#turtle shell lyre

[chimericmacandcheese]

lizardfolk cleric comm for a discord friend

done in photoshop

[mediocredoots]

Hermes did in fact get away with his crimes🏹🪶

Hermes who was only a few hours old snuck out of his cradle to wreak havoc, and after working up an appetite, eventually stole Apollo's cattle from him. Apollo angered by this theft, calls upon Zeus to find the culprit. When they learn it is Hermes they confront him and have him lead them to where Apollo's cows were taken. There Hermes would show Apollo the first ever Lyre he invented. Apollo is so pleased with the instrument's sound that Hermes gives it to him and in turn Apollo lets him keep the cattle. In the end they become close friends and vow a bond to one another. I'm paraphrasing but this is the gist.

[s4lty-squ1d]

Update on the turtle lyre… it’s uhhhh… it’s something alright

My brainrot for epic the musical is getting worse by the day… it’s terminal lol

[serpentface]

Young Jazait mother posing for a lore friendly fishing photo with a sea 'turtle'. This is only a modestly sized adult (the biggest could grow almost three times this size), but a lucky catch nonetheless.

While superficially resembling a turtle (and very often referred to as such), these are actually from an entirely separate order of marine reptiles that has remained successful and widespread enough to keep true turtles confined to freshwater habitats. They occupy a variety of niches, with this particular species being more basal and subsisting on a specialized diet of mollusks.

This animal has a very wide range in shallow subtropical and tropical waters, and can be found along all the Imperial Wardi region's coastlines. The sea-turtles and their eggs are widely considered to be delicacies, and hunting pressures have extirpated them from many heavily fished areas, though the overall population has remained mostly stable.

The meat itself is very tender and resembles veal with vague, oil-fishy undertones. The connective tissue around its shell can be boiled with broths to give it a thick texture that becomes highly gelatinous when cooled. In South Wardi cuisine it's often cooked into a pepper stew and eaten with grits; in Jazaiti cuisine the body is most often gutted and roasted whole in the shell while the limbs are boiled for broth. Their smaller pelvic shell is also traditionally used by Jazait to form the body of a lyre.

[nynevefromthelake]

Daeron and Maglor watching the last ship.

And a close up. I changed Maglors’s lyre from the first sketch to this one made of turtle shell. I think it would suit more to the hermit wondering the shores for hundreds of years

[herballwitch]

Altars For The Greek Gods

Hello, My name is Alva Tauri! I am an herbalist, spirit worker, tarot and oracle reader, and lunar and herbal witch dedicated to closing the education gap when it comes to herbalism and witch practices!

Today, I wanted to talk about ways in which I connect with the Gods and deities I worship in my life via my altar, as well as some of those Greek gods that I do not have a direct connection with to help those who are just starting!

NOTE: I did already say this above but I am going to say it again, I only work with (as far as Greek gods go) Hades, Apollo, and Dionysus. However, I have been working with spirits, Gods, and deities for nine years now, so the information found in this post will be a compilation of everything I have learned in those nine years from my own experiences and the experiences of friends. If you have any information you feel should be added to this post please feel free to message me!

With that being said, let's get into altar work with Greek gods...

ARES

Ares is the God of war and the spirit of battle and was typically associated with:

ANIMALS: eagle owl, barn owl, poisonous snakes, boar, vulture

COLORS: red and purple

CRYSTALS: bloodstone, garnet, red jasper, smokey quartz, black tourmaline, hematite, metals, obsidian, carnelian

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): spicy things, chocolate, basil, cinnamon, weapons

ARTEMIS

Artemis was the goddess of chastity, hunting, and the moon. She is often associated with:

ANIMALS: deer, wolf, wild boar, hunting dogs

COLORS: white, blue, black, brown and green

CRYSTALS: morganite, moonstone, celestite, moss/tree agate, amethyst

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): anything moon shaped, frankincense, cypress, mugwort, amaranth

APHRODITE

Aphrodite is the ancient Greek goddess of sexual love and beauty. She is typically associate with:

ANIMALS: swan, dove, sparrow

COLORS: red and pink for love/sexuality. white and blue, and gold.

CRYSTALS: rose quartz, pearl, opal, aquamarine, rhodonite, ocean jasper, moonstone

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): roses, chocolate, shells, myrrh, gold

APOLLO

Apollo is the God of archery, music and dance, truth and prophecy, healing and diseases and, mostly commonly known as, the God of the Sun. He is commonly associated with:

ANIMALS: deer, hawk, crow/raven, cicada, swan, bees, wolf, fox

COLORS: yellow, white, red, orange. purple and green for the Oracle.

CRYSTALS: sunstone, amber, calcite (specifically honey and yellow), citrine, sapphire

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): sun shaped anything, bay leaves, laurel, cypress, playing music (especially the lyre), poetry

ATHENA

Athena was the goddess of wisdom, war, and the crafts and is normally associated with:

ANIMALS: snakes and owls

COLORS: white, grey/silver, red

CRYSTALS: metals, celestite, fluorite, bloodstone, obsidian, iolite, azurite, and lapis lazuli

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): anything to do with olives, snake shed, cedar, cypress, cinnamon, weapons

DEMETER

Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, grains, and agriculture. She is typically associated with:

ANIMALS: serpent, farm animals (especially pig), lizards, turtle-dove, crane, owl

COLORS: green, brown, yellow, and black

CRYSTALS: jade, tree/moss agate, carnelian, amber, aventurine, rutilated quartz, pyrope, and almandine

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): oats and grain, anything baked, flowers, spices (like cinnamon or cloves, allspice is good too), leaves that have begun to change colors for fall, mint, poppy

DIONYSUS

Dionysus is the God of wine, pleasure, and festivity and he is typically associated with:

ANIMALS: panther/leopard, tiger, bull, serpent

COLORS: purple and green for association with grapes/wine, leopard/tiger print for his holy animals

CRYSTALS: amethyst is largely associated with Dionysus, as well as grape agate, garnet, and rose or rutilated quartz

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): grapes (or any derivative), alcohol, cinnamon, ivy, pinecones, playing music, partying, sex/masturbation

HADES

Hades is the God of the underworld. However, Hades also rules over wealth and finances. He is typically associated with:

ANIMALS: naturally, dogs are frequently associated with Hades, as well as owls, sheep, and cattle

COLORS: black, red, and white are typically used in association with death. purple and metallics are used in association with riches/wealth

CRYSTALS: hematite, onyx, black crystals (like obsidian), jet

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): narcissus, mint, asphodel, white poplar, pomegranate, coffee, cinnamon, elm, money, chocolate, keys, shells

HEPHAESTUS

Hephaestus is the Greek god of fire, volcanoes, blacksmithing, and metalworking. He is typically associated with:

ANIMALS: donkey, dog, crane

COLORS: red, orange, and yellow, metallics.

CRYSTALS: metals, fire opal, honey calcite, smoky quartz, black quartz, rock crystal, amethyst, chloritized quartz, and rutilated quartz

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): spicy things, hot beverages, anything handmade (especially if made by you), dragon's blood incense, seashells, anything on fire

HERA

Hera is the goddess of women, marriage, and childbirth and is frequently associated with:

ANIMALS: peacock, cuckoo, cow

COLORS: red, pink and white for association with love and marriage. gold because she's the Queen of the Gods.

CRYSTALS: pearls, diamonds, topaz, opal, moonstone, malachite, tourmalinated quartz

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS: iris, rose, patchouli, coconut, cypress, maple, peacock feathers, pomegranate

HERMES

Hermes is the messenger of the gods and the mediator between the realm of the dead and the kingdom of the living. He is commonly associated with:

ANIMALS: tortoise, ram, goat, hawk, pig

COLORS: green, red, gold, white and brown

CRYSTALS: theres actually not a lot of evidance that crystals and stones were used in the past for altar work for Hermes. however citrine, alexandrite, and tigers eye are used frequently today

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): money, crocus/saffron, strawberries

HESTIA

Hestia is the goddess of the hearth, home, and hospitality. She is normally associated with:

ANIMALS: donkey, pig, crane, cow

COLORS: red, orange, and yellow, brown or white

CRYSTALS: amber, jade, red garnet, ruby, sunstone, amethyst, honey calcite

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): tea/coffee (drink with her), pine, bread, cider, apples, anything on fire, cinnamon, anything that feels like home to you

PERSEPHONE

Persephone is the goddess of the dead and queen of the underworld in ancient Greek religion and myth and is typically associated with:

ANIMALS: deer and ram

COLORS: purple, pink, yellow, green - any spring colors. (Hades colors can be used as well)

CRYSTALS: the garnet is the most commonly associated with Persephone, but amethyst, moss/tree agate, milk quartz, and jade can also be used

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): pomegranate, flowers, grains, lavender, rosemary, Spring

POSEIDEN

Poseidon is the god of the sea, earthquakes, horses, and water. He is typically associated with:

ANIMALS: horse, bull, dolphin, hippocampus

COLORS: blue and white, gray, brown and green

CRYSTALS: coral, opal (especially water opal), blue calcite, aquamarine

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): coffee, mint, ocean water, salt, seashells

ZEUS

Zeus is the god of the sky and is considered the ruler, protector, and father of all gods and humans. He is typically associated with:

ANIMALS: eagle, bull

COLORS: white, blue, gold, grey, yellow and black

CRYSTALS: opals are said to have come from Zeus' tears of joy after defeating the Titans, so they are heavily linked to Zeus. diamonds, gold, turquoise, lapis lazuli, celestite, iron/steel, any quartz

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): rain water, oak, olives/olive branches/olive leaves, vervain. images of himself or anything with lightning bolts or shaped like a lighting bolt

That's all for altar connections with Greek Gods! I hope that you found this helpful in your spiritual journey and I hope that you are able to apply this information to your practice.

if you have any questions regarding anything discussed here or anything you feel that I have missed, please send an ask to my ask box! I appreciate all comments and questions!

For more information on my practice, witchcraft, herbalism, spirit work, and divination please check out the guide on my page (linked here)! Everything I have ever posted can be found there!

I wish you all a blessed day filled with peace, endless wealth, and eternal health! Until the next time we meet!

[officialpenisenvy]

5 minutes later: dude i swear i just saw a newborn stealing my cattle

my buddy hermes crawling: goo goo ga ga [hands me a lyre crafted out of a turtle shell]

[klimkovsky]

Beta Lyrae - Sheliak

The small constellation of Lyra is not only very beautiful in the configuration of the stars that make up it, but also contains among them absolutely unique universal diamonds. The star Sheliak - Beta Lyrae is one of such jewels.

Translated from Arabic, Sheliak means a turtle shell (or even the turtle itself), but the same word is used to name an ancient musical instrument similar to a harp or, in fact, a Lyre, because a resonator body was made from a turtle shell, which was necessary for a more melodious sound of the strings. A musical culture on Earth was born somewhat cruelly, singing, among other things, the heavenly distances in which man saw the Worlds of his future - incomparably happier than the one in which he lived then. But man evolved, and at some point, wood began to be used more and more often for making musical instruments - Kifaras and Lyras with a wooden body sounded even better than turtle ones. But the dim star in the constellation Lyra remained called the Turtle.

What exactly this star attracted the attention of ancient astronomers is unknown now, but it was clearly not deprived of attention. It is simply that much of the scientific information from that historical period was lost. And in the 18th century it was discovered that about once a week the star slightly "winks" - fading for a short time, becoming dimmer by about two times. This could easily have been noticed in ancient times, and certainly was noticed (as astronomers of all developed countries of the ancient era noticed similar behavior of the star Algol in the constellation Perseus), but they just could not explain it.

The variability of Beta Lyrae (as well as the variability of Algol) was explained by a young amateur astronomer, John Goodricke. He had no special education, and was also deaf and dumb, but a very keen-sighted and insightful person. John's passion was observing stars, and by the age of 20 he had already examined many of them for brightness variations - simply with the naked eye, since there were no other methods at the end of the 18th century.

Only intuition can explain John Goodricke's guess that the apparent brightness of some stars most likely changes because in reality it is not one star, but two, which, rotating around the center of mass of the system, periodically obscure each other for an observer on Earth. This bold assumption was confirmed a hundred years after the death of the amazing seer.

John Goodricke died very young - at 22, succumbing to pneumonia - two years after discovering and explaining the variability of Beta Lyrae, and just four days after being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, astronomers learned to perform detailed spectral analysis of stars and track the behavior of absorption lines in their spectrograms. In the spectra of Sheliak (Beta Lyrae) and Beta Persei (Algol), the lines behaved similarly - slightly swaying around the places assigned to them by the chemistry of the star - synchronously with the dynamics of brightness changes. This clearly indicated the presence of two luminaries in the system and their orbital motion. This was irrefutable evidence, but indirect. A century later - already in our days - a direct image of the Beta Lyrae system was obtained using the CHARA infrared interferometer. And astronomers saw with their own eyes two stars orbiting the center of mass of the system, alternately eclipsing each other.

It was also discovered that the shapes of these stars are distorted by tidal interactions and resemble oblong melons. It was even discovered that matter flows from one star to another, which changes the proportion of masses in the system and slows down the rotation, increasing the period by 19 seconds per year. At the same time, part of the matter forms an extended accretion disk around the system, which partially dissipates into interstellar space. And in addition to the exchange of mass in this system, there is a significant loss of it.

The period of brightness variation in the Beta Lyrae system is 13 days. But since eclipses occur twice during the entire period (the stars eclipse each other in turn, as if changing places), brightness minima occur approximately once a week. But they are slightly different in depth - 0.9 and 0.5 stellar magnitudes.

Nowadays, the horizons of astronomy have expanded somewhat, thanks to advanced technologies for studying the Universe. And it is already believed that Beta Lyrae is a relatively close system to us. But still, 900 light years is not that close. To see separately stars that are twice as close to each other as the Sun and Mercury is a great achievement for optical interferometry.

The distance separating the components of this system is estimated at 40 million km. Somewhere at this distance from the Sun, in the era of the famous Le Verrier, astronomers were looking for the planet Vulcan. And they found nothing. But now they see a system of two giant stars with similar orbits.

Both components of this system are quite massive — 3 and 13 times the mass of the Sun. And in luminosity — 26 thousand and 6 thousand times, respectively. It is interesting that during the existence of the system — about 20 million years — these stars seemed to have swapped roles. The one that is now massive was skinny, developed more slowly, and the neighboring star — having quickly swelled to the size of a giant ��� began to share matter with the smaller star. The neighbor was not modest, and took over as much as was given. And now the star that had less mass has gained it in excess. And continues to do so.

Somewhat removed from this close and amazing pair of stars, another component of the system, the so-called Beta Lyrae B, slowly drifts along a huge orbit. What we talked about before was Beta Lyrae A. But there are many more stars in this system.

Beta Lyrae B is clearly visible even in binoculars - it is a 7th magnitude star, separated from the eclipsing variable pair by 46 arc seconds (this is the apparent size of Jupiter). In a small telescope, this double star looks very nice and is an easy object for beginner astronomy enthusiasts. Now it is known that it is also a double system, though a spectral one - not divisible into components in any telescope (they are very close to each other, or maybe it just has not deserve such close attention, and some super-powerful interferometer has not yet been deployed on it).

Another star was found 64 arc seconds away from the main pair of stars, though rather faint for amateur optics - Beta Lyrae C - 13th stellar magnitude. And further away from the aforementioned luminaries, astronomers are now checking for involvement in the system of several more stars - D, E and F. Moreover, in relation to Beta Lyrae F, even convincing evidence of a gravitational connection has been found.

Once again, we started with one star and ended up with a whole star cluster. However, this situation is not uncommon in our Universe. A rare type of star in it are stars like our Sun - stable and completely alone. But maybe that is why we now have the opportunity to study the entire diversity of other cosmic luminaries.

[blueiscoool]

A Roman Tiny Tortoise Figurine Found in England

In July last year, a small Roman copper alloy tortoise or turtle figurine was discovered by metal detectors near the village of Wickham Skeith in Suffolk, England.

There is no exact date, but experts date it to the early 2nd century AD, as a similar example was unearthed in settlement layers dating to around 100-400 AD during excavations in the Roman city of Colchester.

At just over one inch long and just under one inch wide, the figurine’s body is shaped like a typical turtle/tortoise shell, sub-circular in plan and D-shaped in section. While the top of the shell is very worn, it appears to have once been decorated with two sets of crescent-shaped grooves, positioned on either side of the midpoint. The figurine has a crudely shaped head protruding from the apex of the shell, and four feet projecting from the sides. The left forelimb seems to have been broken away some time ago, leaving only a short stump. There is also a small tail on the lower edge. The underside of the shell is flat and does not appear to have been decorated.

Tortoises or turtles were most often associated with the god Mercury in the Roman world and Mercury is often found accompanied by turtles/tortoises in iconography. Mercury was the god of commerce, communication and travellers. A possible reason for the association with Mercury was that tortoise shells were used for making lyres, stringed musical instruments used in antiquity, the invention of which is attributed to Mercury in mythology. It may have been associated with Sabazios, too, a god of the Phrygians and Thracians.

Metal detectorists who report their finds to the Finds Recording Team have resulted in an increasing corpus of Roman turtle/tortoise figurines in recent years. Several similar figurines have also been recorded in Suffolk, near Barking, and near Little Blakenham by the Portable Antiquities Scheme over the years.

The wee tortoise was reported to the Suffolk Finds Liaison of the Portable Antiquities Scheme for documentation and has now been returned to the finder.

The Portable Antiquities Scheme is an initiative to encourage the recording of archaeological objects found by members of the public in England and Wales.

By oguz kayra.

[wingedbears]

Mercury/Charon Greek gods underworld au

Frenchie puts Pumpkin on the bottom of the boat so she can slowly waddle her way over and start nipping at Izzy’s toes.

“Get that fucking turtle away from me,” Izzy snarls, his arms pulling the oars again and again, crossing the River Styx.

Frenchie like to watch Izzy as his muscles work.

“Pumpkin is a free soul.”

“You made the first lyre from her shell she’s a dead soul.”

“Would you rather I bring the rooster?”

“Fuck no he’s worse than the turtle.”

“Excuse me,” Stede says, avoiding Pumpkin’s tiny snapping jaw, ��how long is this going to take?”

[blanket-fish]

Ranking Miraculouses just because

How am I ranking these? I’m judging based on power, usefulness, versatility and uniqueness. And also my very biased opinion

First up, the best of the best, the miraculi I have no problems with

10/10

Powerful? Yes. Useful? Very. Versatile? More than any other.

Truly the blueprint for the rest of them. The Ladybug and the Black Cat both grant an Item, a yoyo and a stick respectively. They can be used as a weapon, a shield, transportation and a communicator. Their powers are great but they could win fights without them. Same couldn’t be said for the Items.

Cataclysm can do different types of damage, which arguably makes it the better power, but the Ladybug makes up for it by having two powers. Purification is odd in terms of lore (insert ‘why have it if butterfly wasn’t always evil??’) but possibly it has more range than we’ve seen. But Lucky Charm is where it’s at. Summoning exactly the item you need out of nothing? What could compare.

Also 10/10. They aren’t literally the strongest in the box but these miraculous all have strong, unique abilities and an Item.

The fox’s flute isn’t the best weapon of the bunch, but the Fox is kinda special in that one a user makes an illusion, they can keep making as many as they like until the timer runs out. That’s pretty powerful, considering most other powers can be used once and that’s that.

9/10

The only reason the Turtle doesn’t make it with the rest of the core 7 is that the shell/shield isn’t as versatile as the others. Yeah, the hand fan isn’t the best either, but the Peacock can make actual sentient beings. It’s could easily be considered the most powerful.

I do like the Turtle though. Shelter can protect either just the user or a group, or be used for containment instead. The shell isn’t the greatest but it’s still good for ranged attacks or just clobbering someone over the head with.

8/10

The great, but just lacking that extra edge that lets a user hold their own in a fight. You can go back in time and try again as much as you want, but if you can’t actually win the fight, you’ll only continue to do so forever. Or for the Rabbit, until you give up and fight your enemies toddler self instead.

The strengths of the Snake and Rabbit are obvious, but the Mouse is underrated. Splitting yourself into a bunch of small (or really, really tiny) versions? Game changer. And apparently you get a skipping rope, which is news to me, I thought you didn’t get an Item with this one.

Speaking of, apparently you get a lyre with the Snake? I don’t recall that ever being useful. It’s not a great Item. But having as many do-overs as you want means that downside doesn’t really matter.

The Rabbit is of course wildly overpowered, so putting it at only 8/10 seems insane, but I do so on the basis that if you couldn’t use the burrow, you’d struggle to win a head on fight. Remember, versatility is a scoring metric here.

7/10

Good, but not great. The Horse is amazing as a support, but only a support. Theoretically, you could drop an opponent in a volcano, but that’s only available to villains. And you get a horseshoe as an Item, which- The Items that are themed to the miraculous are the worst. They don’t have to be themed, yoyos have nothing to do with ladybugs.

I forgot about the Dragon when making this, so it goes here. It basically has three powers, which is cool as hell, and a sword as a weapon? Why is it so low again?

I guess I just can’t put it on the same tier as the Rabbit.

6/10

Good in specific scenarios. The Dog can be used very effectively, but it really only has one thing. It’s Item and it’s power are the same thing. The ball is used for Fetch and that’s all it’s got. It’s unique, but not versatile, and that’s a problem for a superhero.

The Monkey is different. Its not very good, but it’s not bad either. The Item is a Ruyi Jingu Bang, which is basically a staff. Sounds like Chat Noir’s? Yeah, it’s not very unique either. The reason the Monkey isn’t 5/10 is the fact that Uproar can fuck up everyone else’s powers, and that’s pretty good.

5/10

The real mid tier miraculouses. Not because I don’t like them, but because they just don’t have much thought put into them.

The Tiger is. Fine. Certainly Purple Tigress has a cool design, but the miraculous itself leaves something to be desired. It’s Item is basically a whip, which is cool because it looks like tail when worn, but you know what? Chat Noir has a belt like that, and it isn’t his main weapon. Bad form Tiger.

But most of my problem with it is Clout. It is, beyond the flowery courage language, a really strong punch. And I won’t say that’s a bad power, but: All miraculous users have enhanced strength. Tiger isn’t special. But more to the point, Clout doesn’t do anything Cataclysm can’t do. And the whip is nearly identical to the Mouse’s skipping rope. The Tiger has nothing unique about it, and having a non-terrible power doesn’t save it from that.

The Pig on the other hand is very unique. Gift lets the user throw a hallucination grenade, showing people a vision of their greatest wish. Under the right circumstances, that can win a fight.

But it all all the Pig has. It’s Item is a tambourine, which has the same issues as any other random weapon, like the lyre or horseshoe. And even Gift has it’s issues. People under it’s effects are somewhat aware of things happening in the real world, and it seems like time moves faster within the visions (maybe? I’m unclear), so a user has to be quick to keep them down, or they risk them breaking out.

So it’s just ok. But I do really love Rose’s transformation sequence. She’s so excited.

4/10

This one is mostly because the rules are so unclear. Sure, same goes for a lot of powers, but it usually doesn’t matter so much. Ok, you can give yourself any power, except when you can’t. It can’t be a power held by another miraculous, and can’t directly interfere with them. Fair enough. But it also 'has to be an ability, not a wish’. Where’s the line there?

The example on the wiki is that you can’t wish you had a pair of socks, but you could give yourself the ability to knit socks. But why couldn’t you give yourself the ability to make pairs of socks appear? Is it because that would be creation? Or does it have to be something a human could feasibly do? (That one definitely isn’t canon, but it could’ve been dammit).

Also, I have issues with the 'cant be a power held by another miraculous’ part. Say I wanted socks but didn’t want to make them. Instead of creating them, I give myself the ability to take a pair of socks from somewhere in the world and have them appear in my hand. Now, is that infringing upon the Horse, miraculous of Migration (transportation), or the Dog, who’s power that literally is? Clearly miraculous can infringe on each others fields.

But not only that, the Rooster miraculous specifically can do so. In Strikeback, Marc makes copies of Ladybug’s sunglasses, a power held by the miraculous of multiplication, the MOUSE.

This one was not thought through.

Also, it’s Item is a fountain pen, and whilst I love that for Marc, that doesn’t make it a good weapon.

3/10

This one is just disappointing. Genesis is the power to draw something into existence, how do you make that boring? They’ve even done this exact power before.

Well, that’s not really true. Yes, Genesis is basically Evillustrator, but to be more specific, its Evillustrator, but worse.

And I’d be okay with that! A lot of villains are more powerful than the heroes. Miraculous are the way they are to prevent any one person from being too powerful. That’s fine.

My problem is that the Goat is also just the Ladybug but worse.

Yeah, the Goat can pick their item, but we know the Ladybug can do that too. It just depends on the wielder. And the things the Goat makes can’t repair battle damage and heal people.

The fact is, drawing a single item into existence isn’t that great. Evillustrator was only good because he could make a bunch of different objects all at once. And yes, if Nathaniel was an adult he’d probably be able to do that too. But if the miraculous rules were consistent, Alya would only be able to make one illusion. Instead, once she casts one, she can change it as much as she wants until her timer runs out.

Which is how the Goat should work. Or, you can exchange an item but it reduces how much time you have left. Anything, really, just- Not the boring canon option.

Also, I don’t like Caprikid’s costume.

1/10

(yes, this is the best picture I could find)

Here we are. The worst of the worst. The absolute nothingburger of a miraculous that is the Ox.

First of all: I didn’t think this one got an Item. But the mallet is a decent weapon, and the only reason the Ox isn’t 0/10

Resistance. Immunity to superpower based attacks. Objectively, not bad. It’s not invulnerability, but that might be OP, so I’m okay with that. And if Resistance was a passive ability the Ox would be 5/10 or something.

But it’s not. Once activated, it only lasts five minutes. Yes, that’s because Ivan is a teenager, but 90% of Miraculouses are wielded by teenagers and they’re not all this shit.

The Ox has nothing else going for it. It can’t be affected by superpowers directly, but a wielder can still be hit in the face by a miraculous weapon. The floor can be destroyed under them. You can throw something at them- You get the idea. Resistance just does not give enough of an advantage to compete with the other miraculouses.

Also, Minotaurox is a dumb name.

-

This concludes our ranking today. Thank you for reading this overly long ramble-fest, and know that all opinions listed are 100% correct and free of bias, regardless of what previous comments about hero names and costumes might suggest.

[baldudiable]

the link between Mercury and the Magician

before writing this post, I was planning on speaking about how Mercury is linked to the Magician card because our thoughts (a Mercurial principle) create (a Magician principle) our reality. the universe is ruled by a number of laws, and one of them is the law of attraction. this law is the belief that our thoughts have an indirect incidence on our reality. pur thoughts push us to act a certain way, to meet certain people, and to find ourselves in particular situations. We accept our fate, because we believe that what we're encountering is what we deserve. we accept our fate, until we believe that we can have more. then, we change our thinking. We start acting differently, and our trajectory changes.

this post was meant to be solely about that. but as I was researching information on the subject, more ideas came to me. I now see more similarities between Mercury (both the divinity and the planet) and the Magician Arcana.

let's get into it.

first off, the myth of Mercury

fruit of the union of Jupiter and Maia, Mercury is born in a cave of the Mount Cyllene. he runs away shortly after his birth, while his family sleeps, only to steal the cattle of his brother's herd. these beasts are then given as an offering to the Gods of Olympus. once the deed is done, he goes back to his bed, his absence unnoticed. Apollo, who has been alerted of his brother's actions, accuses the young one. Maia will then defend her son, justifying his innocence by showing him soundly asleep in his bed. Mercury will still be asked to defend himself by his father, though. he manages to do so without effort, thanks to his charm and way with words.

Mercury was indeed the God of speech and information. For that, he knew how to flatter and manipulate people in order to get their approval.

he was not only gifted with wit, but also with great creativity. it is to him that we owe the invention of the lyre, which he allegedly created with a turtle shell. he invented the flute, which he gave to Apollo in exchange of the caduceus, an object that eventually became his symbol.

Jupiter, proud of his son's innovative spirit, eventually names him Messenger of the Gods. wearing winged helmet and sandals, Mercury flies between the earth and the sky, playing the role of intermediary between Man and God. he is also given the task of bringing the dead's souls to Hell. as a matter of fact, he is one of the few people allowed to enter Hell, and to come out of it.

Mercury in astrology

Mercury is the fastest moving planet in the solar system. Like the God to which it is associated, it rules speech, transmission of information, and mental faculties. it is a cerebral and rational celestial body that influences our way of speaking, thinking, and learning. its placement in our chart gives us an hint of where our passions lie, what pieces of knowledge we should pursue in order to feel mentally fulfilled, and also, how to best utilize that knowledge.

as I said in the introduction, our thoughts generate a particular vibration that attract specific experiences to our reality.

take fire Mercury for example. It's a placement that is direct, impulsive, and gives the native strong opinions. this energy is bound to attract opposition, which the native gladly accepts since they usually like a challenge. this placement can give them the possibility, or the desire, to be a spokesperson that fights for others, and allows them to stand in the spotlight. success is meant to happen for the native, as the fire element makes them believe in themselves and their abilities.

another example would be mutable Mercury. tt indicates a flexible, changeable nature. it makes someone more open to change and opinions that differ from theirs. contrary to the Fixed modality, it welcomes novelty and the experiences it brings with joy. it makes one less inclined to be conflictual, since they want to learn from others, and not limit themselves to their way of thinking. this modality can lead one to surround themselves with people who are different so that they can grow and evolve. it can put someone in the position of a guide, or mentor, who will teach and challenge the minds of the people they are in contact with.

last but not least, the Magician

the Magician is a highly spiritual figure.

upon looking at the Arcana, we can see this character pointing at both the sky and the ground, as he stands between the two. like Mercury, he plays the role of messenger between Heaven and Earth. the Magician has great dreams. he was gifted with the faith and the will necessary to accomplish them. whatever he ends up creating will not only benefit him, but also everyone who encounters it.

like the God, he is highly versatile and creative. the tools laid on the tables are a Wand, a Cup, a Sword, and a Pentacle. these objects respectively symbolize spiritual, emotional, mental or relational, and material ressources that are at his disposal to make his vision come true.

as it is the first Arcana of Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot, the Magician is like a guide that shows us the way. the message it brings is that if we believe in ourselves and our gifts, we will achieve whatever dreams we have.

[jaybird144]

Fire Emblem Oc drop!

Mackenzie

Name: Mackenzie Mythios

Nicknames: Mack (from family), Z (from Hapi), and Kenzie (from Black Eagles).

Day of birth: 14 of Lone Moon (March 14)

House: Black Eagles

Nationality: Adrestian, Hyrm territory

Crest: none

Gender and Pronouns: Male, he/him

Preferred Paths:

Commoner -> Monk -> Mage -> Valkyrie

Commoner -> solider -> Caviler -> Paladin ->

Dark knight

Strengths: Reason and Lance

Weakness: Axe

Family: unnamed father, unnamed mother, unnamed twin sister

Lost items:

Sea Shell notebook- It's a notebook with Sea shells on the cover. It seems to belong to Someone who lived by the shore.

Found in the library during Chapter 2

Old Turtle charm- A Small Sea turtle Charm with the Crest of Indech engraved on its shell. It Probably belongs to someone who worships Saint Intech.

Found in the training grounds in chapter 9

Lyre sheet music- A crumpled piece of paper that looks like old nursery song. It Probaby belongs to someone who plays an instrament.

Found by the pond in chapter 15

Favorite gifts: Fishing float, Gemstone beads, Dapper handkerchief, Riding boots, Legends of Chivalry, Book of sheet music, The history of Fódlan, Owl feather, and Book of Crest designs.

Liked Gifts: Floral Adornment, Tasty Baked treat, Hunting dagger, Watering can, Whetstone, Armored Bear Stuffy, Tea Leaves, Ancient coin, all flowers, Ceremonial sword, and Landscape painting.

Disliked gifts: Smoked meat, Stylish hair clip, Training Weight, Arithmetic textbook, Monarch studies book, Exotic Spices, Board game, Coffee beans and Blue Cheese.

Possible supports:

-Edelgard (C, B, A, and Platonic paired ending)

-Hubert (C, B, A and [haven’t decided yet] paired ending)

-Ferdinand (C, B, B+, A and romantic paired ending)

-Bernadetta (C, B, and A)

-Caspar (C and B)

-Linhardt (C, B, A and romantic paired ending)

-Dorothea (C, B, A, and Platonic paired ending)

-Petra (C, B, and A)

-Jeritza (C, B, A and romantic paired ending)

-Lysithea (C, B, and A)

-Marianne (C, B, and A)

-Seteth (C and B)

-Hapi (C and B)

-F!Byleth (C, B, and A)

-M!Byleth (C, B, A, S, and Romantic paired ending)

[s4lty-squ1d]

I started this drawing based on the Lyre that Hermes made out of a turtle shell

[princess-of-the-corner]

There's another crossover prompt I'm considering by miraculous-prompts, that being ML + favorite book with Turtle!Luka as the main character, but I don't have much to go off of for that other than Luka and Juleka as children of Apollo and Luka using both a shield and the original tortoise shell lyre that Hermes made for Apollo. (Also probably Lukanette)

oh dope tho

[frozen-fountain]

A week ago I participated in a one-word prompt challenge on Reddit, and was tasked with writing a 1K based around the word "carve". The idea I eventually hit on ran away with me a bit, hence not having time to polish it up before the deadline. Therefore, what follows is an almost unedited first draft; there'll be a readable version up on AO3 in time, but for now, I'm posting this to say I've done it and I guess in case anyone wants to offer me pointers (though I recommend you hold out for the good one).

Content warning: deaths, including children.

Zuela turned the fish back and forth between her fingers, alone on the top floor of a house shaped like the shells that littered the southern seas. “Why were they built like this when the city is so far from the sea?”

“Because,” and her mother had reached forward with a warm smile, stroking her hair back from her forehead, “it reminds us all the world is one body. The same seas that are home to shells like this brought us to the shores here – it's only colder.”

Zuela nodded. “When we go back to Medahl, can we built something there that reminds us of the north?”

Her mother had paled then, looking almost like the snow as the smile dropped. But she nodded firmly as she rose to her feet. “What a wonderful idea. Why don't you have a think about what that could be?”

“Where are you going?”

“Out.” She crossed the room and slipped her heavy wool coat over her shoulders, bending to lace her big boots. Her stomach growled as she moved. “You see? I'm hungry, too. Why don't I find us some more of the nuts you liked from the bushes by the city gates?”

“But...” Zuela chewed at her lip, worried the loose thread in the pocket of her coat, but the yawning chasm of her belly had other ideas. “I thought you said we weren't allowed to go outside?”

Her mother threw her a wink with her hand on the door. “I'll be but a moment, my sea-and-sky. No-one needs to know besides the two of us.”

Time lost itself in the northern capital. In Medahl, where winter was summer was winter, the spaces between the wooden houses bustled with people picking fruit and singing songs on lyre and lute. Among the white trees that seemed to glow with the strength of the planet, there was space in abundance, and the lightest footfall on rush mats echoes among them. Too quiet, even though more whispering than any other year – five she could remember, they'd made the journey – had taken place since the solstice. And her mother had been gone long enough for the sky to darken and the temperature to fall, for the snow to resume as the wind came wailing down from the icy heights of the mountains. But if I tell, she'll be in trouble.

“But why can't we head south again?” she'd asked as her mother whittled the fish – a clownfish, bright bursting orange striped with white, swimming through the southern oceans in clans like theirs. They swam around feet that strayed into warm water, while their teacher waited on the shore with new towels and much to be learned. They lived down there in symbiosis – sim-bee-oh-sis – with the colourful fronds of anemones that clung to the rocks. The fish ate the creatures too small for the eye to see that whittled away at the anemone, while the anemone made a fortress for them, safe from sharks and turtles and seabirds most of all, descending from the skies and invading the waters to snatch the little fish from their homes.

“And the anemone eats the fish's shit!” one of the older boys yelled.

Zuela had plunged her hand into the seaform and splashed with all her might in his direction, cackling as she went. “And it's in the water! Now it's on you, too!”

Zuela turned the fish over in her hand again, clasped it tighter in her palm. This one had no anemone to shelter among yet, though mother had promised to carve one next.

She'd stopped the flickering of her knife as the question fell. After a quiet moment, she said, “soon, my sweet.” No more.

“But we always go south with the whales! After the solstice!”

“Yes, well,” and the hand holding the knife slipped, cutting a little red slit into the steadying thumb, “we have to wait a while longer this year, that's all.”

“But what about the snow? And you still haven't told me why some of the clans couldn't make it!”

Mother had said nothing after that. Only pursed her lips as she picked up the pace of her carving, winnowing little fins from the dark wood in her hands. The sky had opened and more and more snow must have piled up closer to the entrance – had it stopped her from getting back in? Was she lost out on the tundra, where one horizon looked much like another and many a Cetra had breathed their last lost in the white? Where the ice wind froze the flesh from their bodies, leaving nothing to nourish the planet by the time the spring thaw came around?

Zuela swung her legs over the side of the bed and slipped her feet into her boots. Leather and whalebone and patterned with the weave of her clan, they left a little too much room around the toes. “You'll grow into them by the time we head back to the south,” her mother had promised, ruffling her hair, “or at least by the time of the next solstice.”

She rose to her feet, and paused. Placing the fish in her pocket, she pulled again at the loose thread, more and more of it unravelling in her hand. The coat was thick wool, woven like her boots in the pattern of the tribe passed down from a time beyond reckoning – an imprint of everyone who had ever walked her same paths, wrapped around her shoulders to keep her warm. Twining threads ran up and down the sleeves, crossing over across the torso – red and blue, woven together, the way blood came to and left the heart. Hers was skittering under the wool, the door and the forest beyond it dark and beyond the strength of her eyes. But as her stomach growled again she gripped the fish, and took one step and another towards the exit.

All was wrapped in silence as Zuela stepped outside the house and into the woods, teeming as they did with a strange crystalline note on the air, contrasting with the furtive scurrying of creatures unseen, as if they ran away. Maybe the next solstice would bring more life with it. In previous years, when she was barely tall enough to sit at the long feasting table, all the clans from all corners of the world had converged for one week to mark another lap around the planet for the sun, and give thanks for the planet's bounty. It was a time to remember the dead they laid to rest in green pastures and dense forests, so they may nurture the planet in turn, and to drink and celebrate the life that yet remained.

None of that had come with them from warmer climes that year. The elders sat with faces of grey stone and merely waved hands at the questions from her and the other children, who seemed the only ones to notice something was wrong.

“- do not know how long it must last us,” said the echo of a whisper from close by – the house opposite, crowned with tendrils. Zuela trotted over to find Dalan with his hands on his hips, staring daggers into Torain as he flapped an empty sackcloth in the air. “This, already, gone!”

“Hello,” she said quietly.

They both turned to her with a snap of their heads, Dalan whipping the sack behind his back as if to hide it. “Hello, little one. What are you doing out so late?”

She bit back the truth and plastered on a sickly smile instead. “How about a midnight snack?”

An uneasy chuckle followed, and it made her blood turn cold. Torain only shook his head, leaning back against the wall as if laden with something heavy. “Go and ask your mother, child. There's no reason for you to be out at night.”

Zuela turned on her heel, hiding her reddening face behind a sleeve. Stomping her way across the frosty ground, she made for the gates – exactly where they told her not to go. What did they know? Not much, evidently, if they couldn't answer the simplest of questions about where the food went and what was making everyone so quiet and why they couldn't go south like every other year.

She followed the path as it wound around the perimeter, past more houses in the cluster of shells and the coral-like colourful growths that sprung from the ground close by them. There had never been time to learn their names – solstice merriment came first in other years, and then the silence of unanswered questions. Even the wind didn't sing in the trees there. They only rang with a continuous, hollow tune, as if unable to moved by anything from the outside world.

Voices echoed up ahead, from the end of the straight path to the sleeping forest and the snow beyond. She crept her way along and hid behind a rock, the little fish clutched in her palm as she tugged at the loose stitch again. “The cold will see to it,” said one voice, a man, straining as if with the effort of lifting something heavy. “You should know. Is it not your clan that preserves the meat here in the deep ice?”

“As though now were the time to be self-righteous about what we eat,” said his companion, her voice sharper and quieter, as if afraid to be heard. “It isn't meat.”

“There's nothing cold can't kill off.”

“And once we believed the same of fire, of the deep water, of burial under the earth -”

“And it would not be the first problem that took a few attempts to -”

“Everything! This... It defies everything we ever believed we knew! And how many solutions, useless answers from a world that made sense, are we going to go through while the food dwindles into nothing and the blizzard freezes us out?”

A lower voice snorted with laughter at her words. “Have a better idea?”

Zuela huddled in her coat as a chill from the outside blew in and pressed the fish into her pocket for safekeeping, her fingers never letting it loose. The path around her, half indoors and half outdoors with the cover of the trees, had grown darker as the walked. The way home was obscured as night and cold fell heavy on the city, and mother was still not back yet. “You and your sense of adventure,” she used to say, putting on a harried tone even as she smiled and combed the tangles from Zuela's hair. “You'll find your death one day, straying so far from the settlement.”

She shivered and leaned forward to listen closer, grinding gravel below the tread of her boots. “I know it must be hard for both of you,” the first man said, “with Ovele not here, and what happened on the way -”

“It wasn't her!” cried the woman, gasping in the aftermath at the echo her voice made. “It wasn't Ovele!”

Zuela shuddered and pulled at the thread – harder. She pulled, and pulled, and the string came away in her hand – then more, more, until it spooled into entrails on the ground around her and a hole gaped in the pocket. Tears welled as she brushed it from her hands, flung it away, crouched away from the pile on the floor.

The first man spoke again. “This is far from the first hurdle the Cetra have had to find a way to overcome. You will see. This is but another pestilent strain the planet will provide us with a way to combat.”

“But what if it doesn't?” The woman spoke with a wobble to her voice, dangerously close to crying. “There are worlds beyond this world, as well we know after the rock fell from the sky. What if this thing that took Ovele and Pedriar and the Korcha clan came with it? When, in any other horror, has the planet refused to speak to us?”

“We just need time -”

“There is none! But there is -”

“We burned our dead!”

It was the third of them who spoke. Who screamed, his voice rising higher than the shrill of the wind as the words burst in the air like drops of boiling oil.

“We burned our dead!” he wailed again. “And now the planet has forsaken us!”

A rock rattled loose beneath Zuela's pounding feet, rolling away behind her. She was already rounding the bend back to the inner sanctum of the city, her hands on the fish as she ran with a watery veil cast across her eyes. We burned our dead. Her nose streamed as she pelted along the rocky path, eyes streaming and obscuring the way. To be in the presence of such a one, to invite him into this most sacred of places – it was no wonder the planet screamed at her as she ran, the soft ringing of the trees rising to the pitch of a poorly-tuned string as she hurtled past the lake. Their faces, so still and serence as they were lowered into the ground to nourish the planet that provided for them, screamed anew as the flame licked at their flesh and turned it to char. Blackening hands curling in agony reached for her, a wordless begging for the pain to stop, for the planet to take them instead, for the cycle to remain -

Zuela came to a stop at the start of the staircase winding downwards, panting as she clung to its banister. The water altar stood below her, where those who perished on the journey north – one or two, always – were laid to rest. The screaming stopped as she leaned in closer. The planet was still again, breathing as it should. She'd done right by coming that way.

She placed one foot and then another on the step, and again, lower and lower until even the wind was beyond hearing. No-one else had seemed to notice, or made the journey after the returning ceremony. Why not? It was peaceful, and beautiful in its own hollow, still way. Not so much as a ripple creased the surface of the lake, stretching to the perimeter with nary a -

A darkened figure stood in its centre, not moving.

Zuela froze mid-step so as not to make a sound. But as her heart slowed and the figure showed no sign of wishing her gone, she continued, eyes squinting in the watery light for a glimpse of the shadow-cloaked face. This person was tall enough, wiry enough, and – yes! Her wool coat, woven with the same pattern as Zuela's own.

“There you are!”

No movement from the lake. She took the steps two at a time, in case she hadn't heard. “Mother! I've been looking for you!” Breathless again as she stood on the shore and waited by the edge, Zuela laughed and waved. “What kind of berries have you found in there?”

Her mother raised her head at last, slow and jerking, as if unused to the motion. No other part of her moved, and in the glow of the creatures that swam below the water, her eyes seemed aglow with the sickly green of mako and starlight.

Zuela frowned. “Mother?”

It was her. The coat was the same, the swirls of red and blue, fire and water, both bloods that met in the heart. And yet it could not have been her. Mother never saw her without smiling. Mother was never cold, the way this figure seemed to radiate. This mother would never take her in her arms and wipe away her tears, and tell her they could leave the very next day, to be away from abominations who deprived the planet of their dead.

“Mother?” She clasped the fish tighter in her hands – shaking, again, how silly of her. “Come on, mother, let's go home. It's about to get dark, and cold, and...”

A change came over her stone-still face, then – a terrible yawn of the mouth as she screamed. “Run!”

Her mother flapped her arms as if casting a net, or shooing a seabird in through the window – and fell still. She stood there waist-deep in the water, half-bent, her limbs twisting like the fronds of anemones mid-motion as the water lapsed back into flatness.

Zuela whimpered, shaking as she stood. “Mother?”

A toothy smile spread across one half of the figure's face. “Come here.”

She put one foot into the water, then another. There was nowhere else to go. The cold crept up to her shins, her waist, her collar – and the little fish slipped from her hand and fell to the bottom of the lake.