove back the serpent. From then on, it was the guardian of the city and its people.

Whispered into the mountains sounds a lot like pulling "thoughts" from the mountains, or depositing "thoughts" into those mountains. Afterward, trees bend and warp around one another, forming the varterral.

Only the bears kept Dirthamen's gift, deep within their dens, they slept the months away in the company of their secrets and nothing else. When Dirthamen discovered what had been done with his gifts, he snatched the wings from the foxes, silenced the voices of the hares, and turned the birds into paupers. but the bears he honored for their steadfastness.

Bears, according to the wiki, can become enraged. Sounds a lot like something that might be possessed by Rage, no?

It did not stop at animals. We have the Temple of Dirthamen to look at, after all.

We few whisper here where shadow dwells. Some words remain unuttered. Truths are pushed down, down Where they shall never arise again.

Truths pushed down, down. Truths, like secrets, are based in thought. And when we think of thought with regard to Titans, spirits, and the Evanuris, we must think spirits. Spirits that are pushed down, down, never to rise again—because the priests of the Lost Temple of Dirthamen have committed to holding them.

Dirthamen is gone, he said. Our Highest One brings to us this gravest news. What shall we do? Where shall we go? What of the old secrets that burn within our hearts?

Our Highest One, he deceives us. The honeyed words that drip from his tongueWe know the despair they mask. We disciples of Dirthamen know truth, now as ever.

If we think about these priests as people who have been forced to harbor spirits, suddenly "the honeyed words that drip from his tongue / We know the despair they mask," takes on a whole new meaning. A capital-D Despair meaning.

Let's return, then, to the Conductor of Silence listening to his old god. The old god—puppeted by Dirthamen—required so many secrets that the priests did not know how to fulfill such a request. Masters of secrets, how could they possibly gain more? Well, now we know "secrets" and "spirits" to be interchangeable. The priests needed souls.

What happened next?

(2) In the Great Choir of Silence, the High Priests gathered. A hundred chosen acolytes brought lyrium Enough to drown a city in chiming silver And slaves beyond counting to the temple In accordance with the designs of their gods.

Lyrium and souls were brought to the temple. Lyrium, souls, and blood.

Only, the Magisters did not find Dirthamen, once they entered the Golden City.

(11) Above them, a river of Light, Before them the throne of Heaven, waiting, Beneath their feet The footprints of the Maker, And all around them echoed a vast Silence.

They heard him.

(12) But when they took a single step Toward the empty throne A great voice cried out Shaking the very foundations Of Heaven and earth:

We know that this is not the Maker. The Maker, by this time, probably exists in a sundered state, sleeping, as all Titans are. This has to be someone in the Golden City. Someone who, perhaps, knew the Magisters were coming.

(13) And So is the Golden City blackened With each step you take in my Hall. Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting. You have brought Sin to Heaven And doom upon all the world. (14) Violently were they cast down, For no mortal may walk bodily In the realm of dreams, Bearing the mark of their Crime: Bodies so maimed And distorted that none should see them And know them for men.

The Magisters were cast out, all of them blighted. But nothing could have attacked them, and we know from all the Dragon Age games that simply being around the blight isn't enough to get out protagonists sick with it.

Someone had to be there to inflict it upon them—someone who Corypheus, Conductor of Silence, would have been expecting to find, and dismayed to not be finding. He looked upon the throne of his god, after all, and found it empty.

Dirthamen is the only one of the Evanuris whose vallaslin has evolved over time. The first one evokes imagery of a broken gate on its forehead, surrounded by triangles: a symbol for the Veil.

The second, on Bellara, is newer—and not available to the player. Unique to her. It looks as though it features two birds on either side of a third eye. An all-seeing third eye.

We know a few things about Dirthamen, from all of this speculation. The "secrets" that Dirthamen kept were likely spirits and demons, which he bound to trees, animals, and people. His archdemon, Dumat, made demands on his behalf for endless "secrets" to get into the Golden City: endless spirits.

Dirthamen may have been the only one of the Evanuris to break free of his prison on his own, blighting the Magisters Sidereal.

But he would not be the only one to manipulate the blight, and he would not be the only one to escape his confines.

---

As ever, if you got this far, thank you!! I look forward to reading any additions or questions people might have, as ever!!

Also: I am trying my hardest not to consume full-game-review spoilers! As these reviews have just gone live today (10/28), I am not reading my notifications/replies, and am appearing here only to continue posting my theories.

But if you feel like sticking around anyway, stay tuned for: The Tragedy of the Evanuris pt. 3: Pestilent Doom Upon All the World.

[twohitgames]

SMITE 2 estrenará un nuevo sistema de emparejamiento

Titan Forge Games ha revelado un sistema de emparejamiento específico para MOBA completamente nuevo que llegará a SMITE 2. Los jugadores experimentarán una experiencia de juego más equilibrada y agradable poco después de que el juego entre en su fase alfa cerrada el próximo 27 de agosto. “El sistema de emparejamiento de SMITE 2 ha sido reconstruido desde cero y busca incorporar 10 años de…

[titanomancy]

Get rubblized.

[foandgeld]

Hilhammer Dwarves A combined gang of Dwarves from defective products

[lordshaxxhandler]

Chapter 3 is up and ready. A sweet two part holiday celebrating the Dawning chapter. Enjoy!