#whats the point in creating a diverse world if people are punished for their diversities?

[alicelufenia]

From Long Prices to Long Odds - yep, I'm starting Pale Lights

While chipping away at my re-read of A Practical Guide to Evil, and with patch 8 of Baldur's Gate 3 STILL a ways out, I've started reading ErraticErrata's next big project - Pale Lights.

Right away I can tell how much the author's improved since book 1 of the Guide. We've got two point of view characters for our journey through the subterranean, post-apocalypse world of Vesper. Tristan Abrascal - orphan, street rat, and thief, with a vendetta to settle against the nobles who've wronged him; and Lady Angharad Tredegar, a noble in exile with nothing to her name save her sword arm and unshakable sense of honor, who has sworn vengeance against her family's killers, even as she's dogged by assassins at every step.

Both from worlds like night and day (or I guess that would be Gloam and Glare in this world), they could not be more different, but fate has set them on the same path; to survive to see their enemies punished, they must first survive the trials on the island - the Dominion of Lost Things - alongside other competitors from all walks of life, in order to escape their past and join the Watch, that special band of elite god-killers that toe the line between civilization and the monsters who lurk in the endless dark beyond the points of light.

And it really isn't any big spoiler or anything to mention contracts, basically pacts with supernatural beings for power and guidance. Both our main characters have them—Tristan with a minor god of luck (he's literally her only follower) called Fortuna, the Lady of Long Odds, who only he can interact with, and is constantly snarking at him; while Angharad's contract is with a mysterious entity of few words known only as the Fisher. Many other characters possess contracts that are detailed to varying degrees, but we get the closest look at them through our main characters, both patrons being just as different from each other as their human charges.

It's only a few chapters in that the supporting cast expands immensely, with over a dozen other competitors shipped off to the same destination. Some are paid for by a sponsor, like our protagonist duo, others are here by their own expense, mainly a group of Sacromontan nobles for whom getting even partway through the trials will gain them status with their families. And some are here because they have no other choice, forced in by debtors and legbreakers to pay with their lives or their eventual service in the Watch. Think Man in the Iron Mask meets And Then There Were None.

Keeping track of so many characters early on has been a challenge, but luckily the extremely prolific @gwennafran has created visual guides per chapter of the entire cast, their origins, abilities, affiliations, and status of living or dead or mia. It also serves as a handy reference to visualize what everyone looks like, the cast being just as diverse and multicultural as in the Guide, except everyone's human this time around.

Where the Guide draws from Mediterranean Europe and North Africa for its naming conventions and cultural touchstones, Pale Lights starts us off with a very Central and South America-inspired setting. Place names like Izcalli and Sacromonte, the nobles of the latter being referred to constantly as infanzones (literally minor nobles in Spanish), are just a few early examples. Right now the scope is very limited, starting in one city before moving to a "deserted" island, which is actually totally occupied by hollows, or "darklings", the extremely indigenous-coded pale-skinned people who have completely adapted to living in the total dark of Vesper, away from any pits of Glare (the perpetual light shining through cracks in firmament above, where most civilization gathers). Especially given we're already exploring class dynamics of nobles and non-nobles, I expect we'll also find the "Red Eye cultists" to be more than they appear at first.

I'm only 16 chapters in, and already am very much hooked. Both Tristan and Angharad serve as excellent foils for each other; pragmatist vs idealist, street smarts vs noble scion, untrusting to a fault vs too honorable for her own good. It's all very delicious, and I have reasons to root for both of them even as their beliefs and methods remain anathema to each other. One of the coolest things about a primarily single-perspective narrative are those times when you can see that character from an outsider's view, and because each chapter or two flips between protagonists, we get an impression of how both of them come across to other people, giving us a chance to be out of their heads for a bit.

Dunno how often I'll post live reading thoughts on this one, but I'll certainly try, including anytime I finish a book; which right now is just the two. But hey, at least with this one I'll be catching up to current releases, which is a nice change of pace.

[eldritch-spouse]

Hey Pinnie!

If this question isn’t something you’re interested in answering I understand (or if it’s been answered before; I looked and couldn’t find it, but I may have just missed it), but I’ve wondered about it for a while;

I know Admin is designed to be as blank a slate as possible so the reader can insert themselves into her. That’s totally understandable, and a great system. But what about when the POV isn’t from Admin’s perspective? Like when the reader is Charm, or one of the TCE boy’s obsessions, or ESPECIALLY back during the “Gifted” series, and Admin is being interacted with as a character in her own right?

Do you have any physical traits you imagine her with when she’s a separate character (even if they’re vague, like “short” or “on the larger side”)? What about personality? There have been many iterations of Admin who act very differently- some kinder, some crueler, some more brainwashed while others are less- are any of those ones you consider more “canon” than the rest?

I ask mainly from a place of liking to write characters into this world that aren’t Admin, but do interact with her. I just wanted to know anything about the character of Admin before having a separate self-insert interact with her.

Don't worry! I can go into more detail if you want.

This might get long.

Physically, Admin as her own character looks like this. Though I don't necessarily mind if people want to put slightly different spins on her. She has the height of your average woman, appears to be somewhere in her 20s-early 30s, and is described as "doll-like" at times.

In self-insert!Admin asks, personality will vary according to the energy being used by the asker, thus creating the diversity you mention.

Psychologically, a lot of her attributes as an individual are overshadowed by her crazed, cultish devotion to Krulu. She lives and breathes for this siadar, and it's the most prominent aspect of her entire being. Who she was before is irrelevant. She comes off as secretive when, in reality, there's very little to hide from her part.

Admin is a composed, calculating and oftentimes cold person, who precedes most of her actions throughout her day by asking herself "Will my Lord approve of this?"/"Is this what my Lord asked of me?"/"Am I being productive to The Clergy's Eye?". Her morals, sense of empathy/sympathy and habits are entirely conditioned by the will of another being who she is unconditionally dependent on. Even her posture can vary wildly depending on what she's been ordered to do.

It's worth noting that, although coming off as apathetic and detached frequently, she's not incapable of friendliness or genuine affection, seen in the way she acts towards staff. In her mind's eye, anyone who devotes themself to Krulu is worth much more than the average Joe, and is deserving of care from her part. She considers the staff her closest allies and friends, seeking to reward them for their continued service. However, any tenderness she shows to staff is accompanied by ruthless punishment when considered just or ordered upon her. Admin views punishment as a positive element of her dynamic with the staff, believing it strengthens their bond to her and Krulu.

All relationships she has are marked by some kind of power imbalance, to the point where she might not tolerate being on the same level as someone else. It disorients her.

Some people have asked if Admin is in a romantic relationship with all the staff, and while I enjoy writing that sometimes, it's more probable that Admin doesn't consider any staff member her lover, but that she will use sex and romantic gestures as tools to further secure them in their vows of subservience to her Lord. This isn't to say that it's a chore for her, Admin is a monsterfucker and derives enjoyment from these encounters, which is separate from the euphoria of serving Krulu's will.

In the future, Admin, Belo and Krulu will form the closest thing to a couple in this dynamic. Though Belo will always view himself as inferior to both Krulu and his Lady.

Admin is considered creepy by more than a few people. This comes not from an appearance standpoint, but rather the way she tends to "space out" blankly from time to time. She's not truly distracted, more than likely having a conversation with Krulu. Other factors that contribute to her creepiness but aren't exclusive to her are the way she keeps her calm in the most chaotic of situations, the occasional manic breaking of her cool when she's brought to hysteric states (more often than not due to perceived rejections from Krulu or someone prompting her to lovingly rant about him), and the total indifference to how Krulu may choose to alter her current shape to his liking.

Her indifference towards what happens to other humans inside TCE is almost self-explanatory given her earlier description, though it's worth stressing again that she mirrors what Krulu thinks here too.

You don't feel bad about what happens to those of your kin when they're brought inside The Clergy because Krulu has helped you see the bigger picture. Because you're mentally distant enough to not even think of yourself as human anymore. Krulu certainly likes to exalt your nature as the only good lesser out there, the best of them all- [...]

Being that Admin has no true sense of identity which is separate from Krulu, rejection or outright being discarded by him wouldn't just drive her immediately insane, it would cause her to give up on life. Her purpose is to be his, and if Krulu sees no more use in her, then Admin failed, and her life is pointless.

There's nothing to return to because there's nothing left of her. She doesn't recognize her family, she doesn't truly remember where she's from or what she did before all this. The vague pieces of her past that remain are inconsequential experiences, Ludwig and his brothers. She acknowledges Ludwig has unresolved feelings towards her but doesn't care to feed them, because the past should remain the past- And seeking it out would get in the way of her current life.

[sburbian-sage]

Seeing the recent post about other species playing Sburb, you ponder for a moment if you should toss your own out there. It certainly isn't believable, but the Arbiter, despite their titular skepticism, doesn't seem to particularly mind their blog being in part a collection of curiosities. So you figure, "Eh, what the hell?"

You proceed to write a post informing them of the bizarre fact that carapacians are quite capable of being players of the game, and that you yourself are one.

The product of a successful Sburb session with a working door (perhaps the least believable piece of your story, but you see no way to write around it), your versions of Prospit and Derse were shrunk by the Witch of Space, and brought into the universe they created.

There your kind lived alongside consorts and humans, Prospit and Derse and orbiting the new Earth. And so it was for thousands of years, until at last the final god perished heroically, and tales of the game and the original purpose of your kind and the consorts began to fade into legend.

Until one day, a frog temple was discovered, and it all began again. Your human friends roped you into joining as a player, in an attempt to save you from the meteors, once it became clear that too many sessions were happening for your worlds to survive.

It of course made for an exceptionally strange session. Plagued with glitches of every sort, as the game tried to make allowances for it's own construct. Your people's culture was strange to you, with different prototypings than your own had been shaped by, and their reverence for you, as though you were just as important as the humans... And yet, you didn't need a Heart player to tell that they were a creepily simple people, lesser for never having lived outside the game's direct influence. You made so many promises to them, about how things could be better, how they could come to the universe you would make...

You had thought the broken door was your fault. That you were never meant to play, and the game was punishing you for your hubris. It was a bit of a relief to find this was not the case, though you wonder what was different about the session your own gods came from, that let them escape?

You can't help but resent it now, this game that created your kind. Though your carapace is white, you see nothing of late but flaws and horrors.

You dream in purple. And you're thankful for it, you don't want to spend time on Prospit now. You can't handle your kind's insistence on the nobility of their cause. You relate now, to the sick feeling the black carapacians get when looking at a frog.

Wait, are we writing fanfiction now? Me noting the phenomenon of "sometimes people who are not humans or trolls play SBURB" is an observation of reality, not making up stuff for giggles. It's entirely possible that person didn't actually meet a Plant Person and is just making stuff up, but it's also plausible enough that we can establish a protocol for verification and documentation. But you seem to be implying that you're speaking reality into being by suggesting that I make things true by acknowledging them? Very weird.

In any case, this second-person prose does have a point in that it would be entirely possible for a Carapacian to be a SBURB player. They're bipedal, communicative, form societies, and have access to (and an ability to use) technology, making them fit the "playeroid" template. The issue of course being that Carapacians are native to SBURB sessions, and once a SBURB session ends, everything from that session ceases, with nothing but memories carrying over. If the doors did work (BIG "if"), then I don't see why Carapacians wouldn't be a valid pick for playerdom. So even if this is fanfiction, it's very plausible and well thought-out fanfiction. Especially the bits on how Carapacian culture is so mutable and influenced by prototypings. That might actually result in Carapacians having the most diverse-by-default player species in all of Paradox Space.

While we're on this topic, Consorts could also never be players because they're SBURB natives, but I also don't know if they meet the cognitive "must be this tall enough to ride" line.

[fromthemouthofkings]

The thing is, regardless of your desire to enact punishment for shitty behavior, your feelings about what's just, your wanting not to have to "coddle" people, of your deep-rooted wish (and mine) that people would just see what's wrong with the world and just do the right thing because it's right without having to be told to do it, the fact remains that calling people out over social issues with guilt-tripping and social shame doesn't fucking work. That is, it does work—but the work it does is not the work that it's advertised to do. The callout is a magnificent tool for scapegoating, for enforcing in-group compliance, for creating mass harassment campaigns of the most marginal members of a group, and enflaming ingroup-outgroup us-vs-them thinking, but it is a fucking terrible tool for inspiring people to genuinely change their own behavior.

At its most efficient, the callout allows you to make a well-meaning member of your own in-group grovel while you dogpile them, and puts every one of your allies around you on edge, afraid of stepping over the line and getting dogpiled themselves. When it's actually pointed at someone who is not in your in-group, someone who has decent boundaries and a sense of self-respect, and/or someone who intends to be causing harm or who believes they're in the right, the callout is at best going to be brushed off as inconsequential and ignored, and at worst be seen as an attack—which it is—and is going to encourage people to get defensive and either withdraw or else try and hit back.

Unfortunately, you won't carry your cause forward on the force of your belief in it alone. You have to be strategic. It may or may not be "fair", but the fact remains that calling people in by inviting them into the conversation, listening to their thoughts, connecting our struggles to their experiences, giving them work to do, affirming them, and rewarding incremental change is not only a kinder strategy, it's also more effective. And it's more work. It doesn't give you that rush of power that comes from hitting back against someone you perceive as the enemy—or just someone who isn't being an ally in quite the right way. It involves compromise, learning to meet others where they are at. It's slow. It's often tedious. But it leads to coalition-building, it makes way for genuine changes in thinking and behavior, it makes room for more diversity in our movements, and it unites us and makes us stronger.

(Obviously, there is a time and a place for taking the steps necessary to stop someone from causing harm, but that looks like having a clear conversation about boundaries and expectations, having accountability within your space, putting people in touch with needed resources, and getting in contact with somebody who has the power to actually do something about it the situation you think that someone is actually being hurt.)

At the end of the day, you can't control what other people do, but you can control your own actions. What strategies do you want to use?

[loominggaia]

ARJUKAM, FAITH IN HARMONY

OVERVIEW

Arjukam is an ancient religion that originated somewhere in the Midlands, likely in the First Age. It spread quickly, and today it is a popular religion throughout the entire continent of Serkel. It is not favored by any particular species, and is practiced by a diverse range of peoples. It is the most common religion among Matuzans.

Because it is so ancient, there are many different interpretations of this faith, and two different Arjukists may have slightly different beliefs and traditions from each other.

The Arjukam symbol represents the prophet Arjuk’s hands holding a divided world together.

CREATION THEORY

Mother Gaia created all peoples, then blessed a person named Arjuk as Her chosen one. Arjuk became the world’s first divine, an immortal being who could communicate directly with Gaia and the sacred celestials. He was tasked with bringing all the world’s peoples together and teaching them how to live in harmony; not only with each other, but with Gaia as well.

Arjuk prophesied that if Gaia’s peoples did not achieve harmony, there would one day be a great World War that would kill Gaia and all life upon Her. He traveled all over the world, preaching his prophesy to everyone he met. He was said to be a kind and helpful individual, using his divine powers to help the less fortunate and bring peace to every region he visited.

However, as time went on and civilizations began to advance, peoples became more resistant to Arjuk’s messages of harmony. The King of the Midlands saw Arjuk as a threat to his campaign to take over Serkel, so he made a deal with an evil sorcerer to assassinate him. The sorcerer used an enchanted weapon, the Divine Executioner, to destroy Arjuk and steal his divine powers for himself. This sorcerer later became known as the Divine of Hate.

Though Arjuk was gone, his message prevailed through all the peoples he had influenced. Arjukists practice their religion in his honor, and make it a point to never forget Gaia’s wish for peace.

HISTORY AND CULTURE

The details of Arjukam’s creation theory differ slightly by region and culture, and so do the interpretations of his teachings. What species Arjuk was, for example, is not agreed upon by all Arjukists. His age and exact place of origin are also debated.

Arjuk’s message was said to be recorded in a holy book called the “Marandu”. The Marandu has been copied, translated, and re-interpreted countless times since the original was written, and many different versions exist today. Though the details may differ, the core aspects of this faith have remained the same since its ancient beginnings.

CORE ARJUKIST BELIEFS

These beliefs are consistent among all Arjukists.

Mother Gaia is an intelligent, living being that created all peoples. She cares for each person individually and is a benevolent entity.

Arjuk was the world’s first divine and originated somewhere in Serkel.

All peoples should strive to live in harmony with each other and the environment.

Celestials are cosmic spirits that aid Gaia. They reward righteous people with a good afterlife and punish wicked people with a bad afterlife.

Divines are prophets chosen by Gaia to carry on Arjuk’s message of harmony. Some divines, however, rejected this responsibility to pursue selfish goals. They are considered heretics and should not be glorified for disrespecting Gaia.

The Divine of Hate gained his divine powers by stealing them from Arjuk, and is considered to be a “false divine”, as his divinity was not granted by Gaia.

SUBJECTIVE ARJUKIST BELIEFS

Most Arjukists share these beliefs, but how strictly they adhere to them varies drastically between individuals.

Allkind should obey the advice of nymphs.

It is the duty of men to protect and destroy, and the duty of women to create and nurture. Men and women are equal in the eyes of Gaia, but are best suited to different roles to promote a thriving society. Women should not engage in combat, and men should not rear children.

Divines who reject Arjuk’s message of harmony are heretics and should be rejected. Divines who preach Arjuk’s message should be glorified.

Elements of nature, including beasts, are pieces of Gaia’s body and should be respected as such. She offers them as gifts to Allkind as an act of love. Prayers of gratitude should be offered before reaping nature’s bounty, and large operations should be overseen by nymphs. Peoples should not take more from Gaia than they need.

Love and creativity are sacred gifts bestowed upon Allkind by Gaia. Romance, affection, art, and music are integral to a thriving society.

Monsters are abominations that have no place on Gaia, as they were created by heretical divines for greedy purposes. Divines who forge monsters are disrespecting Gaia and should be reviled.

ARJUKIST HOLIDAYS AND TRADITIONS

PROPHET’S DAY: Takes place in winter. This is believed to be the day Arjuk was granted divinity by Gaia. Arjukists celebrate by displaying effigies of Arjuk and making sure his message is not forgotten. This is usually done by performing public readings of the Marandu, holding parades, singing hymns, and creating art that symbolizes harmony. On this day, the goal is to make his message impossible for anyone to ignore. Cities with large Arjukist populations are often forced to shut down on this date due to the mass celebrations.

REVERENCE OF BLESSINGS: The Reverence of Blessings is a 3-day holy event that ends on the last day of spring. Its purpose is to remind Arjukists of the special gifts Gaia gave them.

On the first day, they celebrate the gift of creativity by going to an Arjukist House of Worship, where they enjoy a feast, a concert, and an art show. Non-Arjukists are encouraged to attend as well, and often do. This day represents birth and creation.

On the second day, they celebrate the gift of love by showing affection to their loved ones. Traditionally, this involves exchanging flowers between friends, family, and lovers. This is a popular day for Arjukists to propose marriage, conceive children, or ask their crush on a date. This day represents living and loving.

On the third day, Arjukists celebrate the gift of afterlife by gaining the favor of benevolent celestials. This is done by performing acts of goodwill, volunteering, donating to charity, and making amends with their enemies. It’s common for Arjukists to team up with the Order of Love and Light on this day to accomplish elaborate humanitarian goals. This day represents death and afterlife.

CONTROVERSY

Like most religions, Arjukam has been corrupted and used as a tool of oppression by powerful entities. Some followers tend to cherry-pick or misinterpret scriptures from the Marandu to justify their immoral behavior.

Some sects of Arjukam have a bad reputation for grifting, misogyny, and bigotry, among other things. Some Arjukists believe that women should not be permitted to work, and that men cannot be blamed for violence because they are destructive by nature. They may also believe that foreigners are rejecting harmony by not practicing the same customs they do, and therefore must be destroyed to bring peace to Gaia. Powerful leaders often use this interpretation as an excuse to wage war on others.

Such extremist beliefs are not common, however, and the majority of Arjukists today consider themselves casual followers of the faith.

SEE ALSO

Ask - Religion

Ask - Arjukam

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Read the Series

[maaaahri]

I think if someone tried to tell me that BG3 is better-written than, say, NWN2:MotB or KotOR II or Planescape: Torment I'd go feral. Like I'm willing to give BG3 some props as game but the primary story is uh. Actually not very good imo, it's kind of propped up by its companion interactions and the sheer amount of "What-ifs" the game has properly scaffolded into its gameplay and narrative. Even then, its narrative reactivity pales in comparison to Disco Elysium in a lot of ways. The thing is, games do not have to have incredibly intricate, well-thought out narratives. BG3 has decent prose and pretty incredible voice acting serving a basic narrative that, at times, would probably benefit from being more simplistic than it is. Character companion stories explore more complex themes than the primary narrative and some do it better than others. All of this is fair and creates a pleasant narrative experience. BG3 would honestly probably be a worse product if it tried to tackle some of the themes NWN2:MotB does. I use that one here because it's the other example set primarily in the Forgotten Realms setting and thus has themes that are more theoretically easily accessible by BG3's narrative. MotB actually deals, hilariously and fun enough, with some of the same principle characters of BG3, but it's uh. It's a high-level adventure that ruminations on the nature of birth, death, and punishment. On divinity's responsibility in a world where the divine is far from abstract to its subjects, yet very few truly see the fruits of prayer in their lifetime. NWN2 does, however, play like garbage. It's based on 3.5 which was MY first DnD experience, but it's also far less accessible to newcomers in 2023. BG3 controls miles better (it's a more recent game that had far more time in the oven, of course it does and it should but it bears saying) and I feel like talking about graphics is actually a moot point in cRPGs. Yes, BG3 is very pretty. I, however, regularly go back and play through cRPGs that came out two decades ago and look like paper dolls on pixely matte paintings. You cannot entice me with graphics in a way that matters. As many individuals have also pointed out, in game so centered on graphics and diversity in 2023, there is no excuse for not providing a fat body type option and putting in the extra effort to be more inclusive instead of pretending fat people don't exist. TL;DR - if you like BG3 play other cRPGs, if you don't want to literally fight tooth-and-nail to just play a video game, Owlcat makes some great ones and I've heard good things about Pillars of Eternity, but I haven't gotten around to playing those. If you're a Star Wars fan you are literally doing yourself most bastardly if you've never played KotOR II, restored content patch or no (the restored planet is not actually very good I would recommend the patch for everything but that)

[cosmichighpriestess]

Why bad things happen to good People

My dear friends, we love you so very much, One of the questions we hear most often in heaven is, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” “Why do God and the angels not intervene and save people from the cruelty of others?” “Why does God not destroy those who wish to destroy others?”

These are questions worth asking because the answer will carry you beyond the world of your conditioning and into the energetic reality that governs how your universe operates.

You projected yourselves into your 3D reality because you wanted the adventure of creation. You were eager to immerse yourself in the vast diversity of life on earth. You knew that as you witnessed different things, behaviors, people, and situations, you would be inspired to create—through your focus and tuning—as never before. You knew you would call love from the intangible realms into this reality and, therefore, be part of the continuing creation of this reality. You were eager. You knew you’d have free will. Even if you chose parents who would catalyze great growth, you knew you had the free will to think what you wanted to think, focus on what you wanted to focus on, and, therefore, empower different realities.

In your 3D world, babies appear helpless. They are not yet mobile, verbal, or able to care for themselves. However, in the energetic reality, these brilliant souls are already emitting vibration, engendering reactions from life around them, and pointing their powerful love at what they wish to experience.

This begs the question, “Why are some babies born sick?” “Why are some born into unthinkable wars?” From the 3D perspective, this seems unjust, but the universe operates in a vibrational dance. Vibration does not punish and reward as you do in your human reality—vibration matches or not. A radio tuned to FM does not punish the AM signals by ignoring them. It simply cannot receive the differing signal due to its very nature. It can focus only on FM wavelengths.

So, too, there is a focus of energy in these souls coming to earth that will influence their family of origin, their circumstances, and, therefore, the experiences that transpire. The minute a soul incarnates in a physical body, they begin to emit vibration and attract what is a match. If they are born into a fearful family, it will take a great deal of focus from their soul not to fall into fear and experience fearful circumstances. They know this before they are born.

There are those among you who go to the gym to lift heavy weights. This is neither easy nor pleasant at times. However, these souls have a strong desire to become very, very strong, so the temporary pain is worth the gain to them. One could lift very gradually over a long period of time and become strong. One could visualize lifting in great detail and become strong. One could become a mother and become strong carrying their child! One could live their entire comfortably and never care about being physically strong. Each one of you would choose a different path—neither right nor wrong, simply different.

This analogy applies to souls coming to earth. Suppose you wish to create an unshakable focus on the security of God. In that case, you might choose a faithful family who acts as a role model. If you tend to worry and fret no matter what, you might face that tendency head-on by choosing a fearful family that would mirror that back and present a strong incentive for you to be different. If you wish to create more self-love, you might choose a family in which you see others love and care for themselves and follow those role models, or if you have a tendency to be hard on yourself, you might incarnate into a family that mirrors that until you, yourself, choose to remove your attention from the unloving and love yourself.

Sometimes, these souls are little angels who incarnate into families, knowing they will die with them, just to help guide the loved ones into the light. Sometimes, they go through the unthinkable to inspire compassion in the millions who will see their story on the news. Sometimes children come in with an illness as teachers weathering their challenges with amazing grace and inspiring all around them.

While immersed in 3D reality, it is difficult to understand that the eternal dance is more important to the soul than a possible, temporary experience of pain or challenge. Nonetheless, you are eternal souls. Some of you embraced challenges willingly as part of your pre-birth plans, and some of you embrace challenges that result from simply focusing too often on vibrations less than loving, that don’t feel good, to begin with.

This is why we teach, preach, and enjoin you to care about your feelings and choose thoughts that feel good. You experience more love, grace, and ease as you reach for the loving vibrations. Even if you came in determined to put yourself through challenges to incentivize the reach for love, you don’t have to continue on that path. You can reach for love now and shift out of those challenges.

The Divine gave you free will. Your angels must honor that. A parent could lock their child up in paradise to ensure a smooth and easy journey on earth, but the child would rebel. The child wants to experience life, make decisions, and expand. Likewise, the Divine could plant you in paradise, and for a while, you’d love it, but then you’d become bored. You’d want new experiences. You’d want choices and challenges. Would a child want a parent who gives them only a limited range of “safe choices?” Many of your parents tried. Did you appreciate it or seek your freedom to experience all of life?

Dear ones, life, within you and all beings and even universes, seeks expansion and growth. The Divine, your angels and soul who can truly love on earth, allows you the free will to make your own choices and experience your own outcomes. If you reach for help, we, your angels, can respond to all the loving vibrations in that request. To the degree you fear, you cannot hear. To the degree you hate, you make yourself wait for that love. To the degree you choose to look away from the pain and find the beauty in each moment, you open like a flower to eternal sunshine, love, assistance, and grace. It is always there.

So, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” You would have to examine each case individually for a specific answer, but the general answer is simple in all cases. Either they are open to the love flowing in each moment that can help them through even their chosen challenges, or they are not. Perfectly good people are hard on themselves and pinch off the flow of love, creating illness. Amazing earth angels feel they must martyr themselves instead of caring for themselves and often become silently bitter about it, thus pinching off love. Amazingly generous souls often ignore their warning signs and forge ahead with their giving even when it ceases to feel good.

We are not encouraging you to leave behind the love and goodness in your heart but rather to pay attention. When things feel good, in that moment, they are good. When they start to feel differently, make different choices. Good things happen to match good vibrations. Bad things happen when good vibrations have been sufficiently pinched off.

What you experience has nothing to do with your value or worth because you are already precious, already worthy, already encouraged by the Divine and your angels to choose a path that gives you joy.

God Bless You! We love you so very much.

— The Angels

[wowgrim]

Clearly, he's doing okay and doing the right thing even with somebody having made a leopards ate my face video about him, so ...

What's the problem here? Where in the original video or the reblog chain did anyone say "he shouldn't have had this realization"? Who punished him? Did anyone, in fact, punish him at all?

Or did someone make a satirical video highlighting that our country would be better off if people came to these realizations before elections, not after--a video which he now understands the point of and probably agrees with in spirit (even if you may not wish to be the poster child for it, but who knows, maybe he's totally fine with it, did anyone ask him)?

Satire feeds souls as much as hand-holding.

If satire isn't for you, fine.

But why do people feel the need to "well actually" it constantly?

We are humans. We feel a diverse range of emotions. We don't have long reblog chains of cute cat posts pointing out that "well actually cats may be very cute and I do like to look at them, but we need to acknowledge that there are problems in the world that need to be solved, like child soldiers" and not every satire post needs to be accompanied by strings of disclaimers saying "while this post was created for emotional relief and you are enjoying that, you need to be using this 30 seconds of your life convincing yourself that this temporary improvement in your emotional state is detrimental to the future of democracy."

The pettiness is just 👌😂

[wolverenmayden]

The Truth of Being: A Monologue for Every Soul

I stand here today, not as a fixed point, not as a checkbox on a form, not as a label stitched into the fabric of society, but as a being—fluid, layered, and real. I stand as someone whose identity does not fit neatly into binary expectations, yet who exists as fully, vividly, and legitimately as anyone else.

My gender is not a question mark, but a paragraph. My soul, not a category, but a symphony. I am nonbinary—not undecided, not confused, but complete in my complexity. The right to be who I am, to live out loud in my truth, is not up for debate. It is my birthright, as sacred and inviolable as anyone else’s.

Laws must reflect that. Justice must protect that. Equality must uphold that.

Too long have we lived under systems designed by fear, enforced by ignorance, and sustained by silence. But silence is not peace—it is suppression. And we, the many who live outside the boundaries of convention, are done being silent.

Because this is about more than gender. This is about truth. This is about the right to exist in the fullness of one’s being. It’s about freedom—not the illusion of freedom, not the sanitized, selective version, but the raw, inclusive kind: the kind that embraces the heart, the body, the instincts, the mind, and the spirit. The kind that says every soul has value. Every desire has dignity. Every dream has room to bloom.

It is moral to protect diversity. It is ethical to defend authenticity. It is just to create a world where individuality is celebrated, not feared.

We speak of justice—so let it be just. Not for the majority, not for the privileged, but for all. True justice does not serve only the familiar; it uplifts the marginalized. True morality does not shame the body’s needs or the heart’s yearning; it understands them as part of the human whole.

And what of family? Of reproduction? Of legacy?

These things matter—not because they follow a single blueprint, but because they embody connection. A child does not need a mother and a father; a child needs love. They need stability, safety, truth, and compassion. Whether that comes from a same-sex couple, a trans parent, or a nonbinary guardian, what matters is not who raises them, but how.

Let us not confuse tradition with truth. Let us not pretend that the only valid path is the oldest one. Evolution, in nature and in culture, is not a betrayal of what came before—it is an honoring of it, through growth.

The right to transition—to affirm one’s gender through medical, legal, and social means—is not a privilege. It is a form of survival. It is an act of sacred self-recognition. To deny it is to deny someone’s essence. No one should be forced to suffer in a body or a role that cages their soul.

And what of festivals? Pride, love, celebration—these are not threats. These are lifelines. Gay festivals, lesbian festivals, transgender gatherings—these are homes for the heart, sanctuaries for the spirit. They remind us: we are not alone. We are never alone.

Marriage is not the domain of one type of couple. Love is not determined by gender. And when two people of the same sex choose to build a life, to commit, to raise children—they are contributing to society, not threatening it. They are families. They are valid. They are vital.

Nationality? Identity does not end at a border. We are layered beings, shaped by many lands, many languages, many legacies. Dual citizenship, multiple homes—these do not dilute loyalty. They enrich identity. A human being is never confined to one story.

And above all—life. The right to life. Not mere survival, but life with dignity. Life with purpose. Life with room to breathe, to grow, to learn. Let every person have the right to learn freely, to explore, to train their body, to sharpen their mind, to nourish their soul. Let every person have access to sex—not as a transaction, but as a right, as a sacred expression of self, of connection, of joy.

Let no one be punished for loving. Let no one be criminalized for expressing. Let no one be shamed for being different.

Because in the end, we all want the same thing—to be seen, to be accepted, to be loved. We want to live lives that reflect who we are, not who we were told to be.

So this is a call—not of anger, but of fierce love. Not of rebellion, but of truth. Protect us from hate. Arm us against indifference. Stand with us—not because you understand, but because you care.

See me.

Respect me.

Let me be.

And I will do the same for you.

Because that—is justice. That—is truth. That—is love.

[kennislearningroutes]

Inclusive Online Education: Supporting Diverse Learning Needs

“In the world of education, diversity is not a challenge to be overcome but a strength to be celebrated"—by"Loris Malaguzzi

Remember Ishan Awasthi? He was a little eight-year-old boy from Tare Zameen Par who loved painting and drawing. He had a neurological condition called dyslexia, which caused him trouble recognising letters, unable to follow multiple instructions, and having poor motor skills. People, including his parents and teachers, considered him lazy and ignorant. 

Ishan’s life took a turn when a substitute art teacher, Ram Shankar Nikumbh, joined his boarding school and recognised his special needs. Ram helped Ishan by inculcating inclusive learning methods, like constant practice and drills. This was followed by a rewards and punishment system for his actions. Ram accepted his differences and tried new techniques. After some time Ishan regained his confidence and motivation.

We cannot generalise the learning style by fitting each child in the same box. Each learner has their own learning style, strengths, and weaknesses. Educators must recognise these needs and apply diverse and inclusive learning techniques. It is crucial to accommodate the needs of each child rather than following a common approach. 

Online Education and Special Needs Students

Since the beginning, online education has been crucial in spreading education. Students get the opportunity to access education according to their interests and comfort. This alternative education has become essential in the lives of students with needs. Online learning has opened before closed doors for special needs students. The inflexible traditional classroom setup no longer limits them.

Also read: Building Positive and Inclusive Classrooms: A Guide to Success

What are Diverse Learning Needs?

The term ‘diverse learning needs’ is used when it becomes harder for children to learn. Underlying learning problems or disabilities cause this. It is pertinent to understand that each child has his capabilities and capacities.  Learning must happen according to the special needs. Teachers must be sensitive, and responsive when dealing with students with special needs. 

What are some of the challenges students might face?

Cognitive

Physical Disabilities

Sensory disabilities 

The above are some types of disabilities students might face. Courses must be designed to be accessible for special needs students.

Also read: 5 Strategies for Fostering Diversity, Equity and Belonging in Classrooms

What Can We Do? One Step at a Time

Structured Flexibility: Ed-tech platforms should follow a consistent structure. Incorporating a flexible approach to accommodate diverse learners.

Bite-Sized Content: Content must be delivered in small, digestible formats. This shall enhance learning and retention.

Interactive Elements: Interactive features should be integrated into the platform. This would engage learners and improve their understanding.

Accessibility Options:

Provide audio content or screen reader options for easier access.

Ensure the platform is accessible to all, including students with special needs.

Inclusivity in Online Education: Online education has created new opportunities for students. Embracing diverse learning needs has changed the education industry. 

A Work in Progress: Improvements are ongoing, and the world is gradually changing.  As it is opening up to accepting and accommodating differences in learning.

Challenges in Online Education for Special Needs Students

Although online education has helped students with special needs, several challenges remain. Addressing these issues is crucial to ensuring equal opportunities for all learners. Some key challenges include:

Limited Teacher Training:

Teachers are often the first point of contact for students.

With limited knowledge of special needs, educators need assistance to create inclusive environments.

Teachers need specialised training and resources. It can help them better understand and support students with special needs.

This training is vital for the holistic development of these students.

Lack of Technical Support:

Online education can be a valuable tool, but technical issues may arise.

Students with special needs must have access to 24/7 technical support. This is to avoid barriers to learning materials and content.

Accessibility Issues:

Online platforms are not always designed with accessibility in mind.

To make education inclusive, materials should be offered in multiple formats.

The solution can include: 

Text alternatives for images

Speech alternatives for text

Closed captions for videos

Such steps ensure that all students can access the learning materials they need.

Also read: The Role of Online Education in Lifelong Learning and Professional Development

Embracing Diversity in Online Learning

For quite some time, online education has explored creative pedagogical styles. This is to make space for diverse learning needs. By embracing the differences, ed-tech platforms have fostered a sense of acceptance among students. This has improved their learning needs and keeps them engaged in learning daily. Flexibility, accessibility, technical help, and support are some ways to accommodate their needs. 

Flexible Learning Options

Flexibility is the biggest benefit, especially for students with special needs. Flexibility has allowed them to learn in a safe space. Educators have become more accommodating. This allows students to take their time while completing assignments. By reducing workload and alternative assignments, ed-tech platforms and educators are celebrating differences.

Also read: Why Online Education is Here to Stay: A Look at Its Growth  

Improved Accessibility

Accessing education has been a challenge for students with disabilities. Online education, now available with a few clicks, has changed the scenario. The technology used in online platforms creates an inclusive and accessible learning environment. Educators encourage students to use various forms of expression and engagement. Study material is available in alternative formats such as audio, digital, and more. This allows students with special needs to learn comfortably. 

One-on-One Support

Students with special needs require personalised support and tutoring. That is why providing one-on-one support can benefit them. Sometimes, pairing peers with one another can offer the required assistance and support. It helps them overcome isolation, which can sometimes be a by-product of online education. This can create a supportive environment amongst the students. It shall also ensure that they have equal opportunity to achieve their goals. 

Open Feedback and Communication Channel

Consistent feedback can be constructive when checking the progress of students. But, as important as feedback is, we must remember an open communication channel. This has to be open from both sides: educators and students. An open channel brings out the scope for improvement and improved understanding. Regular feedback sessions and one-on-one sessions must be held. This may create a safe and familiar space for students with special needs.

Also read: Why is Mental Health Important and How to Improve it?

Initiatives Government for Children with Special Needs

The government has taken a few initiatives to cater to the needs of students with disabilities. 

Visually Impaired Learners

The National Institute of Open Schooling has implemented different features. This would make the website user-friendly. To improve accessibility, they have incorporated alternate descriptions for images and audio/video. They have also provided keyboard support and improved the content readability. There is a Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY) where all the study material is available for the students.  

Hearing Impaired Learners

NIOS has also initiated 270 videos in sign language for seven subjects. This improves accessibility for hearing-impaired learners. These videos are available on the NIOS website, YouTube, and DVD format. 

Usage of Innovative Material 

Training (NCERT) has made study material for the students. All the textbooks are available as digital books, which can be downloaded for free. Most books have text-to-speech features. The students can also easily access them through the e-Pathshaala mobile application. 

These are some ways the government promotes inclusive learning for all. While these steps may not be enough, they are in the right direction. There is always scope for improvement. 

Takeaway

Inclusive education is the only way forward, be it online or traditional. By fostering diverse learning needs we can promote education for all. It would help students achieve their dreams. Online education has become a beacon of hope for students with special needs. They can take courses and programmes that align with their desired career goals. 

This journey may not be easy, but it will be worth it. As it is said, “Education is the most powerful weapon that can be used to change the world." Why not? We aim to make the world a place that nurtures and helps students grow in their best selves and on their terms. 

[loominggaia]

Question: Is it possible for Gaia to be killed or rendered unable to just destroy the people she’ll punish for making them the way they are? ‘Cus what I’m getting is that Gaia is an uncaring (Or caring in that abusive, “mother knows best!” way.) ass who lets the Celestials do whatever they want with the peoples souls, and who also has her Nymph’s kill people for not doing exactly what is told of them. If not is there a way to commit suicide that completely destroys your soul?

That's a very good question! Truthfully, no one really knows Gaia's true motives. The nymphs know more than anyone, but no single nymph knows the full scope of what's happening on a cosmic level. They each kind of get a little snippet of the story.

World Athenaeum researchers theorize that the universe is so big, that Gaia is the size of a bacterium by comparison. They believe there are creatures much larger than Her out in the cosmos, and she is far from the most powerful thing out there.

The point is, everything Gaia does could simply be for survival reasons. She seems to behave as if She can die. Some of Her actions may seem unfair from the perspective of peoples, but nature has no concept of right and wrong, or of justice.

It is known that long, long ago, Gaia was colonized by a sapient species that goes by many names. They were humanoid in shape, quite short and frail-bodied with large, bald heads and grey skin. What they called themselves is unknown, but today they are called "Ancient Dworfs", "Ancient Ones", "The Before People", or "The Greys".

Did Gaia create these people? Did they evolve from Her native beasts? Or did they colonize Her from somewhere beyond the stars? No one knows, but their civilizations grew to be technologically advanced. Eventually they developed weapons of mass destruction and waged war on eachother. The destruction caused immense damage to Gaia, and she was forced to destroy them in order to save Her own life. She ripped the great continent into pieces, killing all Greys and burying their civilizations deep in the ocean.

After this, Gaia created the peoples we know and love, and she created the nymphs to keep them in line, so that they would not repeat the Greys' mistakes. She blessed every person with a soul so that they may have an afterlife in the cosmos when their body dies. She also made a diverse variety of peoples rather than just one species, hoping that they would compete and keep eachother in line as well. She wanted to ensure that none of them became too powerful and dominated the others, so she gave them all their own strengths and weaknesses.

But why did Gaia create these peoples? Why try to replace the Greys at all? The exact reason isn't known, but some theorize that peoples may one day play a role in defending Gaia from other beings in the cosmos. Perhaps that situation hasn't come to pass yet, but Damijana is currently working on a space program, so that time could be sooner than we think!

As far as it's known, there are only two things which can destroy a soul: Gaia herself, and the Divine Executioner. Some think the Divine Executioner is an artifact invented by the Greys, while others think it was created by beings from the cosmos. This is just another piece of the puzzle which is shrouded in mystery.

We don't know if Gaia loves peoples, or if She is just using them to one day defend Her from something they can't yet comprehend. It's very possible that both things are true. Love isn't sunshine and rainbows all the time. Sometimes love means using a heavy hand for one's own good...

The celestials seem to play some role in all this. Some researchers think celestial realms are acting as "reserves" for Gaia's souls, others think this is a means of reproduction between Gaia and the celestials, and some think the celestials are just predatory cosmic creatures who feed on Gaia's souls.

There are so many mysteries to be uncovered!

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Read the Series

[athena5898]

So let's talk about Fascism

If you want an even older version of this see: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/umberto-eco-ur-fascism The book I have basically uses these points but points to modern examples and what have you. So the basic tenets of Fascism is about othering and fear and appealing to control. Also the need of a Outgroup (aka Bigotry/etc) 1. The Mythic Past. This is seen as a foundation for most fascism because it gives people a reason to do horrible things. This is what Hitler did with the Arian shit. 2. Propaganda. The system needs a way to spread the mythic past and to get people to believe that the out-group is the one causing all the problems in society. So it creates Propaganda for these purposes. 3. Anti-intellectual. This is what we have seen with Republicans in America. It's a war on thinking and critical thought. The more you think the more you are capable of thinking. (seriously there have been studies on this). The more you can think critically the harder it will be for a fascist regime to work. 4. Unreality. Or forcing everyone to live in cognitive dissonance. Normally you need 3 for this point. This is also just what American Politics is from blue to red. Unreality is insidious cause it can be aggressive but it can also be subtle. Think average German in Nazi Germany. A lot of them just let themselves believe that nothing bad was happening to the Jews. 5. Hierarchy. This is pretty much a given. To remain in control you need to have systems of power in place. It also works with the illusion of control. 6. Victimhood. We've all seen the white nazi fucks crying about how bad they have it. Just right now you have Israelis crying about getting attacked after *they* showed up and started mocking dead children and starting the riots. If the out-group fights back, they just fuel into the feelings of victimhood. It really helps with the sense of self-righteousness 7. Law and Order. If you are going to uphold unjust systems, and hierarchy and keep the out-group out, you need law and then if you disrupt it you can say you are just upholding order. It's why any call to increase military presence or cops is always a dog whistle. 8. Sexual Anxiety- this takes the form of a lot of things. Anti-queerness, anti-womanhood, anti-sex, etc. There is always a "correct" way and anything that falls outside of that must be abolished to maintain the "purity". This fits in with hierarchies most of the time. 9. Sodom and Gomorrah (AKA fear of cities/large groups of diverse people) - You'll notice that a lot of fascist areas glorify rural while demonizing the cities. This speaks to the inherent illogicalness of fascism it will attack whatever it needs to create and demonize out groups even if it needs them at the same time. Rural is gods honest work, the city is for pampered sex deviants who don't even know what gender they are! (sound familiar?) this point exists because of several of the points above since they all work and build off each other if they are present. It should be noted that some of the best ways to combat bigotry is through exposure, so of course, fascism naturally wants to target where such a thing can occur. 10. Arbeit Macht Frei (work will set you free) - This isn't the idea that work is inherently fascist. But the idea that if we force the out-group to do "good honest god manual labor" it will "cleanse them". If they die in the process it just was meant to be or doubly purivies! Fascism doesn't have to worry about manual labor and safety practices if it's being used to punish and restore the out-group. People who study fascism will tell you that not all of these points need to exist at once for an entity to be fascist.

We must keep alert, so that the sense of these words will not be forgotten again. Ur-Fascism is still around us, sometimes in plainclothes. It would be so much easier, for us, if there appeared on the world scene somebody saying, “I want to reopen Auschwitz, I want the Black Shirts to parade again in the Italian squares.” Life is not that simple. Ur-Fascism can come back under the most innocent of disguises. Our duty is to uncover it and to point our finger at any of its new instances - Ur- Fascism

Fascism existed before the word did. Just like anything we have put a name to. Just cause we are just now putting a label doesn't mean it suddenly sprung into existence. You can apply any of these points to various empires and governments throughout the history of humanity. If you want to be Anti-Fascist then you have to be willing to understand the broad spectrum to it. Anyway, not saying all this to defend who OP is responding to per se, but just idk "learn theory" and "Fascism does refer to a specific organization of capitalism" bothered me if I'm understanding what OP is saying here. Fascism can exist without capitalism and has and will do so again probably.

are you people just addicted to not learning theory?

What's with the obsession of using whatever political terms you can, regardless of meaning, as rhetorical ways of just emphasising how Bad something is? Fascism does refer to a specific organisation of capitalism in specific conditions with specific characteristics, not just 'when something is bad and oppressive' - something liberalism is very capable of! - and using the terms this way absolutely annihilates the actually useful analytical and theoretical value of the term, in favour of a view of politics as entirely rhetoric (which is clear from the emphasis on whether the term existed at the time or not, rather than the actual material structure being critiqued, as if the term is just an especially effective rhetorical weapon)

[butchniqabi]

In islam are all nonbelievers going to hell permanently? If god is truly merciful wouldn't most good peple get into heven eventually, once theyve ben proportionately punished and repented?

theres an old joke my catholic grandmother told me once where a man dies and goes to heaven and is greeted at the gates by saint peter. he gets shown around and sees wonders beyond his imagination, people existing in harmony, and all the glories of god. soon they come upon a tall wall stretching out for miles and miles and the man, shocked, asks "why is there a wall in heaven?" saint peter quickly says "shh! thats for the catholics they think theyre the only ones here!"

[star-anise]

Ok, I'll bite. What *is* the difference between Bridgerton and Jane Austen in relationship to their skirts?

Oh! Not in their costuming, just in their general *waves hands* everything. It's a comment I see a lot about Bridgerton: "Well, it's not much like Austen, is it?"

That's because there are 200 years of literary history between the two, and they have not been empty!

This ended up being 1.5k words, but when I put stuff under a readmore, people don't actually read it and then just yell at me because of a misread of the 1/10th of the post they did read. Press j to skip or get ready to do a lot of scrolling (It takes four generous flicks to get past on my iPhone).

First I'll say my perspective on this is hugely shaped by Sherwood Smith, who has done a lot of research on silver fork novels and the way the Regency has been remembered in the romance genre.

The Regency and Napoleonic eras stretch from basically the 1790s to 1820, and after that, it was hard to ignore the amount of social change happening in Britain and Europe. The real watershed moment is the 1819 Peterloo Massacre, where 60,000 working-class people protesting for political change were attacked by a militia. The issues of poverty, class, industrialization, and social change are inescapable, and we end up with things like the 1832 Reform Act and 1834 Poor Law.

This is why later novelists, like Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell, are so concerned with the experiences of the urban poor. Gaskell's North and South has been accurately described as "Pride and Prejudice for socialists."

So almost as soon as it ended, people started to look back and mythologize the Regency as a halcyon era, back when rich people could just live their rich lives and fret about "only" having three hundred pounds a year to live on. Back when London society was the domain of hereditary landowners, when you weren't constantly meeting with jumped-up industrialists and colonials.

Jane Austen is kind of perfect for this because she comes at the very end of the long eighteenth century, and her novels show hints of the tremors that are about to completely reshape England, but still comfortably sit in the old world. ("The Musgroves, like their houses, were in a state of alteration, perhaps of improvement. The father and mother were in the old English style, and the young people in the new. Mr and Mrs Musgrove were a very good sort of people; friendly and hospitable, not much educated, and not at all elegant. Their children had more modern minds and manners.")

Sherwood Smith covers the writers who birthed the Silver Fork genre in detail, but there's one name that stands out in its history more than any other: Georgette Heyer.

Georgette Heyer basically single-handedly established the Regency Romance as we know it today. Between 1935 and 1972, she published 26 novels set in a meticulously researched version of London of the late 18th and early 19th century. She took Silver Fork settings and characters and turned them into a highly recognizable set of tropes, conventions, and types. (As Sherwood points out, her fictional Regency England isn't actually very similar to the period as it really happened; it's like Arthurian Camelot, a mythical confection with a dash of truth for zest.)

Regency Romance is an escapist genre in which a happy, prosperous married life is an attainable prize that will solve everything for you. Georgette Heyer's novels are bright, sparkling, delightful romps through a beautiful and exotic world. Her female characters have spirit and vivacity, and are allowed to have flaws and make mistakes without being puritanically punished for them. Her romances have real unique sparks to them. She's able to write a formula over and over without it becoming dull.

And.... well. The essay that introduced me to Heyer still, in my opinion, says it best:

Here's the thing about Georgette Heyer: she hates you. Or, okay, she doesn't hate you, exactly. It's just that unless you are white, English, and upper class (and hale, and hearty, and straight, and and and), she thinks you are a lesser being. [...W]ith Heyer, I knew where I stood: somewhere way below the bottom rung of humanity. Along with everyone else in the world except Prince William and four of his friends from Eton, which really took away the sting. But my point is: if you are not that white British upper-class person of good stock and hearty bluffness and a large country estate, the only question for you is which book will contain a grimly bigoted caricature of you featuring every single stereotyped trait ever associated with your particular group. (You have to decide for yourself if really wonderful female characters and great writing are worth the rest of it.)

So Heyer created the genre, but she exacerbated the flaw that was always at the heart of fiction about the Regency, was that its appeal was not having to deal with the inherent rot of the British aristocracy. I think part of why it's such a popular genre in North America specifically is that we often don't know much British history, so we can focus more on the perfume and less on the dank odor it's hiding.

And like, escapism is not a bad thing. Romance writers as a community have sat down and said: We are an escapist genre. The Romance Writers of America, one of the biggest author associations out there, back when they were good, have foundationally said: "Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." A strong part of the community argue that publishing in the genre is a "contract" between author and reader: If it's marketed as a romance book, there's a Happily Ever After. If there's no Happily Ever After, it's not romance.

It's important for people to be able to take a break from the stresses of their lives and do things that are enjoyable. But the big question the romance genre in particular has to deal with is, who should be allowed to escape? Is it really "escapist" if only white, straight, upper class, able-bodied thin cis people get to escape into it? In historical romance, this is especially an issue for POC and LGBTQ+ people. It's taken a lot of work, in a genre dominated by the Georgette Heyers of the world, to try to hew out the space for optimistic romances for people of colour or LGBTQ+ people. These are minority groups that deal with a literally damaging amount of stress in real lives; they are in especial need of sources of comfort, refuge, community, and encouragement. For brief introductions to the issue, I can give you Talia Hibbert on race, and KJ Charles on LGBTQ+ issues.

Up until the 1990s, the romance genre evolved slowly. It did evolve; Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan's Beyond Heaving Bosoms charts the demise of the "bodice-ripper" genre as it became more acceptable for women to have and enjoy sex. The historical romance genre became more accommodating to non-aristocratic heroines, or ones that weren't thin or conventionally pretty. The first Bridgerton book, The Duke and I, was published in 2000, and has that kind of vibe: Its characters are all white but not all of them are aristocrats, its heroines are frequently not conventionally beautiful and occasionally plump, and its cultivation to modern sensibility is reflected in its titles, which reference popular media of today.

This is just my impression, but I think that while traditional mainstream publishing was beginning to diversify in the 1990s, the Internet was what really made diverse romance take off. Readers, reviewers, and authors could talk more freely on the internet, which allowed books to become unlikely successes even if their publishers didn't promote them very much. Then e-publishing meant that authors could market directly to their readers without the filter of a publishing house, and things exploded. Indie ebooks proved that there was a huge untapped market.

One of my favourite books, Zen Cho's Sorcerer to the Crown, is an example of what historical romance is like today; it's a direct callback and reclamation of Georgette Heyer, with a dash of "Fuck you and all your prejudices" on top of it. It fearlessly weaves magic into a classic Heyer plot, maintaining the essential structure while putting power into the hands of people of colour and non-Western cultures, enjoying the delights of London society while pointing out and dodging around the rot. It doesn't erase the ugliness, but imagines a Britain that is made better because its poor, its immigrants, its people of colour, and the foreign countries it interacts with have more power to make their voices heard and to enforce their wills. Another book I've loved that does the same thing is Courtney Milan's The Duke Who Didn't.

So then... Bridgerton the TV show is trying to take a book series with a very middle-of-the-road approach to diversity, differing from Heyer but not really critiquing her, and giving it a facelift to bring it up to date.

So to be honest, although it's set in the same time period as Austen, it's not in the least her literary successor. It's infinitely more "about" the past 30 years of conversation and art in the romance genre than it is about books written 200 years ago.

[qqueenofhades]

Do you really hate this county? Or were you just ranting?

Sigh. I debated whether or not to answer this, since I usually keep the real-life/politics/depressing current events to a relative minimum on this blog, except when I really can't avoid ranting about it. But I have some things to get off my chest, it seems, and you did ask. So.

The thing is, any American with a single modicum of genuine historical consciousness knows that despite all the triumphalist mythology about Pulling Up By Our Bootstraps and the American Dream and etc, this country was founded and built on the massive and systematic exploitation and extermination of Black and Indigenous people. And now, when we are barely (400 years later!!!) getting to a point of acknowledging that in a widespread way, oh my god the screaming. I'm so sick of the American right wing I could spit for so many reasons, not least of which is the increasingly reductive and reactive attempts to put the genie back in the bottle and set up hysterical boogeymen about how Teaching Your Children Critical Race Theory is the end of all things. They have forfeited all pretense of being a real governing party; remember how their only platform at the 2020 RNC was "support whatever Trump says?" They have devolved to the point where the cruelty IS the point, to everyone who doesn't fit the nakedly white supremacist mold. They don't have anything to do aside from attempt to usher in actual, literal, dictionary-definition-of-fascism and sponsor armed revolts against the peaceful transfer of power.

That is fucking exhausting to be aware of all the time, especially with the knowledge that if we miss a single election cycle -- which is exceptionally easy to do with the way the Democratic electorate needs to be wooed and courted and herded like cats every single time, rather than just getting their asses to the polls and voting to keep Nazis out of office -- they will be right back in power again. If Manchin and Sinema don't get over their poseur pearl-clutching and either nuke the filibuster or carve out an exception for voting rights, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act is never going to get passed, no matter how many boilerplate appeals the Democratic leadership makes on Twitter. In which case, the 2022 midterms are going to give us Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House (I threw up in my mouth a little typing that) and right back to the Mitch McConnell Obstruction Power Hour in the Senate. The Online Left (TM) will then blame the Democrats for not doing more to stop them. These are, of course, the same people who refused to vote for Hillary Clinton out of precious moral purity reasons in 2016, handed the election to Trump, and now like to complain when the Trump-stacked Supreme Court reliably churns out terrible decisions. Gee, it's almost like elections have consequences!!

Aside from my exasperation with the death-cult right-wing fascists and the Online Left (TM), I am sick and tired of how forty years of "trickle-down" Reaganomics has created a world where billionaires can just fly to space for the fun of it, while the rest of America (and the world) is even more sick, poor, overheated, economically deprived, and unable to survive the biggest public health crisis in a century, even if half the elected leadership wasn't actively trying to sabotage it. Did you know that half of American workers can't even afford a one-bedroom apartment? Plus the obvious scandal that is race relations, health care, paid leave, the education system (or lack thereof), etc etc. I'm so tired of this America Is The Greatest Country in the World mindless jingoistic catchphrasing. We are an empire in the late stages of collapse and it's not going to be pretty for anyone. We have been poisoned on sociopathic-libertarian-selfishness-disguised-as-Freedom ideology for so long that that's all there is left. We have become a country of idiots who believe everything their idiot friends post on social media, but in a very real sense, it's not directly those individuals' fault. How could they, when they have been very deliberately cultivated into that mindset and stripped of critical thinking skills, to serve a noxious combination of money, power, and ideology?

I am tired of the fact that I have become so drained of empathy that when I see news about more people who refused to get the vaccine predictably dying of COVID, my reaction is "eh, whatever, they kind of deserved it." I KNOW that is not a good mindset to have, and I am doing my best to maintain my personal attempts to be kind to those I meet and to do my small part to make the world better. I know these are human beings who believed what they were told by people that they (for whatever reason) thought knew better than them, and that they are part of someone's family, they had loved ones, etc. But I just can't summon up the will to give a single damn about them (I'm keeping a bingo card of right-wing anti-vax radio hosts who die of COVID and every time it's like, "Alexa, play Another One Bites The Dust.") The course that the pandemic took in 21st-century America was not preordained or inevitable. It was (and continues to be) drastically mismanaged for cynical political reasons, and the legacy of the Former Guy continues to poison any attempts to bring it under control or convince people to get a goddamn vaccine. We now have over 100,000 patients hospitalized with COVID across the country -- more than last summer, when the vaccines weren't available.

I have been open about my fury about the devaluation of the humanities and other critical thinking skills, about the fact that as an academic in this field, my chances of getting a full-time job for which I have trained extensively and acquired a specialist PhD are... very low. I am tired of the fact that Americans have been encouraged to believe whatever bullshit they fucking please, regardless of whether it is remotely true, and told that any attempt to correct them is "anti-freedom." I am tired of how little the education system functions in a useful way at all -- not necessarily due to the fault of teachers, who have to work with what they're given, and who are basically heroes struggling stubbornly along in a profession that actively hates them, but because of relentless under-funding, political interference, and furious attempts, as discussed above, to keep white America safely in the dark about its actual history. I am tired of the fact that grade school education basically relies on passing the right standardized tests, the end. I am tired of the implication that the truth is too scary or "un-American" to handle. I am tired. Tired.

I know as well that "America" is not synonymous in all cases with "capitalist imperialist white-supremacist corporate death cult." This is still the most diverse country in the world. "America" is not just rich white middle-aged Republicans. "America" involves a ton of people of color, women, LGBTQ people, Muslims, Jews, Christians of good will (I have a whole other rant on how American Christianity as a whole has yielded all pretense of being any sort of a principled moral opposition), white allies, etc etc. all trying to make a better world. The blue, highly vaccinated, Biden-winning states and counties are leading the economic recovery and enacting all kinds of progressive-wishlist dream policies. We DID get rid of the Orange One via the electoral process and avert fascism at the ballot box, which is almost unheard-of, historically speaking. But because, as also discussed above, certain elements of the Democratic electorate need to fall in love with a candidate every single time or threaten to withhold their vote to punish the rest of the country for not being Progressive Enough, these gains are constantly fragile and at risk of being undone in the next electoral cycle. Yes, the existing system is a crock of shit. But it's what we've got right now, and the other alternative is open fascism, which we all got a terrifying taste of over the last four years. I don't know about you, but I really don't want to go back.

So... I don't know. I don't know if that stacks up to hate. I do hate almost everything about what this country currently is, structurally speaking, but I recognize that is not identical with the many people who still live here and are trying to do their best, including my friends, family, and myself. I am exhausted by the fact that as an older millennial, I am expected to survive multiple cataclysmic economic crashes, a planet that is literally boiling alive, a barely functional political system run on black cash, lies, and xenophobia, a total lack of critical thinking skills, renewed assaults on women/queer people/POC/etc, and somehow feel like I'm confident or prepared for the future. Not all these problems are only America's fault alone. The West as a whole bears huge responsibility for the current clusterfuck that the world is in, for many reasons, and so do some non-Western countries. But there is no denying that many of these problems have ultimate American roots. See how the ongoing fad for right-wing authoritarian strongmen around the world has them modeling themselves openly on Trump (like Brazil's lunatic president, Jair Bolsonaro, who talks all the time about how Trump is his political role model). See what's going on in Afghanistan right now. Etc. etc.

Anyway. I am very, very tired. There you have it.

[writingwithcolor]

“Fantasy Names” for Non-English Languages; One Language Per Continent?

@corrupted---minds​ submitted:

In my story there are different continents inspired by sections of our world; fantasy Europe, fantasy East Asia, fantasy Middle East, ect. And each continent, for convenience, speaks one language. Cantonese is fantasy East Asias language, for example.

Now on to naming conventions. While in fantasy Europe people have average european names, about 30% have fantasy names like Illumina or Crystal or Raten Firewalker. I want to try to keep the same naming ratio for the other continents, but I’m not sure if it would be offensive for me, as a white woman, to cut apart a language to make a cool sounding name for my characters that are POC.

If you have any insight, suggestions, or just flat out think it’s a bad idea, please let me know. I dont want to unintentionally offend anyone.

On the Issue of Worldbuilding

The salient point is to avoid using languages from real life outright. Already, I sense that your language and coding categories are too broad. It’s never a good idea to reduce such large regions containing so many ethnicities to a single language group/ setting. Think more granular and use single ethnicities instead. Rina has already written on naming conlangs, including pertinent resource links, that I think would be very helpful information for you. Please read her comments here. 

Furthermore, as a reader, I think it is more realistic and dynamic when the characters have names that mean something in their own languages. Most people already have such names IRL. I think in many Western cultures, some are simply too removed from the original root languages to know the word origins of their names. My pen-name here on WWC happens to mean “Jasmine” both in Sanskrit and Japanese, but Marika is a lot more culturally relevant than “Jasmine” as it expresses my bicultural identity much more effectively. Thus, I am curious as to why you wish to stick to this arbitrary 30% rule. Not only does it strike me as rather boring, but it also generates a lot of dissonance for me as a reader in conventional fantasy when a person “randomly” has a conventional fantasy name with no context given. 

If people are given atypical naming schemes, I’d much rather there be a sensible reason for this choice. It both provides context and lays the groundwork for world-building information that the reader can draw on unconsciously at a later time. For example, as I continue my role as this blog’s Tamora Pierce evangelist, the author has two such examples of atypical naming in her universes. In the Tortall series, the Shang warriors are given titles that reflect their prowess, with more legendary animals indicating higher levels of mastery. Thus, the reader automatically knows that Liam Ironarm, the Dragon, and Kylaia al Jmaa, the Unicorn, supersede Ida Bell, the Wildcat, and Hakuin Seastone, the Horse, in terms of skill. In the Emelan Universe, dedicates of the Living Earth religion choose names associated with plants, animals and natural phenomena ( e.g. Rosethorn, Frostpine, Moonstream) and lack last names. Academic mages, on the other hand, have last names that demonstrate what kind of magic they are proficient in (Goldeye, Ladyhammer, Glassfire), allowing us to immediately discern who is a dedicate in the Living Earth faith, who is an academic mage, and who is neither (whether they be from a different background or are still in training).  

Lastly, as a caution, we would like to warn many of our readers that words commonly associated with imagery used in Norse mythology are now often dog-whistles or outright references to white supremacy groups/ movements (Thanks Neo-Nazis!). Thus, particularly for white/ Western-coded characters, please check any name meanings against the following databases created by Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League (viewable here and here).

- Marika.

On Colonial Implications

I would like to emphasize how flattening it is to summarize any large region down to a single language: British Columbia and some of Washington State have 7 mutually unintelligible language families within a few hundred square miles. That’s an incredibly saturated amount of linguistic diversity in a very, very small region. And it’s not the only linguistic hotspot in the world.

Europeans often have an artificial sense of how many languages are natural in a region, because Europe is one of the least linguistically diverse regions in the world at about nine language families, with 94% belonging to a single language family. Meanwhile, China alone has at least nine families, and India has at least six. In North America, you have dozens if not hundreds of language families across the continent.

Note that these are language families, not languages. Each language family can have anywhere from 2 to 50+ languages within it. The aforementioned language family with 94% of Europe is Indo-European, which covers everything from French (the Romance branch) to Punjabi (the Indo-Iranian branch) to Russian (the Balto-Slavic branch).

Convenience should not come at the expense of linguistic diversity. Language destruction is one of the targets of colonialism, and doing such a flattening would leave an extremely sour taste in my mouth at the implied history of this world. Many, many Indigenous languages are extinct because colonial languages were forced upon the populations of the Americas (English, Spanish, Portugese, French), and this isn’t counting non-European colonialism. 

Widespread single languages across huge landmasses often come with an extremely bloody history (unless it was purposely crafted for ease of communication among groups, such as Plains Sign Language), and for your marginalized readers it will be unignorable. You don’t have to create a continent’s worth of languages, but you do have to acknowledge the diversity is there.

As Marika said, focus on individual ethnicities instead of such broad land masses. Doing your current track would pull anyone with even an ounce of linguistics education, or anyone who has had their access to language suffer because of colonialism, right out of the story.

~ Mod Lesya

I agree with Mod Lesya, especially when it comes to their point of language destruction being one of the targets of colonialism. East Asia already has a history of this, with languages being banned and punishments for speaking them, and even now in mainland China Mandarin is being pushed as the only dialect to speak vs. Cantonese, Hokkien, Sichuanese, etc. A suggestion I have is to perhaps have one common language for diplomacy/trade purposes that is used alongside other languages and dialects in certain regions. 

--mod Jess