#trait: Holy warrior

[digi-lov]

Takato Matsuki BT19-080, Guilmon BT19-007, Growlmon BT19-009, WarGrowlmon Ace BT19-011, and Gallantmon BT19-015 by Spareribs from BT-19: Booster Xros Evolution (BT19-20: Special Booster Ver.2.5)

[ultimategenshintournament]

Ultimate Genshin Tournament: Round 5

Propaganda below cut

Venti:

calls the Traveler "his warrior" plus he's like our long-time friend??? He basically asked us out during the alchemy event???? You can choose to bring him up during the fight with Signora????? He's the best idc

He. Is. Amazing. So many layers, so interesting...So much trauma and potential...Not to mention look how AWESOME he is generally!!! He's kind and caring towards everybody, and also carefree and mischievous!!! How can you not love him??

he’s TOO GOOD for this world- he’s just a little guy!! Like he cares for his nation and the people of Mondstadt SO MUCH it hurts when people say he doesn’t. Like, my poor trauma-driven little mega-powerful war god who’s actually just a tiny little wind spirit honoring his dead friend!!!! I love him so much

his lore means he gets brought up almost every patch. he convinced a bunch of the most lethal women in Teyvat to have tea instead of screwing him up. he would always rather take the path of least resistance. he’s the three time best bard in Mond. he never seeks glory, only wishes to offer it to others. he was a better father to Diona than her real one five minutes into meeting her. he gives Glory whispers of what the world looks like so she can navigate. when a nun of his own church denied his identity he decided to run a heist to steal back an item that is only holy because it is his. he keeps his misery and loneliness trapped within, and does his best to bring joy to every person he meets. how can you not love him? 

He's Venti. How do you beat that? Answer: you don't. You can't. 

they say that an nation is most like their archon but is the anemo archon a god that took after the people's traits or did the people take their archons traits (the only correct answer is that venti took after old mond's people traits and it's so disgustingly sweet, he's a lil baby who cared so much that he kept old mond's wishes heard and their dream a reality — of freedom (without a god, as much as he could) where humanity leads trust. he left mondstadt because he trusted that humanity would do that right thing always but then he got betrayed by the Lawrence clan but he forgave them???! the anemo archon gave them no punishment , but mondstadt did . venti has me ugly crying

Kaeya:

He's cool, he's mysterious, he wears an eyepatch, he has a super tragic backstory, he's good with kids, he takes care of his friends, what's not to love!!!

despite all the hardships he’s suffered, he’s still such a kind person 

This is the character of the everyman. Everyone should love Kaeya because he's with you no matter what. He has the great mystery of his origins and his damage with his family and his brother, but he is with you til the end. That's what makes him so special to me

Furina:

girl deserves therapy and hugs and the best life in the WORLD because oh boy she went through a lot!!!! wouldn't pretending to be a god for 500 years with no support mess you up? and yet she still kept on going for her people!! she wanted to save her nation from a doomsday prophecy and she DID

After act 5 she deserves the world :(

“If all the people of Fontaine are on one side, and I am on the other…is it not obvious where the scales of suffering should tilt?” NO IT ISNT YOU’RE JUST ABNORMALLY SELFLESS AND INCREDIBLE AND PERSISTENT. Even the Archons praise Furina’s name and say she is a human with strength and capability worthy of an Archon. That’s not even to speak of Focalors. She snapped at Arlecchino only when the Harbinger implied that Furina had done nothing to preserve her people from the flood. Meanwhile every minute she was working to prevent the prophecy. A month after we took her to court and almost got her killed she agreed to help us direct a play, a favor for a favor

[ofthenether]

Piglin Lore! Potentially will have more parts, we'll see.

(Transcript under the cut)

PLAYER

Can survive the Overworld without help

Pink fur, unnaturally colored mane

Most variable

Can display traits of other types

BRUTE

Largest

Strongest

No clan instinct

Most hostile

COLLARED

Were once nomads

NOMAD

Most common

Travels w/ clan

Traders, hunters

Relies on brutes for structural defence

Scared of undead

Wary of Player piglins and humans

WARPED

Infection

Most others avoid (stinky)

Die easily from open wounds

NETHER BASED undead

ZOMBIFIED

Unnatural

Unresponsive, except for clan instinct

Nomads fear them

Brutes kill them

Piglins blame Humans for their existence

Cause of distrust between most piglins and Player piglins

OVERWORLD undead

Fur Patterns: Influenced by their home biome. Comes in any natural color. Overworld air turns them pink. Warped fungus turns them purple. (listed in order: Basalt Delta, Soulsand Valley, Crimson Forest, Nether Wastes, Warped Forest)

Piglins are primarily carnivores, with fungivore tendencies in times of low food.

Piglins do not display sexual dimorphism, or any gender roles in their society beyond "sows," or the piglins that give birth, or "farrowed."

("What's a man?" "I heard it was a chicken")

CLAN BONDS: Piglins display an instinctual bond to those close to them, their "clan." This connection can be displayed between family, friends, or lovers. Rarely, it can even transcend species barriers, with some piglins bonding to humans.

Piglins consider this bond to be sacred. It was a way of survival in the harsh Nethr environments, and they believe this strong connection to be holy. It's the reason why piglins become hostile when one is attacked. This trait even remains in the undead, despite their lack of cognitive function.

The worst crime a piglin can commit is killing their clan.

Those guilty of this are called "Butchers."

BASTIONS: Brutes are taken in at 5 years old at every "cool" season, or when the lava lakes are receded.

They are taken from their family, and trained to be warriors. To defend their bastions with their lives, and the gold inside.

Brutes are supposed to be a fallback for nomadic clans, in case of a mass attack; either Players, or the Infected.

Clan bonds are heavily discouraged, they are forcibly snapped upon discovery. Bonds are seen as weakness in the bastions. The only connections should be with the entire squadron.

Each Brute has a collar. Enchanted with the Curse of Binding, it will choke the wearer upon wandering too far from their home bastion without permission to persuade runners.

These collars also embed magical commands into the brutes, so the Commander can control their troops.

HIERARCHY: Commander, Advisors, Brutes, Yearlings, Runts

NAMES: Piglin names are primarily nouns. Families will name their children similar items (Netherrack, Netherbrick). Sometimes, names will be from mythologies. This is more commonly seen in bastions, where piglins have no familial connections.

However, there's dangers in this. They will never name themselves after active piglin spirits (they don't believe in "gods.") Names have the power to invoke them, and no one wants to draw their ire.

Clan bond nicknames, however, are designed to do exactly that. They are they piglin trying to summon physical manifestations of their love for another. Usually these nicknames are something sentimental to the piglin and related to their perception to their clan. It is considered the highest honor to be given a bond name.

SPIRITS:

REITIEN - Spirit of Chance, Change, Hunt (Anything Living)

IGNATIA - Spirit of Order, Structure (Blazes, Bastions)

THE ROT - Spirit of Death, Undead (Anything 'Dead')

[mspopstar]

What terms are Galacta Knight and Meta Knight on?

"Why, we're comrades in arms of course! He's like a deathless, enrapturing rose! Galacta Knight is the paramount of warriors, knights, fighters, and more! To even be in his presence is a honor. To clash swords with him as if in the battlefields of yore is but a privilege most could only dream of. There are times where I remember our battle and can only wonder if it was a dream, but alas it was not! Truly, an honor it was. Though I've beaten him in battle, I still consider him my superior and a fellow knight I can learn more from to better myself in chivalry and swordsmanship. He exhibits the superlative traits of any fine swordsman that Galacta Knight does! Aye! To be able to combine such eloquent grace, holy beauty, swift smarts, fierce power, and an unforgiving stamina is neigh impossible for most. To be in his presence ignites my desire to clash metal against metal until the moon wanes and sun rises ad infinitum! It is for the reasons stated that I, even with my busy schedule as a knight, make plenty of time to duel with him and learn under him. I am sure, no certain, he deeply appreciates a fellow warrior such as I to spar and share a common interest with on this languorous planet."

-Lord Meta Knight of The Legendary Battleship Halberd

"I find him most disdainful. Lord Meta Knight strikes me as a blood thirsty pervert with a unquenchable thirst for battle and misplaced valor. I can never shake him off once he catches my gaze and he speaks in such a way that is reminiscent of the people of my time but so very vexing."

~GalactaKnight.

[fallenclan]

okay so my crazy list of who I think the fourth cat could be and the likelihood (or at least my opinion of their likelihood) that they are the fourth cat:

-ryepaw, 2/10: she's honeysong's apprentice, ambitious, and fascinated by prophecies, so a lot of people have been thinking that it'll be her. however, I believe she's a red herring. she's had very little plot relevance currently and her traits can just as easily be interpreted as basic interests instead of plot points. idk I just don't see it happening.

-flamefall, 7.5/10: okay you guys have to hear me out. a lot of people are very suspicious of flamefall, but I think there's a very good chance he does a heel-face turn here. the three little pigs edit shows that ravenstar's three most trusted followers are levi, sleepydawn, and patchback. notably, flamefall is absent from this group despite being ravenstar's first apprentice AND the cat who reminded cherrystar of the omen that made ravenstar deputy in the first place. flamefall is also stated to be a highly insecure cat who cares a lot about what ravenstar thinks of him. but perhaps now that he's been supplanted as ravenstar's main lackey, he's starting to realize that he doesn't need ravenstar's approval, and as a result, he's noticing the shady things that ravenstar has made him do... I think that even if he isn't the fourth cat, he's going to pull an ivypool and act as a spy for the Eldritch Horrors Gang (TM).

-littleleaf, 6/10: this one is mainly for the spicy drama, because holy shit imagine. however, littleleaf himself has no reason to be suspicious of ravenstar currently, so it depends on how the plot shakes out.

-cloudtuft, 5/10: this one is a 50/50 because it depends on how the pondcloud situation shakes out imo. like littleleaf, cloudtuft currently has no reason to be suspicious of ravenstar, but if ravenstar were to find out about pondcloud, he would certainly punish pondshine in revenge, which would definetely push cloudtuft over the edge.

-mistlefrost, 3/10: the only cat in fallenclan so far who has actively spoken out against ravenstar, earning himself a scar on the neck as a "reward". I think he has too little plot relevance to actually be the fourth cat, but I do think he would be one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the Eldritch Horrors Gang.

-canarywish, 9/10: out of all of the cats in the clan, I think canarywish is the most likely to be the fourth cat. she's ravenstar's niece and his second apprentice, which would make the drama extra delicious. but aside from that, she's probably the biggest example within the clan of a living cat that was personally traumatized by ravenstar. she tried so hard to help that loner, and ravenstar did nothing about it. she's clearly still traumatized by the event as seen by her expression when she was made a warrior. she loves her uncle, but she definitely knows what he's capable of. I think she would be more than willing to join the Eldritch Horrors Gang to help save the clan from her uncle... and perhaps save her uncle from himself...

thanks for coming to my ted talk guys LOL

-🦝

EXCELLENT analysis... all i can say is that its entirely possible some of this might happen :) more than one thing even

[varlaisvea]

i didn't want to make a post about how much i love zerith-var, but i think i am going to... the meta of him is so lovely--he is the first companion who feels, power-wise and life-wise, like he could be credibly a peer to the vestige. isobel is a junior knight, sharp-as-night is a mercenary, mirri is an adventurer, tanlorin is a thief and a spy, and zerith-var is a miraculously undead elite necromancer-cleric-monk who gets his marching orders from azurah herself. he's way more on the level of the type of power the vestige has.

and it makes sense story-wise that he'd want to hang out with you. the rest of 'em are honored to tag along with the Hero Of Tamriel on your great adventures, but zerith has never heard of no planemeld; you were just the first person who found him and was kind to him. he sees you as his equal--he decides you're his partner, his tamiit, a word which is evidently just as ambiguous in meaning in ta'agra as it is in english/tamrielic. he's certainly getting something out of the relationship; he's incredibly powerful, but he's also woken up in a distant future, so he needs someone he can trust to help him figure out how to exist in a strange time, with a strange purpose. he's understandably uneasy and disoriented in this time, so he's glad to be with you.

i cannot say enough good things about his quests, they are some of the best quests i've ever played in eso. the plots in some of the other companions' quests are kinda flimsy and obligatory, but his has like... richly developed secondary characters who have satisfying character arcs of their own, extensive tie-ins to existing lore, and poignant themes? zerith is a holy warrior in the most literal sense, and yet he himself also needs forgiveness and redemption? it honestly kinda blew me away.

also, i just love him. i thought kim kitsuragi was a jesus i did not deserve, but zerith... it is like. unavoidable. like. a falling star heralds his awakening, and the literal very first thing you see him do is rise from the slab of his tomb, miraculously un-decayed. he has this epic way of talking bc he's 2000 years old, and he constantly reminds everyone around him that no soul is ever beyond redemption. the damned actually literally reach for his hand through a veil of darkness to find salvation from eternal torment in azurah's unyielding forgiveness. he says shit like this all the time:

"To put spirits on the path to redemption. To hold the door even when the shadow of unending night pushes against it. This is my calling... We stepped into the light from the shadow of my tomb. Together, we struck against the darkness beyond the world... I am honored to walk at your side."

he's simultaneously millennia old and also like 50, and also 5. he treats you like an equal, talks to you like someone who has no idea how important you are, but still admires you anyway. it's very good! my favorite companion by far. it's a good thing i enjoy having him around, bc i have to level him fully so i can buy this one REALLY GOOD water furnishing that is going to change like 5 or 6 of my houses substantially. it's going to open a world of possibility. he loves the infinite archive though, and so do i :)

and tbh, he could not be sexier? kind, gentle, playful, intelligent, with a voice so deep you could hibernate in it, snatched waist and dope biceps, sort of dorky smile, shares almost all of his major character traits with jesus christ, is not a human. like idk if sexy in a thirst way but objectively, doing the work of christ while looking hot is hot. terrible facial hair but it works on him, and he looks cool as fuck doing his little magic gesture thing. thenks for my life! this is like the time they made smolder scrolls online for me specifically so i could romance both razum-dar and naryu.

[sorryitisandy]

So actually while I've got you on the line, let me tell you what I particularly like about Crusader Kings above all other strategy games. Let's start with a basic zinger: In a conventional sense, Crusaders Kings is very fucking easy. This is our map.

If you want to map paint, then even with only a decent understanding of the game's mechanics you can play as Ireland and say "top of the Morning" to the folks over in Pagan. I won't say this has no challenge, but in a other title, like say EU4, this would be a much harder task. That game has a lot of mechanics specifically surrounding aggressive expansion. You touch one province in the Holy Roman Empire and every European power might let you find out for free.

But you aren't playing as a Kingdom, not abstractly. This is who I started as for my first run with the new content pack:

If you aren't familiar with the game, what is chiefly important to understand is that I am this guy.

He has a family. He has an age. He has personality traits. He has a religion he publicly claims to follow. He has a history as a person. He happens to be the King of Sweden, but he can lose those titles. He eventually dies and passes them on to his heirs based on the realms established succession laws. I am not playing as Sweden in the abstract, but the man who claims to rule it.

What CK3 is at it's core is a role playing game. When you accept this Immersion and bind yourself to accept this, and also accept that you must abide by in character actions (helped by the stress system), the absolute WONDER of this game (and its predecessor) opens itself up to you. This guy likes to lead his own armies (he is brave and a noted warrior and commander), this guy is stubborn to a fault and it often causes friction with vassals and foreign rulers, this guy is wrathful and the consequences of his temper are often fatal. He isn't a great father or guide to any of his children but his oldest son. His lack of consideration and legacy have left scars on many of his other children.

So my genuine reccomendation is that if you haven't played it, it is a genuinely fun role playing experience, and is one of the best examples of emergent gameplay I have ever played across both CK2 and CK3.

[gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan]

The Start of Things

Author's note: So- I was thinking of how to start the Ultra-moo-rines. And got bitten by the World Building bug.

Summary: An Aspirant reads about the Holy and Wretched primarchs, and the blessings (and curses) they bestow upon their gene-lines.

Warnings: None? Let me know if I need to add anything.

Next

Tagged: @barn-anon, @bleedingichorhearts, @c-u-c-koo-4-40k, @egrets-not-regrets, @kit-williams

Tagged: @sleepyfan-blog, @ms--lobotomy , @thevoidscreams, @i-am-a-dragon34, @gra93fruit-blog

The pages of a book are being read by an Aspirant, his eyes glance around, and he perks up and eagerly reads the words- this is about some of the most Holy of beings- The Primarchs.

The Nine Holy Primarchs, and the nine Wretched Demon Primarchs were all given many traits and genetic advantages (and some disadvantages) given to them by the tinkering of the God Emperor for a thousand years of toil and care.

The First Legion are the Sons of The Lion- the Dark Angels, and their successor chapters are occasionally blessed with The Lion's gift. The claws and ferocity of the Lion himself, getting retractable claws, among other gifts.

This Is Known. There are lesser-known traits to this Gift that are kept secret from those outside the gene-line of El Johnson. The Aspirant huffs a little, he's heard from his older brothers that the Blood Angels are a very paranoid and secretive lot.

B̵͚̄̔ͅr̵̡̹͖̯̮͉̹̙͔̜͇͍̒̈́͋̒͒̾͛̆̚ó̵̧̥͎̖̳̘̫̎̆͂͊̾͘͠w̶̡͔̣̲͐̔̏̀̂͒n̶̢̻͔̤̉ ̷̨̛̛͓̪̟̫̤͈̼̺̝̙̈́͐́̆̒̿̃̓̑̒̍͠͝B̶̧̧̧̫̫̜̘̱͇̥̫̫̺̲̝͕͔̈́̀̿̊͗̿͆͛͂̕͝͝è̷̡̧̢̧̧͙͕͎̖͔̞̘̿̓͂͐̓̍͋̍̒̽̈́a̵̛̩̦̅̈́̐̔̽́͐̂͛̓̑̾̕͝͠r̵̛̛̞̱̠̱͖̱͔̞̈̓̽̓͐͐̿̈͒͘��̧̯̗̫̼̮ By Order of the God Emperor this information has been redacted.. The Aspirant quickly flips to the next section- his brain had started hurting when he'd tried to read the words of the second Primarch. There is no Second Primarch, there never was a second Primarch.

The Third legion, fallen to Chaos, is that of the cursed traitor demon Primarch Fulgrim is a wretched lowly creature, whose scales of purple, the snake, is indeed a snake. Those of his wretched gene-like are occasionally cursed with the form of a snake.

This is Known. There are some lesser-known abilities and traits that the Cursed Traitors use against their enemies, should they have the snake-like traits. The Aspirant scowls angry, clenching their free hand into a fists.

The Fourth Legion, fallen to Chaos is the wretched traitor demon primarch Perturabo is known to have a prickly nature- and massive spines that he can shoot out at that will and will kill a full-grown Astarte if he aims well.

Woe be upon those in battle unlucky enough to fight against those Warriors of Iron who also have the quills of death. The Aspirant shivers a little and murmurs a quick prayer to the God Emperor- so that his brothers don't have to face such a wretched enemy.

The fifth legion, is that of Jaghatai Khan is one of the Loyal Primarchs, ever the fastest and most fleet of foot and of ship of his brothers- he ever charges forth fighting the enemies of the Imperium.

His sons are ever hopeful that one day their Lord Primarch shall return, when the need for him is greatest. What is Known of the Blessing of the Khan- is hooves that stomp- and speed unmatched.

This is Known, there are other lesser-known traits that the mysterious sons of the Khan keep to themselves and their successor chapters. The Aspirant hopes that one day, the mighty Khan will come back and help the Imperium become great again.

The Sixth legion is that of Leman Russ is one of the Loyal Primarchs. Stalwart and Stubborn, clever and fierce. A Mighty wolf- and that is a strong blessing indeed- he has given to his sons.

Those who are given the Blessing of the Wolf- have claws and fangs. A tougher hide to withstand the bitter cold of Fenris. This is Known. there are other lesser-known traits that the Space wolves and their successor chapters keep, for their own reasons.

One will never know what kind of answer you will get out of a Space Wolf- their answers very, be wary of their quick, sharp tempers. The aspirant is glad that he's not of the line of Russ- dogs are nice and all, but very smelly.

The Seventh legion was the Imperial fists and their successor chapters. Rogal Dorn- the stalwart and stubborn defender of Terra, the Praetorian.

The Blessing of Dorn is that of a Mighty white polar bear, one of the apex predators of Inuit. The claws and strength enhance an Astartes to great levels.

The roar sends their enemies running from their sight. This is Known. It is said that there may be lesser-known gifts to this trait, but none outside of the Sons of Dorn know what they are.

It is said that all that remained of him was a bloodied, gauntlet fist and arm. The Aspirant wilts a little, he's a young Black Templar Aspirant, and he hopes that his Lord Father will one day return.

The wicked, cursed, corruptm and cruel fallen renegade 8th legion and their dead Primarch Konrad Curze. The bats who hunt and lurk in the dark. Beware their stare- and their ever hungry, hunting gaze. This is Known.

No one knows what other horrors lurk within the 8th legion, for those that try, never return. The Aspirant shivers a little and murmurs another prayer to the God Emperor.

The nineth Legion, and one of the First Founded Chapters, The Blood Angels, and their beloved, fallen, loyal Primarch Sanguinius. With those sons who gain such a blessing are excetionally rare.

The wings of Sanguinius marks out a brother of that chapter for all to see. This is Known, other lesser-known abilities granted aren't spoken of to outsiders.

The Aspirant gives a respectful pause, woe and weep, weft and moan. The loss of the Great Angel is still affecting his sons to this day, or so the whispers say.

The tenth legion- the Iron hands, are said to lament the death of the holy Primarch Ferrus Manus. Who was slain by his traitor brother Fulgrim.

It is said that some of his sons are blessed with skin hard as Iron. This is Known, what other traits this blessing gives them, they don't speak of to Outsiders.

The Aspirant shrugs a little- Ceramite is a protective second skin to most Astartes- so having actual Iron skin sounds painful or miserable to them. Not that they'd say such a potentially heretical thing out loud, of course.

R̷̼̼̺̞͚̮̼̝̯̹̔͂̆̈́̌́̿̊̈́̈́̀̒ę̷̧̪̝̟̰̺̬͔̾̐̀͜͝i̶̲͔͇̮̠̦͙͊͛͌̉̓́͐̓͌́͆̊n̸̛̠̹̤̭̻̮̖̭͔̰̬̖̑̔̀͂̎̅̈́̌̕͜d̸̨̧̥̺̞̖̬͓̼̠̥̰̬̏̇̅̅͊̔͊͊̚e̷̢͈̼͉̤̟̝͓̓ͅȩ̵̳͉̜̜̖̲͖̘͍͕̋̆̉̀̆͋͝ͅr̸̼̊͐̈́̅͊̿̃͐̃̔͂̅̀̎̈́͠͠ Redacted per the Orders of the Emperor. There has never been an eleventh legion. There never will be an eleventh legion. The Aspirant shudders and flips to the next page. Perhaps he should go to an Apothecary, as that's the second time he had a sudden headache at trying to read something that isn't there.

The fallen, traitors, those disgusting, wrathful, blood covered creatures, Angron- the red Angel, is a mockery, of the Saintly Sanguinius.

This legion is sometimes cursed with the form of a Quokka. No one knows, or at least remembers what form this curse gives those that receive it.

The mad berserkers enjoy killing and murder, blood and skulls for their depraved rituals. As the Aspirant reads the page on this legion he grimaces- as well as the warnings on the page about the difference between Righteous Wrath and Sinful wrath are expounded upon.

The Holy Primarch Roboute Gulliman, the Avenging Son, the Lord of Ultramar and his sons. His many blessed sons, those of The Ultramarines and his successor chapters are many and vast.

The Blessings of the Avenging Son are manifold and can take different forms. Robust and with a complex social hierarchy, the Sons of Ultramar are more able to socialize with their brothers, even those from very far-flung parts of Imperium. This is Known.

The Aspirant frowns scratching his head, the actual creature or bug or something wasn't spoken of in this book. Which he wondered why that was.

Surely whatever creature it is, it would be as noble and powerful as the rest of the Holy Primarchs? A creature of power and strength, not all of them are predators, but are powerful all the same.

The Aspirant had checked- the Author of this version of the Primarchs and First Founding and the Blessings is a Son of Guilliman, which means the author surely knows. He wonders why it was deliberately left out.

He flips the page to the next chapter and reads about the disgusting, traitors, those fallen, bloated undead creatures of the 14th legion and their disgusting Demon Primarch Mortarion.

The Sons of this cursed, fallen legion are sometimes granted the features of a goat. The horns and unsettling eyes of the creature. This is Known. What other abilities this grant, no one in this time knows any more.

The aspirant shudders and sends a quick prayer to the God Emperor, he's heard whispers from his older brothers about how bad those disgusting, bloated corpses can be to try and fight against.

The shattered, fallen 15th legion, those wretched unfaithful psykers and their lost Primarch Magnus. What little is remembered and Known about them is the bird-like wings of ab Ibis and claws are sometimes granted.

The Aspirant finds it an Insult that those wretched traitors also sometimes have bird-like features. For the Holy Angels of the Imperium should be the ones with that blessing, and not any sort of traitors should.

The Sixteenth legion, those lying treacherous dogs, and their dead primarch, slain by the God Emperor themselves. Are occasionally cursed with the form of a hound. They can howl, shriek and hunt after those the find as prey.

This is Known. None alive can remember if those wretched dogs gain more than that. The Aspirant scowls and spits out a curse to that damned legion, and their hand in the interment of Him on Terra.

The Fierce and loyal Salamanders and their Loyal Primarch Vulkan are occasionally blessed with hides of sparkling green scales and the ability to breath fire. This is Known. There may be some other lesser-known blessings of this Primarch.

Be cautious of the temper of the Dragons of Nocturne and their successor chapters. The Aspirant winces, he's heard some of the stories of the Dragons- how kind they are to mortals, and how harsh their fury and judgment of their fellow Astartes can be.

The Holy Primarch Corvus Corax and his sons fly on silent, swift dark wings of a Raven. This is Known. If there is any other lesser-known blessings, the silent, stealthy sons of the Raven Lord don't speak of it to outsiders.

The Aspirant huffs, so many of the First Founding chapters are close-mouthed about just what they are capable of. It's frustrating, even if it's sensible from a strategic standpoint.

The 20th legion. Those traitors. Those L̷̗͚̙͓̭̺̤̭̣̤̝͍͚̘͕͓͗̏͘ớ̵̧̧̧̼̤͔̥̩̟́̍͌̾̒͗̅̇͑̕̚y̴̝͇͕̮̩͙̌̒̎̿̆̚̕͝a̶͉̠̩̹̳̭̮͙̔̓͑̌̓̑̈l̸̜̦̜̹̟̓̈́̿ḭ̶̢̣̮̟̯̟̱͙̼̍̈́̃̉̄s̷̖͕̠̖̗͒̋͑t̷̟̝͎̥͔̰͕̖̿͘͜ş̶̢̤̘̼͓̝͙̫͔̫͕̪̓̈́͘͝. The Sons of the Hydra are many. The form o̸̩͖̻͙̹̮̼̼̞͉̤̭̓̎̑̀́̍̍̊͘f̸̢̛̻̬͙̯̀̂͒̉̀̈̊̄̏̄̀̏̕͝͝͝ ̶̧̨͓̜̯͉͙̗̱̝̖͚͇͍̈́͑̚̕͘͜a̸̱̭̺͔̖̹̣̰͋̓̾̂ ̷̨̬̙̰̜̜̗̲͙̹͈̖̭͉̗͔̈́̈́h̶̡̬̲̹̘̞̳̻̣̝̩̩̅͌ỵ̴̗̊̽͗̇͊͂̐̂̋̋ḑ̸̛͍̦͈̯͉̙͇͍̤̤̯͉̯͔̄̔͂̀̏̈́͂̈́̕͝ŕ̶̡̬̩̪̞͕͗͆̊̒͗͗̎̓̿̋͜ȧ̴̡̛̠̗̦̠̤͍̔̿̉̎̔́̽́͝ is what they are c̴̛̲̦̊̓͗̅̎̊̕͠͝ų̵̰͙̦̘͚̗̰͓͔̬̖͎̼̠̃̏̑̄͠ͅr̶̼̬̤͉͉͔̙̳̫̟̻̤̩̟̻͔̈́́s̶͔̫̄͆̈́̔̈́̿̍̕͝ę̸̧̛̣̻͓̼͇̻̗̱̞̳̱̇̃̎͑͗̌̌̄̍͘͝ḏ̷̡̝̠̥̖͇̳̟͎̫͉͗́́̉͒̀̚̚ ̷̲͔͉̘͖́̉̅͒w̵̧̧̘̻̝̘͇̳͎̬̝̳͉̮͗͜i̷̧͔̍̀͊̾̉̒̑̏̅͊̅͛́̈̔̀̕t̴̢̪̻̙̩̼͔͓̩͐͐̌͋̕͜ͅh̴͇͕͕̯̗̀̑. Blessed with. It is Unknown what their form is.

[lionheartapothecaryx]

The Vodou Files

Diddy & his entitlement an blatant disrespect of Lwa Ezili Dantor/Black Madonna

For all intent and purposes, the following information is alleged and for entertainment only.

In year of 2024, it’s no secret that Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a polarizing figure. After his recent arrest and federal indictment this September on charges of s*x trafficking and more, and with multiple lawsuits alleging a multitude of abuses against men and women, this cannot be denied.

Let’s get into the possible spiritual implications of his recent arrest. In 2017 Diddy tattooed the Black Madonna aka Ezili Dantor on his back, for protection. The Black Madonna syncretism is often been used in Vodou to represent the Lwa Dantor.

Here’s a rending of the photo of Ezili that he seems to have taken inspiration from for his tattoo.

Ezili Dantor is the patroness and holy mother of Haiti. She is known as a protector of women and children, and was one of the petro or war spirits who were instrumental in the Haitian Revolution of 1804, allowing the Haitians to lead the first successful slave uprising. She assisted with giving them the strength in battle to defeat their colonizers and inspired others to resistance in the Diaspora. France went bankrupt during the Haitian revolution and had to sell off their land to pay off the massive debt this caused, spurring the Louisiana purchase and leading to creation of America as we know it, today. These acres of land make up the states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, North & South Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming and Montana. There would be no American Independence, if it hadn’t been for the Haiti.

While Ezili does not own my head, I know her children. They are usually women who are family matriarchs and mothers, who are incredibly kind, patient and strong and actively involved in their communities. They tend to be well respected within their communities and usually involved in community activism to varying degrees. They generally have a pleasant disposition but can be dangerous fighters when challenged spiritually and physically. They make great leaders and can be very wise. It is common for children of certain Lwa to take on similar traits of said Lwa & I believe this aspect can especially be seen in her children, who she claims. While I do not have her in my court, I do carry her sister aspect the darker, merciless and vengeful Le Rouge.

The Ezili are a powerful class of spirits within the Vodou pantheon. Ezili Dantor is an example of a very powerful spirit who can shift fate and reality. She is the peaceful mother but can exhibit extremely controlled violence when necessary, a triumphant warrior queen personified. She does not take disrespect or injustice lightly.

Diddy invoking her essence and protection, with this tattoo while assaulting and harming people continuously would draw her ire, wrath and ultimate disrespect. Some think someone recommended he do this to hasten his downfall or he did this out of pure stupidity.

Others of the Catholic faith, see it as the Holy Mother, the Blessed Black Madonna looking out for her children and protecting them.

Either way it’s clear the drums of justice have begun to beat for Diddy and it’s time for him to account for what he has done.

[ladyzirkonia]

Mandalorian tenets or the six actions.

Early Mandalorian culture, originating with the ancient Taung species, was believed to have begun as a religious warrior society, War was practiced as a form of ritual worship to their multiple gods and because of this, many of the Mandalorians' earliest conflicts were seen as holy wars and their warriors known as the Mandalorian Crusaders.

After the Great Sith war where most of the Taung had perished , the Mandalorians began accepting beings of other races and species into their culture and transforming what it meant to be a Mandalorian. Those who considered themselves Mandalorian were bound by a single, unifying culture rather than any one race, and they believed that an individual was defined by their actions rather than the circumstances of birth.

Resol'nare

Young Mandalorian children were taught a rhyme to help them learn the tenets of the Resol'nare (basic: six actions) These six tenets defined what it meant to be a Mandalorian, and any who wished to be considered as such was expected to follow them.

Ba'jur, beskar'gam, (Education and armor)

Ara'nov, aliit, (Self-defense, our tribe)

Mando'a bal Mand'alor — (Our language, our leader)

An vencuyan mhi. (All help us survive.)

This code is self-perpetuating and was directly responsible for ensuring the survival of the Mandalorian culture and society.

Wearing the armor (beskar'gam or ''iron skin'')

Once Mandalorians reach adulthood, they assemble a suit of armor that suits their needs and skills. It is both a tool and a symbol of their cultural identity. Aside from its defensive capabilities, armor served another function: in a group formed from so many different species, often times it was only the armor that displayed an outward sign of the culture that bound these individuals together. The paint scheme of a Mandalorian's armor occasionally represented a soldier's state of mind, or their personal mission.

As many soldiers preferred the inconspicuousness afforded by camouflage, Mandalorians believed in the saying:

"It's one thing to see us coming, it's another to do something about it."

Speaking the language (Mando'a)

While most Mandalorians know and speak Basic and other languages, all are raised speaking Mando'a, the language of the Taungs. When among themselves, they speak Mando'a almost exclusively. The language itself is very fluid and simple, reflecting the culture of which it is a part, and like the culture, it has changed very little over the centuries.

Mando'a was often thought of as easy to learn, a trait highly desirable in a culture that regularly adopted adults from numerous races and species. But there were difference speaker of Basic had to adjust, including Mando'a's expression of tense, and its gender-neutrality.

It was not unheard for Mandalorians to speak other languages such as Huttese and Basic alongside Mandalorian as it was necessary to communicate with others when working as a mercenary or bounty hunter.

Defending oneself and the family

While the Mandalorians are best known as a warrior culture, they are also strongly family oriented. Each member of a family is expected to protect the others, garaunteeing their survival and through this, ensuring the survival of the clan and culture.

Adoption was extremely common in Mandalorian culture, to the point where even adults could be adopted. Because of the Mandalorians' constant connection to war, widows and orphans became an inescapable fact of life.

Contribute to clans welfare

Each individual and family is expected to contribute to the welfare and prosperity of their clan, which in turn helps provide for the family and individual as needed. This act is far from the socialist prop it first seems, as it is a neccessity for a society that spends a great deal of its time at war to provide for such neccessities as food, shelter and manufactured goods when a large number of a clan's adults are on other worlds fighting.

Raise children as Mandalorians

It is a Mandalorian's responsibility to raise children in the traditions of their culture. However this is not simply an imperative to breed, as it might seem on the surface. Mandalorians often adopt their children, caring very little for blood lineage and bowing to the neccessities created by their lifestyles as nomadic warriors. This act is a mandate to perpetuate the culture, as are the majority of the Six Acts, by passing it down to both offspring and adopted war orphans.

Rally to the cause of the Mand’alor

While the social structure of the Mandalorians is very simple, revolving around family and clan, each clan and family answering to itself, in times of war all families and clans are expected to answer a call to war by the Mand'alor, the leader of the Mandalorian people.

The old and the new way.

In order to retain their heritage in the face of outside influence, Mandalorians placed a high value on rigorously carrying out the Resol'nare's tenets in a daily manner. However, interpretation of the Resol'nare differed, and at least one group of Mandalorians, the New Mandalorians, potentially followed an alternate interpretation of the Resol'nare by doing away with personally-owned sets of armor and refusing to aid the Mand'alor.

The New Mandalorians was the pacifist movement who placed great importance on the virtues of pacifism, neutrality, and nonviolence rather than martial prowess and military strength as the Old Mandalorians did. They were led by a Duchess of Mandalore up until its dissolution following the coup in 19 BBY.

Similar to Death Watch, the Old Mandalorians were exiled from Mandalore, but unlike their Death Watch counterparts, did not seek vengeance on the New Mandalorians. Instead, the Old Mandalorians resettled in other parts of the galaxy and worked for the highest bidder, maintaining their Mandalorian warrior heritage as bounty hunters, mercenaries and other professions.

"Here's why you can't exterminate us, aruetii. We're not huddled in one place—we span the galaxy. We need no lords or leaders—so you can't destroy our command. We can live without technology—so we can fight with our bare hands. We have no species or bloodline—so we can rebuild our ranks with others who want to join us. We're more than just a people or an army, aruetii. We're a culture. We're an idea. And you can't kill ideas—but we can certainly kill you."

― Mandalore the Destroyer

[digi-lov]

LordKnightmon (X Antibody) BT19-073 Alternative Art by As'Maria from BT-19 Booster Xros Evolution (BT18-19: Special Booster Ver.2.0)

[creature-wizard]

https://youtu.be/1CaLMJgYVuk?feature=shared

Was watching this video on esoterica and I thought it was interesting because he mentions this text from the 906 common era "canon episcopi" that urges bishops to erradicate magic practices from pre christian pagans, and one of the practices mentioned is that women believed they could ride beasts with the goddess Diana who they worshiped. And that this might be some of the earliest mention of something related to witches flying and they were doing this for a pagan goddess and not the devil.

This really surprised me because I always thought the use of a goddess and even Diana found in Wicca tradition was mostly influenced from a need to separate from the so called patriarchal religions that had only a God and also bc of the feminist movement, but I wonder if they were perhaps influenced by these texts?

I don't know of any specific cases of direct influence, but I'm pretty sure it came to influence the modern witchcraft movement indirectly. In 1899, this dude Charles Leland published what he claimed to be a holy text used by a secret group of witches in Tuscany, which depicted Diana and Lucifer as deities venerated by witches. It's altogether pretty congruent with the myths and conspiracy theories of the witch hunts, and the story of how Leland claimed he got it is full of the usual red flags for textual/spiritual forgeries. (He claims he got it from an Italian woman named Maddelena, who mysteriously disappeared shortly after giving it to him. Anytime someone says they got it from some mysterious individual who can't or won't come forward to verify it, that's basically code for "I pulled it out of my own ass.") The text came to influence the modern witchcraft movement.

Now as for Wicca, the initial presence of the goddess wasn't done for what I would consider particularly feminist reasons, but rather because its founder was a straight guy who liked sex. Wicca as it was initially conceived shows characteristics of patriarchal thinking - the God is imagined as a warrior and hunter (he's defined by actual jobs), while the Goddess is imagined as maiden, mother, and crone (she's defined by age and one of her most important traits is bearing and raising children.)

Now don't get me wrong, feminism has definitely been a huge thing in the modern witchcraft movement, and many people who consider themselves feminists choose to venerate goddesses in defiance of patriarchy, but the initial presence of Diana and the Goddess wasn't all that strongly motivated by feminism.

[shadowsageingempress]

Tierlist of the Twilight Princess costumes from Hyrule Warriors Legends.

Costumes and explanations below the cut.

While Warriors did get a costume based on Twi (which I will show later), his normal costume for the Twilight adventure map seems to be based on the rare chu jelly powerup. While I don't hate the gold on Warriors, I think it could have been done better. It's not great, but it's far from terrible.

I think Impa's design from Skyward Sword might be my favorite one, and that version herself is my second favorite (only behind the one from Ocarina of Time). So I obviously love this look for the Hyrule Warriors version of Impa. The dark blue clothes look perfect with the red and orange highlights and her pale blond hair.

I think that Lana's outfit is based on Warriors', kind of like Cia's Masterquest outfit. The multiple greens work well together and especially with the blue cloak and her hair. Solid design.

I'm 90% sure that this Sheik costume is based on the concept art for her scrapped appearance in Twilight Princess. If that's the case, then that's really cool. As for the costume itself, it's good, but nothing too special.

I'm pretty sure that this costume is what made the Zelda team make Flower's main outfit in Breath of the Wild blue, because damn does Valor look awesome. The slightly silvery metal that her armor looks to be made of compliments this cooler colored dress.

Holy sweet flowers of Hell in a handbasket. I love this coloration for Ganondorf! The black metal and cloth of his armor. The gold trim. The orange hair and red crown. Gods, I love it!

Even though the changes made to Darunia's appearance in his costume aren't as drastic as some of the others, I actually like it quite a bit. The face and body paints look really nice and blend well with his subtly paler skin. He also looks really cool with that white mane.

Ruto's Twilight map outfit appears to be based on Rutella. I find it pretty similar to her Great Sea outfit being based on Laruto, partly because it's thematically appropriate and partly because she looks really good. She's very pretty in ponk.

Agitha has apparently evolved from normal goth to pastel goth. I can respect that, and she looks really good. Not much else to say.

Midna's costume gives off vibes of shadow turning to light, which I think fits very well for her, both in terms of theme and aesthetic. The cyan markings being turned gold and the visible paler stone of the Fused Shadow just have this aura of light, but at the same time, she still retains her distinctly shadowy beauty. This is one costume begging for an artistic rendition, and I would be happy to do so.

Apparently for this costume, Midna decided to revive Zant's spirit for the sole purpose of stabbing him to death again. Okay, jokes aside, I really love the phantom Zant inspired costume. The colors and slight translucency are already some of my favorite traits for design just in general. Also his scimitars also being affected by this change is the cherry on top and looks cool as hell.

Fi's Light Spirit outfit is easily one of the most beautiful out of the Twilight Princess themed outfits. It might also be the case that this is what she would look like after the Master Sword is infused with the two Sols, which I think is a cool idea. Also, I remember seeing an artist joke about her looking like a lemon meringue pie with this outfit, so that gives her a few bonus points.

Another outfit inspired from another game, Ghirahim takes on the appearance he had in his Fire Sanctuary boss fight. I think the black on his arms look pretty cool and I appreciate the reference. There probably could have been another reference made with this one, maybe one to Twilight Princess, but I like this one for what it is.

With this costume, Lana and Cia can dress as each other for Halloween. And she looks really good. I'm a bit disappointed that her hair wasn't changed to blue, but the cool colors of her clothes make up for the lost potential.

Volga's costume is suitably goth for Twilight Princess, and it looks awesome on him. Like with Ganondorf's, the gold lining of the armor adds a lot to this outfit. It's simple, but it's very well executed

I think this is probably my favorite of Wizzro's costumes, maybe even better than his normal one. It's obviously inspired by the Twilight Princess poes, which are already cool looking, so not only does the costume thematically fit, but it slaps harder than he does. I think his eye being blue is my favorite detail, but the pale robes looking slightly singed around the edges is a close second.

Bonus: Also reviewing the other character-based costumes because the tierlist doesn't have options for them

I've probably made it no secret that the Twilight Princess incarnation of Link is easily my favorite. So I was obviously going to like the costume based on him. While Warriors does lack the kindness in his eyes that Twi has, I still love this costume and regularly use it while pretending to play as Twi. S tier.

I think the postman uniform is a joke costume. I did chuckle a bit when I first saw it, but it's nothing to write home about (pun not intended). C tier.

I was fully prepared to hate the Cassiopeia inspired outfit for Valor on principle alone. But I actually think it's pretty nice. I like the dress, hair and crown, and Valor looks much warmer and kinder than Cassiopeia ever could. A tier.

I never got too attached to Ilia as a character when I played Twilight Princess, so I don't have any strong feelings about the outfit for Valor based on her. I do, however, think the idea of the town horse girl beating up monsters to be funny, so that's worth something. B tier.

Finally, the Era of Twilight armor for Ganondorf. This was already one of my favorite designs for the character, so I'm obviously going to like it here. S tier.

[skelezomperman]

Comparing the First and Second Generation Trios of FE4

One of the themes of Genealogy of the Holy War is the juxtaposition of the actions and behaviors of the second generation characters against that of their parents. The child characters inherit the traits of their parents not just physically but also in terms of behavior. Yet in many ways, they end up doing better in the areas that their parents failed in; for example, Seliph does not rush into a relationship like Sigurd did. In this essay I will discuss this juxtaposition that occurs. 

Seliph vs Sigurd

Seliph and his father despite being related are rather different people. We see the contrast between Sigurd and Seliph on several different levels. Sigurd is the bold Holy Knight who never shirks away from the opportunity to correct a perceived wrong; Seliph is a nervous teenager who reluctantly assumes the role of Jugdral’s messiah. Sigurd is prone to immediately rushing to fight to correct an injustice as seen in his intervention in Verdane to rescue Edain; Seliph is reluctant to fight at times as seen when he needed to be coaxed by Lewyn to continue the Thracian campaign. Sigurd shows little reflective thought until he is prompted by external forces to think while Seliph oftentimes questions himself and his leadership as his story presses onwards.

An interesting contrast to look at would be the contrast between Sigurd’s relationship with Deirdre and Seliph’s possible relationships. Sigurd falls madly in love with Deirdre and the two marry very quickly after they first meet. Some people argue that this led to Deirdre’s location and abduction by Manfroy. (1) On the other hand, Seliph’s relationships proceed at a slower pace than Sigurd’s relationship with Deirdre. In his lover conversations with Larcei and Tine, Seliph directs his partner to fight by his side rather than Sigurd directing Deirdre to be behind him, while his conversation with Lana highlights a relationship where Seliph chooses to wait for Lana rather than jumping at anyone new (i.e., Julia). This shows a capability to stop and think that Sigurd did not show with Deirdre.

Seliph has a conversation directly with Sigurd at the end of Chapter 10 of Genealogy. Sigurd teaches Seliph the valuable lesson to learn the sorrow of the common people. This is what Sigurd failed to do: he failed to consider what regular people went through in Agustria and other lands where his actions had a direct impact. In other words, Sigurd was an excellent warrior but a poor ruler. Seliph learns from Sigurd and others that he must be compassionate and considerate to others; by doing this, he avoids repeating the mistakes of his father. In my opinion, this conversation showcases the theme of children learning from their parents’ mistakes more than any other scene in the game.

Leif vs Quan

Quan’s flaw is his inability to be aware of his surroundings. His famous lack of situational awareness contributes to his demise at the Aed Massacre. There, he thought that Thracia would attack Leonster in his absence rather than attack him directly. He somehow did not realize that cavalry is weak in the desert, a fact that any seasoned player of the Fire Emblem series could say. Some would also point to Quan’s involvement in the embargoes placed on Southern Thracia, claiming that this made the Aed Massacre deserved, though I would note that this policy predates Quan. Ethlyn has her shortcomings too; she is prone to throw herself into situations to follow her loved ones as seen when she rushed to Sigurd’s aid at the beginning of Genealogy.

Leif actually has similar shortcomings to his parents. In Thracia 776, he ordered his forces to support Ulster which resulted in the loss of much of his strength and the death of his key advisor in Dryas. This led to the siege of Leonster which Leif and friends barely survive. However, he has the luck of being in good hands - under the mentorship of August and Finn, he is able to learn both from his own mistakes and the mistakes of his father. Perhaps this is best seen later in the Thracia arc of Genealogy where Leif is able to recognize his long-lost sister and set the path for her recruitment. This eventually helps Leif accomplish the dream of unifying the Thracian peninsula under one rule – not just a pro-North rule but a rule that benefits all Thracians. And we see at least that the people like it, given Leif’s eventual title as “Sage-Lord.” (2)

Ares vs Eldigan

Both Eldigan and Ares are stuck in prickly situations for their first real appearances in the plot. Eldigan tries to negotiate with Chagall to prevent him from attacking the Grannvalians only for Chagall to imprison him. Meanwhile, Ares goes on a mission with Javarro to attack Seliph’s army only to realize that Lene was being taken in his absence. Their reactions are what makes the difference. Eldigan gives Chagall chance after chance to improve even though he literally killed his own father to begin the Agustrian arc. Even at the end where he is convinced by Lachesis to break off the attack against Sigurd, Eldigan does not outright break from Chagall. Ares, meanwhile, deserts Javarro when the latter taunts him over Lene. He is willing to even join his mortal enemy in Seliph if it means he can defeat Bramsel and save Lene. Ares’ willingness to change sides allowed him to not only survive but to save Lene whereas Eldigan’s stubborn stance led to his death and the occupation of Agustria. (3)

Perhaps the contrast expresses itself best in Agustria’s state under the care of each one. Agustria is totally occupied by Grannvale after Eldigan’s death. He tried to preserve Chagall since he saw him as the leader of Agustria but his efforts in standing by such a cruel man were in vain; they did nothing to save Agustria from its fate. Ares fixes the mess left behind by his father’s generation by unifying Agustria under his rule after the events of Genealogy. He even enlists the help of Leif in this campaign; he does not try to “go it alone” so to speak as Eldigan did. (4)

Tying in between it all

One could, perhaps, compare other children with their (possible) parents as well. For example, Ced has the interesting twist of outright repeating the mistake of his father Lewyn. He leaves his mother behind to try to search for Lewyn only to be distracted by the strife within Thracia. Nanna mirrors her mother just as Ares mirrors his father, except that she is able to convince Ares to directly make amends with Seliph in a way that Eldigan did not with Sigurd. I did not cover these cases in detail because I wished to limit the scope to Seliph, Leif, and Ares, but they do offer fodder for discussion. (5) So we return to our comparison of our trios. Sigurd, Eldigan, and Quan were not without their good qualities; they all had good hearts and genuinely cared for the people around them as well as for each other. But it turned out that Sigurd was too rash, Eldigan was too rigid, and Quan was too ignorant for the world that they lived in. Seliph, Leif, and Ares were not without their faults either; sometimes their faults caused problems as seen in the siege of Leonster. But each of them still improved on the faults of their parents and this helped them successfully defeat the Empire and become a well-loved leader in their native countries. But perhaps one fact that I cannot omit is how their fathers did assist in their growth. Quan somehow was wise enough to leave Finn behind with Leif and that choice, chance as it was, paved the way for Leif to lead a successful rebellion against the Empire. Ares was able to come around on Seliph because of a letter that Eldigan wrote. (6) And of course, Seliph was directly told by Sigurd to pay more attention to the common people. As much as one can malign the first generation trio, I must acknowledge how they provided for their children.

Conclusion

For me, Genealogy and Thracia fundamentally are not just stories about struggling with an evil mastermind. They showcase many problems in the world which the characters must also pay heed to. With the first part of Genealogy, I find it enthralling that the main characters not only have flaws on display but that their flaws directly lead to their downfall. It is certainly a draw, too, that the characters in the second part of Genealogy and in Thracia are confronted with the flaws of the earlier generations: the inability to pay attention to the needs of the people, the ongoing blood feud between North and South in Thracia, among other things. Of course, the children aren’t perfect either. Leif especially is still prone to making rash decisions even with good advisors around him. But isn’t that what usually happens in real life: each generation makes their own mistakes which must be fixed by later generations.

Footnotes:

I subscribe to the line of thinking that the Loptrians were on the verge of finding Deirdre in any case. Sigurd’s encounter with her at least led to the birth of Seliph.

Thracia 776 Leif ending

Of course as seen in Eldigan between a Rock and a Hard Place, the option of joining Sigurd wasn’t inherently desirable either. But I point out that for Ares, joining Seliph ran the risk of joining the losing side too. Ares had a lot to lose still.

Thracia 776 Nanna ending: “Following their victory at Belhalla, Nanna devoted herself to helping Leif liberate Agustria.”

The original draft of this piece actually included Ced and Nanna among others, but I felt that an in-depth discussion would be distracting to the main point.

I am assuming that the letter which Nanna gave to Ares was not a forgery. Genealogy does not give any direct reasons to doubt the letter’s authenticity.

[destined-and-fate-for-greatness]

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

the name's Telemachus. Is there something I could help you with?

This... Thing of some sorts (the phone) fell out of the sky and I decided to do some exploring on it

I have at least five weapons on me at all times

Likes: oh. This is hard. Well, my family and friends, obviously. Then comes training with Athena, then training with Ares. Reading and painting

Dislikes: my cousins' suitors(Both Penny and Ody are very much in a loving marriage and alive and everyone can see that in this AU) the thought that one day, I'll have to rule Ithaca(I am very much not ready) Poseidon, Amphitrite, Zeus

Kill count: haha. I've lost track. It's probably the same as the age of an immortal (obviously not all)

Age: 22

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

How is your relationship with your family? (This first paragraph)

Complicated...

Haha. It's so shitty. And it's his fault too

...

How do you feel about your mentors? (This. The rest)

Athena's amazing and I love her

Ares is great as well but I don't spend as much with him as Athena so I'm bias

I do enjoy having Ares cheer me on more, tho I don't show it (this)

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Appearance: long ass hair that almost touches his feet, brown and blue heterochromia, blinded in one eye because of his body ultimately being the own instrument of its destruction, scars that resembles cracks cover his face and hands, light skinned, a scar that resembles a line of connected rhombi(diamonds) litters his neck, small bone structure

Personality: quick, witty, intelligent, charismatic, breaks down on an almost daily basis, really fucked up, calm(in a way, like when dealing with stuff, not when you're alone in your room and starts having an identity crisis). Aggressive. Pessimistic. Chronic oversharer but also chronic undersharer

powers: minor control over water, can swim great, and can breathe underwater. (naiad inherited traits) enhanced speed, flying, teleportation though it tires him fast, shapeshifting, Automatically knowing where everything / everyone is. Never gets lost. Ability to know every language. (hermes inherited traits.) ← this is stolen directly from @the-prince-telemachus

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Featured blogs: here

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(Mod is called Jay and ok with any pronouns, but prefers fem ones)

When Warrior! Tele is speaking: #band of the bow and this text

When the voices are speaking: #haunting a warrior and this text

When Athena is speaking: #Athena's teachings and this text

When Ares is speaking: #Ares' bloody yells and this text

oh and posts with any slight of lore: #lore drops

When mod is speaking: #jay's yap and this text

The pfp and banner is made by @/sloanslone (they are so awesome holy shit)

[arttrampbelle]

Shang tsung doesn't need to be a "good guy" to be sympathetic or do nice or "good" deeds.

Y'all should understand that not everyone needs to be a hero to be redeemed.

That's some bullshit propaganda that y'all tend to fall for.

It's like that feeling of "if you pray to jesus,all you're sins in OUR eyes will be forgiven" type indoctrinated shit. Like no shade thrown,even as someone who is spiritual myself. I find people thinking that a villain in a story should become a hero in order to be redeemed,kinda suspicious.

Shang tsung,to me,has ALWAYS BEEN NUANCED. And already had benevolent qualities and traits. Y'all just only see one damn part of it because the writers suck at showing them properly.

Not to mention if a character isn't obnoxiously nice or mean,y'all don't pay attention to them.

It's like most of mk fans I've noticed,at least as of late. Feels like I'm talking to 3yr olds in media literacy.

So no. Shang tsung needs to be a NEUTRAL CHARACTER. not good,not evil,just self serving and even quite helpful as a tournament master as he is supposed to fucking be.

He is supposed to be that "keep your friends close,keep you enemies closer" type. He is the "the enemy of my enemies are my friends" type. He's scary intelligent,cunning,a master martial artist,a brilliant alchemist,and one badass mofo you do not wanna cross.

But most of all,he is courteous,a gracious host on his island,and his punishments are as great as his rewards. He does keep his end of the bargain,but he also gets compensation.

If anything you need to worry about earthrealms warriors more than him. Half of them now(due to piss poor writing) are hiding behind heroic deeds and false statements of peace yet they have unclean hands too.

With Shang tsung you know what you are dealing with,it's on the table. If you cant read the obvious,you are indeed a foolish one.

No matter what iteration of shang tsung you have. One thing is clear,made clear,and that is when you deal with him. You deal with the devil so to speak.

So if you're not smart nor prepared. That's on your ass honey. Not his. Do not blame him for your stupidity.

But if you know how to play the game,play chess with the serpent. And know these archetypes. Then you may have a better shot. But that's all on you.

Either way,in your favor or not. Do not blame him for telling you exactly what is needed to be said,not what you wanna hear. Honeyed words or not,there's always a sliver of truth and bitter pill of truth in his words. And he's good at making either people hate his guts or bow and worship him.

THAT IS WHY HE'S DANGEROUS. not because of magic,or experiments and other trival bullshit.

Nah.

It's because shang tsung is good at talking. Good at trades and making you believe whatever is what he wants you to see.

Even if it may go against him. He wants you to fuck up,get angry at him,attack,be unbalanced,so he can fuck your shit right up!

Holy shit this mans whole ass moveset is zoning and keeping you in a certain place in the stage even!

It's part of his whole damb character.

I could go on and on. But do not blame to serpent for telling you information for questions you ask him. You're the one who chose to bite his apple of enlightenment and knowledge so to speak.

Which is why the gods,titans,etc want these kombatants,warriors to be stupid. So they are easy to control,to get what they want.

Like it's glaringly obvious that mortal kombats story has these type of tropes and symbolism in it. But people are too blind,for various reasons. To see it.

I could get deep. It's a videogame,i know. It is what it is.

But the more i look at mk12/mk1 shang tsung. The more i feel its a missed opportunity to showcase these themes better for him.

Like holy shit dude. Shang tsung pointing out the hypocrisy of the gods. And whispers in our earthrealm warriors ears. And maybe convincing a few to join his side. Or even better. Our heroes,kung lao and mortal raiden to question liu kang and not blindly follow like fucking idiots. Sure just trust this dude right? Bruh.

Shang tsung is the only one with a brain once again. And i hate them making everyone else so stupid to make him seem better in the shithole plot of theirs. If you can call it a plot.

It burns me,that it's a waste of potential.

But i digress.

Anyways. Shang tsung,way more than an evil conjurer of tricks my dudes. Waaaaaay fucking more.