#villu

[jordi-gali]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Villu Jaanisoo (@villusoo)

Villu Jaanisoo

[star-going-supernova]

Star I'm such a fan of your stories and had a very fun idea based on GGY and wanted to see if you could do something with it

So there this whole think about GGY and Dr.Rabbit and Greg and it make me thought; what if Gregory was working with vanny and had his own costume and stuff,

Tony got lured to the Pizzaplex at the end of the story so It would be cool to see how he would deal against the whole band and 2 crazy 🐰 🗡 killers

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy them, friend!

Oh man, I'm gonna be totally honest, I don't know who half those characters are. I don't read the books, I'm afraid, and based on what little I know about this whole GGY thing, it's not a what-if or backstory that I have any interest in.

That being said, here's a little mini ficlet for you!

• • •

Alec turned the lock with a sigh of relief, jelly-legged from their desperate sprint. "That'll keep her out," he panted, turning away from the door.

Hands braced on his knees, Gregory sent him a weak thumbs-up as he tried to catch his breath.

It wasn't a large room, and at first glance, there was no other way out. Nevertheless, he poked around, searching for a vent. He'd barely pushed some boxes aside when he heard a click and the sound of the door opening. Alec whirled around. "Wait! She might still be—"

Gregory glanced over at him as the bunny lady stepped into the room. Instead of stabbing Gregory, though, her creepy red eyes turned toward Alec.

He... he'd let her in.

Alec stared, uncomprehending.

"I usually let the game go on for longer," Gregory said casually. "It's fun to see them really get their hopes up, y'know? But this was just too good."

A muffled chuckle came from inside the suit's head. The killer lady reached out and fondly ruffled Gregory's hair.

Shaking his head, Alec inched away from them, but the room was just so small. It had no other exits. "But I... I trusted you."

"Yeah," Gregory said, nodding. The bunny lady approached, knife glinting, and Alec tripped to the floor in a useless, panicked attempt to run when there was nowhere to go. "They always do."

[estonian-is-horrible]

For the 10th anniversary of people telling me I look like Villu Tamme, please enjoy this. uhhhh. uhmmmm. i actually don't know how to describe this

[eurovision-revisited]

1998 Birmingham - Number 19 - Kate - "Tulepuuhuulte luule"

Kate has returned to Eurolaul for 1998 with some more traditional, folky vibes after her successful debut in 1997. She's edged up seven places in my yearly round up!

Last year her song was, perhaps conventionally, about wanting to stop the globe and get off. Not an uncommon wish in 1997 when so much had been happening around the world in the preceding years. In 1998, she's gone to her safe place - the forest. Tulepuuhuulte luule (Firewood Lips Poetry) is an elaborate metaphor combining the imagery of a forest fire with the idea that anger is a fire that consumes all in its path.

If you've ever felt like lashing out in fury, this song is about you. Go find you calm space. Listen to the silence of the trees, and endure as they do.

Two violins, a guitar, a traditional drum and three rather wonderfully deep male harmonies are all that are required to give body to this music from Estonia's heartlands. Once again Kate's voice is confident singing the words of another poet, this time Villu Kangur. This finished 3rd in the final, in the best-of-the-rest slot behind the two songs that were clear at the top competing for the title. With this song and result, Kate established herself as a Eurolaul fixture, and one of the main contenders to represent Estonia in a future Eurovision.

There are two more entries to come and now that Alma Čardžić has entered her last national final for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kate is almost certain to become my national final crush for the time being.

[artisticmenace]

Art I made today. The pencil sketches are all Archaus at different times in he life. The creator is the person responsible for flipsidians having life. I say this knowing none of you know my oc lore. :0)

[fetusuae]

Chorionic Villus Sampling | Mothers and Fetuses Group

A prenatal genetic testing process called chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is used to identify certain genetic or chromosomal disorders in the growing fetus. It entails removing a tiny sample of placental tissue for testing. We provide the most sophisticated and thorough chorionic villus sample testing available at Mother and Fetus Medical Group. To deliver the most precise and trustworthy findings possible, our team of highly qualified medical specialists makes use of cutting-edge technology and the most recent medical developments. Mothers who have a higher chance of giving birth to a child with a genetic or chromosomal abnormality, such as those who are over 35, have a family history of genetic illnesses, or have had a previous pregnancy with a genetic abnormality, are often advised to get CVS or chromosomal abnormality.

At Mother and Fetus Medical Group, we recognize the value of offering mothers and their developing children the best possible care. Our chorionic villus sample testing is a crucial tool for assuring the mother's and the infant's health and wellness. Contact us right away to make an appointment and get the professional assistance and treatment you require if you are expecting a child and are worried about the health of your unborn child. You and your child are in the finest possible hands when you choose Mother and Fetus Medical Group.

[sonicziggy]

"How It All Began" by Mingo Rajandi, Erki Pärnoja, Ahto Abner, Villu Vihermäe, Meelis Vind, Tobias Tammearu, Johannes Kiik https://ift.tt/xbiBh9m

[groupchatbrain]

Villu Jaanisoo Couch 2002

[wxmatija]

installation by villu jaanisoo rework/treatment by matija gabrilo

[acespace-spaceplace]

A silly quick little sketch of Irisians, canon or fanmade (probably to prep myself for when i actually draw em in full lol)

In actual series: Cyst, Umbilic, Yucous, Macula, Vitreous, Ulcer (scrapped, replaced by Yucous)

Extraneous Moon Catalog: Meibo, Fovea, Sclera, Oculus, Neuro, Ciliary, Mitros (not illustrated due to severely incomprehensible form)

My own Irisians: Þrombus, Mesentery, Polyp, Villus, Uvea, Hyaloid, Aortic

[thereader-radhika]

Nappinnai in Ponniyin Selvan

Krishna-Nappinnai cult was prominent in Tamil-speaking areas of South India in the seventh to tenth centuries. Nappinnai can be considered a mix of Satya of Ashtabharya and Radha. This cult is the prototype of the later Radha-Krishna cult in the North. She features prominently in the poetry of Alwars (Vaishnavite poet saints) as the worldly wife of Krishna as different from the divine consorts of Lord Vishnu.

In Tamil poetry, Nappinnai is the daughter of Yashoda’s brother Kumbakan. She grew up with Krishna and Balarama and Krishna marries her by taming seven bulls in a public tournament. Nappinnai is featured in non-Hindu sources too. For example, in Jivaka Chintamani composed by the Jain saint Tirutakkatevar, a King is told that he shouldn't hesitate to marry a lower class woman because Tirumal himself is married to cowherdess Nappinnai.

Krishna Mandapam at Mahabalipuram

Krishnan lifting Govardhana, Balarama on the right side, consoling an old couple. Nappinnai on the left side gazing at him admiringly, holding the hands of his sister Subhadra.

Aditha Karikalan, Thirukkoilur Malayaman and Parthibendra Pallavan spend their night in this complex near the iconic Shore Temple, at the end of Book 1. The young princes discuss about sculptures and poetry, which Parthibendran finds distasteful. Malayaman leaves them to watch villu pattu in the Pancha ratha complex and it is here that Karikalan narrates the story of his heartbreak. Now it is a closed structure, but originally it was an open air bas relief. The mandapam enclosing it was constructed only in the 16th century, during Vijayanagara period.

An entire chapter (Achchiyar Kuravai) of Silappathikaram is about Nappinnai playing Kuravai dance with Krishan and Balaraman. Manimekalai (Sangham epic, not PS character) too mentions this dance. When Vanthiyathevan gives Aditha Karikalan's letter to Kundavai, Kundavai's retinue is seen dancing to this, singing about various asuras trying to kill Krishnan.

When Karikalan goes to Kadambur, there too we see the preparations for the Kuravai.

While having a heart to heart conversation (as much as someone like Nandini can open her heart), Nandini tells Manimegalai about her hallucinations. According to her, when we love or hate someone intensely, we can see and feel them even in their absence.

This is something Nandini made up for her consolation, because Nappinnai is never seperated from Krishna. In fact, it said that Vishnu left his divine wives and descended from his seat to be Nappinnai's beloved.

You parted from the eternal Great Flower [Lakshmi] and from the Lady Earth, became a youth, and then united in marriage with the shoulders of the cowherd Pinnai.

In Kuravai Koothu, women sing that Krishna avoids Lakshmi because he is so enamored by Nappinnai. 

Is Pinnai of bangled arms so beautiful that He who had won great reputation by measuring the universe, would not look at Lakshmi dwelling in his own breast ?

It is to this Nappinnai that Andal prays to give her an opportunity to get one with Krishna, as her other attempts to wake him up were futile.

Nandini must have heard of the North Indian narratives about viraha unmadini (driven mad by seperation) Radha which were in their infancy then. Nappinnai didn't have the habit of seeing hallucinations - it is Nandini who has mental health issues.

This connection also shows Nandini's guilt about her life's circumstances though they were beyond her control. When Vanthiyathevan tells her that her Krishnan is still waiting for her, she replies that she doesn't deserve it. After marrying Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar, Nandini is never shown praying earnestly - either she is lying about different prayers and austerities or she is using devotion to avoid questions.

Edit: After writing the original post, I thought I will read Thirumangai Alwar's poems because his poetry is specifically mentioned in the chapter which shows Karikalan, Parthibendran and Malayaman going to the port to oversee the loading for goods for Arulmozhi's army. Look what I found:

Pinnai's forehead is a gleaming crescent moon  So long ago in battle he subdued seven bulls for her hand And now he owns beautiful Kanchi which is surrounded by beautiful cool ponds of waters Where the sovereign of Pallavas who have the sharp blood stained sword in his hands Who owns a drum with a bitter mouth And the Conch with the roar of the sea Pays his obeisance to his Lord.

(The poem says that the poet's god is the Lord of Kanchi who is worshipped by the Pallava King. The rest are the descriptions of the the god and the king. In PS, crown prince Karikalan is ruling from Kanchi with Parthipendra Pallavan as his vasal)

Very subtle 🤣🤣

Are you even real, Maya Kanna?

@willkatfanfromasia @sowlspace @vibishalakshman @harinishivaa @thelekhikawrites @hollogramhallucination @thegleamingmoon @whippersnappersbookworm @nspwriteups @jukti-torko-golpo @arachneofthoughts @thirst4light

[janaknandini-singh999]

Day 25: Saptiya? (Did you eat?)

@desi-lgbt-fest

Vilasini came running and opened the door to the terrace sighing, a plate filled with food in her hand, thinking she'd finally get a little respite, leaving behind the humdrum of the wedding downstairs for a while at least and be able to eat out in the open. She was tired of pretending to be the perfect girl as desi atmosphere usually pressurizes one to be.

"Your name means cheerful and brilliant, so act like it, beta" some distant relative had told her smiling at her house when she was very small and introverted. Even though her parents had just laughed and agreed with her then, they had later told her not to take it to the heart but still subtly reaffirm what the relative had said every now and then through their actions even though mostly they were very supportive and flexible even for brown parents.

"I should be grateful" she thought, but that incident and similar ones engraved themselves on her and she became The Vibrant Vilasini - smiling and laughing along even when she didn't want to and eventually it naturally birthed into the role to overshadow all her other flaws that came out when she was just Villu (the nickname only her close friends and family called her).

Even right now, she was just being The Vibrant Vilasini with everyone in the wedding, joking around and asking everyone if they wanted anything. Honestly, she started kinda enjoying it. Being lively wasn't so bad at all and it had gave her a lot of nice experiences when she was with people she actually enjoyed being around with. But after a while, she always felt like she needed an escape.

Like she had needed right now.

Run.

It was moments like these she'd run and find peace under the moonlight or something.

But right now, she suddenly froze upon seeing the back of someone leaning on the handrail, quietly watching the baarat from above. "Ugh I wasn't expecting anyone to be here at this time. God, WHY me?"

Run.

That was the first thought even right now so she turned to leave when she heard a notification from the person's phone and then a thud on the railing. She looked back again as she saw the person had hit the railing or something and put their hands on their head in frustration. Vilasini closed the distance between them and saw it was a beautiful girl in a yellow sari with soft eyes turned slightly red in anger and long, lustrous hair like that of a goddess. Vilasini couldn't hold herself back from clearing her throat and whistling,

"Oo someone is really angry."

There. The Vibrant Vilasini was back. Vilasini could kick herself in the stomach right now but something wanted her to stay here with this girl and talk to her for a bit.

"Who the heck are you? And what do you want?" She looked around at her and snapped.

Oof, not the best start. But damn? She looked lovely even while furious, Vilasini stared for a second and then peeped a glance at the girl's phone at whose notification had seemed to trigger her earlier. She clicked her tongue.

"Ah, your friend didn't show up. I'm so sorry.. but I can keep you company in their place." Vilasini winked and braced herself for another blow. But it never came.

Instead, tears silently rolled down the girl's cheeks. Vilasini then noticed that her eyes had shifted to the procession below, which was now at its peak extravaganza. The groom was dancing heartily on the horseback.

"I loved him.. so much" the girl finally whispered.

Vilasini took a step back and started singing "Accha chalta hoon-" but the girl wasn't even looking at her anymore, not even acknowledging her presence as if she was invisible. That attacked right into the careful armour of her vibrant persona, which cracked open and now she felt more sad and connected to this girl than ever, it reminded her of herself when she was her true self. Maybe the energy reached the girl too so she looked at Vilasini now and asked quietly, "Did I love him too much, or too less.. that this happened?"

Vilasini had never wanted to hug someone so much her entire life but she withheld herself because she wasn't sure of this girl's comfort space. So, she just smiled. A genuine warm smile and whispered,

"You loved him enough to let him go."

That made the girl finally smile back. And God. If Vilasini thought she was gorgeous in anger, she was heavenly when smiling.

"You're red in the face, are you fine.. umm"

"Vilasini is the name. But Villu or Villaa or Villy or whatever you like, gorgeous." she said in a sing song voice. "And well, I'm red coz I'm ANGRY. THAT dude was your one true love?! Are you kidding me?? Coz well, he's my jiju now so ya know I stole his jooti but how much I got in RETURN? 2 RUPEES?!! WHO DOES THAT-" Vilasini handed the coin aggressively to her.

The girl burst out laughing, wiping away her tears and said, nodding and laughing in between again, "He's always been a miser."

Vilasini grinned back, and refused when she gave it back to her, "You can keep it. Consider it the last sign of his from the universe that Thank God You Didn't End Up With Him. My sister may have been an idiot in love to marry him, and I couldn't save her, so now I have a jijjaji that won't even give me TREATS. UGH. But don't worry coz I bet you're gonna find someone a million times better than him now."

The girl raised her eyebrows in amusement and tilted her head, saying "Thank you. I wish the same to you."

Suddenly, her stomach started rumbling.

"Oh, RIGHT I TOTALLY FORGOT." Vilasini exclaimed and brought out her plate. "Did you eat?"

"I haven't since yesterday." She replied and looked over the pheras taking place now, a numb sort of sorrow quietly settling itself on her eyes and smile.

"Not again." Vilasini whispered

"I really don't feel like having anything, and this is yours so-"

"Oh, please. There's more than enough food for both of us, and for some reason I've felt oddly full since the morning so even I have not eaten anything all day. But if you're not having, I won't either now."

"You-"

"AHA!" Vilasini quickly placed a morsel of a piece of roti and dal in her mouth as she had just opened it, and smiled. "There's no turning back now, you're trapped into indulging into this delicious shaadi ka khaana."

On the rooftop of a small makaan nearby, and elsewhere all over the city, there were brides breaking the fast by their spouses feeding while seeing the moon together.

It was Karva Chauth 🌙

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night,

"Shlokaa bro, I'm SOO sorry. This bloody fever and cold last minute so I couldn't come to the wedding. I'm a terrible best friend." a voice apologized tensely on call.

"Don't be silly, Aditi. It's alright. I would've been more mad if you had come and fallen more ill because of me. How are you feeling now?" Shlokaa put her phone on speaker and absentmindedly fidgeted with her pen.

"Much better now after the kaadha and stuff mummy made me." Aditi paused, "You know you didn't have to go through all of that all on your own by going to the wedding and seeing him, right?"

Shlokaa put the pen down and thought for a moment, somehow being able to smile at last and say "Nah, I had to. One sided shit barely ever benefited anyone. It was my thing and I needed my heart and eyes to see that it was actually over for good. And besides.. I loved him enough to let him go."

"Proud of you, girlie. Accha listen, you'll have to excuse and forgive your bestie one last time because I've gotta sleep now. Villu leaves from the first train tomorrow early morning so I have to see her off."

"Vi- who?" Shlokaa's heart skipped a beat.

"Arey, Villu.. Vilasini!! She's my cousin. You must have met her at the shaadi yesterday. She is impossible to miss because she's the life of every party. I absolutely have NO clue how she does it but she interacts and brightens literally everyone up in the room. Funny how mummy says Vilasini wasn't always like this but now compares me to her all the damn time, yaaaar. She says if Vilasini can learn then why can't I? Like bro what??Anyway, you'd meet her and think she's the most obedient and charming one you've ever met but trust me, I've known that girl since childhood and in the end, she wouldn't listen to anyone but herself and still manage to do what's best for everyone, and I respect her so much for that. Hello? Shlo bro, are you even listening?"

Shlokaa wasn't. Her mind had been stuck on one name ever since her friend had mentioned it: Vilasini. In no time, she whirled back into yesterday night on the terrace where she first saw her. Adorned in a pink lehenga wearing golden jhumke, she had looked more dazzling than the stars above. Dark eyes, and a faint smile on her cherry lips made her face even resemble the moon amidst the night of her messy hair. Shlokaa remembered feeling even a pang of jealousy on seeing her for the first time because she was also fair skinned, and no matter how hard Shlokaa would try, she believed that effortlessly pretty girls like these would always have an unfair advantage in society over her. But that wasn't the only reason she had first snapped at her. Vilasini had reminded her of the mean, popular girls that had been at her school in the beginning because of her seemingly insensitive and jesting attitude, and she just couldn't stand them. Nor could she stand just being helpess and not doing anything about it. She was a no nonsense girl who revolted against such injustice and people were a little intimidated of her because of that. They would say bad things behind her back to convince themselves that they weren't scared of her, it was she who was weird instead. But Shlokaa couldn't care less. One thing her mother had taught her was to be grounded. Shlokaa may not be a lot of things but she was strong. Her mother lovingly used to tell her how she was so dedicated to reading Bhagavad Gita when she was pregnant with Shlokaa so she had absorbed all the wisdom and values like Abhimanyu had about the chakravyun when his mother had him in the womb.

Coming back - Shlokaa was wrong about Vilasini. She had helped her that night and made her feel something no one ever had, even though she didn't even know her. She could feel her easy yet striking gaze on her even now as she imagined Vilasini in her head, and without thinking what she was saying, she snapped back into reality and suddenly blurted out to Aditi,

"Can you take me along with you tomorrow?"

[syrips]

thinking about the poll/post (omg i found it!!) asking about if strahd would be a vampire ascendant and i decided to ramble about it along with other random things because dont mind if i do indulge!! hehe

shoutout to @/thecatslug for inspiring me to colorcode my rambles because oh my god i love colors. also sorry the color code might not make sense its just syrips color coded my brain likes it gfdgdfg

ravenloft / bg3 spoilers below:

so, im not sure if the question meant 'would strahd be considered a vampire ascendant' or if it meant 'could strahd become a vampire ascendant', so i decided ill try to answer this: would strahd be considered a vampire ascendant? sorry if this wasnt the original question i just wanted to ramble honestly

before we get into the fancy nitty gritty stuff, let's take a look at the details of four main things apparently i cant count heh, get it, count? anyways im not fixing that four sorry numbers are hard

Vellioth the Martinet

Baldur's Gate's Master Vampire List

The Black Mass Scroll As A Whole

Cazador and Jander (what?)

Strahd

-----

Vellioth the Martinet

so, random fun theory that no one asked but i just wanna ramble it. did you know that 'vellus' means fleece or wool?

just gonna leave this here. unrelated to anything else btw i just wanna ramble it.

random wiki stuff:

"vellus / villus / veillier = fleece, shaggy tuft hair, wool villi = in france, to watch over martinet = wikipedia: 'in English, the term martinet usually refers not to the whip but to those who might use it: those who demand strict adherence to set rules and mete out punishment for failing to follow them.' vellus hair = 'peach fuzz'"

🩸✨💛 random theory no one asked for 💛✨🩸

vellioth has hair with:

color range: peach (fuzz) to wheat blonde

length: medium to long

type/shape/texture: curly to kinky; 'shaggy/woolly sheep' texture

anyways back to the actual stuff.

... hi.

so! the narrator/cazador describe Vellioth as 'ancient', or at least they call his skull ancient? which is very strange to me for two main reasons. Vellioth isn't old. and i know, 'but syrips, you say everyone isn't old because strahd's a big old dusty super elder!.' and yea. hehe youre right. but for now, just remember this - Vellioth was Baldur Gate's Master Vampire from 1204 DR to 1276 DR. this will be important in a moment, not even because of the age, but because what ill describe below.

-----

Baldur's Gate's Master Vampire List

so. one thing that i see thrown around a bit, is that people may assume that the vampire list left by Lady Incognita is based on birth and death or other stuff, but! i will clarify it a bit:

the title of Master Vampire does not mean the previous one's destruction or death. it only means their defeat upon someone else taking the throne. sure, they may occur at the same time, but one can take over without killing the former.

the master vampire list is a self-proclaiming title, and one that others can attempt to contest

each city/point of interest has their own master vampires fighting in their own little territories. we only see those of baldur's gate. not of waterdeep. not of other towns or cities or locations. if you're feeling the vtm clan vibes/drama, then youre absolutely right! cazador penpalling another master vampire to brag about his master vampire status in baldur's gate is both him bragging and him potentially preparing to claim other places once he ascends

the master vampire title gives no actual vampiric, magical, or physical power. it's an entirely a social construct, in the most literal way possible. it provides social influence, social intimidation, etc. but, it's just like putting on a mundane tiara. grats, i guess.. its shiny at least-

anyways, this stuff is mostly put down just to say - nothing about this "Master Vampire" status is about ascension, power, and/or 'special abilities'. it's a moot point/status. which leads to why the master vampires need other ways to gain power.. which is why.. woah! cool transition to-

-----

The Black Mass Scroll As A Whole

if you got this far then thanks for reading. sit up and hydrate because it's time to talk about the black mass and why you need to be in tip top shape for reading this part. ahem:

the black mass scroll is not just one ritual, it is a collection of Vellioth's schooling, a list of rites/rituals, details of soul, divine (good, neutral, and evil) magic, and the methods of manipulation of the soul, divinity, and magic.

tl;dr - the black mass scroll is a list of lists. a collection of collections. the black mass scroll is.. an archive!

one could say it is massive. heh. anyways yea, the mass is a double meaning - a mass in the ritual sense, but also the meaning of 'a bunch of somethings.'

why is this important though? well. because this black mass has 'all the ways death can be turned to one's advantage or made more interesting', such as 'The Rite of Perfect Slaughter' and the 'Rite of Profane Ascension.'

so, let's talk about the Rite of Perfect Slaughter, which is actually fairly easy - Cazador killed Vellioth in the Rite of Perfect Slaughter. yet, Vellioth, who should be 'dead,' is recalling this. we should note, both of these people are undead. and undead death doesnt always work in the same way as complete removal/destruction. literally look at the other undead/'dead' in bg3 itself. look at those who 'died' in ravenloft. yet, some return, despite being 'killed' in the human perceived way.

either way, all we can confirm, based on this Rite of Perfect Slaughter, is that it removed Vellioth's authority/status as a Master Vampire. that is literally all the information we have right now. anything else is speculation, theory, or even deception by an undead or someone affiliated. which makes me wonder, who came up and formed that name, the "Rite of Perfect Slaughter"? cazador and vellioth both have a distorted view of what 'perfection' means, and we've seen cazador lie/hide information that will work against him. and also, Vellioth was laughing as cazador did the Rite on Vellioth. why didnt cazador and astarion laugh together when astarion performed the Rite of Ascension? because cazador didnt want the rite used on him. i guess the point of all of this is, who originally discovered or created the Rite of Perfect Slaughter? because, we dont know! for all we know, Vellioth couldve wanted to be 'killed' to give his soul to someone else, to preserve his vampirism/unlife or something. afterall, the black mass has 'all the ways death can be turned to one's advantage.' it doesnt say by who benefits from it. but anyways. the origin isnt really relevant for this, i just wanted to point out that these Rites are all a various and mixed collection of times, rituals, affiliations, and intentions - most that we dont even know fully, if at all of who benefits from it. and, considering we dont even know what some mean, or who made them, the original people who discovered them may not even be Cazador or Vellioth.

why? or how?

because, the line Astarion says when he picks up the Black Mass Scroll: "[Cazador] stole everything, even [Vellioth's] precious rules."

it doesnt matter who made the rites, rituals, weird strange description/stuff. all that matters is that Cazador has the entire bundle of stuff that is from previous vampires and creatures. and, the symbolism that Astarion picks it up and takes it, means the collection of potential power - of The Black Mass Scroll - Astarion is the current inheritor of potential power.

-----

Cazador and Jander (what?)

now, reader. you might be like. 'syrips, what does this have to do with if Strahd is considered a vampire ascendant? why is jander being brought in here?? im so confused, just answer the question about strahd!' well, too bad! you gotta wait! into the sealed tomb with leo dilisnya you go!

anyways! what we learned so far (as well as random rambling cuz why not):

cazador literally takes things that aren't his

cazador learned this from 'ancient' vellioth

Vellioth become a master vampire at 1204 DR of baldur's gate

Cazador became one at 1276 DR of baldur's gate

but! let's take a quick look and compare this to our beloved Jander Sunstar's lore:

they are incredibly weak when compared to an already existing Jander and strahd, as Anna has existed on the sword coast beginning around 970 DR

not only does time work differently in barovia, but in Toril / DR time, strahd already exists at this point as The Vampire. he is already the ruler of barovia, as well as the center of attention in the domains of dread

time isnt really important here, but its worth noting this because of Jander. not only did he kill his vampire master (which can be considered a 'vampiric ascension,' as you break the chains and limits of your master and are now free to grow in vampiric abilities), but he literally wielded an ancient and holy relic that vellioth and cazador could not even imagine to do.

and, not only did Jander do that, but he challenged the cause of vampirism and was brought by the mists into barovia. he was a candidate to challenge the master, founder, and origin of vampirism - strahd. Jander had the potential to ascend. to break free from the true master and curse, of The Vampire.

anyways, jander (and astarion) is a great reference character for vampire ability when comparing vellioth and cazador to jander/strahd.

but yea. tl;dr - jander makes vellioth and cazador look really pathetic. like baby levels pathetic. vampire ascension is about going 'backwards/upwards' on the vampiric bloodline tree, gaining your agency back so that you can climb up the ranks to more 'potent/ancient' generations. basically, it's about being free to go as far/deep as you can attempt. ascension is not about 'the removal of weaknesses', it's about 'the reduction of vampiric inferiority'. and, being unable to be in the sun is not of inferiority. they can go in the sun, but it will hurt. what one cannot do without suffering, teamwork, pacts, and/or luck, however, is breaking their seal on the master they're forced to be inferior to. even in the cazador fight, the only thing that saved astarion was literally the tadpole helping to reduce his inferiority with cazador. on a side note, vellioth laughing at cazador during the rite of perfect slaughter makes me believe that vellioth benefitted and only caused cazador to descend deeper, instead of ascend.

anyways. back to cazador. the only way that he can reduce the vampiric inferiority (as well as ascend himself) is for him to confront more and more ancient vampires, you know. like what jander attempted. but, cazador doesnt want to do that. instead, he works with an archdevil to attempt a cheap temporary bandaid/loophole around the wrong problem. instead of focusing on his own inferiority complex heh pun intended, he focuses on how to get a tan and how to be less thirsty..? like. what? either he has no idea what hes doing, or he believes removing all weaknesses and flaws will make him a more perfect vampire. what a silly head.

anyways. the rite of 'ascension.'

yea, let's go into that!

what is the Rite of Ascension??

here you go, reader!

---

🎇🩸🏹 The Rite of Profane Ascension 🏹🩸🎇

Oh, piteous dead! Oh, ravenous dead!

syrips translator: oh pathetic hungry un/dead people!

Immortality is your gift, but darkness is your prison and hunger its gaoler.

syrips translator: you can't be out in the (sun)light, and your hunger imprisons you because youre in denial of how to manage your vampirism.

The Rite of Profane Ascension will release you. Walk in the sun. Suffer not from hunger. Grow your power beyond anything you imagined.

syrips translator: with just 7 payments of 999.99 souls, you too can remove the ailments of sun allergies and midnight cravings! call now to receive your 'ascension' kit!

A pact has been made with the Lord of Hellfire. Deliver unto him seven thousand souls, each bearing an Infernal mark, and you shall be free of your chains. You shall know true power.

syrips translator: -fast disclaimer speak- your sun and anti-hunger status is not actually included or garaunteed. you are agreeing to the terms and conditions that you are only receiving the kit to build and perform the sun and anti-hunger ritual. 'free of your chains' is only used to describe the 'chains of darkness and hunger' and nothing else. purchase not necessary to be 'ascended.' call now and begin your journey!!

Deliver the souls.

syrips translator: i really dont care who gives me the souls. just gimmy. thanks

Speak the words.

syrips translator: okay the actual pact is below. everything else was just to hype you up and was just the advertisement, hehe! anyways. anyone who says the ritual below with the right components is all i care about. because the stuff below is the actual trade. and no, you didnt get scammed. this isn't a vampire ascension, it's just an advertisement targetted towards a vampiric audience. you read the terms and conditions correctly, right? silly guy.

Ecce dominus,

syrips translator: "(google translate) Behold, the Lord" / 'uhh hi -opens trade window-'

Has animas offero in sacrificio,

syrips translator: "(google translate) I offer these souls in sacrifice," / -puts 7k stack of souls in trade window- 'here's the actual trade that you wanted -presses confirm trade-'

Nunc volo potestatem quam pollicitus es mihi.

syrips translator: "(google translate) Now I want the power you promised me." / -presses accept- so this trade goes against the ToS but.. youll give me the power i asked for, right?... oh thank god i was so afraid. illegal ingame-to-irl-currency trades are so scary.. thank god, or thank meph in this case haha get it- oh okay im leaving.. s-sorry.. thanks..-

-----

Strahd

wooo hooo! we made it back to the original question!! we did it!!

now, lettuce answer this question that we we've been waiting on for so long. i dont want to leaf you hanging.

would strahd be considered a vampire ascendant?

big drum roll! bhrrrbhrbrhbhrr!!

-cough-

..

no.

...

-leaves-

-returns-

okay so. why isnt strahd considered a vampy ascendant?

well, before we talk about that. let's consider what a 'vampire ascendant' is considered, by Vellioth, Cazador, and the Rite of Profane Ascension's terms:

an 'ascended vampire' is just one who has the ailments of sunlight and hunger removed by the process of this specific ritual. remember that line i said of a Master Vampire being a moot point? well.. to burst the blood bubble, the "Ascended Vampire" line isnt a literal 'vampire ascension'. it's also a moot point, in its own way. but not as mooty, it's more of like a half-truth. like something an archdevil would do to tempt someone into doing something for a small dose of infernal - not raw vampiric - power in return. take note that nowhere in the actual ritual lines does it talk about ascension, let alone vampiric ascension. all it talks about is to say the words 'you made a promise.. i hope you keep it..pls gimmy Infernal powers..'

you know how raphael is making a deal with you and how off it feels? that's because youre not ascending when he mutes your tadpole. he's just using his abilities to manipulate/mold something in you with his powers. that's how this ritual also is. it's just a half-truth, unempathetic advertisement, masked as a pact so that the one who does it feels satisfied, despite the archdevil just receiving much more power than the one who sacrificed all the souls.

but, let's say this ritual is legitimate, and one does 'ascend' by the archdevil's abilities to remove the ailments. so, they are technically 'rising,' in a way. they are becoming a 'stronger infernal-gifted vampire' because of less weaknesses. but, what are they trying to ascend to? what is the purpose of removing all of these weaknesses? why go through all of this?

because. they hunger. they want power. they want true immortality. they want to remove all weaknesses in mortal life and immortal unlife to have free agency, without inferiority to anything. they want to be able to transcend time, space, and death, to be on a level of the highest peak of vampirism.

and, of course. who would that be? who would be the most ancient, powerful vampire, cursed and imprisoned by their own success in achieving what other vampires can only dream of?

who was imprisoned not from failure, but from succeeding too well that something else had to intervene?

anyways, as much as i love stroking strahd's ego LOl i keep going tho, his novel-canon potential is severely higher than the CoS potential. but, through all the modules, novels, and other media, it's still heavily implied that strahd's major weakness is tatyana. if he had tatyana, or felt he was losing the chance to pursue her, if he lost this weakness, he would unironically be scarily unstoppable. the only thing stopping strahd from being a huge dictator or even more power-hungry tyrant is literally because of his obsession/'curse' with wanting to have a bae. which i find very hilarious but focus syrips that part isnt the point-

anyways. tl;dr - strahd has nothing to ascend to. he has no vampire that he's inferior to. if anything, he wants to descend. he wants to be 'less' of what he is now, to be with tatyana. or, to ascend tatyana to his vampiric level. it's his entire curse. and, because of this, he also cannot descend. if he does, he will either lose himself, or he will lose tatyana. and he will not dare to risk that.

he also has nothing that he has or can ascend from. he is the 'original'. at most, he just ascended from 'himself.' but, that's not really an ascension more than just a transition. (and, moving from the material plane to the domains of dread kind of shows that he's not really ascending/rising, more than he's just moving into a warped/slanted plane that operates differently in time and space.) and, unlike in the Rite of Profane Ascension, strahd used himself (and everything affiliated to him) as both the component and result, because no other method existed. he is the origin and reason that rites/methods to 'becoming a more powerful vampire' even exist. he's the reason that vampires exist. when strahd says he's the ancient and land, he's not just saying it for the cool monologue phrase even though we all know he totally enjoys saying it everytime. he's also bluntly saying, 'i am the ancient because i, with barovia, transcend time. i am the land because i, with barovia, connect with the domains of dread. and, the domains of dread, connects with all planes. i am beyond 'a vampire.' i, strahd, am the concept and definition of the vampire.'

everything that all vampires do, by definition, are mock versions, mock attempts, and mock methods that strahd has already mastered, influenced others to do, or that he has knowledge/creation of. everything all vampires do, is attempting to do what their masters had done. with every new spawn, they start at the bottom, trying to climb to their master's level. and even more rarely, attempting to climb to their master's master's level. but strahd is at the top of the MLM vampire pyramid. he has no master to climb up the ranks to. he's already the CEO, founder, etc. (idk how business works), he can't out-climb himself. -strahd pompous voice- 'ouhhh.. it's so lonely being at the top, ouhhh..' but anyways, he can ascend or assist others, since he's a patron. but most power-hungry vampires wouldnt want to do that, especially because they're probably trying to climb up just to compete or be on strahd's vampiric level. and yet, asking strahd for ascension is incredibly easy - all it would mean is making an eternal pact to always be subservient and inferior to strahd.. he'd gladly ascend you, you'd have the potential to be superior to all other vampires.. the only one above you would be personally him. and.. suddenly, a deal with an archdevil who doesnt care about the pettiness of vampire superiority, kind of sounds safer in comparison now..-

or idk. i could be wrong. just a ramble i had fun doing. hehe ty for reading

references/sauces:

bg3

bg3 wiki

wikipedia

wiktionary

google translate

ravenloft novels/modules/games/media/editions from like everywhere

[webtoonscreenshots]

I Think I Married the Wrong Guy, by sing-nanda, villus, E en, and Kim Daham